Sophie's New Pup

So, Maeve and Sophie are intimately connected.  When Maeve is on a blanket, Sophie lies on her or next to her.  When Maeve is in her swing, Sophie lays under her and nips at her feet and bats at them.  Sophie will lay outsider Maeve's door during the day.  I think Maeve is the only one who doesn't yell at Sophie, but Maeve can pull, grab, push or scream and Sophie doesn't budge.  We got Sophie for Noah's second birthday, but I think she might become someone else's dog!!!

Maeve, 8 months

My sweet little peanut is now 8 months old.  Maeve is such a joy and such a blessing to our family!!!  There are so many things that make her so unique and so totally her own person and we love discovering them more and more each day.

Maeve is VERY "grabby" now and forcefully takes whatever is in your hand.  She is often lunging for my computer or phone and tries to grab hot coffee or anything around.  She is mastering her pinscher grasp and is finally able to pick up cheerios on her own.

Maeve is still such a happy (if tempermental) baby.  She wakes up from naps and night time with giggles and laughs.  Sometimes she'll roll around in her crib talking for a half hour or more and as soon as you walk in the room she grins from ear to ear and kicks her feel wildly.

At 8 months we have not been able to break her of the swaddling habit.  We have tried on so many occasions and the child WILL NOT go to sleep if she is not swaddled.  She will cry or play for EVER but will not sleep.  If I wrap her in her blanket, she is immediately asleep.  She is very close to being too large for the largest blanket and we're not sure what will happen then!  She is also struggling (read: NOT) to fall asleep in a pack and play which means going to someone's house has not been an option for us.  She'll sleep in the car and at home, but not anywhere else.  I'm sure this is a repercussion of being homebound for most of her life, but I hope she'll grow out of it!

Maeve is a tempermental eater.  She is certainly NOT a little peanut anymore and is quite rolly poly, but she is finicky about how and when and the position of her eating and is not consistent in any way.  She is eating a large variety of foods that tonight included mashed potatoes and yogurt.

Maeve is a pretty content and will happily sit in the stroller or her car seat for quite a while.  This is a dramatic improvement from her newborn days.  She has settled in many ways.  But, because she has been with us primarily all the time, she is a bit more weary of others holding her.  She will not give the nursery attendant at church the time of day and has a big old wrinkly lip that turns into a wail pretty quickly!

Noah has had his first two live interactions with her as another member of the family.  He has a habit of not sitting down on the stools in the kitchen.  He fell off one day and she started laughing.  He yelled at her -- Don't laugh at me Maeve!!!  and after a particularly large trantrum at a friend's house, we were in the car on the way home and Maeve fell asleep.  Annoyed that he no longer had her for an audience he started yelling at her "Maeve don't sleep!  You can't sleep now!!!!!'"  Overall he is still very good with her and still finds her quite novel.  Once she takes off crawling, I am quite sure this will change.

We are hoping to be out and about with her more and to expose her to many new things now that we can move as a family again!!!!  Happy 8 months baby girl!!!

Back to the New Grind

It's been 8 weeks since surgery.  It's so hard to believe it has been that long already!  I am so grateful to be mobile again.  I certainly still have a limp, but it is improving every day.  I am going to therapy twice a week and I am allowed to ride the exercise bike.  Still no running, jumping or lateral movement until April/May.  It's hard because for 6 weeks I was so restricted and now all of the sudden the therapists want me to do tons of stuff so quickly and it is a little overwhelming, but I'm getting there little by little!!!

Having so much time to think has been really good for me.  I have really enjoyed knowing I have such an amazing community.  I have loved seeing Noah become more self sufficient and independent.  I have been able to claim more of my decisions and know that in some small sense I have big choices to make about my own happiness... and sometimes that is as easy as declaring -- I will be happy!!!  It is so easy to get caught in the pity me trap and get bogged down in the circumstances, but I learned over and over again in the past 3 months that God always gives us things to celebrate and moments that are filled with joy. 

I am struggling with the after effects of almost a year of sedentary life.  I was on bedrest from May through the end of June, then I had a newborn and then I had about 2-3 good months before I fell.  So, whatever muscle tone I kept from pre-bedrest is completely and totally gone.  I haven't gained weight, but the areas of my body that were active and healthy have deteroirated into the life of a couch potato.  So, again I face the uphill battle of getting back in shape!!!  And my therapists stand on the sidelines yelling simultaneously -- hurry up and slow down!

So, I am back to the new grind.  Back to work, fully.  Back to parenting, fully.  Back to various activities and hobbies and routines.  Many of the things I have always done, but now I just hope to do them a little more cheerfully and peacefully!  Thanks again for your love and care!!!!