New Year's Eve

As Her Little Ladyship was winding down for the evening, Minion #2 and I were discussing what was happening at this time last year. At 6pm we were finally allowed to leave the hospital. It was 7 pm before we actually got all three of us in the car. It was cold, rainy, dark and foggy, and New Year's Eve to boot. NOT a good time to be on the road with your infant daughter in the car for the first time. She was 49 hours old, and both Minions were stunned that the hospital staff had actually let her just take her home. We read comic books and play video games, for goodness sake!

We arrived home, terrified. I was already exhausted, and hurting. For some reason, I had never calculated on the fact that I would be recovering from the birth. Walking and even sitting hurt so badly I wanted to cry, and I ended up doing just that several times. Add to this that we were in charge of this tiny, demanding little creature and we had only the vaguest idea of how to properly take care of her.

As Her Little Ladyship's first birthday approached, I was mourning the fact that she wasn't my baby any more. I was remembering all of the wonderful moments. For some reason, tonight I'm remembering all of the difficult moments, and suddenly I'm not missing the last year any more. I'm glad that we've gotten a lot more experienced, a lot more sure of ourselves. She's immeasurably easier to take care of, and she's not only interactive, but affectionate and downright fun. I love our time together now - instead of slaving to meet her demands, we actually play.

This is the best time so far, and I'm looking forward to what the new year brings. Happy New Year!

Quiet Morning

Having one of those moments that you just quietly treasure. She slept all night long, only waking up a few times but getting herself right back to sleep. She slept until almost 8 am. I went upstairs, changed her diaper and got her dressed for the day, then we played in her room. She asked for milk and nursed for a while, but I'm not producing enough milk to satisfy her any longer.

So downstairs for breakfast. She liked her oatmeal for a while, but using the spoon frustrated her after a while and she dug in with her hands. I laughed, cleaned her up and started feeding her with a spoon, but that didn't last long. She's a toddler now and She Can Do It Herself! Or so she tells me. She refused the oatmeal, so I took her out of her seat and tried to finish my breakfast, but she was still hungry and demanded some of my banana. So back into her chair for some banana and blueberries. While she ate those By Herself, I was able to fit in spoonfuls of oatmeal. She eventually ended up eating 5 tablespoons of oatmeal, 2 ounces of applesauce mixed in with the oatmeal, 3/4 of a banana and 3 handfuls of blueberries. I honestly don't know where it all fit.

Then we played for a while with her new Christmas toys. She loves her little wood shop and her CD player, and played with them both for quite a while. Then it was on to snuggling with her toy wolf and petting our cat Draco. That's her toy wolf on the bottom right of the picture.

She's learning a new word, poop, which her daddy and I appreciate. She's fairly good about telling us when she has a dirty diaper. We went upstairs for a change, and while we were doing that, she started yawning and rubbing her eyes. I washed my hands and then made her a 6 ounce bottle. She drank almost all of it. I tried to burp her but nothing happened, and the poor thing was falling asleep sitting up. I put her down in her crib, gave her a sleeping pacifier and her Bunny, which she pulled in close. I wished her a good nap as I closed the door, and I'm watching her on the video monitor as I write this.

I can't stay up until the wee hours of the morning on my vacation anymore, and my days start at 7:30 or 8 am if I'm lucky. But having this morning time with her, as she happily played and I got to watch, play and talk to her, is priceless. I love having quiet mornings with her, and I treasure every one. Her daddy is still asleep, all is still outside, I've had soft music playing all morning - these are wonderful times.

First Birthday!

Today at 5:43 pm the Tiny Overlord completed her first voyage around the Sun. Appropriate festivities were observed. We started by offering her a dinner of her favorite foods - organic crackers and cheese, with green beans and sweet potato. The actual anniversary of her birth occurred while she was eating, so Minion#2 snapped a few quick photos to commemorate the time.



Next we presented the Overlord with her cupcake. Earlier in the day Minion #1 had baked the cupcakes and made the frosting entirely from scratch to be certain that there were no preservatives, artificial flavorings or other things that may upset the Tiny One's tummy. She looked on with approval as we light the candle and held it in front of her. Minion #1 demonstrated the proper technique for blowing out a candle, and after a few tries, the Tiny Overlord was able to successfully defeat the candle foe! Minion #2 captured the moment on film.



We then repeated the event to capture it on video. Videos will be posted at the end of today's update. Minions #1 and #2 both taste tested cupcakes, to reassure the Tiny Overlord that they were indeed safe to eat. After a brief period of time spent investigating this new offering, she settled down to enjoy her cupcake. Some of it went inside, but the vast majority seems to have ended up on the floor.



Afterwards, the Grandminions K made a Skype call. We opened the Overlord's tribute as they watched, and her Uncle-minion J kept her entertained by making funny faces, which she deigned to return. The tribute was deemed to be acceptable, especially the CD player that "plays" little plastic disks and the crocodile that moves when you push the birds on his back. After paying homage to her Overlordship, the Grandminions and Uncle Minion disconnected. Minion #1 made a Skype call to the Grandminions H and her Tininess opened her final present while her Grandminions looked on.



After a bit more playing with toys and boxes, it was finally the Overlord's bedtime. We escorted her upstairs, got her into her pajamas and night time diaper and read a few pages of a book. Then it was time for a bottle and finally the Tiny Overlord fell asleep. Minion #1 shed a few tears that her little one was now officially a toddler and not a baby any longer. But all in all, it was the best birthday ever.

Almost a Year

What an amazing year this has been. From anxiousness, exhaustion and fear, to excitement and wonder, I honestly feel that we've experienced every emotion possible. She started as a tiny little thing that produced drool, poo, and cried at all hours, and she's grown into a little person, who talks and is trying to walk. We're learning her needs and moods, and she's learning us. She crawls over to us and lays her head on a leg or a shoulder. She gives kisses, and blows them too, and loves to just spend time with us. She also loves to explore and test out her surroundings. One of our favorite pastimes is watching her problem solve. She's figuring out solutions to problems faster and faster.

I'm really looking forward to the next year. How much more will she grow? What will she figure out? How will her personality continue to develop? It's been an amazing year, and I've enjoyed sharing it. Onward to year 2!

Dancing

The Wee Walker is getting better and better. She still needs her walker, but she's also trying to stand on her own. She can do it for a few seconds at a time, and each time she can stand for just a little longer.

She's started dancing, too. It started with me doing a silly song and dance during diaper changes to keep her from crying. She started dancing with me. Now she does it anytime she wants to.

Another First, Just in Time for Thanksgiving

This morning, I rearranged Her Supreme Smallness's Sit to Stand Activity Walker to become a, well a walker. Instead of sitting in front of it, now she can stand to use it, and we took the lock off the wheels.

More Firsts

Last night, at a restaurant, the Tiny Overlord became the Amiable Artist. For the first time, she used a crayon to color, not as a snack. We of course saved her masterpiece for future adoring fans to gaze upon, and told her how appreciative we were of this chance to see her artistic skills in action. All of the excitement made her quite thirsty, so she drank from a straw for the first time also. She was quite pleased (and a bit surprised).

After a filling meal, and some time spent smiling and waving at the older gentleman in the booth behind us, we packed up to leave. The man and his wife told her goodbye and said that she was a very good baby. She took the praise as her due and gave them a final smile and a wave goodbye as we headed out the door.

Gestures

The Tiny Overlord continues in her efforts to conquer the world with her cuteness. She has learned to wave hello (we're still working on bye-bye) and she can blow kisses. The adorableness factor is beyond measure.

She's also learning to communicate her desires to her minions. She reaches towards the thing she wants, and makes grasping motions with her hand. If we don't fulfill her wishes fast enough, she adds in quite pathetic sounds and the other hand. We do the best we can. Sometimes she gets frustrated, but for the most part, it's a system that works. Minion #2 even plays ball with her. When she has her wool ball, he makes the grasping motion and she will push the ball towards him. He pushes it back towards her and the game goes on.

Halloween

Captain Baby is 18.5 pounds, 28 or so inches, hitting all of her milestones on time. The Dr said she was a little short for her age, but then again so are we. Dr said she's doing great and we should keep doing what we're doing. I opted to get her a flu vaccine and I got the adult Pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine.

On Halloween Captain Baby and I decorated the front porch while Minion #2 cleaned the leaves off the driveway so that it wasn't slippery. Then all three of us carved a pumpkin. Captain Baby decided that she didn't like the taste, but she approved of the mess it made. She also had fun helping to hand out candy.

Road Trip!

This weekend the Tiny Overlord and her two minions went on a road trip to the Charlotte Speedway to meet two of her Grandminions. She handled the car time very well, sleeping for most of the trip. When she got tired of being in the car, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant.

When we got to the Speedway, the Grandminions were properly appreciative of the Tiny Overlord and her cuteness. She demonstrated her new tricks of crawling and pulling herself up to stand, and basked in their adulation.



She was so pleased, she allowed both minions to go for rides in GrandDaddy Minion's hotrod.

We discovered that the Tiny Overlord likes hotrods, and seems to enjoy hearing engines rev. She was so excited that she had trouble sleeping that night. She obviously enjoyed herself and was sorry to say goodbye the next morning. Looks like we might have a Tiny Gearhead!

Exploring Autumn

We took the Tiny Overlord outside to experience her first autumn. I put her down squarely in the middle of a pile of leaves. She just sat there at first, looking at both of us. We reassured her that everything was fine, that both of us were right there with her, and we explained about the leaves falling from the trees. After some time to think, she started to explore and play with the leaves.

This is fun!



Look what I found, Mommy!



Our little actress, ready for her dramatic monologue. "To be or not to be..."

Crawling and Standing!

This morning, as we were packing to spend the weekend at a Friend Minion's house, the Mini Monarch became the Mobile Mini Monarch! For the first time, she crawled a significant distance - a few little crawling steps towards her Daddy. She's still scooting most of the time, but every once in a while she'll pull herself up onto her hands and knees and crawl for just a foot or two.

We exclaimed with pride and delight, which she took as her due, of course. The Mobile Monarch and I then went ahead with our planned trip. About once a month we spend the weekend at a friend's house that is about an hour or so away. There both of us get spoiled and enjoy a visit with a good friend and we return home refreshed and relaxed. On this occasion, the Newly Mobile Monarch spent some time outdoors on their deck, enjoying the last warm breezes of summer and watching birds, one of her favorite pastimes.

Then, after we got home on Sunday, she displayed a new ability; pulling herself up to stand! We were in her room, sitting on the floor, looking at her fish. She reached up, grabbed the top of the wooden cabinet that holds the tank, and smooth as could be pulled herself up. Once again both of her Minions clapped and cheered and generally made a big fuss over her.



I'll leave you with this picture, that her Daddy appropriately titled "Daydreaming."

Dragon*Con!

On Labor Day weekend, we escorted her Adorableness to her first Dragon*Con, a four day gathering and nerdfest extravaganza of sci-fi, fantasy, art, anime, comic books, movies, tv, books, music and anything else they can squeeze into four large convention hotels in downtown Atlanta. 35,000 people come from all over to wear costumes, buy and sell things, attend panels, party all night and generally celebrate all that is great in geekdom.

We took the Mini Monarch for a test run to the local mall to see how she would handle crowds. She loved it. She already loves restaurants - the hustle and bustle of the wait staff, the constant influx of new customers and the chance to win new converts to her growing army of minions all fascinate her. The mall was even better.

Having confirmed our suspicions that she would enjoy it, we set out for the con. I had to work a full day on Friday so we got a late start and didn't make it to our hotel until nearly her bedtime. We did a quick unpacking and headed to the hotel restaurant for dinner, where the Countess of Cuteness quickly won over the wait staff. They ooohed and aahhed and she showed off for them, basking in their adulation. The late hour did eventually lead to crankiness, so I walked around the restaurant with her. She made friends with a goth woman and watched some Stormtroopers party around the pool. Then we headed upstairs for bedtime, where she fell asleep while nursing. Minion #2 and I watched some con tv (http://web.dragoncontv.com/) and then went to sleep ourselves.



Saturday started at 7am. We had breakfast in a hotel restaurant where again a waitress succumbed to Her Mini Majesty's charms. Then we watched her first parade. She spent some of the time sleeping in the sling but for the most part she enjoyed herself.



We headed back to our hotel for lunch and met up with some friends, then explored the dealer's hall. Her Mini Majesty spent most of the time sleeping in the sling, generating many adoring Ooohs and Ahhs from con goers. Dinner was at the Chinese restaurant where we had our baby shower last year. The Tiny Overlord snacked on sticky rice while we ate, then we attended a panel on machinima (short movies made using different video games.) She fell asleep while nursing that night and slept soundly.

Sunday we all dressed as a pirate family and the Petite Pirate was of course the cutest of all. We were stopped several times so that people could take pictures. We bought a signed print for her room and explored the art room. Another set of restaurants and another set of people exclaiming what a well behaved baby she was. She, of course, merely basked in their admiration.


Monday we spent a bit of time at the con, then packed up and headed home. The Tiny One had enjoyed herself immensely, but she was glad to be home.

Teeth! Three and Four

Her Chaotic Cuteness now has four teeth. But instead of the top two incisors coming in, the top side incisors came in, so she looks like she has fangs. We keep telling you that she's vicious!

She now enjoys any sort of food that she can pick up and eat for herself. Her lack of molars and inexperience in chewing on anything other than her minions means that we are limiting her self feeding to things like sticky rice and oatmeal which are very small and soft. But this doesn't diminish her immense pride in herself. You can almost hear her say "See, I can do it myself!" We regularly tell her how proud we are of her and she seems pleased with the praise.

On the Porch

During the summer, one of her favorite past times was to sit on the porch, waiting for Daddy to come home.

Food!

She has expanded her repertoire of foods to include sweet potatoes, prunes, squash, corn, green beans, applesauce, bananas, oatmeal, blueberries, winter squash, turkey, beef, and spinach. She is growing tired of my assistance and obviously wishes to feed herself. She's not quite able to do it yet, but that doesn't stop her from trying.

Rockin' and Rollin'

The Tiny Overlord continue to creep and scoot around her domain. Her mobility pleases her, but there are places she can't reach. Also, the cats are still faster than she is. In order to solve these vexing problems, she is practicing a new mode of transportation. She hasn't perfected crawling yet, but it will happen, and sooner rather than later, I'm afraid.

She is now napping and sleeping well in her private headquarters, aka her bedroom. She goes to sleep on her own. She is rarely pleased at having to stop experiencing new things, however and she disagrees vehemently when I tell her that it is time to sleep. But after a short period of time, in which she expresses her displeasure, she falls to sleep.

Nothing is Safe Anymore...

Now that the Tiny Overlord is mobile, every item in the house is in danger. The cats are learning to keep an eye on her at all times. She has cleared lower shelves, discovered every dust bunny (and attempted to sample them as well), tried to investigate the fireplace tools, inspected the firewood, surveyed the hallway and expressed disapproval at the gate denying access to the cats' litterbox.

Here's a little video I made expressing the suspense we all feel as she creeps slowly towards us:

(the music is from Jaws)

Vacation's End

Two more weeks left, and then I head back to work. Back to mornings starting at 5am and waking up a sleeping baby. It's so hard for me to wake her up; I want to just watch her as she sleeps and marvel at this person that we've made.

It does help, a lot, to know that she loves her caregiver. I know that she's in good hands and that she loves being with the other kids. And they love her! All summer long we've spent one day a week there, as a play date. All of the kids come over to say hello and many of them bring her toys. Her face lights up and she watches them play excitedly. She smiles when she sees her caregiver, and goes to her willingly, with outstretched arms.

But still, when it's quiet in the mornings I just want to let her have her sleep. Last time I would wake her up with a good morning song. I might make a new one for this year. We'll see.

Here's the first good morning song; she's 5 months old in this video.

Epic Journey

In the short time since she became independently mobile, Her Wee Worshipfulness has increased in speed and endurance. There is no longer any reassurance that she will stay where I put her. No distance is too far to deter her from her explorations.

She is also interacting more with the cats, especially the one who also has plans of world domination. She is taking an interest in his toys, I mean, the objects he amuses himself with while not plotting to take over the world. A squishy round ball that looks like broken crystal is becoming a favorite of both of them. I think I should be worried. In addition, things like the CD player are being added to her favorite distractions. It has buttons, knobs AND it lights up, three of her favorite things. Incidentally, I'm thinking that when she can reach the volume knob, we're in trouble.



She's also becoming critical of my housekeeping, exploring the lower shelves of furniture for dust bunnies and forgotten electrical cords. When she finds them, she pulls them out to show me. I am striving to improve conditions to meet her stringent standards. I am beginning to think that she prefers the Roomba, our robot vacuum, to my company at times. She certainly approves of his cleaning diligence, although she prefers to supervise him, naturally.

Sleep, Sleep My Baby

(The title is a quote from one of my favorite songs, that I mentioned in a previous post, and the picture is from when she was quite a bit younger, but I just had to include it.)

There were definitely days when I never thought she'd sleep. Heck, there are STILL days when I despair that she'll never sleep! But for the most part she's settled into a routine of a short morning nap and a long afternoon nap.

Right now she's still nappinghttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif in her swing. The side to side rocking motion seems to be soothing and she sleeps better in the swing than in her crib or Pack-n-Play. She wakes up rested and happy, ready to continue in her explorations.

I've learned that things change rapidly around little ones, so I'm enjoying this time, being able to be in the living room, catching up on email, this blog or even napping myself. Since we don't sleep in the same room anymore, I treasure little moments like this.

Today has been one of those days where I've been quietly happy. The rain is falling gently outside, she's asleep in her swing, our house is cozy. I love that we have a family in our house now. Life is good.

Late Nights

We had her out late last night - some good friends that we hadn't seen in over a year were in town and last night was the only time we could get together. We went out for a late dinner and the Cute Contessa was up considerably past her bedtime. She did fall asleep on the way to the restaurant and stayed asleep until our entrees arrived, so that helped a bit. She loves the hustle and bustle of restaurants - she watches all of the people and pays attention to our conversations. I always bring a bottle of breastmilk and several toys for her to play with, and she seems to enjoy seeing all the new sights. And of course it's another chance for her to convert more minions into her service. Everyone always stops to exclaim how cute she is, and how well behaved she is, and what a beautiful smile she has.

After getting to bed far too late, she woke up at 7:30 this morning and then didn't take her morning nap. She had a fun morning playing with Minion #2 while I took a break from being in charge. Then it was Minion #2's turn and I took over. We played on the floor for a while, and then went out on the porch to watch it rain. She loves watching the leaves move, and we had a quiet time just cuddling in the cool air.

Afterwards I served up some oatmeal with banana while squash steamed on the stove. I made her another batch of pureed squash to freeze so that I can send her favorite foods to her caretaker when I go back to work. Then the little on became the Cranky Contessa and I knew it was time for her nap.

This evening we're planning to head into town to buy a new aquarium for her fish. They've officially outgrown the tiny 5 gallon one we have; we're planning to upgrade to a 20 gallon. I'll pick up some plants and decorations; she loves her fish so I want to make sure the aquarium is a good habitat for them and nice to look at for her. A dinner of green beans, which she eats up with evident delight and then hopefully we'll get her to bed at her normal time.

We try to be consistent with her schedule, but she's so good even when we're not. We are blessed to have her as our baby. I mean, Tiny Overlord.

Jeepers Creepers!

The Mighty Mite has added a new superpower to her repertoire: she can now officially creep. Last night she decided that she WAS going to have some of Minion #2's food and nothing was going to stop her. She valiantly fought her way across an entire couch cushion, over the mountain range of Daddy's Lap and grabbed for her prize - Minion #2's burrito. We reluctantly moved it out of her grasp and repositioned her back to the center of the cushion.

Once again she went valiantly forth, finally achieving her goal once again, for which we rewarded her with a tiny taste of the refried beans in the burrito. She was pleased.

From that moment on, there was no stopping her. Carpet, area rug, wood floors - no surface was beyond her powers of creeping. The Tiny Overlord is on the move!

Time for some serious baby proofing.

Trust

She fell asleep in my arms just now, after a late night nursing. The complete trust she shows - it's staggering, humbling, awe inspiring. I would do anything for her.

A few precious moments to spend, holding her in my arms, as the night sleeps around us. It's so hard to put her down, but I do eventually, slipping away downstairs. I need my sleep, too.

Tooth the Second. Also, prunes.

Well, a week after her first tooth, on July 1st the Small Sultan got her second tooth, right next to the first one. No more toothless grins. And boy, are those tiny little teeth sharp already!

On the continuing quest for new and exciting purees, oatmeal was approved and we moved on to prunes. They are both tasty and messy, so of course the Sultaness loves them. Food you can eat, wear AND finger paint with? What's not to love? We got some pictures of the mess but haven't uploaded them yet; I'll post them here when we do.

The next food adventure will be sweet potatoes. I peeled, cut up and steamed two large sweet potatoes and then batch pureed them with some filtered water in the food processor I bought after the Great Squash Catastrophe.

Six Months

How did it get to be six months already? It's almost inconceivable that it was half a year ago that we brought home a tiny, crying bundle. We were both so terrified of doing something wrong, of hurting her. I'm not certain about Minion #2, but for me, the time in the hospital was an oasis of calm, a reassuring time when I had experienced help just a few steps away and people who were there to take care of me.

Then we came home and all too soon I was on my own with only the barest idea of how to take care of this tiny person. Oh, I'd taken classes and read books. I'd helped my mom take care of my brother long ago when I was a small child myself. I'd baby sat for kids over the years. But I had no experience with a child this young, and I was terrified, and overwhelmed and exhausted. It was the hardest thing I've ever done.

Now, things are much easier. I'm not saying EASY, I'm saying easier. I have a much better idea of how to take care of her, of what she wants. She's better at communicating with me. She's perfectly happy playing with her toys for 10-15 minutes at time, which gives me a chance to eat or take out the trash before it gets smelly, or empty the litterbox before the cats use the floor in front of it in rebellion. All of the thousand and one things that I have to do to keep the house running.

Some nights, if I'm lucky, I can get her in bed between 8:30 and 9. If I try to get her to sleep earlier it's a disaster. I think she equates darkness with sleeping; I need to get some blackout curtains for her room. But the fact that I'm contemplating how to get her to sleep on her own a bit earlier is, in itself, quite the victory. In the first month, getting her to sleep at all at night was a battle. I spent most nights walking around the house for hours, trying to get her to sleep at all. And when she did, it was only if she was nestled in my arms.

More and more, she's becoming a little person. She laughs when I'm silly and make huge, exaggerated kisses all over her belly. She smiles at me in the mornings, which is enough to make all of the rest of it worthwhile. She has a definite personality, including a temper. She wants things HER way, and she wants them NOW. She loves the new experience of eating solid food. So far I think banana is her favorite, but squash and oatmeal seem pretty tasty too.

She plays with her toys. I have a little monkey that someone gave us that travels with her in her car seat. She chews on him and pushes his button nose, which makes him play a song. She mashes the keys on her tiny toy piano with evident delight. Splashing in the tub or her tiny baby pool is very fun. And she loves books - well, chewing on them, but it's a start, right?

Six months since this tiny, incredible person came into my life, turning it upside and absolutely taking over every aspect of it. And it's been wonderful.

Tooth! And Food

Today, Grandma K Minion found Her Lilliputian Ladyship's first tooth! It's just broken through the surface.

Also, she's been experimenting with new foods. Squash has been deemed acceptable, and tonight her first taste of banana seemed to be enjoyable. The next food adventure will be baby oatmeal, then maybe peas. All of the fruits and veggies have been fresh made at home so far. The Lilliputian Ladyship has discerning tastes.

Summer Solstice

Six months ago, at the Winter Solstice, I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Her Supreme Smallness. Throughout the long, dark, cold winter nights, I looked forward to this day, the longest day of the year. I looked forward to having a six month old baby who could interact with me, who could spend a few minutes at a time playing with her toys.

Things have changed so much. I do miss the closeness of her sleeping on me, her tiny body snuggled as close to me as she could get. She slept on me for a month, then she slept in her swing in front of the couch, which is where I slept for her second month. For her third month, she slept with me in our bed. After that, she slept in her bassinet right next to my side of the bed, until this past weekend, when she finally outgrew the bassinet and moved to her crib.

I recently had to change her clothes to the 6-9 month size. I remember those first few days, when even the 0-3 months clothes were too big and she only fit in the hospital newborn shirts. The day I had to box up her 0-3 month clothes and say goodbye to my favorite outfits for her was a milestone. Now she's on her third set of clothes.

At first, we had to restrain her arms, because they kept flying up and hitting her in the face. Then she graduated to hitting the toys hanging from her floor gym. Now she has great control of her hands and can grab and hold things reliably.

It's been the most amazing period of my life. It will be exciting to see what the next six months bring. Happy Summer!

Summer Break

I've looked forward to this time ever since I went back to work at school. We usually start the morning with a walk around our neighborhood, then a short nap. She plays for a bit, then hopefully I can get her to take a long nap. In the afternoon we run errands or go shopping. Or we might go splashing in her pool, if the water is warm enough. Minion #2 gets home sometime between 5:30 and 6:00. After he pays homage to her Minute Majesty, he makes dinner and we eat. Sometimes we have playtime, but most of the time she's getting tired and cranky, so we have bath time, story time, some nursing to top off her tank, and then it's bedtime.

We've been feeding her rice cereal lately. She wasn't sure of it at first but she seems to like it now. I'm going to start thickening it up, and when she's used to that I'm going to try some pureed veggies, probably squash or zucchini, since those are in season. I'll steam them and then puree. I'll probably buy some organic baby foods from the store, but right now I'm planning to make a lot of what I give her by just pureeing something from our dinner.

Today I went through her closet and put most of her 3-6 month old clothes in a bin and unpacked the 6-9 month old clothes, which are now hanging in her closet. I'm debating between taking the bin to a consignment shop and getting some more 9-12 month clothes, since we don't have too many of those, or keeping them for such a time as a friend has a girl baby, or donating them to a charity.

Speaking of doing something with clothes, I have some outfits that are adorably cute, but which won't be reasonable for the season she will fit them. For example, I have a really cute tank top that is sized for 12 months. At 12 months it will be December, and I don't foresee dressing her in a tank top. All gifts of clothes have been truly appreciated - we haven't had to buy her any clothes at all! But I don't want a gift to go unused. Would anyone be offended if I returned such clothing for something more in tune with the seasons?

note: I'm planning to ask Minion #2 to take some new photos of the Tiny Overlord this weekend, so look for new photos soon!

Ready Set Bumbo

edit: this now links to the original website http://ready-set-bumbo.com. I had to share this great video made by someone else. The only reason we haven't made a follow up film is that none of our cameras do stop motion animation. Although the Bumbo does fit the Roomba vacuum...

Ready-Set-Bumbo. @ Yahoo! Video

Ready-Set-Bumbo II @ Yahoo! Video

Ready-Set-Bumbo III @ Yahoo! Video

June Update

At her latest doctor's appointment, the Slight Sultan weighed 14 pounds, 12 ounces and measured 25.5 inches long. Her bassinet is only rated to 15 pounds so she will soon be relocating to new headquarters (her crib) in her new secret lair (her bedroom). Minion #1 will likely be a mess for the first few nights.

The Slight Sultan has also indicated that a diet consisting solely of milk is no longer pleasing to her. Rice cereal is posing quite a challenge, but she is working on conquering it. (video of her first cereal to be posted soon)

Sleepless Night

The hardest part of parenting is something I never even thought about. It's the uncertainty. Am I doing the right thing? Is this the right choice? When am I being too hard, when I am too soft? I don't want to be one of those parents who hovers, always protecting my child from everything. Children need to explore the world, get bumps and bruises, learn their own limits. But I also don't want to be harsh. I want her to know that I will always be there for her. How do I walk that line?

It's incredibly hard, and there are times, like tonight, when I have no idea if I'm making the right choice. I don't buy into the idea that one bad choice will scar her for life. Children are resilient and a lot tougher than a lot of people give them credit for. But I still worry, and agonize over what to do. And it doesn't get easier.

This is the part that's much more difficult than I ever thought it would be. And that's why I'm up, typing here, when everyone else in the house is sleeping.

Giggles

The Tiny Overlord is NOT shy about communicating the current state of her emotions. She's had a great smile for a while now, and it makes us so happy to see it. By the same token, when she's scared or upset, the sight of her tears is heartbreaking. Recently, she has started to add a new dimension to her emotional range. She's starting to laugh.

This weekend she was in her swing and I was sitting on the floor in front of her. As each of her feet swung by me, I would give it a great big loud kiss "Mwah!" She giggled each time.

She also thinks it's highly amusing for me to blow raspberries back at her when she's blowing them at me. Her giggles are short, a little "heh" with a big smile. But they're adorable

Rollin' rollin' rollin'

The Petite Powerhouse has learned a new skill - she can now roll from her back to her tummy!

Grandminion Visit

This weekend the Grandminions Kohler and Uncle-Minion Jon came to once again bask in the devastating cuteness of the Mini Monarch. At first she expressed displeasure, even when they paid tribute in the form of cute new clothes. She tested their loyalty through the dreaded Shriek-a-thon Test. But they proved steadfast, strong, and willing to lavish attention upon her, so she relented.

Minions #1 & 2 were granted an afternoon off for their hard work. They went to go see Ironman 2 while the Grandminions gave attention, affection and milk to the Mini Monarch.

Before the arrival of the Grandminions on Saturday morning, Minion #1 and the Mini Monarch visited opening day of the local Farmer's Market. Her Majesty looked at chickens and greyhounds, listened to live bluegrass music, shopped for produce and was proclaimed 'beautiful', 'cute' and 'sweet' by everyone there.

All in all, a good weekend for all.

Update on First Foe

The Teeny Tiny Tyrant has been victorious! The cold has been soundly defeated and the last round of antibiotics is finishing off the ear infection. The Teeny Tiny Tyrant and Minion #1 have resumed sleeping at headquarters, i.e. our bedroom downstairs.

It wasn't an easy fight. The cold found two new allies, diarrhea and diaper rash. But with frequent diaper changes, use of super absorbent disposable diapers, Desitin Maximum Strength diaper ointment, both were soundly defeated. Throughout it all, morale was high as the Teeny Tiny Tyrant encouraged her troops with frequent smiles and play times, never acting sick.

First Foe

The Tiny Overlord is fighting her first foe, a head cold that has allied with an ear infection. The opening battle resulted in a stuffy nose and periodic skirmishes with coughing and sneezing. Not to be outdone, the Tiny Overlord is fighting back with the combined might of her arsenal, including antibodies in her mommy's milk for the cold, antibiotics for the ear infection, and a humidifier for the stuffy nose.

The Overlord and minion #1 are sleeping upstairs in the Tiny One's room, where the humidifier is located. Minion #1 isn't getting much sleep, but the Tiny Overlord seems to be enjoying camping out.

1 Year

It's been a year to the day since I made two phone calls. For two mothers, their Mother's Day present was being told that they were going to be grandmas.

I found out that I was pregnant the Sunday before Mother's Day. I kept the secret for almost a week. I wanted to tell my mom and my mother in law on Mother's Day, but I couldn't wait by the time Saturday came around.

This has been the most amazing, terrifying, wonderful year of my life. It was also simultaneously the shortest and longest year ever. It's been incredibly tough, and utterly worth it.

Giggling with Grandma K

This weekend two of the Grand-minions visited. At first the Tiny Overlord was displeased and communicated her displeasure in her native tongue. During this time she tried to teach us a new dialect. This one is considerably higher pitched, being composed entirely of shrieks.

She did eventually decide that these new minions were to her liking, as they were sensible enough to agree that she is the most beautiful and wonderful and smartest overlord in the world.

After a bit, she allowed them to amuse her. She found their new game to be quite fun and gifted them with a first - her first real laughs.

Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough with my camera. I only captured two laughs.

Monday went fairly well. I got home around 5 and was able to load & run the dishwasher, take out the trash and get a shower before the Petite Princess and Minion #2 arrived home. A quick dinner (Monday night Mexican) while the Princess grew increasingly agitated and cranky, and then we started the Ritual of Bedtime.

This consists of a relaxing warm bath and a quick massage while I towel her dry. We change her into a disposable nighttime diaper and use Maximum Strength Desitin to protect her little tush. We dress her in a one piece outfit and put her wearable blanket on her, then it's story time. As I said, she was tired and cranky, so it was a short book, "I spy in the Ocean". Then we say goodnight to her fish and head downstairs for cuddles and nursing to fill up her tummy.

When she falls asleep I put her in her bassinet. This used to wake her up instantly, but now she either stays asleep or wakes up, looks around, and goes right back to sleep. For once I was smart and went right to sleep myself. We both slept straight through until 5 am! She woke up, nursed, and went back to sleep, while I started my day.

I had to stay late at school, and the custodian almost walked in on me - if he'd come through literally one minute earlier it would have been bad. I had one of the Spanish teachers translate a note for me and hopefully that will solve the problem. He's a nice person, a gentlemanly grandfather, we're just having some multilingual miscommunication.

Monday Morning

Yesterday she wouldn't nap. By the time we got dinner cooked and eaten, it was 8pm. I had hoped for both of us to be in bed at 8. Quick bath, short book, downstairs for nursing. She didn't fall into her usual deep sleep, though. At 10 I gave up, resigned myself to nursing her all night and put her in the bassinet so I could go to the bathroom, put on my sweats, etc. She fell asleep as soon as was in her bassinet, though. I was able to collapse in bed next to her and finally sleep.

She woke up at 3am, which was 5 hours so she still technically "slept through the night." Nursed until 3:30, then wouldn't get back to sleep. At 3:45 there was a tremendous poo. I took her upstairs to change her diaper and ended up having to strip her, wash her entire back with baby wipes (up to her shoulders) and redress her. So of course she was wide awake.

A little after 4am I put her in her swing, with the whole house dark. No luck. Singing lullabies didn't help. She did take a pacifier but still no sleep. I reset the alarm from 5 to 5:30. By now it was 4:20. I told myself that if she wasn't asleep by 4:30 I'd wake up Steve to watch her while I got an hour of sleep. I turned on the white noise on her swing, on the water noises that she seems to like best. It's on a 7 minute timer, which is ridiculously short. But it worked. She fells asleep before it ended. I curled up on the couch and fell asleep around 5.

Steve woke me up when the alarm went off. Made breakfast, pumped a bit but only got half of the usual morning amount. Woke Summer up at 6:30 so she could nurse. It's 7 right now and I haven't changed her or gotten her dressed. Not a good start.

7 more weeks of this...

Quick Note

I am so proud of her! She can get herself back to sleep now, and she's sleeping through the night. Some of this is because she doesn't nap well at the baby sitters. It's only her first week, and it's a new environment, so it's understandable. But she seems happy and fine when she gets home. She falls asleep after her bath and throughout the night and morning, when she wakes up, most times she looks around and then goes right back to sleep. In the past, if I wasn't there with her, she couldn't or wouldn't go back to sleep.

I'm really glad she's sleeping well. And in her bassinet, for the most part.

A New 24 Hours

4 am Tiny Overlord is thrashing in her sleep. She does this every night. It will continue until she lets out a series of loud farts, then she will fall peacefully back to sleep. I chuckle.

4:30 am Tiny Overlord did not go back sleep; she wanted to nurse. She slept through the night so it's not a hardship.

4:45 am Tiny Overlord is content and back to sleep. My alarm goes off at 5 am, so I don't even bother to try to go back to sleep. Turn off alarm, go into kitchen to wash up the baby bottles that I was too tired to wash last night.

5:00 am Start oatmeal, put clean baby bottles in the backpack that holds the pump, unload dishwasher, put dirty dishes in. French braid hair, put in contact lenses.

5:30 am Tiny Overlord wakes up. I nurse her on one side, pump on another, eat and try to catch up on email.

6:00 I should be doing other things, but I spend 30 minutes with the Tiny Overlord, just enjoying her company.

6:30 Change her diaper, get her dressed for the day. Find an extra bib and diaper overwrap to go with her. Get dressed in outfit I laid out on Sunday afternoon. Brush teeth, touch ups to my hair.

7:00 Put Tiny Overlord in her car seat and talk to her to keep her entertained until both Minions are ready to head out door. I grab my lunch and pump, Minion #2 grabs diaper bag, the lunchbox of milk for the day and of course the Tiny Overlord herself.

7:15 am Everything is loaded into the cars, kisses all around, and we both drive off. I stop at a local bakery for coffee (decaff) and a pastry because I'm feeling a bit blue.

7:40 am - arrive at work, drop stuff off in classroom, walk to office, clock in, check mailbox, tell people who ask "yes it's hard being back", walk back to classroom

7:55 am first work pumping. Lock door, cover window in door, arrange pump so anyone looking through space between construction paper cover and the window frame won't see anything.

8:10 am put milk in little cooler in staff room refrigerator, wash pump parts, start work.

8:20 students enter classroom, start teaching

12:00 Lunch time pumping, eat lunch, observe a colleague and ask questions to learn how to use graphic organizer she designed for us.

3:40 students leave for day.Science department meeting.

4:00 Tutor a student. Prepare a powerpoint for forensics class. Forget to grade papers (sigh)

4:30 Student leaves. Afterschool pumping. Collect breastmilk cooler from refrigerator, pack up, head home.

5:00 arrive home. Put milk in fridge. Wash pump parts and empty bottles. Make lunch for tomorrow. Clean litterbox, take out trash. Take shower. Publish science blog (hoping to one day have enough visitors to it to make some money from it, so publishing on time is somewhat important)

5:45 Minion #2 arrives home, escorting a sleeping Tiny Overlord. Wash baby bottles. Load her lunchbox up with fresh milk for tomorrow. Dirty diapers into diaper pail.

6:00 Tiny Overlord wakes up and gifts us with play time. Minion #2 takes quite a few pictures of the Tiny Overlord. We tell her how smart and beautiful she is, and exclaim in delight over her attempts to sit up. She approves of the praise.

6:30 Minion #2 makes dinner while Tiny Overlord demands a fresh meal. Eat dinner, careful not to spill any on her.

7:00 Tiny Overlord sleeps in my lap. I try not to fall asleep, with little luck. Attempt to spend some time watching tv with Minion #2, also with little luck.

7:30 Tiny Overlord's bath time, followed by reading of last half of Hop on Pop. Tiny Overlord approves.

8:00 Tiny Overlord snacks, then falls asleep on my lap. Minions watch Mythbusters.

9:00 Minions watch Supernanny as research for later.

10:00 I realize how late it is and put Tiny Overlord in her bassinet. Brush teeth, take out contacts, put on sweat pants and sweat shirt, which is as close to her pajamas as I can get. The Tiny Overlord can not have a blanket (chance of smothering) so I don't use one either. If I'm comfortable in what I'm wearing then she should be comfortable also. Fall asleep after checking on her several times. Hopefully she'll sleep until 4 am again.

Baby Poo

I think this song by the Arrogant Worms (yes, they're a real band) sums it all up.

A New Day

Yesterday, while far from being good, was not quite as hellish as I expected. I didn't love my job before, and I definitely don't love it now, so that's harder. I now have to officially work until 4pm, and with required book study, professional learning, required tutoring,and meetings, I really have to work until 5.

But a phone call to Sharon at the end of school made me feel better, as she reported that Her Exquisite Eminence was having a good day, which comforted me immeasurably.

Last night she dozed in my lap off and on from 8 until 9:30. I decided to put us both to bed. As soon as I walked in the bedroom, she fell asleep. I was able to put her in her bassinet for the first time in weeks, and she slept straight through until 4am! I however, was up at 1:30 because I was hungry. Had a bowl of cereal and decided to pump to help keep my milk supply up.

A lot of women say that when they start pumping, their milk supply decreases until they can't continue. I really want to at least make it through this school year so I can breast feed through the summer, giving her at least 7 months of breastmilk. Ideally I still want to nurse her for at least a year. We'll see how it goes.

She woke up early this morning (5:30) and fell asleep in my lap. I really should be doing things to get ready for work, but right now, time with her is more important than anything else.

Going Back to Work

Oh today is going to suck. Steve loaded a digital photo frame full of pictures for me, and printed a picture to go in a normal frame. I'll probably call her caregiver every chance I get.

This is so unfair.

Vicious Tiny Overlord

Here she demonstrates what will happen to those who displease her. I don't know what the crinkle bug or the koala did, but the punishment is fierce.

Changed a few pictures

I changed the picture for the "3 Months" post to be a portrait of her at 3 months. The previous photo, of Summer in her butterfly outfit, is now the picture for the post "Last Day of Maternity Leave." I also changed the bumbo picture in the "Morning in Our House" post to be an actual picture of the Cranky Czarina herself, not some other baby.

100 Days

The Tiny Overlord has been ruling our house and hearts for 100 days as of yesterday. So very many changes have happened.

The Tiny Overlord's Current Decrees:

1. The Tiny Overlord shall eat anytime she wishes. She holds on to me when she's nursing now. Sometimes it's my bra, and sometimes my shirt. And sometimes she still just claws my chest; I look like I've been attacked by a very angry cat.

2. The Tiny Overlord shall be kept warm. This has become much easier with the arrival of spring. I'm looking out the kitchen windows at the new spring leaves unfolding. The house across the way is hidden once again, and the sunlight is bright and warm. Most of the birds are back, and the woods are full of their songs. The Tiny Overlord is pleased with this, as she enjoys looking at the birds. And oh, the pollen is back. Anything over 120 is high; earlier this week the count was over 5,000. The entire state is yellow. The Tiny Overlord does not seem to mind, however.

3. The Tiny Overlord shall be kept entertained. I can't wait to put her in her Exer-saucer at the end of this month; I think she's really going to enjoy it. She's starting to play with her toys now. The other day she grabbed a butterfly on her floor gym. It has wings filled with crinkle stuff - cellophane, maybe? She seemed surprised and pleased.

4. The Tiny Overlord shall be carried so that she may enjoy looking at new sights. She observes and interacts with the world around her now. When we go for walks, instead of immediately falling asleep, she watches everything. We've been going out on the porch and sitting in one of the rocking chairs. She watches the birds, and the wind in the trees. I try to explain things to her, and sometimes she talks to me, but usually she's too busy watching.

5. The Tiny Overlord now demands that her limbs obey her. She's much improved at grabbing things. This includes grabbing handfuls of our flesh and trying to pull it off; quite painful on the face, neck and forearms. She has almost complete control of her arms now; it's rare for them to fly out of control and smack her in the face. Her head control is getting close to perfect; all that time spent on tummy time was worth it!

6. The Tiny Overlord is beginning to see advantages to being self mobile, instead of demanding that her minions carry her everywhere. If she's on her back she can push with her legs and scoot a bit. She's getting better at it on her tummy, too, but she still has a tendency to put her face on the floor while doing so.

7. The Tiny Overlord shall be waited upon even during her sleep. Unfortunately one of her decrees is that I shall lay down with her whenever she wishes to sleep at night. For now, that means I have an effective bedtime of 8 pm. I am trying to assure and instruct Her Majesty that she can indeed fall asleep without nursing. She is not at all convinced that I know what I'm talking about, but she is grudgingly willing to give me a chance.

8. Except for sleep, The Tiny Overlord is tired of lying on her back. This means that her bouncy throne is now at a much more upright angle, and she is utilizing her Bumbo throne more often.

The Tiny Overlord has gone from from a squalling, screaming alien creature that did nothing but cry, poop and sleep (and not nearly enough of that) to a (still) alien who smiles and coos and plays with us, in addition to the aforementioned crying, pooping and sleeping (and still not nearly enough of that).

Last Day of maternity leave

There were times in those rough first weeks when I thought this time would never come. That changed to looking forward to her growth and changes and milestones, and dreading the end of our time together. But dreaded or anticipated, days come to pass.

Did you know Canada gives its mothers a full year with their babies? And some Scandanavian countries give two? Why does the U.S. think 3 measly months is enough?

I've been working on some sleep training, using methods in The No Cry Sleep Solution, which is an excellent book. It makes a lot of sense, and I really think it will help. But for this one last day, I'm indulging myself, and letting her sleep on my lap.

And I'm crying.

A Conversation with the Tiny Overlord

Here the Tiny Overlord directs her minions. We're not certain what she was saying, but it was obviously important.

Mommy Moment

This morning was the first time I used Mommy Spit (tm) to clean something off of her face. When I caught myself doing it, I laughed so hard!

Update on the Update

Today she scooted forward a few inches while she was on her tummy. Later in the evening, she gave a very short but distinctive laugh.

More Silly Singing

Me singing while the Petite Princess looks on approvingly. To the tune of "Baby Bumblebee"

I'm waking from napping as sleepy as can be
Won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm waking up from napping as sleepy as can be
Oh! Mommy's gonna feed me!


I'm drinking up my milk as fast as can be
Won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm drinking up my milk as fast as can be
Oh! Mommy burped me!

I'm burping at my mommy as loud as can be
Won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm burping at my mommy as loud as can be
Oh! Mommy kissed me!


I'm smiling at my mommy, full of glee
Won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm smiling at my mommy, full of glee
Oh! Mommy tickled me!

I'm laughing at my mommy, tee hee hee
Won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm laughing at my mommy, tee hee hee
Oh! She hugged me!

I'm giggling and I'm dancing for my mommy
Won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm giggling and I'm dancing for my mommy
Oh! She smelled me!

I'm filling up my diaper full of pee
Won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm filling up my diaper full of pee
Oh! Mommy changed me!

I'm starting to be a baby who's sleepy
Won't my mommy be so proud of me?
I'm starting to be a baby who's sleepy
Oh! Time for my nap...

14 Weeks

The Runty Royalty turns 14 weeks tomorrow. Here's an update on her:

She's trying to sit up! Her legs come up when she contracts her abdominal muscles, so instead of sitting up she does baby crunches, but that's okay. It'll strengthen her muscles, and she'll figure out the coordination soon enough.

If we let her hold our fingers, she can pull herself into a sitting position. She's very proud of herself for this, and rightly so.

This past Friday morning she discovered her toes. Since then she's forgotten and rediscovered them a few times.

There's a spot of white on her lower gum that I swear is a tooth just starting to break the surface. I think this explains the random fussiness we've been encountering and the return of sleeping problems.

She's sleeping at night, but only if I'm next to her and she falls asleep nursing. I just downloaded The No Cry Sleep Solution and I'm starting some of the suggestions in the book to hopefully help her to learn that she can get herself to sleep. It's not off to a smooth start, though, because she's being fussy and not napping well today. I finally got her to sleep in my lap. I'm definitely her touchstone for sleep - she just woke up, looked me in the eyes, and went right back to sleep as soon as she knew I was here.

I'm working on getting her to take pacifiers again. She's not only taking them, but she's getting much better at keeping them in her mouth. I know it's a habit we'll have to break later, but for now they're helping her to sleep and that's more important at the moment. Also, it's easier to get them off pacifiers than to stop sucking their thumbs. I sucked mine until I was 6, despite the very best efforts of my mom.

I'm worried about next week, when I go back to work. Sharon is wonderful, and Her Runty Royalty seems to get along with her fine, but it's still going to be a huge adjustment. For both of us.

Steve probably won't get home with her until 5:45 or 6. We start her bedtime routine at 7:30 with the goal of having her asleep by 8. I'm going to go from having all day with her to having roughly two hours. Should I go pick her up early? Should I go home and get all of the cleaning and cooking done so that when she's home I can spend my time with her and just her? Steve is looking into the possibility of going in to work early, so he'll leave the house when I do in the morning, and then leaving work early. It would give us another hour with her.

Smile!

Nothing to say. This picture says it all. THIS is what makes all of it worthwhile.

Crying

I'm slowly learning the difference between real crying and what I call "fussing." Real crying tells me of a need - hunger, a diaper in need of a change, reassurance and contact with Mom. Fussing isn't a need. Fussing happens when she is tired, or cranky. If she's fussing and I put her in her swing with some music and white noise, she will go to sleep within 15 minutes. Generally. If she's cranky, I can usually distract her and get her smiling again.

Learning the difference is the hard part. I don't want to ignore her needs, but I also don't want to feed her every time she cries, for example. It sets a bad example (eat to solve your problems) and it doesn't fix the real problem. I also need the practice in saying "No" to my strong willed child.

I don't want to let her "just cry." If she's crying, I need to solve the problem. If she's fussing however, that I can live with for a bit.

I think she's waking up; the mid day nap may be over for today. This afternoon's adventure is grocery shopping.

Rites of Passage

I've been thinking about those tough early days. One night I was walking around the house carrying her and crying, which was pretty normal for then. I had the tv on for noise, and a show came on about rites of passage around the world.

Rites such as this mark important transitions in a person's life in many cultures around the world. They have a few common elements:

1. Isolation - the person is isolated from society, for varying lengths of time. This gives them time to think about the change in their status and the increased responsibilities that come with it.

2. Pain/bloodshed - in many cultures, some part of the ritual involves enduring pain, whether tattooing, ritual scarring, circumcisions, etc.

3. Special diet - for one reason or another, often a special diet is included, to purify the body, to prepare for the upcoming trials, etc.

4. Special clothing - again, either for practical reasons or to mark the person as being in the transitional stage, the stage in between the old status and the new.

5. Re-introduction - the person is formally welcomed back into society as a member of their new social status.

I realized that night that I was undergoing a rite of passage. The terrible isolation I had been feeling was suddenly a bit easier to handle. The pain of childbirth I had already accepted as a necessary and pivotal part of my new status as Mother. The maternity clothes, the by now hated maternity clothes, that I was still wearing didn't bother me *quite* as much.

And unlike many people, I had a baby shower AFTER the baby arrived. It was the first time all three of us - father, mother and child - had appeared in public as a family group. It was my re-introduction phase.

Our society has largely abandoned rites of passage, and I feel we are poorer for it. Marking important transitional periods in a person's life can have quite an impact, and reinforce their growth as a person. I plan to celebrate certain events in my daughter's life with simple rites, within our own family for some and others, like a Sweet Sixteen with others outside of the family.

And someday, maybe I'll help her through the transition from Woman to Mother.