Jason’s challenged me to try and take a *good* photo every day. I’d been complaining that practicing my photography wiles on 80 is getting tiring, but then realized that it’s a perfect challenge. I’ll have to be creative to keep it from being (too) repetitive. Follow along on the Wadsgreen Flickr (if you actually know us). I’ll post the occasional one here (as “repetitive” may be interpreted as “pictures of your damned kid every day”).
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80 skyped with her maternal grandparents tonight, and touched their faces … I mean the screen, a lot. That would sound heartbreaking, if we weren’t seeing them in a week.
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It’s far too soon to make a pregnancy April Fools joke, so instead I present for your heart-warmingness: 80 and a bunny.
A scrape, a bruise, lunch, and blue fuzz from the rug adorn my child’s grille.
During the course of today, 80 got scrapes on both sides of her cheeks. Of course,this should remind you of . Naturally.
The right side of her face is a combo scrape and bruise, the left side a plain ol’ scrape. The scrabruise happened this morning before naptime. There is a rule — let’s call it The Pre-Toddler Law, that states “the closer you are to nap time (and thus the less balanced and coordinated you are), the more it will hurt when you fall down”. The very same biff would be shaken off with nary a cry if 80 had been fresh, but since it was just before a nap, she took it hard.
On the upside, isn’t she cute anyway?
In the background is the recycling bin (and the litter box). In the foreground is my baby, my visiting brother and a catalog (now human hamster nest). They had a blast, and I got to have a leisurely shower.
Things have been rough for me, and it’s great to have my brother visiting. I think I’d like to write more about what’s been going on, because it’s exactly the stuff that no one tells you when you have a baby, and yet it’s not totally scary where I’d not want to talk about it for fear it will end human procreation.
I’ll work on that post, and continue to post cute pictures in the meantime. My new camera is inspiring to shoot more, although we put most of the pictures on our private Flickr account. If you know us, you can find us as Wadsgreen, and we’ll befriend you.
February suuuucked. My back went out, there was rampant pukey flu and much momentum was lost. Finally, finally my back feels better and neither 80 nor I are puking.
A few days ago I bought a new camera, which I’m using as the springboard for my photography business. It doesn’t hurt to have a new, slick gadget to help gain momentum. Now, to take some test shots and get comfortable with it …
Quick update: J’s mom came for a week, to help out while I recovered from my back injury. She leaves tomorrow, and I’m confident I can handle 80 solo. My back feels about how it did before the injury, which is to say still kind of twingy, but I’m going to physical therapy so I can get back to feeling like a 32-year-old, not an 82-year-old.
Up until recently (or maybe secretly still) my mom would do a cartwheel on her birthday, just to prove she could. I don’t think I could do a cartwheel today (and definitely not on my actual birthday), so that’s kind of my goal. Plus I want to find a community cheerleading class.
Kidding.
It’s funny, I’ve often thought “Oh wow, I wish I would have done more spontaneous things, gone to more events, taken more little trips before we had 80.” I didn’t really want to blog about it, because it’s pretty whiny, and I don’t want to give the impression that life is limited now. It’s more like I didn’t realize how much free time I had until now.
Now that I’ve spent four days in bed (thanks to my back), I realized I’m starting to thing “Oh wow, I can’t wait until I can walk, and I’m going to go on walks with 80, go down to Harvard Square to look at people, play in the snow, and go visit friends.” Part of the reason why I’m lying here in bed is because I’d not being leaving the house much and not getting exercise. A million feet of snow will do that to you.
So now, I’m reminded that much like before I had 80 I should have done so many things that are harder to do with a baby, now that I have her I should go and do all of the things that are great to do with a baby, that maybe seem a little hard (restock the diaper bag, put tiny snowpants on) but that I’d kill to do today instead of lying here in bed.
Today’s lesson is: Pollyanna yourself! Also, don’t forget to exercise (especially walking) if you’re a new mom. Those ligaments are extra stretchy still and not being able to take care of your child is reason enough to get moving.
I’m going to claim it’s a snow-related back injury, but the whole story is that I was stuck during the most recent snowmageddon in the car1, and nursed 80 while twisted about in the back of our very small car. Said twisting (she’s a tall girl, and iI was stuck between the door and the carseat) torqued my back in an unacceptable manner.
In any case, I got home finally, got 80 upstairs, and promptly laid down on the ground never to get back up. My back seized, went on strike, and otherwise stopped working. Luckily, my friend Ro was already home from work, and came over to take care of 80 and make dinner.
That was Tuesday. I’m still in bed. I can now walk without limping, but if I am up for more than a few minutes, all healing unravels. It totally sucks, but as long as I lay still I’m OK. We have a babysitter for 80, and I’ve been playing a lot of Carcassonne on my phone. My friends have been awesome, fully picking up where family would normally be playing a part.
1 If the first thing that reminds you of is , then you earn +50 points.
I’d read that if you want your child to start saying mama and dada as some of their early words, you need to refer to yourself in the third person (lest they think your name is “I”). Yesterday afternoon, 80 began saying mama like a switch had been flipped. Personally, I think it’s because we were hanging out with Tanya Donnelly, and she inspires awesomeness.
I’ve also read that you child has to say a word three times in a reasonable context (not saying “mama” while pointing at the cat) for it to be a word. 80′s been saying ma-ma more than any other sound in the last 24 hours, and I’m encouraging her of course.
80: “Ma-ma! Ma-ma. Ma-MA.”
Me: “Yes! Yes! Yup, that’s me. That’s right.”
We’ll see if it sticks. Next up: dada. She’s been able to say the “ma” and “da” sounds for a while, so hopefully she picks it up soon.
I mention it in the video, but I swear she said “gesundheit”. Please don’t leave a comment saying it’s unlikely. I realize it’s unlikely, and I also want to mention again that I swear that’s what I heard.
I’m also now singing all the songs I can think of with ma-ma in them. Bohemian Rhapsody (“mama, just killed a man”), Poker Face (ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma ma-ma poker face). Any others I should add to my repertoire?