Understanding Laura: January 2009

Crawling

This pregnancy has flown by! That is, until now.

The next ten days are going to craaaaaawl by.
Especially if they're anything like the past five have been.

Mark your calendar and check back for the gender spoiler!

February 9, 2009

By Definition

Thanks for the idea Emily! I've got some time to kill while Kee Kee drifts off to sleep.

I am: a Mommy
I think: my blog stinks sometimes
I know: The gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true - it took me a long time to learn that one!
I want: a professional housekeeper for one week
I dislike: most disposable products
I miss: my husband when he's at work
I fear: car accidents
I feel: pain from a swollen tongue
I hear: Kee Kee's lullabies
I smell: our home
I crave: Hidden Valley Ranch, buffalo wings, and pizza
I cry: at most movies - especially Sweet November! Sorry you had to be there for that Em ;)
I usually: eat too much
I search: for my cell phone once a week or more
I wonder: what this baby will be
I regret: eating that salad right after cleaning up that dog puke right after springing to life from a dead sleep on the couch
I love: my family
I care: about other people's feelings. I'm just usually oblivious to them.
I always: wait too long to wash laundry
I worry: about the things I said before thinking
I am not: a morning person
I remember: very little
I believe: everyone has some good in them
I dance: and the whole world stares. Oh, I'm no Shakira. I'm like a train wreck - how can anyone expect you to look away?
I sing: loudly and with gusto!
I don’t always: do the dishes when I should
I argue: when I'm feeling feisty
I write: in my head
I win: at Monopoly
I lose: everything but my planner. What is up with that?
I wish: I could have a home full of children
I listen: to whatever artist American Idol made HOT that year
I don’t understand: liars, lies, lying
I can usually be found: at home or a playgroup
I am afraid: of being alone
I need: a heating pad. Right now.
I forget: to return phone calls
I am happy: with my life

My Happiness

At 12 weeks, I was feeling this little baby's fluttering movement.
At 14 weeks, the bumps and jumps were a little more obvious and frequent - up to three times a day.
At 16 weeks, I love to lie very still on the couch and wait for this baby to wiggle and jiggle about.

In those moment's I am filled with happiness. The happiness I worried wouldn't come.

A small confession (one that I understand is pretty common for a second pregnancy) is that I only fell head over heels in love with this new person when I could feel it squirming about.

My first pregnancy love was magical and almost instant. I was truly ashamed that I hadn't fallen as fast for this baby as I had for my tiny zygote of 2006. But I'm there now and just as in love as I was the day I found out. I may not have known that I was in love then, but I know it now. And it's a wonderful feeling that I'm reminded of with each little nudge.

Three Cheers for Individuality

Kellie's individuality is important to me. As she has changed her name -over and over- I've gone along with it and asked her friends and family to respect her decision as well.

I'm not sure how far I should stretch it... but for right now, I'm going to stretch it just a little further.

Kellie has asked to be called Kee Kee.

She made her mind up on Sunday when her nursery leader accidentally called her Kee Kee. -I can't imagine it's easy remembering all of Kellie's names along with the names of the other children in the class.-

Kee Kee giggles gleefully each time we call her by her new chosen name.

Given the choice between Kee Kee and any of her previous nicknames (Kay Kay, Kellie Allie, Kellie Allie Allison, plain old "Kellie"), she undoubtedly chooses Kee Kee.

My daughter has a creative streak wider than I could have hoped for. I'm assuming her renaming herself is similar to another child pretending to be different jungle animals.

I'm having fun with it and am always sad to see a nickname go.

Her love of language has been fun to experience as well. Over the months, we've had some fun words come out of her little mouth. Since Kee Kee has always been so spot-on with her pronunciation, it's rare to have a word said incorrectly. Unlike many parents, I revel in them and maybe let them go on longer than I should. Mostly because I know my daughter, and I know that the moment she finds out she's been saying it wrong, she will correct herself posthaste.

Just so I don't forget these little gems of joy, I'd like to list off a few of my favorites that have come and gone. Most of these mispronounced words lasted weeks only.

Barbo - Her Barbie from Grandma Lori was affectionately referred to as "Barbo"
Snow Flow - She loves to watch the snow plows do their work. She'd put an F where the P should be and say it just like it the beginning of "flower"
Sodo - for soda
Nuggle - for snuggle
Air Puh-lane - for airplane
Beenana - for banana
Bow-ying - for bowling
Eeeks-cited - for excited
Mewgsic - for music

I'm sure there's more. If you've heard Kee Kee speak and can remember a word she used to say incorrectly - let me know so I can add it to my memory box. Please? :)

My Reward

Kellie Allie has been having a tough week with her cold and congestion.

As she was preparing for bed tonight, she was going through meltdown after meltdown with no hope of reprieve. Brian was not wearing his Tender Loving Daddy hat and was carrying on with bedtime business as usual. Though I'd scheduled Kellie Allie's bedtime to unload our groceries while Brian put her down, I knew she needed some TLC. So I set aside my cans of green beans and asked Kellie Allie if she wanted to snuggle Mommy. After an emphatic "yes" and a leap from Daddy's loving -if not snuggly- arms, we headed to bed.

As we rocked and snuggled in our glider, we listened to her lullabies from Grandma Ruthie. Ten minutes into our snuggle session, Kellie Allie had calmed down and was breathing deeply.

Halfway to slumberland, she quietly said, "Thank you MaMa."
To which I replied, "I love you."
Her sleepily whispered "I love you, too." warmed me so deep, I momentarily forgot that it was -12° in Anchorage today.

Moments like these are the best part of being a Mommy.

These Are a Few Of My Favorite Things

As my daughter quietly sang herself to sleep this afternoon,
I listened closely to the lyrics and could pick out
her favorite things in the song she was making up.

It went something like this:

Oooo Ahhh Cheeseburger...
La Baaaa Bowling...
Eeee Oooo Snow Plow...
Mmmmmm Moon Ooooo...

To add to her list of favorite things,
I'd like to share some pictures of our two year old in action. Enjoy!

Just kidding... I'll try again later. Getting all sorts of errors.

ETA: Blogger and I are friends again! Pictures for all!