Travels and travails

Hello! This week was very Marchish; in like a lion, out like a lamb. Henri was still ill and teething so quite whiny. Then Saturday she stopped nursing. I'd heard of nursing strikes, but figured we had suffered enough in the beginning of our nursing relationship that we'd be spared that. Nope. She freaked whenever I tried to put her to boob and it clearly distressed her that she couldn't seem to remember how to nurse. I was a mess thinking it was all over and that I was back to exclusive pumping (major pain when you have a curious toddler who keeps unplugging the pump, tipping over the full bottles, and then refusing to drink the milk no matter how you present it). On Sunday I stayed home from church as she was still drippy and called the on-call nurse who was extremely nice and encouraging and basically told me to chill. But I still took her in on Monday. No sooner had I made the appointment than she started nursing. And wouldn't stop. And was back to her normal self. And the no-nonsense NP told me she was fine and that I was fine and that everything would be fine. And it was.

Tuesday Henri and I took off for Vermont to surprise my mom for her birthday. We enjoyed just relaxing at home with no way of connecting to the outside world, eating great food (Papa made an amazing veggie lasagna for the birthday dinner), and watching Henri dominate another household (she worships Papa and it's pretty mutual).

Not too many photos since I kept the camera away for the most part, and don't want to post picts of my younger siblings, but here are a few of the week:

Had some folks over for lunch on Saturday and got all Spring-y with the table settings

Papa pushed H around the house in this basket every night; she loved it

Lots of fun toys at Gramma and Papa's

Birthday girl opening her presents; she got a weather station from Papa!

A rare brief pause in running around and around and around the house

Snow flurries! Was very icy driving back today on some of the mountain passes

Poor flowers

Anticipation

Five teeth now

Another one of those idyllic VT scenes that really aren't contrived; (one of) Mom's workbaskets

OK, she's actually happy here but it's hard to see. I gave her goldfish (Parmesan) today for the first time and we have a girl in love. I was trying to get her to show me the one in her hand but she thought I was going to take it away, hence the face (and the tightly gripped fishy)

So, we're back home and facing a long list of tasks to accomplish before the semester starts on the 9th. Steve is calculating the odds of winning the current lottery (0.00000056%)  but still won't let me buy a ticket. And we wait for the bank inspection. Looking forward to basketball viewing, good food, possible Webb's trip (!) and just enjoying my recuperated Boo.

Bend, place, straighten, repeat.

I'd heard a lot about the every day drudgery of being a mom. About how it feels like you do the same thing over and over (and over). Up till now, I didn't really get it. Our days are pretty similar because while I'm not a stickler for rigid schedules, Henri is predictable in her routines and, except for Wednesdays and Sundays, we follow the same pattern every day (wake up, nurse, Henri runs around while I make coffee and her cream of wheat, she eats it, plays and gets read to, we do house chores, fussy and nap with nurse at 10ish, homework, H is up for another nurse and then lunch, walk, nurse, fuss and play, nurse and nap, up for supper, dad home, play, nurse, bed...and then homework for me). Uneventful for sure, but satisfying to both. That all changed this week. I'm not sure if it's the nasty cold she has (sorry, all the following picts feature a very snotty kid, but that's current life around here) or we've entered a destructive phase but she can't stand to have anything in its proper place. I literally follow her all day around the house picking up what she's just yanked off/scattered/ripped/chewed and spat out/thrown/hidden or tipped. The floors gets swept after every meal and in between but I'm still stepping on grit. She's in a perpetual state of sogginess from drool, snot and the water (HOW do you teach a kid to use a cup??? whenever she gets any water out she gleefully sprays it everywhere!). I know this sounds like complaining, but at the moment I find it more amazing than irritating. That this tiny little bugger can make the cyclonic mess she can in the time frame she does astounds me. And lets face it, housework has never been my forte. Also I'm hoping all this bending and squats will help with the renewed commitment to weight loss....

Given the fact that we've been mostly home bound because of the cold there are no interesting photos of the week. The following is me trailing H as she puts the house into the order she likes best:

Dad's wallet, perpetual source of delight

The living room after Henri's sauntered through

She got hold of a ball of string and unwound it all over the house

More string...

The tissue box! Given her constant drip I've needed it where I could get to it easily. Which meant she could get to it easily

More tissue strewing

Makes the original mess all that much better

I keep finding small wads in the strangest places

How to get what you're not supposed to have. Step one: spot it while standing on tip toe

Step 2: Streeeeeeeeeeetch

Inspect what you've just snagged

Look guiltily triumphant (and run...hence the blurriness)

Take a quick break from destruction to sweep (and resort the recycling)

She wanted it to be laundry day

Learning to shut the door to keep mom away when she's being naughty

She loves to carry anything that has a handle or a strap

And a few random shots from the week:

Not feeling so hot

She wants to see what I'm taking a picture of as I take them so she's always running around behind me. Taking lots of over-the-shoulder shots

She waves whenever she hears the word "hi" or "bye"

Plays "So Big!".

That's been our week. Runny nose, picking up, lots of tears and laughing. Also:
Semester's over! (with decent grades, phew)
A midwife called me back and we're in the midst of emailing details and such. Nothing certain, but she's showing interest
Still waiting on the bank inspection....
Lots of home baked treats
Long walks every day in this insane heat
A new box fan!

A very full week

This has been one of those weeks were I feel like I was always behind on something, but not much actually got accomplished. Probably most frustrating was the fact that my preceptor emailed to inform me she can no longer be my preceptor, so I've been scrambling to find another. And no one is calling back. In the grand scheme of life not a travesty, but I've put two years into schooling already and my clinical placement is pretty integral to completing this. So if any of you know a nurse midwife in the greater Boston area who would like a student for 6 months, I'd be most grateful to hear of them (and thank you to those who have given me contacts. I've called them all, and...well, no call backs. Will be perched on their doorstep next week).

However, all has not been doom and gloom this past week. Yes, I did crummy on another exam, but I did fantastic on a paper. Yes, we spent an inordinate amount of time driving, but we had a blast with family and Henri was a superb traveler (though, and I can't believe I'm saying this, we will be buying a DVD player for the car for her. My arm is still numb from holding the ipod so she could watch videos of herself). Yes, I'm severely sleep deprived from time change and homework, but Henri has been consistently taking a TWO HOUR morning nap! (I get in my emailing, homework, coffee, toilet break by myself AND blog checking almost every day. Bliss!).

And, Henri has just been a riot. She's running everywhere, rarely crawls anymore, so we've been going to the park to let her explore. She's in love with her lovie, Ellie, and even after waking from her nap is content in her crib for another 20 minutes just chatting with her. She's taking it on herself to "help" with more chores (she now puts away the groceries and wipes down the toilet cover  as well as scrubbing her tray after eating, emptying the dishwasher and flinging laundry). She's still not sleeping through the night but she's happy to go to bed at 8, and if she's not tired she just plays with Ellie. She also likes her food so meal times are fun. In the last 24 hours she's had: cream of wheat w maple syrup, banana, Happy Baby puree, hummus and quinoa, kiwi, miso soup with lots of tofu and rice, cheerios, bread, pineapple chunks. Also a lemon slice and a carrot and cucumber and lots of nursing. No wonder she's put  on a pound! (Up to 17.5 now!). One last brag: She found "Pat the Bunny" on the shelf in our room and figured it all out on her own. She's obsessed. She pats the bunny (whacks the bunny), looks at herself in the mirror, plays "peek-a-boo" with Paul and even waves "bye" when she reaches the end. I know she can't read, but I was pretty impressed that she discovered how to do everything on her own.

OK, enough blathering about boring daily life. Some picts!:

Love a man who's into baby wearing

somehow this was right side up before. large tree by the brook

Attempt #796 at a family portrait

Cousins! As is true of all second babies, somehow we have next to none of Ella. Oops.

I think they're an ER visit waiting to happen, but H loved the trampoline

Warm sunny day to run around outside

My obsession this week. Free pasta! Forced myself to stop after 50 boxes, but it took a lot of self restraint. This couponing thing can be pretty fun! (when someone else does all the work of figuring out where the deals are)

Vanilla Crumb Pie in celebration of Pi Day

H is her Grandma's girl; obsessed with bags. Today she discovered gum....

Pineapple! When she gets something she really likes her head goes down and she doesn't come up for air till it's gone.

 Other occurrences of the week:
P&S signed, the bank pretty much owns our souls
One week left in this semester, lots of procrastinating
Bit too much raw fish in this last lunch at Mr. Sushi. Leftovers will make a nice broiled fish dinner.
Seeing Pioneer Woman live in Brookline
Yummy fresh hummus sandwich from Flour
Park playdates
Lots of long walks
1st sunburn of the season
Lots of drool (H, not me) so guessing more teeth are on their way

Next Friday ends the semester but no plans for my time off yet. I'm sure it'll be squandered in much the same manner as most of my days =D

This needs to be read

I realize I have a very limited readership (THANK YOU! to those that do put up with my ramblings) and there's a good chance you've seen this, but I think the message is worth repeating and it's written much more articulately (and politely) than I could ever manage:

http://www.deannajsmith.com/2012/03/perhaps-you-should-sue-god.html

Series

It's been a crammed week since we last met. In a very good way, mind you, but still....anyway, I forgot to jot myelf notes at the end of each day (forgot = didn't bother) so I'm going to just post a few groups of photos and hopefully they give a glimpse of the week.

VT



Home in VT




Visiting with Great-Gram (who is pretty great!)




I realize this looks disgustingly VT-idyllic. Life really is amazing in God's country!




Papa let her in on some card tricks




Someone might have won a few too many of the games and ethics might have been called into question....




Papa introducing H to some outdoor stuff. He said she liked the lichen the best.




Southern exposure



Back in MA



She's added unloading the dishwasher to her list of "chores"




No discernment between clean or dirty, it all gets pulled out onto the floor




Excited to go to Target AND Sister Thrift




Much success at Sister Thrift. I wish I were small enough to fit some of the cute things I found




One of her current favorite reads. I made a photo book of our time in VT for Christmas; she looks at it many times a day




Just opened to her favorite page; Papa!!!




She says "hi" to him and whipers "papapapapapa". So cute =D



Proof that she's not always cute and happy:



Haha, ok, while not thrilled with her attitude, it amused me that I'd just switched to B+W when she began to have a melt-down




Looking to see if I was going to react to her thumping herself down in a snit




I didn't, so she brought the fit to me







She rubs the back of her head when she's tired or frustrated




Wipe the nose and then move on



And lastly....



A certain someone(s) in their (maybe, hopefully, perhaps) new home

 That's about it. I've been postponing a large paper so the amount of housework I've accomplished is staggering. Laundry is caught up, floors swept after every meal, bread baked from scratch, meals on the table when Steve gets home, closets cleaned out, bins resorted....just call me Ms.Domestic.

Also:
Playgroup continues to impress
H exclusively walking (and refusing to hold hands when outside)
Insane weather that makes me so excited for a yard of our own this summer
S putting in tons of work lining up quotes, chasing down plot plans and in general doing everything.
Did I mention we're signing a P&S agreement tomorrow? =O