Bacon

Last weekend, Anomantia and her dad were downstairs making breakfast while I was getting dressed.  Laurence called up to me to hurry up because Anomantia was hungry and wanted food NOW!  While I was putting on my socks, Laurence was feeding Anomantia some bacon.  After breakfast, she decided that it was time to nurse some more.  While nursing, she unlatched looked at her dad (now sitting at the table next to us) and said "BACON".  It was very clear and that was followed by "dad dad dad".   She really loves bacon and her beef jerky.  I am still waiting for her to say mum, or mama or any variation of that, instead I get Bacon.  I think it is a great "first-ish" word.

I'm not old YET...

About a month or so ago, Laurence and I were in bed discussing aging and what is classified as old. He made some quirky remark and quickly reminded him that he is a dinosaur compared to me (even though he is only 3 years, 4 months and 17 days older than I am). He promptly turned to me and said "I'm not a dinosaur, I'm a carbon dated pineapple" with a straight face. I couldn't help but laugh.  Since then whenever he brings up the subject of age, the carbon dated pineapple is always quoted.  Saturday, I will be 29.  The last of my twenties has arrived.  This year seems to make me more uneasy than any other before.  I think that it has to do with my maternity leave coming to an end and the fact that I am feeling older.  I met several other mums at the local baby time at the library and I really felt old.  The fact is that in my area people seem to procreate a lot younger that I realised.  I spoke with a couple of other mums and they had 2-3 kids and we still not as old as I am (more in the 22-25 age group).  I have also observed that these mums tend to be quite clique-y like they are still in high school.  I found that quite disturbing.  One woman made some random comments about diapering and how cloth diapering would be a waste of time because it would cost so much more when you factor in water and energy costs to clean them.  In the long run, I believe that the narrow-mindedness of these other people just drives me crazy.  Yet again I am finding myself isolated as a parent.  I have tried local play groups and the other community organised activities to find other parents who have children around the same age as Anomantia but finally after 9 months of trying to fit in, I have given up! I am destined to be a social outcast as I was through the years of my education and in 9 days time, I will be back where I fit in... at work, in the dirt and metal shavings with Elise and the rest of the guys.  I am not willing to sacrifice who I am and what I stand for in order to fit in with a few superficial mums at some group.  So for the time being, I am going to age gracefully and live my life with my amazing husband, as the carbon dated pineapples that we are, and raising our beautiful daughter to be a strong independent individual.  

Biting

This picture was taken September 8th, she has one tooth in and 2 days later #2 surfaced... finally! She figured out how to tear her food apart using what few teeth she does have as well as biting while nursing. I had to laugh this afternoon as she bit her own tongue for the first time. I thought it was funny seeing as she has left holes in my nipples from biting. It hurts lots and it obviously startled her when she bit her tongue as she cried and didn't want anymore to eat afterwards. I think she figured it out pretty quick though. Today she turned 9 months old and is as stubborn as a mule. I love every minute of everything that I have left with her.

The end is nigh

This month marks the end of several things for me. First, the end of my maternity leave, going back to work was a distant thought until the beginning of this month when I realised that it is a not so distant thought anymore. Second, the end of my twenties. In a little over two weeks I will turn 29 years old. Ack I'm aging... I realised this morning that I have a lot of obligations in life: I am some one's wife and some one's mother. My life has taken a few turns in directions of which I may not entirely be proud and has thrown me many a curve ball, but being a wife and mother are a couple of the best things going for me now. My home is in a state of constant renovation with a semi-mobile soon-to-be 9 month old around, Life is oh-so-interesting and busy. With the commute to work looming in the near future, I am busy trying to find a daycare/day home for Anomantia while I am at work. This is proving to be a difficult task as I will be going back to shift work and how do you find someone willing to take a baby at 5 in the morning or someone willing to work overnight. So much to sort out and so little time. On a lighter note, I ordered my work boots last week and hopefully they will arrive before I start work. My old ones were in such a state, I don't think that they are even legal anymore because they are so worn out. I can't believe that they still carry the same brand of boot that I have been wearing for the past 3 years. I love them!!! They have to order my size because I haven't bought a pair in a little over 2 years and why would anyone carry an 8 inch welder boot in a size 4D?

My birthday wish this year is to have a happy and healthy family with a smooth transition to my new work schedule. Next month, we are looking forward to introducing our Halloween traditions to Anomantia. Halloween has always been our favourite holiday and for the last 3 years, we have had the spooky house on the block. Every year is different and the crowd of kids and parents gets bigger. We have become somewhat of an attraction in our area.

Anomantia Update:

Anomantia has mastered saying "dad" now and is much more aware of people and things. She babbles tons and has discovered being shy and not smiling for everyone anymore, she saves the smiles for us. She likes to dance to music (looks like she is humping the air) and sometimes if we are lucky "ahhh" along with the songs. Her hair is getting longer and has finally grown over her bald spot in the back. She loves her monkey from Wendy, it sleeps with her almost every night and during the day she packs her mooses from Roger and Claire around by the antlers occasionally stopping to kiss them. It is adorable and she stops to see if anyone is watching then smiles and goes back to kissing her stuffed animals. Her favourite snack right now is papaya spears from the health food store and anything covered in BBQ sauce. I am going to have her weighed and measured again at the end of the month so no new updates for that right now.

Teeth and words

For the last few weeks we have been living in teething hell. There is no other way to put it other than that because my life consists of drool, crying and biting. Anomantia has discovered how to bite down with the one razor sharp tooth that she does have and has managed to tear my nipples up. Needless to say, she is still trying to breastfeed more because of her constantly sore mouth. As of this afternoon, she has one tooth surfaced, one breaking through and two more just below the surface. I just hope they all surface and SOON! (not likely going to happen)

Anomantia is starting to babble more and more but the words she is starting to form are fairly strange. She says "Hi-yah" (like in a cheesy kung-fu movie) "ahh ahh ahh" (at maximum volume) and is starting to say "ad ad ad" (as in dad). I am still home for another 28 days before I have to return to work, but already Anomantia has switched over and become a "daddy's girl". First thing in the morning, she is looking for her dad and as soon as he gets home from work, she is all grins. Today she was in my arms when her dad came in the door and she nearly leaped out of my arms to him, so excited that he was home.

This month is yet again another busy one, I hope to be able to post more pictures and comments soon.