I'm doing a little online article writing for a company that outsources such things, and when I'm not doing that, now that I've taken the VRA, I'm busy studying for the Virginia Praxis II. These are the last hurdles between me and a Virginia teaching license, so I'm pretty stoked. On top of all that, we've decided MJ needs more stuff.
We just bought a new baby carrier. Isn't it beautiful?
After taking MJ to the beach several times lugging her stroller, car seat, umbrella, beach bag, tent, and diaper bag (not to mention our own beach bag and towels!!), we decided we needed a better system. So, my bright idea is to strap her to one of us and pile the rest of the junk into a beach cart! This is a fabulous idea. Unfortunately, it involves buying more things. Like the afore-mentioned carrier, and a beach cart. Considering the time we will save, not having to have someone carry the stuff, someone to carry her in the heavy car seat, and someone to wait with the stroller and other junk . . . it's worth it. Now I just need to find the cart and we'll be all set. I tried the carrier out today with MJ in it. I strapped her in, pulled out the vacuum, and started cleaning. It worked so great! She got to watch everything I was doing, and I got to get something done before naptime. Why have I not done this sooner?
I'm not the only one getting things done. MJ has been busy checking off milestones over the past few weeks. On top of all the other marvelous things she can already do, lately she's been practicing grabbing both sets of toes, rolling from her back to her sides, strengthening her torso by sitting up and leaning over, and sucking her thumb. She also folds her hands together, and bending her elbows slowly brings her fists back and forth above her head, staring at them intently. The best trick, however, debuted yesterday. We were sitting behind her play mat, the square one with arches dangling brightly colored jungle animals stretching from each corner. Lately, MJ has been doing some great standing. She supports her own weight with her legs as I simply help her balance. Yesterday, I was helping her stay balanced as she was standing, when suddenly, she reached out with both hands, grabbed onto the arches, and balanced herself as I let go completely! It was amazing! MJ, at only 4 1/2 months old, was standing on her own. I never thought she'd be trying to stand before she could even sit up by herself. It's going so fast!
I'm totally obsessed with the show Modern Family, but couldn't watch during the regular season because it came on at the same time as two other things I already TiVo, so I'm catching up this summer. Today's episode featured Claire and Phil's oldest daughter, Haley, getting her driver's license. As she pulled the van out of the driveway and waved to her family standing on the lawn, her mother took several deep breaths (following the advice she gave to Haley earlier in the episode, before the driving test) and let her go. I totally lost it. I guess the take-home point is that fear is inextricably linked to parenting. Can you have parenting without fear? Where does faith come in? When I'm calling the pediatrician at 9pm to ask about a rash that has popped up out of nowhere, or in a panic because she has been crying for my parents for three straight hours, faith is often the furthest thing from my mind. I worry about everything, from how long she's been napping to why she's pressing so hard on her gums to whether or not we should start solids. Mike does too; he has asked me for reassurance at least a dozen times that her head will eventually round out and her bald spot will grow hair. There is a Laurie Berkner song that goes: "One day, I'll be a year, then I'll be two, then three, then four; but as for now I'm sittin' here, just five days old and no days more." I think that's my fear. That I'll blink and she'll be all grown up, heading out the door to start her own adventures. We worry. about. everything.
Because we love her so much.
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