You're Never too Young for Read Alouds

This Little Piggy?

Motherhood does some funny things to your brain cells. For instance, here is the version of "This Little Piggy" that I have so sweetly been reciting to Emmeline recently:

This little piggy went to market.
This little piggy had none.
This little piggy had roast beef.
This little piggy had none.
And this little piggy went wee, wee, wee--all the way home.

She's Irresistible!

Josh sent me this picture at work yesterday. It's from Emmie's afternoon nap. She loves silky things. She loves to rub her face in them (this includes--in addition to the blanket pictured--a pair of Mommy's silky pajama pants, and the underside of her lovey). Is this girl a princess, or what? She has very cultivated tastes for an 11 week old. I'm looking forward to mommy-daughter spa days when she gets older.

I'm going to have to get a picture of her doing her new favorite sport: walking. No, not on her own (she may be a genius, but she's not THAT advanced!). She gets so excited when you stand her up, and she loves to try and take steps. I love watching her wobble around on those little bowlegs while she tries to figure out what to do with her feet. She always has the most excited look on her face when we help her stand up. I'm pretty sure we have an independent, strong-willed daughter. I don't know where she could have gotten that from! I'm thankful for it though--it might make disciplining hard later on, but if she keeps this attitude up, she can conquer anything she sets her mind too!

She also has discovered the television, and she is fascinated. Her favorite thing to watch is Enchanted. I think she likes the songs, and the bright colors. Apparently this morning her daddy leaned down to kiss her and got in the way of her movie, and she was quite put out. The other night she was watching the Wiggles during her tummy time. We turned it off so she could skype with her grandmommy, and she was not happy about it! I guess she's ready for Baby Einstein dvds now. Might be easier on our ears, too! No offense to the Wiggles, but "the Beatles for kids"? I'm just not seeing--or hearing--it. Enchanted, I don't mind so much though.

Two posts in one week? My readers might get spoiled.

Working Girl

I only have time to write because I'm waiting on Josh to fix me a hot water bottle. Sitting at a computer all day, then holding a baby all night (not that I mind the second part) is terrible on my back. Do you know, today when I got home from work, I actually heard myself say the following?

"I spend all day at work and it's still not enough to pay the bills, and I never even see half my paycheck because the money is taken out before it gets to me."

Now, I know that phrase was uttered in a low-blood sugar induced fit of passion, but still, when did I turn into Ward Cleaver? And I'm sure if my dear old dad had heard me, he would have either had a heart attack, or he would have been gleefully shouting I told you so's. If working full time has taught me anything, it's that I make a lousy husband. And, if staying at home has taught Josh anything, it's that he makes a pretty poor housewife. Some people say a role reversal helps them appreciate their other half so much more, and I guess in a sense, that's true, but I have a better way to put it: it makes me appreciate and long for my (dare I say "God given"?) role as a wife and mother. I was not cut out to be the financial support for our family. Josh, try as he might, is not cut out to be the family's emotional support, and he knows it.

In times when I find I'm longing for my circumstances to change, I always think of the Trace Adkins song "You're Gonna Miss This" (I could probably make this my life song, the way I struggle with discontentment). Am I ever going to miss working full time? Maybe. I'm sure, that one day--when I am blessed to be able to stay home full time--there will be days when I am covered in spit up, the baby is screaming, and the house is a mess, and I will sinfully start to think "Life was so much easier when I spent all day at the office." I hope I don't ever find myself thinking that way. If God works all things together for good, then here is the good that I hope to gain from my present situation:

I hope, that when I am a full time wife and mother, that I will be able to find joy on even the most difficult of days, because I am the one that gets to be there to wipe the spit up, soothe the tears, and manage the home.

I will appreciate Josh when he gets a job, and honestly (although I should appreciate him the same no matter what) I will probably appreciate him even more when he is working and I am not. Honestly, when I do get to come home, he will probably appreciate me more, too. We both know that we are not wired for this type of role reversal. Walking a mile in Josh's shoes may teach me many things, and I am begrudgingly grateful for that, but that still doesn't change the fact that my shoes fit me better.

And my hot water bottle has been ready for awhile. In fact, I think it's cold now.

It's Tough to be a Baby

Last week I started work, and poor little Emmie had her life turned upside down. I know people say she doesn't really understand what's going on, but I think her pacifier would beg to differ. Starting last monday, the paci got promoted to full blown "baby crack" status.

In addition to the new pacifier obsession, she stopped napping for a couple of days. Apparently, she had gotten used to falling asleep while breastfeeding, and the bottle just wasn't quite as soothing.

Did I mention it's a bad idea to schedule your baby's first shots in the middle of your first week back at work? Watching them get the shot is not the hard part, apparently. Holding them for the day and a half that follows while they cry inconsolably is the hard part. It was all I could to not to run out of work early Wednesday and Thursday.

Also, for the first 8 weeks of her life, Emmie had Josh and me both home with her all the time. She must have gotten really used to it, because now her favorite thing to do is sit there and stare at us while we both give her 100% of our attention. She will sit there and watch us watching her and go back and forth from Josh's face to mine. It's very sweet and funny in a pitiful way. She gets so happy and relaxed when we're both paying attention to her.

Did I mention that Emmie is too big for her bassinett? The problem is we still don't have her crib, so she sleeps in bed with us, which she loves because she gets to spend all night cuddled up next to me. Part of me loves it too, because I like to snuggle with her, and (call me twisted) because knowing that she needs me to fall asleep makes me feel needed and special, but the other part of me knows that I am not getting enough sleep because she's sleeping with me.

And yes, I know I should not be looking for ways to feel needed, that there will be plenty of opportunities so I shouldn't be inviting more of them in, but those Mommy emotions can be funny things sometimes. Sometimes, I even think that I'll be sad when she is potty trained.

Sorry that turned out to be such a dry news brief, but I'm tired and short on time these days, and that's not very good for my writing style I'm afraid.

Happy 4th of July!