My Nemesis

Dave's mom is in town, and since she sews, and I "sew," a friend of hers thought it would be fun to gave her a dress pattern for us to make while she is here.

Fun.

(And if by "sew," you mean collect a bunch of fun fabric, but don't do anything with it? Then, yeah. I sew.)

(Point of interest: no one who calls themselves my "friend" would ever give me a pattern and actually expect me to complete the pattern. Cut it out? Can do. Pin pieces together? Yup. Get past step 4? Um, notsomuch, no.)

So, anyways, The "Friend" likes to sew clothes. Claudia (MIL) sews quilts and home dec stuff. Me too. (Okay, in a past life, but still!) So to have a pattern to make a dress for Mookie? And be expected to finish it? In a week or less? Ummmm, I don't mean to sound ungracious, but eh???? I was filled with hesitation, to say the least.

Plus, Claudia also has a fancy-schmancy sewing machine. It is the stuff of sewing machine envy. And lust. And other deadly sins. (Tink, don't even click on the link, okay? Save yourself!!) Me? I've got a ghetto Brother machine that was a garage sale find 10 years ago. Mine doesn't zig or zag. Or make button holes. Or pretty much anything other than sew a straight stitch. But that's all I ever need from it, so it works for me. Claudia, however, is used to 756 stitches, a drop-in bobbin, a button to cut the fabric, a butler to iron the seams, etc. When she bellied up to my dinosewer, (did you catch that? dino-sewer? Dinosaur? Hah! Late night is my time to shine, folks. Mmm-hmm) (where was I?) Oh, right. When she sat down to finish the receiving blankets I bought the fabric for way way way back in February, she faced a great sewing challenge. I tried to encourage her telling her how impressed I was that she was using such an antiquated thing, and she dug way down deep into the bowels of her sewing prowess and came up with skills she didn't even know she had! She did a fabulous job finishing the receiving blankets, so now Mookie is allowed to pee or poo on a variety of blankets!

Hopes inflated, we journeyed to Joanns to find fabric that would make a cute little pinafore and pantaloons for Mookie. Here's the pattern, by the way:

Adorable, no? My nemesis? Yes.We found a cute navy with teeny daisies for the dress, and a yellow with something-or-other for the pantaloons. Together they will look very cute. Right now? The fabrics look VERY daunting and intimidating.

We've been working on this since Wednesday (it's now Saturday), and we're on Step 4. We're stuck on something about skirt back extensions. It's a two-steps-forward-three-steps-back kind of project. My unsewer seam ripper has threatened to melt from too much activity. I've burned through one spool of thread already (most of which is now in tiny little bits in a pile next to the machine). The cats have decided it will make nice bedding once Mama gives up. :o)

I'll let you know if when we get it finished.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

...why, yes, as a matter of fact, there is!

NOW there is.

Finally there is.

On Friday, June 20, 2008, Dave successfully defended his PhD at the University of Surrey in something technical sounding satellite engineering. He has some minor corrections to make before he has it officially bound and submitted, but for all intents and purposes, it's D.U.N.Done.

Woo Hoo!

Good job, Honey.

Here's him working on it recently:

Oh, oops. Sorry. Wrong picture. I can't find the one of him actually working on his computer with Mookie as his new "lap-top" feature. Mookie has permanent laptop status when Papa is home. :o)

Dear Mookie: Month One

(Disclaimer: I have stolen this idea from Missing Mississippi, and hope to write a letter to my sweet baby girl each month on her "birth"-day to document not only her milestones, but also some of the funny times along the way.)

Dear Mookie,

I asked my bloggie friends (a.k.a. your bloggie fans) to make suggestions of a code name for you for my blog. A nom de blogue, if you will. After lots of wonderful suggestions, I kept going back to the one your Uncle Rob suggested, because I think it sounds the funnest: Mookie. There were lots of suggestions that were good descriptors of you, and I'm sure we will all call you those, but I like Mookie for the blog. I don't know that we'll call you that in real life, but it is to protect you from all the preeverts out there, my dear.

So...welcome to the outside!

You have done really well this last month, and boy, oh boy, has it gone f-a-s-t! Thankfully, your papa got to stay home with us the first two weeks, so he got to spend lots and lots of time holding you. That's his new favorite thing. He could hold you while still working out the final details of his PhD. (which he successfully defended today, June 20, by the way). And then your Grandma Sue got to visit for a few days. She didn't want to put you down! Every coo you cooed, every whimper you whimpered, every grunt you grunted made her come running to your rescue because, surely, you were in distress! And after that, Grandpa Bob and Grandma Nancy came to take you off my hands for a while. And your Grandma Burns arrives next week to hold you for a while. You are very lucky to have so many adoring grandparents who believe a baby should never lie in a bed when there are arms to hold her.

We are (hopefully) finally getting our routine down, you and I. We've figured out how to eat in a timely manner (and not fall asleep instead). We've figured out how to rub your tummy in a magical way to help encourage you to fill your breeches before Mama changes your diaper (ahem). You are still a master of the escapoos and escapees, though. Nearly every day. Yesterday, in fact, it was so bad that I decided just to put you in the kitchen sink and hose you off rather than attempt to right the diaper-wrongs with a mere diaper wipe or six. Right now, you eat and sleep about every 3 hours, and at night you sleep in a Moses basket by the side of our bed. One day we'll move you to your crib, but not yet. Another favorite place for you to sleep is on my chest. Sometimes when you are crying inconsolably, I put you there, and we settle down for a nice nap. You just like to be rocked, and walked, and moved in order to fall asleep. No simple "putting you down." Nosirree.This is you with the teddy bear your Great Grandma R gave you. I thought it would be nice to document your growth over time with this bear. Right now, I think it is bigger than you are! Oh, how quickly that will change, I know. As of June 18th, you weighed 7 pounds, 13.5 ounces, having put on more than a pound since you were born! Good job! You are also enjoying your "tummy time," and can turn your head back and forth a few times, and lift up on your chest for just a wee bit of a second. You've just outgrown your newborn-sized pyjamas, and I put the preemie stuff away a couple of weeks ago. So, finally, you are almost fitting into your 0-3month clothes.You like to go for rides in the car, and in the stroller. We have Peanut Shell sling, and both of us are still getting used to that, but I think we'll find our way.

I have to admit that there are lots of things about you and what you do that I don't understand --like why you choose to cry about being tired rather than just go to sleep, and why you insist on being held to fall asleep even though you really do love your swing (and just don't want to admit it).

I pray to God many times a day to make me a better mama for you, and really, sincerely hope He didn't make a mistake when he picked me for you. :o)

I love and adore you much more than words can say, and I'm looking forward to this journey you and I are now on together.

Love,Mama

Mini Montage

Just a few fuzzy photos and a video, because I've only got a few minutes...

But first, I have to share a special moment with all of you. Tuesday of this last week, I wore non-maternity, non-elasticated waist, non-sweatpants PANTS!!! Woo hoo!! Yay me, right? Ah, it felt SO good to not have to worry about what was being exposed every time I bent down. I will admit, however, that I miss the quick-release feature of maternity pants when it comes time to use the facilities. You don't have to think about zippers and buttons, you just pull and go. Gonna miss that. BUT not enough to continue wearing them if I don't have to, right?

Okay, enough about me, and onto the photos. And a little video.

It might be just me, and I don't think the camera reflects it so much, but when I put Mookie in a little t-shirt and her hospital cap on "diner"-style, I think she kinda looks like Mel from the 70's TV show Alice. Here's a little bit of a smile. I know it's not an intentional smile, but it's cute nonetheless, no?
(Oh, and it was dark in her room, and I didn't want to blind her with a flash, so the photo is a wee bit fuzzy. Sorry Grands.)

What's that you say, Flo? You want me to do what with your grits?
(haha, I just couldn't help it)

The video: It's about 1 minute and 30 seconds long, and the best part is the first half, but I couldn't figure out how to delete the last, boring part. We have a new habit right before we fall asleep. It's like there is a surge of energy, and the way Mookie expresses it is by wailing at the top of her lungs. It's not nearly as intense on this video, but usually she is WAILing. I have such a hard time not laughing at her when she's doing it because I know she's just completely exhausted, but doesn't want to go to sleep. Poor thing. You'll see. She gets her whole face in it, she's breathing heavy, she's squinting her eyes. There's the pouty lip. And then she stops. And looks around. Like "Huh, well, that didn't do anything. What now?"

This video doesn't capture it, but the final wail of each session is about 15 seconds long, at the top of her lungs, and ends with her closing her eyes, and conking out immediately. A-sleep. Done. It's hilarious!

Okay, so turn the volume up (or down if you're in public), and enjoy! Oh, and sorry about the movement, I was rocking her at the time. Hope it doesn't make you sea-sick.

Oh, and by the way, the pants? They were a pair of Dave's jeans. STILL COUNTS, though. Still counts.

Code Words

I've been thinking for a while now about a code name for (now Mookie). I'm a bit hesitant to let the webby world know her real name, and since I can't seem to get away with not posting pictures of her sweet mug, I've got to anonymonize (anonymize?) (anonymitize?) her somehow.

Thus, I'm calling on my loyal readers to help me out. Please comment with either your unique ideas, or on my ideas, or someone else's commented unique idea, and we'll see if we can somehow come up with something that she is that isn't her name.

She's not a Yipper, so much, so her pre-partum nickname won't work.

Here are some of my thoughts (in no particular order):

1. Pink Pink. As in "Pink pink you stink." 'Cause it's fun sounding.
2. Sweet Pea. Because she is sweet, and pea rhymes with sweet.
3. Pea Pod. Because when I swaddle her up, she looks like a little colorful pea pod.
4. PG. As in Papa's Girl.
5. MG. As in Mama's Girl.
6. Bella. Because it means beautiful girl. But it's also my best friend's dog's name...
7. (your turn)

Once we (meaning I) decide on the most appropriate code name, I'll go back through the posts and remove her name. I will also change the labels from The Yipper to one that reflects the new code name.

So, have at it. Comment away. And maybe tomorrow (or another day) I'll put a couple of new pictures up for you.

It's What Babies Do.

Well, we've all heard it.

"All babies do is eat, sleep, and poop."

I'm here to tell you that's true. There's really not much else going on here. She eats (not taking pictures of that for you), and she poops (not taking pictures of that for you, either!) and she sleeps (kinda boring for pictures).

We've been working on "escapes," Mookie and I. (And by "escapes" I mean "escapees" and "escapoos") For quite a while (in her 3 week old life), she only had escapees. I was really proud of the fact that we hadn't had any escapoos. Tempting Fate, I know. As an inauguration into 3-week-ness, today was our day! We are on our 3rd outfit for the day, and it's 4:30 in the afternoon! I'm so glad I have my own washing machine and don't have to cart the messy mess down to the laundromat! :o)

I'm also trying to "sleep when she sleeps." Which isn't quite as easy as all those people telling it to me seem to remember it being.

I'll include one photo for you. My sweet, sweet girl. Soooo little that she could fall asleep on my hand. All together now, awwww.
That's about it for now. Hope you have a great week!

Dainty?

My mom is here for the week holding Mookie visiting us.

Here's a recap of an interaction between Mom and Mookie from earlier today:

- Mom (gazing lovingly down upon the sweet baby): Aw, what a dainty little yawn.

- Me (in my head): ...3...2...1...

- Mookie (not with her mouth): ppphhhhhhbbbbbbtttttt pphhhbbtttt ppphhhhbbbbtttttt

- Mom (with a look of shock and disgust): Oh my. That was not very dainty.

:o)

Enjoying the dainty music around our house...

Only Minutes

I've only got a few minutes to spare, so you get 3 pictures from the recent few days. One day, sometime in the future, I will return to nourish this blog in the proper writing style. I know you understand why I'm not writing, and I understand that you don't really care about my words right now, you want to see puffy cheeks and expressive faces and stuff. :o) I've got your number.
So, here you go. The first one is of Mookie laying on a blanket. This one, and the next make me wonder what she's thinking.

I really love this one. Couldn't you just stare into that face for hours and hours?? :o)
This last one is for Aunt Barb...apparently there's a history of the pouty lower lip?? And somehow, people think I inherited that from her...and passed it on to my child? Me? Pout? Never!! (It helps that I always get my way the first time around...)

Who's Cute?

We took Mookie to church for the first time yesterday. She's been out before, but not yet to church (she's only 14 days old, today, for Pete's sake!)...and everyone told us how beautiful she is. And everyone who has visited us (and kindly brought us food, yum!) has told us how beautiful she is. And everyone who sees pictures of her tells us how beautiful she is.

I have the smartest friends. I'm just sayin'.

And with that, I have to send you away to have you look at another adorable baby girl. Her name is Maddy, and her mom took the absolute RAWKIN'est picture in the entire blogosphere.

Go HERE right now. Do not pass Go. Just GO!

Ahahaha! I love that picture! I hope you do, too.