I’ve stared at this blank blog entry screen for two days.  I just can’t think of anything I want to say.  

My sister & BIL are now a family of three They can’t access their blog from China so they have e-mailed me and I update it.  I love being the first one with the goods. .  I don’t want to post the addy on here but if you want to read it, e-mail me and I’m happy to share.

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL this week.  We have had such a ick summer so far.  As hot & miserable as I was last summer (pregnant, 90s and houses w/o AC!!), I’d rather it be that hot again then what we’ve had so far.  If it is nice today, I think we’re going to head to the pool.

E’s newest cute thing…When she’s laying over my shoulder, I usually pat her back.  Now when she’s laying over my shoulder, she pats MY back. How cute is that??!   She has a new ride-on/walk-behind toy .   Obsessed with it.  She can’t quite fiogure out how to move her feet to make it move but she knows there IS a way. I was going to buy it the other day.  I mentioned to a friend I was going to buy one like the one her son had.  She told me he only uses it to climb on things he shouldn’t be so she gave me his.  Woohooo!

E went down SO well last night. In the past when I’ve put her down after nursing (usually asleep) and then pat her back until she falls back soundly asleep, the oppostie happens.  It INFURIATES her that I would dare to be that close but not holding her.  Last night I decided to try again…and it worked!!  She started to try to sit up but I gently held one hand on her shoulder and patted with the other.  She cuddled down and was OUT.  I was SO hapy!!!

She appears to be asleep for her nap now, so I’m gonna’ go put her down and get some things done.

Lisanne–E. pats your back? Awww, that’s so cute! Congratulations to your sister and BIL ~ I’d love to take a peek at their site if you’re willing to give me the URL! That’s awesome news for them!

Vicki–That is adorable Tricia, don’t you love when they start doing stuff like that.. it’s just too precious!  I would love to read your sister and BILs blog, if you don’t mind sharing.

Such beautiful weather we had yesterdy and then today….UGH.  I think we’ve had more cloudy days so far this summer than the entire winter.

Yesterday a friend & I traded off kids for a few hours.  I got several things done on my list of things I can’t do alone w/a mobile baby around, like set up our new flat-screen monitor.  It is SO awesome!  My list is still long and probably won’t be completed until Jim is home and can help with either E or the tasks.  But it was nice to get a few things ticked off!

Not much on the agenda today.  Need to run a few errands.  Maybe a trip to Costco.  Then a going-away party this afternoon & evening.

DADADADADADADA  Can you guess what E is saying these days?!   She’s too cute!  Started it Wednesday and said it to Jim that night.  She continued to babble it the entire time I was talking to him.  Boy was he loving it!  I try to encourage her to say mama but she just laughs at me.

News story that had the pleasure of being today’s “blood-pressure-rising” story:  Six Flags Great America & BFing.  As a BFing mamar, I try to be very respectful of others.  I try to be discreet, if I know BF makes someone (a friend or family member) uncomfortable, I will often go into another room, etc.  If I’m out shopping and the store hs a sitting room or some other place that I can sit and nurse, I almost always use it.  And it sounds like this lady was doing the same….all you could see was the baby’s feet!  And, in return, I like to be respected also.  Please don’t tell me what I’m doing is “nasty” or any other synonym that I’ve heard.  Please don’t tell me I should be on a farm w/animals as that is the only place BFing is acceptable.  (Yes, that was an actual sentence told to me.)  Please don’t tell me I should feed my daughter in a bathroom stall unless you’re willing to take your lunch to the next stall.  And PLEASE don’t tell me that I obviously need to have more sex so I won’t need the sexual gratification from BFing.  (One, is my lack of sex that obvious?! two, I WISH I could get more sex and three, there is NOTHING seuxally gratifying about nursing!)  (And, yes, I’ve heard this too.  I attract the idiots, I guess.)  I know that there are some BFing moms who are less than discrete.  But don’t lump us all together.  And, in return, I won’t lump others with idiots like I’ve encountered!!!!

Six months ago, at about this time, tension in my L&D room was really beginning to escalate. The monitors were showing that the oxygen wasn’t helping E. My fever was soaring. We were up about 15 doctors & nurses working on my case. The anesthesiologist was in the room talking to me again. Our doula was helping me to stay focused through my back labor contractions. Jim was trying to lessen my pain. And things were becoming a blur to me as I began to fade in and out of consciousness. At that moment in time, we had no idea that our daughter would be born before the hour was up.

E has continued to be quite the drama queen. Looking at her now, we realize we shouldn’t have been the least bit surprised that she had to make a grand and dramatic entrance into the world. I imagine that she will always lean towards overdramatization (I have no clue where she gets THAT from–certainly not from me!! ) and will make sure that EVERYONE knows who she is!! She knows what she wants and not at all timid at expressing those desires. Expressing those desires again, a little more loudly, if she isn’t sure everyone in a 30-mile radius heard. And expressing those desires AGAIN if she isn’t sure everyone in that 30-mile radius is LOOKING at her after the first two expressions. After ensuring she has everyone’s attention and eyes, she’ll then smile, laugh and talk to everyone. Not bad personality traits, per say, but definitely ones that ensure I’ll be gray before I’m 35!! LOL Pre-baby I thought children like that were “taught” to be like that by parents who always gave into them. And maybe that is true in some cases. Expereince now tells me, however, that some children are like that from the getgo. I have no doubt we’ll be the parents that, when we walk by them, all the other parents whisper “Why don’t they get control of that little girl???!!” What do they say about karma??!

Happy six-month birthday, my little one. You didn’t make Mama’s pregnancy an easy one and you didn’t make your delivery an easy one. And, some days, you don’t make it easy to keep my sanity!! But you make it so easy for your daddy & I to forget all those stressors. When you laugh at Mama dancing around, when you smile at Mama when I come in the room, when you reach up and touch my face when we’re laying on the couch, when you look up at me with that “Wow, Mama, that was GOOD milk!” face…you make it easy for Mama to fall in love with you over and over and over. Nothing in your life will be routine but everything about your life will be incredible. And every day I’ll be proud to say “That drama queen is mine. ALL MINE. Isn’t she something?!”

Lisanne–What a wonderful entry! Happy six-month birthday, E.! I can’t believe that six months have flown by SO fast! Lucas is two weeks old tomorrow … seems like we just had him yesterday! Time FLIES.

Vicki–6 months? How is that possible? Happy 6 month birthday Elizabeth. You are so precious.

Cory–What a beautiful entry Tricia. Happy six-month birthday Elizabeth!

Amy–Happy 6 month birthday! She sounds a lot like Cassidy. She is our princess and makes sure we all know it.

Well, according to Jim, E said her first word today! Her new sound is "da". Over and over. While I tried to convince Jim that it wasn't an actual word but she was just practiving the sound, he doesn't believe me. And I figure it is best, in this case, to just let him believe that E is saying his name. Though he now says this proves she loves him more than me. I say that might be true IF he had the food source! Until then, he can keep dreaming!!

Well, according to Jim, E said her first word today! Her new sound is "da". Over and over. While I tried to convince Jim that it wasn't an actual word but she was just practiving the sound, he doesn't believe me. And I figure it is best, in this case, to just let him believe that E is saying his name. Though he now says this proves she loves him more than me. I say that might be true IF he had the food source! Until then, he can keep dreaming!!