Tuesday, May 31, 2011

How Much for the Baby?

Dear Delilah,

This weekend, we had a garage sale. They're always a lot of work, but the idea of pulling one off with a toddler underfoot and with a hefty load of studying to get done was particularly daunting. Enter your father. Or perhaps I should say: Enter the King of Garage Sales. He took over and was integral in making our garage sale a smashing success. In this case, success is defined by getting rid of all the things, as our primary motivation was not financial gain, but de-stuff-ing. After the first day of the sale, he went through the house again, filling more boxes with unnecessary clutter to price and sell. He was constantly repricing, improving on the signage, and "fronting the store", as he called it. He offered freebies with purchase and moved that merchandise like he was born to wheel and deal with bargain seekers.


As for you? True to form, you were an absolute doll to all of the strangers coming and going. Despite never before being confined to the pack and play, other than for sleeping when we're away from home, you happily played, popping up to greet the bargain seekers filtering in and out. We lost count of the number of inquiries we received as to your purchase price, and ended up slapping a "Make Offer" sticker on you for kicks. No one offered, but between you and me, you're priceless!

Love,

Mama


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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

How it All Began

Dear Delilah,

Today is the day that your father and I refer to as our "date-i-versary". Four years ago today, we went on our first date. We had been friends for a while, but once the sparks started flying, they really flew! Our first date was nothing terribly fancy or unique, just drinks and a movie, but it was the best first date I've ever had. It was a beautiful Spring day, warm and sunny, perfect for an evening about town. Your father was a true gentleman, and also one of the most genuine people I'd ever kept the company of. His dry sense of humor had me in hysterics, he was affectionate and warm, and he was completely adorable.

We made such great conversation over our Bloody Marys that we were nearly late for the movie, Hot Fuzz, showing at the local budget theater downtown. During the movie, we laughed uncontrollably, and he obliged my request to hold his hand. Snuggling into him caused an eruption of butterflies in my stomach that I'd never before experienced. After the movie, we walked around downtown, hand in hand, chatting and giggling as we strolled along, stopping to talk to friends and acquaintances along the way. One friend later remarked about how happy we both looked, and how obvious it was that we were having great fun together.

The night ended at what is now our home, where more talking, giggling, and snuggling ensued. Your father bravely approached me with a kiss, an advance which was not met with resistance, but enthusiasm. I can just hear the moans of "Grooooooooss" escaping from your mouth, so I'll spare you any further romantic details.
One of our first photos together, at a BBQ at my sister's house
a few weeks after that fateful first date. <3

The rest, as they say, is history. Since that first date, there have been very few days that we haven't seen each other at least briefly. I later learned that your father had been silently pining for me since the moment we'd met, although he never imagined we'd one day end up happily married with a beautiful little child to raise together. The laughter, respect, authenticity, and affection we shared that night continues to form the basis of our relationship today, a foundation that I hope will serve as a strong example for you of what a healthy, loving relationship should be.

Love,

Mama


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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

What's What Wednesday: Chiropractic Care

The first time I went to a Chiropractor, I was in my early twenties and was dealing with some back pain. I went sporadically, and as such, didn't see very convincing results, so I stopped going. When I was pregnant with Delilah and found out that she was in a breech position, I tried everything to get her turned. No, I mean everything. I hung out in inverted poses daily, did guided "turn your breech baby" hypnosis, visualized her turning, begged and pleaded with her to turn, put ice packs where her head was, and made my husband hold burning moxa sticks by my pinkie toes. Nothing worked. I even conceded to have a high risk OB attempt an external version, but he ended up declining due to low fluid levels and the fact that Delilah had wrapped herself up in her umbilical cord so tightly.

My last resort was to see a Chiropractor for the Webster technique. At 38 weeks pregnant. Unfortunately, I had one of the only babies that my chiropractor has been unsuccessful at getting turned. This could be due to the aforementioned unique circumstances of my pregnancy, or because we started too late. Still, this attempt was not in vain, as it resulted in the incredible relationship that we share with our chiropractor today.

Delilah getting her adjustment
Ever since that first desperate visit to try to get my baby turned around, I have continued regular visits to my chiropractor. Shortly after Delilah was born, she started receiving chiropractic care herself. If the thought of an infant receiving Chiropractic adjustments makes you cringe, fear not, babies are not adjusted in the same way adults are. Adjusting an infant involves no "cracking", just applying gentle pressure to gently coax the body into proper alignment.

What I like best about regular chiropractic care is the consistent contact with a like-minded parent with years of training and experience that I don't have myself. As a first-time parent, it can be challenging to determine what constitutes a "problem" needing medical treatment. Particularly as a first-time parent who prefers not to blindly follow the protocols of Western medicine, with its focus on medicating and treating, rather than preventing and solving issues. Between well-baby visits with our family practice doctor, we maintain contact with a holistically minded professional who is happy to discuss everything from diet, to teething remedies, to rashes, to developmental questions.

While I don't credit Chiropractic care entirely, I truly believe that our regular visits contribute to our overall health and well-being. We rarely fall ill, and when we do, our illnesses are short-lived and our symptoms are mild. Chiropractic care is an important part of a lifestyle that contributes to the health and happiness of our family. Chiropractic care is certainly no substitute for medical care when necessary, and when in doubt, always consult a medical professional. Still, in the absence of an emergency, our Chiropractor is our first resort for questions about the health, development, and overall well-being of our family. One thing is certain, if we decide to expand our family in the future, Chiropractic care will be an integral part of my prenatal care from the get-go!

To find an ICPA Certified Chiropractor in your area, click here

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Thursday, May 12, 2011

18 Months

Dear Delilah,

As of yesterday, you are 18 months old. A year and a half. Yesterday marked milestones that go beyond age. If my internetting is accurate, it means you're officially a toddler now; though you will always be my precious little baby. It also marked a full year of eating "real food". It's hard to believe it's been a year since you had your first bites of banana and avocado, both of which are still two of your favorite foods!



Yes, you handled a spoon like a pro on your very first try, you special snowflake, you.

This milestone also meant that you finally fit into this adorable jumper that my grandmother sent while I was pregnant with you:



Unfortunately, this milestone has not magically made you tolerate actually wearing sunglasses for more than half a second. We'll have to keep working on that one.

At 18 months old, you are capable of walking, but still mostly prefer to scoot around on your bottom. The maneuver you use to drop to your butt has gotten much more graceful, however. You greet the pets every morning by barking at the dog (oof oof oof!) and meowing at the cats (ooooow oooooow). You are still nursing, but not nearly as much as you were even a month ago. Your molars are coming in, and while you have your moments, you are handling it with ease.

You are confident and secure with new people, new situations, and crowds. You are outgoing, dainty, curious, and adorable. You've developed a tendency to "talk with your hands" when you babble, making sweeping exaggerated gestures as you blab on and on. I have no idea where you picked up that particular quirk, but it sends me into fits of laughter every time.

Your vocabulary seems to grow by the day. Rather than encouraging you to repeat our words, the challenge is now to listen carefully to yours to figure out what you're saying. "Teet" seems to mean either "eat" or "treat", "feet" means, well, feet, but also seems to mean "shoes". "Hat" means both "hat" and "head". "Hot" refers to any liquid in a drinking receptacle other than your little straw cup. I could go on and on, but suffice to say, you are a wordy one, just like your mama.

At times, it feels like an eternity since you were a brand new baby, and at times, it feels like yesterday. You are more precious to me than I have words to express. I am brought to tears of joy and gratitude daily by the blessing of having you in my life. You have already taught me at least as much as I've taught you, and I look forward to all the lessons we have in store for each other over the years.

Love,

Mama

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Monday, May 9, 2011

A Spoiled Mama

Dear Delilah,

Yesterday was Mother's Day. A day for celebrating and appreciating mothers and mother-figures. I tend to think of it more of a day for children to show appreciation for their mothers than for husbands (or wives, or other forms of partners) to show appreciation for the mothers of their children. You're certainly not old enough to do that on your own yet in any formal way, but true to form, your father really outdid himself and spoiled me rotten.

He tended to you while I slept in a bit; then the two of you greeted me in bed and showered me with gifts. After that, he made breakfast while drank coffee, and then we headed out for a nice long walk. We went to a lovely brunch with my mother, your great-grandma, Auntie Nay-Nay and Uncle Jamie, and Uncle Jamie's mother. We followed that up with some fresh air on Auntie Nay-Nay and Uncle Jamie's patio. We took another nice walk, then your Daddy cooked dinner and gave you a bath. After we put you to bed, he gave me a foot rub and folded all of your clean diapers. By the way, I didn't change a single diaper the whole day; he took care of all of them!

My gifts included a "drawing" by Delilah, a beautiful amber bracelet, tulips picked
by Daddy & Delilah (I got the daisy at brunch), my guilty pleasure, and a gift card
for a mini spa day. And of course, a happy, precious baby girl!
Your father really went overboard. I honestly felt a little guilty accepting so many wonderful gifts. Your father never fails to let let me know how much he appreciates me as a mother and wife. He's constantly telling me what a good mother he thinks I am, and how grateful he is for everything I do. He is a present and active partner in parenting and in keeping our home. And of course, it goes seeing that getting to live the experience of being your mother is a reward all its own.

Love,

Mama

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Monday, May 2, 2011

May Day

Dear Delilah,

Yesterday started out like most Sundays do at our house. The day kicked off with some family snuggle time before I made French toast for breakfast. Your father kept you busy while I got some homework done. There was grocery shopping, lots of playing, a home cooked (by Daddy!) dinner, a nice long walk around the neighborhood, and a relatively uneventful bedtime.

After getting you into bed, your father and I looked for something worthwhile to watch on television, settling for some comedy on Netflix when that search turned futile. When the program was over, and we were about to turn off the TV and get ready for bed ourselves, your father noticed the news headline scrolling across the bottom of the screen: Osama bin Laden Dead. We looked at each other in disbelief, and opted to stay up to hear the President's remarks.

Neither of us had a very strong reaction. After the decade our country has spent searching for this man, who perpetrated unthinkable acts of violence, after the deaths of nearly 100,000 others in the process, after ten years of war and devastation, the news of bin Laden's death seemed anti-climatic. It seemed like small potatoes. It seemed strange to see images of our fellow Americans dancing and celebrating in the streets, to see our social networks abuzz with joy over the death of this man, praising the murder of a murderer who praised murders himself.

Osama bin Laden absolutely needed to be brought to justice. There is no excuse for the violence and hatred that he orchestrated. Still, I find it naive to proclaim that his death will somehow magically end terrorism, or this mess of a war. I find it offensive to think that his death justifies all the deaths leading up to it. I find it hypocritical to rejoice over the violent death of someone who was disdained for celebrating violence and death himself.

Above all, I'm sad. I'm sad to have a fresh reminder of the prevalence of violence and hate in the world. I'm sad that you were born into a world of war, hatred, and death. I'm sad to think about how the history books you'll one day read will portray these events. I'm sad to know that the ending of this life is not an end to terrorism or war, that it will merely further perpetuate the cycle of violence, and that innocent lives will continue to be jeopardized. I'm sad to realize that my generation will not be the one to truly embrace and promote peace, as I'd hoped it would. I'm hopeful that your generation will come closer to achieving that end.


Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. 
--Martin Luther King Jr.

Love,

Mama

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