What is all the YELLING about?

I believe she has found her voice. And it is a shrill shreek of glee (unless no one is paying attention to her at that moment, then it is a loud elongated grunting type of sound). Alicia Keys she is not.

It is cute. For the first 3 minutes. Then it slowly wears on you, driving you deep into the throes of insanity. Just a constant wailing...

I can not stifle her, or quiet her. I am aware this new yelling is a developmental thing and probably a phase. I love that she is enjoying herself and learning how powerful her voice can be. But we are on day 4 of it, and I don't know if I will survive to day 5.

This morning at 5:30, the gleeful yelling lurched from the monitor on my nightstand. And I will admit that rather than go get her, feed her and start our day together (like usual)...I simply turned down the volume and rolled over. At 6 when I woke back up, she was still happily, and loudly, playing alone in her crib.

Can someone please tell me this will be a brief phase? LIE TO ME IF YOU HAVE TO.


ps: She went through the rasberry already...at the time, I complained...but I would give anything to be covered in baby spit right now! There won't be anything that will make me fondly remember the screaming will there? AGAIN, LIE TO ME IF YOU HAVE TO.

Getting Ready for the Beach!

Am I showing too much skin here? Can you see my rolls? You can tell me. Seriously. I'd hate to be one of "those" babies...

Easter Bonnets and Bunnies

Turns out, the Easter Bunny can find you even if you head down to the Jersey Shore...


Also turns out the Easter Bunny will agree to hold you, even if you are just 6 months old and have a nervous mother who is staring at him and a first time father who doesn't quite know how to figure out the camera...


And who would have thought that the Newlywifed's could shine up so nice for a fancy Easter Brunch?

It was a good 1st Family Easter...

Six Months! Half a Year!

Buddha,

Each month I proclaim to daddy that "yes, this month is my favorite so far." And each month, daddy agrees. What I'm saying here is this: Kid, you just keep getting better! I mean, it sounds so cliche, but really...you just keep getting better and better. And the love! It is a total love fest with you. Eventually, it has to wear off, we can't keep looking at each other and announcing how beautiful you are. I'm pretty sure after your baby reaches a certain age it would be plain obnoxious to keep talking about how beautiful she is. But you, yeah, you are one beautiful baby. Daddy agrees in case you are wondering.

So where were we? Oh, right, we left off at 5 months...well, six months is great. This past month you learned to sit up, which makes a HUGE difference. You can play with us, with toys, with my blackberry. You love my blackberry. I worry that I am too obsessive about work and am on that damn blackberry too much. So I try to act easy-breezy and let you gum it or play with it if you want. And you know what? It works. You love to play with it, and it is a reminder that work comes after you on the priority scale. So I like to let you grasp it, push the buttons, suck on it...drop it. It gives me tangible proof that you mean way more to me than anything work related ever could. It is reassuring when you play with it, like proof that I will never let you feel neglected because of work.




Having a Kid has Made Me Weird. Hasn't it?

We have been having so much fun with you. You are all smiles and laughter all the time. You are peaches and cream embodied. Your dad has asked me several times in hushed tones if it is normal love you so much that he wants to actually bite you. And I answer, "Yes" I want to bite you too.

You have been eating all different vegetables and fruits. You love anything we give you. We weren't going to start you on fruits so soon, but you got constipated and in a panic, I gave you some apple juice and prunes. (I don't want to relive the nightmare that was created by this rookie mistake of overreaction to the constipation, so let's just block it out and pretend it never happened. Except to say, it was decidedly NOT peaches and cream).




This has been a wonderful month. You are older and more aware, more playful. More fun. We have loved being with you always, but this month it appears that you feel the same way. Particularly about daddy. If daddy is in the room, you are focused on him. Always looking to him, for him. Smiling, laughing, flirting with him. You are all about daddy. Except for the morning. In the morning, if it's daddy peering over the crib rail, you lose it. You are seriously pissed if you don't see me.

And secretly, that makes me feel good...

I love you Buddha baby,

Love,

Mommy

On the Drive Into Work this Morning

Every morning we drive in to work together so that we can spend some time alone, relaxing.

Except sometimes my husband drives full speed toward the car braking in front of us, and either brakes at the last second, or switches lanes like crazy to avoid said braking vehicle. Either way, he seriously acts like it would be painful to use the DAMN BRAKE ALREADY!

It is very relaxing.

ME: When we get a new car, I am getting one that has a brake on the passenger side of the car. And I'm going to use it.

HUSBAND: That's fine, as long as it also has an EJECT button on the driver's side of the car.

ME: (Staring At Him)

HUSBAND: Actually, I would settle for a MUTE button.