Our little girl is 20 months today! And I thought I'd do a couple top 10 lists of what I love most about Motherhood and what I miss most about pre-Motherhood!
WHAT I'D GIVE MY RIGHT ARM TO HAVE BACK:
10. Sunday mornings
9. Leisurely showers
8. An attention span
7. My pre-baby body
6. My clear, sharp pre-baby brain
5. Not feeling like a schlump all the time
4. Spontaneous date nights
3. Energy
2. Free time to do whatever I like with
1. (the most obvious, the most wanted) SLEEP
WHAT I WOULDN'T GIVE UP FOR ALL THE SLEEP IN THE WORLD:
10. Saturday mornings
9. When she tilts her head as she figures out how things work
8. How she laughs at herself
7. When she runs to me when I pick her up at daycare
6. Watching her smile and wave at people
5. Seeing her play with her Papa'
4. Watching her learn new things
3. Seeing her sprout into a little person before my eyes
2. That giggle
1. Spontaneous snuggles
She'll be 2 before I know it, and then I'll surely start missing the sleepless nights and the infant girl I already hardly see anymore...ok, or maybe not... =)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Groovin'.
When I first found out I was having a little girl, a friend of mine enthusiastically assured me "You two are going to be the best of friends!"
I remember this remark well because I loved the sound of it. I couldn't wait. And now, I'm beginning to understand just what she meant.
Sofia and I giggle a lot. I know which pages of books are her favorite, I know just the way to say that line in the "Caps for Sale" book to make her laugh like a hyena. I recognize that tired look on her face and how to adjust to my "relaxing Mommy" voice to help her settle down. Sometimes, out of nowhere, she smiles a huge smile and grabs my hand to hold it.
It's sort of like a dance we're creating. I take a step, she follows, she takes a step, I follow. Sometimes I step on her feet, sometimes she's way off. Sometimes I lead, sometimes she. As banal as the words are to describe it, it's profound and it's under my skin, a feeling of closeness that's hard to believe I can have with someone so small, someone who's essentially just starting to develop.
As you've surely seen from my other posts, this Motherhood thing is kicking my butt for how hard it is. But this. This is the payoff. It wasn't immediate, like some parents say it is for them. It's taken us some time to get this dance going, to find our rhythm. But, in those moments when it works, it's pure paradise.
I remember this remark well because I loved the sound of it. I couldn't wait. And now, I'm beginning to understand just what she meant.
Sofia and I giggle a lot. I know which pages of books are her favorite, I know just the way to say that line in the "Caps for Sale" book to make her laugh like a hyena. I recognize that tired look on her face and how to adjust to my "relaxing Mommy" voice to help her settle down. Sometimes, out of nowhere, she smiles a huge smile and grabs my hand to hold it.
It's sort of like a dance we're creating. I take a step, she follows, she takes a step, I follow. Sometimes I step on her feet, sometimes she's way off. Sometimes I lead, sometimes she. As banal as the words are to describe it, it's profound and it's under my skin, a feeling of closeness that's hard to believe I can have with someone so small, someone who's essentially just starting to develop.
As you've surely seen from my other posts, this Motherhood thing is kicking my butt for how hard it is. But this. This is the payoff. It wasn't immediate, like some parents say it is for them. It's taken us some time to get this dance going, to find our rhythm. But, in those moments when it works, it's pure paradise.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Sick, again.
Well, chalk one more up for new experiences in the Rossi/Krumholz household: broncopneumonia!
Sofia had 4 days straight with a medium-to-high fever, then came down with this form of pneumonia. Our ped put her on antibiotics and now, four days later (I think...I have lost count of days, hours and months of my life by now), she's doing just grand. Only problem is the three of us have been having just a weeeeee little bit too much quality time. Or, well, quantity time.
One of the (many, innumerable) things I wasn't prepared for in Mommydom was just how boring it can be sometimes. I guess I just never thought of it: was so prepared for the excitingness of it being new and scary that I never (ever) focused on the "down" times. Those times during the day (every single day) that Baby just wants you to sit there on the floor while she stares at her feet or draws on the table or (worse, much worse) expects to be entertained.
Because, well - and this may not come as a surprise to any of you - babies aren't really into the same things we are. They don't want to learn new recipes or play sudoku, they are disdained by the simple idea of folding clothes or even watching movies (who doesn't freakin like movies!!?). They don't know how to read yet and, even if they did, they certainly would scoff at the idea of doing so by themselves. They (or at least mine) hate shopping - sitting still while the attention goes to all those colorful clothes and not moi, are you kidding me!?
So, much of my life is spent trying to balance what Sofia enjoys with what I enjoy and - during our stint at home with Papà too, we've had to calculate him in there, too (this might be a good moment to add that, thanks to work being done on our building, we have also been without cable this week). So far, I've found some stuff: play-doh, reading books, coloring (when I don't have to take them away as punishment for coloring up our couch - so, basically, scratch that one).
Then, there's the times I have to get creative: "Sofia, why don't you go to your kitchen and make Mommy a nice cup of coffee!" (I get about a minute out of that one). And then there are the few moments (which are actually becoming more common, THANK THE GOOD LORD) when Sofia is perfectly content taking object A and putting it together with object B, then moving object B to sit near object C, then moving chair to place objects A, B and C on top of it, and so on.... These are sacred times in our household, because they mean Mommy and Papà can stare blankly at a wall for a few minutes, perhaps even (gasp) shut their eyes for a moment. Because, well, we're not actually allowed to leave the room or talk amongst ourselves during these times, but at least it's something.
Sofia had 4 days straight with a medium-to-high fever, then came down with this form of pneumonia. Our ped put her on antibiotics and now, four days later (I think...I have lost count of days, hours and months of my life by now), she's doing just grand. Only problem is the three of us have been having just a weeeeee little bit too much quality time. Or, well, quantity time.
One of the (many, innumerable) things I wasn't prepared for in Mommydom was just how boring it can be sometimes. I guess I just never thought of it: was so prepared for the excitingness of it being new and scary that I never (ever) focused on the "down" times. Those times during the day (every single day) that Baby just wants you to sit there on the floor while she stares at her feet or draws on the table or (worse, much worse) expects to be entertained.
Because, well - and this may not come as a surprise to any of you - babies aren't really into the same things we are. They don't want to learn new recipes or play sudoku, they are disdained by the simple idea of folding clothes or even watching movies (who doesn't freakin like movies!!?). They don't know how to read yet and, even if they did, they certainly would scoff at the idea of doing so by themselves. They (or at least mine) hate shopping - sitting still while the attention goes to all those colorful clothes and not moi, are you kidding me!?
So, much of my life is spent trying to balance what Sofia enjoys with what I enjoy and - during our stint at home with Papà too, we've had to calculate him in there, too (this might be a good moment to add that, thanks to work being done on our building, we have also been without cable this week). So far, I've found some stuff: play-doh, reading books, coloring (when I don't have to take them away as punishment for coloring up our couch - so, basically, scratch that one).
Then, there's the times I have to get creative: "Sofia, why don't you go to your kitchen and make Mommy a nice cup of coffee!" (I get about a minute out of that one). And then there are the few moments (which are actually becoming more common, THANK THE GOOD LORD) when Sofia is perfectly content taking object A and putting it together with object B, then moving object B to sit near object C, then moving chair to place objects A, B and C on top of it, and so on.... These are sacred times in our household, because they mean Mommy and Papà can stare blankly at a wall for a few minutes, perhaps even (gasp) shut their eyes for a moment. Because, well, we're not actually allowed to leave the room or talk amongst ourselves during these times, but at least it's something.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Girlie girl
Tonight at bath time, Sofia had the longest (and loudest) hissy fit because we took her ponytail out to wash her hair. Then, post-bath, we had to immmmmediately replace said ponytail, and she refused to take it out when I put her to bed (I am afraid what I'm going to have to unravel off the top of her head tomorrow morning).
When she gets dressed in the morning, she has to pick out her own shoes (she almost always chooses the totally impractical pink rain boots...but I'm choosing my battles here, folks). Out walking on our trip to Barcelona, we HAD to go in and buy her a pair of Crocs she saw from the store window outside (ok, we needed them for her swimming lessons anyway). Sit my girl in a shoe/handbag store and she will happily explore for hours.
My girl's turning into a real girlie girl - which is so weird, because I am so NOT a girlie girl. Not that I expect her every personality trait to have to "come from" someone - it's been perfectly clear she's got a mind of her own since the day she was born (before, actually). It's just fun and funny to watch and witness. I kind of love it, actually - not because I care if she's a girlie girl or a tomboy or any other kind of personality, I just want her to be her. But it's truly mesmerizing watching her grow up, start to say words and begin to show signs of humanhood, not just babyhood. I'm awestruck, and totally excited to go buy her a fun hair band tomorrow!
When she gets dressed in the morning, she has to pick out her own shoes (she almost always chooses the totally impractical pink rain boots...but I'm choosing my battles here, folks). Out walking on our trip to Barcelona, we HAD to go in and buy her a pair of Crocs she saw from the store window outside (ok, we needed them for her swimming lessons anyway). Sit my girl in a shoe/handbag store and she will happily explore for hours.
My girl's turning into a real girlie girl - which is so weird, because I am so NOT a girlie girl. Not that I expect her every personality trait to have to "come from" someone - it's been perfectly clear she's got a mind of her own since the day she was born (before, actually). It's just fun and funny to watch and witness. I kind of love it, actually - not because I care if she's a girlie girl or a tomboy or any other kind of personality, I just want her to be her. But it's truly mesmerizing watching her grow up, start to say words and begin to show signs of humanhood, not just babyhood. I'm awestruck, and totally excited to go buy her a fun hair band tomorrow!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
No Moan Zone
I do an awful lot of complaining. I've always been a complainer, but now that I'm a mom and have spent the past 2 years having to be flexible and accept any and all curve balls coming my way, it's gotten pretty bad. What's worse is the fact that I am married to another one of the world's greatest complainers (as well as an eternal pessimist - at least I dodged that personality trait).
All this means that, on any given day, you can hear a whole number of sighs and "I can't believe I have to xxxx" or "You're kidding me!" "Damn it!'s running from our mouths. Not something I'm particularly proud of, to be honest. Especially when I realize how truly lucky we ARE (which also happens on a daily basis, in my defense).
Our baby girl is happy, healthy and well-adjusted. We are both relatively healthy on the grand scale of Things-That-Could-Be-Wrong, have families that love us, the much-beloved roof over our heads and (good Italian) food on our tables. The things we Have are numerous and seemingly uncountable.
Which isn't to say people who have a lot aren't allowed to complain, of course. We have exhaustion and live in a country that knows no bureaucratic organization, we lack time and have our share of maladies and annoying people to deal with, we have to drive in Italian traffic and lots of times we don't seem to get what we want ("...sometimes, you get what you neeeeed"). We work hard and, most of the time, there are no hours in the day for recharging.
Anyway, all this leads me to a little challenge I've decided to put myself up to: one full day without any complaining. A No Moan Zone. Think I can manage it? Wanna join me? C'mon, I dare ya!
Results to follow....
All this means that, on any given day, you can hear a whole number of sighs and "I can't believe I have to xxxx" or "You're kidding me!" "Damn it!'s running from our mouths. Not something I'm particularly proud of, to be honest. Especially when I realize how truly lucky we ARE (which also happens on a daily basis, in my defense).
Our baby girl is happy, healthy and well-adjusted. We are both relatively healthy on the grand scale of Things-That-Could-Be-Wrong, have families that love us, the much-beloved roof over our heads and (good Italian) food on our tables. The things we Have are numerous and seemingly uncountable.
Which isn't to say people who have a lot aren't allowed to complain, of course. We have exhaustion and live in a country that knows no bureaucratic organization, we lack time and have our share of maladies and annoying people to deal with, we have to drive in Italian traffic and lots of times we don't seem to get what we want ("...sometimes, you get what you neeeeed"). We work hard and, most of the time, there are no hours in the day for recharging.
Anyway, all this leads me to a little challenge I've decided to put myself up to: one full day without any complaining. A No Moan Zone. Think I can manage it? Wanna join me? C'mon, I dare ya!
Results to follow....
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Restarting Project 365
So, I've finally decided to take a dive back in!
As some of you may know, I completed a Project 365 photo-a-day blog back a few years ago. Well, I've sort of been busy *snort* so I put continuing it on hold, but I feel like the time has come to start 'er back up again - and, as an added bonus, I even restyled 'er too!
So, have a look here http://jodisproject365.blogspot.com, sign up as a follower and you, my virtual friends, will have your chance at a peek into my life for, give or take, the next 365 days.
I know, I know, don't all thank me at once.
As some of you may know, I completed a Project 365 photo-a-day blog back a few years ago. Well, I've sort of been busy *snort* so I put continuing it on hold, but I feel like the time has come to start 'er back up again - and, as an added bonus, I even restyled 'er too!
So, have a look here http://jodisproject365.blogspot.com, sign up as a follower and you, my virtual friends, will have your chance at a peek into my life for, give or take, the next 365 days.
I know, I know, don't all thank me at once.
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