Where has this year gone?

I realized recently that the year is more than half over now. And I cannot believe it. What the fuck? How did that happen? Have I been sleeping under a rock? No, I guess it's called having a baby. They're so adorable and compact, but they sure do take up a lot of time, energy, and space. A quick visit to my sister's house means preparing for 20 minutes. Diapers? Check. Bib? Check. Food? Check. Her favorite book? Check. Teether? Check. And the list goes on. Don't even get me started on a road trip. Ugh. The days of throwing together a quick overnight bag are looooong gone; instead, it's the pack-and-play, white noise maker, blankets, onesies, clothes, toys, food, diapers, wipes, Desitin...I could go on and on. As tired as I am, though, and as much as I'd love to get some of this year back somehow (I know it won't happen. DUH.), I wouldn't change a thing. Keely, you lovable little time-thief, you! How did you get to be 10 months old already? Sigh.

This was Keely last month, hanging out in her jumper.

I'm so amazed at everything Keely can do now and all the physical changes she's undergone in such a short amount of time. She's gone from 7 lbs, 4 oz at birth to a whopping 21 lbs now. We might need to rename her Hulky. She is 21 lbs of sheer strength and energy. Watch me try to change her diaper and you'll see what I mean. I have no idea how a diaper change became such a stressful event. For ME, not her! Before, I couldn't get her to spend any time on her tummy, and now that's all she wants to do--on the changing table, no less, and hanging over the side while she's at it! And nap time? Sheesh. You'd think I was making her walk the plank. She CLINGS to me, grabs anything she can (read: my hair), and cries desperately. If she knew how to say "no," I'm sure that's all I'd be hearing. Aside from the negative diaper change and nap time developments, this was an especially momentous week for Keely. Not only has she sprouted two more teeth (that's six already that she's cut!), but she officially started to crawl, too. She's dragging herself along the floor commando style, but she's still pretty freaking fast. She can do a complete 360 on her belly in like two seconds. Well, okay, maybe not TWO seconds, but you get my point. She's getting around like nobody's business, and there's no turning back now. Before I know it, she's going to be on all fours, terrorizing dust bunnies and eating crumbs off the floor that the Dyson and my weary, bespectacled eyes overlooked. And then, she'll be teetering around, pulling things off tables and knocking around fallen treasures. Lord help us all. How will Chez Bauer survive?

Thank you...

...to my daughter for making me not just A mother, but YOUR mother.
...to my mother for loving me every day.
...to all the mothers out there who have raised, nurtured, and cared for their children.

Happy Mothers' Day!

6 months

It's hard to believe the last time I posted anything was the day before I went into the hospital to deliver my baby six months ago. It's even harder to believe so much has changed since then. The transformation that my daughter Keely has undergone in this small timeframe is nothing short of amazing. Every day I look at her I am completely blown away by nearly everything she can do now. I often just watch her in complete awe. She's gone from being a constantly-sleeping, glued-to-my-boob newborn to a delightfully-squealing, hair-grabbing 18lb infant. Just last week she was sort of sitting, holding herself up in a tripod position with her arms. Today, her head still wobbles a little and she leans forward a lot, but she can sit up unassisted now for several seconds, all while chewing and drooling on a toy or whatever else is within her reach. Such progress in less than a week! It both elates and saddens me; I'm happy at her progress but realize how true the "they grow up so fast" saying is, and it makes the corners of my mouth droop downward with pangs of pain. I love her to pieces, though. I kiss her all the time and hold her close to me as often as I can because I know the day will soon come when she'll avoid my hugs and kisses like the plague. For now, I'll just drink in all of her delicious babiness and deny that each passing day takes her farther away from that very delicious babiness.