Geek Habitat

Hey, Girlie! How are you doing? Daddy and I adore you, do you know that?

I know your teeth are really bothering you lately, but I just wanted you to know how proud Daddy and I are of you. Even when you’re uncomfortable, you manage to brighten our lives with big, gummy, slobbery smiles and cute, hilarious squeals of excitement.

You let the world know who’s boss, “boxing” the hanging toys in your bassinet and on your portable swing at home and at Grandma and Grandpa Blackburn’s house. You are getting so strong that Momma can’t get away with holding you with one hand for very long anymore. With help, you already stand and sit up very well, and you know how to roll from your belly to your sides and back. Sometimes, we even find you facing the opposite direction from where we left you in your crib!
You love to talk and Mom and Dad could chat with you all day long about everything under the sun. You clearly already have some strongly held opinions and beliefs, judging by your crinkled brow and “bacon lip” response to certain topics. When you are happy, though, it’s the most beautiful thing on Earth… so much so, Daddy and I are guilty of trying everything under the sun to get you to smile, giggle, chuckle and laugh. You’re just the center of our Universe, Sara!

Dad and I have planned our first family camping trip for September. We can’t wait to take you to the Piney Woods in East Texas to enjoy some of our favorite hiking trails. We will be staying in a cabin, so don’t worry about finding a Size 6 Months sleeping bag — we’ve got you covered, we promise!  You will have a wonderful time, judging by how much you enjoy looking at everything outside and listening to the birds, crickets, wind and flowing water. Thank you so much for getting your Daddy and Mommy interested in camping again — they have really missed doing that together in the past several years!

You are growing so quickly, we can hardly believe our eyes. I’ve been putting away clothes that you have already outgrown, and giving away Newborn diapers that you grew out of months ago, and it’s already hard to imagine you were ever that SMALL!  Even more amazing, you just keep getting cuter and more beautiful with each passing day… somehow, Daddy and Mommy’s genes created an absolutely gorgeous baby girl and we are in awe of you.

I hope I’m not embarassing you, darlin’. Dad and I just wanted you to know how much you are loved, and how proud we are of the little girl you are already becoming. You will teach us far more than we will ever be able to teach you, and we are so grateful to be your parents.  Keep smiling, and I promise the teething pains will subside in time. We are here for you and we love you!

Love,

Mommy & Daddy
(Shannon & Justin)

Sara had a huge meltdown this evening. I now have full sympathy for anyone whose little one is/was a colicky baby because that ear-piercing, heart-breaking cry is something else… Sara got so worked up she wouldn’t even nurse, which as any breastfeeding mother knows is hard not to take personally. I put a finger in her mouth to feel for the tooth bud that’s appeared, and she gummed my finger hard and stopped crying — AHA! Teething pain is at a peak tonight. With that to go on, I gave her a dose of the herbal teething tablets I bought from Amazon.com after the gals on my BabyCenter.com birth board mentioned them. She still cried at my breast with that, so after trying to console her for several minutes I gave her a dose of Tylenol. I swear right after that, she nursed for a maximum of two minutes and fell-fast-asleep. She’s been sleeping soundly for about 20 minutes now… knock on wood, she’ll get enough sleep in to help get through the worst of the pain tonight. She actually slept entirely through the night last night, which is a first for her, but not one I can truly celebrate since it only occurred because she refused to nap at all yesterday.

Teething sucks… poor gal!

In happier news, Sara has discovered her feet in the past several days and she’s full of giggles, chuckles and LOUD squeals when she’s happy, now. She also knows how to blow a “raspberry” with her lips, and we have long conversations making silly sounds to each other and blowing raspberries. She’s grown quite strong and is probably about a week from needing to retire the bassinet and move back into the Pack & Play and crib.

FAIR WARNING: I’m going to have an overly sappy, sentimental post in several days’ time. Why? Two reasons — Sara will soon be 5 months old (on August 15th; how did that happen?!) and, also, August 3rd marks a special milestone in our lives.

I know I thought it was happening a month or so ago, but I was premature. However, now Sara has a definite tooth bud appearing on her upper jaw, left side, towards the back. I finally discovered it yesterday when she was calm enough to let me poke and look around her gumline!

She’s a drool-monster these days, and is definitely a little fussier and less apt to nap for long periods. The most obvious thing, in retrospect, is that she’s pushing her whole fist into her mouth to get fingers near that tooth bud to soothe her gums. (Good way to discover your gag reflex, babe!) I have herbal teething tablets arriving from Amazon.com tomorrow that should help her a little bit, so we’re not having to dose her with Tylenol.

Decided this entry fit better on my WildTexas.com outdoor recreation website –
{link} Tour de France is Dead/Dying

I beefed up the post after further reading.  This Tour is crumbling so badly I don’t even want to see the finish in Paris. I actually feel sorry for whomever wins the Tour overall because the scandals are further tarnishing the sport and overshadowing all individuals’ honest achievements in the race.

Reposted from Miles Levin’s CarePage (More on Miles), posted by his mother, Nancy Levin. This is such a good post for all moms (and dads) to read — do so, you won’t regret it:

I’m a big believer in the notion that we must all, as Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” I’m a fallible human being (well, that’s redundant!) so I often fail to even remotely live up to that ideal, but it’s always there… pleading for me to listen.

I have many wonderful role models in my life. Two of them are my parents, Tom and Christy, who have literally lived a life I now model in many ways. Today marks their fortieth wedding anniversary. Forty years! I’m so happy for them, and blessed to have them in my life.

July 22nd, 1967

And they’re not a fluke — Justin’s parents are heading to the big *50* {fiftieth} wedding anniversary, themselves! All four of them are rare, and their longevity in loving, supportive and happy marriages is sadly rarer still these days.

Justin and I look forward to Sara being able to congratulate us someday on our 40th or 50th wedding anniversary, as well. Already, we have been together for more than half of my life — 19 years as of December (9 years married as of 12/12/98, plus 10 years dating prior to that.)

Anyway, HAPPY HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Mom & Dad! Love ya!