Monday, March 28, 2005

Ambitious Toddler Seeks Exciting Opportunities

Lucy's not a baby anymore. I won't write sappily about how much I miss my baby (at least, not in this entry), because for the moment, I am in love with my new toddler. Her level of engagement with the world, with us, is so entertaining that I can't believe I tolerated having a worthless little newborn lump. I'm just kidding. Kind of.

As her toddler resume grows, I make plans for her future...
--She loves to read, whether it's one of her books, or the menu at a restaurant. She seems to understand words on a printed page. Pulitzer-prize winning author!
--She tries to count, pointing rhythmically to one thing after another the way we count out her Cheerios at breakfast. Mathematician/future checkbook-balancer (equally ambitious goals in my mind)!
--She knows where her ears, mouth and nose are, and can sometimes identify those same parts on other people. Physician!
--She can pick her nose and eat her boogers. Sometimes she will pick her nose and offer you one of her boogers. Um, McDonald's employee?
--When you give her a brush, she brushes her hair (or at least rubs the brush on her head, but she doesn't have much to work with). She also likes to brush your hair. Salon owner or celebrity stylist.
--She also knows what sunglasses are and where they go, though she refuses to wear her own. Secret service agent/very famous person.
--She is enamored with light switches and cabinets -- on/off, open/close. Cause and effect is satisfying. Scientist/inventor!
--She toddles. Her first stumble has become drunken little steps. She weaves around without help for a long time, and she gets more confident every day. Olympic athlete! Alvin Ailey dancer!
--When music comes on, she dances and bangs her hands. One of her current favorite toys is a xylophone. Jazz musician!
--Other current favorite toy: talking telephone. Receptionist.

My own goals and dreams aside, she can be whatever kind of person she wants to be. What's amazing is that she is a person! (By the way, Jason has now shown me how to make things bold on the blog, so you'll be seeing much more emphatic writing from me.)

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

362 Days

One year ago today, I went home from work early because I was feeling kind of sick. But when I got home, industriousness overtook me, and I tidied and folded and busied myself with soon-to-be-baby chores. I also made Jason take my picture, telling him I wouldn't be pregnant much longer. We met with Shelly, our doula, to talk about details of the impending birth. All week, I had that mixture of feelings I get before I go on a trip: excitement, anxiety, a mildly manic sense of purpose. Even though I still had two weeks to go, I guess I could just feel that the baby was coming.

The year has flown by, despite the fact that some of the days and nights were the longest of my life. I can barely remember the world before Lucy was in it. Here is a brief inventory of how things have changed for us:

Before Lu (BL): movies, together, at the theater
After Lu (AL): Jason, Netflix, while Kate falls asleep.

BL: Tuesday Karaoke at Club Deville
AL: Karaoke Revolution on the Playstation

BL: Saturday morning cartoons
AL: Saturday morning cartoons

BL: Friday happy hour fades into late dinner with friends
AL: Friday happy hour lasts until 7:30, the unhappy hour

BL: Sunday dinner, served at 10
AL: Sunday dinner, served at 6:30, consisting of very mushy foods

BL: 15 minutes late for everything
AL: 30 minutes late for everyting, but with a better excuse

BL: read important fiction, hip magazines, current events
AL: read books about making the baby sleep, feeding the baby, improving the baby, US magazine, or simply watch "West Wing" marathon after baby has finally gone to sleep.

Before Lucy, we were cool and smart and led a vaguely interesting life. After Lucy, we are almost everything we feared we'd be as parents, minus the minivan and public beatings in Wal-mart (so far). And to our surprise, we love it. Life after Lucy is magic.