months 22-23

There must have been something about the solitude of work that was perfect for reflection and blogging. Or maybe it was the desk and space and fancy chair or the need to procrastinate. Whatever it was, it is gone. I am not finding or making time to write in our tiny house. When I have time at night, I read, knit, play computer games or most likely hang out with Shannon. Here is an attempt at coherent post about the past two months.

I can't believe November and December have come and gone. Thanksgiving and Christmas were a little sad without our families. Wanting to make our own traditions while including our families is hard. The distance just meant that everyone mailed PJ presents. We were inundated and it was a bit overwhelming. We cooked for Thanksgiving and had a hard time keeping everything hot as well as a poor choice of roll recipe. Christmas we ate at the main farm house and just made pies. Much more chill. We tried to make stockings but didn't get out act together in time, so we used mismatch ones. PJ didn't care in the least. She was a bit overwhelmed with all the presents too I think. We got a tree for our porch and made ornaments, we got holiday photo cards out, sent presents to the cousins and even made cookies. Shannon ended up having most of both Christmas and New Years four day weekends off which has been fabulous.

PJ has been sleeping more, like some night until 4:30 or 5 in her bed. But she also started having fits when she wants me and Shannon goes in for her. The clingyness might be related to teething or the crappy colds we are currently dealing with or even us joining the Y and her attending their drop-in care for 1.5 hours. I don't know. Mostly I know that it sucks and we just have to plow through it. She will send us away with an imperial command of go. She has on occasion fallen asleep completely on her own, but it's rare.

We did night weaning in two stages. First no nursing until the alarm, then no nursing in the morning just straight to diaper change. Both went smoothly. She's just nursing now before naps and bedtime. She and I are working on consistency with her napping times. She's going down sometime between 12-1 everyday. Often her nap is only 40 minutes, but I'm not going to let her give it up without a fight. Sometime after her birthday, we'll beginning weaning in earnest. Twice a day is no big deal but I am ready to be done.

She is dancing now, this hilarious mix of twirling with her eyes closed, half hopping and then stopping to lift a leg out behind her. It's fantastic. She's doing the hand movements to songs like Itsy, Bitsy Spider or Zoom zoom zoom to the moon. We are doing two storytimes a week and about two days at the Y. She loves the new toys to play with and appears to be getting along ok with the other kids. We are going to start a little gym class anyday now which I hope she'll like. She misses playgrounds now that it's cold and snowy.

We have the best internet I think we can get here, so we have begun video calling my mom. She loves it although PJ doesn't understand it still. She tries to touch the screen or get up close. Or she wants to run and get five books for my mom to read to her. We are going to try to figure out some way to set up a webcam for Marlys, maybe through one of Shannon's teenage cousins.

We got a new toilet seat that has a little kid seat as well, but so far, PJ doesn't want to even try it. She liked another kid's little potty that sits on the floor (Alice's) but we just don't have room. I'm not in any toilet rush though. We have to check out training pants too.

I can't believe she's going to be two in one more month. Time has just flown by. I almost can't remember a time when she didn't talk or sit up or walk. I'm guessing she'll be almost 3 feet at her checkup. She's such a kid now. PJ's birthday is going to be the end of extra time with Shannon. Spring is going to be crazy with foaling season and Shannon looking for another job. I am ready to have more square footage, washer/dryer and a couch again, but I still dislike the work of movving. I wonder where we'll end up.

I've been thinking about more kids lately. Maybe because there's been lots of friends announcing their 2nd pregnancies or maybe because I'm feeling a bit less overwhelmed by PJ, I don't know. Shannon and I are not agreeing about more kids though right now. It's a bit stressful. I don't know what we are going to do. It is a big commitment to dive back into those early days of little sleep and neediness. I am still hoping for three kids. Insane I know because we are poor and Shannon's career will keep her so so busy, but there it is. My wish for a big family.

I'm going to work on a 2009 in review post. I am going to try to post here and on FB every week. So far that's my only resolution. Here's our holiday card pic. We did most of our cards with this picture in black and white. It turned out so nice, a quick self-portrait behind our new tree on the first snowy day.