Friday, April 10, 2009

It's Goose Hatching Time

As I left the office park on my way home from work yesterday, I was overjoyed to see that the goslings have started hatching! The hatching is an event I look forward to every year. It means that spring is really here, plus I just love to see the little fluff balls following behind their mothers, eating bugs and things. I’d like to steal just one and take it home with me, but my house is no place for anything that resembles prey.

I’ve stayed away from this blog for a while because I’ve been feeling more than a little snarky lately. Life is grinding sometimes and people really start getting on my nerves. There was a point this week when I’m pretty sure the world would have been better served if I had just locked myself in the house for a while. I’m happy to report that the baby goose sighting yesterday and the fact that today is Friday (Good Friday!) seems to have turned my attitude around a bit. Well, that and prayer. I know God put those fluffy babies in my path yesterday because I needed something to make me smile. I’m still in need of vacation. I keep thinking that this time last year I was counting down to my maternity leave. It’s a bit depressing that I won’t have a large chunk of time off this summer. Maybe we should move to Europe where everyone gets 6 weeks of vacation every year. Hmmm.

While Ella has been saying “Mamama” in her streams of babble, I finally had the moment when she saw me and called me Mamama. She always says it with three syllables, and it’s so cute. She has been chattering about everything, and the chatter is sounding more and more like words. I’ve heard her try to say “Georgia,” I think she said “dirt” the other day when she was playing in the flower pots, and the Grandmother Report tells me she tried to say “thank you” today. We have now resorted to spelling some of the key words we use around her (bath, eat, out, and puffs) because if she hears the word she expects whatever we are talking about.

I watched her think really hard about walking the other night. She was holding onto the ottoman and it would have taken 2 steps to get to the chair. She worked for a long time trying to reach the chair without letting go of the ottoman. I held my breath, waiting to see what she would do. She decided she’s not ready yet, and plopped onto the floor. She’s cruising more and more each day, getting much braver. Pulling up isn’t an issue anymore; she has definitely moved on to taking steps and trying to let go and balance herself.

Last weekend she had a play date with another baby her age. They played and played together for about 4 hours. I was thrilled; she even let my friend hold her while I ate. I couldn’t believe it. The child hasn’t let anyone outside of her immediate circle hold her in months. I think the funniest point of the day was when the babies hid behind the couch together to poop at the same time. Ella is funny about hiding to poop these days.

Sunday morning, she played in the nursery and sat next to Ms. Laurel and Mr. Johnny. I couldn’t leave the room, but she only checked in with me a couple of times. I think we are making progress with this separation/stranger anxiety. She’s having her 9 month portraits made tomorrow, and I’m really hoping she will be happy for the photographer. Surely there will be some new trouble to explore that will distract her from the stranger behind the camera.

To finish this off, here is a picture of her enjoying her first rib bone. She gnawed it clean.


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