at least our last name isn't spears

Thank goodness January is almost over. Just a few short hours. I swear, this has been a challenging month!

John lost his job. That's been a big one. He still hasn't found work (he's actually been told he's "over-qualified." Does that not make sense to anyone else?).

There's the money issue. Issues. And there are family issues here, sleep issues there, and time and home issues hovering everywhere. We don't have any (local) friends. And I've been eating way too many chocolate chip cookies.

And it's cold. I don't particularly mind it, but poor little John has never lived anywhere that has a true winter. Poor boy is freezing. And bummed. It probably doesn't help that Idaho hasn't seen this much snow in the last decade.

I was wondering if maybe the snow, and its way of keeping us indoors, was affecting little Nature Babe's mood, so we bundled up this evening to go on a quick walk around the block. Luciya was in her little pink snowsuit in the backpack, jolly as could be, and Mila bounded along beside us. Suddenly we noticed bright red pools of blood in the snow where ever she stepped and realized that her front left leg had gotten punctured by something and was literally spurting blood.

Tonight's long story short:

Poor baby.

Bill: $504.52

Oy vey.

squawkbottom

Luciya has found her voice. A lot of the time it is a sweet, sweet voice - mama, gaga, pssthpp..... But I have to admit that lately - well, she has been a pill. There, I said it. She squawks, she squeals, she fusses, demands, and - this is a new one - she arches her back like she's possessed and howwwwwls.

She's up for about an hour in the middle of the night, usually around the 3:00 hour. She wails and flails and reaches mind-numbing decibels, while standing in her crib, frustrated and... I don't know what else. Wet? Hot? Cold? Hungry? Uncomfortable? Sick? As a parent it's amazing how mush time you spend trying to decipher the different cries.

One possibility I didn't mention, and that I'm scared to jinx by mentioning it (but am going to mention it here, anyway) is teething. I mean, we have literally been thinking this child is teething since she was five months old, but at her 9-month checkup last week (18 pounds! 28 inches!), Doctor Angie felt no evidence of budding little gum-bones. The kind doctor assured us Luciya will have teeth by the time she's 18 months old. So. She's probably not teething.

But why, all of a sudden, is she demanding we change her name to Screech at 3 am for four out of the past five nights? And why is she mashing her little gums together? And drooling? And generally just pissed off most of the time?

If this isn't teething, so help us when it does happen. Sometime in the next nine months.

*Update: That was cruel. Shes not "generally pissed off most of the time." She is generally a sweet, darling baby most of the time. Sorry, Luciya.

one of these days...

... these boots are gonna walk all over the living room.

by way of consolation

Shemmy: "I feel frumpy. I was in my pajamas all day. I don't want to turn into a frumpy housewife."

Ton-Ton: "It's okay, Honey - some people were meant to be frumpy."

yes, and it was my very favorite show

Ton-Ton: "Wasn't there something to do with squirrels, or mice or something, and puppets, in a show that we were watching once?"

eLLe - 9 months

Dear Luciya,

You turned 9 months old today! You inspire me in so many ways. In celebration of the beauty of your nature and the stunning grace of your rapid development, I have decided to dedicate this month's posts in a series of haikus.

Good Night, Sleep Tight
Peacefully sleeping
No more Screamface Sobby Sue
We can all rest now

Nurse-made
Horizontal, yes
But now you like to suckle
From up above, too

Jabbertalkie
Say mama, mama
With little lips and sweet voice
Is Daddy jealous?


Strong
Pull myself up, yes!
Couches, knees, and tables too
Bounce a baby jig

Plllthh!
Raspberry blower
Show how pleased as punch you are
Grateful saliva

Scientist
What's that little thing?
Pick it up with wee pincers
Examine by taste

Goody Goody Gumdrops
No pearly whites yet
Even though you don't have teeth
You bite my nipple!


Nightcrawler
Little sleep-sitter
Wake up, sit up, try to crawl
Back down, sleep now, hush

Mullet Over
Mullets rock my world
Yours is soft and whisper-fine
Idaho Baby

Love, in a Face
Shiny open smiles
You glisten with happiness
Such a pretty girl


I Love You, Luciya!
Love, adore, inhale
Cuddle warming amazement
Totally in awe

Love,
Mama

for the record

So.

John lost his job last week.

Since September he has been the General Manager of a fine dining restaurant in Eagle, which is close to our home. It is a beautiful restaurant in a lovely location right on the Boise River.

This restaurant is headed by a locally Famed Chef, who has another, more popular high-end restaurant in downtown Boise.

John was let go last Tuesday because, as the Famous Chef put it, they could no longer afford him. Truth be told, they may apparently be looking at bankruptcy.

Here's where the uber-awkward part comes in.

We have no doubt that the reasons the Famous Chef gave John were true. This is because we (foolishly) agreed, after a second desperate plea from said Chef, to loan him quite significant amount of money. This happened on November 29, and the money, which we borrowed against our credit card, was supposed to be repaid (along with any accrued interest) by the first week of December.

Well. Guess what.

We're in quite the situation here! And we're learning from it day by day. Email by email. Excuse by excuse.

I just wanted to continue my paper trail, in case we might (but hopefully won't) have to take the Famed Boise Chef and his wife (who apparently doesn't know about said loan) to court for repayment.

I am certainly not posting this so that anyone feels he or she has the right to get involved. Just wanted to let you all know wassup.

Live and learn, right?

Oh, and if anyone has any sweet job leads in the Boise area, please let us know.

music to my ears

We've decided that Luciya is working her way through the alphabet, or perhaps through the vowels, starting with A. She really has a good understanding of the letter A and its variations after extensive practice the last few months. She can squawk it: "agh!"; squeal it: "AAH!"; and screech it: "aaaaaaaahhhhhhh." Quite good.

I have been getting a leeelte bit worried, though, because she hasn't been making any consonant sounds (ba, ma, ga), and those were *supposed* to have started around 6 months of age. Only aahhh and its variations.

Until this morning.

Child is saying "mama." Repeatedly. All day. I cannot handle it.


mamamamama from shemmy on Vimeo.

See how she sucks in her lower lip? Isn't it too much?

She's been at it all day. And her attitude has been stellar. I think she feels very accomplished!


mamamamamama from shemmy on Vimeo.

"Mama" is sooo proud! I mean, really. Jubilant.

found

where did you come from
red knee socks in the rubbish
that used to match the aqua toilet
that know is half off-white

whose little legs were tired of you
red knee socks in the trash

such a candy apple red
knitted with a cotton thread
why did somebody want you dead
red knee socks in the rubbish?

ol' johnny fatnose

He's fine.