A gift for Analese

So I am just about done shopping for the girls....I have put months of thought into it so it has been pretty easy!

I just placed an order for Analese today for this:

Think she'll love it? She has been having a hard time sleeping lately, waking up a couple times a night, and recently told us that she did not like her bed anymore.

Hopefully this will solve it!

(I am so excited to give this to her, and just had to share! Now back to my studies...)

The long weekend

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We had a good time. We went to Greg's aunt's house this year. It was quiet this year, with only one of his four sisters there and one out of his three cousins. Usually we are piled in, clamoring for space! So it was a bit different this year.

I can honestly say I am just not comfortable with other people cooking food that Mara is going to eat. There are just too many variables that you have to look out for, and its hard to explain it to someone who doesn't really understand allergies to begin with. Everyone kept reassuring me that the turkey was "safe", telling me over and over that they didn't use anything on the turkey-only canola oil. I relented and said OK, we would eat it. Imagine my surprise to walk into the kitchen as they were scooping gluten-filled stuffing out of the turkey! Oh- they hadn't thought about the stuffing.... Luckily Greg and I were on the same page and he had them separate the turkey slices that were furthest away from the stuffing so that we could eat.

I worry that sometimes I sound a bit too paranoid with this food thing, but Mara is finally doing well-eating and growing, and the last thing I want is to relive those months where she wasn't. I also have hopes that someday she will outgrow at least some of this, and avoidance is the best way to achieve this so her tummy can heal and her immune system can strengthen.

Anyway- the rest of the weekend was spent studying while Greg ran around with the girls. This is my last week of school, with finals next weekend. I cannot wait to be finished, just to be able to breathe and relax a bit, but these next few days are going to be tough.

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

(wish I was home this year!)

Terror Cat

Pebbles has always been a one-owner cat. With me, she is a wonderful, cuddly ball of fur.

When she was a kitten, Pebbles was THE friendliest cat. When we first got to the rescue group, she came over to me and then refused to leave. Yes-she picked me, not the other way around. She had even took to climbing onto a nearby table and leaping into my lap. I was sold.

At home, she was a people cat. She always had to be around people. When I eventually moved to my own apartment after living with two other roommates, Pebbles was extremely lonely. My landlord (who lived upstairs) told me she meowed all day while I was at work.

When Pebbles was around a year old, we suspected that she had a bladder infection had to spend a few days at the vets so that they could get a urine sample. Imagine my surprise to receive a phone call from the tech, telling me that "my cat isn't very nice", going on about all the trouble she was putting them through.

As the years have gone by, this is a side we have come to know well. She is just so unpredictable-she'll rub up against you but hiss if you reach down to pet her. It has to be all on her terms, all the time. With me, she is great. With others-especially children, she will allow you to pet her but suddenly lash out when she has had enough with no warning given. Many of our friend's children have been scratched, and Pebbles now has a permanent spot in our basement when we have visitors.

Greg and I were somewhat concerned as to how she would handle the girls getting into her face, but I could see a special bond form between Analese and her when Analese was just a small babe.

Still-I have been teaching the girls to be mindful of Pebbles, giving her the respect and space she needs.


Today I walked into the living room and found this:




Poor Pebbles, covered in necklaces by two very busy girls. Although I do not know if "poor" would be the right word, as she appeared to be enjoying every minute of it!

It appears our "terror cat" has developed a very soft heart for two special little girls.

That and a love for accessories!

Warmth

Our new pellet stove is in! I think we have all taken turns just sitting in front of it. It is amazing how warm our house has become, and I cannot wait to finish the basement off so that we can snuggle up in front of it :)

Not a Baby anymore...

Can you believe that Mara is 22 months old today?

She is growing up so quickly, and I cannot get a handle on the fact that she will be two in just two months.

She is, however, letting us know. Both her and Analese agree. Mara is not a baby, she's a toddler. They remind me of this every time I call them my babies.

Everything to Mara these days is "MINE!" Everything. From the cats to the television show to the van outside. "Mine, mine, mine"

Her favorite activity lately has been to go through the toy magazines that are bombarding our household. She will sit and point to every other object, screaming-you guessed it "Mine! me me. Mine!" until you come over and comment on it. I find this so funny because Analese has never put the connection together that the toys in these magazines are ones that she could own. Well, she didn't until Mara showed her....

Her language skills are exploding, and every day we are surprised at all she knows. Tonight she was cooking dinner with Daddy, and he was counting spoonfuls with her. He got to seven, and Mara screams out "EIGHT!" We both just looked at each other and laughed.

She has also quickly discovered just how to get under big sis's skin, taking her toy and running like the wind down the hall. My easy-going baby isn't quite so easy going anymore, and Analese does not quite know what to do about it!

For me, it's refreshing to see. Mara is becoming her own person, out from under the wings of her big sister. She is developing her own likes and dislikes, her own wants and desires.

It makes me smile to see her assert herself, to make her opinions known to the world. I will admit to always being a bit worried when it comes to Mara..after the rough time we have had with diagnosing her food issues, it's hard not to worry about her development. I remember her nutritionist telling me that we had to catch Mara up before the age of two, because if we did, chances are good that she will not be mentally affected by the months of malnutrition (in her defense, she was actually telling us this to be reassuring). That comment has stayed in the back of my head, and as she approaches the ripe old age of two, I can't help but wonder...is she caught up? Have we succeeded?

Every new word, I feel a victory. One small reassurance that my child is heading in the right direction.

Maybe one day I can stop this worry.

Maybe.

Analese's new friend

This morning Analese was sitting on the potty, and she turns to me and says "I have to hurry Mommy. I have to go meet my friend".

We had no plans to go anywhere today, but I played along and asked her what her friend's name was.

"Her name is Analese. Just like me. Isn't that funny?" She giggles, and I tell her that yes, indeed, that is funny to have the same name.

She finishes up and climbs up on her stool to wash her hands.

She turns and looks at me, and gives me this "ta da!" pose.

"Mommy, see my new friend Analese?" She is pointing to herself in the mirror.

I shake my head and laugh, leaving her in the bathroom while she talks to her new friend for the next 10 minutes.