Tuesday, July 29, 2008

the "D" stands for...

what defines the "D" today?

DH got frisky the other night (this is news-worthy, as he's OLD and never was frisky frequently). he was playing with my heinie and i was saying how it's an old-lady heinie now; broad, saggy, and certainly not firm. he gave it a smack-kiss and said "I love your old-lady heinie!"

we've been together almost 18 years. there are only 3 or 4 moments that are this golden in those years. today he is a Dear, Dear Husband!

so long grandma

my dad's mom passed yesterday. this is actually good news; she was very sick, and tired of being here. her DH left her 4 or 5 years ago, and she's been lonely and failing all this time.

she was a great grandma for little kids. when i ran off and got married at 18, she was all for it, right up until she found out he wasn't Mormon and it wasn't a temple wedding. and i found out later she laid into my mom and told her it was all her fault. and i kinda stopped loving her as much then.

in later years, she got very grumpy and was mean a lot of the time for no good reason. and i didn't like her much then.

grandpa got the alzheimer's and they tried to stay in their own home too long. he was abusive in his age and she didn't know how to deal with it. when they moved to a "home," they lost most of their memories they had kept in their little house. i felt empathy for her then.

since grandpa left us, she's been a little old lady in a wheelchair, couldn't talk much, cried a lot when she saw people. and i cared again, but i didn't spend any time around her; partly b/c i live 3000 miles away.

i can't go to her funeral this weekend b/c of my imminent move, and i'm sorry i can't, which kinda surprised me. in the end, she was my grandma, and i loved her a lot once, so that's what i'm going to remember.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

we have lift-off!

my stubborn baby has taken a step on her own! she has all the skills she needs except confidence and desire to walk. she wouldn't even stand for more than a couple of seconds without support. today (7/21) she decided she could stand up. and she took a step or two. she had a pickle in her hand, like dumbo's feather. she stood for a full minute! then she took two steps and sat down. but ON HER OWN, she stood BACK up. she's figured out she can do this, and there will be no stopping her!

(7/23) she'll "stand up like a big girl!" for me pretty much any time. but she won't take steps unless she feels like it. often enough to keep us all coaxing her, but infrequent enough that we don't get spoiled, lol! and if she's got something clutched in her hands, she's much happier and more willing to try. it is so fun watching her little legs tremble while she focuses on trying to take a step.

her newest thing is to stand up like a big girl, and CLAP! ever since she learned to clap we all say "Yay, LaLa!" whenever she does it. so she stood up and tried to clap, but fell down. had to practice some. now she claps every time she stands up so we'll cheer her.

she's also learned how to shake her head NO. and she points at what she wants and squawks until she gets it. who needs words? if i try to feed her and she wants something else or is done, she clamps her lips shut, and PUCKERS so i can't slip anything in.

we are all dying laughing around here. it's hard work entertaining us, she sleeps extremely well. some nightmares and occasional night terrors. but the days are all sunny when you're a baby - or a baby mama!