Intrepid Murmurings

A Few Things
On Action: There is a lot of action happening around these parts, mostly happening on blankets, changing tables, and beds of various sorts. No, its not us! It is Emma, who is learning to crawl! Only in the past three or so weeks did she really master the roll-over; She could get from back to front pretty easily, but would get stuck on her tummy and get really pissed about it. She still does this when she is tired, but for the most part is able to fling herself back over to her back when the wee (yet oddly buff) arms are feeling tired.
Starting last week she started regularly creeping on her own, too, towards toys that catch her eye. She looks hard at at, flailing the arms too and fro. When she realizes that, alas, Go Go Gadget Arms just doesn't work, she puts her head down (face planting into the floor), sticks her butt up in the air, and pushes along with her feet. Then she looks up to see where she is and then reaches out, sometimes with success. Sometimes she just proceeds in pushing the toy, yet again, slightly out of her reach, and begins the process again. Occasionally I will take pity on her and place the object of her affection a bit nearer to reward her efforts.
On Candy: What is it about breastfeeding and the constant cravings for the sweet and carby? I used to want salty proteiny snacks and now I have a one track mind for desserts and other sweety goodness. Despite the fun times with pumpkins, we decided not to dress Emma up or take her trick or treating this year. Too little! To silly! We are just not big Halloween celebrators, though I totally believe in it for the 3ish to 14ish crowd ***. In any case, we did get candy to hand out, and by that I mean TWO HUGE BAGS FROM COSTCO, one with dairy (ie chocolate) and one without (chewy stick-in-your-teeth fruity things). I have been ridiculously unrestrained throughout the evening and unfortunately we have only had about 15 or so trick or treaters. Mmmmmm high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated soybean oil.....
Speaking of food: I did allow myself to buy one box of organic brown rice baby cereal today. Still intending to wait until the designated official okayed-by-the-allergist date, which is November 18th, in case you were counting. I am. Obsess obsess obsess.
And Another Kind of Food: Oh yes, I did have a very good time at the La Leche League conference a few weeks back. It was a LONG day, the longest we'd been out of the house for, actually, and it went pretty well. I went to a session on babywearing, one on "The Power of Breastfeeding", one on counterwill by Gorden Neufield, and one on infant sleep. Emma played on the floor some of the time, got hugged by some slobbery babies & toddlers (pretty cute, actually), and had several naps in the sling, including one through most of the sit-down, three-course lunch! Yeah! Oh, and I also got to hear Dr. Jack Newman speak, and that was cool, since he is my breastfeeding hero. He's the one who came up with protocol for Domperidone & herbs that I am currently on (for chronic low milk supply), and whose online videos on latch and swallowing helped me out a lot early on.
And Nothing At All About Food (Believe It Or Not): This morning, I learned to knit. I decided I wanted to start going to a knitting group organized by people in our local AP chapter, in order to meet some other mamas with similar parenting styles and thought it would be a nice way to engage my crafty side, which has been severely lacking as of late. It turned out I was the only one who showed up, and the hostess was very nice and taught me well. I got three rows done of a blue scarf (that may become a potholder) and I think I actually kind of get the hang of it. My areas in which to improve are 1) figuring out how to hold my hands, and the needle(s) and the yarn, and 2)being able to carry on an actual conversation while doing so. ***Though just now, while I was writing this, a couple (in the 18-22 year old range, I would guess) came to the door with their newborn sleeping in the stroller! The mom (who wasn't in a costume) was getting the candy! WTF? Doesn't that seem a little odd to you? Maybe she is nursing, then I suppose I understand.......mmmmmmmm sweet and carby...

Halloween Fun
What did you do today? Oh, I sat in a pumpkin. How about you?
More recent photos added today in the Five Months Old folder.

Bloggin' Blues
So, dear readers, if you are still here you may have noticed we've been having some technical difficulties. Something is amiss in terms of computer stability around here, and while the system administrator has not been working 'round the clock to fix the error (just as I have not been working on blog entries), I can vouch that he has had a few other things on his plate. He has recognized that there is indeed a problem and will hopefully get to it soon. Woohoo! Something to do with software versions/updates yada yada yada, which seems an improvement on "I think my computer is crapping out". So thats good, I think, for us anyway. Here's to a blog that is actually up and running (at least most of the time) in the very near future...
P.S. I am having a hell of a time with spam comments these days, and am trying to figure out some new features that help me deal with it. But, as I figure this all out, I may accidentally delete a real comment or two sometimes. If it is yours, I am sorry! I LOVE comments, so please keep leaving them!

Bullet points
I know its been awhile, and I've been a lazy-ass uninspired blog poster. Here is what's going on around here:

• At the crack of dawn tomorrow (that means 7:30), Emma & I are headed out to the Washington State La Leche League conference. It is here in Seattle (well, the suburbs, actually, so it'll be a bit of a drive) and I couldn't pass it up. We are going to the opening general session, and then four other sessions of my choosing, getting home around 6:30. It will be a long day; usually we are only out for 2-3 hours at a time! I am excited to go, to be with like-minded people & hopefully learn something, too. I'm slightly nervous though, mostly about the logistics of being out all day with her. But also, cuz I hope I don't look like a dork. I hope someone sits next to me at the lunch table, or that I can even find the lunch tables. I hope she doesn't scream in the middle of a lecture, and if she does, I hope nobody gives me dirty looks for giving her a bottle of formula. But at least I don't have to worry about where (or how often) we are going to nurse!
  
• Emma is rapidly approaching on 5 months of age. Already! In the past week she has really mastered the roll, from back to front. When she gets to her front, however, she gets frustrated because she can't remember how to get back. That or she rolls halfway and gets her arm stuck. Or her favorite toy gets away from her and she can't reach it to jam it back in her mouth.
  
• Her current obsession is, yes, the yellow rubber duckie. She cannot keep her eyes off it in the bath (or anywhere else for that matter), and lunges for it whenever she is close. When she is near it, her breath quickens, just like when she wants to nurse. And then she reaches and flails her arms madly towards it (splashing herself in the face, usually) and then crams the whole thing in her mouth, beak first, head first, or tail first. Then, glorious rubber sucking. Mmmmmmmmm.....vinylplastic. Delish! Of course I keep thinking about what toxic chemicals might be leeching or offgassing out of that thing but she just loves it so much. And its rubber duckie, after all!
  
• Lately, each and every day, I think obsessively about how much I want to feed Emma solid foods. And then I remind myself that the allergist told us to wait until 6 months, and that breast milk and formula are truly all she really needs right now. But oh, how I want to! I have allowed myself to buy baby spoons, Lil' Dippers, and some beginner sippy cups. They are all washed, sitting neatly and patiently in the cupboards. I hope I can be that patient. Emma is not, really, as she eyes and lunges at my food, opening her mouth as I bite, and grabbing every utensil or cup that comes near her. Soon. Not yet, but soon.