Stepping Out With My Baby

I'd intended to blog last night and didn't get to it. But it turns out I'm glad I waited, because we had big happenings around here today! Miss Luna took her first steps! It was a grand total of maybe 2 steps, and she hasn't done it again yet, but it was a BIG deal! Mama jumped up and down and cried. It was hysterical because Luna cheers for herself every time she stands without holding onto anything, but she doesn't even seem to have realized she took a couple of steps! She was holding onto a chair and she turned and took two steps to G's arms!

Coincidentally, we'd intended to go buy her first pair of "real" shoes today, so that turned out to be timely. As soon as they were strapped on she stood up unassisted for longer than she ever has before (that's the picture). She spent 10 minutes admiring herself and her new shoes in the shop mirror, and once we got her strapped into the stroller she kept sticking her leg out and turning her feet this way and that to inspect them. Every time we walked past someone she stuck her foot out as if to say, "Hey lady, check out my new walking shoes!" We promptly headed to the park, where we got them dirty right away (I can't believe we got WHITE ones!), and then she held our hands and walked around and around the platform while we were waiting for our train.

Other firsts since my last post include her first cold, which is still refusing to go away; the first time we put her hair in pigtails; and her first toddler tantrum. She also got two more teeth - her top two front teeth have finally broken through.

We've all had this nasty cold, G seems to have brought it home from work. He was sick a few days, then I got it, and a few days later Luna got it. Her's has been mainly just stuffiness and runny nose, some crankiness. She does NOT like to have her nose suctioned out with the bulb! In fact, that was what led to her first tantrum...

It was a DOOZY! Wow. I had no idea! I had to put her on my lap and restrain her with a big bear hug while rocking her and singing my own variation of the Little Birdie song over and over and over. After a few minutes she started hiccuping to catch her breath and a few minutes after that she got very very still and I realized she'd fallen asleep on my lap. I was so exhausted I needed a nap myself! I hate to say it, but with a little one that is as strong-willed and dramatic as this one is, I think that was probably the first of many. Yikes!

I don't know if I've mentioned it lately, but I am still breastfeeding! Its been a struggle to maintain supply, but I pump to keep it up. I am very proud of making it this far! I'd intended to stop pumping on her birthday and let her wean when she was ready, but I've decided to keep it up until after we return from our visit to the states, because I think it will provide her with comfort during what is sure to be a stressful time for her.

One week from today my little girl will be one year old! Its astonishing how quickly the time flies. I am sad to be losing my baby, but I am so very excited to have a little girl! We're planning a trip to the zoo this week to celebrate her birthday, and on the actual day there will OF COURSE be cake! I am looking forward to watching her eat the cake!

My Own Personal Heaven

I went to a book fair today with my new friend V. It was in a town outside of Leuven, held in an enormous building the size of an airplane hangar. Millions and millions of books on every subject you can imagine, and all at drastically reduced prices... In short, it was my own personal heaven. :)

Luckily, 85% of the books were in Dutch, or I might still be there. But there were 5 long rows of English language novels, and there were English books mixed in with all of the other sections as well. I spent the first hour and a half just looking at books for myself, and it didn't take long to fill my basket! I'm not going to list all the books I got, but I'll just say I am set for books for awhile and I'll have trouble deciding which to read first!

After a brief rest and a coffee, we got back to it and discovered an entire other room as large as the first filled with children's books, craft stuff and games. Luna got a whole pile of books, most of which have flaps to lift, buttons to push for sound, or textures to feel. She even got a couple in English! She loved them all, and was upset when I took them away. It was perfect timing for her, because she's been obsessed with books lately.

On the way there, we took the highway (not intentionally, the GPS ignored V's preferences), but on the way back we took smaller roads and I got a unique perspective of Belgium I had not experienced before. Since we do not have a car, I see only the parts of the country visible from the railways or on foot. Today I saw strip malls, drive-thru restaurants, enormous car lots, and dozens of other things I've never seen here before. It was so... familiar.

Is Spring Sprung?

Spring is coming, slowly but surely. There are more and more days when we can play outside! (This pic is Luna plastered against the window saying, "Lemme out! Lemme out!") Luna is loving exploring a whole new world (aka, the backyard), and I'm enjoying being able to hang the laundry outside again. I was getting sick of my clothes smelling like last night's dinner! The crocuses are up and its time to trim the hedges and mow the lawn already. Its funny to think that when I go home for a visit on May 9, I'll get to experience spring all over again!

Things have been up and down here. G has been home with us a lot over the last couple of weeks, as he's had some troubles at work. He doesn't like me to discuss him or his job online, so I'll hold my tongue, but I'll just say I hate his job and I wish he had a safer one.

Luna still hesitates to take any steps on her own, though she grows more and more frustrated at her limitations every day. I cannot wait for that day when she finally decides to throw caution to the wind and give it a go! She's going through another difficult eating phase, and more of her food has ended up on the floor than in her tummy lately. Makes me wish I fed her the jarred stuff, because spending a half hour freshly preparing wholesome and delicious food only to see it thrown on the floor is a bit maddening. Saying "no" is only a challenge to our little stubborn diva, so we're TRYING to ignore the behavior in the hopes that she'll grow tired of it. That is sooooo hard. Especially right after I've washed the floors! LOL She's LOVING her books lately, even more than usual. She's initiated morning story time in addition to the normal bedtime story time, and I simply cannot change her diaper in the morning until she has nursed and had a story. We've been leaving some of her board books on the coffee table, and she spends ages standing there "reading" them (she likes to turn the pages and lift the flaps). She also loves to read on the potty...

Yup, I said the potty! We're not potty training, but we're doing some EC (Elimination Communication). We've been doing it for about 2 weeks now, and she's already peed in the potty three times and even pooped once! (Hey, if you don't wanna hear the gory details, read another blog! LOL) Its a no pressure thing, we just put her on her potty after meals and before her bath, give her a book, and she sits there for awhile until she gets bored. When she holds out her hands to be picked up, its over, she gets a congratulatory hug (and loud cheering and whistles if she actually goes) and a new diaper. She is soooo cute sitting there reading on the potty!

I've started going to a knitting group on Wednesday nights, whenever G can get the night off to stay with Luna. Its at a knitting shop in Sint Truiden, and with the help of the owner, I've started a sweater - certainly the biggest knitting project I've undertaken so far! Its been nice to get out of the house and meet new people, even if I am unable to talk to most of them because of the language barrier. I know the one woman who I go with, and the owner of the shop and a couple of the other ladies also speak English, so I manage. This sweater will be lucky to be completed by the time Luna graduates from school, but I'm trying!

Hello to all the other mommy bloggers who may be reading this!