Teething and Ten Months



This pretty much says it all....



I can't believe it's been a month since I last wrote in the blog.  I guess time flies when you're having fun (or you have no time to do anything else when you have a mobile, teething baby!).  Grace turned 10 months old yesterday.  In just two short months we'll be having her first birthday - I realized the other day that I need to get on the ball and start planning it.

These days Grace is all about moving and pulling herself up to stand.  Last night she pulled herself up on both couches, both chairs, the coffee table, the ottoman, the entertainment center, the piano, and the "sofa table" that we have in our living room.  The only thing she didn't pull herself up on was the fireplace, and that was only because we didn't let her!  She's getting really good at balancing herself and can hang on to most things with one hand.  She's also pretty good at getting herself down by sticking out her butt and letting go so she lands on it.  We've only had one semi-serious accident - she had pulled herself up to the coffee table but her legs weren't close enough so when she let go she fell forward and smacked her head on the shelf underneath.  She had a nice big bump and a bruise on her forehead, but thankfully it wasn't too serious.  She didn't go near the coffee table the rest of the day!  She can also clap, wave bye-bye, and has even started dancing when she hears music.  It's a pretty funny-looking dance - it cracks me up whenever I see her do it!

I don't remember if I mentioned in the last blog that we started going to a swimming class last month.  It's not designed to teach her how to swim, it's more about becoming comfortable with the water.  Grace totally loves it.  Part of the time in the class we put the kids up on the side of the pool and they jump into our arms.  Grace is the youngest one in the class by at least 4-6 months so she can't stand up at the edge but I set her right on the lip of the pool and she launches herself into my arms giggling the whole time.  Sometimes she's so excited to launch herself that I can hardly let go of her before she's trying to jump in!  She also handles going under the water really well, but I feel bad that I can't really warn her about it before we do it.  The only thing I don't like about the class is that chlorine seems to be a baby stimulant (at least for Grace) and it's pretty much impossible to get her to take a nap after we get back.  The class is from 10:50-11:20 so it makes for a long, sleepless day!

Speaking of sleeping, Grace doesn't like to anymore.  A few weeks ago she was sleeping about 12 hours at night and then taking at least one nap of 2 hours (sometimes 2 naps) every day.  Now she is sleeping between 10-11 hours at night (which is still good, I know) but only about 1 hour during the day, if at all.  I'm really hoping that this is just a phase and she will go back to taking more/longer naps during the day.  She's also been having a really hard time going to sleep at night too.  Usually she'll fall right to sleep after I nurse her but then wake up within a half-hour to hour screaming her head off.  If we go in and hold her, she stops crying right away, but as soon as we put her back in her crib she starts screaming again.  Last night it took between 30 and 45 minutes of screaming before she went to sleep.  The worst part is that her cry is SO heartbreaking.  It's that wailing/screaming that is desperate and makes you want to just hold her so she'll stop (although sometimes it makes me want to get in my car and drive away!).  I read somewhere that babies go through a fussy period around this time because of all the things they are learning, so hopefully it doesn't last too long.  I also think that part of the problem is her teeth - she's getting four in on top right now and I'm sure it's got to hurt.

I have to admit, I have been struggling these last few weeks to deal with all the changes.  Sometimes I get so tired of not having any time to myself, especially when she doesn't take naps.  For me this is a hard phase because she's not immobile anymore so I can just set her in her swing or bouncy seat to play while I get things done around the house, but she's not really interactive yet to actually "play" with her, so the time sometimes seems to drag on while I follow her around the living room as she pulls herself up on things.  I've tried putting her in the pack&play but she only lasts about 15 minutes before she gets sick of being contained.  I feel so guilty when I get frustrated and wish that I was still at work - it makes me feel like a terrible person when I prayed so long and went through so much to have her.  It's hard going through the day when you feel like a big jerk and a sub-par mom.  Some days it feels like no matter how hard I try, I fail at something.  I start coaching track today, so I'm hoping that a little time apart will help me put things back in perspective.  Please pray for me to remember that this too shall pass and that I am strong enough to get through these emotions.

I was able to take the Wilton Flowers & Cake Design class this month - it was great!  I learned a lot of cool things and I think I have Grace's birthday cake all planned out.  Now I just am praying that it will turn out!  Ironically, the thing I am worst at is icing the cake.  I can make flowers all day long, but trying to get the icing smooth without crumbs is almost impossible for me.  I think I will be practicing on some styrofoam blocks between now and Grace's birthday.  If anyone needs a cake for a special occasion, let me know - I wouldn't mind making some extra money and getting in some extra practice!!