Teething: the nightmare has begun

Superbaby has turned into Grumpy McGrumps the past couple of days.  Add to that an inability to fall asleep or stay asleep longer than an hour at a time, an insatiable urge to suck and bite everything she can grab, and an almost constant urge to nurse, and we have what is known as teething.

Today I found proof that teething is the culprit of all of this: a white line of teeth showing through the gums.  Granted, it's hard to see, especially since superbaby doesn't like it when I look.

Please let us get through this stage quickly.

Grumpy McGrumps needs to be a very short phase or I will completely lose my sanity. (Though, she seems to be happy playing and gurgling with daddy.)

Going Swimmingly

Last weekend, we decided to hit up the air conditioning and pool down and grandma and grandpa's house since it's been so hot here.   So, since it's in the 90s here, it's probably 100+ there.

We had fun with a pool party/BBQ to celebrate grandma and the Russian's birthdays this week.  There were fun purple cupcakes just for the occasion!  (You'll have to check out Miranda's blog for pictures of that, I don't have any.)  We saw a lot of aunts and uncles and cousins.

We have lots of fun talking to cousin Maggie 

 The swimming was great fun!  We went swimming both days and couldn't get enough.  Superbaby swam for hours with daddy.

Daddy pretended to be a shark

Almost like doing tummy time

It's a good thing the water was so warm, or superbaby might have frozen. She cried a little bit the first time she got in the water, but was fine once mommy cuddled up to her.  (Daddy was holding her far away and swishing her through the water...not as fun in the beginning.)

Superbaby didn't sleep much on our trip, since there were just too many people to watch and new things to see.  But she crashed on the way home.  She's slept more than 12 hours last night, which means I should probably go get her up.

Trying so hard

We get a workout each day...especially superbaby.  Check out the latest skill she's almost got!

She's so close.  So close.  She's done front to back, but this back to front business is just hard.  We'll get it soon, though!

I'm so divided

So, I had an interview for a job for next year.

(Background: We decided I lived too far away from the district I worked in last year.  It was a killer drive and I always crumpled into a heap on the couch when I got home.  Was it the drive?  Was it pregnancy?  Who knows.  But I couldn't handle it very well.  Plus, I had to be out the door by 6:30 in the morning.

Now, if we add in time getting superbaby ready in the mornings, well, I'd have to wake up at 4:30...give or take half an hour. Not gonna happen.  Plus, the Russian decided that daycare was a no-go after hearing some horror stories.)

How can you send this cuteness to daycare and go to work?

But then I spied with my little eye a job posting for another part time position.  This one is in the district we live in.  Perfect!  The drawback?  It's still a 3 day a week position.  We were hoping for only 1 or 2 days.

Can't hurt to try, though, right?

I filled out the application and sent it on it's merry way.  A few weeks later, after I had decided they must not have been that interested, I received a surprise phone call requesting an interview in two days. Okay.

I never know how interviews go.  I prepared myself for the questions it seems like every district asks me, plus the typical "what's your biggest strength/weakness?" and the like.  Unfortunately for me, all the questions were situational or related to my knowledge of the field (i.e. blah blah blah, explain the criteria for qualification for grade students and how it differs for preschool). Not bad, but I didn't get to use some of the excellent answers I had come up with to the questions they did not ask.

Ah well.  I can be a stay at home mom.  It is the best for superbaby, isn't it?

Then I heard they were actually checking my references.  That's probably a good sign, but still not a guarantee of being offered the position.  I'm so split.

I don't want superbaby to go to daycare, even for a couple of days a week.

But I don't want to lose my certification and job experience.

You really think you can leave me?

Buuuut, maybe I could handle daycare for a day or two a week if the end is in sight, which it would be.  This position is a long term substitute covering maternity leave and ends in January.  Even better! I guess we decided we'll take it if offered.

But inside I still go NO! YES! NO! YES! NO! YES! Gaaaaah!

Shots and all

Well, we had a 4 month well child check this past week.  Superbaby took a nap right before the appointment, so I hoped it would go smoothly again.  She's been pretty good about the doctor so far.

As I was driving to the office, some not-so-pleasant sounds were emanating from the back seat.  When I checked the mirror, my hunch was confirmed by seeing a straining face.  Uh oh.  We couldn't stop.  I mixed up the addresses since the appointment was at the office further away, but we managed to arrive right in time.

Unfortunately, there are always papers to fill out when we arrive. So, there wasn't time to think about the unpleasantness of the car as we walked in.

Superbaby really enjoyed talking to the nurse, who thought she was really cute.  She was all smiles throughout the undressing and subsequent diaper change (seriously, how does that much poop fit into such a small person?).

Then we went to the scales.  My guess?  Somewhere between 13 and 14 pounds...well, I was right!  Superbaby weighed in at 13 pounds 10 ounces, and was 24.75 inches long, which means she's in the 50th percentile for weight and 75th percentile for height.

The best part about the doctors office?  The mirror! Superbaby was having the time of her life standing on the counter watching herself while I filled out the paperwork (Does your baby support their weight for 3 seconds? Hmmmm....I'd say that's a yes) and we waited for the doctor to come in.

When the doctor did arrive and decided to look superbaby over, well, she sat on the counter and it shifted enough superbaby freaked out.  She really doesn't like it when things move underneath her.  But in the end, the doctor said she was developing really well and she's surprised at how strong she is. (Daddy is really happy about that - he makes sure to work with her every day on it.)

After shots - give her hugs and links and she's ready to go!

Then there were those dreaded needles...we had the second round of shots - three in the legs and one oral one.  I got to give superbaby the oral one this time, and she was all smiles with the nurse while she cleaned her legs.  That quickly gave away to screams as the shots were administered, and we had more crying this time around, but it lasted all of 1 minute once I could pick her up.
So, all in all, it was
a good appointment.

Time passes quickly

Just the other day, I was making a picture in celebration of being two months old.  Before I knew it, we were at the three month mark!

And then I turned around and we made it to four months.

Four months - shots (again), sleep regression, laughing, shrieking, and drooling.  We've got it all.  Superbaby loves to laugh at daddy when he claps. Or eats. Or swings her. Or does exercises with her as the weights.

I must eat ALL the toys!

But possibly her favorite activity with daddy...to sleep!  Well, kind of.  Not if he reclines her.  Or puts her down.  And definitely not at night.  At night it's all about mommy. But she sure loves spending time with daddy (or papa, as he is known in Russian).

It's been a while...

Well, what with pregnancy, working, creating a speech website (check it out here), and life in general, I haven't been updating this blog.

Buuuut, since I have about a million and one pictures and I know people like to keep up outside of Facebook, here's a quick recap of life.  Hopefully I'll be able to update some during nap times.

So, on March 13, 2013, little miss Tamara Liana was born.  We were all glad Sergei got paternity leave and was home for the first two weeks.  Even hours old, he was protective of his little girl.

Time passed, and she grew.  Before I knew it, she was a month old. We had to get an ultrasound on her back/spine because she had a sacral dimple, but it came out fine in the end.

Here she is waiting patiently for her ultrasound...so many people to look at!

Then I blinked and she was two months old.  She did well after getting her 2 month shots, with only a little crying.

And with that, nap time is over.  I'll update again soon with more recent pictures and some actual stories  about life.

Gender results

Results are in!  Baby did cooperate for the ultrasound, which means the inside of the cake pops was not yellow or green.

(It also means that I went out shopping for clothes!  And found some really cute outfits, it was so hard to just choose one...well, technically, I got two, because there was a buy one get one half off sale.  I struggled not to buy another three outfits.)

Cake pops have been dispersed.  Well, most of them were.  The Russian ate a lot of them before they could be given away.  Every time I turned around, there would be another two (or 5) empty sticks creating a pile on the counter.

I've heard back from those who received cake pops in the mail, so it's now time for the moment of truth.  If you don't know, make your guess now before you scroll down...

It's a girl!

(And I found the cutest little blue outfit with monkeys - perfect - that I wanted to buy!  But it said "Auntie's Favorite," so  I couldn't buy it.  It also happens to be the only blue girls' outfit that I've seen!)

Cake pops and ultrasounds

Bright and early this morning was 18 week ultrasound day.  Dutifully, the Russian arose early to accompany me to the doctor's office.

Among the anatomy and measurements, pictures were taken.  Baby didn't want to be bothered by us, and had it's hands up by the ears.  (Maybe to tune us out?)  Baby also chose to face away from us for most of the scan...but here's the best face picture we could get.

See the elbows sticking out?

We also chose to find out the gender.  Baby cooperated in that regard, at least.  I know I could just tell you all, but I can't resist the urge to make cake pops.  (Or go shopping*.  Do you know how hard it is not to buy everything in the baby section?)

Using the cake pop maker I received from my fantastic sister for the wedding, sadly, no frosting was required.  (Sorry all of you who like the frosting/cake mix.)

Mmmm, tasty.  I'll post results in a few days for those who are too far away to get one.  If you want to know earlier, come grab one or three from me. :)

So what's your guess as to what we're having?  Think we're having a boy?  A girl?  For the very limited number of people who know the answer, don't give it away!

*The cutest outfit at Target is a little white bag-like coat-ish contraption** with a little brown bear and the words "snow cute."  Even the Russian told me it was adorable.  Anyone know what the little slits are for that go through the front and back?  It's like the perfect size to shove your hand in...but that seems a bit awkward...

**Unfortunately, it's gender neutral, so I didn't buy it, though now I'm tempted to go back...