A Leg Grows in C Minor

Well once again, I'm getting a post in just under the wire. It's been about 8 months since I last posted, and that makes Simon 11 months old right now. I looked back at my last post, and many of the "bad" things have changed. We can go to restaurants now, and we can even bring Simon if it is appropriate! I don't have to run around like crazy trying to get things done, because Simon will sit and play by himself for awhile if I need to do something. Likewise, I can take my time eating again. After about the 4-5 month mark, things got progressively easier. He learned to hold and play with objects, then to sit up, then to crawl, and now he stands (holding on to things). This makes him more and more independent. He has 8 teeth now, and eats most of what we eat, but in tiny pieces. He can wave, and clap, and say little words like mama, dada, baba, hey, and yay. He is tall for his age, but slim. He looks like Mike from the front and me from the side. He hugs and danc...

I wanted to write a couple of posts about my son before Mother's Day, even though I don't yet feel like a mother. I know I gave birth to a tiny little boy back in January, and he's been by my side ever since, but I still don't feel like a mother. I think when he starts speaking in a few months, maybe that will be when it will really hit me. That was one thing I've learned since January. You don't automatically transition from non-parent to parent in one fell swoop. Here are some other things I've learned in just a few short months: After staring at a baby 24/7, adults start to look really strange. At one point I looked at myself in the mirror and thought, "How do I look so OLD?" Suddenly I could see wrinkles on every face, and all of the adults I interacted with had HUGE features. Big heads, hands, etc. I kept asking Mike why he looked so tall to me. I never expected that to happen. Even people on TV looked old to me. Thankfully it's mostl...

Mike and I have successfully created a human being, and we've named him Simon Xavier. WOW. Here is a small bit of his cuteness: The day he was born In this post I'll relay some of my thoughts/experiences from the labor process, and I will tone down the grossness as much as possible.  January 19th, 2014 5pm: We are playing a tabletop game with our friends, when I feel a few too many Braxton Hicks. (I felt those fake contractions frequently during my pregnancy.) I tell everyone that I'm likely in labor, but that I would prefer to continue the game. (I realize later that I'm addicted to the game: Pathfinder.) 6pm: I decide to make dinner. Hey, why not? My contractions are little more than bothersome at this point. 8pm: The game is just ending, which is good because I'm starting to feel some pain. I decide to call my family members to tell them this is it! 10:30pm: We watched Downton Abbey while waiting for my mom to arrive. I could barely focus on...