Ginevra in July

Hey Humble Readers...

Her first helium balloon

Here we are at the end of another month, and that means that Ginny is another month older.  20 months now!  Holy cow...

Figuring out the crayons

Ginny was a very busy little girl this month.  A trip to a historic farm, a major road trip, and a medical discovery round out the significant events of the past few weeks.

*snort-snort*

Of course she loved the farm, even if my Beloved and I were more than a little disappointed with what it had to offer.  She was incredibly excited to see all the animals, particularly the pigs and the turkey (**shudder**).  She's also adamant that she's not into being on the swings this year, but the slide is totally fair game.

Hangin' at Timmy's w/ Uncle W!

I mentioned before about our little allergy scare with our wee sweet girl.  I had hoped that perhaps her intense reaction to mosquitoes was a one time thing, but since the initial incident, we've had to rely on the wonders of bena.dryl.  I'm not going to lie, I'm a tad concerned about what would happen if she got stung by a bee. 

She was a bit shy around her GG

Our trip to K-town, while challenging on many levels, was a great thing for Ginny.  She got to play with her cousins Oscar, Felix, and Z-man, and got a lot of attention all around.  Her vocabulary took a major jump while we were out there and we added all kinds of new words including Auntie, Uncle, pool, outside, inside, cakies (pancakes), grapies (grapes), and tons of people's names.  She's also often stringing two words together, like 'bye-bye Daddy' or 'grapies alle-alle' (all gone).  We did discover that she deals with a hint of motion sickness, but she comes by that honestly as Mummy still suffers from it at times. 

In the pool w/ Z-man

While in K-town, we learned that Ginny is still not a huge fan of the pool, although she loved it when Z-man pushed her around while she sat on a flutter-board.  She's a bit over-enthusiastic when it comes to my mom's dogs, but they learned quickly to stay out of her reach.  And she slept sooooo much better this trip (as opposed to Christmas) because we put her in my parents' office by herself. 

Z-man & Ginny

Her growth seems to have slowed, as is to be expected, with no great gains this month.  She was even able to fit into her swimsuit from last summer (if it had been a one piece it wouldn't have fit at all).  Her hair gets curlier every day, I swear.  And being a girl with poker-straight to wavy hair, I'm at a loss as to how to control it.  But it sure looks cute when she wakes up in the morning. 

Crazy bed-head

We're struggling a bit with getting Ginevra to use her fork and spoon to eat.  She'll have one good bite out of twenty.  I know at this point it's all about consistency, but I'm finding it challenging to not just take over and feed her.  It would go so much faster. 

Rockin' the bikini

I'm thinking that it's time to get a potty-chair for our wee girl.  She's still determined to take her diaper off if she's left alone in her crib for too long when she wakes up.  I think it may actually be bothering her to be wet, which is a good sign.  Any one with tips on potty training, speak up please!

No... I haven't seen your ice cream

She's recently gone into a clingy phase.  Whether it's the fact that she's envious of the fact that I have to hold Pippin so much, or if she's dealing with a bit of separation anxiety, she has to be right next to me pretty much all day.  And if I'm sitting on the couch, she's crawling all over me.  This is of note, particularly because it used to be Daddy who was the living jungle gym, but not so much any more.

I pulled out the bumbo for Pippin, but she seemed to think it
was all for her. 

Overall, July was a good month for our wee sweet girl.  She's had some adventures and there are more on the horizon.  I'm wondering what the second half of summer will hold for her developmentally.  There are areas where she could be further along, but mostly I'm just wanting to enjoy this time with her.  She's really so much fun... so silly and sweet (when she isn't being 'almost two'). 

Memorable Moment Mondays: On A Roll

Howdy Humble Readers...

The lovely ladies at PAIL Bloggers host a fun little bloghop on Mondays to give us an opportunity to share some of our memorable moments.  Please click over to check out what others are sharing, and to join in!

We had a pretty big memorable moment this weekend.  Wee Master Pippin decided that it was high time he rolled over! 

And of course, no one saw it happen...

Nope!  Not gonna do it now that you're watching!

I was napping, and my Beloved was watching some of the Olympics while Pip was doing tummy time.  I knew he had been getting close to rolling, much earlier than his big sister, but we weren't expecting it just yet. 

But, one minute he was on his tummy and when my Beloved looked back a minute or two later, there he was, on his back. 

Ginny offering some advice on the mechanics of rolling over

We tried to get him to replicate it while I had the camera, but of course Pippin wasn't going to cooperate with that idea at all.  Still, we had some fun with him trying to get those hips to turn over. 

I don't imagine it will be too long before he's going from back to front, as he's always twisting away from me when I change his diaper.

They grow too darn fast!

Not For Love or Money

Hey Humble Readers...

There is someone who I would not wish to be for all the money in the world, nor for all the tea in China. 

That person is Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge.

I have to back up a little here.  I am a life long royalist.  I love that the Queen is my country's figurehead, and that the actual head of our government isn't the Prime Minister, but the Governor General who serves as the Queen's representative in Canada.  (I am not at all saying that I wish to go back to a time before democracy or our right to exist as a sovereign nation.)  I love the history and the larger global connection that we have to the royal family and to the Commonwealth.  I'm proud of the fact that our country began as a Dominion rather than a Republic. 

Princess Kate is, undeniably, one of the world's most famous women, and married to a man who for many years was considered the world's most eligible bachelor.  Heck, when I was younger (even though I'm several years older than the Prince) I confess to succumbing to a few daydreams about what it would be like to be married to William.  And like millions of others around the world, I stayed up all night to watch their fairytale wedding.  I drank tea, ate scones with marmalade, and Cadbury chocolate to commemorate the occasion.

And besides her impeccable and budget-conscious fashion sense, the one thing about Kate that seems to pop up in headlines is whether or not she's pregnant.  Did she avoid the fish course at last night's state dinner because of morning sickness?  Is that the beginnings of a baby bump? 

And most recently, a member of the British Parliament was quoted as saying she thinks that 'Kate is pregnant -- and that would be good for the economy.'

Excuse me? 

Talk about ridiculous, nosy, and not to mention the pressure that puts on Kate.  Could you imagine being told that your pregnancy would be good for the economy???  Isn't it enough that her child will be someday be a monarch?

As someone who dealt with years of questions, even before I was married, about when I would begin having children, I take offence on the Duchess' behalf.  She has only been married for a year and a bit, and she's still adjusting to her new role within the royal family.  Cut the woman some slack!

Later in the article I linked to above, a 'royal insider' claims that Will and Kate plan to conceive by the end of next summer.  If that is the case, I certainly wish them well and pray that they are able to do so 'the old fashioned way'. 

But what if they can't? 

What if Kate and William have to deal with some form of infertility?  What if they have to resort to ART in order to build their family? 

With parliamentarians already sticking their noses into Will and Kate's reproductive future, what will happen, God forbid, if they have to go through IVF?  How will the government deal with the creation of multiple embryos?  As some would see it, of multiple heirs to the throne?  And what if they choose to freeze some viable embryos?  What if they have frozen embryos left over after they are done with their family building?  How will the government deal? 

Of course, I have my own opinion.  As I'm sure you do.  The government shouldn't have any input whatsoever into what happens with regard to their family building, and decisions about remaining embryos should be, obviously, Will and Kate's.

What I'm pondering tonight is how would this be handled in light of the Rule of Succession.  Given that any child of the royal couple could potentially end up on the throne (particularly now that the British government and the Commonwealth are on the road to making changes to the Rule of Succession so that a first-born daughter would be heir over any sons who come after), just imagine the potential hub-bub!

Honestly, I have no clue about the laws around assisted reproduction in the UK or how they might or might not pertain to the royal family, but these are the things that were going through my head today as I watched the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in London, and reading Yahoo headlines. 

What are your thoughts on this crazy hypothetical?

Hobbit-ish Potpurri: Odds & Sods

Hey Humble Readers...

Thunderstorms appear to be weather du jour.  We've had some major downpours over the last few days, and honestly I'm loving it.  After the heat wave we had before we went on vacation and the desert heat in K-town last week, I was so ready for some cooler temps.  Ginny has been enthralled by the heavy cloud bursts and the thunder.

*****
AF has shown up, and I confess she's kicking my ass.  All those women in my life who told me that cramps get better or at least easier to deal with after you have kids are lying sacks of dragon poop.  I'm in a lot of pain here, and tyl.enol isn't touching it.  Ugh.

*****
In other cycle-related news... last week I experienced the epitome of irony.  I had what I can only describe as the most incredible, copious EWCM.  Seriously, I have never EVER experienced anything like it.  I was always one of those women who had to do internal checks for CM in order to catch the scant amount of the good stuff I would get.  This was immense, and it lasted for two days.  Now, when our family building days are over I get enough to sink a battleship. 

*****
While we were in K-town, I saw a couple of movies, and they were polar opposites.  First, I went to see "Magic Mike" with my Mom and my sister.  While it was entertaining, and certainly drool-worthy, it had the crappiest script I've ever seen in a movie.  Honestly, I think they were ad libbing most of it.  Channing Tatum is lovely to look at, but this movie certaily didn't do anything to prove his acting chops.  I suspect that it will be up for a dozen Razzie awards next winter. 

The second movie I went to see was an incredible contrast. My Beloved and I had a date night while in K-town, our first since Pippin was born.  "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" was incredibly sweet, moving, and so beautifully acted by some of the best actors of the age.   Anytime you can combine Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, and Penelope Wilton (yes... Cousin Matthew's mother from Downton Abbey!) you get sheer genius.  If you haven't seen this movie, please do yourself a favour and go see it.

*****
We're planning on taking the wee-lings to a street performers festival this weekend.  Seeing as it's basically free, I'm hoping that it will be entertaining for all of us.  I want to expose Ginny to as many different fun, cultural, and educational experiences as I can.  With our budgetary constraints, anytime I can find something free, I have to give it a shot.

*****
If you are a praying type person, please send out some prayers for my Beloved.  He's getting frustrated with his job search.  He's in a tough spot right now.  While he's been applying for a ton of different positions, so far there have only been a couple of nibbles that would be a step backward for him or would require us to move which isn't an option at this point. 

He's sort of in a limbo area in terms of his qualifications.  He's worked for years as an accountant and a controller.  He's got far more experience than your run of the mill bookkeeper, and yet he doesn't have the accounting designations (like a CGA) to back it up.  A lot of job listings have said that relevant experience will be considered in lieu of having a designation, but he's just not getting the calls.  The obvious solution is to get him designated (there's a few courses he needs to take), but that costs money that we don't have.  He's feeling very discouraged. 

Memorable Moment Mondays: Vacation Detox

Hey Humble Readers!

The Gamgee clan survived an 11 hour road trip yesterday (with two under two), and now we are happily ensconsed in our comfy little hobbit-hole.  No one was too terribly traumatized from the long day in the car yesterday, and I am diligently working to get us back onto some semblance of a schedule.

The vacation was... interesting.  Awkward.  Uncomfortable.  I honestly felt like I was walking on eggshells a lot of the time.  But it was also important that we be there, if only so that I could verify my Mom's health (physical and emotional) and say my piece.   Sometime later I will give you all a bit of a clearer picture of the whole mess, but that's not the point of this post.

One of the better nights of the vacation involved me, my Mom, my sister and far too much alcohol...

The aftermath

and the first season of The Big Bang Theory...

and this...

found on Pinterest!

(Good Mummy disclaimer:  All wee-lings were accounted for and safely tucked into their beds before the games began.)

It's been more than two days since we did this, and I'm happily detoxing.  I don't think I'll drink pear cider coolers again for a while though. 

I know that this isn't the usual fodder for MMM, but it was certainly memorable.  Today is all about unpacking, enjoying a cool rainy day, and just breathing deeply.  Ginny is napping and Pippin is sucking loudly on his fist while doing tummy time. 

It's good to be home!