It's a new year. People have been saying, 'Happy New Year!' for days now-- as we pass in the halls, as I pay for my gas, as I leave the bank. And I always say it back. Such a simple sentiment, and one that we reiterate with the change of every year, but this year, I seem to mean it-- and feel it-- more. Maybe it's a host of crappy shit that went on in the world this year. Maybe it's because that in my personal life 2012 WAS happy, and I wish that same happiness for all people, and in a more global sense. At any rate, it is indeed a new year, and with the change of the calendar comes a very refreshing albeit trite sense of a clean slate.
I'm not dumb enough to make resolutions anymore. I've gone that route too many times already and always let myself down. Plus, my resolutions always seem generic and I'm not sure how to make them not so. Thus, I won't resolve to do anything specific, but I will be hopeful that 2013 brings us peace, and some joy and fun and spirit and laughter.
2012 was a biggie for J and me. We got hitched, bought a house, and-- most importantly-- welcomed Mabel. It's fun to think back on my pregnancy, especially because we were all so convinced Mabel was a boy. For a Type- A person, deciding not to find out the gender of our baby was a toughie for me at first, but retrospectively, it was the best decision we could have made. There was something so utterly fantastic about hearing the sex of the baby for the first time after she had made her debut. It made the moment of birth that much more exciting. I'd do it that way again in a second.
So, yup, it was a year of lots of events. Lots of stuff packed into one calendar year. I have to admit though that I am relieved a lot is behind us. Planning the wedding had enjoyable parts to it, but I just wanted the day to arrive, and to eat, drink, and dance. And anybody sane will tell you that a home purchase is most fun when it is done with. Those sorts of "mile- markers" are cool ones, but I think I will use this blog post to do a little review of Mabel's events in 2012.
Mabel was born on Feb 22, at 5:19AM. She was supposed to join us on Feb 15 but had other plans. On Monday, Feb 20, I was induced with Cervadil, and the induction didn't work. The following morning, I received a second type of induction, and, again, NADA. I was terrified that the docs would make me keep waiting and that J and I would be hospital- bound for days and days. But, nope! Good old Dr. L to the rescue (part of why I adore her even more now!). She broke my water-- literally with a wooden stick-- at 4pm-ish on Feb 21, and BOOM, I was in real labor. About 12 hours later (after two Epi- dural doses, an anti- nausea med, and lots of boredom and anxiety), I reached 10 centimeters dilation, and after an hour of pushing and eating popsicles, Mabel was with us. Labor was funny (not in a hee- haw, knee- slapper way) because it was so, so opposite to how I had pictured it. It may have been because I got to 10cm in the wee hours of the day, but my push period was super- quiet. Only J, our awesome nurse Linda, and I were even in the room. Linda held one of my legs and J the other. When the pushes really hurt, I remember growing exasperated and yelling at poor J. I couldn't take my pain out on sweet Linda. :) J had to bear the brunt of my wrath, when I criticized how he was holding my leg, and how he needed to stop talking about the "tools" in the room because it was making me sicker. Ah, the joys! Well, Mabel was certainly worth it all.
We stayed in the hospital until that Friday, the 24th. We left on a cold but not biting day, and that ride home from the hospital to our place was so anxiety- provoking. "Omg, we have a baby now... a human. Please God, don't let us eff this up."
And here we are 10.5 months later. Mabel has mastered many things over time, from rolling over, to sitting up, to military- scooting, to crawling, to standing, to walking while holding onto things for assistance. She now opens all cabinets and drawers-- well, she tries, but is thwarted by our baby proofers. She eats foods that range from lasagna to broccoli. Mabel dances when music comes on-- she bops her head back and forth, and sometimes swings her head wildly, really craning her neck-- it's adorable. She takes baths in the real tub, and loves playing with her rubber duckies. Some of her favorite toys are the Elmo guitar, her Penelope dog, her baby carriage walker, and-- perhaps her prized item-- an old remote control from which we took the batteries. She will travel all over the house with her remote, careful not to lose sight of it. Mabel is into almost all 12- month clothing, and now knows how to remove headbands from her head. :( She sleeps about 12 hours per night, and when she wakes in the morning, she stands up and hangs out quietly for a while before whining for us. My favorite move of Mabel's is her fall- asleep- in- the- highchair move on very tired days. That girl can pass right out while sitting up. She loves dogs, especially Cammy-- not sure the feeling is mutual as he usually gets annoyed with her fur- pulling antics, and who can blame him. She giggles heartily when she pounces on him, and we are trying to instill the "pat not pull" mantra to get her to be a little more gentle with him. Mabel celebrated her first Christmas this year, and everybody was so generous with her. She has still only two teeth-- front bottom-- and her hair is ever so slowly starting to look more girlish, coming down over her ears a bit. Favorite sounds include "da" and "ennn"-- still waiting on the "ma"! I have a feeling she will be saying even the dog's name before "ma".
Been a fun ride with the gal so far. It's crazy to me how much babies' brains absorb, and how much they observe and take in and use. What an edifying experience for her mom! Happy 2013 to all--- and may you find your "happy" in whatever that means to you.
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