2009: A Year in the Life

It’s been quite a year, a move, having a mobile baby, a surgery, and on and on. We ring in 2010 with hopes, high hopes of a better year, a better time, a better life for all of us. Here is a quick tour of 2009:

January:  Moved to this site and began hosting our own blog. Presidential inauguration, shared with a sleepy infant daughter. We were still pumping away and Keeley was half nursing on one side. She was starting to smile. It was really cold in STL and I bundled her up in a coat in her swing to pass the time (inside).  We were cloth diapering AM to post-dinner and using DD (sposies) at night. We discovered that Keeley can’t cry while she’s smiling, which has instituted a whole series of events to get her to be happy when she’s feeling down. She watched her striped socked feet move around, a discovery! She was in the 90 plus percentile for height and weight.

February: The move towards freedom has begun, rolling over! With encouragement, first her head, and then her chest comes off the ground! Mommy’s stint towards freedom is increasing, as well, the full-time nursing has begun. Laughing is also advent during this season, as well as playing with her hands. She moved up to 6-9 month clothes at the end of this month! We started taking walks outside in the non-freezing weather, around the parking lot. Mommy got her IUD and has plenty to sing about. Keeley LOVES it when mommy sings!

Roll

March: We were trying to buy some property. All baby girl’s hair had fallen out ‘cept in the middle and it seemed to be coming in blonde. Not so much. Rolling the other way now, back to belly and liking to sleep that way! With so much movement inevitably comes the bumps- notice wet hat with ice cube covering bumped noggin!

The Bump

April: Baptism at Easter, a good time. The switch to cloth diapers full time is made, and we are SO happy! Land purchase did not happen, and we face decision, move or stay? Decide to move and start looking for a new place. Baby’s weight drops into the 85%ile, height is up over 95%! Exciting! What a big kid! Sucks her toes! She is more fun to have around, she helps with chores, basically by laying there and being cute to pose for pictures! It snows, how odd! We take ‘generational’ pictures with grandparents, great grandparents, and great great grandparents!

Posing

May: We moved! Closer to family, further from work. Keeley says ma-ma, begins to wave, and play peek-a-boo. First bite of ‘real’ food, begins baby led weaning. My weight loss plateaus. Keeley continues to gain normally.Matthew passes his semester class and vows to put off taking classes for a while.

June: I turned 30. In June I mostly blogged about heroes, until my grandmother died. We spy a nice piece of real estate and plot to make an offer. After moving all our stuff, my husband’s back is out and multiple trips to the chiropractor ensue. Keeley starts on a sippy cup. She technically starts crawling around, scooting with her belly and hands. I had a girls’ day with 2 of my friends and their kids. Daddy gets a new car!

July: Family reunion and first big travel with cloth diapers and nursing. Got some peaches in the freezer for the first time. My husband and I got our first (and only) date night, which included his little sister to see the Harry Potter movie. We had to triple to check to make sure that my in-laws wouldn’t wake Keeley up just to talk to her (yup, we DROVE over an hour set up a playpen, etc to see a movie, because no one would come to us). The theme of the summer was ‘walking’. As we did a lot of it! We made an offer on some land, and it was accepted!

August: We visited Design Homes and hoped we’d have everything completed by October or December, at the latest and be moved in our house. Keeley begins playing chase while crawling with daddy, and pulling up on furniture. Says Dada. Mimics everything. Gets into everything. Eats everything she should and shouldn’t. At the end of the month, we still don’t have any progress made towards the land purchase. Constantly redirect Keeley from everything that’s a no-no. Nasty neighbors moved in upstairs. Go to doctor and find out I have a hernia, schedule surgery.  3 brand new teeth erupt this month, 3, one after the other!

September: 4th tooth arrives. I stress and stress and don’t post a lot. Momma has hernia surgery and that is no fun! Keeley is confused and the teeth land on sensitive mama parts in odd ways until momma is able to sit correctly. We all survive. Cruising of furniture begins in earnest!

October: I get my staples out and start to feel a little better. Begin gaining a lot more weight. Have been walking all summer, but it keeps piling on. Keeley’s birthday! Halloween! Learning to clap our hands! Keeley stands alone! We close on our property, FINALLY after 4 months! We make plans for a house. We get to visit some friends at Homecoming mid month. I cut my hair and make my donation to Pantene Beautiful Lengths. We ‘boo’ the zoo and a late warm afternoon walk gets us this picture. Also a 5 minute visit with friends, first since June. Falling out with the in-laws.

November: At Dr’s visit, Keeley is VERY tall, and midline skinny. She has lost weight since her last visit. I have gained a lot. I want to donate 1,0o0 meals to Feeding America, but only hit 250. Owls hoot outside the window, upstairs neighbors are even worse, I win a couple more cloth diapers by participating in the Great Cloth Diaper Hunt and giveaways.

December: Keeley takes her first steps, the holidays. Beginning walking from room to room at end of month. ‘Helps’ with chores by putting diapers in dryer. Is very clingy and beginning to assert independence. Work with Angel Tree for several weeks, helps us all to sleep better. Having daddy home at the end of the year for vacation is spoiling her. We find out that our house is 2nd on production line, come beginning of the year! Once the ground freezes we can start the foundation! Middle of the night wakings. Cuts 2 more teeth on the 31st/1st of Jan.

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