living like a local: alana!

Friday, May 3, 2013

alana!

Alana is 8 months old today! And - AND! - it's supposed to get up to 26 today. 26! Is this weird weather or is that just how it is here - one week of sort-of spring and then BAM! humidity and hot hot heat - ? Not knowing. Anyways, the AC is on and I have to dig out/find/shop for some summer clothes. That being said, I suppose that it is possible that we get some cooler, more spring-like weather before summer digs its heels in (just like our prairie friends, right?). Okay, so back to the more important info-du-jour, our oh-so sweet and wonderful Alana. Who is not sleeping. Well, she is sleeping, just not very much. Up until a month or so ago, people with kids were telling us that this is the toughest stage - a young babe and a recalcitrant two year old - and I thought to myself, You know, it's not that bad, really! And it isn't - not every day. Yesterday was a tough one; we were running on fumes with a total of five hours sleep at max, all of it very interrupted. I think it's teething, and maybe (?) growing pains? We're hoping that this stage will be over relatively soon, because Hendrik's afternoon nap just might be phasing itself out - rare are the days that he's asleep before 9:00. Blah blah blah whatever - parents with young kids are tired! And not all kids are all the best sleepers, so we'd better just get over it and on with things.

crawlin' through the e-saucer

So, what's Alana up to these days? She's crawling, but commando style; this means that she's not the fastest mover, but if she spies something that she wants (she loves going after the memory cards, and Hendrik's cars, with their teeny small parts), she'll get there. She's eating little chunks of solid food now - Cheerios, pear, banana and Grana, and with three meals a day (plus five or six milk sessions), she's getting lots to eat. Her favourite things to do: watch Hendrik, eat memory cards, clap, wave, smile, put things in her mouth, chill in her exersaucer... and more? Sure. She naps in the morning and afternoon (sometimes for 20 minutes sometimes for 2 hours), and is in bed before 8:00, and then up around midnight or 2:00 or 4:30 or ... yeah, you get it.

Yes, Alana's birthday was in fact yesterday. And here I am a day later, trying to wrap this up on precious little sleep. The fact of the matter is that I could write a blog every day - I mean, if I had the time. There is so much going on (so much besides sleep) and the kiddies are so cute and entertaining that I have non-stop things to write about, but not non-stop time to actually do the writing. I do have to write about Hendrik getting me to get in his bed and call for him (this afternoon): I had to call "Hendrik! Hendrik!" and then he came running and told me that it was still sleep time. Then I asked for a story and he told me one, and then a song, and he sang me one; and then I asked for the blankie on, and he tucked me in. Then I asked for a kiss, and he dished one out. There might have been more but really... it was the cutest, ever. And my favourite part of the day with the Miss, was chilling on our bed with The Very Hungry Caterpillar; she was giggly and into looking at the sun and the wee little creature, and happiness oozed out of her like sunlight... and that was the best too. So, despite very little rest, there is a great great amount of love and happiness in my life, and for that, I'm willing to give up some sleep.