blur

what a week. getting back into the groove after the holidays is always hard- but this year felt epic. work was super fucking busy- but good. it's nice to be busy & i am feeling productive there. there's still a little lag in the comraderie i used to feel before the 'hiatus' and i am hoping that catches up soon.
on monday pumpkin had her 9 month appointment. when did that happen?! 9 months already- i swear i just peed on that test the other day... her stats have changed a lot, i was pretty sure she had thinned out (well- as much as chunky babies ever really thin out!) and i was right. she went from the 90th %tile at 6 months to the 60th now. a whopping 19 pounds 6 ounces and a net gain of 10 ounces. however- i noticed she had a wet diaper after being weighed- so i think she's really more like 19-3, but whatever. i was worried she hadn't grown taller at.all... then i swear she sprouted a half inch on sunday night. i put her to bed in pj's that were long & they fit perfect when she got up! she's down to the 25th for length at 27 (she was at the 50th) but no one is concerned as she comes from a couple of shorties. she's hit every milestone and then some and she now has gone to furniture hopping & standing for very brief periods on her own.

we are going through some major sleep regressions. the entire week she has added in a nightly wakeup at the ungodly time period of 12:30-2 am. i know it's due to teething as i am pretty sure she has one front tooth about to pop out & one that just started coming down. she's chewing the hell out of everything & mainlining frozen toys. we've done tylen.ol sparingly when nothing else seems to work & i swear that's the only reason she (i) got any sleep this week. i am probably going to run out today to return a gate to babies r us & maybe pick up some of the homeopathic teething gel or tablets (no ora.jel for us). she has become much more clingy & far more cranktastic tan she's ever been before. and more vocal. we're all just trying to get through it as best as possible- unfortunately letting her self-soothe is not working right now & nothing but a little midnight nurse will do. i just keep telling myself that it's not forever- we'll get through it. i do miss my sweet little girl who conked out from 8-6 though. that was bliss!
part of me absolutely does love being so needed for cuddles & comfort. and the other part of me blearily wonders when sleep is coming back. the hub tries- but he is a truly cranky bastard without his beauty rest & is rather useless fr the middle of the night anyway. which makes me regret exclusively breastfeeding as it's the only way she'll soothe back down most nights. i just gave her a binkie & it seemed to help. she doesn't really suck on them so much as gnaw them for the counter pressure- so hopefully i'm not opening a whole new can of worms. it's just a hard week. any words of encouragement/i feel ya's out there?

of course- now that she's happily snuggling with me & babbling away in my lap while i type one handed- i don't need any other encouragement. even when it's hard & sometimes does suck- i can't imagine life any other way now.

yesterday was my 5 year anniversary. and despite the hub not remembering. at. all. (grrrr) it still was the best one yet. we did nothing at all- i got him a card and some beer (woo-hoo!) and he made a delicious dinner & dessert. and we played with our daughter, then went to bed and napped between wake up calls. tonight our good friends are coming over for a semi-grown up slumber party- beer & movies. and hopefully a better nights sleep for all! then tomorrow i go for my real gift which i will hopefully post about then.