P.S. Thumbs are for Suckers

One other thing, Julia. You usually suck your two middle fingers kind of like you're making the devil horns sign in reverse. This picture doesn't quite capture it but hopefully the descriptor gives you some idea.

Seven Months and One Day Update

Julia, this month I have failed to take pictures of you with food all over your face and body and thereby failed to visually capture one of your major discoveries this month - FOOD! You've tried a variety of mush, chicken noodle soup, and vegetables and seem to like everything with the exception of peas (canned baby food peas, so maybe you'll like the real thing if I just smoosh 'em up); but most of all, you love the crunchy stuff that I'm not even supposed to let you have until you're one (like those sweet potato crisps and mum mums). You like that food, I'm sure, because it allows you to assert your independence (instead of battling your Dad or I for the spoon; we let you attempt to stuff these things in your mouth because you are supposed to).You're still working out your crawling style but have finally given up trying to use your feet and hands because you've found much more efficient methods. Thanks for keeping the floors buffed. They need it after you throw mush all over the place.

The debate about your hair colour rages on this month. Are you blonde? Are you a redhead? Or are you just bald and we're going to have to wait to find out? I guess I'll have to grudgingly go with the latter, but it sure is fun to speculate.

A picture that really should have been included with this seven month update (had I thought to take one before now) is one of you and McPurr. McPurr has been driving us insane since Meowser died with his constant meowing (among other things) but the thing that has redeemed him, is your absolute adoration for him. When you nap outside your crib, he lays at your feet and purrs or naps. When you wake up and grab a giant hand full of his fur and pull with all your might he doesn't flinch. When you're hungry and Mummy is doing her best to ignore you for an additional five minutes, you screech and McPurr meows and you screech louder and McPurr meows louder, and that, that results in near instant gratification (I may need to invest in ear plugs when you really figure out just how well this is working for you).

If the above facts and characteristics were not enough to clearly identify you as my daughter, the fact that you immediately stop smiling and become awkward the minute a camera is anywhere close to your face would. Julia, you are so beautiful, stop fighting the pictures! And slow down, be patient, you've got lots of time to grow up and discover the world and so little time to have every need met by someone else. I'm sure you won't take my advice and that's another reason why I love you babe.

Love Mum

Evidence I May Need to Get Back to Work Soon

1. I can no longer write coherently.
2. Jason actually convinced me to join one of his Fantasy Football leagues (I usually lose Jason to football every year around this time, so I figured I would get involved even though, so far it has really been one of those sports I have just not been able to get into - not even CFL). I've found myself reading football magazines to prepare.
3. I have completely fallen off the Yann reading wagon and am instead mostly reading mystery novels and football magazines (per above). Must at least pick up Catch 22 per older post.
4. I have lost all interest in returning to work and rarely peruse the career page any more.
5. I signed up for a class this fall and have been lamenting the fact that it is on Saturdays ever since. What was I thinking? A Saturday class will totally interfere with any mini-vacations I might have planned. My thinking has now shifted to how many classes can I reasonably miss?
6. I find myself thinking adult conversation is overrated.

I think there is a bit of a maternity leave cycle of missing work and not missing work. I'm sure in a few months I'll be itching to get back to work, but right now, I am totally in love with being at home (despite the obvious adverse effects).

Big Day

Hunter attended his first day of pre-school today. Hunter starting pre-school and the multitude of options and choices leading up to the decision to enroll him in the particular preschool he is enrolled in has been the source of much of my obsessive thinking and self doubt these last few weeks. Jason and I had been engaged in weighing the various options: Montessori, pre-k, pre-school, daycare two days a week (to keep some contact with children the same age), or the barely socially acceptable just staying home while Mum/Dad are at home. As late as last week he was enrolled in two schools (pre-k and pre-school) because we still hadn't fully decided what was best. After a tour and meeting with the pre-school teachers, though, Hunter was so excited about this school and learning french that we figured the pre-school had to be the right choice. That same excitement about school this morning meant he had a hard time sleeping last night and was up way too early this morning. As for me, I found myself experiencing a mixture of sadness and excitement when I dropped him off at the classroom this morning. It was hard not to be excited because he was so excited, but at the same time I can't believe how fast the time has gone, it feels like I blinked and he went from being Julia's size to a big guy going to school for the first time. He is growing so fast, and learning and changing all the time (I really ought to do a four and half year update). I spent the hour he was in school wondering what he was up to and lamenting the quiet of the house (Julia decided it would be a good time for a power nap). Picking up Hunter after an hour of meeting the other kids and getting oriented today, it was clear that he was ready even if I wasn't: He was absolutely buzzing. He had already made a new friend (Tiger?), found the washrooms, gone on a tour of the school that even included the real kindergarten classroom, played at the sand table, played cars, and read the Paper Bag Princess. He was over the top. When Jason called to see how it had gone, he had to keep the phone about a foot away from his ear because Hunter was talking so loud in his excitement. My boy is growing up, and I can hardly wait to see what he learns next week.

Analyze This

Not too long ago, I was chatting with a friend of mine about something I was worrying about. She thought I was being funny when I said: "if I just think it will horrible enough, when it isn't, even if it's just bad, it will seem like it's good, and if it's good it will seem like it's awesome". Her laugh caught me completely off guard because up until then I had deluded myself into thinking that most people thought this way. I do this all the time and am at a point now where I almost worry that if I don't worry about something or think it will turn out horribly then it will. For example, if I have a job interview I usually go into it thinking I'm going to stink it up (even though I'm actually quite good at job interviews, or so I've been told); when I do well, I convince myself that I didn't do that well because then I won't be disappointed and I won't jinx it by being overly confident. I also do this with papers (like the one I was sure was terrible only to get a call from my prof asking for permission to submit it to a policy conference). Jason can't believe that I was actually surprised to find out that my friend does not think this way as apparently neither does he. Some people are so odd.