A rocky (vs. rockin') 4th

I've decided that babies and 'holidays' just don't mix. Mother's Day was a rough day, Father's Day was a rough day, and now we can officially add Independence Day to the list. Yes, July 4th will go down as the day that Mummy, Daddy, and Nanny experienced Daisy's true vocal abilities. If this child is not a Mariah Carey-quality singer, then I'll eat my hat.

To be fair, she hung in pretty good all day with parades, sirens, new people and the like, although her moods were more volatile than usual and I spent a lot of time walking around with her, trying to get her to calm down and nap. She didn't do a full melt down mode until we got home in the evening but, when she did, oh boy did she let rip! A good hour of completely inconsolable screaming at the top of her lungs. Daddy couldn't stop her, Mummy couldn't stop her, even the magic Nanny touch wasn't working. We all just sort of looked at one another, perplexed and just slightly panicked.

(As an aside, I'm aware that one hour of screaming would be a picnic for many moms, especially those who experienced a baby with colic. However you have to realize that, up until this point, we have been very lucky with Daisy and have pretty much been able to quiet her down within minutes of her turning into a cranky-pants. So, this was unusual for us and came as a complete surprise. It's all about perspective, you know?)

So, we went down the proverbial Daisy checklist - diaper, bottle, binky, walking, singing, jiggling, butt-patting, walking outside, head on shoulder, the magic "Nanny Hold", staring at a moving fan, laying on side - you name it, we flew through it one after the other but all to no avail; full-boar screaming continued uninterrupted. Mummy disengaged and let her cry in her crib with the door closed (sorry, that's how I deal), Daddy had to walk out into the front yard because he couldn't stand it, and finally, after nothing else had worked, my Mum started to undress her and she fell asleep in her arms. Go figure!

Sweet mother of God, when the house fell silent, I felt the greatest moment of release ever. I realized that, while I had stayed calm overall, every muscle in my body had been tensed-up for 60 minutes straight.

So, the $70 of noiseless fireworks we had purchased for Daisy's first 4th sat up at the front door, un-lit, and after an evening of alternating between trying to keep Daisy asleep and the dogs from barking, Hubby and I trudged up the stairs to bed completely emotionally and physically exhausted. Thankfully, our fitful evening did not translate to fitful sleep or I think there would have been a parental meltdown also.

Fortunately, the whole weekend was not like that but it's amazing how one hour out of 72 can cast a shadow on all three days.

On Friday we had a GREAT day, however. Mum, Daisy and I went to a local 4th festival, hitting the shady park before it got too hot and crowded. We saw sheep, goats, ponies, and all kinds of other new and exciting things. Daisy got fixated on my Jamba Juice smoothie and knocked it over trying to launch herself at it. It seemed like she was having a great time, sitting in the baby carrier and watching the world go by around her.

On Sunday, AKA: "The Day After The Night Before", Hubby, Mum, and I traded-off and gave one another some much-needed non-Daisy time, while little missy herself caught up on her naps. In the morning, Daisy and Daddy hung out while Mum and I went to Target and then got the expensive, super-duper pedicures at the local nail salon. Then Mum and I hung out with Daisy while Hubby mowed the lawn and had some "me" time. Finally, we took Daisy to her Nan's house for a couple of hours in the early evening while Hubby and I went out for date night. I can't tell you how good it was to sit on the restaurant patio with a cocktail in hand, the warm breeze blowing through my hair, eating yummy food and listening to 80s music that made Hubby and I reminisce about our "wild", teenage years. On the whole, Sunday was exactly the kind of day we all needed after being put through the ringer on Saturday.

Whew!

Here are a few photos from the better parts of the weekend. Can you believe we're now officially 3 months old, as of Friday the 3rd? Where does the time go with these kids?

Watching the crazies in the Foresthill 4th of July Parade


Proud Daddy showing off his little girl in his "hood"


Practicing standing with Nanny and Grammie


Learning to share our toys with cousin Adah


Meeting lambs and goats at the petting zoo. Next year we'll be big enough to actually go in.


Crazy about smoothies!



Morning giggles with Daddy

In other Daisy news, we have two teeth coming through, both on our bottom gums, one on either side. Little missy is munching on her knuckles and drooling non-stop in response. She also has the dreaded flat spot on the back of her head, which I have been absolutely dreading the appearance of. Even though we only have her sleep on her back at night (we nap her on her side during the day) and spend most of our day sitting up, she is still getting a flat and bald bit. This is freaking me out more than slightly since I have heard horror stories about babies who have to wear some kind of re-shaping helmet if their skull doesn't develop right as a result of a flat head. I don't think I could bear it if I had to put a helmet on her pretty little head but what is one to do if she's too young to sleep on her front becauuse of SIDS and she natually sleeps with her head straight when we put her down? If you're reading this and have kids, let me know if your baby had a flat head and if so, what happened. I need the benefit of parental experience on this one.

Later...