MOVING -- LAST POST HERE

Hi folks -- sorry about the no post day yesterday. I was busy setting up a new home for my blogginess. Blogspot will probably (or not, they may not care at all) have a meltdown if I post this, but please come visit me now at: www.freeformkatia.wordpress.com In a few days you can also do the link below which will redirect you to the wordpress blog: www.freeformkatia.com See you on the otherside, Katia

damn paparazzi

damn paparazzi, originally uploaded by freeformkatia.

Maja here:
You know, it's been a long day, so just get that camera out of my face. I've been up since 5:45am and spent a busy day at school with a ton of noisy kids. Then I had a diaper explosion -- the indignity of that! At least this time round mom didn't have to wash all the pillow cases from the daycare room as a result of that. I'm not looking my best right now -- hence the dark glasses. And to top it all off, I got yoghurt on my new dress! Mom wasn't too impressed.
But speaking of my dress, Isn't it cute?? My Omi made it for me. What a special Omi!
--------
Katia here:
what what what. sigh. Grandma Jane and Grandpa Tom arrive tomorrow for a long weekend visit! Maja can almost say "Hi Grandma".
I wish I had more knitting time! I have only 1 lunchtime a week where I can knit (Fridays). Phlox Socks the second is coming along slowly. What makes it more stressful is that I have about 5 projects waiting in the wings...
The weather yesterday and today has me contemplating quitting my job and finding employment which would allow me to sit on a park bench or at a sidewalk cafe AT MY LEISURE drinking coffee and knitting. Obviously I've done something wrong with my life to be a slave to my desk 35 hrs. a week. I resent it -- and that's a tough thing to carry around all day. It's exhausting.

Tonight I will FINALLY make lasagna. I've only been trying for a week -- first we were away, then I found we didn't have enough ricotta, last night by the time the ricotta arrived it was too late... but tonight I will succeed. yeah!

And, to top it all off, EVERYONE (7 women I know so far) except me is pregnant. Well, everyone except Trish who just had her baby last week. Yo, people, send pregnancy vibes my way!
[this is part of my living out loud campaign]

.mom

Do you know what happened to Little Mikey? I had never heard this urban legend until Richard told me the story this morning. I probably would have believed it as a kid -- I was (and still partly am) gullible. This one I did hear about, from my MOM. Now, she was either trying to brainwash us (it worked) or she really believed it. Who knows. I wonder if these urban legends get as much mileage these days. Kids these days have .com to confirm; in my day we just had .mom.

ohh ohh babyyyyyyyy

yeah, i'm so happy to be here! up on dad's shoulders viewing the world. in the rain. in the cold rain. in Washington DC! dude -- we saw gorillas. and elephants. and panda bears at the National Zoo! in the rain. I got to hang out with my buddy Sam. He's 2 days older than me -- and just as cute! I got to play with all his toys. He was really nice about it. He even took me on a date to a Jewish deli. cool.

evolution

I realized this morning, while writing an email to a friend, that my life has changed dramatically in the 6 years (!!) since I've arrived in Philadelphia. When I got here I was a new graduate living in a strange country starting a brand new job. I had no friends and no family close by. Thankfully I had an internet connection at work, otherwise I may have gone nuts -- because I certainly didn't have a phone in my apartment (the phone company was on strike when I arrived. sigh). Well, at least I was lucky to find an apartment building where they didn't care that I had no credit history in the U.S.A. In a desperate attempt to find friends, I joined a gym; I joined a cycle club; I joined a hiking club; I joined a choir. A year later, I moved to center city. I had made some friends. 8 months later I met Richard. 7 months later Richard bought a house and we moved to West Philly. ... and, now, here I am. Living and working in West Philly. I have a great circle of friends; a job I love; a house I love even more; a child (!); a dog; a husband (no order of importance there). So, what about the aforementioned email made me think of this? Because, while at the park (aka my second home) I got this friend's email address by digging through Maja's diaper bag for a CLEAN napkin (i.e. one that I didn't use to wipe her snotty nose or drooly mouth or muddy hands) for her to write on. Six years ago this type of exchange might have happened on a cocktail napkin with a guy in a bar. Cheers.

hi beautiful

am I too modest? do I not wax poetic often engouh on just how beautiful Maja is? is it my upbringing? am I naturally shy or loathe to draw attention to it? or do I just expect that everyone already knows how cute she is and I don't have to tell you? or, have I just heard it so often that I've become immune? Well for the record: my daughter is THE cutest, THE prettiest, and THE smartest 17.5 month-old in the whole entire universe. Now, you may argue that I'm biased, because afterall she is my daughter -- fruit of my labour -- but, I can assure you, despite that fact, she is _still_ THE cutest, THE prettiest, and THE smartest 17.5 month-old in the whole entire universe. So there. Maja gives the best hugs. Total love -- she throws her arms around your neck and snuggles in for a total hug. And she gives the best kisses -- cute little smacks on your cheek. She totally loves her daddy and asks for him constantly these days! If we're upstairs and she hears a noise downstairs, she'll go running over to [the gate at the top of] the stairs point and yell down: Daddy?!? Daddy?!? Now, who could resist that kind of cuteness? Maybe Richard and I should try for another... ha ha. Afterall, we did pretty well with #1 so far.

one baby has arrived!

Congrats to Trish and Dan are in order as they welcomed Eloise Michaela to the world yesterday at 2.53pm! She weighed in at 8lbs 13 oz. and 20" long. I'd post a picture, but I want to get permission from her parents (!!!!HEH!!!!) first. UPDATE: here's a link to Eloise on flickr. 2.53pm. Such a _civil_ time to have a baby. One always thinks they need to arrive in the middle of the night... In the blink of an eye you become a parent, a mom or a dad. It sets you on a course to possibly become a grandparent. You are the centre of this child's world. You will be kissing boo-boo's and giving snuggles and receiving hugs and kisses sooner than you think. I'm excited that this evening Richard and I will go visit and meet Eloise. What a treat, to see (and maybe hold?) a 1-day old baby. I imagine it will be a shock to remember how tiny a newborn is. --------- I'm thinking back, of course, to the day Maja came into this world. Such a tiny, cute little button. And she did arrive in the middle of the night, at 12.57am. Then I spent 4 hrs in the delivery room afterwards waiting for the anethesia to wear off so I could walk again. Maja wasn't with me for most of that time... Richard and my mom sat on the couch in the room freezing... what did we talk about? I can't remember. I DO remember trying to shake life back into my legs and I DO remember the nurse trying to get me to go to the bathroom (it didn't work). At 5am they wheeled me up to the maternity ward and then I was allowed to sleep until 6am. Then they brought a CHILD in to my room and told me I had to take care of it -- she was hungry. HUH? No, you're mistaken. And what is that crying noise? Maja as a newborn: