Mobile-licious

Today I feel tired and really I have no reason to. I mean, relatively speaking. Since having Audrey I have WAY more reason to be tired than I ever did before. Now I find myself thinking “Yeah, right.” every time anyone other than a fellow mama says “I'm exhausted.” I have a real chip on my shoulder about those things now. In any case though, I am pretty well rested today. I haven't worked since Thursday because I took Saturday off so we could actually go away for the weekend.

I think I know what the problem is. I'm thinking it is the fact that for about a week now Baby A has been a different kid. Peter and I were discussing it. We agreed that for a long time she was at a standstill. She knew how to roll over at the 'normal' age but once doing it a few times she stopped. Then for several months she was content to lay on her back or stand in her exersaucer and play. She was a pretty happy baby most of the time. Then in rapid succession she began to do everything we had been waiting for. She would roll onto her tummy from her back then onto her back from her tummy. Next she would roll and roll and roll to get where she wanted to go. Then she was up on her hands and knees and bouncing excitedly. Like idiots we wanted her to crawl. 'Wouldn't that be cute!' She started moving her legs and then falling forward. Eventually she learned how to move her hands forward at the same time. She didn't get very far. Next thing we knew she was motoring around like she'd been doing it for years.

I thought, okay, now I get a break. I'll get used to this crawling thing and be ready for the inevitable standing, walking stage. But no. No breaks for me. You have seen photographic evidence of her standing. She went right from crawling to pulling herself up on absolutely everything she can. Sounds great doesn't it? Except for the falling that comes along with the standing. That sickly thud as their little noggins hit the floor. (Am I reconsidering my love of hardwood floors? A little.)

All this has happened so fast. My immobile baby has turned into a kid who can get anywhere she wants to. And then pull herself up and get into whatever may be there for her to grab. It takes some getting used to. Nothing is safe unless it is too high for her to reach. I am frantically baby proofing things I hadn't even thought about yet.

And when, when do I do this baby proofing? When she is asleep? Partly. But she's not that interested in sleeping these days what with the places to go people to see business. Should I do it while she's chewing on a electrical cord or standing up at the coffee table in the other room? I put her in her exersaucer but she hates it these days because to her it is a prison. With colorful toys attached to it. She has no interest in doing anything that doesn't involve making me say “Oh no, you can't have that.” or her falling repeatedly and becoming slightly concussed.

I went to my La Leche League meeting last night. Soon after we arrived and I let her down on the floor for a minute she tried to climb up on something, fell and cried as though her one true love had just died. I picked her up and tried to console her while whispering “You're making me look bad in front of the other mama's.” in her ear. Kidding. I spent the entire evening trying to keep her from slobbering on other babies toys and blankets, climbing up and falling down and picking nail polish off everyone's toenails. All the while showing everyone my coin slot. At least my jeans were cool so it was worth it.

This new mobility she has gained it is exhausting. And not in the way that staying out drinking and dancing to long is exhausting. And not in the way that you just couldn't sleep last night, exhausting. It is an entirely new sort of exhaustion that will take some getting used to. Let's hope I get a break before she starts dating boys.