Sweet Texas!

Rebekah and I are in TX again! I’m not sure if we even had our luggage before my dad began itemizing the reasons Texas is better than Iowa. Yes, he has a whole room in their house called the Texas room and numerous Texas maps can be studied at your convenience…I do have to add that the huge TX map in the living room does contain Iowa at the very, very top…Anyway, we are here and no sooner did we get here than did Rebekah have a sick relapse! (I must say that the good Lord answered every little tiny prayer I had for our travel and little honey slept on me on the plane! Awesome! So, with so many willing, loving hands to help out, this would be the place to bring an ill baby!) She is either warm or clammy and has a cough that has made night-time sleep a bit tougher, which is very sad since very little affects her rock-star nights! Last night, we were awaiting my mom-in-law’s arrival, as well as Josh’s…they were set to arrive at about 8pm at different airports and we had it all arranged. With all the stupid rain (is that negative?), Phyllis made it in at 11 pm and Josh is still in route (24 hours later!)…so, I went to bed after 11 and heard Rebe crying at midnight- being the spoiled mama I am who had a baby who loved to sleep at night from 1 day old, I did not have a positive attitude…I am out of my element, without my husband, and there were 3 other sleeping people I was worried about. I tried to calm her down, which worked until I had the audacity to put her down…I’d like to clarify that she has rarely (even in early infancy) been rocked to sleep, so I was at a loss. I tried to let her work her way thru it and caved…we ended up sleeping cuddled up in my old room in my old bed. She laid her head on both my arm and my pillow and promptly went to sleep…I did not, of course! I awoke to every movement and let me tell you, having never even shared a room with my child, much less a pillow (yes, I’m one of those- those that didn’t even room-in with the baby at the hospital, one of those who doesn’t own a bassinet, and who has never shared a room with my baby, even in travel…you can call it spoiled, I suppose), my belief that she is a wiggle-worm has been confirmed…it felt like every minute that she squirmed in closer! I did so enjoy her little tilted-up face and soft baby breaths…I could not believe she didn’t smell me and try to nurse or play…instead, each time she awoke, she just snuggled in a slightly different way and went right back to sleep until 6…I must admit I was hoping for later, but was pleased to have made until then without further troubles. So, needless to say, we were both exhausted and still without our man! Rebekah and I both took substantial morning and afternoon naps, but is was she who learned how to clap! Yes, friends to the timeless tunes of Handel, my little girl learned rythym! Phyllis taught her how to get her groove on and it was one of the highlights of my day! There is a Baby Einstein toy that looks like a totem pole- when you pull off the top head and put it back on, it plays Handel. Like Pavlov’s dogs, Rebekah has now associated it with the need to clap! Another highlight is her grandaddy-taught retriever skills! He has taught her to fetch toys- well, a specific toy- and bring it back. My brother and lab-training extraordinaire would be so proud!

On a side note, we have dropped the lunch nursing and you would have no idea! Rebekah is practically eating the house and drinking a gallon of whole milk, but there were no tears- on her part anyway! She has been just as messy, if not more so- my favorite is how she squeezes avocado in her palms and then rubs it in her hair and on her face, while at the same time refusing any attempts to clean her up. Gone are the days where we can skip a bath!

Hopefully, I can post some pics soon…haven’t really remembered to take any with all the activity going on!

Related posts:

1. Texas treats
2. Sweet Lizzie Smiling!
3. Texas, the 4th of July, and Rebekah’s 1st 2nd Birthday party
4. Ode to Texas
5. Texas Zoo