Before the Snot Hits the Fan

Marta was extra fussy tonight, and since Berit's had a runny nose for the past couple of days, I'm guessing the little one's about to get sick. So it was especially nice that Trevor and I got to spend some time with just B tonight. She had a nap (so you know she's officially sick) and slept late, and Marta went down to bed about an hour later (more on this later), so Trev and I hung out with Berit, neglected our messy house and colored, chatted, looked at our photo album and all-around chilled. She loved it, and said adorable things and didn't balk at cuddling up to me. Today I taught her how to draw flowers, trees, Xs and As, so she did a lot of showing off and we were both suitably impressed. So fun.

(Bonus: Tomorrow is M's 9-month check-up, so I think I'm going to get two doctor appointments in one.)

Regarding Marta going to sleep:

1. She has started waking up between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m. lately. So I pulled out my Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby book that I shunned when Berit was a baby in favor of "doing it my own way" and now happily turn to in the hope I don't turn out another non-sleeper. It said that if the baby is waking up early, put her to sleep EARLIER. Funny logic, but we're trying it, and if it works then hey, she sleeps sooner and wakes later -- can't really beat that. Anyone else ever try this?

2. Every few days Marta poops. And when she wakes up pooping, that's the day she'll poop all day. Today was that day for us, and when I put her to bed tonight she was fussy, which wasn't too surprising, and after awhile I went to her and thought she might be kind of stinky but not really stinky, and we had stew for dinner tonight and we all sort of smell like beef/vegetable soup, so it could have been that. And since she was sleepy I didn't check her dipe. Bad parenting?

In other news...

My book club is reading A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, and I so far hadn't read any of it. When God Himself blessed me with two sleeping children this afternoon, I ignored my house and picked up the book. But it's a little boring, I have to admit. I'm not too far into it, and even though it's optimistic and somewhat enlightening, I kind of want to read a tempestuous plotline during the three seconds I have to myself every day. Anyone else read it and want to encourage me to press on? Or tell me to drop it and pick up Twilight instead, which I genuinely want to read? (No offense to anyone from book club.)

We are still waiting for a yay or nay from the people who looked at our house three times last week. They randomly called my father-in-law Friday night asking him how much it would cost to build our same house on a different lot. Note to people looking at houses: Don't call homeowners' parents looking for a quote on same house, different location. It makes said homeowners feel terrible and confused. Anyway, they apparently told f-i-l that we'd be hearing from them early this week, and since this is Tuesday night, I think "early this week" is over. We were getting pretty excited, and it wasn't just all the chemicals we were breathing in from constantly cleaning the house. We even met with our designer (? is this what you call the guy who draws up the plans to the house?) and started the blueprint process. Here I am envisioning color schemes and countertops and insisting to Trevor that we need one more built-in cubby in the mudroom and no one has made an offer on our current abode yet. Bah. Damn economy needs to get itself together so I can order my new cabinets! (Maybe now is a good time to revisit my need to read book club book on simplicity and enlightenment.)

I'm heading to bed, because I have a feeling the little one will be up with a runny nose tonight, or at least up early tomorrow, and I'm hoping to be presentable for her well-baby exam. I love getting all of those fun statistics and bragging about her new tricks! (By the way, she says "Marta" now. It's unbelievably cute and I'm determined to catch it on tape.) Night.