3.0 (beta)

E’s a baby-on-the-move! She climbs in and out of boxes, over parents lying on the floor, and into cabinets. She happily bounces along to Christmas music on on Pandora and energetically distributes her toys around the house.

Her increased mobility means she gets into more trouble now. Like the time she pulled the kitchen trash can over and covered herself in old coffee grounds. Fortunately, she understands the word “no” and generally obeys with a smile because she’s thrilled by the attention, even if its negative.

In other ways, E’s ambition outstrips her abilities. She wants to walk, but can’t. She wants to talk, but only manages to communicate through a limited range of guttural grunts and high pitched squeaks.

Finally, E has entered into a phase of what is termed “separation anxiety.” It makes leaving her with babysitters or in nursery at church tough (Ok, tough for me). She even cries sometimes when I merely leave the room! ::sigh::

Despite some of the new challenges, K and I find E more delightful than ever. We can’t wait to see what she’ll do next!

Motherhood, in my short experience, is heavy–heavy with duel burdens of responsibility and love for my little charge.

We think burdens are negative things. But heaviness is not deplorable. Indeed, as Milan Kundera writes, “The heaviest of burdens is . . . an image of life’s most intense fulfillment.”

When, after a long nap, I hear E making little coos and gurgles in her crib, and then walk in to her smiling up at me with sleep still lingering around her eyes, I’m overwhelmed with joy. I want to dance and sing and shower her with hugs and kisses.

So I do. And she thinks its grand.

I’m still unpacking and making frequent Target runs. No pictures yet.

This morning, I determined to quit relying on Miracle Casserole (i.e., my mom’s PR phrase for meals composed of whatever happens to reside in the frig) and cook for K again. For those of you who are curious how the gluten-free eat day-to-day, here’s a peek at the menu plan.

Th :: Smokey Chicken Tortilla Soup | Garden Salad with Smoked Almond-Cilantro Dressing

F :: Gnocchi with Mushroom & Pancetta Sauce | Broiled Asparagus

S :: Blueberry & Banana Muffins | Unlimited French Press Coffee for K (breakfast)

Chicken & Herb Risotto | Fresh Greens (lunch)

Beef Stew with Bacon | Steamed Green Beans (dinner)

Su :: Bacon & Eggs | Fruit Smoothies (breakfast)

Quinoa Tabbouleh | Grilled Chicken Strips (lunch)

Leftovers (dinner)

M :: Black Bean Enchiladas | Mexican Flag Salad

T :: [On the road to spend Christmas with my family!!!]