Mama Thoughts

We officially live in Skokie.  We're living in a super jewish neighborhood that is primarily much much older.  :)  Let me take you on a tour.  Next door we have a wonderful German couple who immigrated about 45 years ago and have lived in Skokie ever since.  Their garden is gorgeous.  On the other side we have a lovely couple who are Holocaust survivors and speak five languages, but don't speak to the German couple for the very reasons you're thinking.  They both go for evening walks together every night with their canes.  Adorable.  Across the street we have an older couple, who's son went to high school with Yan.  The woman is a visiting nurse and told me to call her if I ever needed her at night.  Next door to them is a wonderful 79 year old woman and her husband who have 3 kids aged 51 and younger.  Next door to them is a lovely gentleman who does some mean yard work and has an impeccable lawn.  All of them are our parents age or older.  This is going to be an incr

Tomorrow we move and leave Lincoln Square and head to Skokie.  Next Monday I start work full time after a summer with my little lady.  Both are pretty hard to wrap my head around. Lincoln Square Top things I'll miss: Farmer's Market to walk to... Park to walk to... Library to walk to... Pretty much anything to walk to.  :)  The ability to run out across the street and watch a movie in a theater The ability to run and get gelato for watching a movie at home (although we do have Chocolate Shoppe really close to our new house). Lovely care-free European feel Days with Lilah Top things I'll miss: Her little puffball head after she wakes up and the grin she gives me when I walk in the room Getting to see all of her milestones and firsts Walks to the park so we can people watch Hugs and squeezes Generally... everything.  I do love that little girl more than anything.  It's funny because at first this was a love that was purely instinctual and

Very bittersweet.

Best colic mom blog entry.

Summary of the past two days: Wake up, put baby down for nap after breakfast.  Make phone calls to flooring store, scour Craigslist for garden/ lawn items, make phone calls.  Get baby up, stick her in the car.  Take a trip to flooring store, meet with flooring sales folks, get floor.  Drive home, put baby to sleep.  Mom-in-law comes to watch baby.  Leave baby.  Drive to house, trim all hedges with hedge trimmer, meet with flooring installation folks, pull weeds from around the yard, get an estimate for a deck refinishing, get an estimate from an electrician.  Take out lock from back door, start installing lock, meet second electrician. Race home, put baby down to sleep.  Collapse on couch after shower while my wonderful husband brings me bins of stuff to go through to prepare for the donation pick up the following morning.  Watch Top Chef. Wake up. Have breakfast, play with baby.  Put baby down for nap.  Find a patio set on Craigslist.  Follow up with flooring sales folks who did

Alright little girl... Tomorrow is our closing day on the house in Skokie.  You won't remember living in Lincoln Square... which is a shame, because this is one heck of a wonderful neighborhood.  Today was the walkthrough and we met the seller of our house at the property and the woman was a seriously not nice woman.  In fact, your father (yes your father) lost his temper and raised his voice.  This is something I'm sure will happen eventually in your life, but trust me... it really hasn't happened in my presence ever.  This house has been very stressful and this lady isn't helping. We also have to buy a car this week.  We need about 10 estimates (I'm not exaggerating), we have to figure out paint and how to get a floor heated, and how to fix a foundation, and how to install closet doors and so much other stuff.  We have to finish packing.  We need to figure out how to leave you for 5 days in three weeks.  I also have to go back to work at a new job in two weeks

I dreaded moving to the city.  Now with two weeks left in this neighborhood of Lincoln Square I'm mourning the loss of city living.  It's my own fault!  The new job and the commute just wouldn't be doable... but I'm sad about losing the walkability to farmer's markets two times a week and all the little local businesses. I am starting to fray a little about being home all day with her.  Her naps (two now) contain me to my house and I don't get to make play dates very easily.  I long for interaction.  But the next two weeks are the end of the summer schedule and I know that leaving her to daycare and not being able to stop by and having only one hour a day with her will be heartbreaking.  So... I know this won't be great one way or the other. I guess I just need to work on living in the moment... :) The next time I'm lonely and stressed out I'll just give her a squeeze and take a big whiff of baby scent.  I know I'll be missing that pretty so