In my last post (a month ago... sorry...) I mentioned The Hubby got PCS orders, and we were waiting on them to approve his leave so we could get moved. The beginning of this month it was done, The Hubby left base on the 15th to come home, and on the 21st we rolled out of our driveway with car full of me, Hubby, Baby Girl, baby accessories necessary for the 2-day trip, 2 highly offended kitties, and our luggage; and The In-Laws drove a Budget truck full of the rest of our crap and pulling the second car. After a major kitty meltdown, Jugga ended up riding with The In-Laws the rest of the way since neither me nor the Hubby could do much to help her with him driving and me dealing with Baby Girl. We stopped in Knoxville, TN after Baby Girl decided she was totally done with being in the car for the day. Unfortunately that wasn't even halfway, so she was REALLY ticked by the time we reached our destination the next night around 8:30 pm. We got everything unloaded that night and they went ahead and returned the truck. Thankfully, The In-Laws stuck around for a couple days and helped while we got *some* of our stuff unpacked (basically necessities).
Now we've been here a little over a week, and there's still a lot of unpacking to be done. Our grocery situation is depressing, we've basically been ordering in most nights. I've left the apartment exactly *twice* since arriving. Once when The In-laws were still here, we took the 20-minute drive to the beach. And the other day (my birthday!) I loaded up Baby Girl and we went to Babies 'R Us. I bought a mei tai baby carrier, so I don't have to lug around a car seat/stroller anytime we go somewhere. I love it, but unfortunately Baby Girl just isn't feeling it right now. I've kept trying periodically, because there's no way I'm putting her in it in public until she's comfortable in it at home. I think her big issue with it is that she's too small for her feet to be out. Maybe with a different (better... not the cheapo one I had to get) mei tai she could be legs out, but the sides of this one aren't flexible enough.
But she's also having a bit of a rough time this week it seems, so that might have something to do with it as well... She's been fussing constantly, her sleeping and eating habits are all jacked up, and she's pretty clingy. She likes her swing, so sometimes I can put her in there to get a chance to accomplish something, but I prefer to only do that if she's heading towards a nap anyway or, if she's awake, if I know she won't be in there long because I'm trying to finish up some sort of task. I really don't like to just set her down awake somewhere and leave her so I can chill and watch TV or whatever. But if she starts crying, I head right back to her. Maybe it's just a first time mom hovering thing, and I'll "learn my lesson" eventually, but if she's awake I want to be interacting with her, and now that I'm living in an apartment dammit I have these pesky things called "neighbors" that will also be subjected to a crying baby if her needs aren't met.
Right now, and for the next little while, she needs me. (And The Hubby, I suppose... *sigh*) And although "people" may say I might kick myself later on for letting her fall asleep in my arms so often, or that I shouldn't run to her every time she fusses or cries, I know that this stage in her development only lasts for so long. And it's an important stage, where she learns that she can trust the adults around her to care for her and meet her needs, and that she is worthy of human interaction, even if all she needs at the moment is cuddles with Mama. It's a big scary world, and she's just a little thing that didn't ask to be brought into it, and doesn't understand what is happening to her or around her. That's what mamas and daddies are there for. I'm not going to ignore her when she's inconvenient, or yell at her for crying or needing something. She is too little to be "spoiled." Even if she's driving me a little batty right now with this growth spurt or whatever it is, and half the time I feel like crying right along with her because DAMN RIGHT life is hard! I will continue to cuddle her every chance I get, because all too soon she won't want that anymore. And she's just so sweet and snuggly...
