Happy Birthday!

It's hard to believe, but one year ago today, Morgen Lovett Hammel made her first appearance outside the confines of the sonogram room. The past year has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for all three of us - between the numerous trips to the emergency room, the food strikes, the adventures in insomnia - and the coming year promises more of the same, but I can honestly say that, for my part (and I know Jess feels the same), I can no longer imagine my life without Morgen's little face greeting me in the morning.

In any case, to mark this momentous occasion, we threw Morgen a little party in the backyard. It was a lot of fun, and although Morgen did not demolish her cake the way some babies do - she is far too dainty and well-mannered for such a thing - she did take a few tentative bites of frosting. Happy Birthday Morgen!

 

The Princess and the Peas

Alternate title: Morgen versus the peas.

Trial Data (qualitative data only, of course)

Pureed peas = yuck, gag me, barf-o-rama.

Mashed peas = you think you can fool me with this crap?

Crushed individual peas = I'm not THAT stupid. These are PEAS! For crying out loud.

Cut up, but otherwise intact peas = you have somewhat ap-peas-ed me. I'll eat two.

Peas that have been peeled (not as hard as it sounds) = munch munch munch.

I think this child qualifies as a picky eater.

Tipping Through the Tulips

No one tip-toes at eleven months. Maybe next year we can walk delicately around the garden, but right now we simply tip and topple from petal to petal. Is it just me, or does Morgen make an exceptionally cute garden gnome? Something about that snail-print hat and her (unfortunately) Lovett-sized head.

How I woke up today

So tired, even though it isn't very early. Someone is squealing and yelling "Ah-a!" from the other room. It's Morgen calling for her daddy. Gavin sighs, scratches all over, making sandpaper sounds that somehow manage to cover the noise of the baby squeaking and squawking until he leaves the room. Blissful few more minutes of sleep. Then, footsteps in the hallway. Gavin says "Who's that Morgen?" I raise a sleepy hand. Morgen says "Mama!" And that's the best way to wake up, ever.

(Somewhat Reluctant) Evolution

Well, my maternity leave is officially over. On Friday I trudged into school, where I researched items to add to my reading list, was reassigned to my carrell in the lower level of the music library, met a friend for lunch, and then tried not to fall asleep over a book called "Music of the Cosmos".  I spent far too long checking my email for updates from Gavin about how Morgen was doing, since she had a mild fever the night before. He sent me one at three thirty. I decided it was time to go home, and tried to go at a steady pace instead of scrambling out of there as quickly as possible. Not that he had said anything alarming - just that she was happy and having a great time playing and laughing. "Really," I was thinking to myself, "we're going to put Morgen into daycare, where she will also likely have a great time playing and laughing, so that I can do this? Is that what I really want?" Questions, questions.

Included in this post, for the frustrated grandparents in our viewing public, is not just one, but four new pictures of Morgen's week. Notice her increasing interest in the cat, and in kicking  her ball...and this morning, she said "Mamama," when she wanted to get my attention. 

She can also meow like a cat. Still waiting for "Dada."