Gone Baptizin'

I should probably mention that we got Alina baptized in the Catholic Church. I'm fairly neutral on organized religion in general since my parents were Jewish and not Jewish (Protestant or something. I think my Grandmother became a Mormon so those nice boys would paint her barn). But you know, I've never understood why the phrase half Jewish is an acceptable way to describe oneself. How can you be half a religion? 4 days of Hanukkah and a pine shrub in December?

Anyway, we dressed her up in Katrina's old christening (or Xstening for those who celebrate Xmas) outfit from when she was an infant. So that was a nice tradition to continue. They sat us up in the front of the church with several other couples plus godparents. Then Alina took a big dump about halfway through. Is that good luck? Myself, I was willing to wait until the end to change her but Katrina showed me the quantity and consistency of this new arrival and sternly warned, "The priest is going to lie her back over the holy water and it's all going to spill out." Hmmm, as funny as this would be to me personally, it was decided that we leave our seats and do a mad dash change. Wipes and clothes flying everywhere, the priest is doing another round of chrism oil and will soon get to our empty chairs. I hear my father say No pressure from the congregation. I don't know why we were rushing. It's not like if the priest passes us we get canceled or something. The rules, and there are just a few with Catholics, don't include staying in your seat the whole time. We're dealing with infants here. It's bound to happen.

So, we get back up there, get oil on her forehead and chest, then it's over to the big holy bowl thinger (did I mention I had to lookup Original Sin?) and Presto! With a wave of a hand, a few words, and some God Juice, Alina no longer has to bear the burden of that bitch Eve eating the apple. Yes, I'm cynical. But I'll say this. We have been incredibly lucky or blessed with Alina. Always smiling, very healthy (knock on wood - my religion), and just about the Cutest. Child. Ever. If Katrina quietly praying at night while pregnant had anything to do with that, then baptizing is the least we could do.

The Takeover

Alina furniture and accessories are slowly starting to out number big kid objects in our apartment. When you walked into our living room, all you saw was a swing. But once they start sitting up, then in comes the Exersaucers and High Chairs. You'll be folding laundry or making the bed and music will start because a stuffed animal fell or some other chain reaction somehow activated a random toy. Ack! Find it before she wakes up! I've been to people's homes where they have toddlers. You'd never know adults live there. Between baby proofing tactics like removing tables and anything with a right angle and all the objects you receive or buy to keep your child entertained/educated/enriched, you'd think you just stepped into a Gymboree. I'd like to think we'll be able to balance the aesthetics of our living room, the flow, the feng-shui if you will. Or, at the very least make it so that a walk from the bedroom to the kitchen doesn't involve carefully choreographed vaults and sidesteps. But The Takeover has certainly begun, if not stepped up a notch. It starts out slowly like sleeping less, rearranging your closets and things you'd expect like not going to movies. But before you know it, you're watching Dora the Explorer at 8pm on a Saturday. No! I will not be sucked in by that repetitive and teeth gnashing little traveler and her freakin' purple monkey!

Chewy!

If oral fixation is a sign of a future smoker, then Alina is going to be at two packs a day. Evvverything is going in the mouth. Now that she can partially sit up on her own and grab at objects, that's where they go. Thumbs, stuffed animals, blankets, basically anything we allow her to hold. I'm going to miss the days when we allowed her to hold things, as opposed to later when we'll turn around and she'll be chewing on the power cables to the TV.