portable

My daughter is getting downright flexible.
First there was the car ride to and from Ojai, in which we had some crying and unpleasantness, but not during the majority of the trip.
Then there was the day trips in the car; getting in and out of her car seat several times, overstaying past her tiredness, being out after dark, and generally messing with her schedule, and no major screaming fits! And even some completely peaceful rides when I least expected it!
And finally, there was the realization that when distracted, the little girl can go for hours (hours!) in between her two naps. Meaning that we could stay out places leisurely, without looking at a clock, and/or deliberately space her naps so that her bedtime would be later, so that we could actually have a family dinner out one night!
And I also had some wheat this weekend. Once because I thought, what the hell and once because the choices for lunch were Subway and Jamba Juice, and I just went for a sub. And there was some mild digestive problems, but nothing not livable. (And it may have been due to the Chipotle we had for dinner Sat night, which has also resulted in mild GI distress).
What's next, the solution to global warming?

We took advantage of said flexibility last night when we went to church. I got to sing at our nighttime service (woo hoo!) and afterwards, we talked to people and then we went out to dinner. Fidels! Yum! Sure, we sat on our own for maximum speed, ordered ate and checked out like speed demons, but we were able to do it. And she was actually smiling on the car ride home! And went to bed and slept just fine. And is still sleeping at quarter past eight! (Okay, she woke up at 4:30 and kept me up until 7:15, at which point I gave up on me sleeping, but still, at least I had time to make tea!)
I had time to fantasize about us actually going on a real trip. Someplace exotic, like Mexico. And actually enjoying myself, rather than being a stress case.
It could happen, people.

stranger danger

So Lucy has shown the first signs of stranger anxiety. Of course, this coincides with our trip to visit her grandparents and aunts and uncles, so none of them got to hold her for more than thirty seconds at a time, since she very obviously wasn't enjoying it. She smiles and plays with people as long as they're not holding her (on the floor, she'll crawl up to everyone) but pick her up and whoops-a-daisy, unhappy baby. And I had been looking forward to being able to hand her off to people.
Of course, one thing gets worse, and another gets better. I would no longer describe her as particularly fussy in the car. Not only did we make the trip to Ojai uneventfully, but she's been in and out of the car and car seat since we were here, and even when she wasn't in a great mood, she's generally been accepting.
One part of this, I think, is that we made car copies of her favorite CD: "Slugs, Bugs, and Lullabies". We listen to this CD a lot at home; during the witching hour before Dyami gets home, for example, or when she's overdue for a nap. But now that we have car copies, I feel like we have the nuclear option of child soothing. Especially the first song.
Did I mention we listen to this CD a lot? I'd say at least twice a day, normally. And she likes the first song the best, seemingly (she falls asleep to it the most, and when we put it on, she shakes her head back and forth in delight). So on the way here, we played that song about twenty times. Dyami and I know all the words. He knows the bass parts, I the harmonies.
We could take this show on the road.
Which is possible now, since we can actually go on the road for more then ten minutes at a time.
Of course, the drive home tomorrow morning will be the proof of the pudding.

travelling

So we're going to Ojai to visit my in-laws tomorrow.
I am, in many ways, quite delighted to be going. My inlaws are great (parents, bros and sisters) and it's been forever since we've been able to see them. Ojai is great, and we're taking a car, so we'll be able to get out a bit. The weather should be nice. And Dyami has six days off of work.

So why am I not exactly looking forward to the trip?

I think it's the vestiges of the last trip, where we had a fabulous time with Dyami's family, I slept very little, got a cold, Dyami got sick, Lucy got sick, and then we didn't sleep for the next month. I was just the tiniest bit unhappy for a long while.
Right now Lucy isn't sleeping that great (I think it's because we're transitioning her to a mattress instead of her hammock bed) and so the palpitations have started.

Breathe, Heather, breathe.

Most of me knows that Lucy is a completely different animal than she was at three months, that I know much better how to deal with her ups and downs, and am more resilient. Plus it's not winter, so the chances of everyone being sick are much lower.

But who ever said anxiety was defeated by head knowledge?
I have been asking people to pray for me. I don't want to have a nervous breakdown the first night (like I did last time) and subject my husband to my anxieties. I would just like to enjoy being there, like I used to. I would like to be more relaxed, in general.
I would also like to be a bestselling novellist. Or short-story writer.
One can pray, right?