Week 26

This morning we spent sometime in Lucy’s doorway jumper. Despite my efforts through made up songs and jumping, she still hasn’t fully grasped the jumpup part. But after last week’s call for entertainment, I pulled out a few forgotten toys and once again avoided buying a mini- exersaucer.

As we enter into a second day of rain, I’m back in the bed with Lucy trying to get her to sleep. I guess that’s the ideal way to spend a day like today, so let’s go for it. I thought this would be a good opportunity to write a lengthy blog entry.

My blogs are less frequent and shorter because I have somehow overextended my left thumb and Kim wearing a brace to stabilize it. And for some reason, I’m a leftie on my iPhone. So the brace gets in the way. One may consider that this minor irritation is a metaphor for my life, ie. I need more structure. I will keep that in mind.

This is week two of six to eight weeks of wearing the brace. I decided since I’m still counting her in weeks, I can officially take it off at 32 Weeks. But in the last week I’ve discovered that it smells like an old shoe, so I may opt for 30.

I’m hoping that Lucy doesn’t begin to associate the smell with me. Mom told me that Selsun Blue reminded her of Lucy because we had used it for her cradle cap. I was crushed because the shampoo reminded me of an old man who smokes. Good thing Meredith told us about the Paul Mitchell baby shampoo.

Apparently I’m very loose and with all of these pregnancy related horomones, I’m practically falling apart. I knew that before I had her, as I started doing core exercises to help hold me together. Once my physical therapist returned from maternity leave this fall, I started back again. I think the core exercises are working. Again I should have more structure in my day to ensure that I do them, but I don’t. I’m working on it.

Apparently I rest on my ligaments instead of engaging the appropriate muscles. So I’m trying to relearn how to stand. Last week, I felt like the tin man about to tip over. I am also trying to untuck my tail, which I know many generations of my family do this. And, yes, I’m trying to sit up straight but not too straight, because your back does naturally curve out mid-back and back in at the neck.

I love my PT. She has a little girl exactly two months and one day older than Lucy. Can she help me change something that’s been a way my family has physically carried itself for who knows how many hundreds of years? I know at least one hundred years, because I’m pretty sure I got this from Memaw and Papa. Just in case, Lucy has been carefully studying her at work over the last few weeks. I would love it if she became a physical therapist. But I’m hoping I won’t need her. And I’m seriously hoping the numbness in my leg will be obsolete by the time she reaches college.

Memaw was also very loosey goosey, which was probably one of my biggest surprises from her dementia. We would visit her in the rest home and she would always be cross-legged in her bed. I could imagine her doing flips and rolling all around. Most people in their nineties seem stiff and creeky. But not Memaw. One of my favorite stories from dad demonstrated her agility. He was walking down the hall to visit her and he saw two little ladies snuggled up in the bed together. He was somewhat shocked by the odd sight. Then he stopped and realized, “That’s my mother!” Sweet Memaw. She didn’t have a lot to say in her last years, but she was very affectionate.