A Wonderful Day at Shriner's Circus

The alarm blared next to my bed as I struggled to find my glasses on my nightstand. The sun had already broke through the clouds and the sky became clear. As I lay in bed, I hear commotion in the kitchen with Victoria sitting in her high chair and her mother feeding her oatmeal with fruit. She has been 'finding her voice' for days now and shrieks (screaming out loud) to hear her own voice. Two wonderful faces to wake up to. (And my black cat Shaddow as well!) Today was the day we are going to the Shriner's Circus with Victoria. I kinda had the feeling that she would do well with crowds but with the loud noise I wasn't sure about. Today was also the day that she was promoted from her carrier to a 'big girl' car seat. Not the 'big, big girl' kind of car seat but the kind that toddlers are in. She is a husky 21 lbs. But she is also over 27 inches long. Big girl! But I bet when she starts crawling (which she is showing signs) that weight will melt off

her. Fat babies are cute babies! As we were walking into the Thomson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, TN there were people with children everywhere. I was kind of nervous, myself being in large crowds. And I had my grand daughter in my arms so I had to make sure I kept a straight face and took care of the task at hand. We searched for our seats in the dark in the nose-bleed section. Yes it was packed with children screaming from excitement everywhere! My daughter found seats for us and I handed Victoria to her so I could take pictures of her first experience with the circus. There were tigers balancing on beams jumping through fiery hoops and elephants dancing. There were trained dogs balancing on the backs of their trainer wowing the crowds. Victoria did enjoy it but the loud acoustics and flashing lights bothered her. After a few attempts to get her to look, we decided to retreat to the corridor of the arena so Victoria will feel a bit easier with all the hoopla that was before her. Finally we were standing in the corridor looking at the action that was happening inside the arena. I noticed a stand that sold wands that light-up. I decided to buy Victoria a big pink light-up wand. She was mesmerized by the flashing lights. It was great! She seemed so excited to see her new present come to life with just a push of a button. Fortunately that diverted her attention from the flashing lights and the loud noises coming from inside the arena. Then an announcement came on the speakers saying that there will be an intermission and a display of pony rides and elephant rides were presented to the little children. My daughter was so excited that she grabbed Victoria and announced that she will go down to see if she is old enough to ride a pony. I told her that she was probably too young and the clowns will probably scare the crap out of her. Like always, she paid no attention to me and walked down to the bottom of the arena where the pony rides were. I stayed up in the corridor searching for them to just get a glimpse of my baby and her baby within the crowds of other parents. I noticed that my daughter was next to a crowd of people strapping on harnesses for Victoria to ride a pony. I honestly couldn't believe it! She is only 7 months old and she is enjoying what other kids way-older than her- are enjoying. My daughter and a helper walked in a circular-motion following a circle of ponies attached to one another. Victoria enjoyed every minute! Soon the ride was over and she had to leave her pony. I was hoping that she would come back up to where I was standing but they were

surrounded by a bunch of clowns that took pictures with my grand daughter. If she was scared she never let it show. Then my daughter took her to get her face painted in the form of a cat. Yes she was young but I am so glad that my daughter introduced her to that type of social action. She didn't cry or become irritated. She just smiled and was very attentive. Basically she people-watched. As I sit here trying to find the words to put into this blog, I smile to the fact that my daughter had shown me what a true parent does. Its never too early to make memories with your babies.

I am proud of the mommy that she is becoming.

Week 10-11 of my grand baby's growth

As I sit here watching the new "Star Trek", I think about James T. Kirk not having his parents together. His father was on the Starship Enterprise and was attacked by enemies while his wife was on a pod leaving the ship, giving birth to their only child, never to see her husband again.

While I realize this is just a movie, I wonder how my grandchild will deal with (her) parents not living together. My daughter will not keep the child away from the other family. That was not how she was brought up. I am just hoping the other family will hold their end of the bargain. A child should not have to go through a situation without their other parent being absent..in any case. 

There are many positives in this week. My daughter has regained some energy back that she didn't have from the weeks before. Her appetite has somewhat returned and things are looking better for her. She is now at week 10-11..and my grand baby is no bigger than a fig. This is wonderful news! The risk of congenital birth defects are now lessened which makes me (almost) breathe a sigh of relief. (Her) fingernails have slightly formed with the look of a 'human fetus' connected to the placenta, (which is now functioning.) My daughter found a really good app for her iPhone that describes what is happening to your body while you are making this transition to motherhood. The pregnancy app is on iPhone, iPod touch and android. It is free and it tracks your day-to-day growth.  

App reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board

The BabyCenter My Pregnancy Today app is everything that millions of women love about BabyCenter right in their purse." – Linda Murray, BabyCenter editor-in-chief

BabyCenter My Pregnancy Today is the most comprehensive daily pregnancy app from the world's most trusted pregnancy and parenting resource. Simply enter your baby's due date, and BabyCenter My Pregnancy Today turns your phone into an expert guide for each day of your pregnancy. Feel more prepared for your baby's birth and get the answers you need, whenever you need them.   Here’s what you’ll get:

• My pregnancy day by day: BabyCenter's renowned weekly guide to pregnancy is now optimized for your smart phone with daily information and advice.
• Fetal development images: See your baby grow with our one-of-kind images developed by expert medical illustrators.
• Pregnancy checklist:  This interactive to-do list is filled with activities and reminders to keep you on track with decisions, doctor appointments, and more.
• Award-winning videos: Watch what’s happening inside the womb with breathtaking 3-D animations, or, get informed (and inspired) about your own delivery day with live-action birth videos.
• Birth clubs: Meet other moms-to-be who are due at the same time as you and get instant advice and support.
• Due date calculator: Figure out your due date and count down to the big day.
• Nutrition guide: These tips and recipes will help you eat well and manage cravings.

Here is the address: http://www.babycenter.com/my-pregnancy-today-app or you can find it in the app store