Ramblings

Celia is 9 months tomorrow and that saddens me because it means less then 3 months left with her. I am returning to work in September hopefully for just one year. The thought of handing her over to someone to watch her and spend more time with her then I will is very depressing. However with Gas likely to reach $5 by September and my inability to get the grocery bill under $80 each week, it just isn't realistic. I have thought about marketing Celia, you know swim suit modeling, 5 kisses for $10, that sort of thing. It doesn't look like Pete is on the list as Warren Buffet's replacement either (his company is owned by the money maker). She will be one of five babies in a room at our church daycare. The pastor visits them on Wednesday for a little bit of worship which sounds very sweet. Celia will go to church more then Pete and I!! So she will survive and I will survive. If we aren't then I will just resign, there is a nice little bit of relief about that. But hopefully our plan will work and I will go back for one year, we will put away more money and I will stay home for a few years. During that time hopefully there will be a second at some point.

So today is my school's graduation and Celia and are going to attend. I always love to watch our graduation however it is followed with a deep saddness for these students. Unlike a typical highschool graduation the future of my students is not as bright. The parents sit in the auditorium with the knowledge that planned programming for their child has ended. Hopefully most have plans for their future but alot of our parents are still searching for a place for their child. For those who don't know- My school is a special education center and I work in the Multiple Disability Support program. Our students have a wide range of abilities but all of the students have moderate mental retardation or lower and most have behavioral and physical disabilities. So in the search for group homes to care for their children, alot of our parents find that there are not many resources. Work programs are typically not an option for most students and many group homes will not deal with a 21 year old with behavior problems. So we all sit in graduation, proud of their accomplishments over the years and hope that they will continue to be stimulated in someway in their new environment. So I look at Celia and sigh that at 9 months it is fairly clear that cognitively she is on track and you couldn't ask for a more healthy child!

With that sad little rambling... Celia is doing so much now. She is cruising the furniture like crazy, going from coach to coffee table and back again. I think it is funny that she will get into more things that she isn't supposed to when Pete watches her, however she knows a little better with me!! I coached/ did 20 miles on Sunday and Pete was a bit tired of his little "boo" by the time I got home. I was told "she got into everything, everything". No more napping with Daddy all morning while I am gone! Yesterday I cleaned out the closet underneath the basement stairs and she had a blast. There were so many boxes for her to hang onto and cruise. She went from one side of the room to the other, babbling the whole time. I have caught her several times standing without holding on, but she won't do it if you just let go of her hands. Walking by 10 months? Maybe. This morning she ate her oatmeal with bananas very fast. So I mashed some more bananas and she refused them, she drank a little and still refused the bananas. I looked at her and said well "do you want more?" She lifted up her hands and said "a da". I sign "all done" when we are finished eating and she imitates me. This is the first time she has done it appropriately on her own and it was very cute.

Okay, well I better tend to the house a bit before Celia gets up from her nap. However I will end with her current vocabulary.

"A da"- all done
Dada
Mama- not directed at me, but she calls Elmo, Mama
Baby
Hi (only done a few times but very clear)
Yucky
A der- no clue what that means but she likes it
Bababa