Some vids for your leisure & entertainment

Pause the audio player on the right before viewing.  Then turn it back on ;)


Mia Sings from Megan Ciampa on Vimeo.
Mia has the sweetest little voice and likes to make her own melodies every now and then. Caught while driving!



Mia at the Beach from Megan Ciampa on Vimeo.
Hilton Head Island Aug 2010, 15 months

baby don't feel so good...

Somedays motherhood is a never-ending head-scratching event.  In some ways I feel like I have my own motherly intuition, and in some other ways I feel like I have absolutely no clue what I am doing, or what I'm "supposed" to be doing.

For instance, ever since we got back from our trip (trips: world-renowned for throwing babies off their schedules), Mia has maybe once slept all the way through the night without waking up.  But for the last 3-4 nights, she has gotten up at least once, most of the time settling back down pretty quickly (thankfully!).

However, during the daytime, unless we're walking outside, which is her new favorite activity, she's pretty bored, miserable and fussy and very persnickety about foods (probably righteous payback).  And has some diapers to show it. And while I sometimes question the point of taking Mia to her pediatrician (sometimes it just feels like a co-pay $$ and then a regurgitation of everything I just said or theorized), as I am clearly not a medical expert and don't know all the signs to look for, I did take her in yesterday just to double-check she doesn't have some virus.  Well, while the pedi couldn't be sure one way or the other, he'd said if these symptoms don't pass in a few days or worsen, to call back, but it's probably either something viral or she's teething.  I'm thinking she's most likely teething, and to be all Southern on you (which I'm not), it seems like she's teething "something fierce"!  Unfortunately, Mia's becoming moody about the idea of taking her homeopathic teething tablets.  Sometimes she'll accept them, other times she'll gag and eject them from her mouth (toddler behavior is so charming at times, isn't it??).  Really, she is quite amusing--fo' realz.

So I'm honestly not trying to complain, but all I'm saying is, this behavior with a not-talking-intelligibly toddler can be really confusing at times.  I'm thankful for the few signs she does know, because it helps me understand, but I wish we knew more, like "hurt" or "teeth" or "tummy" so we could try to put 2 + 2 together.

At least here's a video of a time when she was feeling pretty good:




Mia at World of Coke from Megan Ciampa on Vimeo.




PS: After this week I think I will start coordinating more playdates to keep the baby boredom at bay! Taking action...making it happen.  Perhaps this will be my new mantra.

Making it Happen

There's a line from the infamous TV show, "The Office," where Darryl tells Michael to "make it happen, capt'n."  That line has never died in our relationship/family/house and we still say it years later. And finally I'm making something happen!

So a while back I talked about needing to make some changes to my diet, and I had been venting to friends about how I should start this and I want to but I'm going on a vacation, yada yada yada and I'm scared of not having sugar yada yada yada and was really, feeling quite sorry for myself.  Then a friend tweeted that she started a 30-day detox with her holistic doctors and I felt some hope returning.  She inspired me to get my booty in gear.  So, on Tuesday, I have my first appointment with an integrative care doctor's office and I'll meet with a PA to discuss my history and plan a course of action.  I'm really looking forward to finding some guidance through my first detox* ever and getting some answers to questions I've had.
In addition to that, what feels like providential timing...I signed up for a "Surf & Turf" e-course about preparing and handling nourishing foods--probably more like eating foods the way they were meant to be consumed and in the most healthful way.  I'm sure it will be a MASSIVE paradigm shift but I'm ready to start learning and doing!   Or, as Darryl said, "Mak[ing] it happen."

*Why am I doing a detox?
I've been on certain medications for a very long time that have probably, almost certainly, done unpleasant things to various systems in my body, and I'm now starting to feel and see more unfavorable results.  It's time to assess the situation for what it is, move on, and hopefully eradicate "the need" for these medications and live in a more holistic manner.  At least, 'tis my goal.  Wish me luck.

...where'd we go???

Just been busy for a bit...chillaxing on the east coast in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with a stop for a few days in HAWTlanta.  We're back now though, reconnecting to the "real world."

More pics & such to come!

Mia's First Steps & a Celebratory Dance

(Pause the audio player on the right before viewing.)


Mia's First Steps from Megan Ciampa on Vimeo.
Mia took her first real steps Saturday afternoon, cheered on by an overly excited momma & happy da-da!