Snowbound Herpetologist

Maya is such a big girl!  She's learning to read, can do simple addition, and is quite the social butterfly. I don't have a lot of time to write this, so it's going to be really short, but I wanted something here - with photos - to mark the occasion :) Maya's favorite things (as she identified them while I wrote this): - watching trailers on youtube - her friends Iris and Jamie - all pets - play dress up at school - fav food: PB&J - fav color: pink and yellow and purple - fav holiday: Halloween and Christmas - fav bird: meadowlark Things Maya doesn't like: - being bored - talking to people she doesn't know (sometimes, like the doctor when she asks if Maya knows her last name even though we PRACTICED so that she would feel comfortable ::eye roll emoticon::) - Annika slobbering on her toys - least favorite food: things that are spicy, squash ravioli - least fav bird: house sparrow (good girl :)) At her school party, December 19th!

I thought for a long time about whether or not to post this, but I decided that if I don't, I won't remember - or I'll minimize - things when babyhood is all a distant memory.  This is what it looks like to solo parent, people, and it isn't very pretty!  I also wrote it a few days ago, and Annika's slept better since (although not in her crib!), so my outlook is more rosy :)  If you are worried about us, rest assured that we are fine! Husband's trip to Peru has been ill-timed in terms of coinciding with Annika's discovery of separation anxiety.  The past week especially, she screams like the wolves have come unless she is directly in contact with my body - whether it's day or night, if we are both in same place at the same time, there's either panicked screaming or I am carrying the baby.  Independent sleep is limited to about 20 minutes (if I'm lucky) per day, and then she wakes me up all night long.  If I spend too much time thinking about ho