The Business of Baby

 S is officially a teenager!  

I am now parenting a teen.....time is flying past so quickly.

S continues to grow into an exceptional young girl. She is super smart, extremely kind hearted, generous and believes in fairness and equity. 

She still loves to play/be outdoors, her latest activity the last year is jumping like a horse over home made hurdles. She plays with all the kids in the neighborhood - the 2 year old across the street, or the gang of four brothers (11-4) who love down the street. Its funny to see then come up and ask if she wants to play!! 

She is mature and sensible and confident to talk with her teachers and adults. Recently, the teacher got mad at the kids for not completing their math homework. S went up to the teacher and reminded her that the homework had not been assigned.  The teacher then checked and realized she had in fact NOT assigned it. So the class got an extra day to complete the work, thanks to S having the courage to question the teacher.  

Above all she is so much fun. She makes me laugh with her witty remarks and is great company to hang out with.

She is growing like a weed and is now 5ft 8 inches, so much taller than me which she loves -- haha!   

New experiences this past year:

- She started her period so that was huge. It is still not fully settled into a monthly schedule but getting more regular and more like a period. Poor thing, last month she asked me if it was normal to bleed that much. It was Day 2 and first thing upon waking so yes, it was what I would expect. Luckily she does not get any cramps or moodiness, but she does break out a week before.

- We have been dealing with acne this past year. I have tried several creams and lotions, one suggested by her pediatrician. It cleared it up and we were glad but the past month its got worse. I had her stop using the 4% BP face wash since I thought it was perhaps too strong and I may have been right since its a bit better. Regardless, I have booked an appt with a dermatologist next week to get a professional opinion.   

- She started track as I mentioned and is loving it. In fact she is really enjoying middle school. I am so happy since I have heard people say that middle school was the worst but she is very happy. 

- She has a good group of friends in school, and from her stables. 

- She is continuing with her riding lessons and I while I wish she had picked a less dangerous sport, I am proud that she has a passion that drives her. 

- She continues to excel in school. She is getting all A or A+ in her classes. And she manages her school work herself, Usually at the start of the school year I need to stay on her to get her work organized etc, but after the first term she gets into the swing of things and manages it all herself.

- We still have Mama - S time daily. Sometimes we watch family shows on Netflix, play board games, play badminton outside or go for walks. 

She is not using make-up yet but she can use lip gloss on special occasions. I know most of her friends are doing their eyebrows, shaving legs and using make up, but I think she is much too young for that right now. Plus once you start you cannot stop!

Plans of the birthday:

1. Mar 21 - she had two friends from her stables come over to spend the night. They are older 15 and 17 years old. The played outside for a bit with the jumping, then we went to tar.get, Then dinner at a pizza place, The girls sat by themselves at a table, while I ate close by at the bar. They stayed up until 3am and after breakfast they went home around 11:30.

2. Today we had a family dinner with my Mom, sis, BIL and S at Out.back.  

3. On 28th we are having a big party - about 20 kids from school and the neighborhood. Of the group six (6 girls) will sleep over!  The party is horse-themed of course! We got a cute pinata of cowboy boots and a hat, balloons with horses and a lovely horse themed place setting - plates, cups, cutlery, tablecloth, cake topper and streamers. I am getting the cake from Publix.

Her party is part of her gift, but the big 13 year gift will will be disclosed later!

 S tried out for Track and Field in school a few weeks ago and was selected for hurdles and shotput/discus. 

I am so proud of her! She already had her first meet last Wednesday and it was really fun to watch. 

She is loving being part if the team and was so excited to get the uniform. I was too!  I was never athletic, so having a child who rides horses, loves swimming, and enjoys anything physical is pretty awesome.

S loves jumping. 

I think its from being a Hunter/Jumper and doing it with the horses, but one of her favorite pastimes the past couple of years has been creating jumps with odds and ends (pots with sticks, Amazon boxes etc) and jumping over them like a horse. She does it practically daily. Therefore, I was interested in seeing if she would want to do hurdles. I spoke with the coach last Fall and she told me tryouts were in Feb.

S especially loves jumping. I think it comes from being a Hunter/Jumper with horses, but for the past couple of years one of her favorite pastimes has been building little jumps out of whatever she can find (e.g balancing sticks across empty flowerpots, large Amazon boxes, and other odds and ends) and then jumping over them like a horse. She does it almost every day! And she can jump really high! Because of that, I was curious to see if she might enjoy hurdles. I spoke with the coach last fall, and she told me tryouts would be in February. 

S is the only girl in hurdles from her school (7th and 8th grade). One of her good friend is in shotput/discus with her.

The season is very short, which I like. It runs from the beginning of March through the first week of April. Best of all, the schedule works well for me since pickup is at 5:30 pm, which fits since I’m back in the office now and usually finish work at 5. I definitely miss the work-from-home days.

On Fridays she still  has riding. I am happy that she is getting exercise and fresh air. She loves being outdoors so its a plus.

The next meet is Mar 18, 23rd and then County Finals are April 2 and 3.

Its been a week and S is loving her new room. In fact, its now difficult to get her to leave it!

She had no issues sleeping there the first night, and was asleep within 15/20 minutes of lights out. Since then its been a breeze!

Its so funny how, just a few months ago, when I casually mentioned her moving to her room this summer, it was met with trepidation.  But that is what growing up is all about.

The best part of her having her room is that its exceptionally tidy. Before there would be clothes on the floor, drawers pulled out, closet never closed. Now that she is in the room, the floor is uncluttered and things are organized.

It may be the newness of it all....but right now I am loving it :-)

Last Tuesday, I was out of town for two nights attending a conference in the city. My mom came over and stayed with us, which was really nice. I got some much-needed alone time and a break from cooking and cleaning, and S and my mom were able to spend some quality time together. 

Its been a while since S had a sleepover with my Mom.

Ever since S was maybe 2 years old, she would go often to my parents for sleepovers giving me a well deserved break. After my Dad passed in 2018, S would still go over to my Mom's about once a month.  But as S has gotten older, the sleepovers have become less.  Of course, S spends a lot of time with my Mom during school breaks when I am working and there will always be a sleepover during summer and winter break.

So, anyway, huge win with S sleeping in her own room!

 S has been sleeping with me since she was born. 

The first 1-2  months she was in a bassinet by my bedside. Then I brought her crib into my room, since I was too lazy to walk across the hallway.

She never slept in the crib! 

She would fall asleep in my arms but when I tried to put her in the crib, the sensation of being put down always woke her up. I tried sleep training a  few times but she ended up crying so hard she would throw up. So after 1-2 attempts I simply gave up.

She ended up co-sleeping with me as a baby and all though toddlerhood. Finally when she was 5 years old, I had enough of being kicked in the head or slapped inadvertently at night. I got a twin bed that I put right next to my queen bed. That way, she had her own bed but was still close to me. 

It has worked for us all these years. I have a really big master bedroom so space was not an issue. It also allowed her room to be a play room with her toys, and later book shelves and desk/chair.

In addition to sleeping in my room, S always needed me with her as she fell asleep. For years, that meant holding her hand until she drifted off. When she was about seven or eight, I was able to help her break that habit, but I still needed to be physically present in the room, in the dark.

The past year or so she has gotten better about getting herself ready for bed and getting into bed while I potter around downstairs. But when I come up at 10pm and she is still awake since she cannot sleep without me (or someone).

I assumed that once friends started coming over, peer pressure might motivate her to move into her own room. That did not happen. Her friends have asked where her bed is, she explains it, and it’s been a non-issue. She’s had several sleepovers, and the girls simply sleep in sleeping bags in her bedroom

So even though I wanted my own space, I just let it be.

Imagine my surprise, when on Saturday morning, she said she was ready to move into her own room!

She spent all Saturday organizing her room since we needed to move some furniture around. We gathered a ton of items for donation and lots of trash bags were filled with actual trash/papers/junk. We vacuumed and dusted and got ready for the big move.

Sat was her last night in my room!

Today we woke up with alacrity, ate breakfast and moved her bed. I had to disassemble the headboard, but it was not too much of effort and we were able to get it done fairly quicky.

Her room looks lovely. It is the best room in the house since it faces the South and overlooks the street. It is bright and sunny and her bed is placed such that she can look out the window and see the birds and trees and people coming and going.

She LOVES her new room. And is super excited, albeit, nervous to sleep there tonight.

Its 9pm, I am not sure if she is asleep or not. I do expect there will be an adjustment period. The cat is also VERY confused. 

S did it, and I am proud of her!!

Its the first time in 13 years, I am typing this blog not in total darkness - feels strange. Now I can have my bedside lamp on whenever I like! 

My first blog post of 2026 will be a recap of 2025 which I did not get a chance to post on New Year's Eve.  

Job:
I started 2025 in search of a new job. My company was having a lot of layoffs and I felt I was stagnant in my role. I had stayed in that job for almost 15 years because it gave me the flexibility of WFH. It allowed me to do IVF, get pregnant, have S and be working from home as she grew up which was priceless. However, with her now being 12 years old I felt I had more leeway in terms of the job I took and if I needed to go into an office.

The job market was brutal, and it was depressing reading about folks looking for jobs for 6-12 months with no bites. Luckily I got two interviews within about 8 weeks of actively looking and landed my current role. It pays well, is very close by with zero travel which I love.  

It has been an adjustment going into an office after over a decade of WFH, but its hybrid and I only go in Tue-Thurs. I have to admit I like it much more than I thought I would.  I like being able to dress nicely, put on make up and interact with coworkers and above all "see and be seen". That was/is the biggest drawback of being remote - out of sight is truly out of mind.

My new job is going well. I am learning ang upskilling myself which is a good thing in today's market. The culture is not the best, but I am employed and it suits me for now.  We did have layoffs a few weeks ago.  I was safe, but it makes one appreciate the fact that one is employed.

Travel:
We had a fantastic travel year in 2025 with two memorable trips, covering 5 countries!  S is now a World Traveler and another major item is checked off my "To Do with S" list!  

We kicked off the year with a seven (7) day trip to Paris and London to celebrate S's 12th birthday. It was her very first trip abroad and where better that two iconic cities!  She loved everything except the long flights :-) We did all the tourist stuff and took the EuroStar from Paris to London and flew back home from London.

Our next vacation was in summer. Our very first cruise ever, and we did it in style on the Icon of the Seas - the biggest cruise ship in the world.  Its ironic because in 2023 I had a AAA magazine laying about open on a page which had an advertisement for Royal Caribbean's newest ICON cruise ship. S saw it and was blown away and asked if we could go on it. I thought in my head "yeah, never gonna happen".  But my lovely Mom decided to take the family on a cruise for her birthday in July. And since S wanted the Icon, we got to go on it! We visited Mexico, Honduras and the Bahamas.

 It was so amazing that we even forgot we had gone to Europe three months earlier!!

In Fall, my Mom and I went to the beach for 2 days since S had a stay away camp, her very first one and I wanted to be close by. It was a very relaxing 2 days, and it helped me unwind. The previous vacations were great but I never really got to relax. In Europe, I was the one planning everything, and on the 7 day cruise I was running around with S everywhere (she did not want to do the kids club). I think I may have only got 2 hours to myself that entire week!

S:
S is doing well. She finished 6th grade with honors award and started 7th grade. She has some friends in her classes so is enjoying middle school. Not too much drama so far, and I am hoping it stays that way.

This was also the year when S got a cellphone, so that was a big milestone. It only has voice and text since I have locked down Internet - no YouTube, TikTok, FB, Insta, Reddit  AND no Google either. At 12 years old she does not need any of it. In fact I shall be like the Australians - no social media access until she is 16 years old. I know she does not like it, but it is what it is.

2025 was also the year when S outgrew me in height. I expected she would by year end, but she did so by summer.  She is now almost 5Ft 9inches and towers over me (5ft 6 in) which she loves to point out at every opportunity she gets  :-)

Lastly, she did her first Stay Away Camp this year at a 4-H center. She loved the independence and I felt comfortable having her manage her nut allergy on her own.

Me:
I have been putting on menopausal weight and it keeps piling on. I don't even recognize my body anymore or know how to dress it. I was always slim and I miss my svelte self. I looked great until 2/3 years ago when I started menopause and everything changed.  I understand its hormonal and metabolic and all women go though it, so I am not weighing myself anymore but focusing more on being active, trying to eat more protein and do some weight training. My office has a walking path around it which I use in the summer, and we have an indoor gym which I try to use when in the office.

House:
After all the renovation we did in 2024, this past year 2025 was very quiet on the home front. We got new chairs for the front porch in summer, and a new washer/dryer in December which was exciting since the ones I had were almost 20 years old. I had purchased from the previous owner when I bought the house 17 years ago. They still worked, but were getting rusted and looked dismal. This year I want to put in wood cabinets in the laundry room and get rid of the metal brackets/railings.

Cat:
We have had some cat drama with our 5-year old cat getting into fights with the neighbors cat. It resulted in two expensive vet visits. One for a scratch near her eye in summer, and recently a Vet Urgent Care visit for a bite on her tummy. The other cat seems unscathed. The problem is the other cat keeps coming into our yard and has the audacity to come on our back deck, that is when my cat loses it and they get in a fight. I know the owner and we try to tell each other when the cat is let out so we can keep an eye out. Luckily with me going to the office, my cat is indoors Tue-Thurs. Hopefully 2026 will be less cat drama.

Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you had a wonderful celebration with family and friends.

We have had a fun holiday season so far, starting with two families on our street hosting a Holiday Open House. One couple served savory dishes from 6:00 to 7:30, and then we walked down the road to another house for desserts. It was a great time catching up with neighbors we already know and meeting several new ones, especially from the street behind us.

We are very lucky to live on a street with a row of five or six homes directly across from each other (about eleven homes total), and we know almost everyone. Many are good friends, and we truly look out for one another. It feels like a little village, and I love that sense of community. Even though we are all on different parts of the political spectrum, we don’t let that affect our relationships.

After the Open House, we continued with our holiday traditions of driving around to see various Christmas light displays, watching our favorite holiday movies, and shopping for gifts.

This year was especially meaningful because it was the first time I truly surprised S with her gifts from me and from Santa. Usually she asks Santa for something specific and gets it, but this year she had no requests, so it was completely up to me. I think she was very happy with her gifts! She knows I’m Santa, but I still love getting her a gift to open on Christmas morning.

We also had our usual gathering at my sister’s place. It was a great time with good food, lots of laughter, and everyone seemed happy with their gifts - plenty of sweaters, cozy socks, candy, and household items. S, of course, received a few horse-related treasures :-)

Now on to New Year's~

Every year since S was a baby, we have gone to the same spot in our city for Santa photos.

The very first time, S was just nine months old, and cried the entire time. Poor Santa did his best to comfort her. We had him hold her for a quick minute while I snapped a photo. I think we may have skipped the following year, but from age two onward, we did Santa pictures every year, except for 2020, when COVID shut everything down.

Along with the photos, we would go on the sleigh ride, have hot chocolate, check out the shops, and finish the evening with dinner. It became one of our favorite traditions.

This year, I was expecting to do one last Santa photo before calling it quits, since S is now 12.8 years old and knows there’s no real Santa.

But she surprised me by saying she doesn’t want to go this year.

And just like that… another childhood tradition comes to an end.

She’s growing up.