Saturday, July 19, 2008
New Blog!
Since this blog has become more of a family blog, Me & Sweet Pea didn't seem to be an appropriate title anymore, so we started a new blog. It's called Babies For The Win! Please check it out.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Trapped!
Just a few minutes ago, Mama and Dada were helping Mia drift off to sleep in the nursery. I think that Mia is starting another teething cycle, as while Mia and I were taking a bath after dinner as part of our bedtime ritual, she was leaking drool like a sieve. The second time Mia chomped down on the boob, Mama asked me to get the sippy cup with Milk in it, so Mia could chomp, suck, and drink to her little heart's content.
So I go to the nursery door and try to open it.
The knob just spins.
I take a step back and doublecheck. Yep, that knob is just spinning. Nothing gripping inside, no catching, just free spin.
Okay. What to do?
If I put pressure on the knob in a certain angle, does it catch and spin the rod that connects the outside door knob to the inside? Nope.
If I jiggle the door a bit can I compress it enough to catch the edges of the inter-knob-rod? Nope.
Where are the screws facing? We're in luck- they face into the nursery.
Can I bash down the door? Probably, but too noisy. So, that's check in the Nope column (for now.)
Whenever situations appear insurmountable, I look for a tool (sometimes it's a hammer.)
I know that if I can get the knob off of this side, I can use my fingers to turn the connecting rod and voila, we can escape. But how to get the knob off?
I look around the nursery- pretty innocuous stuff. The hook I hung up the fish mobile with.. nope. A folded piece of stiff paper... nope. The plastic edge of a babyproofing latch... nope. The nubby tip of a safety scissor used to trim Mia's nails... maybe... testing... eureka!
Mia is being nursed to sleep about three feet away as I slowly use the tip of a single safety scissor blade to unscrew (a quarter turn each time) the phillips head screws that hold the inside door knob to the outer knob. Inevitable clicks occur as I test how far the screw has come out, and as I have to adjust the length of the screw against the knob faceplate, so that I can keep unscrewing.
I finally back the last few twists of the screws off with my fingers. Mia is sleeping, as they say, like a baby. My initial diagnosis was correct- the connecting rod (this one, like most, is square shaped) is shorter than the total distance between the full length of the rod sticking inside of the hallway-side knob.
Using my fingers, I twist the rod and the door pops open. I do a silent dance of joy. I go get the sippy cup, but when I return, Mia is completely out.
The rod, if it slides as far as it can go into the hallway-side knob, isn't long enough to catch the inside edges of the nursery-side knob. This is typical of door handles that are cheap, and generic. The nicer handles have longer rods, or really long rods that the manufacturer just expects you to cut to length.
I slide the rod out, and stick one side into the nursery-side knob and give it a good pounding against the carpet floor, to firmly stick it into this side of the door. I slide it back up into place on the door and it has plenty of reach to turn the opposite knob. Score!
A minute or so of careful, quiet screwing and the knob is back in place. Turning the knob opens the door, success!
I don't think I could have climbed through the window and not woken Mia, and kicking the door down would have been even noisier (not to mention more destructive.)
All in all a successful rescue-the-severn-clan operation.
Being a bit overcareful, I then walked around the house and checked every knob for traps.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
happy funtime swing in Zilker!
Joy!
Glee!
Giggles!
Happiness!
Mia is swinging and laughing in Zilker Park.
Jennifer and I have been strolling Mia around Town Lake on the weekend, getting some exercise into the Mama and Dada Experience ®.
On the way we've seen swans, wood ducks, swarms of swimming turtles, lost turtles on the trail, met lots of friendly puppies, and talked to a stranger about his awesome Chariot stroller. I'd like to hitch one up to my Hookooekoo and bike about.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Job Week
It's been a hard week. Arguably, the hardest week of my life. After being a stay-at-home mom for the last year, I started a new job this week. Leaving my baby girl with even the best caretakers I could ask for has been the hardest thing I've ever done.
There have been a lot of tears. I started crying when I said goodbye to her on Monday morning. On Monday evening when I had to put her to bed an hour after I got home I locked myself in the bedroom and sobbed. Tuesday morning I cried. Wednesday morning I cried. Wednesday afternoon I cried because I could tell that she had grown while I was gone and because she is so beautiful.
And the job is going to be tough. The pace is fast and we don't get many breaks. Today we didn't get a chance to eat lunch until 2. I thought I was going to pass out from the hunger. But I'm grateful for it. When I'm not furiously working, I miss my baby girl so much I can hardly stand it.
I know that Tom is having a hard time understanding why this is so hard for me. He's always been away from her during the day. But for me, she has been my 24-7 job for the past 13 months. My law school friends have been asking me when I was going to get a job since she was three months old. For them, 13 months at home must seem ridiculous. But for me, even that doesn't seem like enough. She is still growing so fast and learning new things every minute. Every day she changes. Even I could not have predicted how difficult this would be for me.
There have been a lot of tears. I started crying when I said goodbye to her on Monday morning. On Monday evening when I had to put her to bed an hour after I got home I locked myself in the bedroom and sobbed. Tuesday morning I cried. Wednesday morning I cried. Wednesday afternoon I cried because I could tell that she had grown while I was gone and because she is so beautiful.
And the job is going to be tough. The pace is fast and we don't get many breaks. Today we didn't get a chance to eat lunch until 2. I thought I was going to pass out from the hunger. But I'm grateful for it. When I'm not furiously working, I miss my baby girl so much I can hardly stand it.
I know that Tom is having a hard time understanding why this is so hard for me. He's always been away from her during the day. But for me, she has been my 24-7 job for the past 13 months. My law school friends have been asking me when I was going to get a job since she was three months old. For them, 13 months at home must seem ridiculous. But for me, even that doesn't seem like enough. She is still growing so fast and learning new things every minute. Every day she changes. Even I could not have predicted how difficult this would be for me.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Our Wedding
Many times in the months we were planning the wedding I said to Tom, "Why are we doing this? It's so expensive. It's so much work. Weddings are not for people with babies. I can't deal with this. You're the one that wanted this. Not me!"
Each time he would assure me that 20 years from now I'd be glad that we had a wedding and that I would regret it if we didn't.
Well, he was right. It isn't even 20 years later and I'm already glad.
As far as weddings go, I think it was fairly drama-free. To the best of my knowledge I did not piss off any of my friends as a result of it and I'm not pissed off at any of my friends. Quite the opposite. I was astonished by the generosity of all of our friends in pulling this wedding together. Since we were working with a relatively small budget, we were responsible for set up and clean up. One of our friends, Beth, took charge of coordination and assembled a crew of friends to do everything. We had friends making signs, picking up the flowers, setting up all the tables and decorations at the Zilker Clubhouse, picking up the keg, running the margarita machine, officiating the ceremony, cutting the cake and cleaning everything up at the end of the night. This wedding would not have happened the way it did without our amazing friends.
And I'm so grateful to my parents who paid for the majority of the wedding and threw our rehearsal dinner. They were so patient with me through all of the planning. They took on this wedding as their project and put so much time into helping me research cakes, flowers, napkins, plates, food, etc. Not to mention eating Paella for weeks in order to perfect the recipe for the rehearsal dinner.
Being a bride was awesome. And a lot like being hugely pregnant. Just like with a big belly, it's hard to be inconspicuous in a wedding dress. Everyone smiles at you, is extra nice to you and expects you to be a little crazy. It was the most amazing experience that I'll gladly never repeat.
And at the end of the night, I got to go spend the night at the Driskill Hotel with the love of my life, my husband. It was our first and only night without Mia. While it was very nice to have some alone grown up time, we both kept waking up every couple of hours wondering if she was awake. We probably won't do that again anytime soon. Honeymoon will have to wait awhile.
But for now, I am so happily married! I love saying "my husband." I love filling out forms and checking the "married" box. I love our little family.
Each time he would assure me that 20 years from now I'd be glad that we had a wedding and that I would regret it if we didn't.
Well, he was right. It isn't even 20 years later and I'm already glad.
As far as weddings go, I think it was fairly drama-free. To the best of my knowledge I did not piss off any of my friends as a result of it and I'm not pissed off at any of my friends. Quite the opposite. I was astonished by the generosity of all of our friends in pulling this wedding together. Since we were working with a relatively small budget, we were responsible for set up and clean up. One of our friends, Beth, took charge of coordination and assembled a crew of friends to do everything. We had friends making signs, picking up the flowers, setting up all the tables and decorations at the Zilker Clubhouse, picking up the keg, running the margarita machine, officiating the ceremony, cutting the cake and cleaning everything up at the end of the night. This wedding would not have happened the way it did without our amazing friends.
And I'm so grateful to my parents who paid for the majority of the wedding and threw our rehearsal dinner. They were so patient with me through all of the planning. They took on this wedding as their project and put so much time into helping me research cakes, flowers, napkins, plates, food, etc. Not to mention eating Paella for weeks in order to perfect the recipe for the rehearsal dinner.
Being a bride was awesome. And a lot like being hugely pregnant. Just like with a big belly, it's hard to be inconspicuous in a wedding dress. Everyone smiles at you, is extra nice to you and expects you to be a little crazy. It was the most amazing experience that I'll gladly never repeat.
And at the end of the night, I got to go spend the night at the Driskill Hotel with the love of my life, my husband. It was our first and only night without Mia. While it was very nice to have some alone grown up time, we both kept waking up every couple of hours wondering if she was awake. We probably won't do that again anytime soon. Honeymoon will have to wait awhile.
But for now, I am so happily married! I love saying "my husband." I love filling out forms and checking the "married" box. I love our little family.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Hail?
Tom said that it was extra-hard to get Mia to go to sleep because of the golf-ball-sized hail that started hitting our roof about 20 minutes ago. It's currently 84 degrees outside. So weird.
Friday, May 9, 2008
File Under: Things I learned as a parent
Welcome to a parental secret!
For all of you non-parents out there, I have a secret to share with you.
This is known, I'm almost certain, by anyone who has had to change diapers on a regular basis. There is only one substance on the planet that can be used to clean anything. It's not CLR. Nor a as-seen-on-TV miracle. No matter how dirty.
What is this miracle substance that can clean your bathroom sink? This supernatural thing that cleans the floor, the stove, the kitchen countertop? The secret that parents use to clean anything messy, or just plain dirty, such as car tires and rims?
What is this secret thing? Dear god tell us, I need to clean X and Y, and I don't know how?
Baby wipes.
Long after our babies are out of diapers, have been potty trained and never miss a bathroom break, baby wipes will be a staple of our household. THEY CLEAN EVERYTHING. SRLY. I'm not sure if it's specific to a single brand, or if all baby wipes can clean your mirrors, floors, ceilings, ceiling fans, countertops, car rims, steering wheels... everything.
Monday, May 5, 2008
A fiery exit!
Joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy joy fire!
What an amazing night for my awesome wife and family! I don't think any of us got much sleep, but it was more than worth it (when Nana was asked how Mia slept, she said, "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.")
Finally my dream girl is my wife! Forever!
There are so many excellent pictures from the wedding (Cecily totally beat me to the punch with her post below!) From all reports everyone had fun at the party celebrating our marriage. I'm so happy that some of our closest friends and family were able to attend, witness, and dance into the night.
In this picture, I thought I was walking quickly, but Jennifer was afraid she was going to burst into flames (her thoughts were... OMG... run! run! run!)
I'll do my best not to overload the blog with gushing and wedding pictures and happiness and and and... joy.
What an amazing night for my awesome wife and family! I don't think any of us got much sleep, but it was more than worth it (when Nana was asked how Mia slept, she said, "Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.")
Finally my dream girl is my wife! Forever!
There are so many excellent pictures from the wedding (Cecily totally beat me to the punch with her post below!) From all reports everyone had fun at the party celebrating our marriage. I'm so happy that some of our closest friends and family were able to attend, witness, and dance into the night.
In this picture, I thought I was walking quickly, but Jennifer was afraid she was going to burst into flames (her thoughts were... OMG... run! run! run!)
I'll do my best not to overload the blog with gushing and wedding pictures and happiness and and and... joy.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Wedding Day Photos
I wasn't officially allowed to take photos, but I managed to have my camera out for about 20 minutes and I grabbed a few.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Tiny Dancer
It's been a super busy week with the wedding coming up, but I wanted to report on Mia's 12 month check-up. She weighs 17 pounds, 9 ounces and is 27.5 inches long. This means it's going to be awhile until we can put her in a forward-facing car seat. The pediatrician isn't at all concerned about her size since she's height/weight proportionate.
We decided to hold off on the MMR vaccination. We're going to wait at least until 18 months. After that, we'll make a decision.
We decided to hold off on the MMR vaccination. We're going to wait at least until 18 months. After that, we'll make a decision.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Guild Lunch
Here we are at our weekly WoW guild lunch. There are actually a lot more people than you can see. There is a second row of tables in the sun. We were also 30 minutes late because Mia took a hour and a half long nap! We know the cardinal rule of parenting: NEVER WAKE A SLEEPING BABY. We had some delicious adult time while she was napping.
In this picture, Tom is saying that 0/21/40 destruction is the best Warlock raiding spec once you reach the hit cap of 202. Of course for PvP, he argues, sl/sl = win. Mia disagrees, asserting that affliction is the best spec due the devastating combination of DoTs and high mobility.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Happy Birthday, Mia!
Today was a pretty low key birthday. The real celebrating will occur on
Saturday when we'll be having Mia's first birthday party. We're all
super excited.
She started off the day with a little cereal.
Then we did some laundry.
Later we hung out with Ravyn and Sufyan for a little while. Afterwards, Nana and Papa came over and took us to dinner at Central Market.
After dinner, Papa helped Mia with the slide.
At home we had some snuggle time with Daddy and then it was bedtime. It was a good day.
Saturday when we'll be having Mia's first birthday party. We're all
super excited.
She started off the day with a little cereal.
Then we did some laundry.
Later we hung out with Ravyn and Sufyan for a little while. Afterwards, Nana and Papa came over and took us to dinner at Central Market.
After dinner, Papa helped Mia with the slide.
At home we had some snuggle time with Daddy and then it was bedtime. It was a good day.
Canada. oh, canada. ugh, canada...
Today, on Mia's first birthday, I found out for certain that Apple is sending me off to Canada for almost a week... 4 days? Maybe 5 days. From the morning of the 21st to the late evening of the 24th or early morning of the 25th. Now I have to create from scratch 4 training sessions each 3 hours long... wee. >< /sadface
When Apple approached me about this project, the projected timeframe was the 1st week of April. Schedules, deadlines, and other messes slipped and now it's the week before the week of my wedding. I'm sure the timing could be worse, but not by much.
So! If you're in Austin (or even if you're not), take some time and drop my lovely wife-to-be a line. I don't want Jennifer to get lonely while I'm off serving the Corporate Masters, and being mommy is hard when daddy isn't around. And sometimes even when daddy is around.
At least I get to be in town for Mia's birthday! and her party! For that, I am happy, and very excited.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
One year ago
I'm trying to remember exactly what was happening at this time one year ago. I was at the birthing center. I was in labor. When I had arrived in the afternoon the midwife told me that I should be having my baby by midnight. At 11 o'clock I wasn't even close. It's amazing how quickly I have forgotten the details. I remember that it took a long time.
I have several theories as to why it took so long. They all might be true. One of them is that I didn't really believe that I was having a baby. I just couldn't picture it. I never had imagined myself pregnant. I had imagined myself becoming a mother but I never imagined giving birth to a baby. I just couldn't visualize it. Yeah, I was huge and I'd seen the ultrasounds. I felt the kicking. It wasn't rational.
There were two midwives attending my birth. I felt like they were watching me waiting for something to happen. I was watching them waiting for something to happen. I hadn't realized that I was going to have to make it happen.
I don't know if I could have done it on my own. After the first two midwives had given up on me and the two older, more experienced midwives arrived, took control of the situation and finally made something happen, I was shocked to discover that there actually was a baby. Shocked. I stared at her in utter disbelief. That beautiful being came from me? Is that possible?
And I fell in love for the first time in my life. Instantly. My entire world in one seven pound, ten ounce bundle. Suddenly, everything was different.
Laundry Day
Tom's dryer is electric and our new place only has gas hook ups. We decided that instead of buying a new dryer, that we're going to experiment with hanging up our laundry on clothes lines.
My observations so far:
I can't let laundry pile up since I can only hang three loads at a time.
It's time consuming. Oddly, I don't mind it very much. I fall into a rhythm and it becomes meditative.
Permanent press doesn't work without dryer. I'm going to have to start ironing my clothes. I'm going to have to buy an iron.
It makes me feel really green. We're saving energy!
The clothes dry surprisingly fast. I can't wait to see how quickly they dry when it's 110 degrees outside.
It forces me to pay attention to what I'm wearing. I have to handle each piece of clothing. I realize that I buy a lot more clothing manufactured overseas than I care to admit, previously, even to myself. I make an effort to buy American-made clothes. Yeah, Dov Charney may be (allegedly) a letch, but at least his clothes didn't come from a sweatshop. Too bad I'm too old for Dickies.
It reminds me of an expression my friend Liz P. uses: Amish Chic. I may not hand knit my baby's clothes, but I wash them in Mrs. Meyers and hang them on a clothes line!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Identify this object and it's yours.
This was in our storage shed when we moved in. We have no idea what it is.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Powerleveling, FTW!
So for the next few weeks I probably won't be blogging quite as often. I have a lot going on right now.
1. Tom and I recently moved in together and we are very busy unpacking
2. Mia's first birthday party is next Saturday
3. I'm looking for a job
4. We're getting married in less than three weeks
5. I have less than three weeks to get Shuniya up to level 70!
Lately, in the time that I usually designate for blogging I've been furiously questing with Evita or occasionally Lykaea because it would be mildly embarrassing to Tom, as Guild Master, to marry someone whose main is a (at the time of the writing) level 46. Oh the shame.
Back when Tom and I were just friends (secretly pining for each other) we used to play Diablo II together. I'd played a little WoW in the past but just started playing again with brand new characters once Tom and I started dating. I asked him what character would be most helpful to him. He thought for a few seconds, his eyes lit up and he said, "A Holy Paladin!"
So, if you don't see me blogging as often, that's my latest excuse. We're too busy spreading death and destruction.
1. Tom and I recently moved in together and we are very busy unpacking
2. Mia's first birthday party is next Saturday
3. I'm looking for a job
4. We're getting married in less than three weeks
5. I have less than three weeks to get Shuniya up to level 70!
Lately, in the time that I usually designate for blogging I've been furiously questing with Evita or occasionally Lykaea because it would be mildly embarrassing to Tom, as Guild Master, to marry someone whose main is a (at the time of the writing) level 46. Oh the shame.
Back when Tom and I were just friends (secretly pining for each other) we used to play Diablo II together. I'd played a little WoW in the past but just started playing again with brand new characters once Tom and I started dating. I asked him what character would be most helpful to him. He thought for a few seconds, his eyes lit up and he said, "A Holy Paladin!"
So, if you don't see me blogging as often, that's my latest excuse. We're too busy spreading death and destruction.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Mommy in Bluebonnets
Taking pictures of babies and kids in the bluebonnets is a tradition here in Texas. Here I am posing for my first bluebonnet picture at around nine months.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Mia in Bluebonnets
Yesterday Mia and I met with Cecily for Mia's first bluebonnet portrait. We had so much fun playing in the flowers that I didn't even realize that we had stayed past Mia's bedtime. I had a very cranky baby on my hands when I got home. I think Tom is still a little pissed at me because of how long it took to get her to go to sleep.
But look at these pictures! It was so worth it. I've been looking at them constantly all day. Cecily calls them Mommy crack. She's right. I'm addicted.
This is a little dress Nana and Papa brought home from Oaxaca. Something about it reminds me of The Legend of the Bluebonnet, one of my favorite books when I was a little girl.
Check out more of the bluebonnet pictures here.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
I'm asking for trouble
I have been blessed so far with a remarkably easy baby. I have never deigned to give advice to parents of colicky or challenging babies. I don't take any credit for it. I don't think it's due to any superior parenting abilities on my part. I'm still a big fan of attachment parenting so if I were to take credit for any of her easy-going demeanor, that would be what I would attribute it to. But if at some point in the future we have another one, I'm certainly not expecting it to be this easy again. If it is, that's just bonus.
I was expecting the worst. I was studying for the bar exam when I was pregnant. When I was finally finished with the bar exam, I funneled that energy into reading infant books. I read a lot of baby books. Right before Mia was born I read a book written by an Austin writer who had a baby with severe food allergies. Talk about a challenging baby. Another book I read said that for the first week, just try to survive. For the first month, don't think you'll be able to do anything but take care of the baby. So, before she was born, I was expecting a newborn baby to be just about the hardest shit ever.
But it was surprisingly not hard. Not nearly as hard as, say, finals first semester in law school or taking the bar exam. Those were much harder. I'd have another baby before I'd take the California bar. Please, Tom, please don't ever make me move to California. Please don't make me take another bar exam. Please. I'm begging you.
In the beginning, I kept telling visitors, I don't want to jinx myself, but this is way easier than I was expecting. She never cries.
Now during those first few months, my life was hard. Being a single mom to a newborn baby was very hard. So, if it's pissing anyone off for me to talk about how easy my newborn was, just keep that in mind. If you want to compare griefs, I've got some big ones for you. Did I mention it was hard? But even that had a purpose. Since I did it alone for the first five months, I'm intensely grateful for Tom's help. But this is a blog post for another day. Back to my story...
The waking up to nurse every two hours was no big deal. I've never been a good sleeper. I wake up about that often anyway. It was actually nice to have something to do. I was so sad when she started to sleep three or four hours. I would wake up and watch her sleep. Nighttime has always been a lonely time for me. Having someone who needs me in the middle of the night feels good. I'll miss it when she doesn't need her nighttime snack anymore.
Nursing. Super easy. She was born. I put her up to the boob. She latched on. They've been best buds ever since. I would tell people who asked why I didn't give her bottles that I am way too lazy to make a bottle. (True) Maybe that's why she's being such a troublemaker at the boob now. Things even out.
That said, she is more challenging now than she has ever been. She still isn't a frequent crier, but she wants things. She wants the iPhone, the car keys, daddy's expensive MacBook. She lets us know how frustrated she is when she can't have them. She's highly mobile now so she requires constant supervision. Everything goes in her mouth. Open mouth, insert world. I walk into any room and instinctively scan for choking hazards. She gets bored more easily. Eating at restaurants is becoming more challenging. She won't let me feed her purees anymore except for banana and cereal. She wants to feed herself but she throws food. We have to give her one tiny piece of food at a time so she doesn't throw it all on the floor then cry because it's all gone.
But at the same time, she's more fun than she's ever been. Her face lights up when she sees me. She wants to show me things. She points at things then looks at me and smiles. She's experimenting with words. She's tries so hard to communicate with us. Sometimes I feel like a tour guide to a little alien. I'll be reading her a book and in the book there will be something she's never seen before, like a turtle so I'll explain what a turtle is. Then I'll take her to central market and show her the turtles. When we go on walks we talk about the things we see. "We call this a cactus. See these sharp points? We don't touch those because they hurt. One time when I was a little girl..."
I even take secret pleasure from her temper tantrums. I love that she is asserting herself. I love how expressive she is, how passionate she is. My psychologist friend is highly disapproving of this, but I can't help but laugh when she starts to throw a fit. It's just so darn adorable. But mostly I love it because more so than ever I know that she is fully her own person with her own wants, her own needs and her own agenda. She's already so strong. I can't help but beam. I am so proud of my fiery little redhead.
I was expecting the worst. I was studying for the bar exam when I was pregnant. When I was finally finished with the bar exam, I funneled that energy into reading infant books. I read a lot of baby books. Right before Mia was born I read a book written by an Austin writer who had a baby with severe food allergies. Talk about a challenging baby. Another book I read said that for the first week, just try to survive. For the first month, don't think you'll be able to do anything but take care of the baby. So, before she was born, I was expecting a newborn baby to be just about the hardest shit ever.
But it was surprisingly not hard. Not nearly as hard as, say, finals first semester in law school or taking the bar exam. Those were much harder. I'd have another baby before I'd take the California bar. Please, Tom, please don't ever make me move to California. Please don't make me take another bar exam. Please. I'm begging you.
In the beginning, I kept telling visitors, I don't want to jinx myself, but this is way easier than I was expecting. She never cries.
Now during those first few months, my life was hard. Being a single mom to a newborn baby was very hard. So, if it's pissing anyone off for me to talk about how easy my newborn was, just keep that in mind. If you want to compare griefs, I've got some big ones for you. Did I mention it was hard? But even that had a purpose. Since I did it alone for the first five months, I'm intensely grateful for Tom's help. But this is a blog post for another day. Back to my story...
The waking up to nurse every two hours was no big deal. I've never been a good sleeper. I wake up about that often anyway. It was actually nice to have something to do. I was so sad when she started to sleep three or four hours. I would wake up and watch her sleep. Nighttime has always been a lonely time for me. Having someone who needs me in the middle of the night feels good. I'll miss it when she doesn't need her nighttime snack anymore.
Nursing. Super easy. She was born. I put her up to the boob. She latched on. They've been best buds ever since. I would tell people who asked why I didn't give her bottles that I am way too lazy to make a bottle. (True) Maybe that's why she's being such a troublemaker at the boob now. Things even out.
That said, she is more challenging now than she has ever been. She still isn't a frequent crier, but she wants things. She wants the iPhone, the car keys, daddy's expensive MacBook. She lets us know how frustrated she is when she can't have them. She's highly mobile now so she requires constant supervision. Everything goes in her mouth. Open mouth, insert world. I walk into any room and instinctively scan for choking hazards. She gets bored more easily. Eating at restaurants is becoming more challenging. She won't let me feed her purees anymore except for banana and cereal. She wants to feed herself but she throws food. We have to give her one tiny piece of food at a time so she doesn't throw it all on the floor then cry because it's all gone.
But at the same time, she's more fun than she's ever been. Her face lights up when she sees me. She wants to show me things. She points at things then looks at me and smiles. She's experimenting with words. She's tries so hard to communicate with us. Sometimes I feel like a tour guide to a little alien. I'll be reading her a book and in the book there will be something she's never seen before, like a turtle so I'll explain what a turtle is. Then I'll take her to central market and show her the turtles. When we go on walks we talk about the things we see. "We call this a cactus. See these sharp points? We don't touch those because they hurt. One time when I was a little girl..."
I even take secret pleasure from her temper tantrums. I love that she is asserting herself. I love how expressive she is, how passionate she is. My psychologist friend is highly disapproving of this, but I can't help but laugh when she starts to throw a fit. It's just so darn adorable. But mostly I love it because more so than ever I know that she is fully her own person with her own wants, her own needs and her own agenda. She's already so strong. I can't help but beam. I am so proud of my fiery little redhead.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
I spy daddy's wallet...
I love this picture.
I tend to take my wallet out and leave it on a table when I get home (or, in this case, Papa and Nana's house.)
I can't recall what I was doing at that moment, but I was busy elsewhere when Mia cruised on over to the end table and spied Daddy's Tasty Leather Wallet.
When I came back, Jennifer and Nana were laughing at how she had taken out the ATM, CC, and money from the wallet. I was warned this was only the first steps...
I tend to take my wallet out and leave it on a table when I get home (or, in this case, Papa and Nana's house.)
I can't recall what I was doing at that moment, but I was busy elsewhere when Mia cruised on over to the end table and spied Daddy's Tasty Leather Wallet.
When I came back, Jennifer and Nana were laughing at how she had taken out the ATM, CC, and money from the wallet. I was warned this was only the first steps...
Movin' on up!
"No crawling and boobing" indeed. When Mia gets really squirmy, Jennifer and I form the "Mommy & Daddy Sandwich". Mia is between us, latched onto the boob, and I snuggle my body up against her so that she can't do her Yoga-Arch and Complain routine. Sometimes I gently place a hand on her hips and another on her shoulder, to reassure and reduce her instinct to wiggle. Lately I've also been using my rocking-to-sleep chant of "It's sleepy-time, it's sleepytime..." (wait two beats, then repeat.)
Strangely, Mia hasn't been falling asleep at the boob much anymore. Sometimes she gets all wiggly, sometimes she just pushes away and says "dada dadadddaadadadaaaa". I take that as my cue to sweep her up into my arms, sneak into the nursery, and do the rocking-to-sleep dance. In the last few weeks I think she's fallen asleep at the boob twice? three times? I remember fondly when the Mommy & Daddy Sandwich would put her out in 8 minutes or less. Now it's 8 minutes or more of rocking. Which at least is good for me. Sometimes I can really work up a sweat. I'm sure it's good for my hips, at least. I hope that we can get a rocker/glider before Apple sends me away on business for a few days.
I've been up late the last few nights moving the remainder of my stuff from the Compound (my old house) to the Sunshine House (our new place! So exciting!) and I'm happy to be done and done and done with all of that. I have way more stuff then I had anticipated. A part of me wishes I had just moved out the electronic stuff and set the place ablaze. Think: more funeral pyre, less arson. I'm sure AFD would have understood.
oh, Hi blog! Long time lurker, occasional commenter, and now contributor! I've been reading Jennifer's blogs (and their various incarnations) since we met, ten years ago.
I have about a thousand adorable pictures on my iPhone that I need to load into Flickr so that I can blog those moments. That will happen one day. And by that I mean, hopefully before the wedding.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Boob wrestling
She latches on then begins to kick her legs. She braces her fists against my chest and pushes away as hard as she can. She locks her arms. As she pushes away she increases the suction and bears down with her teeth stretching the breast to its limit. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close to my body. She kicks harder and pounds her fists against me. Her efforts thwarted she releases from the breast and lets out a pitiful wail of betrayal. She looks up at me with big sad eyes and relaxes into my arms. She latches on again, sucks contentedly for a few gulps, her body still relaxed, gazing into my eyes. I begin to relax. Sensing this she quickly pushes her hands against my chest, locks her arms and arches her back while sucking hard. I put my hand on the back of her head and push her head towards my body. She shakes her head and kicks her legs. Then relaxes. Repeat ad nauseam.
Breast feeding has turned into a wrestling match. Anyone else having this experience?
Breast feeding has turned into a wrestling match. Anyone else having this experience?
Sunday, March 30, 2008
No Crawling and Boobing!
An oft repeated refrain in our household these days is "No crawling and boobing!" Mia, no longer content to just lie in my arms or lie on the bed as we nurse, is constantly churning her arms and legs. She will try to roll over while the boob is in her mouth. She will try to stand up while the boob is in her mouth. She will turn her head and try to look at something behind her - while the boob is still in her mouth and she is holding on to it with teeth! Gone are the long, leisurely boob sessions as she gazed lovingly into my eyes. The urge to move is too strong.
She has recently taken a renewed interest in the boob. She doesn't nurse for long, but she wants a quick sip more frequently. At the grocery store yesterday she insisted on being nursed as I walked around. I was carrying her in the Ergo. I've never been able to nurse her in the Ergo the way that they suggest, but I have a sideways method that I use. Of course she didn't just latch on and stay there concealing my breast with her head. She would latch on, take a few gulps, yank her head back, look around then go back to the boob. So, a lot of H.E.B customers got to see my nipple.
A few months ago I was eating brunch with Tom and a couple of his friends at Enoteca. I was explaining that I had stopped using the hooter hider because half of Austin had seen my boobs anyway. I was referring to incidents like the one above but apparently the guy thought that I had previously been a stripper and raised his eyebrow at Tom. I have become so inured to boob talk that I hardly think twice about discussing my boobs with anyone. I have to remind myself that not everyone is as comfortable with my boobs as I am.
And speaking of body parts...
About a week after my period I started bleeding a little bit. I didn't think much of it since my periods have been weird since I got the Mirena IUD. After a couple of days of this I decided that I should investigate. I discovered that instead of the usual threads sticking out of my cervix I felt what I thought was the hard tip of my Mirena. I told Tom and he didn't believe me. He's been complaining since the beginning that the strings did not soften as promised and felt like fishing wire. What would have been a sexy game of doctor became decidedly not sexy when he too felt more than just strings. I then rushed to the Internet to read story after story about perforated uteri.
The next day I went in to see my nurse practitioner. She immediately confirmed it was indeed sticking out of my cervix and would have to come out. "Can't you just push it back in?" I wailed.
No, she could not.
I declined to have another one inserted.
I wanted to tell this story for the benefit of anyone considering getting the Mirena. On one hand, never having to think about birth control was awesome. And had it lasted longer, I wouldn't have minded shelling out $600 for it. As it was, I had it in for less than six months before it started to fall out. It would be an understatement to say that I am irritated about that. I might consider getting it again if insurance paid for it but there's no way I'm shelling out another $600 for one. If anyone has any questions about my experience with it, I'd be happy to answer them.
She has recently taken a renewed interest in the boob. She doesn't nurse for long, but she wants a quick sip more frequently. At the grocery store yesterday she insisted on being nursed as I walked around. I was carrying her in the Ergo. I've never been able to nurse her in the Ergo the way that they suggest, but I have a sideways method that I use. Of course she didn't just latch on and stay there concealing my breast with her head. She would latch on, take a few gulps, yank her head back, look around then go back to the boob. So, a lot of H.E.B customers got to see my nipple.
A few months ago I was eating brunch with Tom and a couple of his friends at Enoteca. I was explaining that I had stopped using the hooter hider because half of Austin had seen my boobs anyway. I was referring to incidents like the one above but apparently the guy thought that I had previously been a stripper and raised his eyebrow at Tom. I have become so inured to boob talk that I hardly think twice about discussing my boobs with anyone. I have to remind myself that not everyone is as comfortable with my boobs as I am.
And speaking of body parts...
About a week after my period I started bleeding a little bit. I didn't think much of it since my periods have been weird since I got the Mirena IUD. After a couple of days of this I decided that I should investigate. I discovered that instead of the usual threads sticking out of my cervix I felt what I thought was the hard tip of my Mirena. I told Tom and he didn't believe me. He's been complaining since the beginning that the strings did not soften as promised and felt like fishing wire. What would have been a sexy game of doctor became decidedly not sexy when he too felt more than just strings. I then rushed to the Internet to read story after story about perforated uteri.
The next day I went in to see my nurse practitioner. She immediately confirmed it was indeed sticking out of my cervix and would have to come out. "Can't you just push it back in?" I wailed.
No, she could not.
I declined to have another one inserted.
I wanted to tell this story for the benefit of anyone considering getting the Mirena. On one hand, never having to think about birth control was awesome. And had it lasted longer, I wouldn't have minded shelling out $600 for it. As it was, I had it in for less than six months before it started to fall out. It would be an understatement to say that I am irritated about that. I might consider getting it again if insurance paid for it but there's no way I'm shelling out another $600 for one. If anyone has any questions about my experience with it, I'd be happy to answer them.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Duplex Joy
We just signed the lease on a duplex. Look how happy Mia is! We will be living together soon - our little, happy family. I think she could tell how relieved we were.
We really wanted to stay near Tom's current house. From there we can walk to Austin Diner, Phil's Ice House, Amy's Ice Cream and lots of other cool stuff. We had started to get anxious and depressed when we couldn't find anything nearby in our price range. I had started driving around watching for signs. Every place I found was twice what we wanted to spend. Then one day I found a sign outside a duplex just a street away from my good friend Ravyn. I called immediately and the realtor told me that there was a key inside the mail box. I went inside, looked around then called the realtor and asked if she was sure about the price. She double checked and said that she was. I called Tom and asked if he could meet me there.
Tom and I already had plans to go see another house that day, a house sandwiched in between two major roads. He said he could leave for lunch a little bit early and meet me at the duplex on the way to the other house. He liked it, too! I called the realtor back and said that we'd take it. Had we not found the duplex that day, we might have ended up in the sad house in the unfortunate location. Instead, when we went to see the other house we knew right away that it was not right for us.
It's not perfect, but for the next year it's ours. And any place where I get to make a home with my baby girl and my soulmate is perfect for me.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Bridezilla Part I
It has begun. Planning this wedding is making me crazy. Crazy. First of all, we decided that we didn't want a long engagement, so I don't have much time. Second, we are working with an extremely limited budget so trying to find great deals on everything is a bit stressful. I have a baby and haven't even started paying on my student loans yet, so spending a ton of money on a wedding is not happening. Not happening. Period.
So far I've bought my dress, booked the venue, and found the officiant (Tom's best friend). Now I'm working on everything else. If anyone knows of a good and cheap DJ and photographer, please let me know.
So far I've bought my dress, booked the venue, and found the officiant (Tom's best friend). Now I'm working on everything else. If anyone knows of a good and cheap DJ and photographer, please let me know.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
JC Penny dance party
They are playing dance music at jc penny so we decided to have a spontaneous dance party.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
More exciting developments
We got engaged! I won't be a single mom for long. Woot! So far I've done the following: set date, secure venue, buy dress. Now I just have to do EVERYTHING else.
I bought a car! In an attempt to prolong my time as a SAHM, I'm selling my beloved but expensive Subaru so that I won't have to make a car payment. Instead, I bought a Volvo 850 since I could pay for it cash. I love the freedom of no car payments.
So, in the next few months I will be planning a wedding, finding a new place to live and finding a job. Should be exciting times.
I added Tom as a guest contributor to my blog, so you might get to read his thoughts from time to time.
I bought a car! In an attempt to prolong my time as a SAHM, I'm selling my beloved but expensive Subaru so that I won't have to make a car payment. Instead, I bought a Volvo 850 since I could pay for it cash. I love the freedom of no car payments.
So, in the next few months I will be planning a wedding, finding a new place to live and finding a job. Should be exciting times.
I added Tom as a guest contributor to my blog, so you might get to read his thoughts from time to time.
Hittin' the bottle...er...sippy cup
Here we are again at Austin Diner. Since Mia was an exclusive boob baby, she never drank from a bottle. So, the sippy cup is a very new experience. I think she's getting the hang of it.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Austin Diner
Who slept like a champ last night? Mia! I won't say how long because I don't want to jinx myself, but I will say that I woke up with rock hard boobs. I haven't been engorged like that since the beginning. I woke up leaking and rather incomfortable. I wonder if that is what implants feel like.
Here we are having breakfast at Austin diner. That's my man Tom feeding Mia banana.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Blogging On The Go!
This is my first attempt blogging with my iPhone. If I can figure out an easy way to do this, I'll probably update my blog a lot more often. Mia is constantly on the move these days so I don't get a lot of computer time. If anyone has any iPhone blogging advice, I'd love to hear it.
Right now, I'm emailing pictures to flickr with my iPhone then blogging directly from the flickr website. The only drawback so far is that it took several hours for my emailed picture to appear on flickr.
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