Husband's working late tonight so it's just me and Baby at home. I enjoy our time together so much. Tonight while I was making a simple skillet hash, Baby and I shared some cheese and crackers (well, Carr's wheat biscuits) and listened to my current favorite cd, "Tumble Bee" by Laura Veirs. There are some really wonderful tunes on that cd like "Soldier's Joy", "Little Lap Dog Lullaby", and my favorite, "King Kong Kitchie Kitchie Ki-Me-O". Baby and I danced in the kitchen to the songs while our dinner cooked on the stove.
Now dinner's over and Baby's going through the spices in the lazy susan. The lock on the lazy susan broke so for the last few days, she has loved going through the spices and flour and vanilla extract bottles. Nothing has been broken yet! I need to think of some solution though so we don't end up with a (worse case scenario) sick baby or a (more likely scenario) extremely messy kitchen. She just brought me the sherry vinegar. Oy. And quick update, she just put the sherry vinegar back, so that's good!
Other newsworthy items: she really loves bringing me her dolls and little cat and guinea pig dolls and having me pretend to nurse them! It's so cute and melts my heart. She grins so big-- she knows it's a little joke. She's also starting to say "Ga ga" for the sound birds make ("Caw caw!"). I finally ordered a jogging stroller the other day and I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival. I really need and want to get outside and get some exercise.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Cross Fit Baby
Here I am again. Guess I have blogging on the brain.
Sometimes the husband and I joke that baby is training for the cross fit games. She is BUSY. Always moving, exploring, climbing, lifting, running. I just bought some gentle diapers without too much harsh stuff, called Bamboo Nature from Denmark, I think. The packages are pretty big and she loves to lift them, drag them, climb on them. She doesn't stop unless she's sleeping. She was like this as an infant too-- so aware, so observing, never letting me put her in a crib, never letting me rock her (in the rocking chair). Funny that I bought a crib and rocking chair thinking we'd use them.... (though we do use the rocking chair, just not while holding baby). She needs to move. We walk a lot-- I hold her and walk, I hold her and practice my clogging (within reason), I hold her and bounce. I weigh less now than I did pre-pregnancy. Probably what I weighed in high school, ot at least my freshman year of college. It's because my baby needs to constantly be moving.
When she was an infant, I read in "the baby book" by Dr. Sears a list of traits that a "high needs" baby has. See it here: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/fussy-baby/high-need-baby/changing-personality-profile-high-need-child-grows So many of them fit Baby to a T. Spunky, yep. Alert, yep. Demanding. Busy, strong-willed, energetic, expressive, exhausting. Yes to them all. Not all fit though-- she rarely cries, though it's also true I don't "let" her, and she isn't unconsolable. I can console her real quick with nursing or a visit to see our guinea pig (who lives in the laundry room these days).
On our last date night, I headed off first for acupuncture, then husband and I met at a restaurant. A little while after finishing our artichoke dip but just before my French dip sandwich arrived, the babysitter called to say Baby had a fever. I got my order boxed up and headed straight home. Poor baby was really warm and very sleepy. We crawled in bed and she nursed and fell asleep immediately. She slept okay but woke up the next morning at 4 am moaning and very hot. I was awake enough; I finished reading "Prep" (my second time reading it. I love rereading books) the night before and went to bed early. We whiled away the early morning hours nursing as well as me holding baby in the folds of my fleece robe and walking, later getting back in bed and trying to go back to sleep (unsuccessful), having tea (me, not baby), eating a bagel with cream cheese, and finally (around 6 or 6:30) snuggling on the couch to watch tv. Snuggling on the couch is almost unheard of with baby. Acceptable ways of spending time on the couch for baby include climbing, reaching for the Christmas light cord that dangles up and slightly to the right of the couch, climbing on any person or pug sitting on the couch, playing under the pillows of said couch. etc. Also mostly unheard of is baby watching tv. She watches sports sometimes if her daddy is, but not really cartoons. I try not to turn the tv on. But with a sick baby, I'm open to anything and the tv definitely helps. We watched parts of three shows. I rated one an A+, one a B and one an F. The shows were "Noddy", "Noodle Doodle" (I think? Noodle something. One sentence was unfortunately very memorable: "Way to use your noodle, Noodle McDoodle!) and Barney. Guess which show got the F.
Sometimes the husband and I joke that baby is training for the cross fit games. She is BUSY. Always moving, exploring, climbing, lifting, running. I just bought some gentle diapers without too much harsh stuff, called Bamboo Nature from Denmark, I think. The packages are pretty big and she loves to lift them, drag them, climb on them. She doesn't stop unless she's sleeping. She was like this as an infant too-- so aware, so observing, never letting me put her in a crib, never letting me rock her (in the rocking chair). Funny that I bought a crib and rocking chair thinking we'd use them.... (though we do use the rocking chair, just not while holding baby). She needs to move. We walk a lot-- I hold her and walk, I hold her and practice my clogging (within reason), I hold her and bounce. I weigh less now than I did pre-pregnancy. Probably what I weighed in high school, ot at least my freshman year of college. It's because my baby needs to constantly be moving.
When she was an infant, I read in "the baby book" by Dr. Sears a list of traits that a "high needs" baby has. See it here: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/fussy-baby/high-need-baby/changing-personality-profile-high-need-child-grows So many of them fit Baby to a T. Spunky, yep. Alert, yep. Demanding. Busy, strong-willed, energetic, expressive, exhausting. Yes to them all. Not all fit though-- she rarely cries, though it's also true I don't "let" her, and she isn't unconsolable. I can console her real quick with nursing or a visit to see our guinea pig (who lives in the laundry room these days).
On our last date night, I headed off first for acupuncture, then husband and I met at a restaurant. A little while after finishing our artichoke dip but just before my French dip sandwich arrived, the babysitter called to say Baby had a fever. I got my order boxed up and headed straight home. Poor baby was really warm and very sleepy. We crawled in bed and she nursed and fell asleep immediately. She slept okay but woke up the next morning at 4 am moaning and very hot. I was awake enough; I finished reading "Prep" (my second time reading it. I love rereading books) the night before and went to bed early. We whiled away the early morning hours nursing as well as me holding baby in the folds of my fleece robe and walking, later getting back in bed and trying to go back to sleep (unsuccessful), having tea (me, not baby), eating a bagel with cream cheese, and finally (around 6 or 6:30) snuggling on the couch to watch tv. Snuggling on the couch is almost unheard of with baby. Acceptable ways of spending time on the couch for baby include climbing, reaching for the Christmas light cord that dangles up and slightly to the right of the couch, climbing on any person or pug sitting on the couch, playing under the pillows of said couch. etc. Also mostly unheard of is baby watching tv. She watches sports sometimes if her daddy is, but not really cartoons. I try not to turn the tv on. But with a sick baby, I'm open to anything and the tv definitely helps. We watched parts of three shows. I rated one an A+, one a B and one an F. The shows were "Noddy", "Noodle Doodle" (I think? Noodle something. One sentence was unfortunately very memorable: "Way to use your noodle, Noodle McDoodle!) and Barney. Guess which show got the F.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
On Second Thought
Well, I may not change anything about our nursing and sleeping just yet. After I started really thinking about making a change, I felt like it was too soon and I didn't want to. My husband and I have been able to spend more time together thanks to our babysitters, and my back hasn't been hurting. I'm sleeping on a very soft feather pillow which allows my head to be mostly flat on the bed rather than propped up, but I can fluff up the feathers enough to give my neck some support.
I still plan on asking advice at the next La Leche League meeting I go to. So far, I've read some good things about Dr. Jay Gordon's approach to gentle night-time weaning. Maybe sometime in the next few months I may decide to do that. Or not. I would rather night wean and continue to co-sleep than stop co-sleeping altogether. It's just one of my favorite things about having a baby. She's sleeping beside me now, just wearing a diaper (she got apple juice and zucchini bread all over her outfit at lunch). She looks so peaceful.
I still plan on asking advice at the next La Leche League meeting I go to. So far, I've read some good things about Dr. Jay Gordon's approach to gentle night-time weaning. Maybe sometime in the next few months I may decide to do that. Or not. I would rather night wean and continue to co-sleep than stop co-sleeping altogether. It's just one of my favorite things about having a baby. She's sleeping beside me now, just wearing a diaper (she got apple juice and zucchini bread all over her outfit at lunch). She looks so peaceful.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Co-sleeping
I've been thinking a lot about co-sleeping recently and thought I'd write a post about it. We've been co-sleeping with baby since she was a few days old. She's never slept in the crib except for a 20 minute nap once. I love co-sleeping. After I had her, I'd look at her and couldn't imagine not sleeping by her. We had a bassinet (borrowed from friends) and she felt so far away from me. Those first days, I'd put her in it, then wish she was next to me.
Co-sleeping allowed me to sleep. When I meet people and they ask about sleep-deprivation or if I'm looking forward to getting sleep again someday, I tell them I already get about 8 or 9 hours a night. I get less, sometimes much less, if she's teething or sick. But there is nothing like sleeping by a baby. Their soft little breaths, the little legs curled over mine, the snarfles and moans and squeaks she makes in her sleep. The tiny hands reaching for some part of me, any part, to hold onto.
It's pretty easy for me to flash forward to the day when she's 15, or 30, and she'll no longer be sleeping beside me. Right now is a tiny speck, a flash, a flicker, a swift movement of the hands on the great clock of Time. It will pass and be gone before I know it.
So as I type, she is curled up beside me and nursing. She has a cold so her snarfles are louder than usual. I've been thinking about the possibility of her sleeping in her toddler bed soon, at least when she goes to sleep, and to whisk her into bed after her first night waking. Co-sleeping is not entirely easy. It takes a toll-- for me, on the amount of time spent with my husband. I'm starting to miss him and it feels like something needs to give. And Baby is not such a tiny, tiny babe anymore. Those days are gone. She might do okay, even like, sleeping on her own for a few hours.
And now she's up. Sitting beside me, rubbing her eyes, stretching, leaning back against the bolster pillow. It does make me happy to make her happy.
Co-sleeping allowed me to sleep. When I meet people and they ask about sleep-deprivation or if I'm looking forward to getting sleep again someday, I tell them I already get about 8 or 9 hours a night. I get less, sometimes much less, if she's teething or sick. But there is nothing like sleeping by a baby. Their soft little breaths, the little legs curled over mine, the snarfles and moans and squeaks she makes in her sleep. The tiny hands reaching for some part of me, any part, to hold onto.
It's pretty easy for me to flash forward to the day when she's 15, or 30, and she'll no longer be sleeping beside me. Right now is a tiny speck, a flash, a flicker, a swift movement of the hands on the great clock of Time. It will pass and be gone before I know it.
So as I type, she is curled up beside me and nursing. She has a cold so her snarfles are louder than usual. I've been thinking about the possibility of her sleeping in her toddler bed soon, at least when she goes to sleep, and to whisk her into bed after her first night waking. Co-sleeping is not entirely easy. It takes a toll-- for me, on the amount of time spent with my husband. I'm starting to miss him and it feels like something needs to give. And Baby is not such a tiny, tiny babe anymore. Those days are gone. She might do okay, even like, sleeping on her own for a few hours.
And now she's up. Sitting beside me, rubbing her eyes, stretching, leaning back against the bolster pillow. It does make me happy to make her happy.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Motherhood
We went to the Portland Old Time Music Gathering yesterday and took baby. It was downtown at the Scottish Rite Center. Oh how I loved it! We heard such wonderful music. We went to Leela Grace's concert, but baby was too active to want to stay still so we wandered around and listened in on folks practicing in the stairwells! Holy cow, amazing music was being made. Very inspiring. I'm getting my fiddle back out today!
In other news, I've spent a lot of time pondering things lately, mostly motherhood, my relationship with my mom, and what kind of mom I want to be.
This is my favorite quote these days: "There's no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one." I remind myself of that quote a lot because I have struggled with trying, and failing, to be a perfect mother. Truth be told, I'm worried about not being a good enough mother. Other people would probably think I'm at the far end of the spectrum in terms of time/emotion/energy spent on baby. I take very little time for myself. I a m by her side for nearly all her naps (so she can nurse). We co-sleep. I'm big into babywearing.
But I still haven't watched a movie since I had her! I've neglected my writing, crafts, basically most of my interests.
I have a lot of guilt though if I think about doing those things... But as my very wise husband said, it is impossible to be there 100 percent for baby, and do everything I want for myself. I need to decide how much to give to her and how much to leave for myself. I do need to give myself a little more time.
So, inspired as I was by the music yesterday, I decided to sign up for a clogging class. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time! And I'm getting that fiddle out and we'll see if I can remember any songs. Hopefully I'll be playing Cripple Creek again in no time!
Oh, and I came across this list for moms.
In other news, I've spent a lot of time pondering things lately, mostly motherhood, my relationship with my mom, and what kind of mom I want to be.
This is my favorite quote these days: "There's no way to be a perfect mother, but a million ways to be a good one." I remind myself of that quote a lot because I have struggled with trying, and failing, to be a perfect mother. Truth be told, I'm worried about not being a good enough mother. Other people would probably think I'm at the far end of the spectrum in terms of time/emotion/energy spent on baby. I take very little time for myself. I a m by her side for nearly all her naps (so she can nurse). We co-sleep. I'm big into babywearing.
But I still haven't watched a movie since I had her! I've neglected my writing, crafts, basically most of my interests.
I have a lot of guilt though if I think about doing those things... But as my very wise husband said, it is impossible to be there 100 percent for baby, and do everything I want for myself. I need to decide how much to give to her and how much to leave for myself. I do need to give myself a little more time.
So, inspired as I was by the music yesterday, I decided to sign up for a clogging class. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time! And I'm getting that fiddle out and we'll see if I can remember any songs. Hopefully I'll be playing Cripple Creek again in no time!
Oh, and I came across this list for moms.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Years ago, in New York
Sometimes I think about New York. When I look at our old pictures from when we lived there, my heart aches. I miss it there-- Rockefeller State Park, Rockwood Hall, the Hudson River. I have to stop myself from thinking about it too much, otherwise I think I might cry. You know how when you visit a place, and sometimes you just get this feeling... like it's a place where you belong, that it has some mysterious hold on your soul? I think that's why my heart aches when I look at these pictures. It was such a fleeting time, those years. I didn't always appreciate them as much as I should have. I didn't realize how much that park and river, those trees and old roads and old stone walls would get into me. Sometimes, I wonder if life will be like that, like after a person passes away and looks back on life, all those places and people, the ones you see and pass everyday, the ones that seem rather insignificant and ugly (I'm thinking of the 7-11 and Walmart, the couple of houses that aren't kept up so well that I drive by on my way home, the strange lady that works at the consignment shop), if they won't later seem so dear and sweet and why oh why didn't I appreciate them, well, now?
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Pug Stamps
Pug didn't make it onto our Christmas card this year (it's hard to get two adults, a baby, and a dog to all be sitting still and smiling at the same time) but he will be featured on our stamps! I ordered our 65 cent postage (for our square cards) with this image:
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