I'm taking a deep breath this morning after two full days of being tied to the computer to staff resident clinics, last minute Chica prep, dropping off a fussy Elena, stopping at the bank as I was $20 short for the Chicas, stopping at Target to update my maternity wardrobe and replace my busted bag, and finally sitting down at Beyond Bread. My belly is big enough now that my regular shirts are mostly too short, and I've just about retired my regular pants. I keenly remember last pregnancy having a breakdown moment during belly transition in feeling wholly unattractive and fat, and skipping out on a night out with friends due to not feeling comfortable in any of my clothes. Luckily my mom went shopping for me and shipped some cute maternity tops out soon afterwards, which helped, as did becoming obviously pregnant as opposed to just appearing ambiguously pregnant vs. chunky.
I haven't had those feelings this pregnancy, and wonder if it's a combination of being too busy with Elena and my new found (lack of) hygiene habits. Soon after Elena was born, my cousin Abby half-joked over Facebook that "baby wipes aren't just for babies". I really took that to heart and in the early days made good use of baby wipes for myself before running out to the store or somewhere that doesn't require much to pass for being clean. I guess I am still ignoring the comments that followed Abby's, comments about how baby wipes were the only way the interior of someone's car got cleaned, or some other novel use of the baby wipe. I never got around to being novel or creative--I just went for basics in wiping away the staleness of my unwashed skin.
I've never been much of a shopper. I don't have the patience required for department stores, and although I used to relish a good sale in my youth, I've bought way too many ill-sized and/or ugly items just because they were cheap--including shoes. So now I am usually in and out, and I shop very infrequently. Mom's picks for maternity clothes are fine, but all the tops are size large and some made me look bigger than I was--not really what you want when gaining 25-35 pounds. And there's the cut-out neck top she bought me--much more her than my style. So today I bought two tops that are cute and work-worthy, and a pair of pants with that ridiculous soft expansive top. I won't go shopping for at least another 6 months.
Yes, this post is incredibly mundane. But that is okay. I'm simply trying to take advantage of having the opportunity to sit by myself and be quiet. My parents were here last week to care for Elena during her break, something for which I am super-grateful. But our house is shrinking as we increase our family's population, and I just am not myself when people are staying with us, as much as I enjoy having guests sometimes. I also learned during my parents' visit how much of an introvert I am in the sense that I REALLY need solitary time to feel refreshed. Constantly relaxing with others is just simply exhausting. And I should really take greater advantage of the opportunity to practice yoga. But when my family is visiting, there's always the pull between self care and spending time with people that I only see a few times per year. But I learned my lesson. Time away will make time together more sweet since I won't be so sour.
On a totally different note, Easter marked the beginning of a new Elena era. I don't really know what to name that new era, but an open to suggestions. And since I'm bad at the baby book thing and this is my (weak) substitute, plus this post sucks so much anyway, here it goes. We went to Mary and Jerry's for Easter, and Elena loved playing in the warm tub (not so much a hot tub when it's mostly kids going in). But she kept interrupting her splashing to shout loudly, "MOM!!" and come back inside the porch to babble something at me before splitting again. She's done it a few times since, but not as intensely as on Easter. This morning she called, "DADDY! MOM!" which was nice because she's been a little Mommy-centric lately. Anyway, it's cute for this 20 month old to be shouting like a tween. I half-expect her to shout, "MOM! Can I have 20 bucks?" or "MOM! I'll be back before 9!" as she runs out the door, though I'm comforted by the fact that she might be able to open doors now but locks are still a challenge.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
The Finer Points of Advertising in Tucson.
Tucson has some unique advertising strategies that I just haven't seen other places. Perhaps these strategies evolved to attract the eye of drivers on well traveled 4 and 6 lane roads where businesses line each side of the street. The three I've noticed are balloons, costumed waving people, and the sign twirlers.
Some businesses string balloons from their roadside signs, and by the end of the week the balloons are often droopy and partially deflated, soon to be replaced by freshly helium inflated recruits. Car dealerships seem to favor the more permanent mounted "balloons", often in patriotic colors since there is nothing more American than buying a car. They look a little less fun to me, only waggling stiffly with a strong wind as compared to the fancy-free movement of their traditional counterparts. I didn't really notice the prevalence of balloons until Elena fell in love with balloons, and now points them out (and girlfriend does NOT miss a balloon display!) when we are driving.
The costumed waving people are typically dressed as the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Tax) or some other such nonsense. Yesterday I saw a woman dressed not very provocatively but in some sort of sexed-up Americana type outfit advertising for a sale at the local sex shop called Fascinations. That was a new one. My parents and I saw a dude with a huge beard hanging around a barber shop in our neighborhood a couple of years ago; I think my mom snapped a picture because it looked so real. These advertisers aren't necessarily anything special (I'm comparing them, of course, to Justin Timberlake on SNL), but I do wonder how some of them manage to keep their pep through the day. In truth, most look a little bored.
The most exciting form of Tucson advertising that I've seen has been the sign twirlers. Lately I've seen a lot of people just waving the signs up and down or side to side, but there are some really talented twirlers out there. These guys (I've yet to see a female pro twirler) do all sorts of sign flip/body spin maneuvers, and always catch the sign. It's quite impressive. The combination of their talent and the energy that fuels their incessant movement just boggles my mind. They must be either slamming Monster drinks or on cocaine.
On that illicit note, I come to the point of writing this blog entry. There is a church that I pass by after dropping Elena off at daycare that just has the snarkiest signs out front sometimes. Sure, they also advertise for church yard sales (*snore*), but they make me chuckle with slogans such as "BE AN ORGAN DONOR. GIVE YOUR HEART TO JESUS" and "WITHOUT THE BREAD OF LIFE YOU'RE TOAST". I have to say, they have simply outdone themselves this time by taking the most somber time in the Christian calendar and making a pretty funny joke out of Christ's resurrection. Their current sign (which I imagine will be up through Holy Week and Easter Sunday) reads, "YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN. HAPPY EASTER". Wow. I am almost tempted to check out what their services are like, but mostly because I really want to find out who the mastermind is that comes up with these phrases. Are there databases with such phrases? Anyway, if you're a Tucsonan, the church is on the east side of Kolb between Broadway and Speedway.
Okay, time make the doughnuts. See how powerful advertising can be? And should I really say "donuts"? What a weird word.
Some businesses string balloons from their roadside signs, and by the end of the week the balloons are often droopy and partially deflated, soon to be replaced by freshly helium inflated recruits. Car dealerships seem to favor the more permanent mounted "balloons", often in patriotic colors since there is nothing more American than buying a car. They look a little less fun to me, only waggling stiffly with a strong wind as compared to the fancy-free movement of their traditional counterparts. I didn't really notice the prevalence of balloons until Elena fell in love with balloons, and now points them out (and girlfriend does NOT miss a balloon display!) when we are driving.
The costumed waving people are typically dressed as the Statue of Liberty (Liberty Tax) or some other such nonsense. Yesterday I saw a woman dressed not very provocatively but in some sort of sexed-up Americana type outfit advertising for a sale at the local sex shop called Fascinations. That was a new one. My parents and I saw a dude with a huge beard hanging around a barber shop in our neighborhood a couple of years ago; I think my mom snapped a picture because it looked so real. These advertisers aren't necessarily anything special (I'm comparing them, of course, to Justin Timberlake on SNL), but I do wonder how some of them manage to keep their pep through the day. In truth, most look a little bored.
The most exciting form of Tucson advertising that I've seen has been the sign twirlers. Lately I've seen a lot of people just waving the signs up and down or side to side, but there are some really talented twirlers out there. These guys (I've yet to see a female pro twirler) do all sorts of sign flip/body spin maneuvers, and always catch the sign. It's quite impressive. The combination of their talent and the energy that fuels their incessant movement just boggles my mind. They must be either slamming Monster drinks or on cocaine.
On that illicit note, I come to the point of writing this blog entry. There is a church that I pass by after dropping Elena off at daycare that just has the snarkiest signs out front sometimes. Sure, they also advertise for church yard sales (*snore*), but they make me chuckle with slogans such as "BE AN ORGAN DONOR. GIVE YOUR HEART TO JESUS" and "WITHOUT THE BREAD OF LIFE YOU'RE TOAST". I have to say, they have simply outdone themselves this time by taking the most somber time in the Christian calendar and making a pretty funny joke out of Christ's resurrection. Their current sign (which I imagine will be up through Holy Week and Easter Sunday) reads, "YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN. HAPPY EASTER". Wow. I am almost tempted to check out what their services are like, but mostly because I really want to find out who the mastermind is that comes up with these phrases. Are there databases with such phrases? Anyway, if you're a Tucsonan, the church is on the east side of Kolb between Broadway and Speedway.
Okay, time make the doughnuts. See how powerful advertising can be? And should I really say "donuts"? What a weird word.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Three Unrelated But Awesome Things.
Just to follow up on the fire alarm trauma, we did have a pretty interrupted night--lots of Elena stirrings and requests for "milks" and "the milk side". I don't really understand the milk side, but I think it stems from a puzzle she received as a gift from Aunt Gail and Uncle Ed. In true Gail and Ed form, the puzzle is ballet themed, and on one side (gray border) there are three animals posed during dress rehearsal, and the other side has them in full costume at a slightly different part of the performance (pink border). We usually do the "pink side". Anyway, she's got me all worried that I'm dried up on one side but not the other by requesting the milk side. Tangent, but still. I am not keeping up with her baby book so I figure I should record these cute things somewhere? (Where better than alongside my neuroses...?)
So, Thing #1. Back to the Casa this morning (which was fussy and whiny), where Heather told me that Elena would be spending some time in Angela's classroom. Great! A week of transitioning, followed by a week of vacation, and then on to Angela's classroom. When I picked her up, she ran over to me excitedly and started pointing out the new features of her surroundings, including a poster of puppies. "Lookit! Da doggies!" She had apparently had a great day, with only a moment of confusion as she saw Heather on the playground. One little girl gestured to me as we were leaving, worried that Elena had forgotten her sippy cup. Another new classmate (who Elena had known from early care... or not, since she was like 6 months at the time) waved happily goodbye to Elena as she was walked out by her daddy. So practice day #1 went well.
I went to collect her bag, which is always hung on the same hook outside of Heather's classroom, designated by her name tag. Her name tag had been taken off! I was so sad, or more nostalgic, really. My little girl is no longer a tiny toddler. I told Josh and he said, "Wow, that was quick. 'Get out!' Maybe she bit another kid or something." I hope not.
Thing #2. This is a quickie. I don't have to work tomorrow! I've thought all week that I was scheduled for yet another Friday afternoon, but discovered today (verified on the clinic paper schedule, amion.com, and my personal calendar!) that I am FREE!! for the whole day. What a nice surprise. My parents get here Saturday evening, so I could use the time to further decompress and prepare their room which contains The Bed of Laundry, which was formerly known as The Bed of Wires after we first moved and it was the temporary storage site of everything electronic. The Bed of Laundry is pretty laundry-ridden, and needs some attention.
One of the residents asked me today if I felt like I was one of the faculty members who was "stuck" with them the most. I said that the program director and assistant program director helped take the brunt of things, and then realized that I guess I am in clinic more than most other faculty. I find this interesting because I feel as though a huge weight taken off of my shoulders this year, and my duties/schedule have been refreshing and allowed me to recharge a bit. So I guess it's nice that residents feel like I'm always around, yet I feel like I'm not around as much as I was last year (in which I often joked about suicide, which is just not healthy). Freedom. It's pretty awesome.
Thing #3. Anabelle wrote me an e-mail this week. Anabelle is my mama Tica, my Costa Rican host mother with whom I credit the development of my Spanish language skills. I think I wrote about Anabelle in my last blog--I just tried to find it on MySpace, but MAN is that site jacked up!
Anabelle is one of the warmest, most dedicated women I've ever met. The woman is in constant motion. She was almost married three times, raised her daughter Roani as a single mom, and is helping Roani raise Marialex. It always seemed to me that Anabelle functioned as Marialex's mother, and Roani more as an older sister. Marialex is a lovely girl, and was one of my favorite parts about staying with Anabelle. I stayed with them for two months in Guadalupe, one of the suburbs of San Jose, during my fourth year of medical school. Many a night was spent sitting at the kitchen table listening to Anabelle tell a story of her youth as she bustled around the kitchen. I know Anabelle becomes close with all of her students, especially those that stay with her for a while, but I think my experience was a bit different as two of my classmates from medical school were also staying there at the same time--which was a COMPLETE surprise to me when I first arrived!
During my second year of residency, I returned to Costa Rica to do more language lessons and then catch a yoga retreat. I had booked my flights, the school, and the retreat, but nothing else. In retrospect, I don't really know what I was thinking. I went to the airport and started to panic... just a little. It felt like I had just been there, and when I left Costa Rica I felt as though I had a respectable network of friends there. But I'm terrible with maintaining communication, and that is where the panic stemmed from.
Luckily I was able to get bumped, which gave me time to buy a Lonely Planet, look up a place to stay close to Guadalupe, use the airport courtesy phone to call them and make a reservation, and get some credit towards my next flight all in the span of 20 minutes. That edition of Lonely Planet sucks, and is filled with errors, but luckily my cab driver was kind and we figured out the error in the listed address soon enough.
The next morning I got the bus schedule from the guy working the front desk, and realized that I had some major time to kill. So I went knocking on Anabelle's door. "Anabelle!" I called at 8:30 am on a weekend. Every home in San Jose has bars and gates and the like, so you always needed to knock something metal or a stone against the bars to get someone to come to the window or door. "Jessica!" she said when she saw me. My skin usually crawls when someone calls me Jessica, since it's not my name. I think I corrected Anabelle the first or second time she said it during my first stay, but it never really made a difference, and I came to not really care. We had a great visit, I showed her my little mini-book of wedding photos, and I asked if I could stay for a night or two towards the end of my visit once the retreat was over. She said she'd try and find space. But she also said that one of her current students was planning on going to a yoga retreat--could it be the same one? Wouldn't you know, it was. So Kat and I bonded over our love for yoga and Anabelle and Desiree who led the retreat.
Anyway. I'm so happy to get reconnected with Anabelle, and show off pictures of Elena. They had just gotten a computer at home when Kat was staying with them, and didn't really get e-mail. Two years later, it looks like she's figured it out and looked me up in her book of students. Anabelle. I should have known that any Juanes fan in her 60s would eventually figure out how to navigate the internet!
So, Thing #1. Back to the Casa this morning (which was fussy and whiny), where Heather told me that Elena would be spending some time in Angela's classroom. Great! A week of transitioning, followed by a week of vacation, and then on to Angela's classroom. When I picked her up, she ran over to me excitedly and started pointing out the new features of her surroundings, including a poster of puppies. "Lookit! Da doggies!" She had apparently had a great day, with only a moment of confusion as she saw Heather on the playground. One little girl gestured to me as we were leaving, worried that Elena had forgotten her sippy cup. Another new classmate (who Elena had known from early care... or not, since she was like 6 months at the time) waved happily goodbye to Elena as she was walked out by her daddy. So practice day #1 went well.
I went to collect her bag, which is always hung on the same hook outside of Heather's classroom, designated by her name tag. Her name tag had been taken off! I was so sad, or more nostalgic, really. My little girl is no longer a tiny toddler. I told Josh and he said, "Wow, that was quick. 'Get out!' Maybe she bit another kid or something." I hope not.
Thing #2. This is a quickie. I don't have to work tomorrow! I've thought all week that I was scheduled for yet another Friday afternoon, but discovered today (verified on the clinic paper schedule, amion.com, and my personal calendar!) that I am FREE!! for the whole day. What a nice surprise. My parents get here Saturday evening, so I could use the time to further decompress and prepare their room which contains The Bed of Laundry, which was formerly known as The Bed of Wires after we first moved and it was the temporary storage site of everything electronic. The Bed of Laundry is pretty laundry-ridden, and needs some attention.
One of the residents asked me today if I felt like I was one of the faculty members who was "stuck" with them the most. I said that the program director and assistant program director helped take the brunt of things, and then realized that I guess I am in clinic more than most other faculty. I find this interesting because I feel as though a huge weight taken off of my shoulders this year, and my duties/schedule have been refreshing and allowed me to recharge a bit. So I guess it's nice that residents feel like I'm always around, yet I feel like I'm not around as much as I was last year (in which I often joked about suicide, which is just not healthy). Freedom. It's pretty awesome.
Thing #3. Anabelle wrote me an e-mail this week. Anabelle is my mama Tica, my Costa Rican host mother with whom I credit the development of my Spanish language skills. I think I wrote about Anabelle in my last blog--I just tried to find it on MySpace, but MAN is that site jacked up!
Anabelle is one of the warmest, most dedicated women I've ever met. The woman is in constant motion. She was almost married three times, raised her daughter Roani as a single mom, and is helping Roani raise Marialex. It always seemed to me that Anabelle functioned as Marialex's mother, and Roani more as an older sister. Marialex is a lovely girl, and was one of my favorite parts about staying with Anabelle. I stayed with them for two months in Guadalupe, one of the suburbs of San Jose, during my fourth year of medical school. Many a night was spent sitting at the kitchen table listening to Anabelle tell a story of her youth as she bustled around the kitchen. I know Anabelle becomes close with all of her students, especially those that stay with her for a while, but I think my experience was a bit different as two of my classmates from medical school were also staying there at the same time--which was a COMPLETE surprise to me when I first arrived!
During my second year of residency, I returned to Costa Rica to do more language lessons and then catch a yoga retreat. I had booked my flights, the school, and the retreat, but nothing else. In retrospect, I don't really know what I was thinking. I went to the airport and started to panic... just a little. It felt like I had just been there, and when I left Costa Rica I felt as though I had a respectable network of friends there. But I'm terrible with maintaining communication, and that is where the panic stemmed from.
Luckily I was able to get bumped, which gave me time to buy a Lonely Planet, look up a place to stay close to Guadalupe, use the airport courtesy phone to call them and make a reservation, and get some credit towards my next flight all in the span of 20 minutes. That edition of Lonely Planet sucks, and is filled with errors, but luckily my cab driver was kind and we figured out the error in the listed address soon enough.
The next morning I got the bus schedule from the guy working the front desk, and realized that I had some major time to kill. So I went knocking on Anabelle's door. "Anabelle!" I called at 8:30 am on a weekend. Every home in San Jose has bars and gates and the like, so you always needed to knock something metal or a stone against the bars to get someone to come to the window or door. "Jessica!" she said when she saw me. My skin usually crawls when someone calls me Jessica, since it's not my name. I think I corrected Anabelle the first or second time she said it during my first stay, but it never really made a difference, and I came to not really care. We had a great visit, I showed her my little mini-book of wedding photos, and I asked if I could stay for a night or two towards the end of my visit once the retreat was over. She said she'd try and find space. But she also said that one of her current students was planning on going to a yoga retreat--could it be the same one? Wouldn't you know, it was. So Kat and I bonded over our love for yoga and Anabelle and Desiree who led the retreat.
Anyway. I'm so happy to get reconnected with Anabelle, and show off pictures of Elena. They had just gotten a computer at home when Kat was staying with them, and didn't really get e-mail. Two years later, it looks like she's figured it out and looked me up in her book of students. Anabelle. I should have known that any Juanes fan in her 60s would eventually figure out how to navigate the internet!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
I Curse You, Safety!
There was a fire drill at Elena's daycare today. Apparently she was traumatized for the rest of the day and required lots of hugs and holding. She kept looking up at the fire alarm which had blinked and howled, and moved her mat from its usual place under the alarm to another spot across the room. Heather told me not to be surprised if she had nightmares tonight. Great.
We went to the school's fund raiser after I was done with work. Is Peter Piper Pizza a national chain? If you have never been, I highly recommend not ever going, unless you like noise, lots of lights, and arcades. We ate our pizza, bought $2 worth of raffle tickets, and rode the carousel once. Elena wasn't too keen on sitting on the horse, so she sat on my hip for the latter half of the ride. She didn't crack a smile or act excited the whole time, but when we left the building balancing Daddy's leftover pizza, Mommy's bag-lady bag, and hand holding, she threw herself on the ground and walked back into Peter Piper crying over the horsies.
And she cried the whole way home. Literally. I tried to reminisce about the horsies, saying how fun it was that they went up and down. She kind of bought it, but not until we turned onto our street. Bath time was relatively peaceful (spiked with extra Epsom salts and lavender oil), and she was out like a light around 7:15.
It's two and a half hours later, and she's already woken up four times. I really really hope that the rest of the night is not like this. I felt like ass today, still recovering from Josh's two weeks on UMC ICU, which essentially renders me a single parent for the entire time. (How do you single parents do it? Do you always want to climb back into bed?) Also last week was the breastfeeding conference, which was 8-5 Monday through Friday (plus travel time to drop Elena off/pick her up)--that solidified the fact that I can never, ever work full time again.
I am needy. I need time alone to veg out and exercise, and if I don't get it, I am a miserable excuse for a human being. And tomorrow I am going to yoga. I'm tired of being tired, and Elena has woken up yet again even as I type. It's a good thing Josh is home this week!
P.S. Chicas tomorrow!
We went to the school's fund raiser after I was done with work. Is Peter Piper Pizza a national chain? If you have never been, I highly recommend not ever going, unless you like noise, lots of lights, and arcades. We ate our pizza, bought $2 worth of raffle tickets, and rode the carousel once. Elena wasn't too keen on sitting on the horse, so she sat on my hip for the latter half of the ride. She didn't crack a smile or act excited the whole time, but when we left the building balancing Daddy's leftover pizza, Mommy's bag-lady bag, and hand holding, she threw herself on the ground and walked back into Peter Piper crying over the horsies.
And she cried the whole way home. Literally. I tried to reminisce about the horsies, saying how fun it was that they went up and down. She kind of bought it, but not until we turned onto our street. Bath time was relatively peaceful (spiked with extra Epsom salts and lavender oil), and she was out like a light around 7:15.
It's two and a half hours later, and she's already woken up four times. I really really hope that the rest of the night is not like this. I felt like ass today, still recovering from Josh's two weeks on UMC ICU, which essentially renders me a single parent for the entire time. (How do you single parents do it? Do you always want to climb back into bed?) Also last week was the breastfeeding conference, which was 8-5 Monday through Friday (plus travel time to drop Elena off/pick her up)--that solidified the fact that I can never, ever work full time again.
I am needy. I need time alone to veg out and exercise, and if I don't get it, I am a miserable excuse for a human being. And tomorrow I am going to yoga. I'm tired of being tired, and Elena has woken up yet again even as I type. It's a good thing Josh is home this week!
P.S. Chicas tomorrow!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Genius Update.
Monday I had my meeting with Heather and the teacher from the infant room, Maria. They informed me that Elena would be "moving up" as I had been previously told... May 1st. And... no real explanation for a few seconds.
"...And... she's been biting some of the other children," they told me. Oh. Ooops. Luckily it's only when another child takes her "work", which is what toys are apparently called in the Montessori system. Apparently Elena has been taking cues from Heather and "using her words," loudly stating, "MY WORK!" when her work is under threat, but she still bites sometimes. She cries when shown that her friends are crying due to the biting, and then she goes to the "peace area". The peace area sounds so much nicer than our hallway, which is the usual time out place in our home.
"It might just be a sign that she is bored with the work, or that she's frustrated that the other kids aren't at her maturity level." Um, yeah, I'm pretty sure they were just sugar-coating the fact that my child is a biter. Hopefully it is just a phase? She isn't a real biter at home (stay tuned), so how do you discipline her for something that is happening when you're not around? I guess I'll just have to count on Heather to do that.
The one silver lining was a possible explanation why Elena bit me twice the week before. Maria suggested that perhaps she just wanted to see how I would react to a biting offense. Yes, I'm still nursing my 19-month old. My mother not-so-gently suggested that perhaps the biting was Elena's way of telling me she wanted to move to a cup. I didn't think I'd nurse for this long, but likely because the only role-model I had for extended nursing (beyond a year) was my friend Leila. In retrospect, I feel especially bad about asking her each time we got together, "Are you *still* nursing?" Really, I wanted to see how long one could feasibly nurse for and still be a normal person. And the more reading I did around the time of Elena's first birthday, the more normal moms I found that are nursing their kids for longer than a year (or two).
Regarding extended nursing, I don't think people plan to nurse their kids until they're 3 or 4. It's something that just happens. Last week, which was an atypical week, I dropped Elena off at daycare every morning before 7:30, and picked her up after 5:30. That's 50 hours of daycare last week! Most adults don't even work that much in a week. I think both of us really enjoy our quiet time together after long days apart. One woman in the breastfeeding and lactation conference last week asked me if I would be sad when Elena wants to wean. I replied that I will be surprised. But I think I will be sad. Nursing is our time, and really the only time she is that snuggly with me for an extended period of time. I just don't see that extended snuggling happening with her sippy cup... because it doesn't now and she uses the sippy cup quite regularly.
So I'm glad that Elena's biting me was likely just reflective of something she was trying out at daycare, but also that her behavior was met with a similar consequence of peace area/time out.
And oh, Turner gets to move up in May, too!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
How Justine Clarke keeps me sane.
I was totally overwhelmed with my family and friends' generosity when Elena was born. We received so many gifts that we hardly needed to buy anything aside from diapers for months. In fact, the first piece of clothing we bought her was a cute little coat at 6 months old, and the frugal part of me even felt like we probably didn't *need* to buy it.
One of the best gifts we got was from my high school friend Nick Melfi. Nick has been living in Australia for a bit now, and he put together a package including a couple of books complete with the corresponding stuffed animals (one about a wombat and the other a dancing kangaroo), a kangaroo t-shirt, a bottle of Shiraz for us, and the magical CD/DVD of Justine Clarke. Justine, as Songs to Make you Smile is known around our house, is a really cute DVD with kids' songs, and it has become integral to my sanity.
I am obsessive about certain things, and I don't think it really came to light until Elena was born. Now that I think about it, my baby OCD started when I was pregnant and making my registry. I started reading about BPA and its proven vs. theoretical health risks, and luckily there are tons of BPA-free bottles, milk storage bags, pacifiers, teething rings, etc. (Yay capitalism! Make money off of moms' fears!) I got stumped on Sassy's links, though--there was no mention of BPA, and I knew that they'd be going straight to Elena's mouth. After literally hours of searching on this particular product, I just sucked it up and added it to the registry. But we invested in a mega-expensive organic mattress (which doesn't get used as she sleeps with us in our infant-death-trap memory foam bed) and organic cotton sheets. After her diaper rash got worse with Desitin, I made my own diaper salve (okay, so it helped that the recipe fell into my lap at an herb workshop). I made all of Elena's baby food from organic fruits/veggies/grains (unless the pesticide load is REALLY low), and she NEVER got even a drop of formula. I bought the Carlson's vitamin D drops (great product! Which I can never remember to spike her food with!) since I always advise parents to give a multivitamin if just for the vitamin D (Poly-Vi-Sol was disgusting and stained her clothes the couple of times I tried it). I've avoided dairy and meats freak me out due to hormones and antibiotics and the odd outbreak of E. coli and such. We switched to cloth diapers around 8ish months because I started to have terrible guilt about the volume of waste our household was producing.
I might have a problem, as you can see from the sheer volume of links I've included above, if not from the content itself. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1-2 hours of television daily for kids, but they also don't recommend ANY television time before the age of 2. So we sat on Justine for a while, figuratively speaking. I don't really know why I popped her in one day, but it's such a cute video, and Elena loved it. And still does. She's been roaring like a dinosaur for a while now, and has started singing some of the other songs. And it is sometimes the only way I can get myself ready for work in the mornings before I need to drop her off at daycare. Okay, so I just had her watch Justine so I could blog--maybe that is an abuse of the DVD, but I really don't care since I've been up before 6 am both days this weekend (though that is more of a function of Josh's alarm for work waking her up). I need a break!
Justine, however, was certainly a gateway drug. I soon logged on to pbskids.org and we were watching Clifford clips on the laptop. When I got my iPad, the absence of Flash capabilities led to YouTube, but that was okay because we discovered lots of awesome Sesame Street songs. But now she can turn the iPad on, unlock it, and I think soon she will know to click on the little TV icon; she already knows to push the triangular "play" button if the video is taking too long to start on its own. I am hoping that we are choosing wisely, and Josh has said that he will be testing her on her knowledge of the circulatory system once she is officially of school age thanks to They Might Be Giants. Since some studies say that quantity of programming isn't necessarily to blame so much as the quantity of commercials for low-quality processed foods that litter television, I think videos are not that bad.
Anyway, I'm glad we are limiting screen time somewhat, but I do worry that she doesn't get enough sleep because of this scary article: Shortened Nighttime Sleep Duration in Early Life and Subsequent Childhood Obesity. Essentially, beginning in infancy shortened nighttime sleep puts your kid at risk for being fat, and nap time won't help to reduce that risk. Yikes. I have the number 11 hours burned in my brain after hearing about the study on the radio, but I didn't go back and check before posting the link. Seeing as how we don't walk through the door until after 6 pm some evenings, and need to be out the door before 7:30 am if I am working in the morning, I think Elena might be screwed in that department.
At least I've tried to limit the other risk factors?
One of the best gifts we got was from my high school friend Nick Melfi. Nick has been living in Australia for a bit now, and he put together a package including a couple of books complete with the corresponding stuffed animals (one about a wombat and the other a dancing kangaroo), a kangaroo t-shirt, a bottle of Shiraz for us, and the magical CD/DVD of Justine Clarke. Justine, as Songs to Make you Smile is known around our house, is a really cute DVD with kids' songs, and it has become integral to my sanity.
I am obsessive about certain things, and I don't think it really came to light until Elena was born. Now that I think about it, my baby OCD started when I was pregnant and making my registry. I started reading about BPA and its proven vs. theoretical health risks, and luckily there are tons of BPA-free bottles, milk storage bags, pacifiers, teething rings, etc. (Yay capitalism! Make money off of moms' fears!) I got stumped on Sassy's links, though--there was no mention of BPA, and I knew that they'd be going straight to Elena's mouth. After literally hours of searching on this particular product, I just sucked it up and added it to the registry. But we invested in a mega-expensive organic mattress (which doesn't get used as she sleeps with us in our infant-death-trap memory foam bed) and organic cotton sheets. After her diaper rash got worse with Desitin, I made my own diaper salve (okay, so it helped that the recipe fell into my lap at an herb workshop). I made all of Elena's baby food from organic fruits/veggies/grains (unless the pesticide load is REALLY low), and she NEVER got even a drop of formula. I bought the Carlson's vitamin D drops (great product! Which I can never remember to spike her food with!) since I always advise parents to give a multivitamin if just for the vitamin D (Poly-Vi-Sol was disgusting and stained her clothes the couple of times I tried it). I've avoided dairy and meats freak me out due to hormones and antibiotics and the odd outbreak of E. coli and such. We switched to cloth diapers around 8ish months because I started to have terrible guilt about the volume of waste our household was producing.
I might have a problem, as you can see from the sheer volume of links I've included above, if not from the content itself. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1-2 hours of television daily for kids, but they also don't recommend ANY television time before the age of 2. So we sat on Justine for a while, figuratively speaking. I don't really know why I popped her in one day, but it's such a cute video, and Elena loved it. And still does. She's been roaring like a dinosaur for a while now, and has started singing some of the other songs. And it is sometimes the only way I can get myself ready for work in the mornings before I need to drop her off at daycare. Okay, so I just had her watch Justine so I could blog--maybe that is an abuse of the DVD, but I really don't care since I've been up before 6 am both days this weekend (though that is more of a function of Josh's alarm for work waking her up). I need a break!
Justine, however, was certainly a gateway drug. I soon logged on to pbskids.org and we were watching Clifford clips on the laptop. When I got my iPad, the absence of Flash capabilities led to YouTube, but that was okay because we discovered lots of awesome Sesame Street songs. But now she can turn the iPad on, unlock it, and I think soon she will know to click on the little TV icon; she already knows to push the triangular "play" button if the video is taking too long to start on its own. I am hoping that we are choosing wisely, and Josh has said that he will be testing her on her knowledge of the circulatory system once she is officially of school age thanks to They Might Be Giants. Since some studies say that quantity of programming isn't necessarily to blame so much as the quantity of commercials for low-quality processed foods that litter television, I think videos are not that bad.
Anyway, I'm glad we are limiting screen time somewhat, but I do worry that she doesn't get enough sleep because of this scary article: Shortened Nighttime Sleep Duration in Early Life and Subsequent Childhood Obesity. Essentially, beginning in infancy shortened nighttime sleep puts your kid at risk for being fat, and nap time won't help to reduce that risk. Yikes. I have the number 11 hours burned in my brain after hearing about the study on the radio, but I didn't go back and check before posting the link. Seeing as how we don't walk through the door until after 6 pm some evenings, and need to be out the door before 7:30 am if I am working in the morning, I think Elena might be screwed in that department.
At least I've tried to limit the other risk factors?
Friday, April 1, 2011
My kid might be a genius!
I think most parents wonder at some point either during pregnancy or thereafter if their child might turn out to be especially gifted. Lucky for us, our child is obviously pretty freaking gifted. Kidding (or am I?).
I went to pick up Elena from daycare, and noticed that her dirty diapers (we use cloth for the most part and daycare has been exceptionally gracious in following suit) were bagged in CVS or Safeway type plastic bags. Oops, again we failed to comply with providing the requisite individual plastic bags. I mentally prepared myself to act surprised if this issue came up with Elena's teacher Heather, which it never does, but just in case.
Heather is great. Elena LOVES her. Elena loves Heather so much that when Heather leaves the room Elena balls uncontrollably...and doesn't stop. When Josh or I drop her off, she only occasionally does the open armed chase with a half-hearted whine. I've watched her after leaving--if someone gives her a hug or the slightest distraction (she is a sucker for tennis balls), she is fine.
So I go in to get Elena and Heather gives me a, teeth clenched/thin lipped type of smile and says, "Um, we'd like to set up a meeting sometime next week about..." and I started to get all hot and bothered.
About what? Her delayed vaccine schedule? I already told them she'd be caught up by age 2! Her mystery rash? I already told them I (and all of my colleagues.... I surveyed a bunch) thought it was most likely a drug rash! My failure to provide diaper bags? Okay, okay, I'll but another box of ziplocks!
"...moving Elena up early."
Oh. Is that all? Elena is slated to "move up" to Angela's toddler classroom when school restarts in August. My guess is that Heather's classroom has gotten pretty crowded in the past month (finally another girl, though!) and they need to shuffle the kids around a bit to distribute them more evenly. My ego, of course, led to my immediate conclusion that Elena is a genius, and they wanted to meet to discuss how best to support her genius training. I've tamed my ego a bit since that initial reaction... A bit. Every kid seems to light up when their parent walks in the door while the rest stare glassy eyed, drooling or eating their Goldfish crackers, sometimes waving their hands up and down with a Sloth from Goonies type roar. So I can't compare Elena's constant chatting (one of my favorite phrases recently has been, "I like it!") and tour-guide actions to those of her classmates because I am really not seeing them at their best. But still. Come on. They're moving her up early!
I am not sure if any of her classmates will move with her. Owen and Turner have been there since the beginning, since the infant room. She pretty much only mentions them at home though I am working on Gabe as he is the son of friends of ours. At the parents' night we were told that Elena hugs Turner... a lot. To the point where it makes him uncomfortable. That can't be the reason, can it? Josh and I joked about a love triangle between Elena, Turner, and Owen disrupting Heather's toddler classroom.
But now I am also worried about the moving up. Leaving Heather will be traumatic enough, but I hope one of the other boys moves as well to ease the transition. Will leaving her friends cause her to be too preoccupied to learn in Angela's class? Is she really ready for this move?
Wo knew having a genius would be so hard??
I went to pick up Elena from daycare, and noticed that her dirty diapers (we use cloth for the most part and daycare has been exceptionally gracious in following suit) were bagged in CVS or Safeway type plastic bags. Oops, again we failed to comply with providing the requisite individual plastic bags. I mentally prepared myself to act surprised if this issue came up with Elena's teacher Heather, which it never does, but just in case.
Heather is great. Elena LOVES her. Elena loves Heather so much that when Heather leaves the room Elena balls uncontrollably...and doesn't stop. When Josh or I drop her off, she only occasionally does the open armed chase with a half-hearted whine. I've watched her after leaving--if someone gives her a hug or the slightest distraction (she is a sucker for tennis balls), she is fine.
So I go in to get Elena and Heather gives me a, teeth clenched/thin lipped type of smile and says, "Um, we'd like to set up a meeting sometime next week about..." and I started to get all hot and bothered.
About what? Her delayed vaccine schedule? I already told them she'd be caught up by age 2! Her mystery rash? I already told them I (and all of my colleagues.... I surveyed a bunch) thought it was most likely a drug rash! My failure to provide diaper bags? Okay, okay, I'll but another box of ziplocks!
"...moving Elena up early."
Oh. Is that all? Elena is slated to "move up" to Angela's toddler classroom when school restarts in August. My guess is that Heather's classroom has gotten pretty crowded in the past month (finally another girl, though!) and they need to shuffle the kids around a bit to distribute them more evenly. My ego, of course, led to my immediate conclusion that Elena is a genius, and they wanted to meet to discuss how best to support her genius training. I've tamed my ego a bit since that initial reaction... A bit. Every kid seems to light up when their parent walks in the door while the rest stare glassy eyed, drooling or eating their Goldfish crackers, sometimes waving their hands up and down with a Sloth from Goonies type roar. So I can't compare Elena's constant chatting (one of my favorite phrases recently has been, "I like it!") and tour-guide actions to those of her classmates because I am really not seeing them at their best. But still. Come on. They're moving her up early!
I am not sure if any of her classmates will move with her. Owen and Turner have been there since the beginning, since the infant room. She pretty much only mentions them at home though I am working on Gabe as he is the son of friends of ours. At the parents' night we were told that Elena hugs Turner... a lot. To the point where it makes him uncomfortable. That can't be the reason, can it? Josh and I joked about a love triangle between Elena, Turner, and Owen disrupting Heather's toddler classroom.
But now I am also worried about the moving up. Leaving Heather will be traumatic enough, but I hope one of the other boys moves as well to ease the transition. Will leaving her friends cause her to be too preoccupied to learn in Angela's class? Is she really ready for this move?
Wo knew having a genius would be so hard??
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