but still. Any ideas on age-appropriate discipline for a 9-month old? My plan had been to go with a firm "No" (note the capital n) and otherwise ignore the offending behavior (to date, exclusively the deliberate and repeated removal of the fusspot's diaper by said fusspot) except that I made my friend's toddler almost cry with said technique. And the fusspot tends to just ignore it.
Any ideas? Anything that works? She's way too young for a timeout (which I do like in moderation) or any type of reward/treat, but I do want to let her know that I don't like it when she takes her diaper off.
Speaking of things I'd like, a long nap would be lovely. But I have way too much work to do tonight. And we have no food in the house at all so I need to go grocery shopping in the morning. And no fresh pumped milk, so I need to pump 10-15 oz. for daycare tomorrow. Fun!
And while we're on developmental stuff (and since my brain is clearly friend with 1 hours sleep and 12 hours in public in the past 24 hours), my baby has impressive receptive language skills. No sign of signing at all, but I made up movements to a little song I also made up (JD would like to note that I made up the words, there is as of yet no particular tune). I thought the fusspot was just imitating me when I did the motions, but yesterday when I sang the song while sitting still she danced away through our routine.
Which really does suggest that I ought to be able to think of a feasible way to telling her not to take off her diaper.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Back
in lalaland.
The flight went rather well. Well enough that the couple sitting next to me pulled out their camera and took a photo of my fusspot halfway through the flight because she was that cute. Even though they were sitting next to her on an airplane.
The rest of the trip was not exactly so perfect, but more on that when I've had more than 2 hours sleep.
Before I forget, took the fusspot to her 9-month check-up in NYC. You know how cartoon characters have weird proportions which make them cute? Same with stuffed animals and booble heads? I think my fusspot is benefiting.
Least you've forgotten the all-important statistics, my little one was 50th percentile for weight at 3 months, 51st percentile at 6 months and a slight drop (kidding) to 49th percentile at 9 months. JD and I beamed with pride, as if were the type of parents who actually plan meals in advance and buy organic apples and don't take it as a point of pride that I did not cook a single meal (breakfast included) during my 2-week stint in the U.S. Then the doctor asked our permission to measure her again because the numbers "looked a bit odd" (way to make first-time parents queasy). The fusspot is now in the mid-90s for head circumference and a sharp drop to the 17th percentile for height. No wonder I have to roll all her pants. My adorable little cartoon character.
The flight went rather well. Well enough that the couple sitting next to me pulled out their camera and took a photo of my fusspot halfway through the flight because she was that cute. Even though they were sitting next to her on an airplane.
The rest of the trip was not exactly so perfect, but more on that when I've had more than 2 hours sleep.
Before I forget, took the fusspot to her 9-month check-up in NYC. You know how cartoon characters have weird proportions which make them cute? Same with stuffed animals and booble heads? I think my fusspot is benefiting.
Least you've forgotten the all-important statistics, my little one was 50th percentile for weight at 3 months, 51st percentile at 6 months and a slight drop (kidding) to 49th percentile at 9 months. JD and I beamed with pride, as if were the type of parents who actually plan meals in advance and buy organic apples and don't take it as a point of pride that I did not cook a single meal (breakfast included) during my 2-week stint in the U.S. Then the doctor asked our permission to measure her again because the numbers "looked a bit odd" (way to make first-time parents queasy). The fusspot is now in the mid-90s for head circumference and a sharp drop to the 17th percentile for height. No wonder I have to roll all her pants. My adorable little cartoon character.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Shana tova
Yesterday it was a leaky diaper at 3 am.
This morning the fusspot threw up all over me and our bed at 6 am. We're doing the laundry now before our flight down South to see my parents and Kate (who makes me sound like a glamorous international spy, which is awesome!).
I try to never take these moments for granted. Here's to another wonderful year with my darling JD and absolutely perfect fusspot who is bopping along to the radio right now.
L'shana tova.
This morning the fusspot threw up all over me and our bed at 6 am. We're doing the laundry now before our flight down South to see my parents and Kate (who makes me sound like a glamorous international spy, which is awesome!).
I try to never take these moments for granted. Here's to another wonderful year with my darling JD and absolutely perfect fusspot who is bopping along to the radio right now.
L'shana tova.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sigh
On the way back into my apartment building today one of my neighbors asked if I was pregnant again.
Sigh.
What to respond? If all it took was dreaming, then I'm absolutely working on another baby. If you're asking whether we've saved up anywhere close to enough money to afford the ever-enthralling task of future fertility treatments? Well, nope. We're not even bank-account-pregnant, let alone paper/peestick-pregnant.
(and yes dear readers, I will be keeping a tally of how many people ask me this question)
Sigh.
What to respond? If all it took was dreaming, then I'm absolutely working on another baby. If you're asking whether we've saved up anywhere close to enough money to afford the ever-enthralling task of future fertility treatments? Well, nope. We're not even bank-account-pregnant, let alone paper/peestick-pregnant.
(and yes dear readers, I will be keeping a tally of how many people ask me this question)
Bliss
Let's see what has happened since we walked into our apartment at about 9 pm yesterday night (15 hours after walking out of our other domicile):
- I woke up feeling a bit damp at 3 am. Leaky-diarrhea-diaper damp (yes, we cosleep for any new readers).
- While searching for clean sheets the fusspot was rolling around on the bed and rolled right over the edge, through the slates on her new bed guard rail (which will be shipped back to amazon later today) and fell only to the floor. Thankfully she seemed entirely unhurt, landed on her hands, and did not even pause in her fussing.
- Left her out to air after her diaper change. She pooed all over the floor (messy diarrhea poo. And yes, I know diarrhea is hard to identify in babies but going with the definition of more than one poo per hour of an unusual sort - she got it. Did I mention we were in transit for 15 hours yesterday?).
But the bliss part? Not having to deal with any of it alone.
- I woke up feeling a bit damp at 3 am. Leaky-diarrhea-diaper damp (yes, we cosleep for any new readers).
- While searching for clean sheets the fusspot was rolling around on the bed and rolled right over the edge, through the slates on her new bed guard rail (which will be shipped back to amazon later today) and fell only to the floor. Thankfully she seemed entirely unhurt, landed on her hands, and did not even pause in her fussing.
- Left her out to air after her diaper change. She pooed all over the floor (messy diarrhea poo. And yes, I know diarrhea is hard to identify in babies but going with the definition of more than one poo per hour of an unusual sort - she got it. Did I mention we were in transit for 15 hours yesterday?).
But the bliss part? Not having to deal with any of it alone.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Growing up
You may not realize quite what a milestone this is for me, but I just did something that I would have considered completely absurd even this time last year.
I packed.
For a flight that does not leave until Wednesday afternoon.
Not started to pack, finished. Down to the cheerios and bib in the diaper bag and the NYC apartment keys in my purse.
I feel downright almost grown-up.
--------
On a completely different note, thank you to my lovely European readers Caro (who has some big news to share) and May for reminding me that I can be quite an idiot ;-) Of course my oven is in celsius, not fahrenheit. In my defense it is electric and seems to run a particularly cool 220C. But it certainly works. Dinner was a lovely disaster. Not only did I invite someone at 4:30 pm on Friday (for dinner that evening), but said guest beat me to the house. So instead of having a delightful 4 course meal ready to serve, I 'encouraged' my guests to each take charge of a dish and cook it themselves while I retreated to my room to change and nurse my baby. And despite all of that, dinner was lovely.
And thank you Melissia for the cleaning-up advice. This is exactly what I was looking for.
I packed.
For a flight that does not leave until Wednesday afternoon.
Not started to pack, finished. Down to the cheerios and bib in the diaper bag and the NYC apartment keys in my purse.
I feel downright almost grown-up.
--------
On a completely different note, thank you to my lovely European readers Caro (who has some big news to share) and May for reminding me that I can be quite an idiot ;-) Of course my oven is in celsius, not fahrenheit. In my defense it is electric and seems to run a particularly cool 220C. But it certainly works. Dinner was a lovely disaster. Not only did I invite someone at 4:30 pm on Friday (for dinner that evening), but said guest beat me to the house. So instead of having a delightful 4 course meal ready to serve, I 'encouraged' my guests to each take charge of a dish and cook it themselves while I retreated to my room to change and nurse my baby. And despite all of that, dinner was lovely.
And thank you Melissia for the cleaning-up advice. This is exactly what I was looking for.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Random - recipe ideas?
Well I'm hosting shabbos dinner this week. 6 adults, 1 fusspot.
According to a blog I read (with no citation, of course), the average American grocery story has 45,000 items. The average grocery store here has 15,000. And in the absurd exchange rate (which basically rules out salad) and the fact that it must be vegetarian by necessity (haven't made it to the butcher yet) and I'm sort-of at a loss for ideas ... oh, and my oven only goes up to 220 degrees. Of course, that may explain why the kitchen has no baking trays or pie pans (ruling out cookies or pie for dessert). Beats me why.
So, any clever ideas for easy, fun vegetarian dinner ideas? I was thinking of making a butternut squash soup (only ingredient purchased thus far) and a vegetarian curry. Recipes much appreciated. Maybe bruschetta for an appetizer, maybe an apple crisp for dessert? Any ideas for easy appetizers, entrees, sides or dessert very much appreciated.
My guess is that I am feeling so uninspired to cook (and I really do love to cook and to bake) because next Friday I'll be in the USA eating yummy holiday-food! That's right folks, only one more week until I see my much-missed husband again. 2.5 months down, 1 week to go.
According to a blog I read (with no citation, of course), the average American grocery story has 45,000 items. The average grocery store here has 15,000. And in the absurd exchange rate (which basically rules out salad) and the fact that it must be vegetarian by necessity (haven't made it to the butcher yet) and I'm sort-of at a loss for ideas ... oh, and my oven only goes up to 220 degrees. Of course, that may explain why the kitchen has no baking trays or pie pans (ruling out cookies or pie for dessert). Beats me why.
So, any clever ideas for easy, fun vegetarian dinner ideas? I was thinking of making a butternut squash soup (only ingredient purchased thus far) and a vegetarian curry. Recipes much appreciated. Maybe bruschetta for an appetizer, maybe an apple crisp for dessert? Any ideas for easy appetizers, entrees, sides or dessert very much appreciated.
My guess is that I am feeling so uninspired to cook (and I really do love to cook and to bake) because next Friday I'll be in the USA eating yummy holiday-food! That's right folks, only one more week until I see my much-missed husband again. 2.5 months down, 1 week to go.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
little, quiet tears of frustration
On Friday there was a little click on the slowly-moving cogs in the brain. Highly suspicious that the fusspot's half-finished bottles go bad so very quickly when I take them home from daycare (not that I could use them anyway, but they often smell rancid by the time I do the dishes around 9 pm).
So today I asked. And smiled wanely and tried not to cry.
Despite my clear instructions the first week, despite a full information sheet, they've been microwaving my breastmilk. 3 months. 2-3 5 oz. bottles a day. 5 days a week. Wasted.
If you microwave breastmilk it loses all of its magical qualities. Keeps the calories but no more antibodies, etc.
And these are supposed to be fully-trained professional daycare workers? It is obvious from across the room that it is breastmilk (since I pump it the day or night before it has separated into cream and milk by 9 am the next morning).
I know, I was pumping mainly to keep up my supply for when we are together. But all that wasted time? And those missed nutrients? And especially when the fusspot is happy to take her bottles cold! I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled milk, but how about a little exception for microwaved milk?
So today I asked. And smiled wanely and tried not to cry.
Despite my clear instructions the first week, despite a full information sheet, they've been microwaving my breastmilk. 3 months. 2-3 5 oz. bottles a day. 5 days a week. Wasted.
If you microwave breastmilk it loses all of its magical qualities. Keeps the calories but no more antibodies, etc.
And these are supposed to be fully-trained professional daycare workers? It is obvious from across the room that it is breastmilk (since I pump it the day or night before it has separated into cream and milk by 9 am the next morning).
I know, I was pumping mainly to keep up my supply for when we are together. But all that wasted time? And those missed nutrients? And especially when the fusspot is happy to take her bottles cold! I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled milk, but how about a little exception for microwaved milk?
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Nothing new
Just trying to enjoy every moment here with my little fusspot and not think about planning out the details of next year and after.
And also trying to stay on top of the smaller stuff. Like the fact that I put the fusspot in a new outfit, played blocks with her, went for a bike ride, and then met a colleague for coffee. And the moment she picked the fusspot up she declared something "odd" and lifted her new dress to show me that I'd left the diaper cover nicely attached on the inside (and yes, I had washed the outfit). A+ for paying attention to my daughter who spent the morning with a set of diaper-cover-panties pinned to the inside of her dress.
The foodie baby (aka my gluttonous child) continues to eat her way through the spice cabinet. Over the weekend she has heartily endorsed the following: butternut squash with butter and cinammon, homemade baba ganoush (very heavy on the garlic because apparently lemon juice is a key ingredient and I'm still queasy about citrus foods), carrots dipped in tahini, and tofu with soy sauce. For a shabbos treat I let my fusspot pet a bowl of beets mixed with hummus and the girl practically squealed in delight, but oh what a mess!
And then I panicked about money and not knowing what my husband was thinking and being fair to the fusspot and getting older and stuff so I called JD and demanded to know whether he would have enough saved up for treatments when I get back. He asked how much (since the first go round I wanted to either have, or have access to, as much as we would spend before moving on to another option for parenting, so at least 3 rounds of IVF and figuring out where we would borrow that much money was quite a mind-boggling job) and I told him $10,000 (figuring 3 rounds of o-induction or IUI if necessary and 1 IVF -at the very most- before my salary kicks in in mid-October) and he said fine. Exhale. He didn't say he thought it was the most brilliant plan ever, but he also didn't say no way.
Sometimes I forget how incredible my husband is.
I don't think he's forgotten how distracted I am. He called me on the way to the airport. Funny thing is that I had no idea he was going on a trip. But when I searched in my e-mail, he'd told me about it several times. Did I mention I let my daughter leave the house this morning with diaper-cover-panties pinned to her dress?
Tomorrow I am meeting up with a friend on maternity leave, and then a group of English-speaking new and expectant moms. And I am glad that I just called and asked point-blank whether my husband was on the same page I am. Not only do I feel better, but he's stuck around for this long (a full year of marriage already, folks! plus almost a decade as friends and then partners before that) so I doubt he was all that surprised.
And also trying to stay on top of the smaller stuff. Like the fact that I put the fusspot in a new outfit, played blocks with her, went for a bike ride, and then met a colleague for coffee. And the moment she picked the fusspot up she declared something "odd" and lifted her new dress to show me that I'd left the diaper cover nicely attached on the inside (and yes, I had washed the outfit). A+ for paying attention to my daughter who spent the morning with a set of diaper-cover-panties pinned to the inside of her dress.
The foodie baby (aka my gluttonous child) continues to eat her way through the spice cabinet. Over the weekend she has heartily endorsed the following: butternut squash with butter and cinammon, homemade baba ganoush (very heavy on the garlic because apparently lemon juice is a key ingredient and I'm still queasy about citrus foods), carrots dipped in tahini, and tofu with soy sauce. For a shabbos treat I let my fusspot pet a bowl of beets mixed with hummus and the girl practically squealed in delight, but oh what a mess!
And then I panicked about money and not knowing what my husband was thinking and being fair to the fusspot and getting older and stuff so I called JD and demanded to know whether he would have enough saved up for treatments when I get back. He asked how much (since the first go round I wanted to either have, or have access to, as much as we would spend before moving on to another option for parenting, so at least 3 rounds of IVF and figuring out where we would borrow that much money was quite a mind-boggling job) and I told him $10,000 (figuring 3 rounds of o-induction or IUI if necessary and 1 IVF -at the very most- before my salary kicks in in mid-October) and he said fine. Exhale. He didn't say he thought it was the most brilliant plan ever, but he also didn't say no way.
Sometimes I forget how incredible my husband is.
I don't think he's forgotten how distracted I am. He called me on the way to the airport. Funny thing is that I had no idea he was going on a trip. But when I searched in my e-mail, he'd told me about it several times. Did I mention I let my daughter leave the house this morning with diaper-cover-panties pinned to her dress?
Tomorrow I am meeting up with a friend on maternity leave, and then a group of English-speaking new and expectant moms. And I am glad that I just called and asked point-blank whether my husband was on the same page I am. Not only do I feel better, but he's stuck around for this long (a full year of marriage already, folks! plus almost a decade as friends and then partners before that) so I doubt he was all that surprised.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
A practical question of the stinky kind
For those of you with babies or pets or very poorly-behaved guests, any suggestions on how to clean up after near misses on our baby toilet? Since this is a rental apartment, I can't do anything about the wall-to-wall carpeting in the bedroom (where we keep our baby toilet) or the elegant room-sized carpets upstairs.
Also, we have a leather couch and 2 leather armchairs which are at some point going to get peed on.
Any advice much appreciated.
Also, we have a leather couch and 2 leather armchairs which are at some point going to get peed on.
Any advice much appreciated.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
I really do love him
However, I will not claim he's perfect.
I finally delegated the project of making the fusspot legal to JD. He told me that after 2 hours on hold he finally got through to someone, but they couldn't find her record. That would be because he had forgotten her birthday. That's right, less than 9 months after the big day JD can't remember the exact date. [Sidenote: My father is infamous for a hysterical voicemail he left me on my sister's birthday. He starts out by wishing me a happy birthday, talking about the upcoming year, then apparently realizes that he might just have confused us and tries to cover it up by adding "that he's just calling a few months early in case I'm too busy partying on my birthday proper for him to reach me." Nice save.]
Last week JD also e-mailed me a profile of a woman with a note that if I leave him, after crying for weeks of course, he's going to marry her.
Unlike the fusspot I picked the right guy.
I finally delegated the project of making the fusspot legal to JD. He told me that after 2 hours on hold he finally got through to someone, but they couldn't find her record. That would be because he had forgotten her birthday. That's right, less than 9 months after the big day JD can't remember the exact date. [Sidenote: My father is infamous for a hysterical voicemail he left me on my sister's birthday. He starts out by wishing me a happy birthday, talking about the upcoming year, then apparently realizes that he might just have confused us and tries to cover it up by adding "that he's just calling a few months early in case I'm too busy partying on my birthday proper for him to reach me." Nice save.]
Last week JD also e-mailed me a profile of a woman with a note that if I leave him, after crying for weeks of course, he's going to marry her.
Unlike the fusspot I picked the right guy.
Wrong guy
Hopefully she's not going to make a habit of it.
The fusspot has a boyfriend at daycare. Her teacher has been telling me for several days about this guy, but apparently his mom picks him up particularly early. So I did not meet him until today.
And while I'm glad that she is making friends, and I love the idea of her keeping up with the boys and all (especially since she's not yet mobile so the other toddlers have to bring the toys to her), well, did she really have to pick this particular little guy? Or at least this guy this week? I am really hoping that his pox are of the exzema/allergy sort, but a quick glance suggests that they are far more likely to be of the chicken pox variety (on his stomach, arms, and face. Not concentrated in any particular area. Dr. Google is in concurrence). I seem to recall chicken pox has a really long incubation period.
In other health news, I feed the fusspot the following for dinner:
- 1/2 banana
- Grapes (cut up very finely)
- 4 frozen cubes of spinach microwaved and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese
- Tahini
And despite having my epi-pen at the ready (and yes, I worked for a family with a severe nut allergy and I know that it is extraordinarily unlikely that a first time reaction would require an epipen), all seems to be well with the fusspot. We are in high gear for "beat your iron deficiency test." I've been a bit worried about it because she sleeps quite so much and is not crawling yet, but she's also still about 95% breastmilk, so we'll see. I'm going to have her tested in a few weeks. In the meantime, trying to fill her up on spinach and tahini and melons and cheerios. Any other ideas?
The fusspot has a boyfriend at daycare. Her teacher has been telling me for several days about this guy, but apparently his mom picks him up particularly early. So I did not meet him until today.
And while I'm glad that she is making friends, and I love the idea of her keeping up with the boys and all (especially since she's not yet mobile so the other toddlers have to bring the toys to her), well, did she really have to pick this particular little guy? Or at least this guy this week? I am really hoping that his pox are of the exzema/allergy sort, but a quick glance suggests that they are far more likely to be of the chicken pox variety (on his stomach, arms, and face. Not concentrated in any particular area. Dr. Google is in concurrence). I seem to recall chicken pox has a really long incubation period.
In other health news, I feed the fusspot the following for dinner:
- 1/2 banana
- Grapes (cut up very finely)
- 4 frozen cubes of spinach microwaved and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese
- Tahini
And despite having my epi-pen at the ready (and yes, I worked for a family with a severe nut allergy and I know that it is extraordinarily unlikely that a first time reaction would require an epipen), all seems to be well with the fusspot. We are in high gear for "beat your iron deficiency test." I've been a bit worried about it because she sleeps quite so much and is not crawling yet, but she's also still about 95% breastmilk, so we'll see. I'm going to have her tested in a few weeks. In the meantime, trying to fill her up on spinach and tahini and melons and cheerios. Any other ideas?
Busy week
My quest for legal residency has hit yet another road block. I am now a legal resident, the fusspot is not. Apparently her birth certificate just isn't new and shiny enough for the courts here.
My beautiful new bike is in the repair shop. Hopefully ready tomorrow.
And in other news, I've taken in a boarder. Makes me feel younger and less responsible to invite a guy I just met, friend of a friend, to crash on my couch for a few weeks. We'll see how this works out.
My beautiful new bike is in the repair shop. Hopefully ready tomorrow.
And in other news, I've taken in a boarder. Makes me feel younger and less responsible to invite a guy I just met, friend of a friend, to crash on my couch for a few weeks. We'll see how this works out.
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