Occasionally, I give Xander a little snack-sized circles of white colored cheese. One day, I told him that the cheese circles were made of milk. Since then, every time I give him one of the circles, he reminds me that they are "made of milk".
Today, he wanted a flour tortilla. So, I opened the bag for him to pick one out. As he was pulling one out, he insisted that they were "made of milk." It's round and white, and therefore, a witch made out of milk! ;-)
I corrected him that they were made out of flour and showed him where the white flour was in the pantry. Now, I just need to find a cheese episode of "How Its Made" to show him.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Spring Preview
Even though it has only been a month since we had warm weather, it feels like forever. We had a nice spring preview this weekend with temperatures in the 70s. So, we made the best of it and did all of our favorite outside activities.
We made a trip to the closet dog park to let Copper and Peanut run around. Xander, as usual, was most interested in the agility course. He is certainly better at the course than any dog that I have seen at the park. Our dogs won't even go near it.
We made a trip to the new playground in our neighborhood. It now has a shade cover so it is already 1,000 times better than it was before. They also replaced all the equipment. The old equipment was maybe 7 years old or so. I guess the Texas sun was just really hard on it.
At the playground, Xander found an abandoned water bottle. He made "mochas" for us by filling it up with rocks so we could pretend drink it.
I didn't take a picture of it (mostly because taking pictures of stranger's kids is kinda weird) but he briefly played with a couple of twins his age who came to the park. They all helped to fill the cup up completely with rocks. Xander was even singing the "Teamwork" song. Unfortunately, the sweet moment eventually turned into a Xander "mine"-fest.
We followed up our walk to the playground with yummy grilled chicken fajita dinner outside on the patio. Eating outside just makes everything taste better. Xander displayed his usual guacamole addiction. It is a wonder we got any at all.
We made a trip to the closet dog park to let Copper and Peanut run around. Xander, as usual, was most interested in the agility course. He is certainly better at the course than any dog that I have seen at the park. Our dogs won't even go near it.
We made a trip to the new playground in our neighborhood. It now has a shade cover so it is already 1,000 times better than it was before. They also replaced all the equipment. The old equipment was maybe 7 years old or so. I guess the Texas sun was just really hard on it.
At the playground, Xander found an abandoned water bottle. He made "mochas" for us by filling it up with rocks so we could pretend drink it.
I didn't take a picture of it (mostly because taking pictures of stranger's kids is kinda weird) but he briefly played with a couple of twins his age who came to the park. They all helped to fill the cup up completely with rocks. Xander was even singing the "Teamwork" song. Unfortunately, the sweet moment eventually turned into a Xander "mine"-fest.
We followed up our walk to the playground with yummy grilled chicken fajita dinner outside on the patio. Eating outside just makes everything taste better. Xander displayed his usual guacamole addiction. It is a wonder we got any at all.
Scratch mittens and worms
Yay, I finally found Xander's old scratch mittens. These are little mittens that prevent baby from scratching themselves. They only lasted so long for Xander before he started scratching his head to pieces from eczema, but I plan to use them while I can with my little girl.
Speaking of eczema, I read an interesting article about something that might reduce a kid's chance of getting it: worms! The article Exposure to Worm Infection in the Womb May Protect Against Eczema, Study Suggests really grossed me out. I mean worms, in general, gross me out ever since I saw Squirm. I think I'll wait for a little more research there before I start downing parasite infested water...eww!
Xander's eczema has been reasonably under control throughout the fall at winter. I'm hoping that it doesn't return when the weather is warm. I'm a little concerned that it is allergic reaction to sun screen contributing to it. If that is the case, then I'm in a catch 22: skin cancer later or eczema now. I have tried every kind of sunscreen and/or lotion with Xander. The ONLY OTC thing that doesn't aggregate his eczema is petroleum jelly like Aquafor. Every other kind of creme, lotion, ointment (even those made especially for eczema, makes it worse. Of course, his prescription steroid cream is great, but its not a long term solution. Anyhow, fingers crossed on no return of the eczema rash.
Speaking of eczema, I read an interesting article about something that might reduce a kid's chance of getting it: worms! The article Exposure to Worm Infection in the Womb May Protect Against Eczema, Study Suggests really grossed me out. I mean worms, in general, gross me out ever since I saw Squirm. I think I'll wait for a little more research there before I start downing parasite infested water...eww!
Xander's eczema has been reasonably under control throughout the fall at winter. I'm hoping that it doesn't return when the weather is warm. I'm a little concerned that it is allergic reaction to sun screen contributing to it. If that is the case, then I'm in a catch 22: skin cancer later or eczema now. I have tried every kind of sunscreen and/or lotion with Xander. The ONLY OTC thing that doesn't aggregate his eczema is petroleum jelly like Aquafor. Every other kind of creme, lotion, ointment (even those made especially for eczema, makes it worse. Of course, his prescription steroid cream is great, but its not a long term solution. Anyhow, fingers crossed on no return of the eczema rash.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Positive Guidance Seminar
Today's, Xander's primary teacher at school gave a seminar on positive guidance discipline. It was a pretty good seminar. I wish there was more time for questions because I really enjoyed listening to the other parent's questions. Most of the parents had 2 year olds in Xander's class. Their questions really showed that a lot of the kids were giving their parents similar frustrations.
One parent brought up a question about making drop off at school easier. That's something that Dolphin, who drops of Xander, has really struggled with. Xander goes through phases where he is perfectly fine being dropped off and the sometimes, for reasons that we can't figure out, he is extremely clingy and hysterical. Whatever causes these outbursts is either too complex for Xander to explain or he's just emotionally so overwhelmed that he can't. Fortunately, Xander's been an a pretty positive phase the past couple of weeks so let's hope that continues.
Another parent brought up good ole bed time challenges. On this issue, I felt sort of revealed that we weren't experiencing the same challenges. Having a kid cry for 30 min at bed time does not sound like a fun time. We have our own kind of bed time challenges though. I can't figure out if Xander is just really creative at bedtime stalling techniques or being genuine. For a while, he would ask to go to the potty right after the end of the bedtime routine. Of course, he never really had to go that bad, maybe a drop or two came out. This past week, he's been telling us he is scared (tonight it was scared of a big, red, boy robot). At first, I just assumed that he was actually scared, but now I'm not so sure because he says it a lot. Now, I'm starting to wonder if he says it to keep us around longer.
One very frustrated parent brought up battles over getting ready in the morning. We have these, too, although I think things are getting easier. I've gotten into a good pattern of given Xander clothing choices that he'll agree 1o. I've just accepted that he just really loves his gray fleece pants so I offer those as often as they are clean. We still have occasional battles, but in general, he is much more cooperative. I also learned from the seminar that maybe I need to give Xander more opportunities to dress himself. I usually just do it because I can do it more quickly. At school, he does dresses himself. By not setting the same expectation at home, I could be encouraging unnecessary testing around clothing.
There were also some experiences that I didn't really identify with as much. For example, a parent brought up a frustration with getting their kid to sit down for meals. I think this question arose because the kids are all SO behaved for meals at daycare. They all sit down in their chairs, quietly etc. For this one, Xander is not a perfect angel at home, but it's one of those things that I guess I don't really care about. He is very good about sitting down when we start a meal. Sometimes, he finishes and wants to go play or watch TV. I'm perfectly fine if is finished and see no need to force him to stay at the table (just more time for mommy and daddy to talk). Often, he wants us to go play with him, but we just tell him we're still eating so he'll have to wait. Sometimes, he whines and pulls on our arms, but he seems to just be wiling to wait more and more each time.
Finally, a parent did bring up something that really hasn't been a concern for me at all. She was very concerned that her two year old would not stay focused on tasks. I guess I really don't have very high expectations about how long Xander should pay attention to a single activity. I certainly didn't think that his attention span was something that I should influence greatly. Over time, I have seen Xander's attention span for activities lengthen without any kind of purposeful intervention on my part. Now, I'm wondering if I should be paying more attention to this.
Overall, it was really interesting to hear the "venting" from the parents and the "recommendations" from Xander's teacher. I'm definitely glad that I made the time to attend.
One parent brought up a question about making drop off at school easier. That's something that Dolphin, who drops of Xander, has really struggled with. Xander goes through phases where he is perfectly fine being dropped off and the sometimes, for reasons that we can't figure out, he is extremely clingy and hysterical. Whatever causes these outbursts is either too complex for Xander to explain or he's just emotionally so overwhelmed that he can't. Fortunately, Xander's been an a pretty positive phase the past couple of weeks so let's hope that continues.
Another parent brought up good ole bed time challenges. On this issue, I felt sort of revealed that we weren't experiencing the same challenges. Having a kid cry for 30 min at bed time does not sound like a fun time. We have our own kind of bed time challenges though. I can't figure out if Xander is just really creative at bedtime stalling techniques or being genuine. For a while, he would ask to go to the potty right after the end of the bedtime routine. Of course, he never really had to go that bad, maybe a drop or two came out. This past week, he's been telling us he is scared (tonight it was scared of a big, red, boy robot). At first, I just assumed that he was actually scared, but now I'm not so sure because he says it a lot. Now, I'm starting to wonder if he says it to keep us around longer.
One very frustrated parent brought up battles over getting ready in the morning. We have these, too, although I think things are getting easier. I've gotten into a good pattern of given Xander clothing choices that he'll agree 1o. I've just accepted that he just really loves his gray fleece pants so I offer those as often as they are clean. We still have occasional battles, but in general, he is much more cooperative. I also learned from the seminar that maybe I need to give Xander more opportunities to dress himself. I usually just do it because I can do it more quickly. At school, he does dresses himself. By not setting the same expectation at home, I could be encouraging unnecessary testing around clothing.
There were also some experiences that I didn't really identify with as much. For example, a parent brought up a frustration with getting their kid to sit down for meals. I think this question arose because the kids are all SO behaved for meals at daycare. They all sit down in their chairs, quietly etc. For this one, Xander is not a perfect angel at home, but it's one of those things that I guess I don't really care about. He is very good about sitting down when we start a meal. Sometimes, he finishes and wants to go play or watch TV. I'm perfectly fine if is finished and see no need to force him to stay at the table (just more time for mommy and daddy to talk). Often, he wants us to go play with him, but we just tell him we're still eating so he'll have to wait. Sometimes, he whines and pulls on our arms, but he seems to just be wiling to wait more and more each time.
Finally, a parent did bring up something that really hasn't been a concern for me at all. She was very concerned that her two year old would not stay focused on tasks. I guess I really don't have very high expectations about how long Xander should pay attention to a single activity. I certainly didn't think that his attention span was something that I should influence greatly. Over time, I have seen Xander's attention span for activities lengthen without any kind of purposeful intervention on my part. Now, I'm wondering if I should be paying more attention to this.
Overall, it was really interesting to hear the "venting" from the parents and the "recommendations" from Xander's teacher. I'm definitely glad that I made the time to attend.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
No more room...and other 3rd trimester ramblings
This week, I feel as if there is no more room left in my belly. My little girl is kicking me in the ribs constantly. I've started to wonder how big she is going to be when she enters this world. Part of what got me thinking about this was hearing a high school friend gave birth to a 10lb 14oz baby naturally. Yikes, finally someone who had a baby bigger than Xander (8lbs, 13oz). So, what do you think? Will she be bigger or smaller than her brother?
The other thing that I constantly wonder about is when is she going to arrive. I have so many people dependent upon me at work. This time around, there seem to be a large number of people who expect me to tell them exactly when my maternity leave is going to me. Really? It's going to start when I give birth, alright! Get off my back already.
I'm really trying to take it easy now while I can. It's not going to be an easy year. Any vacation that I have from work this year will likely be used up taking care of my daughter or taking care of one of my sick children. I won't get much sleep, of course. On top of that, I'll be repeatedly fighting against the urge to sleep as I pump or nurse. The bar at work is perpetually being raised. So, even just to keep my job, I need to do more at the same time as having less energy to do it.
So, I'm certainly nervous about the coming year ahead. I've learned a few things that I hope will help me cope a little better this time around:
So, on a positive note, I feel like I am more prepared. I'm still nervous about the coming year. It's going to be an exhausting one.
The other thing that I constantly wonder about is when is she going to arrive. I have so many people dependent upon me at work. This time around, there seem to be a large number of people who expect me to tell them exactly when my maternity leave is going to me. Really? It's going to start when I give birth, alright! Get off my back already.
I'm really trying to take it easy now while I can. It's not going to be an easy year. Any vacation that I have from work this year will likely be used up taking care of my daughter or taking care of one of my sick children. I won't get much sleep, of course. On top of that, I'll be repeatedly fighting against the urge to sleep as I pump or nurse. The bar at work is perpetually being raised. So, even just to keep my job, I need to do more at the same time as having less energy to do it.
So, I'm certainly nervous about the coming year ahead. I've learned a few things that I hope will help me cope a little better this time around:
- It's all temporary. Eventually, you get to be somewhat of an individual human being again instead of putting another's needs always before your own.
- It's not worth worrying about what might be. I can't believe how much time I spent worrying about what kind of things Xander might have wrong with him. It's not worth the worry. What is will be. I think I'll be able to just enjoy the present a little more.
- All the work is worth the amazing bond that you form with your child. Xander reminds me of that every day.
- The flu vaccine is essential and hand sanitizer works. I've got a good system of multiple hand sanitizer stops at Xander's day care. Although people probably think I'm a bit "Monk"-ish, I have gotten sick less since I've started my OCD-like routine.
- I've built up all sorts of good muscles lugging around baby crap. I was not at all prepared in upper body strength required when Xander arrived.
- I know what to expect out of day care as we're sticking with the same one that Xander attended.
So, on a positive note, I feel like I am more prepared. I'm still nervous about the coming year. It's going to be an exhausting one.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
If I ever seen "Ice Age 2" again....
Xander has been so sick the past few days with flu (turning into ear infections) that he's basically just been lying around all day watching TV and snuggling. He keeps asking for "Ice Age 2", which he received for Christmas. At first, I didn't want to have him watch it because I thought that the end would be too scary (it's got Rudy, the big mean dinosaur). BTW, I didn't know it was that scary when I bought it. However, after one draining day, I was just too tired to turn it off before the scary part. Fortunately, he didn't really seem to be scared by it at all. And so, we have watched it over, and over, and over the past three days. Pretty soon, I'll be ready for an Alamo Drafthouse quote-along of the movie.
While he has been sick, Xander has fluctuated between being extremely demanding and pathetically cute...sometimes both at once. He wants someone to be snuggling him at all times. "I want you, mommy". "I need you, daddy". It's really hard not to oblige the poor little guy.
He was a total super star of cooperation at the doctor's office, which was just amazing. Perhaps, he didn't have the energy to be his normal, contrary, terrible- two self. He patiently waited in a chair until we were called, which was about 20 min. due to the backlog of other patients. He stepped up onto the scale all by himself to get weighed (30.4lbs, btw). He cooperated with the nurse and a strange new doctor with no bedside manner. I was so proud of my little, brave boy.
I don't like to see my sweet little boy suffer though. So, as much as I enjoy the snuggles and cooperation, I really hope he improves a lot overnight tonight.
While he has been sick, Xander has fluctuated between being extremely demanding and pathetically cute...sometimes both at once. He wants someone to be snuggling him at all times. "I want you, mommy". "I need you, daddy". It's really hard not to oblige the poor little guy.
He was a total super star of cooperation at the doctor's office, which was just amazing. Perhaps, he didn't have the energy to be his normal, contrary, terrible- two self. He patiently waited in a chair until we were called, which was about 20 min. due to the backlog of other patients. He stepped up onto the scale all by himself to get weighed (30.4lbs, btw). He cooperated with the nurse and a strange new doctor with no bedside manner. I was so proud of my little, brave boy.
I don't like to see my sweet little boy suffer though. So, as much as I enjoy the snuggles and cooperation, I really hope he improves a lot overnight tonight.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Connecting with Curious George
For those looking for "quality" kid TV, I'd like to recommend PBSKid's "Curious George". Xander really seems to connect with this how for some reason. Not only does he enjoy it, but it appears to be learning/retaining information from it.
We watched an episode about donuts, and he learned the word "thousand" and started using it. He also likes to talk about how much George LOVES donuts. One day, when I asked if Xander wanted to go with me to get donuts, he got really excited about it just like George. That was pretty surprising because getting Xander into the car in the morning can be such a huge battle.
This morning, we watched an episode where George accidentally makes a dinosaur skeleton fall part and then he tries to put it together. Xander learned all about bones. Then, he went around the house feeling/poking everybody's bones: mommy, daddy, Copper, Peanut, and even himself.
Xander has always been kind of a fan of Curious George though. He seemed to gravitate towards his CG books more than others as a toddler. I think Xander connects well as he is "always very curious."
We watched an episode about donuts, and he learned the word "thousand" and started using it. He also likes to talk about how much George LOVES donuts. One day, when I asked if Xander wanted to go with me to get donuts, he got really excited about it just like George. That was pretty surprising because getting Xander into the car in the morning can be such a huge battle.
This morning, we watched an episode where George accidentally makes a dinosaur skeleton fall part and then he tries to put it together. Xander learned all about bones. Then, he went around the house feeling/poking everybody's bones: mommy, daddy, Copper, Peanut, and even himself.
Xander has always been kind of a fan of Curious George though. He seemed to gravitate towards his CG books more than others as a toddler. I think Xander connects well as he is "always very curious."
Steal my nose!
Guess who just loves to plan the steal-my-nose game! Sometimes Xander is generous, demanding that we take his nose. Sometimes he gets a little upset, when we try to feed it to the dogs or play keep-away...haha, yeah, we're mean! He always finds a way to get it back and puts it on himself.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
First Dentist Visit
This week, Daddy took Xander to his first dental appointment. He was such a well-behaved and cooperative little boy. Yay! Everything checked out fine. The dentist also introduced us to a new position for teeth brushing lying down, which Xander seems to enjoy.
The dentist pointed out that he has a crossbite. As far as I can tell, this is a word used to represent one or more crooked teeth. No big surprises there. I think Xander's pretty much destined for braces if he takes after his parents. Although, if we're lucky, in 8-10 years from now, orthodontic technology will probably eliminate the need for braces.
The dentist pointed out that he has a crossbite. As far as I can tell, this is a word used to represent one or more crooked teeth. No big surprises there. I think Xander's pretty much destined for braces if he takes after his parents. Although, if we're lucky, in 8-10 years from now, orthodontic technology will probably eliminate the need for braces.
Baby love
Xander isn't always careful with my baby belly. When he's paying attention though, he can be darn right cute and loving.
Little helper
Sometimes, Xander can be very helpful. Here's a picture of him helping to load the silverware into the dishwasher. He's got a few other helpful talents. He is pretty good at throwing away things in the trash and putting empty cans and bottles into recycling. When he's in the mood, he can feed Copper and Peanut, our dogs, within minimal help. If there is a clean up job involving a spray bottle or the swiffer mom, he's ALL over it.
Rocket man
The first time we saw one of these rocket launchers was on a beach in southern California. Xander was so excited to watch the kids playing with it, that I bought him one for his 2nd birthday. Every time I get it out (usually it is stuffed in the top of his closet), he has a blast.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Chinese Mothers?
Recently, there has been a lot of internet buzz about a Wall Street Journal article entitled "Why Chinese Mothers are Superior". Since one of my work colleges is a new mother in Shanghai, it peaked my interest to read the article. In summary, I found the article to be pretty inflammatory (hence the internet buzz). Nothing in that article sounds anything like the life of my work peer in Shanghai.
To be honest, I find a lot of similarities in the stories that I exchange with my peer. We both love to talk about how crazy our kids are and how they keep our lives interesting. We both exchanged stories about getting our kids to play nice with other kids. We love to tell stories of the mischief that our kids get into causing havoc at home. We commiserate when our kids get sick.
There are obvious differences, too. I'm expecting my 2nd child, which is probably not something that my peer will be doing soon. She has her parents take care of her daughter while she works (instead of daycare), but that happens a lot in this country, too.
I hope to be working with my Shangai peer in a few years so we continue to chat about our crazy kids. Maybe at some point (school age?), we'll see some kind of divergence described like the WSJ article. I'd like to think that we won't though. I'd like to believe that I have more in common with mothers around the world when it comes to the important parts of being a mother. I'd rather not look for ways to categorize, divide, and rate us.
PS Everyone knows that blogging mothers are superior anyway. :-P
To be honest, I find a lot of similarities in the stories that I exchange with my peer. We both love to talk about how crazy our kids are and how they keep our lives interesting. We both exchanged stories about getting our kids to play nice with other kids. We love to tell stories of the mischief that our kids get into causing havoc at home. We commiserate when our kids get sick.
There are obvious differences, too. I'm expecting my 2nd child, which is probably not something that my peer will be doing soon. She has her parents take care of her daughter while she works (instead of daycare), but that happens a lot in this country, too.
I hope to be working with my Shangai peer in a few years so we continue to chat about our crazy kids. Maybe at some point (school age?), we'll see some kind of divergence described like the WSJ article. I'd like to think that we won't though. I'd like to believe that I have more in common with mothers around the world when it comes to the important parts of being a mother. I'd rather not look for ways to categorize, divide, and rate us.
PS Everyone knows that blogging mothers are superior anyway. :-P
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Empathy and sharing
You know what? It's freaking HARD to teach a 2 year old about empathy and sharing. We're making progress though.
If you have ever seen "Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs", you'll remember there are multiple scenes of two squirrel like creatures fighting over an acorn. We've started watching this movie this week (it takes us multiple days to get through a movie). Every time one of those scenes appears, Xander yells out "They need to share!" or "Cut it in half!"
Next, he's starting to ask us if we need or want something. Maybe real empathy would him actually intuitively knowing what we needed or wanted, but just asking is a real start. Respecting that other people in the work have opinions is probably an important thing to understand.
If you have ever seen "Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaurs", you'll remember there are multiple scenes of two squirrel like creatures fighting over an acorn. We've started watching this movie this week (it takes us multiple days to get through a movie). Every time one of those scenes appears, Xander yells out "They need to share!" or "Cut it in half!"
Next, he's starting to ask us if we need or want something. Maybe real empathy would him actually intuitively knowing what we needed or wanted, but just asking is a real start. Respecting that other people in the work have opinions is probably an important thing to understand.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Why, why, why
Oh noes! Xander just learned the "why" game. It goes like this.
- Mommy says something.
- Xander asks "why?"
- Mommy explains "because..."
- Xander asks "why?" in regard to the previous explanation.
- This repeats back and forth until either:
-- Mommy asks Xander a question to distract him
-- Mommy says "why not!"
-- Mommy says "I don't know."
-- Mommy pulls her hair out and runs out the room.
Daddy is smarter...he refuses to play the game.
- Mommy says something.
- Xander asks "why?"
- Mommy explains "because..."
- Xander asks "why?" in regard to the previous explanation.
- This repeats back and forth until either:
-- Mommy asks Xander a question to distract him
-- Mommy says "why not!"
-- Mommy says "I don't know."
-- Mommy pulls her hair out and runs out the room.
Daddy is smarter...he refuses to play the game.
Packing for the hospital
I'm half packed for the hospital trip when our daughter will be born. Packing was SO different this time. The last time, my bag included clothes, a camera, and an iPod with a special "labor" mix list of some of my favorite songs.
The camera and clothes came in handy, but the music was a waste. I only spent 3 hours at the hospital in labor and was not interested in listening to music at any point. So, the iPod is not making it into the bag this time.
This time, my priority new addition to the bag is a Boppy pillow. These C-shaped pillows make nursing so much easier. I remember fiddling with the hospital pillows and never finding a way to get comfortable. What the heck did women do before these Boppies were invited, I have no idea. I got a new cover, but it's the same old pillow that Xander used.
The next addition to the bag are some fancy swaddlers. We used these special blankets with Xander after we brought him home. They have hook and eye tape tabs in them to get baby good an snug. It's not that the hospital blankets were necessarily bad, but the swaddlers are definitely easier when you are tired as all heck.
This time, I've also packed more baby outfits than last time. I remember being extremely bored waiting to get out of the hospital. What's more fun that dressing up baby in cute pink outfits for a zillion photos.
Although I have finished, one thing I am definitely going to back is some better toiletries. Hospital soap is well, depressing. I bringing some nice smelling soap from home.
I think I am packing much earlier than last. Perhaps, it is because I have nothing better to do. Around this time in my last pregnancy, I was reading books on labor and delivery. I was super nervous about everything. This time, the only thing I feel nervous about is the lack of having something concrete to worry about. I keep wondering if I should be more nervous.
The camera and clothes came in handy, but the music was a waste. I only spent 3 hours at the hospital in labor and was not interested in listening to music at any point. So, the iPod is not making it into the bag this time.
This time, my priority new addition to the bag is a Boppy pillow. These C-shaped pillows make nursing so much easier. I remember fiddling with the hospital pillows and never finding a way to get comfortable. What the heck did women do before these Boppies were invited, I have no idea. I got a new cover, but it's the same old pillow that Xander used.
The next addition to the bag are some fancy swaddlers. We used these special blankets with Xander after we brought him home. They have hook and eye tape tabs in them to get baby good an snug. It's not that the hospital blankets were necessarily bad, but the swaddlers are definitely easier when you are tired as all heck.
This time, I've also packed more baby outfits than last time. I remember being extremely bored waiting to get out of the hospital. What's more fun that dressing up baby in cute pink outfits for a zillion photos.
Although I have finished, one thing I am definitely going to back is some better toiletries. Hospital soap is well, depressing. I bringing some nice smelling soap from home.
I think I am packing much earlier than last. Perhaps, it is because I have nothing better to do. Around this time in my last pregnancy, I was reading books on labor and delivery. I was super nervous about everything. This time, the only thing I feel nervous about is the lack of having something concrete to worry about. I keep wondering if I should be more nervous.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Who knew IKEA could be so entertaining?
Whoah does Xander love IKEA. As long as he doesn't start any "Fight Clubs", I guess I'm ok with that. I mean visiting IKEA is WAY cheaper than going to Seaworld, and apparently, equally entertaining for my little boy.
Last weekend, we went to IKEA looking for a media shelf. Xander just loved trying out some of the furniture and kitchen appliances. Plus he was a big fan of following the giant arrows on the floor through the maze of a store. The all-wheel steering carts were a fun "ride" as well. When Xander got to school this week, he had to tell all of his friends about IKEA.
Too bad the shelf that we bought from IKEA didn't work out. On the plus side, Xander got another trip to IKEA to return the shelf this weekend. This time, our family of four (daddy, mommy, xander, and daughter indirectly) even got to share one of those lovely cinnamon rolls that we smelled the last time we came.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Cutest little early bird
Xander woke up a little early this morning, but I didn't really feel like jumping out of bed to join him. Thanks to his sister, I had a night of tossing, turning, and acid reflux. Plus, he was being such a goof I just had to lay in bed listening to him to be cute.
First, he had a few rounds of running and jumping into the foof-chair in our room. It's a big foam filled bag chair. I'd hear him breathing on one side of the room, then fast pads of little feet across the room, and plop, a big jump into the chair. He did this about 5-6 times.
Then, he left our room for a bit. When he came back, I heard my laptop computer make the sound that it was uplugged from the AC Adapter. Uh-oh! He proceeded to sit in the foof chair with my laptop, naming off letters and numbers. I could tell he was actually reading off the letters because he was reading them in the sequence of a qwerty keyboard. At one point, he was very excited to find a "star" key.
Finally, his sister was putting so much pressure on my bladder that I had to get up. It only took 2.5 years for Xander to find a cute, pleasant way to wake me up. Gee, I hope his sister is just born that way.
First, he had a few rounds of running and jumping into the foof-chair in our room. It's a big foam filled bag chair. I'd hear him breathing on one side of the room, then fast pads of little feet across the room, and plop, a big jump into the chair. He did this about 5-6 times.
Then, he left our room for a bit. When he came back, I heard my laptop computer make the sound that it was uplugged from the AC Adapter. Uh-oh! He proceeded to sit in the foof chair with my laptop, naming off letters and numbers. I could tell he was actually reading off the letters because he was reading them in the sequence of a qwerty keyboard. At one point, he was very excited to find a "star" key.
Finally, his sister was putting so much pressure on my bladder that I had to get up. It only took 2.5 years for Xander to find a cute, pleasant way to wake me up. Gee, I hope his sister is just born that way.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Potty progress
I hate to harp on this, but I'm just so proud of Xander. He's really made such a dramatic improvement. So far this week the progress we've made at home has, in fact, translated to success at school. This is even though his school has not changed anything. Woot!
What should we name baby 1.5?
So, Xander's school recommended that we carry around a doll before our daughter is born in order for Xander to get used to the idea of a baby. I found one on Christmas clearance so I figured I would give it a shot. My question to all of you blog readers is what should we name this little bundle of plastic joy? I'm thinking just "baby" or "little sister".
One positive note on the process of getting Xander used to the idea of a new sibling is that he was positive about being a "big brother" for the first time tonight. I read him The Berenstain Bears' New Baby. Then I told him that he was going to be a "big brother", too. He cheered a bit, which was great. Previously, he's been pretty insistent that he would definitely not be a big brother. He would be fine with talking about a new baby, but the mention of "big brother" would always upset him. so, tonight, this was a nice turn of events.
One positive note on the process of getting Xander used to the idea of a new sibling is that he was positive about being a "big brother" for the first time tonight. I read him The Berenstain Bears' New Baby. Then I told him that he was going to be a "big brother", too. He cheered a bit, which was great. Previously, he's been pretty insistent that he would definitely not be a big brother. He would be fine with talking about a new baby, but the mention of "big brother" would always upset him. so, tonight, this was a nice turn of events.
Cedar Fever
In central Texas, we have something this time of year called Cedar Fever. The many cedar trees (which are really large bushes if you ask me) blast a bunch of orange stuff into the air. For those who are allergic, it can be quite miserable. This year, we are prepared.
Dolphin was the canary in the mine. He had extreme reactions, which required prescriptive medicine to deal with. Xander and I both got an itchy throat and cough. Fortunately Zyrtec worked for me and children's clariton was an instant cure for Xander.
The good thing is that Cedar Fever lasts just a few weeks...thankfully! I'm also really glad that I learned about my own allergy before I became pregnant. For the past 3 years, I have gotten some pretty serious sinus infections at the exact same time every year. Last year, my doctor tested me and determined the root cause was allergy.
Somehow I feel better taking a little bit of antihistamine as a preventative than having to take strong antibiotics to recover from a serious sinus infection. Ideally, I'd prefer to take no drugs while pregnant, but the preventative seems like the better choice of the two evils.
Dolphin was the canary in the mine. He had extreme reactions, which required prescriptive medicine to deal with. Xander and I both got an itchy throat and cough. Fortunately Zyrtec worked for me and children's clariton was an instant cure for Xander.
The good thing is that Cedar Fever lasts just a few weeks...thankfully! I'm also really glad that I learned about my own allergy before I became pregnant. For the past 3 years, I have gotten some pretty serious sinus infections at the exact same time every year. Last year, my doctor tested me and determined the root cause was allergy.
Somehow I feel better taking a little bit of antihistamine as a preventative than having to take strong antibiotics to recover from a serious sinus infection. Ideally, I'd prefer to take no drugs while pregnant, but the preventative seems like the better choice of the two evils.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Fleece
Xander is quite possibly the biggest fan of fleece ever. I can't really blame him all that much.
When it comes to pants, he only ever wants to wear his gray fleece pants from Target. Fortunately, I bought him multiple pairs of the same kind. If all of his gray fleece pants are dirty, it can be a huge battle to get anything on his legs. I don't remember the last time that I got a pair of jeans or corduroys on this boy.
He's also stolen my own fleece blanket and claimed it for his own. I've had this blanket for over 10 years, and oddly, it's as good as new. He now calls it the "mommy blanket" and he absolutely needs it to go to bed at night. Boohoohoo, I want my security blanket back.
When it comes to pants, he only ever wants to wear his gray fleece pants from Target. Fortunately, I bought him multiple pairs of the same kind. If all of his gray fleece pants are dirty, it can be a huge battle to get anything on his legs. I don't remember the last time that I got a pair of jeans or corduroys on this boy.
He's also stolen my own fleece blanket and claimed it for his own. I've had this blanket for over 10 years, and oddly, it's as good as new. He now calls it the "mommy blanket" and he absolutely needs it to go to bed at night. Boohoohoo, I want my security blanket back.
Potty improvement
I hope this post doesn't jinx it, but we've had two good days of major potty improvement. We went from refusal to sitting on the potty to multiple successes in a day. We're not anywhere close to claiming overall success, but it's a huge improvement on his willingness to go.
One thing that has seemed to make a difference is the location of the potty. Instead of taking him away from where all the action is, we brought the little potty out of the bathroom. Putting it in the living room or office where all the family activity is going on, he's much more willing to sit on it. It is not surprising to us that every time he is sitting, he is going. I think we are challenged to find ways to keep the motivation going, but the mechanics are there.
I think we'll really see how good or bad this improvement is after he goes back to school. Unfortunately, at school, they don't really have the option of moving the potty to the center of the action (that would be a major plumbing change). Hopefully, the success at home will be a positive influence at school time.
One thing that has seemed to make a difference is the location of the potty. Instead of taking him away from where all the action is, we brought the little potty out of the bathroom. Putting it in the living room or office where all the family activity is going on, he's much more willing to sit on it. It is not surprising to us that every time he is sitting, he is going. I think we are challenged to find ways to keep the motivation going, but the mechanics are there.
I think we'll really see how good or bad this improvement is after he goes back to school. Unfortunately, at school, they don't really have the option of moving the potty to the center of the action (that would be a major plumbing change). Hopefully, the success at home will be a positive influence at school time.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Hard time in juvi, man
Thanks to a Christmas gift certificate from Great Grandma and Great Grandpa T, we were able to get one of those new baby items that I had mentioned previously. We got this gigantic play yard made by Joovy. It's just hilarious to me that this little baby-jail is made by a brand called Joovy.
Anyway, it seems really easy to use and move. I like the big size. I hope that our little girl actually likes it, too.
Xander had to try it out for his own baby doll. He was nice enough to throw in a pillow and blanket for his baby.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
NGram
I was reading about Google's NGram Viewer on GeekMom's Blog. It is a nifty little tool for view some histogram data for instances of phrases in books over time. It's just a fun little tool.
I found one interesting trend by typing in "terrible twos", "potty training", and "parenting".
Terrible Twos
Potty Training
Parenting
It seems like a pretty significant of explosion of parenting books might have started in the 1960s. That doesn't seem too surprising. It seems to match up somewhat to the trend of "women's education."
Maybe it's a stretch, but maybe there is something to the trend. The more mom's who can read, the more books about being a mom. After all, what mom wouldn't want to just look up the answers of parenting in the book....if only it were always that easy.
I found one interesting trend by typing in "terrible twos", "potty training", and "parenting".
Terrible Twos
Potty Training
Parenting
It seems like a pretty significant of explosion of parenting books might have started in the 1960s. That doesn't seem too surprising. It seems to match up somewhat to the trend of "women's education."
Maybe it's a stretch, but maybe there is something to the trend. The more mom's who can read, the more books about being a mom. After all, what mom wouldn't want to just look up the answers of parenting in the book....if only it were always that easy.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Full of adjectives
Xander is just full of adjectives these days. He likes to tell us about everything in great detail. It's not just milk, it's a BIG glass of milk. It's very important to acknowledge the adjectives or he will keep repeating his sentence to you until you do. Squishy, hard, sparkly, hot, warm, cold, big, little, wet, dry, various colors... We've got our own little "Richard Castle" in the making.
One of my favorites that he uses is floppy. I'm not sure where he learned this one to be honest. How he uses it makes me giggle. Sometimes, he asks me to warm up various foods in the microwave...really strange foods that you probably wouldn't consider putting in a microwave. For instance, he asks for fresh strawberries and sticks of cheddar cheese out of the fridge to be warmed. I generally put them in for like 10-15 seconds to bring them to room temperature. One day, I accidentally overheated the cheese and it came out slightly melted. Ever since, he reminds me to warm the food, but not too much that it gets "floppy."
One of my favorites that he uses is floppy. I'm not sure where he learned this one to be honest. How he uses it makes me giggle. Sometimes, he asks me to warm up various foods in the microwave...really strange foods that you probably wouldn't consider putting in a microwave. For instance, he asks for fresh strawberries and sticks of cheddar cheese out of the fridge to be warmed. I generally put them in for like 10-15 seconds to bring them to room temperature. One day, I accidentally overheated the cheese and it came out slightly melted. Ever since, he reminds me to warm the food, but not too much that it gets "floppy."
The Peanut Gallery
I was so excited when Xander asked me to "make it loud, mommy" when 'NSync came on the radio in the car. I was thinking "yay, my boy will like to listen to pop music (ok maybe not CURRENT pop music) with me as opposed to Dolphin's weird music." I started singing along. Xander immediately told me "you don't do it, mommy, you don't sing." Awwww, man! Am I really that bad?
Monday, January 3, 2011
Get the monsters
Another example of Xander's fun imagination is a game he invented involving playing with invisible monsters. In this particular video, we were practicing yelling at the monsters to scare them away. However, he does lots of different things with the monsters including:
1) Many times he has pretended he is scared and being chased by them. I think he just likes playing chase but has no one to play with.
2) Right before this video, he was hitting invisible monsters with T-ball bat and asked me to shoot at them with a TV remote. (Wi-fi must be deadly for monsters?) I taught him to yell at them to scare them away instead because I figured that was better behavior than violence. Plus, there's always something behind the invisible monster that gets hit with the bat. Dolphin thought he looked quite cute like "bam-bam" dragging the bat around though.
3) He recently added the concept of "saving" and "protecting". He carries something around like his Mickey Mouse figurine and protects it or saves it from the monsters. What a little hero!
4) Today, he made a picnic for the monsters. Put out food for them and served them invisible juice out of tea pot. Perhaps this was because I reminded him that monsters can be nice like "Sully" or "Mike Wizowski".
The invisible monsters seem to hang out a lot in the rooms that I would prefer Xander NOT go in. They are NEVER in his own room. I guess that is a good thing.
This boy SO needs a sister to play with. Invisible monsters are great and all, but a real sister is going to be so much better.
Heart breaking haircut
Before the haircut:
After the haircut:
There are rarely moments where I wish that I had to be at work more. However, today was one of those days that I wish I had been at work instead of vacation. Xander's 2nd haircut did not go an smoothly as his first.
He really was ok being at the hair salon because they had some cool toys to look at and play with. However, he made it verbally clear that he did not want to get his haircut. I really should've given up. I mean a haircut is not worth fighting about. However, for some dumb reason, I decided that we were going to continue with the haircut despite his tantrum.
In the end, it took 4 adults to get the job. Well, really just 3 and another adult who tried futilely to distract Xander with movies, candy, balloons, and bubbles. I had the task of using all my upper body strength to hold him in the chair. Another lady, held his head, and a 3rd somehow managed to cut his hair despite the constant wriggling and screaming.
Unfortunately, the end of the haircut didn't really end the battle. Immediately, Xander wanted to back to playing with the toy he had been playing with, but there was another girl playing with it. So, I managed to pay the bill with him screaming and trying to get to the toy. Then, he continued to scream outside, and in the car. After 15 more minutes of screaming in the car, I got him into his car seat so that we could go home.
Of course, once he was home, he was perfectly happy and fine. It really, really wasn't worth the battle. I fail to see any life lessons learned today. Next time, Daddy is going to have to take him to get his haircut because I'm not doing it again.
After the haircut:
There are rarely moments where I wish that I had to be at work more. However, today was one of those days that I wish I had been at work instead of vacation. Xander's 2nd haircut did not go an smoothly as his first.
He really was ok being at the hair salon because they had some cool toys to look at and play with. However, he made it verbally clear that he did not want to get his haircut. I really should've given up. I mean a haircut is not worth fighting about. However, for some dumb reason, I decided that we were going to continue with the haircut despite his tantrum.
In the end, it took 4 adults to get the job. Well, really just 3 and another adult who tried futilely to distract Xander with movies, candy, balloons, and bubbles. I had the task of using all my upper body strength to hold him in the chair. Another lady, held his head, and a 3rd somehow managed to cut his hair despite the constant wriggling and screaming.
Unfortunately, the end of the haircut didn't really end the battle. Immediately, Xander wanted to back to playing with the toy he had been playing with, but there was another girl playing with it. So, I managed to pay the bill with him screaming and trying to get to the toy. Then, he continued to scream outside, and in the car. After 15 more minutes of screaming in the car, I got him into his car seat so that we could go home.
Of course, once he was home, he was perfectly happy and fine. It really, really wasn't worth the battle. I fail to see any life lessons learned today. Next time, Daddy is going to have to take him to get his haircut because I'm not doing it again.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Hospital Tour
We took a tour of the hospital where I am likely to give birth to our little girl. This hospital was still under construction when Xander was born. It's also much, much, much smaller than the hospital where he was born. Some of the key differences in this new hospital:
- It's only 9 driving minutes away from our house instead 20 minutes (without traffic)
- The new hospital doesn't have a full time nursery. I remember at the old hospital the nurses seemed so keen on taking Xander away to the nursery, which I never agreed to. At the new hospital, it sounds like that is not even an option.
- The new hospital won't deliver pre-term babies. So, if we are pre-term, we'll get shipped off to a larger hospital. I guess this makes it more like a birthing center.
- The new hospital gives away free car seats with every delivery. How strange??? It makes me feel a little like going to a car dealership or something.
Some of the similarities:
- Both hospitals' tour guides spent a great deal of time talking about the security system. They seemed to drone on and on about how everything gets locked down if the bracelet falls off the baby.
- Both hospitals have much nicer labor and delivery rooms than postpartum. Dolphin and I really don't understand this. We only spent 3 hours in the L&D room but two boring days in postpartum. Shouldn't the room you spend more time in be nicer?
Xander came with us on the tour and demonstrated the difficulty of having small children in the L&D room. He wanted to touch everything, especially the computers and electronics. He was happy throughout the whole tour but just had way too much energy.
Now, that I've entered the 3rd trimester, we're starting to wonder about how we'll deal with Xander and the delivery. So far, my plan is just to drive myself to hospital and while Daddy takes care of Xander. Bad plan?
- It's only 9 driving minutes away from our house instead 20 minutes (without traffic)
- The new hospital doesn't have a full time nursery. I remember at the old hospital the nurses seemed so keen on taking Xander away to the nursery, which I never agreed to. At the new hospital, it sounds like that is not even an option.
- The new hospital won't deliver pre-term babies. So, if we are pre-term, we'll get shipped off to a larger hospital. I guess this makes it more like a birthing center.
- The new hospital gives away free car seats with every delivery. How strange??? It makes me feel a little like going to a car dealership or something.
Some of the similarities:
- Both hospitals' tour guides spent a great deal of time talking about the security system. They seemed to drone on and on about how everything gets locked down if the bracelet falls off the baby.
- Both hospitals have much nicer labor and delivery rooms than postpartum. Dolphin and I really don't understand this. We only spent 3 hours in the L&D room but two boring days in postpartum. Shouldn't the room you spend more time in be nicer?
Xander came with us on the tour and demonstrated the difficulty of having small children in the L&D room. He wanted to touch everything, especially the computers and electronics. He was happy throughout the whole tour but just had way too much energy.
Now, that I've entered the 3rd trimester, we're starting to wonder about how we'll deal with Xander and the delivery. So far, my plan is just to drive myself to hospital and while Daddy takes care of Xander. Bad plan?
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!
This is blog post number 626. Pretty crazy, eh? I'm certainly still enjoying it. I suspect that it may get a little more difficult to post for a while in the March time frame. I'll try my best to stay on top of posting. I'm sure that I certainly have more content fodder, but the capturing ability may be limited.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)