Momma says if I can't crawl, the least I can do is write my own update. I told her I'm working on the crawling, but it's true that language does come much easier to me, so I figured I'd oblige.
I can scoot backwards, and turn around. But really- life is usually better if you stay more still. Easier to take things in that way. I love playing with my toys- I have a few that I like to play with all by themselves, but my favorite is when Momma sets me up with my basket of little toys. I take them out one by one, and check how they each taste, and if they make a noise when I shake them. Sometimes I stop to play with one for a minute. Once I've taken them all out, I start playing with the basket. When I get it turned over and start eating it, Momma knows she better come up with a new game before I a) consume some of the wicker or b) start screaming.
Momma and Dada keep taking all the stuff around the house and putting it in boxes. I don't really like the days they do that, because everything looks different and they don't pay as much attention to me. I do like having all the boxes around- they are fun to touch, and bang on, and try to climb over. I'd be more successful if I could go forward, I'm sure.
I can say dada, and I say it all the time. Momma and Dada think I don't know what it means, but I do. I just can't say anything else, so I use it for everything.
I love to eat! Somedays I just eat a bite or two, but today at dinner I was so hungry, I ate a serving of sweet potato and oatmeal, and then a whole jar of carrots, and then a few bites of rice cereal, before I finished off with some peas. I can sometimes drink from a cup, but it's pretty messy, and sometimes it's more fun to just spit it out. I still love nursing, too- especially in the middle of the night when I wake up and want a cuddle! Which I do a lot. I mean, who wouldn't love that?
Momma says I'm about 19 pounds. I don't know how she knows, I haven't been to the doctor's in forever. We're going tomorrow to get checked up and say goodbye to Momma and Dada's favorite doctor. I think she's just OK.
Momma has been taking me out in my new stroller recently. Sometimes we go on the swings- I like that a lot! I like when Dada plays with me before work or before bed. When I think he's not around, I usually don't sleep as well. On we weekends we have Dada-daughter time. Momma usually leaves. I don't know where she goes or what she does.
I like to be outside. And read books. And see new people, as long as they don't grab me. Kids are my favorite. Feel free to come visit me!
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
(Almost) Two Years in Tiny Town
So, it turns out our time in Tiny Town is coming to a close. While we started this blog to record our transition from Big Eastern City to Small Midwestern Town, it probably ended up being more about Baby H- who is by far the best result of our time here. We've made some super excellent friends, too- I'm pretty sure Jesus sent them here just for us. I'm thinking he probably has some other purpose for their lives, but I know that was one of them.
We'll be moving - in less than three weeks!- to Midsize Midwestern City. So much closer to home, physically and culturally. I'm sure when we get there we'll realize all the ways we've adjusted to small town life- but right now what still stands out are the things I haven't let go of from city living.
I took the baby carrier instead of the stroller for a walk with a friend and her baby the other day, because I didn't think we could fit two huge strollers on the sidewalk. We walked in the street, though. And speaking of that huge stroller, we keep in the in the trunk of the car. Which we lock. And I don't ever leave it alone on the front porch, or outside a shop, or anywhere. Much to the amusement of my friend from Even Tinier Town. We still lock our doors, of course. I usually notice if we leave change in the cup holders. I even worry when I'm in the shower that someone is going to break in and steal Baby H from her bed. That last one is probably more a result of paranoia than city life, but hey- she's awfully cute.
I know I'll miss the slow pace, the safe walks, the grocery store that's less than 50 yards from our door, and the beautiful town. I'll probably, at times, even regret the addition of convenient take-out - but then again, probably not for a while. We will surely miss our friends here, especially while we are making new ones. But overall, we're excited for this change.
Midsize City, here we come! As soon as we pack some boxes, that is.
We'll be moving - in less than three weeks!- to Midsize Midwestern City. So much closer to home, physically and culturally. I'm sure when we get there we'll realize all the ways we've adjusted to small town life- but right now what still stands out are the things I haven't let go of from city living.
I took the baby carrier instead of the stroller for a walk with a friend and her baby the other day, because I didn't think we could fit two huge strollers on the sidewalk. We walked in the street, though. And speaking of that huge stroller, we keep in the in the trunk of the car. Which we lock. And I don't ever leave it alone on the front porch, or outside a shop, or anywhere. Much to the amusement of my friend from Even Tinier Town. We still lock our doors, of course. I usually notice if we leave change in the cup holders. I even worry when I'm in the shower that someone is going to break in and steal Baby H from her bed. That last one is probably more a result of paranoia than city life, but hey- she's awfully cute.
I know I'll miss the slow pace, the safe walks, the grocery store that's less than 50 yards from our door, and the beautiful town. I'll probably, at times, even regret the addition of convenient take-out - but then again, probably not for a while. We will surely miss our friends here, especially while we are making new ones. But overall, we're excited for this change.
Midsize City, here we come! As soon as we pack some boxes, that is.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
On Baby Books and Crying
A friend, who has no children yet, asked me a while ago which parenting books I'd recommend. I surprised myself by answering none. I have read a few parenting books- a few pages here and there of Dr. Sears before Baby H was born, and since then a little bit of Baby Whisperer and The No-Cry sleep series, and endless online opinions. I have next-to-no knowledge of baby care, so I didn't want to mess H up too badly. I have definitely learned some helpful things from everything I've read. At the time, though, they all made me stressed out and unsure of my own parenting, especially in the short term.
Baby H, once she woke up from her born-too-soon sleepiness, was not all sweetness and light. I imagine no baby is, though really, I don't have much to compare her to. So, while Dr. Sears did encourage me to pick up my crying baby (which I did, in fact, have a physical compulsion to do), he also added to my anxiety when she would. not. stop. crying. Which she did, frequently, maxing out at about forty minutes at a stretch around two or three months, no matter what we did. And, to my credit, her crying intensity has impressed even the family practice nurses. I also felt guilty (at times) for leaving her alone on the floor too long, though in retrospect, I think she could have used a lot less stimulation in those early weeks and months. I felt terrible if I went to the bathroom before picking her up if she woke up in the night. So, while usually the guilt only lasted for a day or two after reading the books, it wasn't terribly helpful.
As H got older, friends told us they had great success with Baby B, the same age as H, using a gentle, limited crying-out method. When I heard how Baby B fell asleep for naps without 45 minutes of involvement from mom, I felt silly for not at least trying it. But, I was sure then (and still am now) that H would only cry harder and harder, loosing all control, and would probably cause herself some minor physical or psychological damage before falling asleep out of sheer exhaustion. So I rocked, and held, and danced, and nursed, and did whatever I could to get her to eventually sleep. Until, one day, long after baby B was falling asleep independently, I noticed H had a tired cry. And she did, once, quiet down after starting to cry and fall asleep in the car. Previously, she'd just scream until we got home. (She still does sometimes.) But, from that day, she spent some time fussing or crying in her crib sometimes. And I felt bad- if I thought about Dr. Sears.
But then, when she got really worked up, and I went to comfort her, and would pick her up and sometimes even (gasp!) let her fall asleep in my arms, I'd feel bad thinking about the Baby Whisperer. She says any baby over four months should be on at least a four hour schedule, and if your baby isn't you should spend two weeks forcing them into one. And, you should not let your baby fall asleep in your arms, or nursing, or bouncing, because they will not fall asleep in their beds. But, H still doesn't take a long enough nap to be on a four hour schedule. And, despite several rounds where she needed help falling asleep for a week or more, she also can frequently put herself to sleep now. On the other hand, I did get one gem out the BW- H has a personality type that enjoys a schedule or routine, but is very easily disrupted from one. I'm not sure exactly what I did differently once I realized that- I think I just realized H needed my help to keep a routine, she wasn't going to magically get sleepy at the same time every day. And now we're good.
So yes, I rock my baby to sleep, or even nurse her to sleep. Sometimes for weeks at a time. And yes, I let my baby cry in her crib. Sometimes for too long. Sometimes she falls asleep alone. And sometimes I go in and help her. I do all kinds of things that some parenting methods approve of and some don't, and some parents approve of and some don't. And sometimes I do things differently from day to day, because sometimes I just can't take any. more. crying. And, sometimes I just don't want to spend 45 minutes coaxing her to sleep. But mostly I try to stay away from the parenting books. Or, at least, take the helpful and not feel guilty about the rest.
So, my no-children-yet friend, here's my advice: Maybe read a baby book. Or not. Feel free to nurse your baby to sleep, or lay them down awake, or whatever you want. You probably should know that if you nurse them to sleep every. single. time. they sleep until they are 19 months old, you'll probably have a hard time breaking that habit. But hey- no college students nurse to sleep. Do what works. And don't feel guilty.
Baby H, once she woke up from her born-too-soon sleepiness, was not all sweetness and light. I imagine no baby is, though really, I don't have much to compare her to. So, while Dr. Sears did encourage me to pick up my crying baby (which I did, in fact, have a physical compulsion to do), he also added to my anxiety when she would. not. stop. crying. Which she did, frequently, maxing out at about forty minutes at a stretch around two or three months, no matter what we did. And, to my credit, her crying intensity has impressed even the family practice nurses. I also felt guilty (at times) for leaving her alone on the floor too long, though in retrospect, I think she could have used a lot less stimulation in those early weeks and months. I felt terrible if I went to the bathroom before picking her up if she woke up in the night. So, while usually the guilt only lasted for a day or two after reading the books, it wasn't terribly helpful.
As H got older, friends told us they had great success with Baby B, the same age as H, using a gentle, limited crying-out method. When I heard how Baby B fell asleep for naps without 45 minutes of involvement from mom, I felt silly for not at least trying it. But, I was sure then (and still am now) that H would only cry harder and harder, loosing all control, and would probably cause herself some minor physical or psychological damage before falling asleep out of sheer exhaustion. So I rocked, and held, and danced, and nursed, and did whatever I could to get her to eventually sleep. Until, one day, long after baby B was falling asleep independently, I noticed H had a tired cry. And she did, once, quiet down after starting to cry and fall asleep in the car. Previously, she'd just scream until we got home. (She still does sometimes.) But, from that day, she spent some time fussing or crying in her crib sometimes. And I felt bad- if I thought about Dr. Sears.
But then, when she got really worked up, and I went to comfort her, and would pick her up and sometimes even (gasp!) let her fall asleep in my arms, I'd feel bad thinking about the Baby Whisperer. She says any baby over four months should be on at least a four hour schedule, and if your baby isn't you should spend two weeks forcing them into one. And, you should not let your baby fall asleep in your arms, or nursing, or bouncing, because they will not fall asleep in their beds. But, H still doesn't take a long enough nap to be on a four hour schedule. And, despite several rounds where she needed help falling asleep for a week or more, she also can frequently put herself to sleep now. On the other hand, I did get one gem out the BW- H has a personality type that enjoys a schedule or routine, but is very easily disrupted from one. I'm not sure exactly what I did differently once I realized that- I think I just realized H needed my help to keep a routine, she wasn't going to magically get sleepy at the same time every day. And now we're good.
So yes, I rock my baby to sleep, or even nurse her to sleep. Sometimes for weeks at a time. And yes, I let my baby cry in her crib. Sometimes for too long. Sometimes she falls asleep alone. And sometimes I go in and help her. I do all kinds of things that some parenting methods approve of and some don't, and some parents approve of and some don't. And sometimes I do things differently from day to day, because sometimes I just can't take any. more. crying. And, sometimes I just don't want to spend 45 minutes coaxing her to sleep. But mostly I try to stay away from the parenting books. Or, at least, take the helpful and not feel guilty about the rest.
So, my no-children-yet friend, here's my advice: Maybe read a baby book. Or not. Feel free to nurse your baby to sleep, or lay them down awake, or whatever you want. You probably should know that if you nurse them to sleep every. single. time. they sleep until they are 19 months old, you'll probably have a hard time breaking that habit. But hey- no college students nurse to sleep. Do what works. And don't feel guilty.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Warm woolen mittens
You know the song "These are a few of my favorite things?" Well, here are a few of mine lately.
The way Baby H likes the "Doe, a Deer" song, speaking of the Sound of Music. She'd probably like "These are few of my favorite things," too, but I can't remember enough words to get very far.
Winter is dying. Even though it's 15 degrees and our hot water pipes froze (again), I know spring is coming. It's supposed be FOURTY degrees this weekend. That's like a heat wave.
How Baby H looks adoringly at me. I have mixed feelings, however, about how only I can lay her down at bedtime. But the "I love my mamma" stare just melts your heart.
Artisan bread in five minutes a day. We're going to turn into bread over here.
That Baby H is finally on something resembling a schedule. Three naps a day, and somewhat consistent times, with somewhat consistent lengths, of usually at least 40 minutes. Bliss.
Glee and The Mentalist. And salt and pepper popcorn.
This morning we're going to pick my mom up from the airport instead of skyping.
Leslie the PA declared H infection-free yesterday. Maybe a tooth is in our future, after all?
Baby H's little laugh! Poor ticklish kid.
The way Baby H likes the "Doe, a Deer" song, speaking of the Sound of Music. She'd probably like "These are few of my favorite things," too, but I can't remember enough words to get very far.
Winter is dying. Even though it's 15 degrees and our hot water pipes froze (again), I know spring is coming. It's supposed be FOURTY degrees this weekend. That's like a heat wave.
How Baby H looks adoringly at me. I have mixed feelings, however, about how only I can lay her down at bedtime. But the "I love my mamma" stare just melts your heart.
Artisan bread in five minutes a day. We're going to turn into bread over here.
That Baby H is finally on something resembling a schedule. Three naps a day, and somewhat consistent times, with somewhat consistent lengths, of usually at least 40 minutes. Bliss.
Glee and The Mentalist. And salt and pepper popcorn.
This morning we're going to pick my mom up from the airport instead of skyping.
Leslie the PA declared H infection-free yesterday. Maybe a tooth is in our future, after all?
Baby H's little laugh! Poor ticklish kid.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Winter Cooking
Well, the baby has (sometimes) been sleeping longer, and I've been spending most of my extra time in the kitchen. This past week's menu included waffles with ground flax seed mixed into the wet ingredients. I added it mostly to pretend that the waffles had some nutritional value, but it had an excellent side benefit- since flax seed (and water) is a substitute for egg, it made the waffles have a nice, light, "eggy" texture that was fun. I had a hard time remembering to take them out on time, though, so most of the leftovers will be a little dark by the time we toast them up.
I also made (Molly Weasley's- thanks K!) onion soup. Where has onion soup been all my life? The blurb in the cookbook said it "has long been a favorite recipe of the poor"- I generally consider myself well-versed in recipes of the poor, and onion soup had never even occurred to me! I made a few errors in the recipe- one of them being accidentally doubling it- so I was a little nervous how it would turn out, since I'd never made it. When I tasted it, I actually thought- "Oh! It tastes like onion soup mix!" How I never realized there was an actual onion soup behind onion soup mix gives me a good laugh.
I made hot dog rolls yesterday with my favorite "roll" recipe. I usually use all water, instead of milk, and sometimes olive oil instead of butter. Also, oatmeal instead of potato flakes. Fresh sauteed onions are better, per some of the comments, though last night I just added a few flakes- I didn't want too much onion flavor. I think I might be spoiled for life.
In an update to the pizza crust saga- in the latest efforts, I used our usual recipe, but heated our oven as hot as it would go (550- who knew?), made the pizzas as thin as I could, and poked them all over with a fork to try and prevent bubbles. I popped the ones that formed anyway- use a fork, NOT your hand in an oven mitt! I burned myself a few times from the steam. I pre-cooked the crusts and brought them to our church group to top and cook there, and was very pleased with the results. A, I bet they would have frozen great- but what to freeze them in? I suppose I could make them a little smaller and maybe they would fit in a gallon bag? And L, I'm gonna give your recipe a go, too, before I give up!
Tonight we're having beans with sage, and hopefully spinach artichoke dip. Tomorrow we're having mac & cheese and the rest of the hot dogs. We'll probably have chicken pot pie this weekend- and something else. Then, shopping day! Who knew I could write so much about food?
I think I hear the baby waking up- we're going to the big library to get some sleep books on how to get your baby to take longer naps! She can roll over now- sometimes. And, she gets really mad when she can't. Poor kiddo!
I also made (Molly Weasley's- thanks K!) onion soup. Where has onion soup been all my life? The blurb in the cookbook said it "has long been a favorite recipe of the poor"- I generally consider myself well-versed in recipes of the poor, and onion soup had never even occurred to me! I made a few errors in the recipe- one of them being accidentally doubling it- so I was a little nervous how it would turn out, since I'd never made it. When I tasted it, I actually thought- "Oh! It tastes like onion soup mix!" How I never realized there was an actual onion soup behind onion soup mix gives me a good laugh.
I made hot dog rolls yesterday with my favorite "roll" recipe. I usually use all water, instead of milk, and sometimes olive oil instead of butter. Also, oatmeal instead of potato flakes. Fresh sauteed onions are better, per some of the comments, though last night I just added a few flakes- I didn't want too much onion flavor. I think I might be spoiled for life.
In an update to the pizza crust saga- in the latest efforts, I used our usual recipe, but heated our oven as hot as it would go (550- who knew?), made the pizzas as thin as I could, and poked them all over with a fork to try and prevent bubbles. I popped the ones that formed anyway- use a fork, NOT your hand in an oven mitt! I burned myself a few times from the steam. I pre-cooked the crusts and brought them to our church group to top and cook there, and was very pleased with the results. A, I bet they would have frozen great- but what to freeze them in? I suppose I could make them a little smaller and maybe they would fit in a gallon bag? And L, I'm gonna give your recipe a go, too, before I give up!
Tonight we're having beans with sage, and hopefully spinach artichoke dip. Tomorrow we're having mac & cheese and the rest of the hot dogs. We'll probably have chicken pot pie this weekend- and something else. Then, shopping day! Who knew I could write so much about food?
I think I hear the baby waking up- we're going to the big library to get some sleep books on how to get your baby to take longer naps! She can roll over now- sometimes. And, she gets really mad when she can't. Poor kiddo!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Winter
I had a Christmas retrospective post half written, but the video wouldn't load, and I didn't have enough witty commentary to fill the space. This, perhaps, is a good representation of how I feel about January. Too much white, not enough fun. Really, why don't we have Christmas on January 25th? Who's with me?
So, I'm waiting for spring. This is the time of year when I count down the days, the hours, the dark nights, and the cold minutes. By my reckoning, we have about another two months. I'll be happy with 35 and sunny, but 75 and flip flops would be even better. I did take the baby for a walk in the 18 degree weather the other day. It was sunny, and not windy, but still- that's desperation for you. I think she was comfy, but my face was cold. I didn't bring a scarf for myself.
In the meantime, I'm cooking. Yesterday we had roasted carrot soup and irish soda bread- quite an excellent combination. The day-old bread, toasted, really was as good as they said. I'm learning to make artisan bread in five minutes a day (not that I have the book), but I had to take a break or else we'd eat nothing but bread. Tomorrow we're having rice and beans in attempt to save our grocery budget from our Christmas excess. I learned to make fried rice that we actually enjoyed eating. We ordered take-out Chinese the other day, but it was disappointing- next time we'll save our money and get a 5 dollar footlong. I'm still on the quest for the perfect pizza crust. Tonight's was a dud, perhaps because I used all whole-wheat flour. Fortunately, E likes pizza in all its forms. I've been eating waffles from the freezer for breakfast, and attempting to remember to eat fruit with lunch. When I worked, I'd pack myself a healthy lunch and eat it without much thought. Now, I'll usually have a sandwich or leftovers, but then it feels like a waste of time to sit and eat fruit. Until I'm hungry later- usually too hungry for fruit!
Since the preceding paragraph was probably only of interest to my Dad, we'll move on to the main attraction- Baby H. This evening aside, she has been delightful. She still only naps for 30 or 40 minutes, which is not her most delightful attribute. Currently, though, she is displaying one of her better traits- going to bed and sleeping all through the evening. She is usually up twice (sometimes once!) in the night, and we can frequently convince her to sleep until 8, so no complaints here. Or, at least, they are usually limited to the afternoon when she wakes up too early from her third nap, and even then I limit them to immediate family. She smiles, laughs, is ticklish, loves to be naked, jumps and smiles in her jumper (thanks A!), likes her toys, tolerates increasing amounts of tummy time, eats like a champ, and has her Dad wrapped around her little finger. She likes to watch people & kids, so I try and get her out a couple times a week. This also wears her out and encourages good nap time behavior. I think she will be really confused when we start putting her in her car seat without her super-awesome-warm-cute hat (THANKS again, A!). But probably, if she knew spring was coming, she'd be ready for it, too.
So, I'm waiting for spring. This is the time of year when I count down the days, the hours, the dark nights, and the cold minutes. By my reckoning, we have about another two months. I'll be happy with 35 and sunny, but 75 and flip flops would be even better. I did take the baby for a walk in the 18 degree weather the other day. It was sunny, and not windy, but still- that's desperation for you. I think she was comfy, but my face was cold. I didn't bring a scarf for myself.
In the meantime, I'm cooking. Yesterday we had roasted carrot soup and irish soda bread- quite an excellent combination. The day-old bread, toasted, really was as good as they said. I'm learning to make artisan bread in five minutes a day (not that I have the book), but I had to take a break or else we'd eat nothing but bread. Tomorrow we're having rice and beans in attempt to save our grocery budget from our Christmas excess. I learned to make fried rice that we actually enjoyed eating. We ordered take-out Chinese the other day, but it was disappointing- next time we'll save our money and get a 5 dollar footlong. I'm still on the quest for the perfect pizza crust. Tonight's was a dud, perhaps because I used all whole-wheat flour. Fortunately, E likes pizza in all its forms. I've been eating waffles from the freezer for breakfast, and attempting to remember to eat fruit with lunch. When I worked, I'd pack myself a healthy lunch and eat it without much thought. Now, I'll usually have a sandwich or leftovers, but then it feels like a waste of time to sit and eat fruit. Until I'm hungry later- usually too hungry for fruit!
Since the preceding paragraph was probably only of interest to my Dad, we'll move on to the main attraction- Baby H. This evening aside, she has been delightful. She still only naps for 30 or 40 minutes, which is not her most delightful attribute. Currently, though, she is displaying one of her better traits- going to bed and sleeping all through the evening. She is usually up twice (sometimes once!) in the night, and we can frequently convince her to sleep until 8, so no complaints here. Or, at least, they are usually limited to the afternoon when she wakes up too early from her third nap, and even then I limit them to immediate family. She smiles, laughs, is ticklish, loves to be naked, jumps and smiles in her jumper (thanks A!), likes her toys, tolerates increasing amounts of tummy time, eats like a champ, and has her Dad wrapped around her little finger. She likes to watch people & kids, so I try and get her out a couple times a week. This also wears her out and encourages good nap time behavior. I think she will be really confused when we start putting her in her car seat without her super-awesome-warm-cute hat (THANKS again, A!). But probably, if she knew spring was coming, she'd be ready for it, too.
Friday, December 31, 2010
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