Despite some pretty insane veterinary bills (see the three posts below), I am indulging my greatest fantasy today....people are cleaning my house. The plan is for this to become a regular thing, now that CD is gainfully employed. Penguin isn't wild about having strange guests in our house, banging around, making all sorts of strange noises and such, but I hope she gets over it in time. In the future, she will have to supervise this activity. It's a little painful to watch, kind of like when movers show up to pack your stuff. Like sausage being made, one just shouldn't see it. Part of the fantasy should be not having to come to grips with what a slob you are, or that you need this kind of help.
And in an additional effort to make things run more smoothly on the homefront, I have now been to Super Suppers twice. It takes a little less than 2 hours for me to assemble 24 dinners to bring home and stuff in the freezer. The price is reasonable, especially when shopping and prep time are factored in. I made some better choices the second time around and have recommended it to friends. The stuff tastes even better when I realize how little time dinner takes to prepare and clean up.
Oliver turned 10 months old last Saturday. He's crawling around like crazy, eating everything in sight, and growing. We have the local babyproofing expert coming on Friday. (Yes, timed precisely to follow the housecleaning extravaganza. The whole thing would have been too embarrassing otherwise.) We probably should have scheduled this for a couple of months ago but better late than never, and we are still getting it done before Oliver takes his first steps.
15 February 2006
rollercoaster - not the fun kind
We're still on a rollercoaster with Piper. She spent a second night at the emergency clinic and was transferred to their internal medicine specialist at the daytime clinic (same location) this morning. He initially would not take her case due to his workload but he did agree to take it today.
My vet thought they hit the end of the line with medicine, and she was probably a surgical case, hence the transfer to the specialists. But with very low platelets, surgery isn't a very good idea. And with ultrasound not revealing a mass or tumor, going in just to take a look around was an even worse idea. I do love the surgeon at this practice. He is very conservative and took excellent care of Penguin's cervical disc problem last year (treated with steroids, not surgery, and she did very well).
So we still have no idea what is causing Piper's problems, and she's not improving. The internal medicine specialist feels it is likely an auto-immune issue and wants to give the steroids time to work. The evidence there will be a rising platelet count. He's also treating her for some other possible causes, just to make sure all the bases are covered. I have confidence in him, though we haven't met in person yet.
My vet thought they hit the end of the line with medicine, and she was probably a surgical case, hence the transfer to the specialists. But with very low platelets, surgery isn't a very good idea. And with ultrasound not revealing a mass or tumor, going in just to take a look around was an even worse idea. I do love the surgeon at this practice. He is very conservative and took excellent care of Penguin's cervical disc problem last year (treated with steroids, not surgery, and she did very well).
So we still have no idea what is causing Piper's problems, and she's not improving. The internal medicine specialist feels it is likely an auto-immune issue and wants to give the steroids time to work. The evidence there will be a rising platelet count. He's also treating her for some other possible causes, just to make sure all the bases are covered. I have confidence in him, though we haven't met in person yet.
13 February 2006
one sick puppy
Things clearly happen for a reason and I am now very glad to be in Pittsburgh instead of New York.
Piper, our very healthy dog, the one with a very skinny file at the vet (in contrast to Penguin and Chewy, who require wheelbarrows to move their files), is not doing well. She didn't want to eat most of the weekend and was just not at all herself. I suspected an obstruction and took her to the vet. The vet thought gastroenteritis and kept her to administer fluids. After I left, they found petechiae on her abdomen and decided to do blood work. That revealed elevated kidney values and very low platelets (thrombocytopenia). There was also fluid in her abdomen.
An internal medicine specialist who can do an ultrasound has been called in to consult this afternoon. We'll know more after that. It's not clear if the kidney or the platelet problem is primary. Given the history of auto-immune issues in Clumbers, we are fearing the worst. She has been started on steriods and antibiotics. CD and I will go see her later on.
Please hold good thoughts for the Piper-dog. I don't intend to change the name of this blog any time soon.
[10pm update: Piper condition got a bit worse during the day and she is at the emergency clinic for over-night monitoring. Things don't look good, but the cause of the problems is still unknown. I'll pick her up in the morning and take her back to our regular vet. Once we get the labwork back we will know if she needs to go to Columbus or Cleveland for more specialized care. I am hoping she has a quiet night and there is good news tomorrow.]
Piper, our very healthy dog, the one with a very skinny file at the vet (in contrast to Penguin and Chewy, who require wheelbarrows to move their files), is not doing well. She didn't want to eat most of the weekend and was just not at all herself. I suspected an obstruction and took her to the vet. The vet thought gastroenteritis and kept her to administer fluids. After I left, they found petechiae on her abdomen and decided to do blood work. That revealed elevated kidney values and very low platelets (thrombocytopenia). There was also fluid in her abdomen.
An internal medicine specialist who can do an ultrasound has been called in to consult this afternoon. We'll know more after that. It's not clear if the kidney or the platelet problem is primary. Given the history of auto-immune issues in Clumbers, we are fearing the worst. She has been started on steriods and antibiotics. CD and I will go see her later on.
Please hold good thoughts for the Piper-dog. I don't intend to change the name of this blog any time soon.
[10pm update: Piper condition got a bit worse during the day and she is at the emergency clinic for over-night monitoring. Things don't look good, but the cause of the problems is still unknown. I'll pick her up in the morning and take her back to our regular vet. Once we get the labwork back we will know if she needs to go to Columbus or Cleveland for more specialized care. I am hoping she has a quiet night and there is good news tomorrow.]
12 February 2006
not happy
After three cancelled flights, hours (literally) spent on hold with Northwest Airlines finally being told I could not arrive in New York before 7pm on Monday, I threw in the towel and abandoned all hope of getting there.
I get to spend Valentine's Day with CD, but if we can find a sitter and go out I will declare it a miracle. We have yet to find a reliable sitter in Pittsburgh. Finding one with their own transportation is too much to even hope for. We have been out by ourselves exactly twice since Oliver was born 10 months ago, and once was in Florida and we prevailed upon family members to help out.
I get to spend Valentine's Day with CD, but if we can find a sitter and go out I will declare it a miracle. We have yet to find a reliable sitter in Pittsburgh. Finding one with their own transportation is too much to even hope for. We have been out by ourselves exactly twice since Oliver was born 10 months ago, and once was in Florida and we prevailed upon family members to help out.
11 February 2006
I love snow...just not today
Ah, the best laid plans....are sure to kick you in the ass. I'm not supposed to be home right now. I'm supposed to be in Detroit, waiting for a flight to New York. I could have been there but I happened to check the web to see my flight status and notice that my flight from Detroit to New York was cancelled, as of about 1:30 this afternoon. Had Northwest notified me when they cancelled it I could have made an earlier flight but no, they didn't think that was necessary. And in another amazing feat of customer non-service, their website told me I couldn't re-book on-line so I should call customer service. When I did that, I was told they couldn't handle the call volume and I should go to their website. Anyone see a problem with this?
I finally got through to them and once I explained I had no interest in spending the night in Detroit, then flying to New York by way of Minneapolis tomorrow, they re-booked me for tomorrow morning. I'll miss the lunch reservation but should make dinner. Unless that flight is cancelled too. I'm not at all optimistic. I'm not even going to pack. I'll be up feeding Oliver at 5am. I'll check then.
Northwest did call me, about three hours after I re-booked, to tell me my flight was cancelled and I was re-routed through Minneapolis. This required another visit to the website to make sure I was still booked for tomorrow. They really are ridiculously bad at this stuff.
The only up-side to all this is my freezer stash of milk should hold up if I leave tomorrow. Woo hoo. This is going to severely cramp my wild plans for getting some sleep and doing some shopping.
I finally got through to them and once I explained I had no interest in spending the night in Detroit, then flying to New York by way of Minneapolis tomorrow, they re-booked me for tomorrow morning. I'll miss the lunch reservation but should make dinner. Unless that flight is cancelled too. I'm not at all optimistic. I'm not even going to pack. I'll be up feeding Oliver at 5am. I'll check then.
Northwest did call me, about three hours after I re-booked, to tell me my flight was cancelled and I was re-routed through Minneapolis. This required another visit to the website to make sure I was still booked for tomorrow. They really are ridiculously bad at this stuff.
The only up-side to all this is my freezer stash of milk should hold up if I leave tomorrow. Woo hoo. This is going to severely cramp my wild plans for getting some sleep and doing some shopping.
08 February 2006
feeling brave
In a few days I will be making my annual pilgrimmage to the big city, New York, for the big show, Westminster. I love New York, in really small doses. Being able to combine great shopping, ridiculously good eating, and a dog show with catching up with friends I don't get to see nearly often enough is making me giddy. Last year I was very pregnant and very uncomfortable, and rude people who would not give me a seat on the train did not help, but I still managed to have a good time. This year should be even better, with MANY fewer trips to the bathroom.
Of course, the downside is leaving Oliver for nearly four days. The only other time I left it was for just over 24 hours. We all survived. This time I am a lot more worried, despite his eating lots more regular food and drinking various beverages fairly reliably from cups.
I am more than happy to share with CD a glimpse of what I went through last month when he went away for 11 days. Wrangling baby and dogs solo is a challenge, even with Oliver in school on weekdays.
Another negative is being apart from CD on Valentine's day. I hate this part. He proposed on Valentine's day in 2003 so it feels WRONG for us not to be together. It does give me the chance to leave a little something for him to open on Tuesday, and for him to sneak a card into my suitcase. I always come back with truffles from my favorite chocolate shop and hope he forgives me.
The whole trip is a delicate act of cramming in as much shopping, food and dog stuff in a short period of time. It will be a minor miracle if we get it all done.
The shopping agenda includes the usual: Zitomer, Petit Bateau, House of Ralph and Zabar's. And a new addition, Astor Wines, in an effort to end my quest for a nice bottle of Germain-Robin brandy to replace the one I left in Walla Walla in 1997 because the movers wouldn't accept it.
For restaurants, we typically eat very well on the weekend, only to subsist on Madison Square Garden hot dogs on Monday and Tuesday. Due to my very late arrival on Saturday, we are limited to lunch and dinner on Sunday. We are going to try Rosa Mexicano for lunch, and return to Artisanal for dinner. My heart skipped a beat as I typed "Artisanal". I've been thinking about it for weeks. So much cheese. So little time. My arteries are surely clogging from the mere thought, but what a way to go.
This is the first year in a while we won't be going to Union Square Cafe. I will really miss eating there, especially when I bite into that MSG hot dog. Maybe we could sneak away for lunch on Monday....
I usually try to arrive early on Saturday, for maximum shopping, eating and schmoozing. I'd planned to minimize time away from Oliver by leaving late on Sunday, forgoing the food and shopping to just do the dog show. Alas, it was unbelievably expensive to do that on USAirways, who I swore I'd never fly again since they no longer accept non-cabin animals. So, problem solved. I'm flying via Detroit, saving a bundle and not giving any business to USAirways. The only bad part is the additional time away from my boys. Maybe a lot of chocolate and cheese will make me feel better.
Let's not forget about the sleep....I may get to sleep uninterrupted, for hours at a time, for the first time in about a year. Oliver plunked his head on my bladder in month seven, and since his birth, he has not let me sleep more than about five consecutive hours, so it really has been about a year. This could be a really great trip.
Of course, the downside is leaving Oliver for nearly four days. The only other time I left it was for just over 24 hours. We all survived. This time I am a lot more worried, despite his eating lots more regular food and drinking various beverages fairly reliably from cups.
I am more than happy to share with CD a glimpse of what I went through last month when he went away for 11 days. Wrangling baby and dogs solo is a challenge, even with Oliver in school on weekdays.
Another negative is being apart from CD on Valentine's day. I hate this part. He proposed on Valentine's day in 2003 so it feels WRONG for us not to be together. It does give me the chance to leave a little something for him to open on Tuesday, and for him to sneak a card into my suitcase. I always come back with truffles from my favorite chocolate shop and hope he forgives me.
The whole trip is a delicate act of cramming in as much shopping, food and dog stuff in a short period of time. It will be a minor miracle if we get it all done.
The shopping agenda includes the usual: Zitomer, Petit Bateau, House of Ralph and Zabar's. And a new addition, Astor Wines, in an effort to end my quest for a nice bottle of Germain-Robin brandy to replace the one I left in Walla Walla in 1997 because the movers wouldn't accept it.
For restaurants, we typically eat very well on the weekend, only to subsist on Madison Square Garden hot dogs on Monday and Tuesday. Due to my very late arrival on Saturday, we are limited to lunch and dinner on Sunday. We are going to try Rosa Mexicano for lunch, and return to Artisanal for dinner. My heart skipped a beat as I typed "Artisanal". I've been thinking about it for weeks. So much cheese. So little time. My arteries are surely clogging from the mere thought, but what a way to go.
This is the first year in a while we won't be going to Union Square Cafe. I will really miss eating there, especially when I bite into that MSG hot dog. Maybe we could sneak away for lunch on Monday....
I usually try to arrive early on Saturday, for maximum shopping, eating and schmoozing. I'd planned to minimize time away from Oliver by leaving late on Sunday, forgoing the food and shopping to just do the dog show. Alas, it was unbelievably expensive to do that on USAirways, who I swore I'd never fly again since they no longer accept non-cabin animals. So, problem solved. I'm flying via Detroit, saving a bundle and not giving any business to USAirways. The only bad part is the additional time away from my boys. Maybe a lot of chocolate and cheese will make me feel better.
Let's not forget about the sleep....I may get to sleep uninterrupted, for hours at a time, for the first time in about a year. Oliver plunked his head on my bladder in month seven, and since his birth, he has not let me sleep more than about five consecutive hours, so it really has been about a year. This could be a really great trip.
05 February 2006
typically Pittsburgh
You couldn't call it pretty (except maybe Randle El's pass to Ward) but they certainly got the job done.
It was a hell of a ride and now I'm looking forward to The Bus' next career, The Booth.
It was a hell of a ride and now I'm looking forward to The Bus' next career, The Booth.
napping MACHINE
Oliver naps rarely and briefly at school. A typical nap is about 35 minutes and he manages just two of these a day. This leads to his being fussy and over-tired when we bring him home. Recently he's been increasingly difficult to put to bed at night.
Ah, the weekend.... What a difference! Yesterday his morning nap was one hour and 45 minutes. The afternoon nap was a more typical 40 minutes. The morning nap today was two hours! And another hour in the afternoon.
I have blogged previously about my theories for why this is so, including home being way boring compared to school. I don't have any new theories. I'm just trying to enjoy it.
Of course, his teachers will think I'm lying when I tell them he napped for three hours today. I can live with that.
Ah, the weekend.... What a difference! Yesterday his morning nap was one hour and 45 minutes. The afternoon nap was a more typical 40 minutes. The morning nap today was two hours! And another hour in the afternoon.
I have blogged previously about my theories for why this is so, including home being way boring compared to school. I don't have any new theories. I'm just trying to enjoy it.
Of course, his teachers will think I'm lying when I tell them he napped for three hours today. I can live with that.
WDW baby care centers reviewed
First and foremost, it's wonderful that there are Baby Care Centers at all the Walt Disney World theme parks. Not having to whip out a boob in the middle of Fantasyland is a very good thing. The changing facilities are consistently clean and there are enough of them. The supplies they offer for sale seem to be adequate, though I didn't buy anything. It was still nice to know they had food or diapers or tylenol for an emergency. If you are loyal to particular brands and they aren't Huggies or Gerber, bring your own. I'm guessing the prices are outrageous, so bring your own anyway.
All that said, all of the Baby Care Centers are flawed to varying degrees and in different ways. They could all use a bit of a decor upgrade. This would be a great project for one of the design shows on HGTV.
Magic Kingdom - I know it's right off Main Street and on the edge of Frontierland but the rockers in the nursing room are uncomfortable, right out of your great-great-grandmother's parlor. And the small side tables are nearly inaccessible from the rockers.
EPCOT - Completely unreachable side tables in the nursing room. Maybe if I had the wingspan of an NBA center.... Every time I was at this one there was a mom complaining about the tables. The location is atrocious, convenient to Mexico and not much else, though I'm having trouble coming up with a spot that would be better. EPCOT could really do with two Baby Care Centers.
Animal Kingdom - Claims to be the best but I was unimpressed. There are private nursing rooms with a changing table, in addition to the large changing area. That was nice, I suppose, but I found nursing in there a bit creepy. It was too quiet, too isolated. I think I was used to the communal aspects of the nursing rooms at the other parks and this one took me by surprise. Lose the lavender.
MGM - Hard to find, no attendant. It is a doorway off the Guest Relations room. It took me five minutes to figure out that for nursing I should go in one of the tiny "rooms" (more like a miniaturized fitting room) and pull the curtain. No attendant ever appeared during the entire time I was there.
Downtown Disney Marketplace - There is no Baby Care Center, but according to Guest Relations, any of the shops will allow moms to nurse in their fitting rooms. I tested this and found the staff at the main shop (I call it House of Mouse but the real name escapes me just now) very helpful. Then again, they probably didn't want me to do anything that would scare all the kids.
All that said, all of the Baby Care Centers are flawed to varying degrees and in different ways. They could all use a bit of a decor upgrade. This would be a great project for one of the design shows on HGTV.
Magic Kingdom - I know it's right off Main Street and on the edge of Frontierland but the rockers in the nursing room are uncomfortable, right out of your great-great-grandmother's parlor. And the small side tables are nearly inaccessible from the rockers.
EPCOT - Completely unreachable side tables in the nursing room. Maybe if I had the wingspan of an NBA center.... Every time I was at this one there was a mom complaining about the tables. The location is atrocious, convenient to Mexico and not much else, though I'm having trouble coming up with a spot that would be better. EPCOT could really do with two Baby Care Centers.
Animal Kingdom - Claims to be the best but I was unimpressed. There are private nursing rooms with a changing table, in addition to the large changing area. That was nice, I suppose, but I found nursing in there a bit creepy. It was too quiet, too isolated. I think I was used to the communal aspects of the nursing rooms at the other parks and this one took me by surprise. Lose the lavender.
MGM - Hard to find, no attendant. It is a doorway off the Guest Relations room. It took me five minutes to figure out that for nursing I should go in one of the tiny "rooms" (more like a miniaturized fitting room) and pull the curtain. No attendant ever appeared during the entire time I was there.
Downtown Disney Marketplace - There is no Baby Care Center, but according to Guest Relations, any of the shops will allow moms to nurse in their fitting rooms. I tested this and found the staff at the main shop (I call it House of Mouse but the real name escapes me just now) very helpful. Then again, they probably didn't want me to do anything that would scare all the kids.
02 February 2006
seemingly doomed
Here's the post about the trip. Starts off pretty scary but ends more or less well, I promise.
The trip was supposed to be 13 of us staying in two lovely suites at Disney's Beach Club Villas for six days of fun at the Happiest Place on Earth. It didn't quite turn out as planned.
Friday night my sister and her husband were supposed to fly to Florida. She was going early to do a little shopping and get things sorted out at the hotel. Two pit bulls had other ideas. They attacked my sister and her two golden retrievers while her husband loaded up the car. She tried to make the flight anyway, after getting more than 20 stitches in her hand and assessing some puncture wounds in her dogs. They didn't make the flight. Probably a good thing, in retrospect.
I'll spare all of you my thoughts about the owners of these dogs, but feel free to tell me what you think of them getting a $100 fine and nothing else.... The only good thing is that the dogs were current on their rabies vaccinations.
There were no flights on Saturday from Portsmouth, NH to Sanford, FL. Also probably a good thing. They were planning to fly Sunday but a red streak appeared and started moving up her arm. Stitches removed, antibiotics started, surgery contemplated, etc. I'm way over-simplifying but the whole thing ended up with her getting IV antibiotics every 6-8 hours for over a week. She is still in a lot of pain but is done with the antibiotics and now doing physical therapy. It's going to be a long road. Oliver is especially thankful for his cross-stitched Christmas stocking. His aunt may not be able to engage in that activity for a while.
As for us, and extremely minor by comparison, I woke up Saturday, the day before we were scheduled to leave, with food poisoning. My body spent five hours ridding itself of toxins by all available routes. Then I felt fine. The culprit was a bad sandwich from my favorite local food store, Whole Paycheck. It had been quite tasty. I'm going to assume it was a fluke and continue to shop there.
These two events left me thinking I should crawl back into bed and wake up in a month or so, not giving the trip another thought.
We left very early Sunday morning for Florida, all the while thinking my sister's doctor was going to let her leave later in the day. We didn't get the news they wouldn't be joining us until our arrival at the hotel.
Our party was down to 11 (my mom and step-dad, eldest sister, her husband, her two daughters and their husbands, CD, Oliver and me) and we were all more than a little upset about our missing family members. My sister had planned this trip for about two years. We were spending her Disney Vacation Club points for the hotel. It was all just wrong. Oliver, of course, didn't have any idea about what the rest of us were thinking and tried like crazy to cheer us up at every opportunity. He's a happy kid and seemed to know we were all supposed to be happy too.
Monday we took advantage of "extra magic hour" at Animal Kingdom and went to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride, where there was no queue. (A recurrent theme of the trip is rides without queues. Our timing was exceedingly good most of the time.) I made the most of it being my birthday and got my button at Guest Relations before checking out the Baby Care Center. (I have now visited all the Baby Care Centers at Walt Disney World. I'll be sharing my thoughts in a later post.) We liked the Bat House too. We also made a quick trip to the Magic Kingdom in the afternoon. The line for Dumbo was too long but we visited Mickey at the Judges' Tent in Toontown Fair and got the first autograph in Oliver's book. We then found the boat to go to Wilderness Lodge and our group dinner reservation at Whispering Canyon Cafe. That restaurant is a blast!!! The staff are very entertaining, to make a gross understatement. I will forever refer to the Grand Floridian as "The Red Roof Inn". Oliver was darn near angelic. [Note to self: make all dinner reservations with 9 month old children at 5pm.]
One thing Oliver didn't like was the pool. He behaved similarly at the lake last summer. It's no reflection on his Uncle Greg.
Here are a few highlights from the rest of the week, rather than the blow by blow:
Soarin' at Epcot - mmmm, smell-o-vision
Richard Petty Driving Experience - CD did the 140 mph ride along and the smile means he liked it
Extra Magic hour at the Magic Kingdom - four rides in half an hour, not a queue in sight
Character Breakfast at Cape May Cafe - Characters in beachwear!
Mini Golf at Fantasia Gardens - CD kicked my ass but it was still tons of silly fun - we should get that silly more often
Tea at the Grand Floridian - elegant and yummy, yet not at all stuffy
Dinner at the California Grill - only our second night out since Oliver arrived and it was lovely
One of the last things we did was visit Lynda, our favorite employee of The Rose and Crown in Epcot. She was our server back in October and it was love at first sight for Oliver. He cried every time she left our table. They traded pins and made a date for January. We had to make good on our promise to visit her again. This time she was tending bar so we stopped by before our dinner reservation (5pm, of course). Lynda recognized us immediately and had a lovely reunion with Oliver. One more autograph in his book. Which reminds me, I really need to get pictures in the mail to Lynda before she heads back to Disneyland Paris. Maybe we'll see her again if we get to France on our next trip across the pond.
I can't say enough about how cool the hotel was. All hotel suites should be like these. We had a full kitchen, washer, dryer, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, three tvs. It was crazy. Our bathroom had so many doors I kept getting lost. For better and occasionally worse, we could watch the nightly Epcot fireworks from our balcony. They woke Oliver up a couple of times but this fireworks addict enjoyed them nonetheless.
So the trip wasn't exactly what we were hoping, but we made the best of it. I hope we can do it again someday, but WITH my sister this time.
The trip was supposed to be 13 of us staying in two lovely suites at Disney's Beach Club Villas for six days of fun at the Happiest Place on Earth. It didn't quite turn out as planned.
Friday night my sister and her husband were supposed to fly to Florida. She was going early to do a little shopping and get things sorted out at the hotel. Two pit bulls had other ideas. They attacked my sister and her two golden retrievers while her husband loaded up the car. She tried to make the flight anyway, after getting more than 20 stitches in her hand and assessing some puncture wounds in her dogs. They didn't make the flight. Probably a good thing, in retrospect.
I'll spare all of you my thoughts about the owners of these dogs, but feel free to tell me what you think of them getting a $100 fine and nothing else.... The only good thing is that the dogs were current on their rabies vaccinations.
There were no flights on Saturday from Portsmouth, NH to Sanford, FL. Also probably a good thing. They were planning to fly Sunday but a red streak appeared and started moving up her arm. Stitches removed, antibiotics started, surgery contemplated, etc. I'm way over-simplifying but the whole thing ended up with her getting IV antibiotics every 6-8 hours for over a week. She is still in a lot of pain but is done with the antibiotics and now doing physical therapy. It's going to be a long road. Oliver is especially thankful for his cross-stitched Christmas stocking. His aunt may not be able to engage in that activity for a while.
As for us, and extremely minor by comparison, I woke up Saturday, the day before we were scheduled to leave, with food poisoning. My body spent five hours ridding itself of toxins by all available routes. Then I felt fine. The culprit was a bad sandwich from my favorite local food store, Whole Paycheck. It had been quite tasty. I'm going to assume it was a fluke and continue to shop there.
These two events left me thinking I should crawl back into bed and wake up in a month or so, not giving the trip another thought.
We left very early Sunday morning for Florida, all the while thinking my sister's doctor was going to let her leave later in the day. We didn't get the news they wouldn't be joining us until our arrival at the hotel.
Our party was down to 11 (my mom and step-dad, eldest sister, her husband, her two daughters and their husbands, CD, Oliver and me) and we were all more than a little upset about our missing family members. My sister had planned this trip for about two years. We were spending her Disney Vacation Club points for the hotel. It was all just wrong. Oliver, of course, didn't have any idea about what the rest of us were thinking and tried like crazy to cheer us up at every opportunity. He's a happy kid and seemed to know we were all supposed to be happy too.
Monday we took advantage of "extra magic hour" at Animal Kingdom and went to the Kilimanjaro Safari ride, where there was no queue. (A recurrent theme of the trip is rides without queues. Our timing was exceedingly good most of the time.) I made the most of it being my birthday and got my button at Guest Relations before checking out the Baby Care Center. (I have now visited all the Baby Care Centers at Walt Disney World. I'll be sharing my thoughts in a later post.) We liked the Bat House too. We also made a quick trip to the Magic Kingdom in the afternoon. The line for Dumbo was too long but we visited Mickey at the Judges' Tent in Toontown Fair and got the first autograph in Oliver's book. We then found the boat to go to Wilderness Lodge and our group dinner reservation at Whispering Canyon Cafe. That restaurant is a blast!!! The staff are very entertaining, to make a gross understatement. I will forever refer to the Grand Floridian as "The Red Roof Inn". Oliver was darn near angelic. [Note to self: make all dinner reservations with 9 month old children at 5pm.]
One thing Oliver didn't like was the pool. He behaved similarly at the lake last summer. It's no reflection on his Uncle Greg.
Here are a few highlights from the rest of the week, rather than the blow by blow:
Soarin' at Epcot - mmmm, smell-o-vision
Richard Petty Driving Experience - CD did the 140 mph ride along and the smile means he liked it
Extra Magic hour at the Magic Kingdom - four rides in half an hour, not a queue in sight
Character Breakfast at Cape May Cafe - Characters in beachwear!
Mini Golf at Fantasia Gardens - CD kicked my ass but it was still tons of silly fun - we should get that silly more often
Tea at the Grand Floridian - elegant and yummy, yet not at all stuffy
Dinner at the California Grill - only our second night out since Oliver arrived and it was lovely
One of the last things we did was visit Lynda, our favorite employee of The Rose and Crown in Epcot. She was our server back in October and it was love at first sight for Oliver. He cried every time she left our table. They traded pins and made a date for January. We had to make good on our promise to visit her again. This time she was tending bar so we stopped by before our dinner reservation (5pm, of course). Lynda recognized us immediately and had a lovely reunion with Oliver. One more autograph in his book. Which reminds me, I really need to get pictures in the mail to Lynda before she heads back to Disneyland Paris. Maybe we'll see her again if we get to France on our next trip across the pond.
I can't say enough about how cool the hotel was. All hotel suites should be like these. We had a full kitchen, washer, dryer, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, three tvs. It was crazy. Our bathroom had so many doors I kept getting lost. For better and occasionally worse, we could watch the nightly Epcot fireworks from our balcony. They woke Oliver up a couple of times but this fireworks addict enjoyed them nonetheless.
So the trip wasn't exactly what we were hoping, but we made the best of it. I hope we can do it again someday, but WITH my sister this time.
01 February 2006
excuses, excuses and my hairy moose
The real reason I haven't written about the trip is that an evil cold has been kicking my ass for the last few days. I had some sinus pressure in Florida but nothing serious. On the flight back, especially the descent, I had ear pressure that made me cry. (Oliver, who should have been having the ear pressure problems, slept through the entire descent.) I tried all the tricks I knew to equalize the pressure but nothing worked. It was awful.
Sunday I just felt achy. Monday wasn't much better. Had a fever in the evening but I took some advil and went to bed early. I still felt icky so I stayed home. Around 3pm, the fever returned, getting to 102 before I went to bed at 8:30. [Contrary to popular belief, this had nothing to do with my not being able to stomach yet another Bushy state of the union address.]
Joining me in the rack at 8:30 was my hairy moose, only recently located in the basement. I have a hot water bottle that has a brown, hairy cover and a moose head. He's fabulous. After over 10 hours, he was still warm this morning.
Today, same deal. I went to work but in the afternoon, the fever came back. I've been coughing a ton, occasionally hacking up a lung. And the nose finally started to drain. It's lovely. Thanks for asking.
Sunday I just felt achy. Monday wasn't much better. Had a fever in the evening but I took some advil and went to bed early. I still felt icky so I stayed home. Around 3pm, the fever returned, getting to 102 before I went to bed at 8:30. [Contrary to popular belief, this had nothing to do with my not being able to stomach yet another Bushy state of the union address.]
Joining me in the rack at 8:30 was my hairy moose, only recently located in the basement. I have a hot water bottle that has a brown, hairy cover and a moose head. He's fabulous. After over 10 hours, he was still warm this morning.
Today, same deal. I went to work but in the afternoon, the fever came back. I've been coughing a ton, occasionally hacking up a lung. And the nose finally started to drain. It's lovely. Thanks for asking.
lady business
I really will be writing about our visit with The Mouse, but here's something to amuse my loyal readers while they wait.
Woomba video
I recommend sending the kids out of the room when you view this one. You don't want them seeing you laugh so hard you pee your pants.
Woomba video
I recommend sending the kids out of the room when you view this one. You don't want them seeing you laugh so hard you pee your pants.
28 January 2006
fun trip, happy to be back home
We're home again from Orlando. I've been throwing pics up on Flickr over the last few days, but nothing at all organized or even captioned. Lots of the photos need explanation....
22 January 2006
17 January 2006
common language?
I have been an Anglophile for a long time, many years before I met CD. I watched royal weddings on TV, no matter how early I had to get up to do so. I became interested in British dogs. Since I started living with CD I call paper towels "kitchen roll" now. I am prone to feeling peckish. And at this time of year, there's nothing like a nice woolly jumper. [For more, see The American's Guide to Speaking British] I have been known to say CD could read me the phone book, but those who know him can attest to the likelihood of that happening....There is one expression that has begun to bother me in recent days, "Bread roll". What's up with that? What other kinds of rolls are we worried about confusing them with?
My sister-in-law recently mentioned how she realized Oliver is going to have an American accent. Not exactly news, but it made me think about it too. We talked about it via e-mail and I expressed my concern that if we stay in Pittsburgh too long Oliver would start to develop a Pittsburgh accent. She wisely reminded me that it could be worse....we could live in Texas.
She sent us a Harry Potter book on cd, read by one of my favorite (favourite?) British actors, Stephen Fry. (He's no Colin Firth but I still wouldn't mind sharing a pint with him.) I look forward to listening to it. We have all the Harry Potters in the original, British versions. Would you believe they change some words for American kids?! It's appalling, not to mention it underestimates their intelligence.
Oliver is going to have quite a time when he gets to school, especially if CD is helping with homework, sorting out the spelling issues and such. I expect the accent is going to be the least of his troubles.
16 January 2006
yogurt makes it better
It's been a trying afternoon. Oliver's school is closed for staff development and CD started working in his new office (but not here yet) today so we're home. Oliver is very tired since he slept half an hour at school this morning, fought with me for over an hour before sleeping for another half hour. Not enough sleep for a little one, by a long long way.
The only thing that made things better was some yummy banana yogurt. Well, that and downloading some new music with the iTunes card Santa put in my stocking. Music. For Oliver....yes, all my iTunes purchases are for Oliver lately. Today we picked up Ralph's World. We especially liked the Winnie-The-Pooh/The Tigger Song medley and Take a Little Nap (though Oliver could not bring himself to follow that advice).
The only thing that made things better was some yummy banana yogurt. Well, that and downloading some new music with the iTunes card Santa put in my stocking. Music. For Oliver....yes, all my iTunes purchases are for Oliver lately. Today we picked up Ralph's World. We especially liked the Winnie-The-Pooh/The Tigger Song medley and Take a Little Nap (though Oliver could not bring himself to follow that advice).
15 January 2006
suddenly standing
Oliver is showing off his new standing skills in this photo. He has started pulling up more and more, and is even doing a pseudo-cruise from holding on to me over to the sofa. I'm in no rush to have him walking but I have to admit this is pretty cool. The improvements in his balance have happened nearly overnight.
[I'm posting pics on Flickr now. Clicking on the photo will take you to a Flickr page for that photo. Let me know what you think!]
[I'm posting pics on Flickr now. Clicking on the photo will take you to a Flickr page for that photo. Let me know what you think!]
12 January 2006
checking it twice
It's time to rate the mail order companies I used for my very very hurried holiday shopping. There were some outstanding performances, some predictably reliable ones, and one company that utterly dropped the ball.
First, the stars. Amazon and LL Bean were lightening fast. Amazon delivered one item less than 24 hours after I placed the order and I had not requested or paid for express delivery. LL Bean delivered a personalized item less than 72 hours after the order was placed. Neither vendor delivered anything late or wrong.
In the "predictably reliable category" are Drugstore.com, Hanna Andersson, Crate & Barrel. Netflix gets a minor ding for their e-mail landing in my friend's spam folder but I chalk that up to AOhell more than Netflix. At least they warned me this could happen and gave me the chance to print out a certificate that could be mailed.
At the other end of the spectrum, FAO Schwarz and their shipping company, DHL, suck ass. I ordered an item to be shipped to my sister in Maine. It took them five days to get the item to the shipper. DHL got it moving quickly and when it was in Providence, RI on Dec 21 I thought we were in good shape. HA!!! If the tracking info is to believed, it sat in Providence until Dec 27. My sister didn't receive it until the 29th or 30th, since DHL hands it off to the postal service and they take another day to get it to its final destination. I e-mailed both DHL and FAO Schwarz asking for an explanation. DHL responded with a canned answer about taking the 26th as a holiday. FAO Schwarz didn't respond at all. It's no wonder they are in bankruptcy. They will not be seeing any more of my business.
Finally, in the "strange but true" category, there's Planet Dog. They are a great company so I think what I experienced is probably attributable to untrained holiday help. I called them to order a gift certificate because one cannot do that on their website (strike one). The person I spoke with clearly did not have a great grasp of how to do this. She nearly let me go without ever asking for my credit card number. Despite spelling the dogs' names and their human's name, the certificate arrived with nearly all the names misspelled (strike two). The truly bizarre thing is that they charged me an additional .37 for the stamp! I don't recall ever being asked to pay postage for a gift certificate from any company (strike three!).
First, the stars. Amazon and LL Bean were lightening fast. Amazon delivered one item less than 24 hours after I placed the order and I had not requested or paid for express delivery. LL Bean delivered a personalized item less than 72 hours after the order was placed. Neither vendor delivered anything late or wrong.
In the "predictably reliable category" are Drugstore.com, Hanna Andersson, Crate & Barrel. Netflix gets a minor ding for their e-mail landing in my friend's spam folder but I chalk that up to AOhell more than Netflix. At least they warned me this could happen and gave me the chance to print out a certificate that could be mailed.
At the other end of the spectrum, FAO Schwarz and their shipping company, DHL, suck ass. I ordered an item to be shipped to my sister in Maine. It took them five days to get the item to the shipper. DHL got it moving quickly and when it was in Providence, RI on Dec 21 I thought we were in good shape. HA!!! If the tracking info is to believed, it sat in Providence until Dec 27. My sister didn't receive it until the 29th or 30th, since DHL hands it off to the postal service and they take another day to get it to its final destination. I e-mailed both DHL and FAO Schwarz asking for an explanation. DHL responded with a canned answer about taking the 26th as a holiday. FAO Schwarz didn't respond at all. It's no wonder they are in bankruptcy. They will not be seeing any more of my business.
Finally, in the "strange but true" category, there's Planet Dog. They are a great company so I think what I experienced is probably attributable to untrained holiday help. I called them to order a gift certificate because one cannot do that on their website (strike one). The person I spoke with clearly did not have a great grasp of how to do this. She nearly let me go without ever asking for my credit card number. Despite spelling the dogs' names and their human's name, the certificate arrived with nearly all the names misspelled (strike two). The truly bizarre thing is that they charged me an additional .37 for the stamp! I don't recall ever being asked to pay postage for a gift certificate from any company (strike three!).
11 January 2006
in and out - the 9 month update
Oliver is nine months old today. He's been "out" almost as long as he was "in". I can unequivocally say that the first nine months went by much more slowly than the last nine. Part of that has to do with finding out I was pregnant when I was less than two weeks along. That made for a very long nine months.I think I've covered his new skills in some very recent posts so I won't re-hash all that. Suffice it to say he's doing new things every day and continuing to amaze his parents.
At Oliver's well-baby visit today the doc pronounced him perfect. I didn't mind his little exaggeration at all, though I don't think Oliver will qualify as perfect in my eyes until he's sleeping through the night. I was a little concerned that his weight is still well ahead of his length in percentile terms but doc said to forget about it and I intend to follow that advice.
09 January 2006
still standing
It is full day number 8 without CD, but we're holding up okay. I think he will be surprised to discover how much he has missed. Oliver is now pulling up on me (though not yet on things) and has even "cruised" from me over to the sofa. He's very pleased with himself.All of this mobility is leading to more falling and bumping of his head. Nothing major yet, but we've had a few tense moments. I'm trying the approach of telling him he's fine and laughing about it while I comfort him. Thus far, it is working well and he's bouncing back quickly.
We had two video chats with CD over the weekend. CD's new employer is keeping him well occupied during the day and the timezone problem is such that one of us tends to be sleeping when the other is available to chat during the week. The technology worked well though and Oliver seemed to be catching on, once he stopped trying to look behind my laptop screen. Enlarging the window helped a lot. I left a still image of CD waving on my screen and Oliver wanted to look at it many times after our chat was over.
08 January 2006
friends
Penguin is a little obsessed with Oliver. She wishes I would let her lick him, head to toe, many times a day. She tries the "fly by" lick to his head when she thinks I am not paying attention. She also tries to protect Oliver from Piper, the upstart who must be monitored by Pen, busybody and occasional tattletale. Finally, she tolerates Oliver's grabbiness. We are making every effort to teach him to be GENTLE, with both dogs and other humans, but it's slow going and I am not seeing any progress yet, just a few scars.
07 January 2006
sometimes, we scream
It seems we have a bit of teething going on. At least that is my best guess. I can't see any new teeth but we've got copious drool and a fair bit of general unhappiness. Oliver woke up this morning at 4:30, 5:00, 5:30, 6:00 and we finally gave up on trying to sleep at 6:15. He took three 30 minute naps. And since he went to bed at 6:15pm tonight, he has been up and screaming every 45 minutes. I hope he starts feeling better soon, for both our sakes.
06 January 2006
stuff we love, volume 7
You can't buy this off the shelf but I absolutely LOVE my Subaru's heated seats. I feel a little guilty that the baby barcalounger doesn't have 'em. On a cold morning, not much makes me happier, other than not having to get out of bed at all. (Yes, I am obsessed with my lack of sleep. I've been up since 4:30am.) If we ever get a vehicle the entire family will fit in (that means all three dogs and all three humans) it really needs to have heated seats, and preferably a switch I can't accidentally bump to "on" in August. A previous Subaru had that unfortunate feature.What's the opposite of "hot enough to boil a monkey's bum"? That's the weather we're having right now. If I had been more awake this morning I would have grabbed the camera when the thermometer read "21". 34 feels like a heat wave.
is there anything cuter?
Though the bar on cuteness has clearly been raised, there really isn't anything more adorable than baby feet. Oliver's feet rarely stop moving long enough to get a decent picture. I had the able assistance of his high chair, not to mention a spoonful of oatmeal, to get this shot.
For another blog with occasional photos like this (generally better ones) check out Odin. His Serioso photos are also great, and darn near as cute as the feet.
The New York Times recently ran an article entitled The Cute Factor, if you want to learn more about why humans are such suckers.
05 January 2006
by request: more
Chewy sleeps too. A lot. More like all the time. Except when he is eating. Or barking to tell me to feed him. Even if he just ate half an hour ago. It's hell to get old.Penguin, on the other hand, is the household busybody. In Pittsburgh-ese, she would be referred to as being "nebby". This photo is seconds before she planted a kiss on Oliver's cheek, followed by his usual silly giggle. No, it's not the most hygenic of acts but since we manage to keep the kid out of the dog toys and mostly keep the dogs out of the kid toys, we're satisfied.
by request: piper
I have been chastised for not including enough shots of the dogs. Here's Piper, doing one of the things Clumbers do best. The kid isn't the only one caught by the new camera.
03 January 2006
now with even more screamy goodness
Following Sunday night's fun-filled scream-fest, last night wasn't much better. 2:30-4am was especially screamy.Here's the thing....CD is traveling and he's been the one to soothe Oliver back to sleep in the middle of the night since just before Christmas. It was working pretty well, from my perspective anyway. I was still waking up, but not getting vertical, between 11pm and 5am. A huge improvement over my sleep habits for the preceeding 10 months (last two months of pregnancy is when things went to hell in the sleep department).
With the scratchy beard away, Oliver is seeing me, aka 'the one with the boobs', upon waking in the middle of the night. He doesn't understand why the milk bar isn't opening for business.
Anybody have some little toothpicks to prop my eyelids open?
01 January 2006
fluffy the second
Oliver's dad had a beloved stuffed St Bernard toy, purchased in Switzerland and known as "Fluffy", when he was a child. His sister tells me she gave Fluffy presents at Christmas so he really was part of the family.Oliver's visiting granny had a holiday in Switzerland last year and found a small version of same for Oliver. He enjoys playing with it while on his changing table. This involves some chewing on the brandy barrel. Alas, the barrel is solid wood. After spending over an hour trying to get Oliver to sleep tonight I was wishing the barrel was full and I could slip him a little. Darn, there he is, awake again after sleeping a mere 90 minutes....
Back to Fluffy...I think after the Fluffy created by J K Rowling, we may have to come up with another name for the St Bernard toy. Suggestions?
[midnight update: Oliver has been up every 45 minutes and has now screamed for the last hour. None of the usual ways to get him to sleep are working. Screw the dog's brandy barrel. Pass me the bottle.]
31 December 2005
oliver on the mend
I'm pleased to report that Oliver has had a great day. No fever, good moods, and great naps. His appetite is a bit slow to return but he's eating enough that I'm not concerned. I had yet another clogged duct or something yesterday but that is mostly resolved too. We are finally going to see the lights at Hartwood Acres tonight, after trying all week and having various things prevent us from getting there.After what I used to go through (spend an hour getting him down for a nap, having the nap last 10 minutes) I am truly astounded at how easily he goes down for naps lately. And he stays asleep for an hour or so pretty regularly so I can even get some things done. Unfortunately, that's often WAY too much blog surfing. Check out the list of must-reads on the right. There is a new addition to the list, Give Me the Booger. SJ is an absolute hoot. She's caused me to nearly lose bladder control more times than I can count and I've only been reading her for a couple of days. Granted, the bladder control thing is more of a challenge since Oliver arrived, but still, I'm blaming SJ. She blogs about stuff I would need an anonymous blog for, especially her great stories. Someday I too will spill all the tales of my mis-spent youth, but none of you readers who know me will ever hear about it!
29 December 2005
penguin's handiwork
Penguin has been obsessed with Oliver's new puzzle. So much so that when I wasn't paying attention she stole one of the pieces, by its handy handle, and took it to her bed for some quality chewing. Perhaps she is not getting enough fiber in her diet. I am hoping some sandpaper, or maybe the dremel, can make the piece safe to use again. Pen does not appear to have injested any wood.The little guy has been under the weather today. He started the day lethargic and clingy, running a low fever. He wanted to sleep a lot, preferably on the chest of one of his parents. The fever went up a bit near dinner time. He's snoozing now, after a couple of long nursing sessions. I hope I am making antibodies to whatever he's fighting off and he will be his happy self again tomorrow.
28 December 2005
milestones
Oliver has achieved a few milestones in the last couple of days. I think his teachers are going to see a big difference when he returns to school next week. He is now consistently able to go from crawling to sitting. He was trying to do this last week but usually got a leg stuck awkwardly underneath and would give up and go back to crawling. The crawling is also improving. We see far fewer belly flops and his speed is starting to scare me.Technically, he met the definition of "sleeping through the night" last night by going 6 hours without waking. That falls a bit short of my definition, but progress is being made nonetheless. We have discontinued feedings between my going to bed and at least 5am. CD gets up with him and is usually able to get him back to sleep. We have noticed Oliver's wakings are getting a little later each night, but I think we have a way to go before he gives up entirely. I was hoping it would happen before CD has to travel again but it doesn't look like that will happen.
26 December 2005
ho ho ho and mistletoe and presents for pretty girls
My two favorite men came through with excellent Christmas gifts. Thanks boys!!! After months of whining, and hints that were not the least bit subtle, I now own a digital camera. It's a Canon PowerShot SD450 and is truly an itty bitty thing of beauty.Here's a little bit of what it can do, without me reading the manual. I did take a peak at the manual this afternoon. The "pets and kids" mode sounds especially intriguing. I will have to do a bit more reading and fiddling with the camera, but I'm really pleased with what it can do without me knowing anything at all.
Oliver says, "Thanks for the legos, Auntie Kate! They sure are tasty."
[Bonus points for the first commenter (other than my sister) to identify the title of this post.]
22 December 2005
too cool for school (naps)
Oliver's typical naps at school are 30-40 minutes. Sometimes there are two, sometimes three. Sometimes he teases us and sleeps over an hour, but that's rare. Sometimes, like today, he has a 20 minute nap.
In contrast, we have a fairly nice weekend nap routine. I can usually get a 90 minute nap early in the morning, another hour or so around noonish, and a third nap later in the afternoon. This started working even better when I began swaddling him for naps, like they do at school. Swaddling never worked for us before, not even when he was just home from the hospital. I'm not sure what is different now but it's working. I do leave his right arm free so he can have his thumb, which is frequently the key to happiness.
I have a few theories on why he naps so much better at home. First and foremost, we can let him fuss mid-nap and that's a bit difficult in the nap room at school. At home he may fuss for a minute and go back to sleep. At school though, there may be other napping kids nearby. His teachers don't have the luxury of letting him fuss and put himself back to sleep, in most cases.
Another theory is that school is interesting while home and parents are boring. I very much hope I'm wrong about this one but the first morning nap really tells the story. Oliver is frequently sleepy when we arrive at school. One look at his teachers and the toys and he's suddenly wide awake and ready to play. Sometimes it is an hour or more before he goes down for a nap.
Finally, I think he may be so exhausted from not napping well during the week that he conks out on weekends.
I sincerely hope the holiday break, and lots of good naps, become a habit he takes back to school in January.
And in related news, Oliver went seven hours without eating last night. He didn't sleep that entire time but he also wasn't starving when I fed him either. I really think he's ready to be sleeping through the night but the nighttime feedings have become a habit for him. Inspired by a recent post on dadcentric, we are going to try having CD help him get back to sleep during those night wakings. Perhaps after a few nights of scratchy beard instead of boob, he will give up and let us all sleep. Wish us luck.
In contrast, we have a fairly nice weekend nap routine. I can usually get a 90 minute nap early in the morning, another hour or so around noonish, and a third nap later in the afternoon. This started working even better when I began swaddling him for naps, like they do at school. Swaddling never worked for us before, not even when he was just home from the hospital. I'm not sure what is different now but it's working. I do leave his right arm free so he can have his thumb, which is frequently the key to happiness.
I have a few theories on why he naps so much better at home. First and foremost, we can let him fuss mid-nap and that's a bit difficult in the nap room at school. At home he may fuss for a minute and go back to sleep. At school though, there may be other napping kids nearby. His teachers don't have the luxury of letting him fuss and put himself back to sleep, in most cases.
Another theory is that school is interesting while home and parents are boring. I very much hope I'm wrong about this one but the first morning nap really tells the story. Oliver is frequently sleepy when we arrive at school. One look at his teachers and the toys and he's suddenly wide awake and ready to play. Sometimes it is an hour or more before he goes down for a nap.
Finally, I think he may be so exhausted from not napping well during the week that he conks out on weekends.
I sincerely hope the holiday break, and lots of good naps, become a habit he takes back to school in January.
And in related news, Oliver went seven hours without eating last night. He didn't sleep that entire time but he also wasn't starving when I fed him either. I really think he's ready to be sleeping through the night but the nighttime feedings have become a habit for him. Inspired by a recent post on dadcentric, we are going to try having CD help him get back to sleep during those night wakings. Perhaps after a few nights of scratchy beard instead of boob, he will give up and let us all sleep. Wish us luck.
21 December 2005
where's that time machine when I need it?
Sorry Oliver. Mum is NOT ready for Christmas. Therefore, it shall be postponed 3-5 days while she gets her shit together. Perhaps we should make that 5-7. And change "days" to "years", please.
The list of things I have not done in preparation for the arrival of Granny and Santa is very long and not terribly distinguished. I'm thinking I need to find a turkey. And clean up the tumbleweeds in the kitchen and dining room. When you have three clumber spaniels and no time to groom them the result is tumbleweeds, poofs white fur that get larger and larger every day, and blow around every time you are called upon to serve as your dogs' doorman.
There's laundry to do, food to be acquired, a few more presents to buy. And I think we need some tape if any wrapping is to occur. And the cleaning. If I started now and didn't eat, sleep or feed Oliver, I would probably get the house looking presentable.
Don't get me started on the decorations that are neatly in their boxes, just as I put them away last year.
Somebody wake me when this is all over.
The list of things I have not done in preparation for the arrival of Granny and Santa is very long and not terribly distinguished. I'm thinking I need to find a turkey. And clean up the tumbleweeds in the kitchen and dining room. When you have three clumber spaniels and no time to groom them the result is tumbleweeds, poofs white fur that get larger and larger every day, and blow around every time you are called upon to serve as your dogs' doorman.
There's laundry to do, food to be acquired, a few more presents to buy. And I think we need some tape if any wrapping is to occur. And the cleaning. If I started now and didn't eat, sleep or feed Oliver, I would probably get the house looking presentable.
Don't get me started on the decorations that are neatly in their boxes, just as I put them away last year.
Somebody wake me when this is all over.
19 December 2005
my underachieving breast
There has been a lingering effect of Ralph's recent visit, a dip in milk supply. Specifically, my right breast has decided it no longer wishes to hold up its end in its conversation with the pump. I'm not dehydrated. I've gone back on the herbs. I'm eating oatmeal and drinking water. Still it mocks me. "An ounce is enough, " it says. Ha! "Tell that to my growing 8 month old," I say.
It's like the theme from Frasier. "What IS a girl to do? Right breast has. left. the building."
10pm update: Right breast not on strike after all. Plumbing is clogged somewhere, as I have a large hard area in that breast now. This happened once before. I tried all the usual things (nursing, pumping, massage, nursing, hot shower, nursing, more pumping, did I mention I tried nursing?) but no luck until many hours later when a middle of the night nursing finally solved the problem.
All this is maybe to be expected since I allowed (begged is more like it) a plastic surgeon to slice and dice the girls four years ago. That the plumbing works at all is a minor miracle.
7am update: The middle of the night feeds (yes, that's a plural) were mostly ineffective at clearing the blockage but Oliver finally worked his magic. I can hear the sighs of relief all over the 'net.
It's like the theme from Frasier. "What IS a girl to do? Right breast has. left. the building."
10pm update: Right breast not on strike after all. Plumbing is clogged somewhere, as I have a large hard area in that breast now. This happened once before. I tried all the usual things (nursing, pumping, massage, nursing, hot shower, nursing, more pumping, did I mention I tried nursing?) but no luck until many hours later when a middle of the night nursing finally solved the problem.
All this is maybe to be expected since I allowed (begged is more like it) a plastic surgeon to slice and dice the girls four years ago. That the plumbing works at all is a minor miracle.
7am update: The middle of the night feeds (yes, that's a plural) were mostly ineffective at clearing the blockage but Oliver finally worked his magic. I can hear the sighs of relief all over the 'net.
18 December 2005
for the visitors from EphBlog
If you're visiting from EphBlog and looking for the post on my second child dilemma, click here. Thanks for dropping by! Go Ephs!
[If you're asking, "What's an Eph?" here's a wikipedia link.]
[If you're asking, "What's an Eph?" here's a wikipedia link.]
16 December 2005
talk to me
Okay, I know you're out there. I see you checking this blog once a day, and sometimes more often than that. But you're awfully quiet! I'd love to know why you're a regular reader, and in addition to pictures of Oliver, what you would like to see more of. With the holiday break from work coming up I'll have more time to ramble on in my usual fashion.
there are only HOW many days until Christmas?
So yesterday it hit me...10 short days until Christmas and I had done almost no shopping. Between the visit from Ralph, a bunch of really crappy (but somewhat pretty if you don't have to go outside) weather, and being ridiculously behind in just about everything in my life, shopping was not even a faint blip on the radar screen.
As of noon today, I'm just about done. I expect my credit card will burst into a puff of smoke any minute. And holy moly, is Amazon fast!!! UPS just delivered a toy I ordered for Oliver yesterday. How'd they do that???
There's still a bunch left to do, like clean the house, decorate, and support CD's valiant efforts to finish the master bathroom remodel, but the bulk of the shopping is done. I had as much as I could shipped directly, as our post office lines are insane and the clerks in no way acquainted with "holiday spirit".
Not to bury the lead or anything but Santa visited our house today, in the form of a very nice job offer for CD, one that enables us to stay in Pittsburgh for at least a year. It will be a big change for him but he is genuinely excited about it and after the energy he poured into the Mulberry email client for 10 years, that is really saying something. More about all this after the New Year, except to say how lucky I am to be married to him.
As of noon today, I'm just about done. I expect my credit card will burst into a puff of smoke any minute. And holy moly, is Amazon fast!!! UPS just delivered a toy I ordered for Oliver yesterday. How'd they do that???
There's still a bunch left to do, like clean the house, decorate, and support CD's valiant efforts to finish the master bathroom remodel, but the bulk of the shopping is done. I had as much as I could shipped directly, as our post office lines are insane and the clerks in no way acquainted with "holiday spirit".
Not to bury the lead or anything but Santa visited our house today, in the form of a very nice job offer for CD, one that enables us to stay in Pittsburgh for at least a year. It will be a big change for him but he is genuinely excited about it and after the energy he poured into the Mulberry email client for 10 years, that is really saying something. More about all this after the New Year, except to say how lucky I am to be married to him.
11 December 2005
lost and FOUND
Not long after Oliver was born I started searching my house for my copy of Marshmallow, a wonderful book from my childhood. At some point about five years ago I discovered it was in print again in hardcover and I purchased it. When I was in elementary school my kindergarten teacher, Mrs Osgood, invited me back to her class once a year to read to her students. Every year I took Marshmallow out of the school library and that is what I read.
Obviously, my memory is completely shot to hell. Not only could I not find the book, I didn't even remember the cat in the book is named Oliver. You can't imagine how much of an idiot I felt like when I took Marshmallow out of our local library a few weeks ago and read it to Oliver.
Tonight, after much searching on many occasions over the last few months, and many times deciding I had hallucinated making the purchase, Marshmallow was found. It's in pristine condition, after spending a few years in the bottom of a box. I probably could sell it but I'll be keeping it for Oliver. I'm sure it won't be pristine much longer but that's okay. As soon as we graduate from board books, the ones Oliver prefers to chew on more than anything else, Marshmallow will be his.
The only thing better than the story is the illustrations. If there's a cat or bunny lover on your holiday gift list, I recommend it.
Obviously, my memory is completely shot to hell. Not only could I not find the book, I didn't even remember the cat in the book is named Oliver. You can't imagine how much of an idiot I felt like when I took Marshmallow out of our local library a few weeks ago and read it to Oliver.
Tonight, after much searching on many occasions over the last few months, and many times deciding I had hallucinated making the purchase, Marshmallow was found. It's in pristine condition, after spending a few years in the bottom of a box. I probably could sell it but I'll be keeping it for Oliver. I'm sure it won't be pristine much longer but that's okay. As soon as we graduate from board books, the ones Oliver prefers to chew on more than anything else, Marshmallow will be his.
The only thing better than the story is the illustrations. If there's a cat or bunny lover on your holiday gift list, I recommend it.
the eight month update
Oliver is eight months old today. I know it's trite but really, where did the time go? and what did we do before he was born? It's as difficult to remember life before Oliver as life before Clumbers. Sometimes I ponder whether we should have jumped on the baby train a little sooner, but in truth, I wouldn't change a thing. Thanks to CD, we've done things in the right order for us. Good think there is one being in the house equipped with patience and foresight.
Oliver's newest skill is the 90% crawl. He's just about got it, but still flops onto his stomach to move his arms forward most of the time. It looks a bit like a seal. Darn cute, and we do have a little video. Not sure I'll figure out how to load it here though. We have been saving video for a new DVD for family far away and once we get that done, maybe we'll look into putting a clip or two on the blog.
He also can spin around on his tummy, a full 360 degrees. Thus, Oliver is now able to get wherever he wants to go, and in many cases, exactly where we don't want him to go. He has developed obsessions with laptop powercords and the shelves below the TV, which contain all the usual things people without children leave there, exposed: cable box, dvd player, vcr, speakers, and various and sundry cords, adapters and general junk. Very little in the way of baby-proofing has been accomplished. That project is rapidly bubbling to the top of our list.
We are starting to see small glimpses of separation anxiety in Oliver. When I pick him up at school I usually try to check the diaper, nap, and food logs before he sees me. If I am spotted before going in to the nap room, he gets upset when I disappear. In general though, he remains a very happy kid with smiles for nearly everyone. While shopping yesterday he was charming as could be in the stores, only to scream at the top of his lungs due to being tired when he was in the car. I wonder if this is his idea of being a comedian. Time will tell.
We have accomplished eight months of nursing today too. I'm struggling a bit with supply after getting very dehydrated on Friday. I am contemplating taking Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle again if we're not back to normal on Monday. I still haven't spotted any white patches in Oliver's mouth so we haven't started treatment for thrush. I didn't want to start it while he was sick anyway. I will probably have to aim a flashlight in his mouth when he wakes up from his nap. (It's not even noon and he's on his second nap!!)
Oliver's newest skill is the 90% crawl. He's just about got it, but still flops onto his stomach to move his arms forward most of the time. It looks a bit like a seal. Darn cute, and we do have a little video. Not sure I'll figure out how to load it here though. We have been saving video for a new DVD for family far away and once we get that done, maybe we'll look into putting a clip or two on the blog.
He also can spin around on his tummy, a full 360 degrees. Thus, Oliver is now able to get wherever he wants to go, and in many cases, exactly where we don't want him to go. He has developed obsessions with laptop powercords and the shelves below the TV, which contain all the usual things people without children leave there, exposed: cable box, dvd player, vcr, speakers, and various and sundry cords, adapters and general junk. Very little in the way of baby-proofing has been accomplished. That project is rapidly bubbling to the top of our list.
We are starting to see small glimpses of separation anxiety in Oliver. When I pick him up at school I usually try to check the diaper, nap, and food logs before he sees me. If I am spotted before going in to the nap room, he gets upset when I disappear. In general though, he remains a very happy kid with smiles for nearly everyone. While shopping yesterday he was charming as could be in the stores, only to scream at the top of his lungs due to being tired when he was in the car. I wonder if this is his idea of being a comedian. Time will tell.
We have accomplished eight months of nursing today too. I'm struggling a bit with supply after getting very dehydrated on Friday. I am contemplating taking Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle again if we're not back to normal on Monday. I still haven't spotted any white patches in Oliver's mouth so we haven't started treatment for thrush. I didn't want to start it while he was sick anyway. I will probably have to aim a flashlight in his mouth when he wakes up from his nap. (It's not even noon and he's on his second nap!!)
10 December 2005
the tree dilemma, likely solved
We are expecting a very special visitor for Christmas. Oliver's granny from England will be joining us, and meeting her grandson for the first time. I think this takes care of the Christmas tree dilemma. We have much to do in preparation for her visit. We will just have to add "putting up Christmas tree" to the list.
better
We're all doing better this morning, after a relatively peaceful night. I'm able to keep water down and some applesauce. Once I get a shower I may even feel like a human again.
Oliver had a little cereal and fruit this morning, about a quarter of what he usually eats but we are going to take things slowly this weekend. He's down for his nap now, snoozing happily.
Now we can get started on the thrush treatment.
Oliver had a little cereal and fruit this morning, about a quarter of what he usually eats but we are going to take things slowly this weekend. He's down for his nap now, snoozing happily.
Now we can get started on the thrush treatment.
09 December 2005
the fun never ends
We seem to have been visited by the dark mark, or "Ralph and Di" as Misfit Hausfrau puts it, far better than I ever could. We have the added bonus of our first case of thrush. Woo hoo!
Oliver hurled on Wednesday and Thursday but seemed to be fine today. He never barfed breastmilk, just his solids. I thought he was out of the woods. "Ralph" made his visit to me at midnight and is sticking around. Ginger ale helps but water isn't working, nor is toast. Two calls from Oliver's school today. The first to tell us they suspect thrush. Then again a few minutes ago to say he lost his lunch and they'd like him to go home. It's going around the room, apparently. At least two teachers have it as well. I sincerely hope, for all our sakes, that CD is spared. We need one healthy human in the house.
As for the thrush, I've had a bothersome nipple for a week or so now. On good days, it feels like ground beef. I chalked it up to those two top teeth Oliver is sporting. Looks like I was wrong.
As if all this were not enough, I found a lump on Penguin, possibly a mammary tumor. She's been acting very squirrelly and clingy lately. We'll try to get her to the vet tomorrow, if anyone is up to it.
Oliver hurled on Wednesday and Thursday but seemed to be fine today. He never barfed breastmilk, just his solids. I thought he was out of the woods. "Ralph" made his visit to me at midnight and is sticking around. Ginger ale helps but water isn't working, nor is toast. Two calls from Oliver's school today. The first to tell us they suspect thrush. Then again a few minutes ago to say he lost his lunch and they'd like him to go home. It's going around the room, apparently. At least two teachers have it as well. I sincerely hope, for all our sakes, that CD is spared. We need one healthy human in the house.
As for the thrush, I've had a bothersome nipple for a week or so now. On good days, it feels like ground beef. I chalked it up to those two top teeth Oliver is sporting. Looks like I was wrong.
As if all this were not enough, I found a lump on Penguin, possibly a mammary tumor. She's been acting very squirrelly and clingy lately. We'll try to get her to the vet tomorrow, if anyone is up to it.
08 December 2005
better lobster
As promised, here is the better lobster boy picture. As Sally would say, "Isn't he the cutest thing?"
07 December 2005
the nicest room in the house
Without question, Oliver's room is the most "done" and easily the nicest in the house. Not coincidentally, it is also the smallest. It's an irregular shape which doesn't help. Maybe 10 feet at its longest and widest points. Itty bitty, yes, but we've managed to creatively cram in all the furniture and storage a growing boy needs.
The renovation project was planned for between Christmas and New Year's last year and the plan was to rip out the carpet, spruce up the nice hardwood floor, paint, apply chair rail, bask in the glory of our handiwork. We were not counting on finding 50 year old linoleum under the carpet, since it didn't exist anywhere else in the house. In the end, it took about six weeks of hard slogging to finish and we acquired many new power tools. I can take almost no credit for the finished product. Other than the sponge painting, it was all CD. I have never thanked him properly for working so hard and giving our baby boy such a nice space.
Last weekend the finishing touch was added.
I wish I had a "before" and a "during" to add. Prior to becoming the nursery, this room had icky blue carpet and housed the dog crates.
04 December 2005
a far less life-altering dilemma
After my last entry, it's time to move on to a far less life-altering dilemma: Christmas Tree or no?
We had a tree one year, 2000. It was great. CD had never had a real tree before. Apparently that's not done in England. (This is the only reason I can think of for not moving there, other than the part about never being able to afford a house....) We got it at IKEA, when they had the deal where you could return it on a Saturday in January and give you a gift card for something close to the purchase price AND they would chip the trees and donate the mulch to local garden projects. I hear they aren't doing this anymore. Too bad.
In 2001, we got Piper. Though we thought about getting one and just putting an ex-pen around it, we ultimately decided that a tree with a new puppy in the house would not be a good thing. And every year since we have concluded that Piper + Christmas tree would be disaster. The new house doesn't have a fire place do it's damn hard to make it the least bit festive for the holiday, especially without a tree.
Since this will be Oliver's first Christmas I've been going over the possibilities...put a tree outside on the very bare front porch where it would be unreachable by Piper...but I couldn't put any of my nice ornaments outside. Ditto for the back porch, and Piper could get to it out there. Inside? There's a possible spot in the living room and one in the dining room (though that would be a stretch). Yeah, we could re-arrange a few dog beds for a month.
One dilemma I never thought I would have is real vs fake. I'm a real tree girl, all the way. Never had fake, never will. I'm reconsidering. Technology seems to have advanced to the point where I really want to check them out, especially the pre-lit ones. Not having to wrestle with strings of lights is darn attractive.
What do you think? Am I mellowing in my old age? Should I let go of my purist tendencies just this once? Or should we skip the whole thing since Oliver isn't going to remember it anyway?
We had a tree one year, 2000. It was great. CD had never had a real tree before. Apparently that's not done in England. (This is the only reason I can think of for not moving there, other than the part about never being able to afford a house....) We got it at IKEA, when they had the deal where you could return it on a Saturday in January and give you a gift card for something close to the purchase price AND they would chip the trees and donate the mulch to local garden projects. I hear they aren't doing this anymore. Too bad.
In 2001, we got Piper. Though we thought about getting one and just putting an ex-pen around it, we ultimately decided that a tree with a new puppy in the house would not be a good thing. And every year since we have concluded that Piper + Christmas tree would be disaster. The new house doesn't have a fire place do it's damn hard to make it the least bit festive for the holiday, especially without a tree.
Since this will be Oliver's first Christmas I've been going over the possibilities...put a tree outside on the very bare front porch where it would be unreachable by Piper...but I couldn't put any of my nice ornaments outside. Ditto for the back porch, and Piper could get to it out there. Inside? There's a possible spot in the living room and one in the dining room (though that would be a stretch). Yeah, we could re-arrange a few dog beds for a month.
One dilemma I never thought I would have is real vs fake. I'm a real tree girl, all the way. Never had fake, never will. I'm reconsidering. Technology seems to have advanced to the point where I really want to check them out, especially the pre-lit ones. Not having to wrestle with strings of lights is darn attractive.
What do you think? Am I mellowing in my old age? Should I let go of my purist tendencies just this once? Or should we skip the whole thing since Oliver isn't going to remember it anyway?
02 December 2005
one more time, with feeling
To sib or not to sib. I've been thinking about the whole second baby thing for a while now. With my 40th birthday less than two months away, time's a-wastin'. This entry on Blogging Baby was the impetus to finally write about the topic. Thanks for the kick in the butt, Karen.
One of my first thoughts after surviving Oliver's delivery was utter amazement that some women go through it more than once. I was thrilled to have my son but my body felt like it had been through hell. My mother had five kids. The mind boggles. When I got over the initial trauma, and the area of my body known to my nurses as "the war zone" finally surrendered, I started to go back and forth in my head, many many many times a day, over whether Oliver should have a sibling.
There are so many good arguments on both sides. I fear a child who is the polar opposite of Oliver, starting with the pregnancy. I would have morning sickness with the next baby. She would sleep like a log at night and be grumpy all day. She wouldn't nurse well, would develop severe nipple confusion with bottles, hate all strangers and would be happy only in a bathtub. She would have no sense of humor. Thoughts like that are almost enough to make one consider tubal ligation, or better yet, vasectomy.
On the other hand, CD and I won't be around forever and I don't like the idea of Oliver being alone in the world. Or having to figure out how to push both of our wheelchairs by himself. I would like to know he has someone to talk to who has shared closely in his life experiences should there be difficult decisions to make. And while I have known perfectly well-adjusted only children, necessary lessons about sharing may be easier to teach at home with another child.
But then what about all the alone-time I've had with Oliver? I would never have that with baby #2. Would he/she feel cheated? And how could I possibly give Oliver any less attention, parcelling out time between two kids? Some would argue two is twice the fun. I must be a "glass half-empty" girl because sometimes I see twice the work and thus, half the fun, in the bizarre calculus going on in my head.
Then there's the desire to balance things out by adding a girl to the family, though with the dogs and cat factored in, girls are already in the lead in our household. Before Oliver, I never imagined myself the mother of a boy. I could only picture myself with girls. Now, as so many mothers of sons before me have discovered, it's hard to imagine adding a girl to the mix. I should really let this one go since we don't exactly get to place our order anyway. But then it seems like CD would like one of each and there's the strong desire to make him happy. I'll never forget the day in Maine, when I was coming up on 12 weeks pregnant and a few days before we got our CVS results and knew the gender of our baby. One of my family members asked CD if he was hoping for a boy or a girl. He responded something along the lines of, "It doesn't matter with the first one." That was truly the first time the idea of a second child ever crossed my mind. Clearly, he had been thinking about it a bit longer.
So this is how it's been in my head for a while now. Back and forth. Up and down. Round and round. A couple of months ago we agreed to discuss it on Oliver's first birthday, in April of 2006. I don't think I'll be physically ready before then and given my age, we don't want to leave it much longer. We also liked the timing of that pregnancy. I wasn't big or uncomfortable during the summer heat, which I hate anyway, and Oliver arrived after the end of the very cold weather. And of course, I already have maternity clothes that are seasonally correct.
At last, in just the past week or so, I have figured out what was really bothering me, and it is ridiculously simple. It's the "older parent" thing. Growing up I was very conscious of the fact I had older parents. It was more my dad, who retired when I was 12. I always said it wasn't being 40 and pregnant that scared me. It was being 55 with a 15 year old. But the more I think about it, the real problem isn't my fear of being an older parent so much as my fear that my kid(s) will be the only one(s) with older parents. I need only look around Oliver's school to see this is not the case. The parents under 30 appear to be in the minority. Demographics are on my side.
That doesn't entirely solve my dilemma, but it goes a long way towards putting me into a frame of mind where I can envision making one more trip down the parenthood path. And the slightly faded memories of "the war zone" help too.
One of my first thoughts after surviving Oliver's delivery was utter amazement that some women go through it more than once. I was thrilled to have my son but my body felt like it had been through hell. My mother had five kids. The mind boggles. When I got over the initial trauma, and the area of my body known to my nurses as "the war zone" finally surrendered, I started to go back and forth in my head, many many many times a day, over whether Oliver should have a sibling.
There are so many good arguments on both sides. I fear a child who is the polar opposite of Oliver, starting with the pregnancy. I would have morning sickness with the next baby. She would sleep like a log at night and be grumpy all day. She wouldn't nurse well, would develop severe nipple confusion with bottles, hate all strangers and would be happy only in a bathtub. She would have no sense of humor. Thoughts like that are almost enough to make one consider tubal ligation, or better yet, vasectomy.
On the other hand, CD and I won't be around forever and I don't like the idea of Oliver being alone in the world. Or having to figure out how to push both of our wheelchairs by himself. I would like to know he has someone to talk to who has shared closely in his life experiences should there be difficult decisions to make. And while I have known perfectly well-adjusted only children, necessary lessons about sharing may be easier to teach at home with another child.
But then what about all the alone-time I've had with Oliver? I would never have that with baby #2. Would he/she feel cheated? And how could I possibly give Oliver any less attention, parcelling out time between two kids? Some would argue two is twice the fun. I must be a "glass half-empty" girl because sometimes I see twice the work and thus, half the fun, in the bizarre calculus going on in my head.
Then there's the desire to balance things out by adding a girl to the family, though with the dogs and cat factored in, girls are already in the lead in our household. Before Oliver, I never imagined myself the mother of a boy. I could only picture myself with girls. Now, as so many mothers of sons before me have discovered, it's hard to imagine adding a girl to the mix. I should really let this one go since we don't exactly get to place our order anyway. But then it seems like CD would like one of each and there's the strong desire to make him happy. I'll never forget the day in Maine, when I was coming up on 12 weeks pregnant and a few days before we got our CVS results and knew the gender of our baby. One of my family members asked CD if he was hoping for a boy or a girl. He responded something along the lines of, "It doesn't matter with the first one." That was truly the first time the idea of a second child ever crossed my mind. Clearly, he had been thinking about it a bit longer.
So this is how it's been in my head for a while now. Back and forth. Up and down. Round and round. A couple of months ago we agreed to discuss it on Oliver's first birthday, in April of 2006. I don't think I'll be physically ready before then and given my age, we don't want to leave it much longer. We also liked the timing of that pregnancy. I wasn't big or uncomfortable during the summer heat, which I hate anyway, and Oliver arrived after the end of the very cold weather. And of course, I already have maternity clothes that are seasonally correct.
At last, in just the past week or so, I have figured out what was really bothering me, and it is ridiculously simple. It's the "older parent" thing. Growing up I was very conscious of the fact I had older parents. It was more my dad, who retired when I was 12. I always said it wasn't being 40 and pregnant that scared me. It was being 55 with a 15 year old. But the more I think about it, the real problem isn't my fear of being an older parent so much as my fear that my kid(s) will be the only one(s) with older parents. I need only look around Oliver's school to see this is not the case. The parents under 30 appear to be in the minority. Demographics are on my side.
That doesn't entirely solve my dilemma, but it goes a long way towards putting me into a frame of mind where I can envision making one more trip down the parenthood path. And the slightly faded memories of "the war zone" help too.
01 December 2005
look out world, here he comes
This really should be accompanied by a little video but Oliver is teetering on the brink of crawling. After a few weeks of moving backwards and a week or so of doing his best inchworm impersonation, he has figured out how to organize the movements required for forward motion. Now he just has to do it more than once.
He is also doing some nifty pivots on his tummy too. Yesterday he managed a >180 degree spin in about three very well-executed moves.
Toys are the primary motivation right now but I have a feeling once he gets moving for real there will be no stopping him. Fasten your seatbelts!
He is also doing some nifty pivots on his tummy too. Yesterday he managed a >180 degree spin in about three very well-executed moves.
Toys are the primary motivation right now but I have a feeling once he gets moving for real there will be no stopping him. Fasten your seatbelts!
30 November 2005
stuff we love, volume 6 - the holiday edition
With the holidays approaching I thought it would be a good idea to list a few of the baby things I'd rather not be without. Seven and a half months in to this wild ride I have deluded myself into thinking we know what we're doing. These items, along with the others I've blogged in prior "stuff we love" entries, have helped to maintain the illusion:
Diapees & Wipees - Perhaps the simplest of all inventions for parents and babies on the go. As a breastfeeder, I can leave the house with one of these, stocked with a couple of diapers, a sample size package of wipes and a disposable changing pad, and nothing else. Travelling light is a new concept for me and I like it. We have the black disco dot pattern. You are probably talented enough to make one of these for yourself.
Old Navy Thermal Henleys - These meet all the criteria for a good product: stylish, well-made and CHEAP!!! Oliver has four of these in the current wardrobe rotation, having out-grown two that were passed on to us by Duncan. They are just too darn cute. He looks like a miniature college student when he wears them with jeans. I'm not generally a fan of Old Navy but I have a couple of items from them that I would not trade for anything. My favorite turtleneck from last year, when I was very pregnant, is sorely missed.
Pump In Style Advanced - PISA and I spend about 20 minutes of quality time together every work day. The snazzy bag lets me walk to my pumping dungeon, two floors down from my office, without announcing, "I'm off to hook my boobs up to a milking machine now," to all the students I pass along the way. I still get strange looks when I'm cleaning the bits in the bathroom, but I can deal.
Mustela Facial Cleansing Cloths - Oliver's skin gets very dry when he gets a daily bath, and until recently "tubby time" was anything but happy. These cloths are wonderful for between bath days. Designed for the face, I use them on his body as well. We also like the Mustela Hydra-Stick now that the weather is colder. It keeps his cheeks from getting chapped and is in keeping with the aforementioned "travel light" theme.
Finally, my favorite on-line purveyor of baby stuff is kidsurplus.com. They don't have everything, and they don't always have the size or color I'm looking for, but their prices can't be beat. Ridiculously fast shipping too. Vermont to Pittsburgh usually takes 2 days.
Happy shopping!
Diapees & Wipees - Perhaps the simplest of all inventions for parents and babies on the go. As a breastfeeder, I can leave the house with one of these, stocked with a couple of diapers, a sample size package of wipes and a disposable changing pad, and nothing else. Travelling light is a new concept for me and I like it. We have the black disco dot pattern. You are probably talented enough to make one of these for yourself.
Old Navy Thermal Henleys - These meet all the criteria for a good product: stylish, well-made and CHEAP!!! Oliver has four of these in the current wardrobe rotation, having out-grown two that were passed on to us by Duncan. They are just too darn cute. He looks like a miniature college student when he wears them with jeans. I'm not generally a fan of Old Navy but I have a couple of items from them that I would not trade for anything. My favorite turtleneck from last year, when I was very pregnant, is sorely missed.
Pump In Style Advanced - PISA and I spend about 20 minutes of quality time together every work day. The snazzy bag lets me walk to my pumping dungeon, two floors down from my office, without announcing, "I'm off to hook my boobs up to a milking machine now," to all the students I pass along the way. I still get strange looks when I'm cleaning the bits in the bathroom, but I can deal.
Mustela Facial Cleansing Cloths - Oliver's skin gets very dry when he gets a daily bath, and until recently "tubby time" was anything but happy. These cloths are wonderful for between bath days. Designed for the face, I use them on his body as well. We also like the Mustela Hydra-Stick now that the weather is colder. It keeps his cheeks from getting chapped and is in keeping with the aforementioned "travel light" theme.
Finally, my favorite on-line purveyor of baby stuff is kidsurplus.com. They don't have everything, and they don't always have the size or color I'm looking for, but their prices can't be beat. Ridiculously fast shipping too. Vermont to Pittsburgh usually takes 2 days.
Happy shopping!
27 November 2005
eating, sleeping, growing
More new foods to add to the list: peaches and potatoes
More, better naps: Three, count them THREE hour-long naps yesterday
Growth and lots of it: Back to the ounce-a-day trajectory
And one last point of progress...another "happy tubby" and he went in without being wrapped in a receiving blanket.
More, better naps: Three, count them THREE hour-long naps yesterday
Growth and lots of it: Back to the ounce-a-day trajectoryAnd one last point of progress...another "happy tubby" and he went in without being wrapped in a receiving blanket.
24 November 2005
advancements in sleep
I'm almost afraid to say this "out loud" but we're seeing a new, and most enjoyable, trend in Oliver's sleep. His afternoon nap yesterday was over 1.5 hours. His teachers at school have taken to saying, "He took an Oliver nap," if he slept 30 to 45 minutes. I think we are well on our way to eradicating that phrase.
Last night he slept from 1:15 to 6:45am! The aforementioned carbon monoxide issue crossed my mind but I need not have worried.
His morning nap was about an hour and 40 minutes. And there was another of just over an hour this afternoon. He also took a 45 minute nap around the time he should have been having some cereal and veggies, but it's a holiday so he stayed up a little later.
Perhaps best of all, he's falling asleep with a minimum of fussing. It may take him a minute to turn his head the right way and find the thumb he's looking for, but that time is shrinking substantially and sometimes, like tonight, there is no fussing at all. I attribute some of this to timing and better recognition of his sleepy signals. It could also be his normal growth process. Perhaps our doc was right all along and he's just ready. In any event, it's fab and I fully intend to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
Bathtime had been a bit of a trial lately but we've turned the corner in that area as well. "Tubby" is now a very happy time, even more so tonight when he finally decided it was okay for us to turn the tub around so he's now using the end designed for independent sitters. We had tried before, only to have Oliver protest mightily. He figured out it was easier to reach his purple hippo from this position too. I expect to see significantly more splashing in the near future.
Last night he slept from 1:15 to 6:45am! The aforementioned carbon monoxide issue crossed my mind but I need not have worried.
His morning nap was about an hour and 40 minutes. And there was another of just over an hour this afternoon. He also took a 45 minute nap around the time he should have been having some cereal and veggies, but it's a holiday so he stayed up a little later.
Perhaps best of all, he's falling asleep with a minimum of fussing. It may take him a minute to turn his head the right way and find the thumb he's looking for, but that time is shrinking substantially and sometimes, like tonight, there is no fussing at all. I attribute some of this to timing and better recognition of his sleepy signals. It could also be his normal growth process. Perhaps our doc was right all along and he's just ready. In any event, it's fab and I fully intend to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
Bathtime had been a bit of a trial lately but we've turned the corner in that area as well. "Tubby" is now a very happy time, even more so tonight when he finally decided it was okay for us to turn the tub around so he's now using the end designed for independent sitters. We had tried before, only to have Oliver protest mightily. He figured out it was easier to reach his purple hippo from this position too. I expect to see significantly more splashing in the near future.
23 November 2005
baby, it's cold inside
The furnace needs a part. Should be in next week.... Brrrrr
UPDATE (11:45am): Part was acquired this morning and should be installed this afternoon. Not only is our HVAC guy exceedingly easy on the eyes, he ROCKS.
UPDATE (7:00pm): The part didn't solve the problem. More parts have been ordered but won't arrive until next week. For the moment, we have heat. One potential problem is carbon monoxide but we have two working detectors so we should be fine.
UPDATE (11:45am): Part was acquired this morning and should be installed this afternoon. Not only is our HVAC guy exceedingly easy on the eyes, he ROCKS.
UPDATE (7:00pm): The part didn't solve the problem. More parts have been ordered but won't arrive until next week. For the moment, we have heat. One potential problem is carbon monoxide but we have two working detectors so we should be fine.
a palate develops
Oliver is having a great time with solid foods. He tried avocado over the weekend and it was a hit. So much so that we now have cubes of the stuff in our freezer. Avocado plus barley cereal plus breast milk equals some really wonky guacamole-ish slop. (Don't worry....we don't serve it to guests!)
Here are the foods Oliver has tried and enjoyed (meaning everything he's tried - nothing rejected yet):
Cereals:
oatmeal
barley
rice
multi-grain (contains oatmeal, rice and millet)
Veg:
sweet potato
carrots
winter squash
peas
green beans
zucchini
corn
avocado
Fruit:
apple
banana
pear
plum
blueberry
mango
kiwi
raspberry
apricot
avocado
Other:
yogurt
lentils
garbanzo beans
cheerios
Pincer grasp is coming along too. He practices daily with cheerios. We're going to have to branch out in that area soon. I'm thinking tofu. Any other suggestions?
Here are the foods Oliver has tried and enjoyed (meaning everything he's tried - nothing rejected yet):
Cereals:
oatmeal
barley
rice
multi-grain (contains oatmeal, rice and millet)
Veg:
sweet potato
carrots
winter squash
peas
green beans
zucchini
corn
Fruit:
apple
banana
pear
plum
blueberry
mango
kiwi
raspberry
apricot
avocado
Other:
yogurt
lentils
garbanzo beans
cheerios
Pincer grasp is coming along too. He practices daily with cheerios. We're going to have to branch out in that area soon. I'm thinking tofu. Any other suggestions?
breastmilk wasted (and I didn't cry!)
Honest, I didn't cry, even though it was six precious ounces. There was yelling though. Lots of yelling. At a dog. And I did give her the cold shoulder for at least an hour afterwards, right up until she decided to join me on the couch and keep my feet warm.
A couple of nights ago, while CD was trying to get a very unhappy Oliver to go back to sleep and I was tending to some laundry, Penguin helped herself to a bag of breastmilk thawing on the counter. I was once able to accurately locate items back far enough but suddenly she's able to reach spots that were previously beyond her capability. When I found her she had torn open the bag and was enjoying a breastmilk slushie, spreading it across the kitchen floor. She was also making sure Piper kept her distance. She wanted it all to herself.
I used to cry if half an ounce was wasted. We've come a long way.
A couple of nights ago, while CD was trying to get a very unhappy Oliver to go back to sleep and I was tending to some laundry, Penguin helped herself to a bag of breastmilk thawing on the counter. I was once able to accurately locate items back far enough but suddenly she's able to reach spots that were previously beyond her capability. When I found her she had torn open the bag and was enjoying a breastmilk slushie, spreading it across the kitchen floor. She was also making sure Piper kept her distance. She wanted it all to herself.
I used to cry if half an ounce was wasted. We've come a long way.
22 November 2005
another 15 seconds of fame
We were previously mentioned on DaddyTypes (that was our Dutch doctor, thank you very much), which was pretty cool. Today we been spotted on Blogging Baby, or "flogging the babies" as one of my favorite bloggers likes to say (and it cracks me up every time -- this is what extreme sleep deprivation will do).
For those who have been asking for a more recent picture, here's one of Oliver in a sweater knit by Liz, mom to a couple of our Clumber friends, Charlotte and Angelina Ballerina. Check out the shoes! [Oliver's, not Angelina's. Clumbers don't wear shoes, silly!] The photo is a couple of weeks old but other than the teeth I don't think he's changed too much since it was taken. He's just bigger.
Let's hope Santa comes through with the camera so we can satisfy our loyal readers who clamor for more pictures, dammit!
For those who have been asking for a more recent picture, here's one of Oliver in a sweater knit by Liz, mom to a couple of our Clumber friends, Charlotte and Angelina Ballerina. Check out the shoes! [Oliver's, not Angelina's. Clumbers don't wear shoes, silly!] The photo is a couple of weeks old but other than the teeth I don't think he's changed too much since it was taken. He's just bigger.Let's hope Santa comes through with the camera so we can satisfy our loyal readers who clamor for more pictures, dammit!
what I wouldn't give for a sudafed
Just a general post of updates today.
In other news, Oliver has had a mini-growth spurt, making up for his very slow weight gain last week, putting his current weight at 19 pounds, 10.5 ounces. He seems to be longer too. Lots of clothes don't fit anymore. Anyone thinking of making a clothing purchase for the little guy should be considering 12 month size. Hanna 70s are still fitting well though. He can go through two sizes in other brands in time it takes to get through one size of Hannas. Amazing.
- Tooth number four has emerged. Oliver is now sporting two up and two down.
- As a result of this new dentition, Oliver is now able to bite. Hard. In very two very sensitive locations.
- As a result of this new ability to bite, there was much crying and carrying on last night, from both of us. I did the worst thing. I screamed. Then he screamed. Then we both cried. Ordinarily a small bite would not have sent me quite so far over the edge, but:
- Oliver and his mum got nasty colds on Sunday
- Oliver insisted on being held nearly all day yesterday
- Oliver's mum was exhausted, achy, and entirely un-medicated (she'd give anything for a sudafed, except her milk supply)
In other news, Oliver has had a mini-growth spurt, making up for his very slow weight gain last week, putting his current weight at 19 pounds, 10.5 ounces. He seems to be longer too. Lots of clothes don't fit anymore. Anyone thinking of making a clothing purchase for the little guy should be considering 12 month size. Hanna 70s are still fitting well though. He can go through two sizes in other brands in time it takes to get through one size of Hannas. Amazing.
14 November 2005
he likes a fresh diaper
Oliver has an interesting habit. He seems to be channeling the John Cage character from Ally McBeal, who had a remote control flusher because he liked a "fresh bowl". Oliver prefers to poop in a fresh diaper. In the morning, after we replace that very wet, "weighs more than he does" diaper, he can be counted on to poop within a few minutes.
Today at school he did the same thing. He had a diaper change after nursing (and a whopping five minute nap!). I was still there, eating my lunch. I smelled something familiar when I went to kiss him goodbye. Sure enough, not more than 10 minutes after getting a clean diaper Oliver had pooped.
We already know he likes to remove his shoes. If he develops a nose whistle we are really going to be in trouble.
Today at school he did the same thing. He had a diaper change after nursing (and a whopping five minute nap!). I was still there, eating my lunch. I smelled something familiar when I went to kiss him goodbye. Sure enough, not more than 10 minutes after getting a clean diaper Oliver had pooped.
We already know he likes to remove his shoes. If he develops a nose whistle we are really going to be in trouble.
what, me worry?
Oliver has gained 2 ounces in the last 8 days and I am not panicking. Yet. He's had more than a few days of "digestive upset" during that time, and more than a few TAE's. He has also cut his first top tooth, and like the bottom ones, the tooth next door is only lagging a few days behind. And not to bury the lead or anything, he's up on all fours on a regular basis, rocking back and forth, moving backwards occasionally, and just plain ready to take off crawling at any moment. He's been a busy boy, burning up a lot of calories.
Speaking of calories, he's starting to injest all sorts of new and interesting things. No reactions so far, and nothing rejected by Oliver either, so we have been brave about introducing new foods. Blueberries were this morning's new delight. His food list includes: rice, oatmeal, barley and multi-grain cereals, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, green beans, peas, apples, pears, bananas, apricots, plums, blueberries, cheerios and yogurt. I think we have mango and kiwi coming soon, and probably avocado too. He typically makes a face when tasting something new that leads me to think we have surely found something he hates. By the second or third spoonful he's smiling, and by the fourth or fifth he's grabbing for the spoon as if to tell me "faster!" The dogs distract him sometimes. They have become very attentive since he started tossing cheerios from his high chair.
We are not making such great progress on sippy cups. We haven't found one he can operate with the valve present. Without the valve the liquid pours out too fast and Oliver just spits it out. I bought the fourth and fifth versions last night. We tried one this morning but he just wanted to chew on it. We will keep trying.
No, he's still not sleeping.
Speaking of calories, he's starting to injest all sorts of new and interesting things. No reactions so far, and nothing rejected by Oliver either, so we have been brave about introducing new foods. Blueberries were this morning's new delight. His food list includes: rice, oatmeal, barley and multi-grain cereals, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, green beans, peas, apples, pears, bananas, apricots, plums, blueberries, cheerios and yogurt. I think we have mango and kiwi coming soon, and probably avocado too. He typically makes a face when tasting something new that leads me to think we have surely found something he hates. By the second or third spoonful he's smiling, and by the fourth or fifth he's grabbing for the spoon as if to tell me "faster!" The dogs distract him sometimes. They have become very attentive since he started tossing cheerios from his high chair.
We are not making such great progress on sippy cups. We haven't found one he can operate with the valve present. Without the valve the liquid pours out too fast and Oliver just spits it out. I bought the fourth and fifth versions last night. We tried one this morning but he just wanted to chew on it. We will keep trying.
No, he's still not sleeping.
06 November 2005
she sleeps
I got seven hours of uninterrupted sleep in a ridiculously comfy bed last night. Well, that's not entirely true. I woke up a couple of times but at no time did I become vertical prior to the iPod alarm going off. This was the first time I have slept four hours or more since last February. Alas, the cost of this "bliss" was a flight to Detroit without Oliver and living through yet another CSCA board meeting. And the pumping....six times with the pumping. Hotel rooms, bathrooms, bathrooms at the airport. Just about as much fun as the previously blogged turnpike bathrooms. If I had a little digital camera there would probably be a photo essay of fun places to pump. Or maybe not.
03 November 2005
Lobster Boy
Here's our little lobster boy (not to be confused with this one). I may post a better picture later, hopefully with both claws visible. 
29 October 2005
Should I be offended, annoyed, or just puzzled?
A couple of days ago I was asked a very, very strange question. It is still bothering me. A co-worker asked, "Now that you have the baby, what did you do with your dogs?" HUH??? I must have mumbled something unintelligible. I was really too stunned to put together a coherent sentence. The person seemed to sense my confusion but continued, "I mean, now that you have a baby, you got rid of the dogs, right?" I was floored. I managed to say "no, we still have the dogs," but not much else.
This is one of those times when you think of all the snappy comebacks well after the window of opportunity has slammed shut. I wish I had said something like, "Well, the dogs were there first. If it hadn't worked out, the kid would have to go." While that's not exactly true, we did make a committment to the dogs to care for them as long as they live. We made every effort to ease the transition of adding another human to the household. I think we did a pretty good job.
I know people who have had trouble with their pets after having a child, and who have taken the painful step of re-homing them. What I don't understand is how the assumption that one gets rid of a pet simply because they had a baby became mainstream. Is my threshold for such things unreasonably high?
This is one of those times when you think of all the snappy comebacks well after the window of opportunity has slammed shut. I wish I had said something like, "Well, the dogs were there first. If it hadn't worked out, the kid would have to go." While that's not exactly true, we did make a committment to the dogs to care for them as long as they live. We made every effort to ease the transition of adding another human to the household. I think we did a pretty good job.
I know people who have had trouble with their pets after having a child, and who have taken the painful step of re-homing them. What I don't understand is how the assumption that one gets rid of a pet simply because they had a baby became mainstream. Is my threshold for such things unreasonably high?
28 October 2005
Dodging Wilma at The Happiest Place On Earth
Following all the rules of "safe" blogging, I didn't mention that the family was heading to Florida for Educause and a couple of days at The Happiest Place On Earth. We're back now and mostly recovered. We watched Wilma's progress with great interest, as our return flight was Sunday morning. Other than some rain on Saturday, we were unaffected.
Educause was interesting. CD gave a presentation and I went to sessions (when there were seats available), browsed the vendor booths (what happened to all the GOOD tchotchke?!), and searched for places to pump. The (mis) information booth at the convention center kept insisting the handicapped bathroom stalls had outlets. I finally found one that did, but only on the last day and only after discovering at least seven that did not. The kind EMTs let me use one of their spaces. Nicer than bathrooms stalls, for sure.
Oliver came along, of course, and Aunt Suzy joined us as The Nanny once again, reprising her role at the CSCA National Specialty last May. Though Oliver is a lot more interesting now, he's also a lot more work. They spent a day by themselves at The Happiest Place On Earth and poor Suzy was ready to collapse when it was over. As she discovered, Oliver is a lot for one person to handle.
A few highlights from the trip:
Educause was interesting. CD gave a presentation and I went to sessions (when there were seats available), browsed the vendor booths (what happened to all the GOOD tchotchke?!), and searched for places to pump. The (mis) information booth at the convention center kept insisting the handicapped bathroom stalls had outlets. I finally found one that did, but only on the last day and only after discovering at least seven that did not. The kind EMTs let me use one of their spaces. Nicer than bathrooms stalls, for sure.
Oliver came along, of course, and Aunt Suzy joined us as The Nanny once again, reprising her role at the CSCA National Specialty last May. Though Oliver is a lot more interesting now, he's also a lot more work. They spent a day by themselves at The Happiest Place On Earth and poor Suzy was ready to collapse when it was over. As she discovered, Oliver is a lot for one person to handle.
A few highlights from the trip:
- Oliver tried to snag Minnie for himself, but drooling on her nose was probably not the best strategy.
- He did manage to secure a date in January with the lovely Lynda from Troon, who took care of us at the Rose & Crown pub. We will have to see if she's available for babysitting.
- Oliver's lobster costume was a bit of a bust. It was 85 degrees. We almost had boiled lobster.
11 October 2005
the six month update, continued
More six month updates today. Oliver was a fountain of drool at school today. A second tooth, right next door to the first, is peeking through. I suppose I should worry about Oliver drowning the dogs, not the other way around.
Our trip to the doc was fairly uneventful. No screams during the first shot but the next two could have awoken the dead. Then he was over it, about a minute after.
Oliver continues to be right at the 50th percentile for height. Same for head circumference. And 75th percentile for weight.
No recommendations on how to convince him to sleep more often or longer, except to be patient.
Our trip to the doc was fairly uneventful. No screams during the first shot but the next two could have awoken the dead. Then he was over it, about a minute after.Oliver continues to be right at the 50th percentile for height. Same for head circumference. And 75th percentile for weight.
No recommendations on how to convince him to sleep more often or longer, except to be patient.
10 October 2005
the six month update
So many new developments for Oliver on the eve of his "half-birthday". Over the weekend the first tooth sprouted. This may explain a few things that happened last week. Maybe not. I'll try to get a picture, though at the moment it's easier to feel the tooth than to see it.
He's also sitting up very well on his own. We pulled out the Pack 'n Play again, after relegating it to the closet when Oliver outgrew the bassinet. He will happily sit in it, with his boppy just in case of an inadvertent flop, and play with whatever toys are there. I call it "baby jail" but he is really happy in there. He was starting to use the toy bar on the bouncy seat to pull himself up, thus risking a tip over, so having a new parking place is very convenient. Oliver also likes being on the same level of the dogs, but without the risk of him drowning in Clumber drool.
Oliver has decided barley is not evil, and that carrots are the greatest thing since....hmmm, he's never had sliced bread so I don't know what is appropriate in this case. Apparently he complained when he finished his carrots at school today. Looks like half a jar, instead of a third, for tomorrow.
No progress on the sleep front. He's up to 40-45 minute naps during the day, when we're lucky. He is still waking every 3 hours at night. We go see the doc tomorrow for shots, etc. Maybe he will have a suggestion. I just hope he doesn't yell at us for starting solids a few weeks early.
He's also sitting up very well on his own. We pulled out the Pack 'n Play again, after relegating it to the closet when Oliver outgrew the bassinet. He will happily sit in it, with his boppy just in case of an inadvertent flop, and play with whatever toys are there. I call it "baby jail" but he is really happy in there. He was starting to use the toy bar on the bouncy seat to pull himself up, thus risking a tip over, so having a new parking place is very convenient. Oliver also likes being on the same level of the dogs, but without the risk of him drowning in Clumber drool.
Oliver has decided barley is not evil, and that carrots are the greatest thing since....hmmm, he's never had sliced bread so I don't know what is appropriate in this case. Apparently he complained when he finished his carrots at school today. Looks like half a jar, instead of a third, for tomorrow.
No progress on the sleep front. He's up to 40-45 minute naps during the day, when we're lucky. He is still waking every 3 hours at night. We go see the doc tomorrow for shots, etc. Maybe he will have a suggestion. I just hope he doesn't yell at us for starting solids a few weeks early.
06 October 2005
even more search hits for "zerbert"
In one of her funniest posts yet, Jenn Mattern wrote about the strange hits she's getting in her search logs. The best I can contribute is that I get an inordinate number of hits from people searching for "zerbert" and I am only going to add fuel to that fire with this post.
Oliver, it appears, understands what it means when he makes his mum laugh. Last night while nursing he had a bit of wind, as CD calls it. (No way was I going to get through a post on bodily functions without referencing our Oracle on such matters, Dooce.) This was some mighty loud, and might I add wet sounding, wind. Immediately following this sound, Oliver decided nursing would be better if he zerberted me. The two sounds were almost exactly the same. Mum laughed. Oliver did it again, then stopped to look at me to see if I would laugh again. It became clear that my laughing encouraged him to zerbert more and nurse less. Not very productive if we were going to get his tummy full and thus encourage a little sleep.
I spent the next 15 minutes trying very hard not to laugh. I have a feeling this is a skill I am going to need in the years to come.
Oliver, it appears, understands what it means when he makes his mum laugh. Last night while nursing he had a bit of wind, as CD calls it. (No way was I going to get through a post on bodily functions without referencing our Oracle on such matters, Dooce.) This was some mighty loud, and might I add wet sounding, wind. Immediately following this sound, Oliver decided nursing would be better if he zerberted me. The two sounds were almost exactly the same. Mum laughed. Oliver did it again, then stopped to look at me to see if I would laugh again. It became clear that my laughing encouraged him to zerbert more and nurse less. Not very productive if we were going to get his tummy full and thus encourage a little sleep.
I spent the next 15 minutes trying very hard not to laugh. I have a feeling this is a skill I am going to need in the years to come.
03 October 2005
when I wasn't paying attention...
I intended to notice when Oliver doubled his birthweight. It appears to have happened on day 161, when I was totally oblivious. Once again, I am compelled to blame sleep deprivation. It's gone from bad to worse in that department. Two nights ago Oliver decided to be awake from about midnight to 3:30am. I ended up with just over two hours of sleep that night. Last night, as I was heading to bed, Oliver woke up. He was unconsolable from about 9:30pm to midnight. I got a little more sleep but I'm still running a serious deficit, even more than what has become the new normal. We still haven't figured out what is causing this waking. Could be teething or a growth spurt, or something else. Maybe the doc will have some ideas when we go in for his 6 month visit.
The moody bitches continue to be moody. They are dancing for Chewy and each other. Poor old guy had enough of their advances yesterday morning and attempted to put Penguin in her place. Based on the noise one might have expected to find her in little pieces. Chewy, of course, didn't put a scratch on her. Unfortunately, she has an especially short memory at the moment and was back to her favorite tricks, trying to "spoon" with him on his bed, soon after. Piper play bows to everyone and tries, rather foolishly, to flip Penguin onto her back. It's very entertaining and I'll be very glad when it's over.
Coming attractions: CD and I are celebrating the seventh anniversary of our first date by going on another first date, our first night out since Oliver's arrival. Thank you to the brave souls who have graciously agreed to babysit. I'm not sure I will ever be able to sufficiently repay you.
The moody bitches continue to be moody. They are dancing for Chewy and each other. Poor old guy had enough of their advances yesterday morning and attempted to put Penguin in her place. Based on the noise one might have expected to find her in little pieces. Chewy, of course, didn't put a scratch on her. Unfortunately, she has an especially short memory at the moment and was back to her favorite tricks, trying to "spoon" with him on his bed, soon after. Piper play bows to everyone and tries, rather foolishly, to flip Penguin onto her back. It's very entertaining and I'll be very glad when it's over.
Coming attractions: CD and I are celebrating the seventh anniversary of our first date by going on another first date, our first night out since Oliver's arrival. Thank you to the brave souls who have graciously agreed to babysit. I'm not sure I will ever be able to sufficiently repay you.
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