I suppose the throngs of Wayshetribe readers have been greatly anticipating my insight, opinions and dialogue on the transition from having one child to two. You poor souls.
Who has the most [unwanted] advice about child-rearing? Someone who has no children, of course! This is a common predicament. Who has the least amount of advice? Well, recently I have come to the conclusion that unwanted advice has a direct correlation with number of children. The more children people have, the less likely they are to smother other mom's in their this-way-or-the-highway advice. Or maybe they are just too sleep deprived to care. I've recently visited with a few fellow mom's that have five children. Other than a slightly glazed look and occasional greasy-hair, they appear to be normal functioning adults. Yet I have not heard one judgmental or even opinionated word come from them.
The first item I would like to discus is washing your hands. When you have a newborn, it is vital that you keep a completely germ-free, disinfected environment for that tiny little bean. New mom's are supposed to wash their hands: Before and after changing diapers. Before and after breastfeeding. Before and after pumping. Before and after eating. Before and after using the restroom. Any time you touch your baby's face. Upon returning home from the store/town/park etc. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES A DAY THAT IS??? Do you know how many diapers 3 week old babies go through? Do you know how many times the post-partum body needs to pee? Plan on washing your hands any moment you aren't otherwise occupied with your infant, sleeping, or eating. (Never.)
Somewhere I read that you are not supposed to carry your coffee while holding your infant. *snicker* How about drinking your coffee, bathing your toddler, and cooking dinner while holding your infant?
I don't think I ever really pictured myself having girls. I thought I would just have a rambunctious family of boys. (Tomboy at heart I guess!) But I really like that we got two girls. They completely melt Wayne & my hearts. People keep asking if we will try again for a boy....and I keep thinking, "NO!!! But I'd try again for another little girl!!"
I do LOVE having two girls. I have told people
several times over the past 8 months that having two children has been
easier for me and way more fun than having one ever was. Brynn has been a
good baby, but regardless of that I have really enjoyed being a family
of four. Yes I am becoming a puddle of sappy goo, but it is true. I am a
very happy puddle of goo.
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby. Show all posts
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Thursday, October 25, 2012
The Expressions of Penelope
I apparently forgot to actually post this one - cute pictures from when P was a tiny baby. All of these expression pictures reminded me of those posters/T-shirts/whatever that have cat or something with lots of different expressions.
Mischevious
Happy
Interested
Upset
Unsure
Quizzical
Sad
Befuddled
Entertained
Mischevious
Happy
Interested
Upset
Unsure
Quizzical
Sad
Befuddled
EntertainedMonday, October 22, 2012
Park City
This past week we have been in Park City, Utah, where Wayne attended a conference and Penelope and I enjoyed the fall.
We enjoyed lunch at the quaint Blue Boar Inn.
Playing in the leaves.
We took a walk along this trail that had lots of scarecrows set up along the way.
We found "Pippy 'scared' Stocking," so took a picture since we call P 'Pippy' sometimes.
Then we went to see Gary & Marsha and their adorable 4 month old twins. Penelope loved them, and just gave them hugs and kisses the whole time.
Headed home finally - one last picture on the salt flats.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Reflection
My next post was entitled, "Why I hate showers and hugs," but it got censured. Then Wayne mentioned that I could have written a LOT more on the post "Things I do to annoy Wayne," but as of yet he hasn't been brave enough to share them. So I will move on to this one. For your information, I still shower and hug, though not at the same time.
The past year has been exciting, exhausting and gone by at warp speed. I want to write down a few reflections and things that I don't want to forget about the first year of parenthood.
1. True sayings: "Babies are a lot of work." Yep. "You will get 'mommy-brain'(code for lose your brain)" Yep.
2. "You can't even remember life before them." Um, I can definitely remember my life before baby. Though a distant memory, I do remember sleeping in, eating with both hands while the meal was still warm, and wearing clean clothes for more than five minutes. "Your lives will never be the same." Well, to me this is like saying 'you can never live today again.' Obviously. But I'm still the same person. At least I don't think I've changed that much.
3. You can get by with little sleep for a long time.
4. Staying healthy is important. For me and the baby. Eating and exercising right help immensely while recovering from birth, breastfeeding, and all of that lost sleep.
5. Whose idea was it to put grapes in canned fruit cocktail? Very disturbing.
6. I am in awe of mothers before our generation, who were also pioneers, factory workers, or nomads, who didn't know what Pampers, Mum-Mums, or ibuprofen were.
7. I am in awe of mothers today who are also soldiers, widows, or refugees.
8. "Sooo....when are you guys going to start having kids?" turns into, "Sooo....ready for number two?"
The past year has been exciting, exhausting and gone by at warp speed. I want to write down a few reflections and things that I don't want to forget about the first year of parenthood.
1. True sayings: "Babies are a lot of work." Yep. "You will get 'mommy-brain'(code for lose your brain)" Yep.
2. "You can't even remember life before them." Um, I can definitely remember my life before baby. Though a distant memory, I do remember sleeping in, eating with both hands while the meal was still warm, and wearing clean clothes for more than five minutes. "Your lives will never be the same." Well, to me this is like saying 'you can never live today again.' Obviously. But I'm still the same person. At least I don't think I've changed that much.
3. You can get by with little sleep for a long time.
4. Staying healthy is important. For me and the baby. Eating and exercising right help immensely while recovering from birth, breastfeeding, and all of that lost sleep.
5. Whose idea was it to put grapes in canned fruit cocktail? Very disturbing.
6. I am in awe of mothers before our generation, who were also pioneers, factory workers, or nomads, who didn't know what Pampers, Mum-Mums, or ibuprofen were.
7. I am in awe of mothers today who are also soldiers, widows, or refugees.
8. "Sooo....when are you guys going to start having kids?" turns into, "Sooo....ready for number two?"
Thursday, September 6, 2012
A sad, sad day
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
'Up at six; Naps at nine'
That song about Mr. Mom keeps running through my head, as Penelope has been getting up around five every morning. But the good news, we are sleeping all night! I thought that this milestone would have happened months ago, but, alas, I must not be the supermom I envisioned.
Anyway, we are working on sleeping later in the mornings, but until then, our mornings have been very long. One morning last week, I decided I would just get and be productive. Penelope was playing fairly well on the kitchen floor, and I did some cooking. I made a batch of cookies, some scones, and put dinner in the crockpot. We had breakfast, and I was just washing some pans when I looked at the clock. 6:54 are you kidding me! It felt like half the day was gone, but it had only just started.
Another day, I was looking forward to going to town at noon. It took forever for those little clock arms to find there way up. Sometimes we will go to town in the morning, only to find out we got there WAY too early for any of the shops to be open.
Once I was checking the time on my phone, and realized my phone had stopped working. My phone has been doing that lately, it will turn on, but not be connecting. To fix it, I just turn my phone off, take the battery out, put it back in, and turn it on. So I did this, but it didn't get fixed. Later I realized that the phone was working fine, I was just in denial about the time.
(As a side note, my phone once stopped working when I was about 9 months pregnant. Wayne had been calling and texting all day. I didn't respond, and he was going to call the neighbors, but didn't have their phone number. He then resigned himself to the fact that he would come home and find me dead in a pool of blood. Finally, late in the afternoon, I realized the phone needed reset. Wayne was quite relieved when I called to tell him I was fine!)
We have realized the sun comes up earlier and earlier every day, and that may be part of the reason Penelope is getting up so early. On the eastern edge of the time zone, it is usually pretty light at 5 am. We also keep tabs on the neighbors, who leaves at what time, who is going to be late for the school bus, and whose dog is barking. Yep, I am that person in the neighborhood.
So we get excited when nine rolls around, and it's time for the morning nap. I contemplate what to do for the remaining 10 hours until P's bedtime, check to make sure the phone is working, and eat a few too many cookies.
Anyway, we are working on sleeping later in the mornings, but until then, our mornings have been very long. One morning last week, I decided I would just get and be productive. Penelope was playing fairly well on the kitchen floor, and I did some cooking. I made a batch of cookies, some scones, and put dinner in the crockpot. We had breakfast, and I was just washing some pans when I looked at the clock. 6:54 are you kidding me! It felt like half the day was gone, but it had only just started.
Another day, I was looking forward to going to town at noon. It took forever for those little clock arms to find there way up. Sometimes we will go to town in the morning, only to find out we got there WAY too early for any of the shops to be open.
Once I was checking the time on my phone, and realized my phone had stopped working. My phone has been doing that lately, it will turn on, but not be connecting. To fix it, I just turn my phone off, take the battery out, put it back in, and turn it on. So I did this, but it didn't get fixed. Later I realized that the phone was working fine, I was just in denial about the time.
(As a side note, my phone once stopped working when I was about 9 months pregnant. Wayne had been calling and texting all day. I didn't respond, and he was going to call the neighbors, but didn't have their phone number. He then resigned himself to the fact that he would come home and find me dead in a pool of blood. Finally, late in the afternoon, I realized the phone needed reset. Wayne was quite relieved when I called to tell him I was fine!)
We have realized the sun comes up earlier and earlier every day, and that may be part of the reason Penelope is getting up so early. On the eastern edge of the time zone, it is usually pretty light at 5 am. We also keep tabs on the neighbors, who leaves at what time, who is going to be late for the school bus, and whose dog is barking. Yep, I am that person in the neighborhood.
So we get excited when nine rolls around, and it's time for the morning nap. I contemplate what to do for the remaining 10 hours until P's bedtime, check to make sure the phone is working, and eat a few too many cookies.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Babies are so expensive....Part 3
You may have read Part 1 about how little I have spent on our new baby. Maybe you read Part 2 about how expensive it is to bring a baby home from the hospital. This is part 3, which could also be entitled, "THANK GOODNESS FOR INSURANCE!"
In Part 2, I estimated that the total cost to bring baby home from the hospital would be around $11,200. Well, I was wrong.
First of all, if I or my insurance company is paying thousands of dollars for a basic hospital stay, I maybe would expect a receipt. Maybe. I get detailed receipts for buying furniture, gas, groceries, even fast food. But when I have a baby? Zilch. They gave me nothing. I have to call and request a receipt if I would like one. Oddly enough, I WOULD like to see how many much I was charged every time a nurse handed me an Ibuprofen. So I called to request a receipt. The receipt details the main charges: room & board, basic delivery, IVs, drugs, and seven dollars a day for baby wipes. Then my 'detailed statement' lists "HMS CONV 718" twenty eight times, each with different amounts and quantities. So much for details.
Second of all, I overpaid my portion of the bill. That was back in August. It took 4 phone calls and 6 months to get it refunded.
So at this point, I am not impressed with the hospital at all. But I did finally get my refund and a so-called detailed statement.
Here are the total charges:
To the doctor (remember Dr. Winch?) $3,200
To the hospital (for Penelope) $2,868
To Penelope's doctor (while in the hospital) $357
To the hospital (for me) $14,781
Grand Total: $21,206
In Part 2, I estimated that the total cost to bring baby home from the hospital would be around $11,200. Well, I was wrong.
First of all, if I or my insurance company is paying thousands of dollars for a basic hospital stay, I maybe would expect a receipt. Maybe. I get detailed receipts for buying furniture, gas, groceries, even fast food. But when I have a baby? Zilch. They gave me nothing. I have to call and request a receipt if I would like one. Oddly enough, I WOULD like to see how many much I was charged every time a nurse handed me an Ibuprofen. So I called to request a receipt. The receipt details the main charges: room & board, basic delivery, IVs, drugs, and seven dollars a day for baby wipes. Then my 'detailed statement' lists "HMS CONV 718" twenty eight times, each with different amounts and quantities. So much for details.
Second of all, I overpaid my portion of the bill. That was back in August. It took 4 phone calls and 6 months to get it refunded.
So at this point, I am not impressed with the hospital at all. But I did finally get my refund and a so-called detailed statement.
Here are the total charges:
To the doctor (remember Dr. Winch?) $3,200
To the hospital (for Penelope) $2,868
To Penelope's doctor (while in the hospital) $357
To the hospital (for me) $14,781
Grand Total: $21,206
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Solid - and not so solid - Foods
Penelope has reached that significant milestone of eating her first solid foods. Rice Cereal, peas, and bananas, all pureed into a thin, not-so-solid, mush.
Although Penelope has proven herself as a near-genius, she hasn't quite figured out eating. She usually does good for the first few bites. And usually does pretty good with the cereal.
She has decided that when she gets into her highchair it is the perfect time to perfect her motor noises. Motor noises, as in the pppftthpppthhff noise a motorcycle makes. The effect is enhanced when she has a mouthful of green peas.
Once we finish our motor training we move on to the beauty mask. Since there is already some sort of pureed food already covering much of Penelope's lips and chin, she takes both hands and begins to massage the puree around to cover the rest of her face. Sometimes we do a deep conditioning of the hair as well.
Sometimes I give her a baby cracker to munch on. She thinks she is pretty cool, holding onto a cracker and feeding herself. That is until she breaks off a piece. There it sits on her tongue while she gags and coughs until it either dissolves or is expelled.
It is a good thing that feeding at this age is more of a learning experience than a nutritional one, as I'm not sure how much food actually finds its way to her stomach.
Although Penelope has proven herself as a near-genius, she hasn't quite figured out eating. She usually does good for the first few bites. And usually does pretty good with the cereal.
She has decided that when she gets into her highchair it is the perfect time to perfect her motor noises. Motor noises, as in the pppftthpppthhff noise a motorcycle makes. The effect is enhanced when she has a mouthful of green peas.
Once we finish our motor training we move on to the beauty mask. Since there is already some sort of pureed food already covering much of Penelope's lips and chin, she takes both hands and begins to massage the puree around to cover the rest of her face. Sometimes we do a deep conditioning of the hair as well.
Sometimes I give her a baby cracker to munch on. She thinks she is pretty cool, holding onto a cracker and feeding herself. That is until she breaks off a piece. There it sits on her tongue while she gags and coughs until it either dissolves or is expelled.
It is a good thing that feeding at this age is more of a learning experience than a nutritional one, as I'm not sure how much food actually finds its way to her stomach.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The diaper bag
You carry it. You dig in it. It is your lifeline, your purse, your brain. You fear losing it, and hope you remembered to put everything in it. It is The Diaper Bag.
My diaper bag has become very valuable to me. Not because it is cute or trendy. Not because of the cost of the diaper bag or its contents, but because of its security.
On a rare occation that I go into a store without it, I am worrying the entire time about needing something in it. On the rare occation that I go into a store without Penelope, I get excited about not toting the enormous bag around, but then realize that I have to hold my billfold, phone, keys and anything else I need in my hands.
Normally my diaper bag is overflowing, unorganized, and brimming with used diapers, dirty burp rags and mail. Wayne detests the diaper bag when it is unorganized...."You need everything to have it's own compartment." OK, captain, but there are ony four different compartments in the bag. Hard to have everything color-coded and distributed into its's specific 'spot'.
So, what's in the bag? Other than a sometimes disillusioned sense of safety and security for mom? I am going to empty it right now and divulge the classified contents.
The main compartment:
1. 3 diapers
2. wipes
3. burp rag
4. billfold
5. toy
6. small plastic bags to properly dispose diapers
7. extra change of clothes, hat & bib for Penelope
8. enough powdered formula and dust at the bottom to make a few ounces of milk in a fix
The small side compartment:
1. infant tylenol
2. infant gas medicine
3. hand sanitizer
The other small side compartment:
1. nothing (but usually contains my phone & keys)
The large side compartment: ( I consider this my 'personal' compartment. See Wayne, it is organized!)
1. gum
2. granola bar
3. pen
4. hair tie & hair clip
5. a mostly used tube of toothpaste (no toothbrush)
6. 2 cough drops
7. 1 Jolly Rancher
8. multipurpose knife
9. small perfume
The other large side compartment: (This I consider the 'papers' side)
1. coupons! Wayne's favorite thing to hear when we are out shopping is, "Oh, I have a coupon for that!" He generally cringes, rolls his eyes, and soon dissapears. But, some of the coupons havn't even expired yet, and the other day I saved over five dollars!
2. diaper cream
3. nursing pads
OK, that wasn't as bad as I had feared. Other things that routinely find themeselves in the diaper bag:
sunglasses
lotion
chapstick
mail
laptop (it almost fits...)
bottles, breastmilk and formula
pacifier(s)
blanket (s)
used tissues, candy wrappers and other trash
It is nice to have a large bag and an excuse to carry it anywhere. Need to stash snacks & drinks so you don't have to pay for them at an event? Got you covered. Need a jackhammer? No problem.
There may come a day when I carry around a cute little purse with only my things in it. But for now I am content to carry around this huge drab bag and use its contents to take care of my wonderful little girl.
My diaper bag has become very valuable to me. Not because it is cute or trendy. Not because of the cost of the diaper bag or its contents, but because of its security.
On a rare occation that I go into a store without it, I am worrying the entire time about needing something in it. On the rare occation that I go into a store without Penelope, I get excited about not toting the enormous bag around, but then realize that I have to hold my billfold, phone, keys and anything else I need in my hands.
Normally my diaper bag is overflowing, unorganized, and brimming with used diapers, dirty burp rags and mail. Wayne detests the diaper bag when it is unorganized...."You need everything to have it's own compartment." OK, captain, but there are ony four different compartments in the bag. Hard to have everything color-coded and distributed into its's specific 'spot'.
So, what's in the bag? Other than a sometimes disillusioned sense of safety and security for mom? I am going to empty it right now and divulge the classified contents.
The main compartment:
1. 3 diapers
2. wipes
3. burp rag
4. billfold
5. toy
6. small plastic bags to properly dispose diapers
7. extra change of clothes, hat & bib for Penelope
8. enough powdered formula and dust at the bottom to make a few ounces of milk in a fix
The small side compartment:
1. infant tylenol
2. infant gas medicine
3. hand sanitizer
The other small side compartment:
1. nothing (but usually contains my phone & keys)
The large side compartment: ( I consider this my 'personal' compartment. See Wayne, it is organized!)
1. gum
2. granola bar
3. pen
4. hair tie & hair clip
5. a mostly used tube of toothpaste (no toothbrush)
6. 2 cough drops
7. 1 Jolly Rancher
8. multipurpose knife
9. small perfume
The other large side compartment: (This I consider the 'papers' side)
1. coupons! Wayne's favorite thing to hear when we are out shopping is, "Oh, I have a coupon for that!" He generally cringes, rolls his eyes, and soon dissapears. But, some of the coupons havn't even expired yet, and the other day I saved over five dollars!
2. diaper cream
3. nursing pads
OK, that wasn't as bad as I had feared. Other things that routinely find themeselves in the diaper bag:
sunglasses
lotion
chapstick
laptop (it almost fits...)
bottles, breastmilk and formula
pacifier(s)
blanket (s)
used tissues, candy wrappers and other trash
It is nice to have a large bag and an excuse to carry it anywhere. Need to stash snacks & drinks so you don't have to pay for them at an event? Got you covered. Need a jackhammer? No problem.
There may come a day when I carry around a cute little purse with only my things in it. But for now I am content to carry around this huge drab bag and use its contents to take care of my wonderful little girl.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Gizmos & Gadgets
I often hear someone from my mom's generation look at a baby item of mine and say longingly, "They didn't have that when I was raising kids..." And I do sympathize. Swings that sing, vibrate, bounce, and, oh yeah, swing twenty different directions are nice. Breastpumps in a trendy backpack? Teddy bears that recite your baby's name? Stroller's that fold with one hand? Yes, please!
However, some of the latest and gratest inventions for children seem a little over the top. I'm sure many people use them, perhaps even some of you. And maybe after a few more children I would be using them too. But for now, I will get a chuckle out of them and say they are for the birds.
1. A food dispensing spoon: You got to give inventors credit for doing this one. It is a good idea. But really, how does it help us? The idea is to twist a bag of baby food onto this special spoon, and you just squirt a litte out at a time into the spoon and give it to your little eater. Does it really save that much time to squirt food into a spoon? Or have we become so lazy that we just want to save the energy that it takes lifting our arm from the jar of baby food to our children's mouths?
2. Snot sucker: A battery operated unit that you stick in your babies nose and it sucks snot, boogers, and lost legos. I guess it would be handy during a cold, but I don't think I could handle it. You actually see the nose-debris as it is sucked out and stored in a nice, clear plastic compartment. I am a person who gets very grossed out by runny noses. Penelope has needed a tissue about 4 times so far, and it was very tramatic. For me, not her.
3. Wipes: Wipes, you say? What kind? There are now soft & gentle wipes, natural wipes, and chlorine free wipes. There are flushable wipes and travel wipes. Pacifier wipes and boogie wipes. Cream infused wipes and all-over cleansing towelettes. Don't forget about biodegradable and reusable wipes. Who knew wipes would be so complicated. Oh, and once your baby turns into a toddler? Quick! Throw out the wipes, you now need to buy 'toddler wipes.'
4. Problem solvers that create another problem: For instance, Sunglases, sunscreen, sunshades, and spf clothing. Never let your child's skin see the sun! Now....go out and buy Vitamin D suppliments, because your child is probably deficient! I'm not saying I'm never going to use sunscreen, but I think there is a point where it gets excessive.
However, some of the latest and gratest inventions for children seem a little over the top. I'm sure many people use them, perhaps even some of you. And maybe after a few more children I would be using them too. But for now, I will get a chuckle out of them and say they are for the birds.
1. A food dispensing spoon: You got to give inventors credit for doing this one. It is a good idea. But really, how does it help us? The idea is to twist a bag of baby food onto this special spoon, and you just squirt a litte out at a time into the spoon and give it to your little eater. Does it really save that much time to squirt food into a spoon? Or have we become so lazy that we just want to save the energy that it takes lifting our arm from the jar of baby food to our children's mouths?
2. Snot sucker: A battery operated unit that you stick in your babies nose and it sucks snot, boogers, and lost legos. I guess it would be handy during a cold, but I don't think I could handle it. You actually see the nose-debris as it is sucked out and stored in a nice, clear plastic compartment. I am a person who gets very grossed out by runny noses. Penelope has needed a tissue about 4 times so far, and it was very tramatic. For me, not her.
3. Wipes: Wipes, you say? What kind? There are now soft & gentle wipes, natural wipes, and chlorine free wipes. There are flushable wipes and travel wipes. Pacifier wipes and boogie wipes. Cream infused wipes and all-over cleansing towelettes. Don't forget about biodegradable and reusable wipes. Who knew wipes would be so complicated. Oh, and once your baby turns into a toddler? Quick! Throw out the wipes, you now need to buy 'toddler wipes.'
4. Problem solvers that create another problem: For instance, Sunglases, sunscreen, sunshades, and spf clothing. Never let your child's skin see the sun! Now....go out and buy Vitamin D suppliments, because your child is probably deficient! I'm not saying I'm never going to use sunscreen, but I think there is a point where it gets excessive.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Items
When I was a kid, we knew this cool old fellow by the name of John McPhail. He would send us tape cassettes (remember those?) that he made himself. There might be anything on the cassette - music, stories, strange noises, etc. But there was always a little bit of personal news he would record himself, and they would be labeled as items. For instance....
"Item No. 2 Aunt Susie in North Dakota called us the other day and told us about a skunk that got in their barn and...."
So anyway, when I have random bits to report, I will start organizing them as 'items'.
Item No. 1
I am sorry that many of you aren't able to leave comments on the blog. I do not know what is wrong. I have the same problem on other peoples' blogs. Sometimes Blogger will let me comment, sometimes not. How annoying!
Item No. 2
We have had ups and downs with P's sleeping habits, and are currently on an up! Saturday night she slept for 11 hours without waking up! Last night she slept 11 hours again, waking up once. I wish I knew what makes her sleep and what makes her wiggle. Anyway, it feels great! Although there are downsides to this new 11 hour development. 1) Mommy has grown accustomed to waking every 2-4 hours, and still does. 2) Mommy wakes up well rested, but with a throbbing chest. But who am I kidding? This is great! I never knew I could think so clearly, diaper with such precision or rock so gracefully.
Item No. 3
We were out shopping somewhere, when some lady stopped to say something about how cute our baby is. Then she proceeds to say something like, "no hair now, but that means she will have beautiful hair like her mommy when she gets big." First of all, thanks for thinking my (thinning) hair is beautiful. But secondly, does that really make sense? I doubt whether or not she has hair now correlates with her hair later in life.
Item No. 4
I have noticed that Penelope's skin must absorb whatever smell is around her. After someone holds her, she smells differently. I bet I could accurately tell you who has been holding my baby in a blind scent test.
Item No. 5
I'm all out of items for today. A few pics:
Penelope's (Bigtoe's) newest toy is her feet, there are usually close at hand...
.....or in her mouth
Here is an example of the pre-11-hour sleeping nights. I was trying to make scrambled eggs. Speaking of eggs....
I had the most startling revelation the other day. I am a bit embarrassed to say this ol' ranch girl didn't know this. We were chatting with friends Gary & Marsha the other day, when they mentioned something about considering getting a rooster. So I opened my big mouth: "How in the world do you have eggs without a rooster?"
"Item No. 2 Aunt Susie in North Dakota called us the other day and told us about a skunk that got in their barn and...."
So anyway, when I have random bits to report, I will start organizing them as 'items'.
Item No. 1
I am sorry that many of you aren't able to leave comments on the blog. I do not know what is wrong. I have the same problem on other peoples' blogs. Sometimes Blogger will let me comment, sometimes not. How annoying!
Item No. 2
We have had ups and downs with P's sleeping habits, and are currently on an up! Saturday night she slept for 11 hours without waking up! Last night she slept 11 hours again, waking up once. I wish I knew what makes her sleep and what makes her wiggle. Anyway, it feels great! Although there are downsides to this new 11 hour development. 1) Mommy has grown accustomed to waking every 2-4 hours, and still does. 2) Mommy wakes up well rested, but with a throbbing chest. But who am I kidding? This is great! I never knew I could think so clearly, diaper with such precision or rock so gracefully.
Item No. 3
We were out shopping somewhere, when some lady stopped to say something about how cute our baby is. Then she proceeds to say something like, "no hair now, but that means she will have beautiful hair like her mommy when she gets big." First of all, thanks for thinking my (thinning) hair is beautiful. But secondly, does that really make sense? I doubt whether or not she has hair now correlates with her hair later in life.
Item No. 4
I have noticed that Penelope's skin must absorb whatever smell is around her. After someone holds her, she smells differently. I bet I could accurately tell you who has been holding my baby in a blind scent test.
Item No. 5
I'm all out of items for today. A few pics:
Penelope's (Bigtoe's) newest toy is her feet, there are usually close at hand...
.....or in her mouth
Here is an example of the pre-11-hour sleeping nights. I was trying to make scrambled eggs. Speaking of eggs....I had the most startling revelation the other day. I am a bit embarrassed to say this ol' ranch girl didn't know this. We were chatting with friends Gary & Marsha the other day, when they mentioned something about considering getting a rooster. So I opened my big mouth: "How in the world do you have eggs without a rooster?"
Apparently, my whole life I didn't realize that chickens lay eggs without roosters! Chickens reproduce just as any other animals, it's just their eggs are fertilized & turned into little baby chicks outside of the body, instead of inside. You learn new things all the time!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Oh Blogger, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways
Some people are addicts. There are internet addicts, Pinterest addicts, and Facebook addicts. I am a blog addict. Hello my name is Sheena, and I am a Blogaholic.
Why do I love blogging so much? I am not sure. I definately appreciate compliments on my blog. I love it when someone tells me they really got a kick out of something I wrote. I am also flattered when some random person, who I didn't think knew how to turn on a computer, tells me that they read my blog. But the biggest reason I like blogging is probably because I make myself laugh. Literally, I will be sitting here writing and totally crack myself up. As I writhe in fits of giggles, Wayne will calmly look over, sigh, and say, "What are you blogging about now?" If I really get going laughing, Wayne usually gets suspicious and asks to proof my post. This is bad news, because once I show him, he usually vetos the funniest ones. OK, he says they are a bit 'innapropriate' or 'embarrassing'. But at least I get to roll in the floor laughing for a while.
It is also theraputic for me to blog. On those rare days when Penelope decides to take a nap longer than an hour, I can be found making a cup of coffee and sitting down at my laptop. It is likely much cheaper than the shrink I will need after 4 more kids.
Now that I have picked myself up off the floor from laughing about that last sentence, I have several smaller subjects I have been meaning to blog about:
My husband does everything I tell him!!
Wayne is such a good husband he does exactly what I tell him! Case in point has to do with the cats: 1) I tell him the litter box is stinking up the laundry room - He moves the litter box to the garage. 2) I tell him the cats are going to make a mess in the house - He moves the litter box inside of the door. 3) I tell him the litter box doesn't allow the door to open all the way, thus not allowing easy access while carrying a car seat - he moves the litter box from behind the door to right in front of the door. 4) The litter box is just inside the door, so even though you might accidently step in the litter on your way in the house, the door does fully swing open. And he did everything I asked!
Sleeping Through the Night
I recently ready somewhere that according to the medical field, babies that sleep through the night are sleeping at least 5 hours non-stop. I don't know about you, but if I sleep 'through the night' I am going to sleep a whole lot longer than 5 hours. I'm talking pre-baby here, as my definitions for sleep, nighttime, rest, and sanity have recently changed. Babies are supposed to get around 15 hours of sleep per 24 hour period, and the medical field thinks that 5 at one time constitutes as an entire 'night'? Perhaps doctors need to start going to college for more than 8 years.
It all blends together
After I wrote my post about what is in a diaper, I realized that I didn't really know how or at one point the diaper got tangled with the bed sheets. Once I started thinking about it, I realized that most nights are a huge blur. On the weekends, Wayne and I will discuss at what time Penelope woke up, how many minutes she cried, when she nursed, etc. It will take a half hour trying to come up with the correct order of events and we still don't agree on the timeline.
This reminds me of an experience a couple years back. Relatives were staying with us with their three children. During the night, I awoke to a very loud thump, followed by the baby screaming. In the morning, I was relieved to find all three children unharmed, but still asked what happened. Both parents looked at me with blank expressions. I elaborated and told them how I heard what sounded like a baby falling out of bed onto the floor, followed by screaming. The dad had no recollection of the event at all. The mom said something like, "oh yeah, I think the baby was in the car seat sleeping still at that point, well, I'm not sure, maybe he was in bed with us. Yeah, I just picked him up and went back to sleep."
At the time I was horrifically flabbergasted that both parents would have vague recollections of the nights' events, when I was awakened with heart pounding in the next room. Now I can empathize - it really does all blend together.
Carry a big stick
Frequently while driving down our road, we see a man out walking. This isn't a big deal, but we have noticed that he is always carrying something. At first I thought it was a ski pole, or whatever those poles are people use while walking. A walking stick I guess, except he never really used it. He just carried it. Then I began noticing that it wasn't a walking stick at all, it was a golf club. It got to be somewhat of a highlight on the way to town. ("Look! It's the golf club guy!") We finally decided that this weird guy was paranoid either about cars running him off the road, or a very ferocious dog, and we gave him plenty of space as we drove by.
Just recently, however, we were driving and saw a woman pushing a stroller and carrying a baseball bat! No, we don't have a baseball field anywhere near us. So the mystery is still to be solved. And I am considering carrying a rifle when I go out walking. For what, I'm not sure, but there must be a really good (bad) reason.
Why do I love blogging so much? I am not sure. I definately appreciate compliments on my blog. I love it when someone tells me they really got a kick out of something I wrote. I am also flattered when some random person, who I didn't think knew how to turn on a computer, tells me that they read my blog. But the biggest reason I like blogging is probably because I make myself laugh. Literally, I will be sitting here writing and totally crack myself up. As I writhe in fits of giggles, Wayne will calmly look over, sigh, and say, "What are you blogging about now?" If I really get going laughing, Wayne usually gets suspicious and asks to proof my post. This is bad news, because once I show him, he usually vetos the funniest ones. OK, he says they are a bit 'innapropriate' or 'embarrassing'. But at least I get to roll in the floor laughing for a while.
It is also theraputic for me to blog. On those rare days when Penelope decides to take a nap longer than an hour, I can be found making a cup of coffee and sitting down at my laptop. It is likely much cheaper than the shrink I will need after 4 more kids.
Now that I have picked myself up off the floor from laughing about that last sentence, I have several smaller subjects I have been meaning to blog about:
My husband does everything I tell him!!
Wayne is such a good husband he does exactly what I tell him! Case in point has to do with the cats: 1) I tell him the litter box is stinking up the laundry room - He moves the litter box to the garage. 2) I tell him the cats are going to make a mess in the house - He moves the litter box inside of the door. 3) I tell him the litter box doesn't allow the door to open all the way, thus not allowing easy access while carrying a car seat - he moves the litter box from behind the door to right in front of the door. 4) The litter box is just inside the door, so even though you might accidently step in the litter on your way in the house, the door does fully swing open. And he did everything I asked!
Sleeping Through the Night
I recently ready somewhere that according to the medical field, babies that sleep through the night are sleeping at least 5 hours non-stop. I don't know about you, but if I sleep 'through the night' I am going to sleep a whole lot longer than 5 hours. I'm talking pre-baby here, as my definitions for sleep, nighttime, rest, and sanity have recently changed. Babies are supposed to get around 15 hours of sleep per 24 hour period, and the medical field thinks that 5 at one time constitutes as an entire 'night'? Perhaps doctors need to start going to college for more than 8 years.
It all blends together
After I wrote my post about what is in a diaper, I realized that I didn't really know how or at one point the diaper got tangled with the bed sheets. Once I started thinking about it, I realized that most nights are a huge blur. On the weekends, Wayne and I will discuss at what time Penelope woke up, how many minutes she cried, when she nursed, etc. It will take a half hour trying to come up with the correct order of events and we still don't agree on the timeline.
This reminds me of an experience a couple years back. Relatives were staying with us with their three children. During the night, I awoke to a very loud thump, followed by the baby screaming. In the morning, I was relieved to find all three children unharmed, but still asked what happened. Both parents looked at me with blank expressions. I elaborated and told them how I heard what sounded like a baby falling out of bed onto the floor, followed by screaming. The dad had no recollection of the event at all. The mom said something like, "oh yeah, I think the baby was in the car seat sleeping still at that point, well, I'm not sure, maybe he was in bed with us. Yeah, I just picked him up and went back to sleep."
At the time I was horrifically flabbergasted that both parents would have vague recollections of the nights' events, when I was awakened with heart pounding in the next room. Now I can empathize - it really does all blend together.
Carry a big stick
Frequently while driving down our road, we see a man out walking. This isn't a big deal, but we have noticed that he is always carrying something. At first I thought it was a ski pole, or whatever those poles are people use while walking. A walking stick I guess, except he never really used it. He just carried it. Then I began noticing that it wasn't a walking stick at all, it was a golf club. It got to be somewhat of a highlight on the way to town. ("Look! It's the golf club guy!") We finally decided that this weird guy was paranoid either about cars running him off the road, or a very ferocious dog, and we gave him plenty of space as we drove by.
Just recently, however, we were driving and saw a woman pushing a stroller and carrying a baseball bat! No, we don't have a baseball field anywhere near us. So the mystery is still to be solved. And I am considering carrying a rifle when I go out walking. For what, I'm not sure, but there must be a really good (bad) reason.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
What's in a diaper
Early this morning, after an exceptionally impressive diaper explosion, I put the sheets into the washing machine. Later when I went to switch the sheets to the dryer, I found some of that gel goo that is inside of disposable diapers. At first I thought that the force of the explosion had propelled some of the gel out onto the sheets. But as I kept picking up more and more of it, I realized I had accidentally thrown a disposable diaper along in the wash. How I did this I'm not completely sure. I must have considered changing Little P's diaper in the wee hours during one of her let's-get-mommy-up-at-midnight-to-play episodes, but never got around to it. Anyway, I pulled the sheets, diaper, and lots of little gel fluffs out of the washer.
Which made me wonder what that fluff is. After Googling, it is sodium polyacrylate, a chemical found in most disposable diapers. Some people use washable diapers because they don't like their little babies tush to be surrounded by this sodium polyacrylate. I might be interested in doing more research on this, after all, chemicals and babies don't sound like a good combo. However, Wayne has threatened to do absolutely no diaper changes if they are washable, so I will not be finding out how harmful this chemical is any time soon.
I did take some photos for your viewing pleasure:
The fluff (above) and washed diaper (below)
Unfortunately, I was not able to get ALL of the fluff out of the sheets and washing machine. Since my fancy washing machine has a cleaning cycle, I decided to try it out. After reading the directions in the owner's manual, I learned something new. Apparently I'm supposed to clean my washing machine once a month. I am also supposed to clean out the detergent compartment twice a month. Twice a month! That is every other week. Who knew it took so much maintenance to get your washing machine clean - so that it will clean your clothes.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Daddy, Penelope, and....Kitty?
We have two cats that are quite jealous of the new squeaky bundle and all of the bundle's accessories that have invaded our home. Wayne enjoys the cats a little more than I do, so typically Wayne will hear one of the cats meowing at the front door and go let it inside. About two minutes later, the cat is spotted by me, and I go to the back door and let it out. This then happens with the other cat. On weekends when Wayne is home, this happens all day long.
Wayne feels sorry for them and likes to pet them, and I get annoyed by their pestering, their hair, and their mice. Yes, they are like many other cats who must stick their tails in the air and parade past carrying their trophy mice. Don't get me wrong, I am glad they are good mousers. I have a strong aversion to mice. However, Wayne seems to be unable to keep the cats out when they are carrying around a mouse. He knows about my aversion to mice, so tries quietly to coax them to the door. "Hey, kitty, come here kitty, no, bring your mouse. Go pick up the mouse, kitty," etc. I eventually figure out what's going on and loudly say something like, "Hon, she has a MOOOUSE! Get it OOOUT! AAACK!"
Since baby arrived, we (and by we, I mean I) have made an effort to keep the cats out. The horrors of baby being somehow bothered, smothered, or "the cat will suck the air out of your baby!" were enough for me to want to keep the cats outside. Plus, it's not like it's going to hurt them, they are animals, right?
Well, Wayne has successfully figured out how to hold the baby, feed the baby, and burp the baby, all while petting the cat who has found room on his lap to sprawl. I guess this could be a good thing. Soon he will be able to multitask by trimming both Penelope and the cat's nails at the same time.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Blowout Bloopers
Before entering parenthood, I realized babies pooped. I knew they pooped a lot. I knew that some babies even had blowouts, explosions, and catasrophic 'Honey, bring in the power-washer' moments. I just did not think that MY baby would be one of them.
Up until this point, my experience with baby's digestive systems had been primarily with formula-fed infants. For those of you that aren't aware, let me fill you in. There is a vast difference between the formula-fed digestive system and the breast-fed digestive system. The formula-fed digestive system finds it sufficient to clean itself out efficiently a few times a day, get cleaned and powdered by some loving caretaker, and the infant is quickly back to its busy schedule of eating and sleeping. However, in the breast-fed version, it is not unusual to have between 5 and 20 very liquid, mustard yellow stools a day. Alright, 20 is exaggerating...but only by a little. The breast-fed baby also seems to have more of what I can best describe as 'explosive' bowel movements: complete with sound effects.
So, back to the story, I had previosely been accustomed to a few non-explosive poopy diapers per day from babies. To my wonder, my dear Penelope has a very active, breast-fed digestive system.
Episode 1:
In the middle of the night I hear the rumbling of what translates to "major diaper change needed." I open one eye and proceed to wipe away the damage, put a fresh diaper on, and lay back down. I then hear the second round of rumbling, and decide to wait a minute to make sure she was through. After changing her again, we are ready for sleep, when I hear round three. So I did what any desperate, sleep deprived parent would: I let her lay in her poop. When the guilt was too much to bear after four and a half minutes, I changed her again, and spent the next hour laying in bed listening for what I presumed to be diaper change number 4. It luckily never came, and I eventually drifted off to sleep.
I assumed Wayne had been sleeping through all this, so I was enlightened when in the morning he said, "I felt SO sorry for you last night, changing all of those diapers." I just rolled my tired, puffy eyes and thanked him for his help.
Episode 2:
Early this morning, Penelope was finished with her last feeding session of the night, and I was looking forward to our last brief hours of sleep before getting up for the day. As a caring parent, I decided to quickly change her diaper first, ignoring the sleepy grunts she was making. No sooner had I gotten the wet diaper away, out shot a decent amount of the mustard semi-liquid. I congratulated myself on getting the clean diaper under her just in time, even if it felt like another wasted diaper. At least it wasn't on our bed.
At that point, Mount St. Penelope erupted again. This time, there was nothing any Pampers or Huggies could do. We had yellow lava shooting a foot in the air before it found itself stuck to me, my clothes, Penelope's clothes, and the sheets. At this point, I called it a night and gave up on ever going back to bed. I made a mental note not to look in the mirror, for fear any projectiles had splattered on my face. I simply rubbed my sweater sleeve across my face, and then added it to the pile of soiled laundry I was gathering for the pre-dawn wash.
At what age can you start potty training?
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