On the indoctrination of children
While I normally eschew advice from other parents unless it is requested, because I am a big believer in Doing What Works for You and Your Family, I also like to think that there are certain things we need to indoctrinate them in early on.
I am not a follower of religion in any organized sense – you might call me a Deist, or an agnostic depending on the day of the week, the alignment of the stars and so on. I believe in letting people, and that includes children, getting to answers themselves. By and large, it is our job as adults to give them the tools to get to the answers themselves.
That said, studies show that if you start things early in life, people will continue it. Exercise for example: if you start kids early on regular physical activity (and make it fun), they’ll continue being active for most of their lives. By and large (don’t overdo it, or you end up with someone like me 
)
Also, little girls should be indoctrinated to one of the pleasures of life early on:
At least one of them is a pair of runners.
On getting things done
Before becoming a mother, I used to Get A Lot Done. Multiple things over the course of the day, and still have time to relax in the evening. And yet, it didn’t seem that important or fulfilling.
These days, I’m lucky if I get dinner on the table. I spend a lot of time playing and snuggling the Poptart, or we go out to various programs (Salsababies, aquafit, Mother Goose, storytime, etc) and usually after that she is done and ready for a nap of some sort. So we go home and snuggle.
Currently, she is pulling books off her shelf in the living room.
I don’t spend a lot of time on household stuff. The crockpot gets a lot of use. In fact, I’ve ordered a second crockpot with my airmiles (this one has a meat thermometer – how exciting!). The bathrooms usually get cleaned about once a week or 10 days or so. The kitchen/entry/dining room floor gets mopped once a week or so. Maybe once every two weeks.
And yet, I am fulfilled. Moreso than I’ve been in a long time.
Weird things the Poptart eats
When the Poptart was about 4 months old, I was having lunch with my parents at Boston Pizza and she grabbed salad off my plate and stuffed it in her mouth. Then she grabbed my water glass and insisted on drinking out of it.
So we decided to start her on solids. We got a bag of rice cereal that she ate about three spoonfuls of, and then I gave her some pears.
She is not shy about eating. Ask Amber if you don’t believe me. She’ll eat pretty much anything and everything you put in front of her. She’ll only object if it’s too hot or dry (as I found out with her chicken tonight).
Among the weirder things she eats are:
- bacon
- ham (regular, not honey)
- olives (black)
- spicy black beans
- spicy meatballs (made with Rooster sauce – you know the stuff I’m talking about)
- prunes (which I am not a fan of)
- spinach
I suppose we’ll find out if she’s really my daughter at Christmas when we’re at my parents’ place. If she likes brussels sprouts, I’ll have to question if she is actually mine.
End of an Era
So because I have to make up FOUR posts now in the next three days (why can’t November have 31 days), that makes SEVEN posts I have to do, you’re going to get at least two today.
On Friday, Darren’s mom called and said they would pay for the Poptart’s next carseat. On Monday, I went to Baby’s World to try some out. She, of course, takes after her mother and likes one of the more expensive ones.
On Tuesday, the Poptart had her 6 month Doctor appointment where she got her regular vaccines and the first part of the baconic plague vaccine. She has to go back in three weeks for the next part. She weathered them like a champ. She was 28 inches long and 19 lbs. I’d been noticing that she’d gotten heavier and her bucket car seat was getting very difficult to carry. And she just didn’t look comfortable in her carseat any more.
Yesterday, I called Baby’s World and put a hold on the carseat.
Later today, the Poptart will take the last ride in her bucket carseat. We will retire the two bases and find a place to store them. And we Darren will install the new carseat in the car.
At 11am I’m meeting Amber at Baby’s World. I’m apologizing in advance if I end up crying on her.
I want a do-over
Can I get a do-over for yesterday? I missed yet another post (so I guess that’s three I have to make up before month’s end) because I jinxed myself.
On my message board, I wrote a note about how well the Poptart sleeps at night and how we just let her fuss a bit if needed, providing some advice that someone was asking for.
Sunday night, she stayed up til midnight. And got up at 4. And then at 8 for the day.
Monday night, she stayed up til TWO A-FUCKING-M. And was cranky.
And got up at 4.
And then up for the day at 7:30. #killmenow
She hasn’t napped at all today except when she was in the car. And a half an hour on the sofa on me.
I would really like to know what drug babies have in them that make them so wide awake and CHEERFUL on such little sleep. Because, really, zoloft has NOTHING on that. If I find out what it is, I will bottle it and sell it and Make My Millions.
And just to really round out this day, she got her 6 month vaccines and the first H1N1 shot. Tonight could be really fun. Send wine.
Things that make your heart melt
On mornings when it’s raining (or monsooning as it was this morning), I’ll get up and drive Darren to the train so he doesn’t get too wet on the way to work. Take note he takes the train at half before dark (otherwise known as Oh My God o’clock). So he’ll get up, get ready and then come and get me when he’s ready to go. One of us will pack the Poptart into her seat because they don’t like it when you leave babies home alone.
Me: mmmmmf. Need a ride?
Darren: Yep. It’s raining. Want me to get [the Poptart]?
Me: If you could.
I get up, go to the bathroom and toddle downstairs where I find Darren just standing there holding her. She’s snuggled into his shoulder, her arms around his neck.
Darren: I don’t want to put her down.
In which I COMPLETELY jinx this mothering gig
The Poptart is a good baby. Dare I say, an easy baby. She’s slept through the night – at least 6 hours – since about 8 weeks of age. Every once in awhile, of course, we have a “bad” night where she’s up every couple of hours.
The tradeoff on this was that she didn’t nap during the day. At least not more than 20 minutes. If I wanted her to sleep longer or if she needed to sleep longer, she had to sleep on me, but would move every time I took a breath. Which sort of defeated the purpose of taking a nap: so I could get stuff done around here so she could get some rest.
My mother said the no napping was payback: apparently I didn’t nap either. And yes, she laughed at me.
Anyways, I took the tradeoff: so long as she goes to bed between 8 and 9:30, she sleeps when we sleep. I will take that any day. It’s not like I could return or exchange her.
In the last month or so, she started taking a nap about 1.5 to 2 hours after getting up in the morning. This morning she napped from 6:30 to just after 10. Then she went for another nap at about 1 until just about 2:30. Then another nap about 5pm for about 45 minutes.
And she’s been doing this more or less consistently for the last couple of weeks.
Of course, now that I’ve written this down, she’ll probably stop napping and wake up all night.
End of an era
Before the poptart was born a friend gave me a pile of baby girl clothes and a Fisher Price Kick ‘n Play*. It’s a bouncy chair with an arch that…oh hell. Here’s a link to a picture.
ANYWAYS.
Today we put the Poptart in it, then went to pour some wine and when we came back, she’d flipped herself over and out of the chair.
I guess this is why they say not to use it once the baby can sit up. Which means we have to put it away and find her another chair.
Therefore, I am taking donations of baby/toddler chairs. But not bumbos, thank you.
