Tigermommy

Busy Growing

2009-04-27T08:49:00.002-04:00

A recap of my life since I last posted on December 8th. Morning sickness, fatigue, Christmas, illness, New Year's, my Birthday, the end of the 1st trimester, end of morning sickness at 16 weeks, it's a girl!, Kindermusik, family fun, Ethan's birthday, Nanas' birthdays, day trip to NYC with Mom, spring planting, beach days, finger painting, and the end of the 2nd trimester.

It is finally spring here in New England. The Bartlet pear trees, forsythia, and magnolias are in full bloom. My peas and lettuce are growing out in the garden and I planted green beans in the cold frame on Saturday. The tulips my mom and ethan planted last spring are in full bloom and gorgeous! My little horticulturist can even point out and name tulips and daffodils.

The past weekend was super busy and gorgeous. We picked out the countertop and hardware for the cabinets. I can't wait to see the kitchen finished and dreading the demolishen and construction phase. We went to the park with Ethan and flew kites, dug in the sand, and played on the playground equipment. Josh cleaned the garage and I cleaned up the front garden. It's no wonder my back is killing me today.

Snow day

2008-12-08T08:43:00.003-05:00

We had our first snow yesterday. It was the nice heavy snow that coats the trees and just makes the place look like a winter wonderland. Of course, I didn't take any pictures, but it was beautiful.

Friday night Josh and I brought the Christmas tree in and put lights on it. This was the first year that the tree fit without major cutting of the bottom or the top. It only took us 9 years to figure out how to estimate the height of a ceiling when buying a tree. When Ethan got up Saturday morning Josh took him downstairs and turned on the tree. His eyes went very wide as he saw the colorful new addition to our living room. Of course, he credits his father with the whole thing. After a waffle breakfast, we turned on Christmas music, drank some eggnog, and decorated the tree. Ethan was not too sure why he wasn't allowed to play and explore every ornament, but there was only some minor crying. The little guy was so excited about the tree he refused to nap. I decorated the mantel and put decorations up around the house. I love decorating for Christmas.

In the evening, Josh's parents came over to babysit and we went out to dinner and to an ugly sweater party in Boston.

Sunday we did some Christmas shopping and watched the Pats. A nice relaxing family Sunday.

We are pretty much done shopping for all the kids in the family, which just leaves us with our parents and my brother.

Thankful

2008-11-28T11:41:00.004-05:00

We had a really nice Thanksgiving with my parents and Tyler yesterday. The turkey was scrumptious, everyone was full of good cheer, and we went for our morning hike. This year I'm thankful for my family, especially my husband who is currently hanging Christmas lights in the rain, my health, my job, my home, and that a new government administration is taking office in January (hopefully, our economy and the health of our nation will be stimulated by new ideas).

What's cooking

2008-11-26T11:35:00.003-05:00

Initially, I was to do all the Thanksgiving cooking, but plans have changed, which is fine. Cooking 3 dishes is enough when there is a toddler underfoot. So I'm preparing pecan pie with cranberry sauce, regular old cranberry sauce, corn pudding, and rolls. The rolls I made a week ago and are in the freezer, so they don't count towards today's chaos. Ethan and I have already made one emergency run to the grocery store (I was short a third of a cup of corn syrup for the pecan pie). Ethan has been bribed to play by himself with a mylar balloon. It is 11:30 and all I've made is the pecan pie. I'm hoping some elves or Aida wash the dishes in the sink so I can start on the cranberry sauces.

I swear I feed my child

2008-11-25T11:30:00.002-05:00

Ethan is definitely a toddler (stubborn, willful, funny, demanding). Most of the time Ethan and I just hang out at home and read stories, play, and do chores. He is a breeze when we are at home or when we go grocery shopping. It is times when we need to do something out of the ordinary that I am suddenly reminded that he is a toddler. On Sunday the whole family got dressed up and went to the mall to have a family picture taken for holiday cards. Well, Mr. Ethan wanted nothing to do with having his picture taken. There were tears and attempts to make a run for it out of the store. Luckily he has a tell before he makes the dash. He gets this huge grin on his face and then races off. As I tried to coax my child to sit still, it struck me how I had this preconceived notion that we would have our picture taken and Ethan would sit where I wanted him to and smile on command. Hard to believe I'm still naive after being a mommy for 20+ months. We managed it though. At the end of the picture taking, I noticed Ethan with a plastic Christmas garland. Then I noticed he was trying to eat the berries off the garland. By the time Josh pried the garland out of his mouth he had bitten off two berries, which Josh made him spit out. Maybe he was hungry or just trying to exert some control over the situation. But I swear I feed him.

Hair cut

2008-11-12T12:08:00.005-05:00

Before

After

Fallen Solider

2008-10-24T12:41:00.002-04:00

Today a solider was buried in Beverly who died from a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. I had wanted to go to pay my respects as he traveled through the city to the cemetery where he will be buried. Unfortunately, Ethan and I were unable to go because of naptime. However, I thought about that young man today and what he sacrificed. As I pushed my son in his swing this morning and listened to him alternate "wheeee" with "mommy," I thought about a mother less than a mile from me who was looking at a casket drapped in an American flag and was saying goodbye to her son. I am grateful to the men and women who serve in the military. My brother is one of them. I just pray that my own child never enlists.

Quiet weekend

2008-09-29T07:54:00.002-04:00

We spent the rainy weekend hanging out at home. We did attempt to take Ethan to the local Borders for children's day, but it was crowded and not really age appropriate. Other than that we didn't really leave the house. Unfortunately, the rain did cause some damage to our sun porch and resulted in us ripping out the soggy carpet and pad and scrubbing mildew. Bleck!

Blogging about my to do list last week actually helped me stick to my plan, so here's this week's to do list. 1. Drop car off on Tuesday for repair. 2. Fill out tags and drop off clothes for Drop & Shop (Tues). 3. Kindermusik (Tuesday). 4. Find recipe and cook green cabbage. :( 5. Go to yoga and spinning. 6. Buy Kayla's b-day present. 7. Grocery shop. 8. Put away summer clothes. 9. Go to Drop & Shop (Friday).

Procrastination list: 1. Turn compost. 2. Call for haircut. 3. Call oral surgeon.

Mid-week update

2008-09-25T11:39:00.002-04:00

So I made some progress on my to do list since Monday despite a sick baby. I got my oil changed in my car, went to yoga, made a potato, swiss chard fritatta (which was yummy) and loved my family. I cancelled Kindermusik since Ethan was feverish on Tuesday. I also got a new cellphone to replace my lost cellphone. It is purple!

I continue to procrastinate on the collard greens, who am I kidding they are destined for my compost pile, which I am procrastinating about turning over. I also did not call to have my car go in to have the bumper replaced or for a haircut. And now I can add call the oral surgeon about rescheduling my wisdom teeth extraction. And yes the summer clothes are still in a laundry basket and not put away for the season. Sigh. I am to good at procrastinating.

I am, however, working on a nifty red scarf for the winter. I just started knitting again yesterday after a ten year hiatus.

I made lots of yummy food this week. We had butternut squash soup, the above mentioned fritatta, and yesterday we had a fall curried salad with scallops. I'm sad my CSA ends next week.

Date night and Farm animals

2008-09-22T10:46:00.002-04:00

Saturday night Josh and I went to a movie and dinner for our anniversary. The movie, "GhostTown," was funny but forgettable. Dinner was yummy. We ate at a restaurant in Salem called Grapevine. we had a half bottle of white wine and I had broccoli rabe egg roll to start and poblano stuffed pepper for a main course. We shared a chocolate flourless tort for dessert, which one I had a bite I totally wanted to pull the plate away from Josh and eat it all myself. Mmmm...

Sunday I went to a spinning class. It was a good class and it felt great to workout. In the afternoon Josh and his Dad went to Foxboro to see the Patriots, and Ethan, Josh's mom and I went to a local farm. We had a good time looking at the animals and picking a pumpkin. Ethan especially like the tractors and old carriages he could sit on. The weather was gorgeous.

My goals for this week are to get the oil changed in my car, go to kindermusik, go to two exercise classes, tell the roofing company owner why I will never give a good review to his company, find something to do with swiss chard and love my family. Things I should do but will probably continue to procrastinate on are call to schedule the car to have its bumper replaced, get a haircut, deal with our summer clothes, and find something to do with collard greens. :(

9 year anniversary

2008-09-18T11:18:00.008-04:00

Nine years ago today a very nervous 22 and 23 year old couple stood up in front of family and friends and pledged to love and honor each other for the rest of their lives. Who were those two young adults? Certainly not the two adults whose toddler "slept" between them for 5 hours last night or the two adults who own a house, have two cars, two cats and have traveled to Europe. We had no idea when we held hands and exchanged rings and vows that we would become the adults and couple we are today. All we knew was that we loved each other and wanted to grow old together. I could never have predicted the ups and downs we've gone through -- the beautiful moments, the fun moments, the sad moments and the everyday living moments. But I wouldn't trade them for anything. I'm so glad I married my love and I love him today as much as I did at 22. Sure, the love is different. Love changes but in a good way. A way I could never have predicted at 22, because I had never experienced this sort of love. Our bond has grown deeper over the years and I look forward to watching it continue to evolve as we grow old together. Happy Anniversary Josh!

First haircut

2008-09-18T11:18:00.004-04:00

Well, I couldn't let it pass without documenting Ebear's first haircut and the bravery instilled in him by a blue dumdum lollypop. I've trimmed Ethan's bangs twice and both Josh and I have been dragging our feet about taking Ethan in for his first haircut. Ethan has these gorgeous baby angel curls on the back of his head. They are adorable and for that reason we debated when to cut his hair for the last 6 months. Finally, his bangs were just getting ridiculous. He had to keep his head at a funny angle just to see through the mop. Plus, people kept calling my handsome little boy a girl, but that's not why we cut his hair. People are just silly.

Anyways, on Saturday September 13th we took him to the child barbershop. We took him around when we put him down for his nap so I was anticipating many tears. We put Ethan in the chair, a cover was put over his clothes, all the while he clutched his favorite truck. He then spotted the lollypops and the barber let him choose one before beginning the haircut/trim. Ethan chose a blue lollypop and popped it into his mouth paper and all. I had to convince him to let me take the paper off. We gave the barber instructions that went like this. "Please just a trim in the back and cut the front and sides." The barber was great. He talked to Ethan while cutting his hair and he left the curls in the back just like we wanted. Ethan happily sucked on his lollypop and played with the available toys. He only got upset when the barber had to do his bangs for the second time after I asked that they be shorter.

He was quite the brave little boy.

We rot with the best

2008-09-14T11:42:00.003-04:00

My darling, thoughtful husband purchased for me a backyard composter this past spring. What a great guy! It was just what I had wanted. I'm happy to report after a summer of dutifully composting our kitchen scraps and yard waste we have 4 inches of lovely compost. Ethan and I watered and turned the pile every week and Josh even joined in by emptying the kitchen pail when it was full.

I can't wait for next spring when I can spread this on our soil before planting our veggies.

Disaster

2008-08-26T18:59:00.001-04:00

My peach jam is inedible! I added too much pectin. I added tablespoons when I should have added teaspoons. At least I guaranteed it would set. :(

Just Peachy Pictures

2008-08-26T12:26:00.013-04:00

Poor stove! Just too many pots.

Some people just couldn't wait!Finished product!

A little peach daquiri with the excess peach juice. Now that's cooking!

Peach canning and other summer cooking exploits

2008-08-25T11:13:00.002-04:00

On Friday of last week my Mom, Ethan and I went peach picking in Harvard, MA. We picked about 30 pounds of peaches and yesterday Mom came over to show me how to can them. It was a lot of fun and I'm going to post pictures of the process later. The only negative side was that my stove just wasn't powerful enough to bowl the can pot to cook the cans once they were full. We started around 2:30 and I took the last jars out of the water at 8. We are probably going to have a huge electrical bill this month.

On Saturday I made tomato sauce from my tomatos. Mmmm...

So far I have frozen strawberries, blueberries, green beans, and yellow wax beans and 3 cups of tomato sauce in the deep freezer. And I plan on making peach jam on Tuesday.

Other things I have made with produce from my garden is mint chocolate pudding and lemon verbena hair rinse to name some of the most memorable.

I am really enjoying all this cooking and preserving I've managed to do this summer. Here's to a winter of good eating!

Mohawk Trail Camping Vacation

2008-08-22T11:40:00.003-04:00

This is a catch up post as it has been a week since we returned from our family vacation. We had an awesome time in a three room rustic cabin with my parents, Tyler, and Ethan at the Mohawk Trail campground. Ethan had a blast following his cousin around and playing in the cabin. Ethan learned how to climb ladders much to everyone's chagrin. Probably the person most upset by this development was Tyler whose "toddler-free" personal space on the top bunk was now in jeopardy. Basically, everyday we had to move the ladder out and then move it back in in the evening. The other small annoyance was that there was no place for Ethan to sleep other than in bed with Josh and I. The place was just too small for the pack 'n play. Ethan took full advantage of the situation by sleeping on top of Josh and I. We survived but were a little sleep deprived.

We went hiking, swimming in a water hole, made paper airplanes, walked around Shelbourne Falls, visited a winery and did a wine tasting, visited an animal place, and ate lots of roasted marshmallows. My Mom and I even went kayaking on the last day.

Ethan loved all the attention. He would wake up in the morning and immediately sign that he wanted to nurse. We would keep him in the room for a bit after nursing, but after awhile he would start calling for his Nana, who would answer him back. We would then let him out of the room and the first thing he would do is grab a truck and bring it to my Dad who would still be in his bed. Ethan ate really well too which we were a bit concerned about as were preparing to leave.

We saw all sorts of wildlife too. The most exciting was a black bear who wandered around our campsite a couple of times. He even licked our grill over the campfire.

It was a great family vacation.

Zen

2008-08-07T11:50:00.004-04:00

I had the most restful (spiritually and physically) weekend recently. My Mom and I went to a meditation and yoga retreat at a Buddhist retreat in Southern New Hampshire. I wasn't sure what to expect and in the end I didn't think I would go as Ethan came down with an awful virus which manifested as a high fever and awful looking rash. Josh said he could handle it despite his also battling the same thing. So for the first time in Ethan's existence we spent days and nights apart.

It took me Friday to unwind. I cried when I had to say goodbye to Ethan and Josh and then periodically throughout the day when I thought of Ethan. Saturday was nice and relaxing and on Sunday I found myself already not living in the present and thinking about seeing Ethan and Josh. I discovered that I love yoga or at least I love yoga with the instructor we had. It was so nice with the deep breathing and stretching. I need more of that in my life! I'm so thankful for my mom for giving me such a fabulous birthday present and accompanying me.

Ethan has been battling this virus for a week now. He keeps getting a high temperature by the end of the day. Yesterday the pediatrician's office drew lots of blood and did a throat culture. Everything has come back negative. His lymphocyte count was elevated but not enough to indicate anything other than he is battling something. So now we monitor his temperature.

I've been trying to live in the present this week, and be loving and mindful but it is amazing how quickly inner peace disappears back in the real world. :(

Blueberry picking time

2008-07-31T11:50:00.003-04:00

Ethan, my Mom and I made our yearly pilgrimage to the blueberry fields this year on Tuesday. This time Ethan was able to run up and down the rows and eat the blueberries right off the bushes. I could hear him humming and singing to himself as he went up and down the rows. Every once in awhile he'd call out for me or his Nana or I'd call out to see where he was. He even put some blueberries in my bucket. However, they were mostly green. He also liked to stick his hands in my bucket and make off with handfuls of the berries I picked. I picked 5 lbs 13 ou and Mom picked 7.5 pounds. So now we have 12 cups of blueberries in the deep freeze for blueberry pancakes all winter long.

Ethan is very strong-willed and has started the habit of slapping when he doesn't get his way. This is our newest parenting challenge. He is a little young for a consequence and too old to be smacking me. What to do?

Politics

2008-07-25T07:56:00.004-04:00

I don't write about politics and I usually tune out the Presidential election until the debates. Politics is Josh's thing. He has strong opinions, and likes to share with others. I feel the need to vent about this current election, however. It makes me so angry to see pictures like this in the newspaper and on the news. This is a picture of "showman but no substance" O in Germany campaigning! A measly 100,000 people showed up to cheer for him. Why? I'm sorry but people of the world, you are being used by an actor to further his own power hungry needs. He will bring this picture of the crowd out until the election in November. What does this show about foreign policy? Nothing. What does this show about his ability to work with our congress? Nothing. What does this show about what to do with the disasters we have made in the Middle East? NOTHING!!! All it shows is that people will show up and cheer for a man who strings together fancy words in English. How much money is this rock star tour of the world costing?

It is embarrassing that a US senator who voted on foreign policy now feels he needs to tour the world on a fact finding mission. So the votes he cast on foreign policy were what? Uniformed? Yep. Blindly following the party line? You bet! Fabulous! Guess what people of Illinois, your senator was clueless.

He is an actor. No substance. If we want to elect an actor to the Presidential seat, didn't the guy who played the President on the West Wing win an Emmy?

Don't read this post and think I'm for McCain or that I've never voted Democrat. I've voted Republican and Democrat and I don't like McCain. I'm sorry but McCain's just too old and I don't agree with many of his positions.

I don't like politics. I don't like the way they make me feel used and dirty. Ok, back to sticking my head in the sand and pretending that there is a candidate I like running for one of the most influential seat in the world.

Golumpki, Monkey, and Family

2008-07-14T08:43:00.003-04:00

First, let me start off with a favorite hobby of mine -- food. We have been enjoying the bounty of a CSA this summer and I've been cooking up a storm to keep up with the volume. This weekend I made golumpkis with the giant head of cabbage we received. Even Ethan thought they were good. I also made a lemon basil pound cake to welcome Josh's brother into his new home. I also whipped up broccoli cheddar soup with broccoli from my garden. Let's see what else ... hot fudge sauce, strawberry sauce, and whipped cream. And lemon verbena syrup, which was a very interesting shade of green. I was a busy chef this weekend!

All of the sauces and whipped cream were for the ice cream sundaes and Indian Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc showing we had in our back yard on the back of our garage. It was awesome to watch a movie in our yard.

Sunday was family day. We first visited my parents and Tyler then we visited Josh's entire family at his brother's new condo.

Ethan has turned into quite the social butterfly.

Mohegan Island En Plein Aire Critics Corner

2008-07-09T11:16:00.007-04:00

Everyone is a critic... but with much looking, Ethan selects his favorite from Nana's newest paintings. Notice the sidewalk chalk in the 2nd pic...he's an artist too!

The outdoorsman

2008-07-08T10:40:00.003-04:00

My little patch of earth

2008-07-08T10:36:00.003-04:00

Here's my garden from last week. Today I harvested green beans and the broccoli is almost ready.

July 4th weekend

2008-07-07T12:23:00.003-04:00

We did lots of family activities this weekend. On Friday we went to Salem with the Barter clan to listen to some music and have the kids participate in the activities. We had Ethan's face painted with a star. The older boys won some toys and got temporary tatoos (both got carebear tatoos). The "artist" who spray painted the carebears on had some lots of real tatoos up and down his arms. I wish I had taken a picture of this tatooed man spraying a carebear tatoo on the 3 and 5 year olds. No fireworks for our family. We think they are just too loud for Ethan and it would have been way passed his bedtime. Josh made chocolate truffle ice cream with raspberry swirl. Mmmm... it didn't last the weekend.

On Saturday we went for a hike. It was nice to get out into the woods for a bit. It was a short hike but it went straight up the mountain. I carried Ethan up and Josh carried him down, which worked out really well I thought. Ethan sang us songs and shouted "up, up" to spur us on. On the way down he waved a flower around like he was conducting an orchestra while singing "the ants go marching down," and "ba, ba black sheep." The top of the mountain was perfect for Ethan. He could safely explore without the fear of toppling off the side. He even sat on our rain coats and ate his lunch with us. There were low bush blueberries at the top which I picked and we munched on. As Ethan explored the top, he used our hiking poles to wave around as he clambered over the rocks. Ethan did really well except for the extremely poopy diaper and not wanting to get back in the backpack for the ride down. Fortunately, I won the rock, paper, scissor for the diaper change and Ethan's tears didn't last too long after being put in the carrier. We had ice cream on the way home to celebrate our first hike as a family.

On Sunday my parents came over for a New England clam bake. We steamed mussels, clams, potatos, onions, corn and sausage out on the grill and I made mint margaritas. I was a bit nervous about steaming everything. Josh and I have never bought mussels or clams, but it turned out really well. Mom brought her paintings from the last week over and we had an improntu art show. Ethan really studied my Mom's paintings and liked to carry them around. He probably would have added his own touches with his sidewalk chalk if we had let him.

A pretty fun summer weekend for us!

How does my veggie garden grow?

2008-07-01T10:52:00.003-04:00

With tender loving care of course. My Dad and Josh built two raised beds for me this summer, and my Mom bought the plants. I have broccoli, tomatos, celery, basil, parsley, and beans. I also planted some marigolds in the empty spots. So far we have eaten basil, parsley and celery from our garden. I am happy to report that I have little broccoli florets, tomatos, and what has the potential to be a bumper crop of beans. I love going out to the garden snipping what I need and making something yummy for my family to enjoy. Okay, for Josh and I to enjoy. Ethan has a very limited palate consisting mostly of chicken nuggets, mac 'n cheese, and fruit.

Plus, with all the veggies we are getting from our CSA we belong to, Josh and I will be eating more veggies this summer than we ever have. Here's to healthy organic living! I'd take a picture of my garden but there are currently men installing the great wall of China between our property and our neighbors. When the anti-illegal alien/anti-Ethan's toy balls wall is complete I'll go out there and photograph my garden.

My thoughts for today

2008-06-24T11:26:00.004-04:00

I found this interesting daybook questions that was created by a woman on the internet. She has a ton of rules you are supposed to follow when using her questions, but I have no idea how to paste picture links, etc, so hopefully, she won't find out I'm breaking her rules. Here's her blog at least where you can read all the rules. http://thesimplewoman.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY

Outside My Window...a giant 50+ year old maple tree that shades my house all day long.

I am thinking...how long will Ethan's nap last.

I am thankful for...strawberries.

From the kitchen...to grill or not to grill tonight's dinner.

I am wearing...tan capris and a blue sleeveless shirt and LOTS of itchy bug bites.

I am creating...an adventurous little boy.

I am going...to buy water proof sandals today to keep up with my adventurous boy!

I am reading...an Elizabeth George novel.

I am hoping...that Josh makes ice cream tonight.

I am hearing...the twittering of birds.

Around the house...clutter. I look around each morning and think how did this happen.

One of my favorite things...the ocean.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: There is an animal show at the library tomorrow afternoon that I plan on taking Ethan to. Maybe strawberry picking. Definitely sandal shopping.

Here is picture thought I am sharing

Water themed weekend

2008-06-09T07:39:00.002-04:00

This weekend we decided to relax and put the chores on the back burner. On Saturday we went to the beach. Josh absolutely hates the beach, but he humored me and agreed to spend a couple of hours there. The beach is about a mile from our house, free, and it has a gradual slope down to the water. Unfortunately, there was a fair amount of glass, but we all came home cut free. Ethan enjoyed himself and was super cute in his swimsuit and floppy hat.

On Sunday we decided to go to the aquarium to beat the heat. We got there right when it opened so the crowds weren't too bad. Ethan pointed at everything and seemed really interested. He called the seals Aida. Poor kitty, all portly furry whiskered creatures are Aidas in Ethan's mind. We ate lunch and came home. Later in the afternoon we set up the sprinkler and had a good time getting soaked.

Lots of water themed activities. We even managed to get some chores done. Josh mowed the front lawn, I planted some plants, and we went grocery shopping.

Time

2008-06-02T08:33:00.002-04:00

Where does the time go on the weekends? It is just ridiculous. This past weekend went by in a blur and I'm not even sure what we have to show for it. Let's see. Dinner out, lawn mowing, plant sale, planting, watering, lumber buying, lumber sawing and staining, laundry (5 loads washed, 4 folded), 2 episodes of Lost, 1 starbucks run, 1 hour with Ethan's cousins, lots of playing outside, 1 ice pack applied to baby toe, 2 broken pots, 1 bathroom washed, banana muffins baked and devoured, grocery shopping, 1 frame and matting picked out and ordered, and 1.5 hours of napping baby. I guess we did a lot but it doesn't feel that way. Probably because I really wanted to go for a hike.

Too many chores make for grumpy parents and baby. We need to schedule in some fun, non chore time like hiking or going to the zoo.

Every day in life is a balancing act. Just when I think I've got it all figured out a new ball is thrown into the mix. How do you make having a child and owning a home and all their attached responsibilities work in a lifestyle that likes to go hiking and travel? There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to do everything that I want to do and the boring things that need to be done.

Sometimes I think if only I was a little more organized it would all fall into place. Who knows what the answer is, but I'll keep trying to keep all the balls in the air.

Heard on a Friday night

2008-05-24T11:36:00.002-04:00

This is the sort of conversation you can hear at my house on a Friday night.

Me: "You are folding the towels wrong. Fold them in thirds the long way and then in thirds again."

Josh:" Give me a break."

A minute later.

Josh: "Just so you know, I like my underwear folded like the flag into a triangle."

He then proceeds to fold a pair like the flag.

Me: Cackles with laughter

At least he has a sense of humor when it comes to my bossiness.

Date night

2008-05-24T11:25:00.002-04:00

Tonight is date night. We are going to see Indiana Jones and then out for dinner. I'm looking forward to the movie. I loved Indiana Jones as a child. Not to the extreme that Josh liked Indiana Jones (I never tried to bullwhip anyone). Plus I like Harrison Ford even if he is starting to show his age. I've managed to stay spoiler and review free, so I'm going in as a blank slate. Ethan will be playing with his cousins and then hanging out with Nana and Grumpa.

Music to my ears

2008-05-19T08:33:00.002-04:00

Ethan started saying Mama yesterday when he is looking for me or sees me. It is so sweet and something I've been waiting for for 14 months. He'll say Mama and I'll say yes Ethan bear and then he starts to laugh. It is a great feeling to hear your name spoken.

Naval Officer

2008-05-12T09:17:00.004-04:00

My handsome brother! I only wish I could have been there. It has been a long road Jerm. Congrats!

Mother's day

2008-05-12T07:45:00.004-04:00

I had a very nice, but full Mother's day yesterday. It started with Josh making waffles for breakfast. Very tasty. We then finished mulching the backyard. After that we went on a picnic with Josh's parents, brother, and sister and her family. We had a good time playing soccer, tossing the football around, playing at the playground, and lounging in the sun. Ethan was super cute chasing his older cousins and playing with his cousin who is close to his age. We then left the park for my parent's place where we had pizza and hung out for a bit. Josh and I collapsed into bed early. We have a lot to show for our weekend that's for sure. My compost bin is up and running, the garage is nearly cleaned out, the lawn is mowed and the flower beds are all mulched.

Look how much Ethan has changed in one year! He is looking more and more like a little boy and less like a baby every day!

Back to our regular scheduled programming ... sort of

2008-05-05T09:27:00.002-04:00

Well, we are definetly on the mend. Josh and Ethan seem to have some lingering effects from the puking disease, but hopefully they will be a 100% by the end of the week. I feel like I've been living in some sort of alternate universe for the last 2 weeks and now I need to get caught up with chores and work.

Puking disease

2008-05-01T09:22:00.002-04:00

We seem to have contracted a stomach virus from our stay in the hospital over the weekend. It started with Ethan vomiting on Monday. His pediatrician felt that his symptoms sounded like a stomach virus. By Tuesday night it was my turn and Wednesday morning Josh's. I couldn't even get out of bed at all on Wednesday. The good news is that Ethan seems to be recovered except for some diarrhea. Hopefully, Josh and I will be feeling better soon.

Pneumonia

2008-04-28T12:41:00.004-04:00

Ethan gave us quite the scare this weekend. Tuesday afternoon after going for a bike ride I noticed Ethan's eyes were watering and his nose was starting to run. I thought he was reacting to all the pollen in the air. That evening I gave him a bath to get all the pollen off and put him to bed. The next morning he looked worse, but he was still acting like himself. I called the pediatrician's office, and they recommended benadryl. My mom came over in the afternoon and we took Ethan to the beach. I thought that being by the water would help his reaction to the pollen. The poor guy just wanted to sit on my lap at the beach. We left after a little bit and I put him down for his nap. When he woke up he was really warm so I took his temparture. It was 102.6. I called the pediatrician's office and they recommended tylenol. The next morning he woke up and I took his temp and it was 100. We gave him some tylenol and benadryl and I left for work. I called home a couple of times and Josh said E. bear wasn't eating or drinking. By the time I got home, Ethan was really not feeling well and his breathing was rapid. After speaking with the pediatrician's office triage nurse, it was decided we should bring him into the ER.
At 11 pm we arrived in the ER. Ethan spent the majority of the time charming everyone in sight. He had a blood draw and chest x-ray. It was decided he had pneumonia and needed to be admitted.

The ER nurses and IV people attempted 5 or 6 times to get an IV in him. He screamed, cried and struggled and they failed each attempt. Finally at 6 am we were given a room in the pediatric ward. We all napped on the bed and by 11 it became clear Ethan was really not doing well. He was lethargic and wouldn't nurse, eat or drink. We told the pediatrician that Ethan was not acting himself. He wouldn't even raise his head off of me to look at people. It was decided another attempt would be made with the IV. They decided to use a vein in his foot. The IV specialist asked that a little prayer be said before she attempted the stick. Really confidencing building. Ethan was too tired and dehydrated to fight that last time. When she finally got it in, I cried. I was very scared and so happy that the IV was finally in. Ethan rested the rest of the day.

I spent the night with Ethan. I would get up and cuddle him when he woke up and nurse him if he wanted to eat. On saturday he seemed to be getting better, but Saturday night his blood oxygen level was really low so the nurse put him on oxygen. I was so scared. During the night he woke up and I cuddled him and he laid in his crib and wrapped his arms around me and wouldn't let go. I cried again. My poor baby. Some time during the night the night nurse told me that Ethan's oxygen probe was hanging off his toe and they thought the low reading was from that and not that Ethan was not able to keep his oxygen level up.

Sunday morning Ethan started to eat a little more (his Daddy brought some of his favorite foods from home) and by lunchtime it was decided he could be discharged. So home we went with antibiotics and a nebulizer.

Ethan was so funny when he got home. He was totally excited and wanted to touch all his toys, kitties, and highchair. It was all we could do to keep him calm and resting. He stuffed himself with mac 'n cheese and tried to eat some pizza.

He slept okay during the night. The very fabulous Josh got up to give him his late night nebulizer treatment.

I feel so guilty. How did my baby get pneumonia? Was it something I did? Was it something I didn't do? What does it mean for the future? Is he prone to pneumonia? Is this all somehow related to his problems as a newborn?

I just hope he continues to do well.

One year photo shoot

2008-04-21T17:39:00.002-04:00

We took Ethan for his 1 year photos on Sunday. He looked super cute in a button down shirt and black corduroys. He was a bit distressed in the beginning with the idea of having to stand or sit by himself on a white backdrop while Mommy and Daddy stood behind some crazy lady who made quacking noises at him and held a camera up in front of her face. He cried, he wouldn't stay where we put him, but eventually, he settled down, and we got some great pictures. He is such a handsome guy. After the modeling we went to the food court for lunch and did a little shopping afterwards. I even bought some new clothes which I am really happy with.

Friday night I went out with my old grad school class. It was nice to get out and chat. Saturday was full of errands. I skipped spinning and went for a walk with my family instead. We also did some yard work and brought lots of leaf bags to the local composting center. At night we watched a scary zombie movie, "I Am Legend." It was not a Penny movie and gave me nightmares. :(

Missing my baby

2008-04-18T08:02:00.002-04:00

I work a 10 hour shift at the hospital which means I'm gone from home for about 13 hours. I had to work an extra day this Friday because three people are off on vacation this week. I'm really missing Ethan today. I got to see him for about half an hour last night and a little bit this morning. This evening I'm going out with my old grad school class to catch up and see how everyone is doing. I'm looking forward to it, but it means I won't be cuddling Ethan for a little nighty night cuddle/nursing. I know it is good that I have my own life separate from my baby, but I miss his little smile and antics. I'm so lucky Josh is such a fabulous parent and loves spending time with his son and doesn't mind having to attempt a bedtime sans Mommy nursing.

Fire trucks!

2008-04-17T16:51:00.003-04:00

Ethan and I went for a bike ride yesterday after his morning nap. (I know in my last post I mentioned my scepticism about E bear taking a nap, but it turns out he just wanted to fall asleep without Mommy's help. No nursing, no singing the "Ants Go Marching", and no cuddling). We rode over to Lynch park. It turns out that there was a large group of Mommys and kids playing at the playground. These were well-prepared Mommys. There were balls and bubbles and kids with sunscreen and snacks. I had brought nothing but Ethan, helmets, and my bike. My little pauper managed to steal a couple of balls from some bigger kids and a little boy offered him some sort of cracker which I declined. Next time I'll try to bring stuff for the little guy.

The Beverly fire trucks were at the park too practicing spraying water from the top of the ladder truck. Ethan was fascinated. He kept wanting to go right up to the trucks. He was totally unphased by the noise of the engines, the smell of diesel exhaust or the size of the trucks. His head didn't even reach the top of the tire! The firemen turned on the lights for the kids. We walked over to one truck that had its cab door open and the lights on. The firemen gave Ethan a plastic hat that said "junior fireman." He was thrilled. He thought it was funny when I tried to wear the hat. It was a really nice experience and a pleasant surprise. I wish I had brought my camera so I could have gotten a picture of his expression when looking at the trucks. We then rode home for some lunch.

The rest of the day was spent napping, playing outside, visiting Auntie Lisa, and dinner.

And it is only 9 am

2008-04-16T09:02:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it is only 9 am. So far today I have dealt with a flooding dishwasher (it is brand new by the way), taken out the trash and emptied the diaper pail, put away laundry, fed and washed Ethan, and ate breakfast. Ethan is currently attempting his morning nap. Usually, we snuggle in the chair and I sing until he falls asleep, but lately he has been slapping my face. So I put him in his crib without snuggling. He is currently watching his crib entertainment. For some reason I don't think napping is in the immediate future. Is it really only 9?

Once a week posting

2008-04-14T11:05:00.003-04:00

I am such a prolific blogger. Woo hoo! Look at me go posting once a week. I have so much to say and insight to share. :) Let's see what did I do last week.

Monday: Work. Gone from home 13 hours.

Tuesday: Kindermusik. Teaching (Last class!)

Wednesday: Tyler and Mom came over on the train after going to the circus. Had a nice family dinner. E. bear had a great time chasing his older cousin around. Poor little guy got so tuckered out, he laid down on the rug by my feet in the kitchen while I was cooking dinner.

Thursday: Work. Gone from home 14 hours. Fire in the marshes next to the train tracks prevented my train from moving for an hour!!! Ethan fell asleep without nursing or cuddling with me. :(

Friday: Gardening and lunch with Mom and Tyler. E. bear loves pizza!

Saturday: Spinning, trip to Newburyport, visit Lisa in hospital, and yard work.

Sunday: Laundry, work, and dinner with my parents.

Busy, busy!

Weekend fun

2008-04-06T19:57:00.003-04:00

We had a lovely, low key family weekend. It started off with Ethan and I staring out the window on Friday morning at another rainy April day. I swear it is never sunny in April. I decided to give the Peabody Essex museum in Salem a try, but only if I could get a library pass. I called the main Beverly library and their pass was already taken. I called Beverly Farms and their pass was still available. So E. bear and I zipped over. Granted we almost ran out of gas on the way, but we coasted into the gas station on fumes, filled up and continued on to the library. We then had to make a detour to the ATM and then we were on our way to the museum.

Once there we ate lunch in the atrium. It was overpriced but decent enough. Next time E. bear and I will eat at one of the sandwich shops around the museum. The museum has one semi large room where kids can be kids. Meaning they can touch stuff. We played with musical instruments, looked at stuffed birds and snakes, waved at people on the street, looked at the origami, and ran around the room. After an hour I grew bored. I strapped E bear into the stroller and began to walk around the museum. I found an interesting Kabuki exhibit, but Ethan didn't want to be strapped into his stroller, so we left quickly. A security guard smiled understandingly as I hurriedly walked through the exhibit of ugly American textiles towards the elevator with my screaming toddler. We found a nice empty exhibit of Japanese art where I nursed him on a comfy bench. I totally don't understand why some moms don't nurse. It is just so convenient. Ethan was distraught and he was immediately pacified. No shaking formula, no looking for a way to warm it. Plus I got to sit on a comfy bench and admire art while he nursed. So easy! Of course, if any video cameras were on me they got a nice view of my breast when Ethan decided he wanted to have a look around too. He's not very considerate of keeping me covered.

We then walked over to Crunch Granola where I paid for our CSA. Mmm... a summer of organic veggies!

Then home we went with a nice cup of chai tea to warm mommy!

Saturday was busy. I went spinning, Josh worked on his novel, we did errands and bought a bike for Ethan and I to ride around Beverly with this summer. I have big plans to go to the library, Lynch park, the beach, and where ever else our hearts and my legs will take us.

Sunday was a gray, drizzly day, but we made the best of it. We bundled E bear up and went for a nice walk in Salem at Ravenswood. It was beautiful and felt great to get out and stretch our legs in the woods. We then went and had warm yummies at a coffee shop in Salem before we returned home.

A very nice family weekend.

3.5 hours I'll never have again

2008-04-02T09:12:00.002-04:00

So yesteday was supposed to be the last day of the class I'm teaching. However, I spent 3.5 hours commuting and never actually made it to MGH. Apparently there were power lines down some where and none of the signals were working for the commuter train. So my normal 40 minute train ride into the city took an hour and 40 minutes. My class was cancelled while I was sitting on the train. Then when I got to North Station I found that the next train leaving for home was at 5 so I had 50 minutes to spend in North Station. Then it took an hour to get home! At least Ethan and his Nana had fun together! Now I have to teach a makeup class. :(

Happy First Birthday Ethan!

2008-03-12T19:50:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it has really been an entire year since little Ethan was born. Ethan and I went to the Flower Show with Nana today. It was beautiful and nice to see green things. Ethan did pretty well. He napped in the Ergo, nursed, ate lunch, looked around, smiled for people, and had one melt down when he'd had enough of being carried or put in a stroller. We left around 2:30. We hung out at home and I made dinner. Ethan didn't think much of the pumpkin blackbean soup I made for dinner and to tell you the truth neither did the adults in the household. That's what I get for using a recipe I find on some stranger's blog. Josh came home and we helped Ethan open his cards and his present from us.

This afternoon when I was nursing Ethan in his room I got a little misty eyed thinking about him as a newborn and the struggle we had to learn to nurse. Nursing is now second nature to us. It is amazing to think my body has nourished Ethan for almost two years. I can't believe how much he has changed during the year. I can't believe how much Josh and I have changed over the year.

Happy Birthday Ethan!

Waterlogged

2008-03-09T10:17:00.002-04:00

Yesterday E bear and I had a delightful day with Nana and Papa. We went to IHOP. Where Papa ate the heartattack special, Nana had "healthy" omlet, and I had blueberry pancakes. E bear ate all my hashbrowns, indulged in too syrupy blueberries and tasty buttermilk pancakes, and gobbled up Papa's sausages. We went back to their place and relaxed ie we all napped including E. bear. Then we had a yummy dinner prepared by Nana. E bear and I drove home in the pouring rain with very poor visability. After I put E bear to bed I checked the basement. A little water but not enough to use the skimmer pump.

E bear had a bad coughing spell and woke up at 1 but he fell back asleep without my assistance. I had gone downstairs to get his sippy cup with water and by the time I got back upstairs he was asleep.

This morning as soon as I saw how much water was in our driveway I knew there would be water in the basement. Ethan and I went down to check it out. About an inch on the boiler side and half an inch in spots on the sump pump side. I plugged in the skimmer pump in two hours it had done its job. After E bear went down for his nap I squeegeed the washer and dryer side. Now it is just damp down there so I have the dehumidifiers running.

I have to get all my errands done today because I won't get another chance until Friday of this week. Ethan and I have a very busy week ahead. Monday I work, Tuesday we have Kindermusik and I go to MGH to teach and JOSH COMES HOME!!!, Wednesday is E bear's FIRST birthday and we are going to the flower show with Nana, Thursday I work, and Friday we have to start getting everything ready for E bear's party on Saturday. So there will be no resting for quite awhile at least a week.

Okay I can't take a hint

2008-03-07T20:45:00.003-05:00

In regards to my previous post about readying the basement for water, I can't take a hint. I went down there. I ran the hose from the pump outside and then I looked at all the stuff in the center part of the basement -- cradle, carseat, swing, gate, baby bathtub, etc. There is no way I can move all of that. If the water starts rising in the center part of the basement, I'll move it, but otherwise I'm praying the water doesn't come in the basement and if it does, I'm double praying the pumps can keep up. And to all the cars who drove by while I was out in my pjs prepping the hose, I hope seeing me in my goofy footprint pjs with an umbrella and snow boots dragging a hose out of a basement window at least made you smile.

TGIF

2008-03-07T20:17:00.002-05:00

My day started off very pleasantly with a "nice" nurse guilt tripping me about owning a warm mist humidifier. Nice. I should have lectured her about the growth of fungi and mold in a cold mist humidifier after mere hours of water sitting in it, but I was too upset over little E. bear's boo boo. We saw E.bear's pediatrician, who confirmed it is first and second degree burns. It doesn't look like he needs antibiotics or for it to be scrapped by the doctor. I'm to put bactitracin on it twice a day and keep it covered by a bandaid. So off to CVS we went to buy the supplies. I also bought some crayons and colored balls for the Easter bunny to put in E. bear's basket.

Ethan was a bit cranky this afternoon. He only had a half hour nap this morning because of the doctor's appointment, so the crankiness was understandable. He ate orzo and tomato sauce for dinner. A first for him and I think the tomato sauce counts as a veggie. I gave him a sponge bath in the tub after dinner, and he was asleep by 7:15.

Apparently, we are going to get about 3-4 inches of rain in the next 24 hours. The weatherman, my mother and my mother-in-law have all warned about basement flooding. I can take a hint, so now at 8:30 after doing my online job for an hour and watching a baby all day, I have to go down in the basement and get it ready for pumping. Happy happy joy joy. No rest for me.

Thursday :(

2008-03-06T19:59:00.002-05:00

So this morning my alarm went off at 5 am. I got up showered, and by then little E. bear was awake. I nursed him then I put him down so I could get dressed. Usually, he'll play in his room or follow me into the bathroom, but this morning he pulled his vaporizer down on top of himself. I hear the crash and the immediate scream and run into his room. I pick him up and immediately inspect for developing bruises. I see nothing and he stopped crying right when I picked him up. I get him dressed and I go downstairs, get my coffee and feed the kitties. Ethan crawls over to Aida while she is eating and is petting her. I turn around deciding to leave the two of them to sort out the petting on their own. I turn back around to find he has pushed Aida out of the way and is smooshing his food with his hands. Gross! He gets his hands washed and stuck in his highchair so the poor kitty can eat in peace.

I leave at 6:30. Work. Blah, blah, blah. Come home at 7.

E. bear's Nana tells me he has a burn on his leg. A burn? How did he get a burn? I ask. It must have been from the vaporizer, Nana thought. She's tells me he was wicked clingy all day; in fact, he napped on her twice rather than in his crib. So as soon as she leaves I bring him upstairs to inspect the burn. It is bad. The raised part is a perfect circle the size of a dime and it is red all around the raised part and his thigh is red in 2 other places. It looks like a cigarette burn. So I look burn up in the baby book, but it only describes what to do right when they happen not 14 hours later. So I call my Mom. She thinks it sounds odd for a burn and she doesn't think I should put any ointments or the like on it until he sees his doctor. So we agree that I should put sterile gauze on it and call his pediatrician in the morning. Okay, I get off the phone and look in our bathroom closet. We have this humngo giant sterile bandage the size of Ethan's entire leg and a long gauze bandage. No medical tape. So I take the humngo bandage put in on the entire thigh, wrap the gauze bandage around the thigh and bandage and bandaid the end together. Why not bandaid the giant pad to the leg, you might ask? Well, I have no idea if Ethan has a latex allergy and I don't know if the bandaids have latex in them so rather than exposing his poor little leg to something else I fashioned the elaborate holding scheme.

It is 8:16 and I still haven't eaten dinner, I'm tired, I miss Josh, and I'm worried about E. bear. It doesn't really look like a water burn to me. We shall see what Dr. Sleeper says tomorrow. Hopefully, we all get a good night sleep. I didn't get a chance to set his vaporizer back up. I'm not really sure where to put it. We might be rearranging his room a bit tomorrow.

Josh, if you are still reading this, please do not be upset. My cell is on vibrate.

First word

2008-03-05T21:00:00.002-05:00

Ethan's first word is Deetty, which is his version of kitty. He has always been a babbler and says ma ma and da da but not really when he sees either of us. However, whenever a cat comes into view Ethan points and says deetty, deetty babble. I think the babble is supposed to be "over there." He is also really into turning off light switches. Less than a week and he will be ONE!

Wednesday

2008-03-05T20:49:00.002-05:00

This recap is for Josh's benefit so he can stay in touch with Ethan and my little life at home.

Poor little E. bear woke up crying a couple of times during the night because of coughing. He put himself back to sleep immediatly. When Josh isn't here I have to become the light sleeper who wakes at every noise. :( The little guy woke up for good at 5:17 but I laid in bed in denial until 5:40ish then E. bear and I nursed and cuddled in bed until 6:30. We had a good morning eating breakfast, changing the sheets, and playing. After the morning nap we had lunch. E. bear had tortilla pizza. He stood on a chair and helped me spread the tomato sauce on. He wasn't too sure when I dumped on the cottage cheese, but he ate the whole pizza after it cooked. I had an avocado, cottage cheese, salsa tortilla pizza. Mmm... We shared an apple and watched Aida patrol the floor for food scraps. After lunch we went for an hour walk. We walked some new neighborhoods. We even walked in the sand at the beach (or I walked and pushed the stroller through the sand). It was really warm out. It smelled like spring today! Ethan loves to go on walks and look around. All of the homes had their sump pump lines coming out of the basements. Our's so far has been dry. Keep your fingers crossed for me, because it is supposed to pour buckets Friday night and Saturday. After our walk we played then we napped then we had dinner, played and promptly at 7 we snuggled in for nighty night nursing. Ethan has recently developed this bad habit of when he is done nursing he bites me and then giggles when I yelp. So he got put to bed wide awake but he cooed a bit and fell asleep.

Busy day!

Hope you had a good day in Santiago and a good flight to Easter Island!

We both miss you!

One week

2008-03-04T09:59:00.002-05:00

Today marks the start of Josh's trip to Easter Island. It looks like a really fun trip. I think it would be just amazing to see the big sculptures and to explore the island. I don't know if I would need a week like Josh is going for, but I'd still love to see it.

Ethan and I will hold down the fort back in the Northeast, which seems to be living up to its reputation of being dreary in February and March. It is so gray out and the weather gal this morning gleeful described lots of rain for tonight and tomorrow. I just pray it stays out of the basement!

I start teaching my class this afternoon. It is being videotaped to be published on the web for all to watch. Oh, joy, and Ethan didn't let me blow dry my hair this morning. At least it is washed.

Toddling about

2008-02-29T15:41:00.002-05:00

Ethan took his first steps on Wednesday! He was playing in the living room and he saw his fire truck. First he held on to the bench and stretched out his hand for it, but it was too far away. So he let go of the bench, took one then two then three steps, wobbled, and sat down right next to the fire truck. Success! He tried chasing after Aida today by toddling after her. She is still too fast. Poor Aida Baby I think she is just beginning to figure out what is in store for her. At least he shares his beloved mac n chees with her.

Spring I awaite you

2008-02-21T15:31:00.002-05:00

Winter has always been a season I enjoyed. However, now that I am a home owner and have a baby, this winter just wasn't as enjoyable as previous years. First our house took some hits from all the snow and freezing weather we had in December. Ice dams, roof rakes, and bending my spade attacking the glacier on my front steps so that the mailman would deliver my mail. I'm worried that serious damage was done to the house. Sometimes I long for a landlord. And it just isn't much fun to go outside with a baby.

So I am patiently waiting for spring. Yesterday I was hopefully looking at where my daffodils will spring up from the ground with their nodding yellow heads. I know it is too early and the weathermen are calling for snow tomorrow night, but I still looked at the ground with hope.

I could do with some color and flowers!

Unmotivated

2008-02-20T11:21:00.002-05:00

I am so unmotivated to do anything. Not in the mood to blog, find the stinky smell in the kitchen, vacuum, do one of my 2 online jobs, watch tv, read, go for a walk. Nothing. Hmph.

Hunter-Gatherer Gene

2008-02-08T19:43:00.000-05:00

It is very difficult to entice Ethan to try food that isn't apple sauce or cheese based. Ethan loves mac n cheese, yogurt, grilled cheese, apple sauce, bananas, cheerios, and pears, but that's it. Trying to get him to eat a vegetable is torture for all. Try to get him to eat meat and he just scrapes it off his tongue. Soup with vegetables gets the mouth clamped shut and head turned aside. He's got all sorts of methods to avoid the food he doesn't like and we have a couple of tricks to get him to eat.

The bizarre thing is is that he will eat food off the floor that he tossed there in an attempt to study gravity and/or feed Aida. For example, today I tried to feed him carrots, green beans, corn, chicken, and noodles (better known as chicken noodle soup). I even mixed his beloved cheerios in on his tray in the hopes that the vegetables would find a way into his mouth. No way. He picked out the offending food items and dropped them onto the floor. Not even Aida was willing to eat the carrots that fell. So we struggled through lunch. I then cleaned him up and put him on the floor, so that I could begin to clean up the slop pit that was once my kitchen floor. The next thing I know he's picking up carrots and eating them off the floor. I let him, because I was just thrilled he was eating a vegetable.

As I watched him eat the food he discarded, all I could think is that the hunter-gatherer gene must be pretty strong, if it could cause a little 10 almost 11 month old boy to search and eat food generally considered to be gross by him. All I can say is thank you natural selection for leaving that gene in there!

Colds and general ick

2008-02-05T10:38:00.000-05:00

We are a sharing family, so sharing in fact that we share our colds. Poor little Ethan gets them all. Josh had a cold a little while ago and Ethan got it. I just had a cold last week, and now the little guy has it. He is so drippy and coughing. He tries to maintain his cheery disposition but I think he is feeling pretty miserable. I was very sick on Saturday. My main problem was that the room was spinning like I was drunk. Plus I was naseous and stuffed up. Yuck! Josh took care of Ethan and me. He made me a little tray of apple sauce, toast, and a banana for dinner. Very nice!

My house is dirty because I didn't feel well enough to clean during the weekend. :( Something smells and I need to identify where that odor is coming from. Gross! I think tomorrow will be a stay in and clean day.

This morning we lost power for about an hour. I just sat staring at my coffee machine wondering how many candles I would need to burn to boil water so I could have some coffee. Sigh. Finally the power came on and the coffee machine finished making my coffee. However, I want more. :)

Sassing his Mama

2008-01-30T10:29:00.000-05:00

My little E. bear at 10.5 months of age is sassy. When he is getting into something he shouldn't, and you say, "Ethan no." He stops what he is doing (most of the time) and gives you the raspberries. I don't know where this came from, but it is pretty naughty. My Mom thinks it is the funniest thing as she was trying it out on him yesterday when we went out for lunch. We'll see how funny she thinks it is when it is her time to babysit this Monday.

E. bear will also clap when you say, "good boy." It is super cute. He is applauding himself.

Another sign that Ethan will be a handful as he gets older is he sort of pushes the other children at Kindermusik around. Head butting is his method of greeting other children, which is okay when it is the cats, dog, or 5 year old cousin. However, I suspect other parents in the class don't look so fondly upon it when it is their 10 month old baby. He will also push his way in to make sure he can see the book the teacher is reading or to get himself a space at the floor drum. I'm glad to see that he is assertive and not shy, but I don't want him to turn into a bully. And I don't want to stop him from trying to make friends and I'm afraid if I stop him from head butting he will stop trying to play with other children. I don't want him to develop some sort of social anxiety because I put a stop to his chosen method of showing affection.

How do you discipline a 10.5 month old?

2008-01-29T20:42:00.000-05:00

Hi Penny, this is Josh. Here's how to make a link. Love, Josh

Tagged

2008-01-29T10:44:00.000-05:00

So I've been tagged by Eric over at Squished Frog.

Here's what I'm "supposed" to do: 1.) Link to the person who tagged you. (See random fact #1) 2.) Leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours. 3.) Post the rules on your blog. 4). Share 7 weird/random things about yourself. 5.) Tag 7 random people at the end of your post (See random fact #2).

1. I have no idea how to do a pretty link in my blog. I know how to paste a url in but I don't know how to make it say Eric with an underline so it will take you to his blog.
2. I read lots of blogs, but I don't know any of the people. I'm a cyber stalker.
3. My stupid human trick is the gorlin sign. (You will just have to google that if you want to know).
4. I haven't met anyone famous.
5. I'm tone deaf.
6. I have Ophidiophobia, which I blame my parents for since they took me to see Indiana Jones in the theater. I have a very vivid memory of sitting in my car seat watching the snake pit scene.
7. I'm kind of granola crunchy.

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-01-24T05:50:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday. Sigh. I don't want to get older. I want to be young, healthy, free of aches and pains, free to eat whatever I want forever. I can't believe I'm the responsible one now. I have a house, baby, husband, pets, 3 soon to be 4 jobs, car payments, aches and pains, sleepless nights, the list of responsiblities could just go on and on. I'm sure I'll look back 10 years from now and think if I only knew then how good I had it, like I do now looking back on my 20s.

I do enjoy my life. I love watching Ethan explore the house and walk with his walker and cuddle up with me after nursing. I like my house and new car. And my husband is fabulous. I just have to keep reminding myself of all of that when Ethan is throwing a temper tantrum because he doesn't want what I'm trying to feed him and he can't tell me what he wants or when one of the cats pukes on the rug and I have to use my leg to keep Ethan out of it while scrubbing with my hands while pushing the other cat away from it. Or when I look in the mirror and see my belly and think ugh.

I've been trying to make an effort to eat more whole grains and veggies this new year. So far we've discovered we like quinoa and kale isn't so bad. I need to work on finding better things to eat for lunch and to stop snacking on candy during the day.

I hope 2008 is a fabulous year. Other than Ethan's arrival I wasn't a fan of 2007.

Happy Birthday Me!

Lucky boy

2008-01-21T21:12:00.000-05:00

When I was growing up the Patriots were awful. So bad in fact that my parents continued to root for the Redskins and Buffalo Bills even though it had been years since they lived in those regions. The Red Sox seemed pretty pathetic too.

During Ethan's first year of life the Red Sox have won a world series and the Patriots are systematically dismantling and stomping on every team they play. Ethan's a luck boy.

We're in trouble now

2008-01-19T20:26:00.000-05:00

Ethan started walking on Monday at the ripe old age of 10 months and 2 days. He pushes his fire engine, walking stroller, or the stool around the house. We spent at least an hour on Tuesday doing laps around the house. My back was killing me from leaning over to assist him in turning when he got to a wall or got stuck. If you are in front of him and he is walking towards you, he just has the biggest, happiest grin on his face. I am just amazed every day. However, much to my dismay he has started to climb the stairs. It used to be that I could run upstairs to brush my teeth or grab some socks and he would wait at the bottom of the stairs looking up at me. However, on Wednesday he was sitting on the first step. It took me a second to realize that he wasn't on the floor, and as I ran down the stairs, he fell off backwards. I caught him just as he fell, so he didn't bump his head. But I nearly had a heart attack.

One last piece of news is that after 19 months and 6 days I got my period again. It actually made me sad to see it (and also a bit relieved). It made me sad because my body is finally finished with Ethan's pregnancy and ready physically for another. Physically yes, mentally noooooo. But still it is another phase in the ending of the special bond Ethan and I shared. I imagine that when we finish breast feeding, I will be even more sad, because that will be the last physical connection I will have to him. After that he will be independent of me. Of course, he will still need me, but it will be different from the pregnancy and life as an infant where he relied upon my body to nurture him.

Big Boy Carseat

2008-01-06T20:35:00.000-05:00

We made the move out of the infant carseat today into the bigger carseat. No more carrying him in his carseat or using the infant stroller. With a baby it seems like there is a milestone a week.

I never have time to blog these days and it is only going to get worse as I pick up 2 teaching jobs for the semester. Crazy busy. Hopefully, I can handle everything.

I had thought about writing a blog about my new year resolutions or what i'm looking forward to in 2008. However, I haven't even had time to think of resolutions or the future year. It is all I can do to get the household stuff and entertain Ethan done during the day. No Penny time. I should give up tv watching and do something more productive for myself, but tv watching is too easy and requires no thought. I keep thinking that if i was better organized I'd have more time and feel less stressed. Plus I don't think that would really help.

Oh, and i'm a boring blogger.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-26T09:45:00.000-05:00

Well, another Christmas is in the books and it is marked with the special headline of E. Bear's first Christmas. It started with Mr. Bear attempting to get us out of bed at 4:30 not because he was wicked excited for presents but because that is his normal 1st attempt at morning. We thwarted it by nursing and Josh shshed him and rubbed his tummy. We got an extra 3 hours of sleep! When Ethan awoke for the 2nd time we made our way downstairs. The tree was lit and the stockings were stuffed. Ethan was interested in the presents but still too young to pull paper off. He seemed to enjoy his presents. He really liked his breakfast of Acadian pancakes and bacon.

Aound noon we left for Lowell where we spent Christmas afternoon with my parents, brother, and his wife. We exchanged gifts and had a yummy Christmas dinner. Ethan enjoyed the stuffing, ham, and sweet potatoes.

Josh gave me comfy and warm pjs. He also gave me a scrabble crossword book, lots of stocking goodies, and a fleece jacket to wear over Ethan in his carrier. My parents gave me a much needed genetic counseling book, salad bowl and tongs, and a cd. My Mom made Ethan a gorgeous baby suit to stay all nice and toasty.

We got home around 6:30 and E bear went straight to bed. He was exhausted, as was I. I was in bed by 9 pm.

Date night

2007-12-17T10:22:00.000-05:00

Josh and I try to go out on a date every 3 months. Which, if you do the math, means that this is our 3rd date in 9 months. Rather than go to a movie, we went to a Christmas concert in Boston and then out for dinner in Cambridge. The concert was really nice and it made me remember how much I enjoy live music, especially Celtic music. It gets your feet tapping and your hands clapping. Dinner was yummy. We went to Temple Bar on Mass Ave. An old favorite from when we lived in Cambridge.

We got all dressed up in new fancy outfits. I wore a slinky blue dress and Josh wore a jacket and tie (which he tied himself). Josh's parents babysat and they took pictures of us in front the Christmas tree. It felt like we were going to a prom. We were home by 9 and in bed by 10 and awake at 5:30 the next morning.

It felt nice to get out and not have to be responsible for a baby for a couple of hours. I even had a candy cane martini.

I'll post a picture of Josh and I when we next upload the pictures off the camera.

12 inches of snow

2007-12-14T14:43:00.000-05:00

Run Mommy!

Daddy and Ethan

Yesterday it started snowing around noon and it didn't stop for 9 hours. I watched it out of my office window, but I got to play in it today. Ethan did okay until he wiped his face with his snow covered bear hand. Once we cleaned him off he seemed to enjoy himself in the sled.

December update

2007-12-13T10:14:00.000-05:00

Time just flies by when your day is made up of playing with baby, laundry, cleaning and cooking. Throw in 2 jobs and all the events preparing for Christmas and all the time in the day is accounted for. I barely have time to watch a half hour of tv before it is bedtime.

We cut down our tree on Sunday and put it up yesterday. We went to a pretty cool tree farm in West Newbury. We bundled Ethan up and met my parents and Bogie at the farm. It was perfect weather -- crisp with a little snow on the ground. The farm was trying to clear a plot of land to replant so we got a discounted tree. It is a little crooked and sparse at the top, but with the lights and decorations it is perfect. The farm had sleds so you could drag your tree out, but we caught up with the tractor and loaded on our trees, dog, baby, and adults and rode back to our car in style. I made a yummy adobe chili, chocolate chili to warm us up.

Putting up the tree was the usual Josh and Penny excitement. Josh trimmed off the bottom, brought it in, and of course, it was still too tall. Out the tree went, more trimming, back in and still too tall. So Josh trimmed the top of the tree using one of our steak knives. Nothing says Christmas tree without lobbing off the top with one of our knives. A tradition we have been conducting since 2000 -- the year of the Christmas bush.

Ethan was amazed, scared, astonished at the tree once it was light and decorated. Ethan and the tree are separated by a large gate affectionately nicknamed Fort Ethan.

Speaking of Ethan, he had his 9 month check up on Tuesday. He is fine. His weight growth is down a little, which his pediatrician attributed to his being an active little guy crawling about. We will just have to feed the little E. bear more and he has been given the okay for table food and dairy. Last night he had italian turkey sausage and whole wheat penne straight off of Mommy's plate. He seemed to enjoy it.

Ethan meets Santa

2007-12-02T15:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we drove to Rowley to attend a Christmas party sponsored by the town's police department. Ethan met Santa, and he didn't even cry when plunked down on the jolly elf's lap. He was quite interested in the beard. We also did a little Christmas decoration shopping. We purchased a door swag, poinsettia, and other decorating stuff. It is really hard to find time to go shopping with an 8.5 month old, but we are trying.

Moving the mattress

2007-11-14T20:21:00.000-05:00

Ethan this morning greeted me sitting up in his crib, griping the railing, and peering out over the railing. Uh oh, I thought, time to lower the mattress. We moved it down one spot, but I think it needs to go all the way down. No more bumper or mobile for the little Bear. Also I decided to try him in the big bathtub for bathtime tonight. I bathed him in his little tub inside of the bathtub, so he'd get used to the area. Next time I won't use the baby tub.

Ethan is having a lot of problems sleeping at night. He usually sleeps with me, but last night he kept plucking at my face and kicking me. At 3 I put him in his crib, and we let him cry until he fell asleep at 4. Josh talked softly to him and I picked him up a couple of times to calm him. Sleeping is such a problem. I wish I knew which philosophy to follow and which will help Ethan develop healthy sleep habits.

Ethan and I raked today. I wore him on my back in the Ergo. It worked out really well. He looked around, watched me, and dozed off for awhile. It was nice to get a major chore done and baby was happy the whole time. Plus it was in the 60s! Totally had to take advantage of the warm fall day.

Chores suck the fun out of the day

2007-11-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

Where does the time go? I have so many chores that I just can't keep up with all of them. There are things that have to be done like preparing meals, feeding the cats. There are chores that can be ignored until you run out of something clean or the smell becomes noticeable like laundry, dishes, or baby. There are chores that if you ignore your neighbors will harbor resentment towards you like leaves. There are chores that if you don't do them things start growing like cleaning the bathroom. I try to prioritize what order I do the chores in, but they always pile up on me and then I start feeling overwhelmed like I should be running around at 100 mph or my carefully stacked house of cards will come tumbling down around me. Chores just aren't any fun no matter how you try to spin it. Listen to music while cleaning. hmph. You are still scrubbing dirt off of the bathtub while on your hands and knees. Music doesn't make it fun. Think of chores as a form of aerobic excersize. Nope that doesn't do it for me either. I just don't like to do them and I especially don't like to feel that my entire day is chores, chores, chores. So that's my rant. I'm off to throw laundry in the washer and clean the kitchen then go grocery shopping, more laundry. You get the picture.

Certified Genetic Counselor

2007-11-08T11:28:00.000-05:00

I passed my board exams!!! I'm now a CGC. The sacrifice my family made this summer was worth it. Also my entire Mommy study group passed!

No nursing, no sleeping

2007-11-06T09:32:00.000-05:00

Where did my sweet cuddly newborn who slept through the night at 6 weeks go? Ethan has been through alot lately with his Daddy being in the hospital, teeth popping through, a fever of 101.9 for a day, and Mommy gone from the house twice a week for 13 hours. He refuses to sleep through the night. I try to rock him back to sleep but an hour later he is screaming in his crib. Eventually, I just take him back to bed where he snuggles in and tries to nurse all night long. However, he's not really nursing, he is just soothing himself by sucking. Then during the day he refuses to nurse. It might be that he is just too busy, but I'm not sure. He nurses for 30 seconds and tries to situp and cries. I'm wondering if I'm going to get my period soon and my hormones are changing my milk. Whatever is going on I hope it ends soon. I enjoy nursing Ethan and I'm not ready to wean him. Plus he is supposed to nurse for at least one year. I still have 4 months to go! It seems that whatever I do lately results in him screaming at me. Change his diaper -- scream. Play with him -- scream. Feed him -- scream. Exhausted doesn't even begin to describe how I feel. I just wish I knew what to do for the little guy.

New talents

2007-11-02T10:46:00.000-04:00

Ethan is just piling on the firsts this week. On Wednesday he clapped for the first time and he is really able to scoot around on his belly. When he is on the kitchen floor he scoots backwards on his belly by pushing with his hands. When he is on carpet he is able to get his knees under him and push forward like an inchworm.

I amazed every day at the addition of a new skill.

Josh's surgery

2007-10-31T07:52:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was Josh's surgery to remove his kidney stones. The urologist had to go in through the abdomen to make the attempt to get rid of the stones and end Josh's pelvic agony. We've known that Josh has kidney stones and a pelvic kidney since college. He's had multiple attempts to remove all the stones. They've never been 100% effective, but they've given him some relief except for the surgery before Ethan was born.

At around 2 o'clock yesterday, when I was expecting the surgeon to call me and tell me how the surgery went, the phone rang. The surgeon was calling to tell me not that the surgery was successful but to ask me a question. Would I give my permission to remove the kidney? The kidney was really small and really difficult to operate on. They thought they could get all the stones but they saw the formation of lots of other stones. This surgery was a once in a lifetime surgery and they only way to remove Josh's stones. In a year or two from now, he had have stones again and this surgery wouldn't be an option. Removing the kidney was Josh's best option for possibly being stone and pain free. I agreed to the surgeon's recommendation.

Josh and I had discussed the removal always as a joke. Wouldn't it be great if they'd just remove the troublesome kidney? Ha ha. The surgeon had always told us this wasn't an option. He would never remove a kidney even if it only contributed 30%. I found myself making a life decision for my husband without being able to discuss it with him. I felt weird making the decision that Josh will live out the rest of his life with one kidney.

I hope I made the right decision. I hope Josh understands why I made it. I hope Josh agrees with my decision and doesn't resent me or is angry with me. I made the decision because I thought this was the best chance he had to feel like his old self.

I love you Josh!

First tooth!

2007-10-30T17:00:00.001-04:00

Ethan's first tooth has finally pushed through the gum. It is his lower left. On Monday I could see the white line and today it is up through the gum. I know this because he bit my finger. I can't believe how quickly a baby grows.

His Nana took him to kindermusik today. They had a good time.

Go Sox!

2007-10-24T09:49:00.000-04:00

Game 1 of World Series.

Pulling forward

2007-10-23T10:07:00.000-04:00

Well, Mr. Ethan has figured out how to drag himself forward to get to a toy. Crawling can't be that far away. He is really cute to watch as he sees something he wants and he tries to figure out what combination of rolling, stretching, and pulling himself forward will achieve his goal. He can't get very far pulling himself, but he is good at rolling. He uses this interesting technique of rolling until he can't go any further, twisting his body and rolling again. He makes a zigzagging pattern until he can finally reach his object of desire, which is usually something he can't have like electrical cords, wireless receiver, fireplace screen or the cats.

I love watching him grow!

A walk in the woods

2007-10-19T09:23:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was a lovely fall day. The air was crisp and clear. The perfect day for a walk in the woods. Ethan and I drove a mile down the road to Long Hill. I strapped him into his hiking backpack loaded him onto my back and off we went for a 1.5 mile hike in the woods. It was just lovely until we came upon a dreaded legless creepy creature as long as my arm. UGH! I don't just dislike snakes, I have a phobia of them. Usually when I see a snake on a hike, I scream bloody murder and run down the path as fast as I can. Something that one shouldn't do with a 7 month old strapped to your back. So I just stood and muttered swears under my breath while trying to get my heart to slow to a normal rhythm. The snake was just lying coiled up sunning itself on the dry leaves about a foot from the path. I considered turning around, but I was already more than half way done. I considered walking on the path right next to the snake. Too risky, what if he lunged at my ankle! I looked to the left of the path where there was a rotten log that I could walk across. What if there were snakes hidden on the log? Where there is one there is bound to be more. Finally, I decided to walk across the log. I made it passed the snake and walked briskly off while trying very hard not to look at the ground for any more snakes.

Other than the snake, it was a lovely hike, and despite the snake, I'll probably go again. I might start walking with a bell to warn off any creepy reptiles of my approach. It is times like that that I wish I had a dog. You never see a snake when hiking with a noisy mutt.

Salem

2007-10-17T10:32:00.000-04:00

Salem is a nightmare right now and it is still 2 weeks until Halloween. Yesterday, I wanted to drive to Whole Foods to pick up some baby food for Ethan. Well after sitting in traffic for half an hour and still in Salem, I gave up. I should have kept going because it took me half an hour to just to go around the block to head back home. I probably could have been to the store by then. Crazy! I don't see what the attraction is for tourists to flock to Salem. The city murdered women because of witch histeria and people flock to it at Halloween to see what? It is a cute city with yummy restaurants and some interesting museums. I wish people would visit for those reasons and not because of the witch trials.

Ethan is super cute. 7 months is a great age. He can sit up and stay sitting up while playing with objects. We have a pumpkin that he loves to pat and touch. He also likes to suck on apples. I love the fall and there are so many interesting things to share with him.

Top ten

2007-10-12T12:58:00.000-04:00

Our next door neighbors' baby boy was born this week. I felt a tad nostalgic. Ethan was so cuddly, and soft. Then I remembered how he really needed his "4th trimester," and how LOUD a little 8 pounder can be. I was thinking it would be kind of fun to write the 10 things I now know about babies that would have been good to know, rather than figuring out as we went along.

These are in no particular order.

1. Baby poop comes in all sorts of colors. Green (believe it or not) is nothing to be worried about.
2. It is okay for baby to sleep at night in his car seat. Sleeping is the important issue not where.
3. Cribs are not necessary for the first 3 months of life.
4. A cradle/co-sleeper is essential. I think for our next baby I'd like to get a cradle that attaches to the side of the bed.
5. Breast lanolin is useless and babies don't like it. At least mine didn't like it.
6. Gel pads rock and are a necessity for the 1st 2 weeks of breast feeding.
7. Buy a breast pump before baby is born. It will be necessary to stimulate flow and to allow hubby to feed baby.
8. Sleep when you can get it. This is really hard to do as an adult, but you eventually become so exhausted you can sleep during the day/sitting up on the couch.
9. Swaddling is an art form. I never perfected it, but Josh did.
10. Really check out the activity mat, bouncy seat, and swing you register for. Look at how the baby will be buckled in. Look at the toys (do they look like dog chew toys?)

That's just some of the things I have learned over the last 7 months.

Apple picking

2007-10-03T10:42:00.000-04:00

We had a nice weekend. We went to my Mom's open studio on Saturday and saw lots of art and had our family portrait taken. It was a total impromptu photo session, but it came out really well for not planning outfits, hair, etc. Ethan of course is the star and makes the photo. Ethan is in his Red Sox onesie to celebrate the Red Sox making the playoffs and winning the division.

On Sunday we went apple picking, and posed Ethan in the pumpkin patch for the quintessential fall baby photo. The orchard was absolutely packed with people. We had a good time despite the hordes of people. However, we were unable to get any cider donuts due to the long lines. :( I'm sure we will get some this season. I made ribs in the slow cooker for dinner. mmmm...

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling

2007-09-24T09:09:00.000-04:00

First, let me say I give up using initials. This is my blog and I've decided to use first names hence forth. I'm not all that exciting so I doubt I'm stalker worthy.

Ethan has discovered the log roll is a great way to get around a room to obtain something that looks interesting to him. Interesting equals something tasty for the mouth. This morning we were in the living room, I was sipping my coffee and he was rolling about, which was brought to an abrupt end by rolling into our oak coffee table. Poor little E. Bear bumped his forehead. We snuggled on the couch with a bag of peas on his forehead for a bit. He's going to have a bruise. First of many Josh said, but I still felt badly that I couldn't protect him from hurting himself. I know accidents will happen, but as a Mommy I feel so responsible for every little bump. I want to be his great protector, which I know is an unreasonable expectation. It must come with being a Mom.

8 year wedding anniversary

2007-09-18T20:54:00.000-04:00

Eight years ago today J and I stood in front of our families and friends and declared our love and dedication to each other. I barely recognize the baby faced couple in our wedding pictures. For our one year anniversary we went hiking in Scotland, one anniversary Josh cooked dinner (he picked up the ingredients and bouquet of flowers on his bicycle), for our fifth year anniversary we stayed at a B&B, and last year we went out for a fancy dinner in downtown Beverly. This year was completely different. I made dinner, mulled apple cider, and peach cobbler for dessert all while entertaining E. Bear. I cut the butter into crumbles while holding a crying baby. We ate dinner while J. bounced E. on his lap. We ate our cobbler after E. Bear was fast asleep. No fancy outfits -- PJs for Josh and spit up upon clothing for me. Our life has changed so much since the addition of the baby. It is 9 pm and I'm ready for bed. It is amazing how much having a child changes your lifestyle.

Happy Anniversary to my best friend and love!

Kindermusik and 6 month checkup

2007-09-15T09:40:00.000-04:00

Busy week here at Chez Tigermommy. E. bear and I started Kindermusik on Tuesday. It was an enjoyable experience of singing, moving about and seeing other babies. E. bear is the youngest in the class, but I think he will still gain something from the experience. His head was basically on a swivel the whole class taking in the room and all the people. He fell asleep as soon as he was strapped into his carseat afterwards.

On Wednesday we went for his 6 month checkup. It is hard to believe he is 6 months old. He weighed in at 18.5 pounds and 27 inches long. He also had the third round of vaccinations, which created over 24 hours of clingy whinning baby. We all survived and he was back to his happy self on Friday just in time for his Nana S to watch him for the day.

This evening we are going out for fondue which might be a dangerous proposition with a baby. Hot cheese and attached baby don't mix. We shall see how this works.

Cleaning

2007-09-10T09:53:00.001-04:00

When I found out I was pregnant back in July 2006, I didn't feel comfortable using our cleaning supplies to scrub the bathroom and kitchen. I didn't want to inhale the fumes from the clorox soft scrub and mildew fighter. So the ever helpful Hubby took over the cleaning of the bathrooms and kitchen. Eventually, I became to pregnant to get down on my hands and knees to scrub floors etc. After the c-section we hired a cleaning service to come every other week to clean the house, and we kept the service until after my boards. Well, my life of luxury has ended, and I am back to cleaning. It is nice to do it the way I like it, but it is exhausting! I cleaned both bathrooms and scrubbed the kitchen floor, and tried to tidy up the garage this weekend. I also fixed the garage door opener. Woo hoo! No more backbreaking hoisiting of a heavy door. So many things haven't been cleaned for quite awhile. My next goal is to vacuum the cellar stairs and sweep down there. I might also tackle the cat peed futon mattress while the weather is still nice enough to drag it outside.

E. bear is as cute as ever. I'm slowly packing up the 3-6 month clothing and bringing out his fall and winter wardrobe. Needless to say his bedroom is in transition with all the clothing piles. He had peas for the first time this morning. They smelled awful, but he didn't seem to mind at all. He rubbed them around his highchair tray and gobbled up the spoonfuls. I think we will try avocado next.

Blueberry picking

2007-09-05T11:28:00.000-04:00

Nana, Bogie, E. bear and I went blueberry picking yesterday up in NH. I had wanted to use my back carrier for E. bear. I thought if I wore him in the front he'd have a faceful of blueberry bush and I might fall over into the bush as I was picking. We had a dry run at home, where I got all the straps just right and showed him in the full length mirror what we looked like. I walked about the house and he did seem to enjoy it.

Well, the love of the carrier didn't extend to the fields. We got our buckets and walked out to blueberry fields and he was enjoying himself, bouncing and making noise. But as soon as I stopped to pick blueberries, there was tears and crying. I took the pack off and had him just sitting in it on the ground, but that wasn't good enough. So I carried him and picked blueberries. Eventually, he wanted to nurse, so we sat in between the rows of blueberries and nursed in the grass. It was very idyllic sitting in the grass in the sun surrounded by yummy blueberries. After awhile my arm was getting really tired from carrying him. After conferring with my Mom that the farm is organic and doesn't spray pesticides, I laid him down in the grass between the rows. He happily talked to himself and pulled at the grass while I continued to pic. At one point I looked down to check on him and he had sprigs of clover and grass coming out of his mouth, which I promptly removed.

I picked 3.14 pounds. I froze most of it and I'm going to make a bluebery crumble for dessert tonight.

Labor Day at Cranes Beach

2007-09-03T20:37:00.000-04:00

I took E. bear to the beach for the first time today. We went with his Nana and Papa. The water was very warm, but at 60 degrees still too cool for the little guy to go in. We did stick his feet in though, and he cried. My parents took me to the beach for the first time when I was his age (about 6 months) and I screamed and cried too. I think it is fairly common to be scared and overwhelmed at the sight of the ocean. I can't imagine what it must be like to be that little and to see this immense body of water and have it rolling towards you. Mom and I did go all the way in and we went swimming. E. bear checked out the sand with his toes, nursed a bit, and took a nap. It was a very pleasant day.

For dinner we went to Nana and Grumpa's. I went swimming in the pool and E. bear had his feet dipped in the pool. More crying. Poor little guy! He had a good time sitting on his grandparents' laps and trying to grab the whip cream container. We forgot to bring cereal and veggie for E. though, and he had to go without tonight. We are beginner parents and we didn't even think to bring his dinner. He'll survive, but I feel badly.

Learning how to be a parent is quite the learning experience. By the time we get it all figured out he will be leaving for college. Or maybe you never get it all figured out and keep learning things as your child gets older and your relationship with each other gets redefined.

E. bear's Dad gave him a bath solo for the first time tonight. I had to shower to wash all the salt and chlorine off, which left his Dad with the job of washing baby. They both survived, and all the splashed water was easily cleaned up.

Rolling! Back to Front

2007-08-31T21:57:00.000-04:00

So I'm riding the commuter train home and my cell phone rings. It is my darling husband telling me E. Bear rolled and, unfortunately, no one was there to witness it. Two of my fears have now been achieved. 1. I wouldn't be home when he rolled for the first time. 2. No one would be in the room with him to see him do it. :( The story goes E. was in the living room and his Dad was in the office on his computer, Dad noticed it was quiet in the living room, he goes in, and finds E. on his stomach. Dad rolls him back to his back and he rolls again to his front.

I'm so proud of the little guy, but I wish I had been there to cheer him on. I feel like a traitor to him when I go to work. I'm disappointed. It's not like what I do at work matters to anyone, but seeing E. roll for the first time would have been important to both of us.

A gold star for E. and a black mark for Mommy.

A month recap

2007-08-25T11:43:00.000-04:00

Wow, I can't believe it has been a month since I last posted. My life was totally consumed by the medical genetics board exam I had to take last week. I'm so glad it's over. I won't find out if I passed until November! What a way to make or break the holiday season. Poor little E. was quite neglected by his Tigermommy, but he had his Daddy to play and snuggle with. I basically was a study and feed baby machine. I'd go to the library for 3 hours, come home nurse E., and go right back to the library for a month straight.

E. is as cute as ever. He still hasn't rolled, but he is eating cereal, sweet potato, and carrots. He has tried pears and bananas but they weren't so well received. He splashes in the bathtub when taking a bath, and sleeps on his side (just like me). He loves to babble, and he loves, loves, loves his doorway jumper. He bounces while I make dinner with a huge grin on his face. He is really getting into the cats too. He likes to pet Aida and watch them walk around. Aida is very good with him, even when he grabs her hair and pulls.

Oh, and I have been on two job interviews. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

July 23rd -- Solids

2007-07-25T17:45:00.000-04:00

My little E bear started solids on July 23rd at 19 weeks of age. He had spent the last week staring at us as we eat and opening his mouth while at the dinner table. So we decided to debute the rice on Monday. He gobbled it right up, and then cried when he realized it was all gone. I think I made it too thin the first night. The second night I made too much. E. has no off switch and he ate the quarter of a cup and then an hour later spit it up. Poor little dude. Plus he didn't want to nurse before falling asleep for the night, which made me sad. I missed our snuggling and nursing. Tonight I made 3 tablespoons so he should still have a little room for nursing.

All grown-up

2007-07-20T13:55:00.000-04:00

E slept in his crib in his own bedroom for the first time last night! I got a little watery eyed when we laid him down in it. E. has been with me for over a year and it was hard to have him in a different room. He woke up once during the night and his Dad put on his mobile to entertain him.

We bought that crib way back in November and he just slept in it. The crib is not as necessary as you think it would be. The baby really sleeps in a cradle in the parents' room for at least 4 months.

Family Reunion: Tamworth, NH

2007-07-20T13:47:00.000-04:00

E. finally got to meet his great-grandparents and uncle and aunt this weekend. T. was there too. My parents rented a house in NH and invited the whole family up for the week. We went up Sunday. E.'s Dad came home Tuesday and we came home on Thursday.

We had a good time playing croquet, card games, and cooking meals. We even went on a boat ride on Lake Winnipesauke. E.'s first boat ride. The homes on the lake are just gorgeous. I liked the ones that had boat garages. T. and Mom went kayaking and frog catching in the little pond. I did some studying but not enough.

E. was held and snuggled all weekend by various family members. He seemed to like it but it meant no practice rolling. He seems to be waking up once during the night. Sometimes he is able to fall back asleep and others he cries and needs a little cuddle. On Monday night he just laid in his bed and giggled at 3:30. He thought it was fabulous he got to leave his crib and sleep with Mommy and Daddy. It was kind of cute. The more he giggled the more his Dad tickled and kissed him.

It was nice to see my Grandparents and hang out with the whole family.

Toes!

2007-07-13T14:10:00.000-04:00

E. discovered his feet a couple of weeks ago. Well, this morning while lying on his changing table he discovered not only are they fun to play with and always available, but they reach his mouth and are tastey! I couldn't believe he could get it in his mouth, but he did. Everything goes in his mouth these days. Toys, stuffed animals, my hands, arms, highlighters, Dad's glasses, anything within reach.

E. had his 4 month appointment on Tuesday. He weighs 15.5 pounds and he is 26 inches long. He had three vaccinations. Poor kid screamed and cried. It must really burn. I gave him tylenol twice afterwards. He was a sleepy, grumpy bear.

E. has stopped sleeping through the night. Grrrr... He got up yesterday at 2:30 and 3:30 today. I hope he goes back to sleeping through the night.

First Cold

2007-07-02T14:29:00.000-04:00

E has a cold and he got it from me. :( I have had a wicked cold for over a week now, and yesterday E started showing signs of it. Poor little guy. At first I thought I just had allergies but then it developed into a cold. E and I were in close contact with each other all week since his Dad was gone. So it was inevitable but I still feel badly that his first cold came from his Mom.

It must be hard not being able to blow one's nose, and the snot snatcher isn't all that fun to use for either one of us. I've been trying to get him to nap more. He seems to want to nurse more, which I think is for soothing more than food.

4 months old today! He is so close to rolling but not yet. One of his favorite activites is to sit in his bumbo and look around. He is over 14.5 pounds and is 24 inches long. I can't believe how much he has changed in such a sort amount of time.

The only adult

2007-06-25T11:34:00.000-04:00

E's Dad is off to Panama for the week. He is a travel writer and gets to go to cool places. Pre Munchie I sometimes got to go with him, and we would have so much fun -- not just because it was pretty much free either.

This is his first trip since E was born, and therefor, the first time I'll be alone for an extended amount of time. I'll miss him like I always do when he travels, but I will really miss his help with E. I don't know how single Mothers do it. It is hard taking care of a baby and you need a break and adult conversation.

I think I need to start instituting a more regular nap schedule for E. Bear. My current methodology is to let him nap whenever he falls asleep on me. But this makes it hard for his Nanas when they watch him, and I'm sure it isn't fair for him to fall asleep on my lap because he is purely exhausted and Mommy missed all the earlier cues. Right now he will literally just fall asleep sitting up and then I say, "oh, I guess you are tired." He naps every 2-3 hours he is awake. I'm going to start trying to get him to nap at regular times every day rather than the current haphazard method.

101 Days

2007-06-21T12:08:00.000-04:00

Mr. Munchie has been out in the world for 101 days! He has undergone (medically) so much, grown a ton, and developed so quickly in such a short amount of time. He looks and acts so different than he did as a newborn.

His personality is coming out more and more. He has to be the center of your attention and he gets very mad if he isn't. Case in point, yesterday I was typing an email while sitting next to him on the floor and he knew I wasn't giving him my complete attention and he started to cry. As soon as I would look at him he would stop, but the minute I started typing again the water works would start.

He is really into looking around now. He likes to look at picture books. He could care less about the story but he loves to look at the pictures and bang on the book with his hand. I read "Barnyard Dance" 3xs yesterday. We had dinner at the mall last night and he just took it all in. He really likes to look at the food on your plate when he is sitting on your lap. One of these days he's going to make a grab for it. Unfortunately he also likes to watch tv, which makes watching the Red Sox difficult. We really don't want him staring at the screen but he will swivel his head to see the tv even after you change his position so he isn't looking at the tv.

Laughing

2007-06-19T16:26:00.000-04:00

Munchie laughed today. He was on my leg playing airplane and he just kept looking down at me and laughing and smiling. It was really sweet. It was the first time I heard him really laugh because he was having a good time. He's still not interested in rolling. I keep rolling him and sometimes he enjoys it and sometimes he cries. I think he is strong enough to do it. We'll just keep practicing.

Today was our last Mommy and Baby group at the hospital. I really enjoyed it in the beginning when I was learning how to take care of E because it normalized what was going on. But we soon outgrew it when I didn't need the affirmation that E wasn't the only one in the world who did X, Y, and Z. It was nice to be able to give advice to the Moms with newborns. I would have liked to go to the older baby group but it is on Thursdays when I work.

Today I left my favorite pink fleece behind at the hospital. When I went back for it after lunch it was gone. I've had that fleece since our trip to Switzerland. I shall miss it.

Happy Father's Day

2007-06-17T19:24:00.000-04:00

E gave his Daddy a weed whacker and work gloves for his Daddy's first Father's Day. We bought the gloves on the Cape a couple of weeks ago and the weed whacker on Wednesday. We had a busy Father's day. He started off the morning early. Unfortunately, he was naughty and didn't let his Daddy sleep in. He woke his Dad up around 5 am. Mommy has a tremendous ability to just not hear him. Oops. I can pretty much sleep through anything, but I seem to wake up when he is hungry for whatever reason, but not when he is just awake. In the afternoon we went to Grumpa and Nana's for a cookout/pool party. It was really hot, and I didn't bring my suit, which I regretted. The cousins all seemed to enjoy the pool. Poor E was just too warm. We ended up sitting inside for a bit.

His new talent is to grab his feet and roll over onto his side. He still isn't rolling front to back. He is really working his tummy muscles now that he can grab his feet. I think he'll start rolling in the next week or two.

Yesterday, Papa, Nana, and cousin T came over for a cookout. We had fun playing bocci ball. We had T wear his bike helmet so he didn't get brained running about while we were bowling. Much fun was had by all.

Other 3 month pictures

2007-06-13T09:21:00.000-04:00