I decline to call our sleeping arrangement "co-sleeping" because co-sleeping(1) encompasses bedsharing as well as a crib that's been attached to a bed like a sidecar or simply having your baby in a bassinet next to your bed. The concept of co-sleeping is that they're near you, in whatever capacity you're comfortable with. We actually bedshare, as in Anne sleeps in the bed with us, right next to me. Not everyone should bedshare or even co-sleep with a sidecar style crib arrangement, as there are rules to keep this as a safe practice(2), but it works beautifully for us.
Waking up in the middle of the night to her little body snuggled up next to mine is possibly one of the best things ever. I grew up sleeping with a small dog tucked under my arm, so I'm no stranger to sleeping with a small creature by my side. Anne smells better than my dog did, though. ;-) I love being able to check on her just by opening my eyes, or being able to immediately soothe her back to sleep if she cries out because of a nightmare or some other unknown thing troubling her.
One morning I woke up to her laying on her side facing me, her sweet face tipped upward toward mine and her arm thrown over my chest. I didn't want to move.
It's also helped when she's been sick and congested because I could immediately respond if it sounded like she was having trouble breathing. I love knowing she's *right there* and the physical proximity is comforting.
Breastfeeding is so much easier when I can let her latch and then go right back to sleep. The most effort it takes for me is to move her to the opposite side of my body each time. No getting up to get her out of a crib, and she usually barely has time to work up a good whine before I have her calmed down again.
Also, since I work and commute an hour to my office, having her in bed with me at night helps the separation anxiety. (mine, not hers. lol though maybe it helps her too...) Even though we're not awake it still feels like I'm spending time with her. (I think they call it bonding...)
I'm going to be sad when she starts to wean; I'm going to wean her from the breast and the bed at the same time. As much as I love bedsharing, she can't sleep with us forever; if nothing else, I miss snuggling with Kristian at night because she's often in the middle of the bed (one of the few rules I break concerning bedsharing...Kristian is also used to sleeping with pets in the bed so I don't worry about him rolling over on to her, not to mention he'd clobber me and wake me up in the process because she sleeps so close to me), and she'll need to learn to sleep alone at some point. But I will miss it terribly and will probably schedule "slumber parties" on occasion.
I never dreamed I would bedshare, and even found a journal entry where I adamantly said I thought it was dangerous and would never do it before Anne was born. A lot more information on the subject, some encouragement from our breastfeeding instructor, and the blessings of my husband changed my mind. We started out with Anne in an in-bed co-sleeper thing called a snuggler(3), which is sortof like a little cushioned box with low sides you can put in the bed with you. The thought was that this would keep her safer and would help facilitate moving her to a crib at some point. She slept in it twice. Then we had to wrap a bililight blanket(4) around her for a week and the giant cord wouldn't fit in the snuggler, so Anne slept next to me instead. She refused to go back in the snuggler after that. 8 months later and it's been bliss ever since :-)
(1) http://baby.about.com/od/sleep/p/cosleeping_explanation.htm
(2) http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/sleep-problems/sleep-safety/safe-co-sleeping-habits
(3) http://hubpages.com/hub/Deluxe_Snuggle_Nest_Cosleeper_Review
(4) http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/wha/umbili.htm
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Motives?
I was asked, yet again, recently why I post the parenting articles that I post on Facebook and my blog (in more or less words). I've been thinking about this question all night, trying to explore my reasons and motives for openly discussing my opinions about controversial parenting topics.
I post these articles because I want other parents to know how terrible I think they are. They need to understand that I'm the only one that has figured it out, that I have all the answers and they're all doing it wrong if they're not doing the things I believe in. I need them to see that they are hateful, horrible people if they choose to raise their children a different way. I love making other parents feel terrible about their decisions.
**And if you honestly believe that load of crap I just wrote go ahead and remove yourself from my life completely because I don't need people in my life who would believe that about me.
There are a couple of reasons I post the articles and opinions on certain topics that I do. For one, because, well, it's my opinion and I like to share my opinion and I'm not afraid of the fact that it's controversial. And while I have very strong views on certain topics, if someone were to reply with a convincing enough argument against any particular topic, I could change my mind. In fact, some people have responded with comments that made me look at various topics in a different light, and while I may not change my opinion completely, I do understand other parents' views a little better.
For two, part of me has always been an activist. In college I did a lot with supporting gay rights. I still believe in gay rights because I think that whatever you do in your bedroom is your own business and we're all human and deserve to be treated with equal respect and dignity. But it's not at the forefront of my life anymore, my daughter is, so now my inner-activist has found a home in parenting issues and babies' rights.
I had mainstream ideas until I read the articles I re-post and the opinions of others that I've now adopted as my own. So there's always a chance that if I post something that resonates with someone, they will change their mind too. And to me, that's a good thing.
I never, ever post things with an intent to hurt anyone's feelings. I share because there are friends of mine who will agree with me and who will enjoy what I post, and because maybe, just maybe, I can open someone else's eyes to my viewpoint. I am never, ever attacking anyone who has done things differently, or even who reads what I post and still decides to continue to do things their way. Unfortunately, I am not always tactful, and I apologize for that.
I post these articles because I want other parents to know how terrible I think they are. They need to understand that I'm the only one that has figured it out, that I have all the answers and they're all doing it wrong if they're not doing the things I believe in. I need them to see that they are hateful, horrible people if they choose to raise their children a different way. I love making other parents feel terrible about their decisions.
**And if you honestly believe that load of crap I just wrote go ahead and remove yourself from my life completely because I don't need people in my life who would believe that about me.
There are a couple of reasons I post the articles and opinions on certain topics that I do. For one, because, well, it's my opinion and I like to share my opinion and I'm not afraid of the fact that it's controversial. And while I have very strong views on certain topics, if someone were to reply with a convincing enough argument against any particular topic, I could change my mind. In fact, some people have responded with comments that made me look at various topics in a different light, and while I may not change my opinion completely, I do understand other parents' views a little better.
For two, part of me has always been an activist. In college I did a lot with supporting gay rights. I still believe in gay rights because I think that whatever you do in your bedroom is your own business and we're all human and deserve to be treated with equal respect and dignity. But it's not at the forefront of my life anymore, my daughter is, so now my inner-activist has found a home in parenting issues and babies' rights.
I had mainstream ideas until I read the articles I re-post and the opinions of others that I've now adopted as my own. So there's always a chance that if I post something that resonates with someone, they will change their mind too. And to me, that's a good thing.
I never, ever post things with an intent to hurt anyone's feelings. I share because there are friends of mine who will agree with me and who will enjoy what I post, and because maybe, just maybe, I can open someone else's eyes to my viewpoint. I am never, ever attacking anyone who has done things differently, or even who reads what I post and still decides to continue to do things their way. Unfortunately, I am not always tactful, and I apologize for that.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Another Satire : Cry It Out
I love this article. I even love the way it's written, honestly, and my sentiments actually are the same as the author's, and I'm not going to apologize for it, so if this article offends you : too bad.*** This is what I believe about letting a baby cry it out. It makes me incredibly sad that mothers have been taught, and listen to this bad advice, that ignoring their babies at night time is a good thing. It's not. It's painful to hear your child cry for a biological reason...that's your "alarm system" telling you to take care of your child. Somewhere along the line working mothers decided that their own uninterrupted sleep was more important than the needs of a tiny, helpless baby, and it breaks my heart. I wish more women would listen to their maternal instincts and ignore crappy advice to just let their babies cry. But this author says it better than I can:
http://womanuncensored.blogspot.com/2009/12/just-let-her-cry.html
*** The only phrase I really don't like is when she claims that parents who do this "suck at being a parent at night time." I don't think these parents "suck at being a parent." I think they've been given, and are following, bad advice. I have friends that have used sleep training to some degree or another by using CIO (by the way, there are alternatives to sleep train without making your babies cry), and I think they are very good parents. But I also wish they didn't practice CIO, because I personally feel that CIO is awful.
http://womanuncensored.blogspot.com/2009/12/just-let-her-cry.html
*** The only phrase I really don't like is when she claims that parents who do this "suck at being a parent at night time." I don't think these parents "suck at being a parent." I think they've been given, and are following, bad advice. I have friends that have used sleep training to some degree or another by using CIO (by the way, there are alternatives to sleep train without making your babies cry), and I think they are very good parents. But I also wish they didn't practice CIO, because I personally feel that CIO is awful.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Adventures in Baby Led Weaning
Anne is just over 8 months old now, and we've been doing her introduction to solid foods by the method known as "Baby Led Weaning" since she was 6 months old. I absolutely love it. Anne loves it. She gets so excited at dinner time when we put her in the highchair, often protesting loudly if I don't get her portion of our meal to her quickly enough. If she sees us eating something, she has to have a taste of it. I am confident Anne will never have the typical "white diet" most kids have (pasta, chicken nuggets, etc. only) because she already loves things like broccoli, zucchini, green beans, and eggplant as well as meat like steak and an assortment of fruits, like strawberries, blueberries, bananas, etc. If it's a green veggie, it always goes in her mouth first before anything else on her plate, with no cajoling from us.
Baby Led Weaning (BLW) is a way to introduce solid food without using purees at all, by waiting until your child is 6 months old (instead of 4 months like with traditional puree introduction), and by giving them table food from the get-go. Because of the slightly delayed introduction, BLW might work better with a breastfed baby than a formula-fed baby since the calorie intake is different, but you can do it with either. You let your child feed themselves, which teaches them hand-eye coordination, portion control, how to manipulate the food in their mouth for swallowing, and how to chew. Because they are in control of what they put in their mouth, they're more open to trying new textures, colors, and tastes. Whatever you cook for yourself, you just give your baby a portion of, whole and not pureed, and let them explore the food. Salt, family food allergies, and dangerous foods like honey (botulism) nuts (too hard, actual choking hazard) are things to take into consideration, but for the most part pretty much every food you eat you can feed to your baby.
I found BLW just before Anne turned 4 months old, when we had intended to use purees like most people do. I was going to make her own baby food at home with a blender so I would know it wasn't full of preservatives and other junk I didn't want to feed her. And then I read about BLW, and decided to try this route, partially because I thought I would take the lazy route and not have to make her food. I can't tell you how glad I am that we did it. (though it being less work is debatable, considering the mess it makes and the forethought I have to put into preparing meals she can manage to pick up with her fingers).
In the beginning, Anne gagged fairly frequently, as the book about BLW explains will happen and is normal. It's simply her body's way of letting her know she stuffed too much food in her mouth. A baby's gag reflex is much farther forward on their tongues than an adult, which actually helps prevent choking (the #1 fear of any parent giving their baby solid food). She has never choked, though I will say the gagging sound is very disconcerting until you get used to it and my heart *might* have stopped beating a couple of times while I held my breath and waited for her to work it out by herself. Also in the beginning, it's mostly play and exploration more than eating, but babies get very little nutrition from solid foods until they're about a year old. Most of their nutrition comes from breastmilk or formula, so it doesn't matter how much she's eating or not eating as long as she's drinking enough milk. In the beginning, it's all about learning how to handle the food first.
When Anne was about 7 months old, she started drinking more milk at daycare than I could pump, but we weren't ready to send solid food yet because she was still gagging off and on and we weren't comfortable with the teachers being the ones to monitor her while she ate. So I did send some purees, some baby oatmeal cereal, and baby yogurt for about 2 weeks until I felt like she was better at moving the food around in her mouth and swallowing. I think she's had two servings of peas and carrots each, and that's it for the purees. I do still send the baby cereal and yogurt, but I don't consider those to be purees so much because yogurt is a normal food even for adults and the cereal has a slightly mushier texture than regular oatmeal. But she gets solid table food for lunch.
It seems like almost overnight she's suddenly started really eating and not just playing with her food and spitting most of it out. Over this past weekend she ate strawberries, blueberries and tomatoes, chomped on a piece of steak, and bit into corn on the cob while I held it up to her mouth for her. I think having that upper tooth is really helping because she can bite into more things now. But she's chewing and swallowing, and not gagging anymore, and she's gotten much better at the pincer grasp for picking up little pieces of food. It's fun to watch her pick up something small and manipulate it in her hand until she can get it into a position good for putting it in her mouth. Watching her eat is amazing.
If we've eaten it, she's had a taste of it, or at least it's been offered to her. Some things she's completely ignored (like lima beans...maybe she takes after Kristian, who hates them. lol) but most of it she at least tries. I ordered Panang Curry on Friday from Chin Chin and gave her some of the potatoes, veggies, and meat out of it. She loved it. How many parents who do traditional puree introduction can say their child loved curry at 8 months old?
I look forward to her learning how to use utensils, but in the meantime it's fun to watch her manipulate the food in her hands. At least until she flings it to the floor anyway. ;-)
Baby Led Weaning (BLW) is a way to introduce solid food without using purees at all, by waiting until your child is 6 months old (instead of 4 months like with traditional puree introduction), and by giving them table food from the get-go. Because of the slightly delayed introduction, BLW might work better with a breastfed baby than a formula-fed baby since the calorie intake is different, but you can do it with either. You let your child feed themselves, which teaches them hand-eye coordination, portion control, how to manipulate the food in their mouth for swallowing, and how to chew. Because they are in control of what they put in their mouth, they're more open to trying new textures, colors, and tastes. Whatever you cook for yourself, you just give your baby a portion of, whole and not pureed, and let them explore the food. Salt, family food allergies, and dangerous foods like honey (botulism) nuts (too hard, actual choking hazard) are things to take into consideration, but for the most part pretty much every food you eat you can feed to your baby.
I found BLW just before Anne turned 4 months old, when we had intended to use purees like most people do. I was going to make her own baby food at home with a blender so I would know it wasn't full of preservatives and other junk I didn't want to feed her. And then I read about BLW, and decided to try this route, partially because I thought I would take the lazy route and not have to make her food. I can't tell you how glad I am that we did it. (though it being less work is debatable, considering the mess it makes and the forethought I have to put into preparing meals she can manage to pick up with her fingers).
In the beginning, Anne gagged fairly frequently, as the book about BLW explains will happen and is normal. It's simply her body's way of letting her know she stuffed too much food in her mouth. A baby's gag reflex is much farther forward on their tongues than an adult, which actually helps prevent choking (the #1 fear of any parent giving their baby solid food). She has never choked, though I will say the gagging sound is very disconcerting until you get used to it and my heart *might* have stopped beating a couple of times while I held my breath and waited for her to work it out by herself. Also in the beginning, it's mostly play and exploration more than eating, but babies get very little nutrition from solid foods until they're about a year old. Most of their nutrition comes from breastmilk or formula, so it doesn't matter how much she's eating or not eating as long as she's drinking enough milk. In the beginning, it's all about learning how to handle the food first.
When Anne was about 7 months old, she started drinking more milk at daycare than I could pump, but we weren't ready to send solid food yet because she was still gagging off and on and we weren't comfortable with the teachers being the ones to monitor her while she ate. So I did send some purees, some baby oatmeal cereal, and baby yogurt for about 2 weeks until I felt like she was better at moving the food around in her mouth and swallowing. I think she's had two servings of peas and carrots each, and that's it for the purees. I do still send the baby cereal and yogurt, but I don't consider those to be purees so much because yogurt is a normal food even for adults and the cereal has a slightly mushier texture than regular oatmeal. But she gets solid table food for lunch.
It seems like almost overnight she's suddenly started really eating and not just playing with her food and spitting most of it out. Over this past weekend she ate strawberries, blueberries and tomatoes, chomped on a piece of steak, and bit into corn on the cob while I held it up to her mouth for her. I think having that upper tooth is really helping because she can bite into more things now. But she's chewing and swallowing, and not gagging anymore, and she's gotten much better at the pincer grasp for picking up little pieces of food. It's fun to watch her pick up something small and manipulate it in her hand until she can get it into a position good for putting it in her mouth. Watching her eat is amazing.
If we've eaten it, she's had a taste of it, or at least it's been offered to her. Some things she's completely ignored (like lima beans...maybe she takes after Kristian, who hates them. lol) but most of it she at least tries. I ordered Panang Curry on Friday from Chin Chin and gave her some of the potatoes, veggies, and meat out of it. She loved it. How many parents who do traditional puree introduction can say their child loved curry at 8 months old?
I look forward to her learning how to use utensils, but in the meantime it's fun to watch her manipulate the food in her hands. At least until she flings it to the floor anyway. ;-)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Birthday Reflections
My last day being 30 was awful. Anne woke up in the middle of the night with fevers and coughing and so miserable she cried and whined for over an hour before I could get her to go back to sleep, and Kristian had to work that day so we had to get up early. I got very little sleep and then had to take care of a whiney, congested, feverish Anne most of the day. I got very little housework done and never made it to the grocery store. The shower I took after Kristian got home was such sweet relief that I tried to stay in as long as I could, and even stood in the steamy bathroom a minute almost dreading opening the door to get dressed.
Fortunately, my birthday was much better and made up for it. Anne slept better and didn't have any fevers, which meant I got some sleep. We skipped church in favor of sleeping in and having a more relaxing morning. Kristian went and got us doughnuts for breakfast which is always happiness. I took some time to check my email while Anne took a morning nap on my lap and then we went to the grocery store, came home and had lunch, and then headed to Fernbank to meet up with friends and family to celebrate my birthday.
On our way to the museum, I thought about the fact that I was born on this day, and it made me think about Anne's birth. I think until you have a child yourself, a birthday is sortof an abstract thought, just a fun day to celebrate you being alive. But having given birth, it made it more real for me. I thought about the fact that my Mom must be remembering giving birth to me and what that must have been like. I felt like my birthday should actually be more a celebration of my Mom than me; she brought me into this world and I was just the happy recipient of all her hard work. I kindof think "Mother's Day" should be celebrated on our birthdays, it would make more sense.
The Ferbank Mytholgical Creatures exhibit was pretty neat, and I actually learned something about unicorns I never knew before thanks to Brian. Funny that I've loved them my whole life but never really knew a whole lot about them... Brian, Jen, my Mom and Ray, Caitlin, Chuck and Kristian's Mom, Jarrett, Herb, Kira and Lucy came out to see the exhibit with me. It was fun wandering around looking at everything. After we went through the exhibit we went upstairs to the new kids area and let Anne play some. She and Lucy had a blast smacking their hands in a virtual river to see the "waves" ripple out. After we left Fernbank we ate at Everybody's Pizza before heading home. It was a good day :-D
For some reason turning 31 seems old to me. 30 was awesome. I loved being 30 because I finally felt like an adult. I'd stay 30 forever if I could. But if my birthday was any indication of what the rest of this year will be like, it should be a good year. I'm looking forward to it.
Also, sidenote, 8 month old baby fighting sleep = exhausting. Anne literally rolled around our bed for half an hour last night before we gave up and took her downstairs to play some more. She finally fell asleep on my lap around 9:30, an hour past her bedtime. >.< Silly girl.
Fortunately, my birthday was much better and made up for it. Anne slept better and didn't have any fevers, which meant I got some sleep. We skipped church in favor of sleeping in and having a more relaxing morning. Kristian went and got us doughnuts for breakfast which is always happiness. I took some time to check my email while Anne took a morning nap on my lap and then we went to the grocery store, came home and had lunch, and then headed to Fernbank to meet up with friends and family to celebrate my birthday.
On our way to the museum, I thought about the fact that I was born on this day, and it made me think about Anne's birth. I think until you have a child yourself, a birthday is sortof an abstract thought, just a fun day to celebrate you being alive. But having given birth, it made it more real for me. I thought about the fact that my Mom must be remembering giving birth to me and what that must have been like. I felt like my birthday should actually be more a celebration of my Mom than me; she brought me into this world and I was just the happy recipient of all her hard work. I kindof think "Mother's Day" should be celebrated on our birthdays, it would make more sense.
The Ferbank Mytholgical Creatures exhibit was pretty neat, and I actually learned something about unicorns I never knew before thanks to Brian. Funny that I've loved them my whole life but never really knew a whole lot about them... Brian, Jen, my Mom and Ray, Caitlin, Chuck and Kristian's Mom, Jarrett, Herb, Kira and Lucy came out to see the exhibit with me. It was fun wandering around looking at everything. After we went through the exhibit we went upstairs to the new kids area and let Anne play some. She and Lucy had a blast smacking their hands in a virtual river to see the "waves" ripple out. After we left Fernbank we ate at Everybody's Pizza before heading home. It was a good day :-D
For some reason turning 31 seems old to me. 30 was awesome. I loved being 30 because I finally felt like an adult. I'd stay 30 forever if I could. But if my birthday was any indication of what the rest of this year will be like, it should be a good year. I'm looking forward to it.
Also, sidenote, 8 month old baby fighting sleep = exhausting. Anne literally rolled around our bed for half an hour last night before we gave up and took her downstairs to play some more. She finally fell asleep on my lap around 9:30, an hour past her bedtime. >.< Silly girl.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Dear Anne: (June 7, 2011)
Dear Anne:
I can't believe you're almost 8 months old. It's the downhill side of approaching your first birthday when the infant days will be gone, and I'm going to miss these days so much. I love these sweet baby days when you still need me, when you want to snuggle and have me carry you everywhere. I know they will be over too soon.
You're doing really well at eating solid foods now, though most of it is still play. I'm so glad we decided to do Baby Led Weaning because I have already seen you eat foods that other kids won't touch even when they're older. Broccoli is your favorite food, probably because it's so easy for you to pick up. But you always seem to make a beeline for any green vegetable I put in front of you, so I don't think we'll ever have to coerce you into eating your veggies. You really seem to enjoy eating meals with us, and look honestly put out if we eat something and don't offer you any.
You still can't crawl but you're getting really close; I imagine it will only be another couple of weeks. You can get your butt up in the air but you haven't figured out how to coordinate moving your knees and your hands. I can tell you desperately want to move; you usually end up scooting backwards when you try and you often whine in frustration. Hang in there, sweetheart, you'll figure it out soon enough! Then Mommy and Daddy will be chasing you all over the house...and the cats will be running for their lives. lol
You've discovered that "Peek-a-Boo" is a great game, and Daddy and I play it with you behind the couch. One of us will hold you on the couch and the other will hide on the other side and pop up to suprise you. I don't think either of us will ever get tired of your smiles or your laughter; they're seriously the best things ever.
Unfortunately you've spent most of your infant life with some kind of cold or sinus infection. It frustrates me to no end that you are sick more than you're healthy, but I can only hope this is giving you an iron-strong immune system for when you're older. Daycare = the necessary evil. But for the most part you seem happy even when you're full of "baby boogers."
I still love nursing you, and one of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to nurse you down for a nap on the couch. Daddy always stays nearby if I decide to take a nap with you to make sure you don't roll off the couch. I love co-sleeping with you too, and I'm going to really miss you being in our bed when it's time to move you to a "big girl bed." I read something about slumber parties with your kids the other day; we'll have to have those, especially if Daddy is off with his friends.
You enjoy the stroller now and also riding in the grocery cart (I put a cloth cover in it for you). I still carry you in the Moby sometimes, but you seem to like the independence of the cart too. You love to bounce and you really enjoy the walker we got you. I have to keep a close eye on you though; apparently trying to get into the kitchen trashcan is one of your favorite games! Telling you "No" only makes you grin at me and sometimes giggle. I think we're going to have our hands full...
You started saying "da da da da" recently. I don't know if you recognize that it relates to Daddy, but I'm anxious for you to say "ma ma ma ma." I love it when you chatter even if we can't really understand what you're trying to tell us.
You're fascinated by the cats. Duchess will let you pet her until you grab her fur and pull, and Indy still shies away from you. I think maybe he knows better. lol
I love you more than words can express and every moment I'm away from you I long to be with you again. I wish time would slow down; I want to hold on to these days. 12 months of being an infant is just not long enough.
Love always,
Mom
I can't believe you're almost 8 months old. It's the downhill side of approaching your first birthday when the infant days will be gone, and I'm going to miss these days so much. I love these sweet baby days when you still need me, when you want to snuggle and have me carry you everywhere. I know they will be over too soon.
You're doing really well at eating solid foods now, though most of it is still play. I'm so glad we decided to do Baby Led Weaning because I have already seen you eat foods that other kids won't touch even when they're older. Broccoli is your favorite food, probably because it's so easy for you to pick up. But you always seem to make a beeline for any green vegetable I put in front of you, so I don't think we'll ever have to coerce you into eating your veggies. You really seem to enjoy eating meals with us, and look honestly put out if we eat something and don't offer you any.
You still can't crawl but you're getting really close; I imagine it will only be another couple of weeks. You can get your butt up in the air but you haven't figured out how to coordinate moving your knees and your hands. I can tell you desperately want to move; you usually end up scooting backwards when you try and you often whine in frustration. Hang in there, sweetheart, you'll figure it out soon enough! Then Mommy and Daddy will be chasing you all over the house...and the cats will be running for their lives. lol
You've discovered that "Peek-a-Boo" is a great game, and Daddy and I play it with you behind the couch. One of us will hold you on the couch and the other will hide on the other side and pop up to suprise you. I don't think either of us will ever get tired of your smiles or your laughter; they're seriously the best things ever.
Unfortunately you've spent most of your infant life with some kind of cold or sinus infection. It frustrates me to no end that you are sick more than you're healthy, but I can only hope this is giving you an iron-strong immune system for when you're older. Daycare = the necessary evil. But for the most part you seem happy even when you're full of "baby boogers."
I still love nursing you, and one of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to nurse you down for a nap on the couch. Daddy always stays nearby if I decide to take a nap with you to make sure you don't roll off the couch. I love co-sleeping with you too, and I'm going to really miss you being in our bed when it's time to move you to a "big girl bed." I read something about slumber parties with your kids the other day; we'll have to have those, especially if Daddy is off with his friends.
You enjoy the stroller now and also riding in the grocery cart (I put a cloth cover in it for you). I still carry you in the Moby sometimes, but you seem to like the independence of the cart too. You love to bounce and you really enjoy the walker we got you. I have to keep a close eye on you though; apparently trying to get into the kitchen trashcan is one of your favorite games! Telling you "No" only makes you grin at me and sometimes giggle. I think we're going to have our hands full...
You started saying "da da da da" recently. I don't know if you recognize that it relates to Daddy, but I'm anxious for you to say "ma ma ma ma." I love it when you chatter even if we can't really understand what you're trying to tell us.
You're fascinated by the cats. Duchess will let you pet her until you grab her fur and pull, and Indy still shies away from you. I think maybe he knows better. lol
I love you more than words can express and every moment I'm away from you I long to be with you again. I wish time would slow down; I want to hold on to these days. 12 months of being an infant is just not long enough.
Love always,
Mom
Thursday, June 2, 2011
On Circumcision
Disclaimer, because this article is pretty offensive in some ways:
I like that it was written from an adult perspective, and that it cites many of the reasons supporting not having your son circumcised. The perspective spin is what intrigued me, not the attacking nature of the author. I forget sometimes that when I post things people can't hear my internal monologue that often disagrees with the tone of an article, and often entire sentences or paragraphs. If I repost something it's because I like the general gist of the article and any relevant info contained in it. I rarely agree with everything an author says, and most certainly do not always agree with all of an author's personal opinions. If you read something and think "wow, I can't imagine Nicole saying/thinking that," then more than likely I didn't like that part of the article either.
http://www.stayathomemomologues.com/2011/06/its-cleaner-now.html
I like that it was written from an adult perspective, and that it cites many of the reasons supporting not having your son circumcised. The perspective spin is what intrigued me, not the attacking nature of the author. I forget sometimes that when I post things people can't hear my internal monologue that often disagrees with the tone of an article, and often entire sentences or paragraphs. If I repost something it's because I like the general gist of the article and any relevant info contained in it. I rarely agree with everything an author says, and most certainly do not always agree with all of an author's personal opinions. If you read something and think "wow, I can't imagine Nicole saying/thinking that," then more than likely I didn't like that part of the article either.
http://www.stayathomemomologues.com/2011/06/its-cleaner-now.html
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