Tuesday, January 31, 2006
group hug
Monday, January 30, 2006
a day in the life
If Jack had a day planner...
07.00 - Wake up. Make cute singing sounds intermittently. Cough a few times to attract attention.
07.30 - Make loud crying noises if coughing does not attract sufficient attention.
07.45 - Breakfast. If cream cheese is served, ensure that a thin layer is applied thoroughly to all surfaces and exposed skin. Act surprised when Jasper snaps up any toast I've "dropped".
08.15 - Get dressed. Employ "wriggle and squirm technique" to prevent clothes from being put on successfully. If nappy is dirty, roll and crawl away quickly after it is removed. Alternatively, deploy the pee fountain.
08.30 - Begin daily investigation of the lower floor. Press every button on every machine located near the television and open all DVDs within reach. Ignore toys.
09.00 - Begin dog inspection. Examine dog's eyes with index finger and tug tail to ensure it is firmly secured. Chew on his toys to check flavour and durability.
10.30 - Rub eyes. Insist I am not tired.
10.45 - Continue to rub eyes. Scream in protest if put down for nap. Sleep despite protest.
11.30 - Carry on with ground floor inspection. Open every door and drawer in sideboard and empty cutlery tray. Hit television screen repeatedly. Remove all scatter cushions from sofas. Ignore toys.
12.00 - Lunch. Conduct experiment to verify how many fingers of a tuna sandwich will fit down the sides of highchair. Try to increase this number tomorrow.
12.45 - Place handprints on every glass surface two feet and lower. Lick all surfaces two feet and lower. Chew on sofa.
13.30 - Free time. Usually involves going somewhere fun (soft play centre with my friends) or dull (Tesco). Ensure that all time spent at Tesco involves practicing screamy voice and the game "Give Me Your Pen, Or I'll Have a Hissy Fit".
16.00 - Repeat nap protest from morning. Only fall asleep peacefully when it's not convenient, such as thirty seconds before pulling into the driveway.
16.30 - Re-check buttons in the vicinity of the television. Try to figure out how to dismantle surround sound system and record random programmes with Sky+.
17.30 - Supper. Create artistic sculpture out of bowl contents. (NB: Foods containing mashed potato work best for this.)
18.00 - Use daddy as a stepladder to dive head first off the back of the sofa. Try to acquire daddy's glasses and see if they can be bent into interesting shapes. Cajole daddy with desperately cute facial expressions for a shoulder ride. Ignore toys.
19.00 - Bedtime. If day has been satisfactory, sleep until the following morning. Otherwise, wake every hour on the hour, insisting that it's play time.
Friday, January 27, 2006
stop the presses!!
Not only did Jack stand up without any help tonight, he took about four steps into the arms of his very excited daddy. I'm so thrilled - and eternally grateful that we both got to witness this milestone, rather than hear it from the day nursery staff.
Proud, proud mummy and daddy. Well done, Jack-Jack!
my kleenex overfloweth
So now this cold has gone from feeling like death with an incredibly sore throat to feeling like near death with a mildly sore throat. My little boy is sleeping on a duvet making noises like gggnnnnzzzzzssssnnnnrrrrk, but at least he's getting some rest. Paul (did I mention how great he is?) got some orange juice ice lollies/popsicles for me the other day to help my throat pain. As I was eating one, Jack stared at it intently, sticking his tongue out hopefully. I gave him a little taste (and he made his "what the sam hell is THAT?" frowny face at first), and then he was hooked. Every time I had a lick, he went "EEEEEEEE!" and pushed his head towards the lolly until we had finished it. That's right, I fed my son something that wasn't organic and contained a bit of sugar.
In a similar vein, I've had to accept the fact that Jack isn't going to be fed quite the same quality of food at the nursery as he is at home. Although they don't feed the kids turkey twizzlers, it does seem to be a diet of pasta bakes, white bread, beans on toast, and other similar dishes. Today, they had what looked like mashed potatoes with bacon in it and (tinned?) spaghetti. I get the impression that the meals tend to be mostly white and starchy. I would never, ever get on my high horse and berate anyone who feeds their kids meals like this, it's just that it's a change in diet for Jack and it makes me feel slightly guilty (added to the guilt about leaving him in a day nursery full stop, but I digress). I've made a conscious effort to cram in all the fruit and veg I can into Jack's diet, make everything from scratch (although of course he's had jars when we've been out and about), give him foods with tons of flavour, and buy organic. I knew he wouldn't get getting organic food at the nursery, but I hoped it would be nutritious. It's only one meal a day and I can ensure he gets a wide variety of foods at home, so I feel like it's a compromise I can make. I suppose it's a compromise I wasn't planning on making until he has to endure school lunches in a few years. It's probably not rational to even worry about stuff like this, but as a new mother, most of my thought processes are devoid of logic anyway.
Smile of the day: Ooh look - it's better than television!
Thursday, January 26, 2006
worst final week of maternity leave ever
So I woke up on Monday feeling a bit sneezy (and slightly Dopey, Grumpy, and Sleepy) and by Monday afternoon, I knew that I had yet another cold. Jack also had it, although he still managed to be his usual happy self despite the chronic nose leakage. Over the past few days, it turned into the Worst Cold Ever and forced me to spend my last few days of freedom on the sofa feeling miserable. I am so not amused. There are so many things that I wanted to do with Jack this week and people I wanted to see, but instead I've spent my time going through three full boxes of Kleenex and trying every home remedy in the book to help relieve a sore throat. If I gargle any more salt water, I will lose my mind. Paul stayed at home yesterday to give me a hand with Jack wrangling (he is the best husband in the world), but it's hard work chasing after a very, very active little boy when you're feeling like a zombie.
On a totally unrelated topic, Jack has just started standing momentarily. If he doesn't notice that he's not holding on to something, he'll stand on his own for a few seconds - but as soon as he realises that he's flying solo, he either flops face first into whatever happens to be in front of him or pirouettes around to grab the nearest sturdy object. He can walk without much support (e.g. he will totter around the room whilst holding on to one of my fingers lightly), but hasn't taken more than one wobbly step on his own yet. I have a feeling that this milestone is just around the corner, but I'm in no rush to have a baby who's even more speedy and mobile than he is already.
Jack's "settling in" days at the nursery have gone really well. In fact, he only cried once - when I picked him up to take him home.
And finally, here is a picture of Jack after he woke up from a nap the other day. I seriously need to give that boy a trim.
Monday, January 23, 2006
countdown to crust earning
I go back to work next week, and I'm feeling very weird about the whole thing. On one hand, I can't imagine life as a full time mum. I have nothing against full time mums (I was raised by one), but I don't think it's the life for me. On the other hand, I'm finding it difficult to make the mental leap from my present life to a new life as a working mum. The thought of being away from Jack for the day makes my stomach hurt, and the possibility that he may do something important like take his first step while at the nursery is terrifying.
On the plus side, going back to work means I will earn my own money again. I haven't had to live off someone else's income since I lived with my parents in 1986, so it's been a very humbling experience. Another bonus is that I can look forward to getting our very own cleaner. We decided that when I return to work, we will get someone in once a week to help out with the household cleaning. I didn't want to spend whatever precious free time I get with a vacuum cleaner, so this is a very good thing.
So, I'm spending this week enjoying every minute I have with Jack and trying not to think about next week.
On a totally unrelated note, Jack's "temper tantrums" are hilarious. Or at least they're hilarious at the moment because he's not a toddler yet. For example, if you take something away from him, he stamps his feet, scrunches up his face, and shouts out "DA DA DA DA DA DA DAD!!" This lasts for around ten seconds, so it's rather endearing. For now.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
what no one tells you about new parenthood (condensed version)
Here's a very brief version of a much longer post (that will likely appear on a separate page) about the things I've discovered and worried about since Jack was born. There are approximately eight bazillion things that I can't cover in this post, but hopefully what I can cover does help someone out there somewhat.
Common Baby Myths
You are legally permitted to slap anyone who tries to convince you of any of the following myths:
"You can sleep when the baby sleeps" - This is utter nonsense because as every woman discovers, this is the only time you can actually get some fundamental things done...like shovelling a sandwich into your face before the baby wakes up. Additionally, if you do try to sleep, you do so with one eye and both ears open, anxiously awaiting the sound of your little one's cries. Which leads nicely to the next myth...
"You get used to sleep deprivation" - No, you don't. You just learn to cope with it, eventually.
"Breastfeeding is easy" - Apparently there are mothers out there who can wrap their newborns in a sling, head off to Ikea, and feed without exposing themselves and shop for flat packed furniture at the same time. I'm not one of these mothers. I needed both hands (plus any extra Paul could lend), a nursing pillow, a sofa or bed, and thirty tries to get Jack to latch on properly. If you find any aspect of breastfeeding difficult, stressful, and/or exhausting, never feel like a failure because most of us have been there. We are not all superwomen and (in my opinion) breastfeeding can take time to get used to. Never be afraid to ask for help, whether that's from friends, a breastfeeding helpline, or your midwife/health visitor/GP.
"If you breastfeed, the pregnancy pounds will melt away" - Okay, this is my theory and I stress that it's not based on any research or scientific evidence. Personally, I believe that weight loss after pregnancy has to do with a couple of things: the type of weight you gained (e.g. weight gain from eating excess calories or fat stores for breastfeeding) and how you tend to gain and lose weight naturally. If, like myself, you gained weight from eating several pints of Green and Black's ice cream and other such sundries, no amount of breastfeeding is ever going to "melt the pounds away". Also if, like myself, your body tends to hold on to fat for dear life you are probably going to need some extra time to drop the pounds. I was in maternity clothes for around four months following Jack's birth. I am so not Posh Spice.
Stuff We've All Worried About
Bring up any of the following topics to your new parent friends and they will all nod vigorously. Trust me, you are not a lunatic for worrying about any of the following things:
Your baby's weird breathing/noises - I am convinced that all newborns make the most alarming noises just to keep us on our toes. They stop breathing, make choking sounds, hack, cough, and splutter their way through the night. Although it does seem to sort itself out after the first couple of months, I don't know if any parent ever stops checking to make sure their kid is still breathing at night.
Poo analysis - Never in a million years would you have imagined yourself studying the contents of a nappy...and then discussing it with anyone who'll listen. Become a parent, and this becomes quite a normal part of everyday life. Baby poo goes through a myriad of changes (sometimes during the course of one day), most of which are perfectly normal but we analyse it anyway. I'm not sure when this phase stops. When they're toilet trained?
Rolling over during the night - Hurrah! Little junior has learned how to flip himself on to his belly! Holy crap, what if he does this at night? Babies shouldn't be on their bellies because of SIDS (cot death), right??!! Although it is advised that we place babies on their backs when they sleep, this is not really an issue once they can hold their heads up (and some babies just prefer to belly sleep right from the start). It doesn't take long for babies to learn how to flip themselves back over and if they get stuck trying, trust me, they'll let you know.
My baby isn't eating enough/I'm not producing enough milk - I really wish that boobs came with a visible milk gauge so you could see how much the baby is getting at each feed. Since they don't, you have to rely on other signs if you are worried that your baby isn't eating enough. If s/he is producing several wet and dirty nappies a day, this is a good thing (no really, it is). If s/he is gaining weight steadily and remains on the same percentile for weight, this is also a good thing. One thing that really surprised me was learning that what you pump (especially using a hand pump) may not indicate how much milk you produce during a feed - thank you LisaS for teaching me that one! I thought that because I could sometimes only pump an ounce or so, this meant Jack wasn't getting enough milk some feeds. Babies are far more effective at getting milk out of you than a suction cup attached to a plastic bottle, so what you pump isn't necessarily what they get when they latch on to you directly. I am considering hiring an electric hospital-grade pump from the NCT next time, if I want to express my milk. I think that for me, this might be more effective than the manual hand-held variety. It will also make me look a lot more like a dairy cow and will undoubtedly amuse my husband to no end.
My baby looks cross-eyed! - Did you know that the eyes actually have to learn to work in synch with one another? Neither did I until I asked about it when Jack was a newborn. Apparently this causes the cross-eyed (or "lazy eye") effect we see and fret about, and it does correct itself after the first few months. Who knew?
Baby skin is the weirdest thing ever - From cradle cap to unidentifiable rashes, baby skin seems to have weird things happen to it on a regular basis. Sometimes a rash will suddenly appear on Jack's face, only to disappear a few hours later - for no apparent reason. Cradle cap looks like scaly bits of yellowy skin that can appear on the scalp and go down to the eyebrows. It's easily removed by gently applying olive or vegetable oil on the scaly skin with a soft cloth, then wiping it away after a few minutes. Other rashes can be caused by drool, heat, illness (like colds or other viruses), allergic reactions, or eczema. If you're ever concerned about it, do get it checked out.
Has any of this helped? Is there anything else you want to know about? Leave a comment and let me know!
Monday, January 09, 2006
please stand by
I am working on a post in my head (although these days, I really should jot these thoughts down because I have the memory of a goldfish) regarding some of the things I never knew until I had a baby. I've seen so many women worry about exactly the same things that concerned me, so maybe writing about it here might help another new mum feel a little less like a lunatic.
In the meantime, please enjoy these amusing photos.
Peekaboo!
He's been hanging around the dog too long:
Bad hair day:
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
a few of my favourite things
Please indulge me while I post some of my favourite photos from Jack's first Christmas. Thank you.
Forgive me son, but every mother can't help herself from doing this sort of thing.
"Must use my investigating finger and see what this is all about!"
Whee!!!
Jack doesn't like wearing hats, as we soon discovered.
Posing with (two of his many) second cousins.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
somebody stole 2005 from me - give it back, now
Where on earth has the past year gone?! Does every year go by this quickly when you have a child? I hope not, because I'm hoping for a bit of adjustment time before Jack enters his surly teenage years. It's been an incredible, wonderful, amazing, exhausting, chaotic, awesome year, and I'm amazed at how relatively unscathed we've emerged. Jack, Paul, and I survived the sleepless nights (although since they are ongoing, I suppose we've had lots of practice), major abdominal surgery accompanied by an incredibly pissed off scar, teething (again, this is obviously ongoing unless Jack is only going to have four teeth), weaning, projectile vomiting, projectile pooing, two long haul flights and associated jet lag, a wedding and a christening (i.e. the "how long can a small baby sit quietly during a serious ceremony?" test), trial runs at daycare, a Montreal blizzard, three sets of immunisations, two rounds of antibiotics, and being fed an After Eight by a slightly inebriated but well-meaning friend.
I'm now thinking about returning to work, Jack's first birthday celebrations, the fact that he will be on cow's milk soon, and feeling sad that I won't be with him every day after the end of this month. He's currently being weaned from the bottle and now has several pairs of proper jammies without feet in them. A friend from our antenatal class is already working on #2, and her daughter is two months younger than Jack. When I told people that we'll start thinking about #2 when Jack's two years old, I felt like that was a long way off - but then I realised the other day that it's only one year from now. Where has the year gone?
On a happier note, here is Jack's first picture with Santa. As you can see, the cold dry air of Canada wreaks havoc on our son's hair.
