Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Granny and Shannie
You know the old adage...'I'm turning into my mother'? I'm more like my mother than my mother is. I feel like the luckiest girl alive to have my Mom as my best friend! It's strange how much we think alike. And we kind of feed off each other on the crafty stuff. She has an idea, then I add stuff to her idea, then she improves my suggestions. It's kind of ridiculous how in-sync our thoughts are.
I adore my Mom AND Dad. I have a couple personality traits similar to my Dad (I'm pretty analytical, I have a dry sense of humor, and I'm ALWAYS right!) but my overall personality is SO similar to my Mom. We're nurturers. We're empathetic. We care more about relationships than things. Sometimes we need to learn to keep our mouth's shut.
There are so many things my Mom took Laur and I to do as a kid that I want to do with Betsy. We went to the theater. We went to the ballet. My mom threw dinner parties for my friends in high school. I remember her helping me get ready for every school dance. I remember grocery shopping with my Mom every Sunday. My Mom wrote a rap for me and a couple friends to perform at the school talent show in second and third grade (that's right, I'm a rapper). When my friends and I played and laid out in the pool my Mom would make us fruity drinks in pretty glasses and bring them out to us in the pool.
My mom showed me that you can have a career and still be involved in your child's life. She made every Christmas extra special. In college when I came home I was encouraged to bring my friends and she made my favorite meals. We talk every day and if I'm upset about something talking to her makes me feel better. Having a daughter has brought me closer to my Mom than I could ever imagine. It makes me grateful that she set such a great example, and I know she's proud of what kind of parent I have become. The greatest praise she can give me is about my parenting skills.
The other day in response to my story about Betsy trying to eat dog food my Mom told me "being a working mom is the hardest job in the world,". I told her I feel too blessed to be stressed. I really understand that statement now. I saw my Mom balance a TON of things. She worked, had a long commute, fixed dinners, drove us to little league practice, helped maintain the house and much more. I think seeing this impacted my view of what I can do. I truly think my Mom can do anything, and if she can do it, I can too.
I hope one day Betsy feels about me the way I do about her Granny.
I adore my Mom AND Dad. I have a couple personality traits similar to my Dad (I'm pretty analytical, I have a dry sense of humor, and I'm ALWAYS right!) but my overall personality is SO similar to my Mom. We're nurturers. We're empathetic. We care more about relationships than things. Sometimes we need to learn to keep our mouth's shut.
There are so many things my Mom took Laur and I to do as a kid that I want to do with Betsy. We went to the theater. We went to the ballet. My mom threw dinner parties for my friends in high school. I remember her helping me get ready for every school dance. I remember grocery shopping with my Mom every Sunday. My Mom wrote a rap for me and a couple friends to perform at the school talent show in second and third grade (that's right, I'm a rapper). When my friends and I played and laid out in the pool my Mom would make us fruity drinks in pretty glasses and bring them out to us in the pool.
My mom showed me that you can have a career and still be involved in your child's life. She made every Christmas extra special. In college when I came home I was encouraged to bring my friends and she made my favorite meals. We talk every day and if I'm upset about something talking to her makes me feel better. Having a daughter has brought me closer to my Mom than I could ever imagine. It makes me grateful that she set such a great example, and I know she's proud of what kind of parent I have become. The greatest praise she can give me is about my parenting skills.
The other day in response to my story about Betsy trying to eat dog food my Mom told me "being a working mom is the hardest job in the world,". I told her I feel too blessed to be stressed. I really understand that statement now. I saw my Mom balance a TON of things. She worked, had a long commute, fixed dinners, drove us to little league practice, helped maintain the house and much more. I think seeing this impacted my view of what I can do. I truly think my Mom can do anything, and if she can do it, I can too.
I hope one day Betsy feels about me the way I do about her Granny.
MAD Betsy.
Last night Betsy threw her first full blown temper tantrum. After dinner I was trying to pick up our bedroom. I had my hands full with empty bottles and water glasses so I tried to stand Betsy up on her own to walk down the hallway. She wouldn't stand up. So I sat her on the ground and said "Come on Betsy, let's go." She crawled a couple feet then decided she was mad I wasn't carrying her.
I think it looked so funny because she's so little. She threw her whole body face forward on the tile and wouldn't look up at me. I said "OK, I'll be right back." and she looked me square in the eye, took her ninnie out of her mouth and threw it FAR down the hallway. I said "No mam, that's not sweet." and she threw herself on the floor again, body splayed out in all directions, face smashed into the tile.
What happened next would have probably scared me to death, except I witnessed the same stage roughly 18 years ago with my sister. Betsy looked at me, and slammed her head against the tile. I said "Betsy, NO, danger!" As soon as I set the dishes in the sink I scooped up the baby, handed her a ninnie and she snuggled into me and mellowed out.
UGH. We have a head banger. Little Lauren went through this stage too. Lauren would slam her head against her crib or any other available furniture (bruising herself and denting the furniture). She would do it out in public. My parents had to pad her crib with foam and duct tape so she wouldn't hurt herself too bad. Our pediatrician (who was wonderful and I saw until I was 20) told my mom "Mrs. Stuckey, she'll be fine. This is a stage. She's frustrated she can't express what she wants." My mom asked the doctor if Lauren would have any permanent brain damage and he insisted it wasn't likely (the jury is still out on that one). My Mom was kind of embarrassed wondering if people thought she was beating her child (obviously she wasn't).
So I called my Mom last night.
Shan: MOM. If there was one childhood habit of Lauren's we didn't want Betsy to get what would it be?
Mom: Banging her head.
Betsy: WWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH MaaaaaaaMaaaaaaaaa! MaaaaaaaaMaaaaaaa! *babble babble babble*
Mom: Look on the bright side, Lauren's really smart. It didn't cause any permanent damage.
Shan: *snicker*
I think it looked so funny because she's so little. She threw her whole body face forward on the tile and wouldn't look up at me. I said "OK, I'll be right back." and she looked me square in the eye, took her ninnie out of her mouth and threw it FAR down the hallway. I said "No mam, that's not sweet." and she threw herself on the floor again, body splayed out in all directions, face smashed into the tile.
What happened next would have probably scared me to death, except I witnessed the same stage roughly 18 years ago with my sister. Betsy looked at me, and slammed her head against the tile. I said "Betsy, NO, danger!" As soon as I set the dishes in the sink I scooped up the baby, handed her a ninnie and she snuggled into me and mellowed out.
UGH. We have a head banger. Little Lauren went through this stage too. Lauren would slam her head against her crib or any other available furniture (bruising herself and denting the furniture). She would do it out in public. My parents had to pad her crib with foam and duct tape so she wouldn't hurt herself too bad. Our pediatrician (who was wonderful and I saw until I was 20) told my mom "Mrs. Stuckey, she'll be fine. This is a stage. She's frustrated she can't express what she wants." My mom asked the doctor if Lauren would have any permanent brain damage and he insisted it wasn't likely (the jury is still out on that one). My Mom was kind of embarrassed wondering if people thought she was beating her child (obviously she wasn't).
So I called my Mom last night.
Shan: MOM. If there was one childhood habit of Lauren's we didn't want Betsy to get what would it be?
Mom: Banging her head.
Betsy: WWWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH MaaaaaaaMaaaaaaaaa! MaaaaaaaaMaaaaaaa! *babble babble babble*
Mom: Look on the bright side, Lauren's really smart. It didn't cause any permanent damage.
Shan: *snicker*
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Parenting fail part 2
Conversation between Ben and I this morning.
Ben: So, um, when did you move the baby in bed with us last night?
Shan: About midnight. She was crying because she was hungry. She only drank four bottles yesterday, so I gave her a bottle and she fell asleep in our bed. Why do you ask?
Ben: This morning I woke up and she was curled up behind my butt. And I...uh...I'm pretty sure I farted on her. Twice.
Shan: Great, she smells like dog food and farts today. I hope her teachers don't notice.
**I wonder if Ben would be embarrassed that I blogged this. I doubt it. He and I both have a high threshold for mortification.
Ben: So, um, when did you move the baby in bed with us last night?
Shan: About midnight. She was crying because she was hungry. She only drank four bottles yesterday, so I gave her a bottle and she fell asleep in our bed. Why do you ask?
Ben: This morning I woke up and she was curled up behind my butt. And I...uh...I'm pretty sure I farted on her. Twice.
Shan: Great, she smells like dog food and farts today. I hope her teachers don't notice.
**I wonder if Ben would be embarrassed that I blogged this. I doubt it. He and I both have a high threshold for mortification.
There's hope for her yet.
While I happily acknowledge that Betsy looks just like Daddy (the twins!) I still think sometimes she looks like I did as a baby. Every once in a while I see a picture of her and think so. See what I mean?
Parenting fail
Oh man. This morning was priceless. Betsy is getting into EVERYTHING. I looked up this morning hearing a *slap slap slap* thinking it was Betsy's hands on the tile crawling through the house. Nope, she was walking down the hallway clapping for herself. She's doesn't like to sit down, so she's electing to walk everywhere versus crawling.
This morning after Betsy and I were both dressed and fed and about to head out the door I left her in the kitchen for a second while I loaded the car. I always put her in last. She usually self-entertains on the kitchen rug for a while, but this morning that wasn't the case. I came back in the kitchen to find Betsy playing in Madison's water bowl with Maddie's dog food clutched in her fist. She was trying to feed herself dog food. I ran in the room and had one of those slow motion movie moments...."Noooooo!!!" said in a slow motion as I lunged to intercept the hand making it's way to her mouth.
I eventually pried the 'Nauzer food from Bets' fingers and as I picked her up I realized she had put one of her feet in the water bowl and she was soaking wet. We ran back to her room and changed from her Robeez to her boots-with-the-fur. Betsy likes the boots better anyways. I wonder if this was all a ploy to get to wear her favorite shoes today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed her teachers don't notice she smells a little like dog food today. I've learned my lesson. Thirty seconds is too long to leave her unattended now. If only I was a kangaroo and put her in my pouch and still have my hands free to do stuff.
This morning after Betsy and I were both dressed and fed and about to head out the door I left her in the kitchen for a second while I loaded the car. I always put her in last. She usually self-entertains on the kitchen rug for a while, but this morning that wasn't the case. I came back in the kitchen to find Betsy playing in Madison's water bowl with Maddie's dog food clutched in her fist. She was trying to feed herself dog food. I ran in the room and had one of those slow motion movie moments...."Noooooo!!!" said in a slow motion as I lunged to intercept the hand making it's way to her mouth.
I eventually pried the 'Nauzer food from Bets' fingers and as I picked her up I realized she had put one of her feet in the water bowl and she was soaking wet. We ran back to her room and changed from her Robeez to her boots-with-the-fur. Betsy likes the boots better anyways. I wonder if this was all a ploy to get to wear her favorite shoes today. I'm keeping my fingers crossed her teachers don't notice she smells a little like dog food today. I've learned my lesson. Thirty seconds is too long to leave her unattended now. If only I was a kangaroo and put her in my pouch and still have my hands free to do stuff.
Monday, October 26, 2009
My current parenthood paranioa.
Up to this point I've kept parenthood paranoia to a minimum. I don't think I've overreacted about any of her health stuff. We've had things checked out (like her red spot, the bump on her chest, and her recent ear infections). However I'm a little concerned that my sweet girl isn't gaining much weight. Our pediatrician hasn't been worried about her size at all. He attributes her petite stature to all the moving she does. She started walking and crawling early and he assures me it's normal for babies to slim down once they become mobile. However, Betsy weighed 17 lb 15 oz (naked) at her 9 month appointment, 18 lbs 8 ounces at 10.5 months (with clothes), and 18 lbs 6 ounces yesterday (with clothes). She's barely gained any weight in the last two months.
I'm trying to help her fill out a bit. She eats a couple times per day but if she eats any more than say, a large Yo baby yogurt meal and a container of baby food in a day she doesn't want to drink her formula. She doesn't act fussy, but she also doesn't realize she's hungry until I pull food out of the pantry and a baby spoon (then she can't hardly sit still long enough for me to put a bib on her).
The idea that she'll be eating table food and not formula in about a month has me worried...will she get enough sustenance?
Have any of you guys worried about this?
I'm trying to help her fill out a bit. She eats a couple times per day but if she eats any more than say, a large Yo baby yogurt meal and a container of baby food in a day she doesn't want to drink her formula. She doesn't act fussy, but she also doesn't realize she's hungry until I pull food out of the pantry and a baby spoon (then she can't hardly sit still long enough for me to put a bib on her).
The idea that she'll be eating table food and not formula in about a month has me worried...will she get enough sustenance?
Have any of you guys worried about this?
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