Every December our piano top ends up covered in holiday greeting cards. You can clearly identify which of our friends have children by the type of card they send. Our childless friends send the cards you buy in bulk at Hallmark with pictures of snowmen or Christmas trees and our friends with children send photo cards.
For the past 3 or 4 years as more and more of our friends had children the ratio of bulk cards to photo cards has been moving in favor of the photo cards. The card-type rule seemed so consistent that my husband and I often joked that we should buck the trend and send out a photo card of us posing stiffly with a stuffed doll in front of a fake fireplace backdrop. But after attempting to conceive for 2 years and struggling through 2 miscarriages the idea wasn't really that funny anymore. In fact, I started to dread seeing all of those happy family photos pile up on the piano thinking that I'd never have one of my own.
So this year, now officially photo-card qualified, I was determined to send out a photo card with a picture of the whole family -- me, my husband, Baby M and the dog. I was adamant that the photo include all of us. I always think it is a little odd when a holiday card only shows the kids, no matter how cute they are. I put it in the same category of people who use a picture of their child as their profile photo on Facebook. I feel like telling these people, "I know the kid is the fruit of your loins and all, but you are actually separate people." Anyway, a good photo of all of us was harder to obtain than I anticipated-- babies and dogs are generally not very cooperative and that, coupled with the fact that neither my husband nor myself is particularly photogenic meant I still had no acceptable photo on Christmas Eve. Luckily my brother-in-law snapped some great pictures of us all that evening. I sent the photo off to Shutterfly and I am now cheerfully addressing "Happy New Year" cards to friends and family. Better late than never, and "Merry Christmas" cards are so 2007 anyway.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Christmas Shopping with Baby
I am not much of a shopper at any time of year and I particularly dread going to the mall during the holidays. So for the past 5 years or so I have done most of my Christmas shopping online. This year was no exception but I did have to run out to the malls this week to pick up a few last minute items. Somehow, even though I had only 4 gifts left to get I ended up visiting 4 different malls over 3 days. I knew it would be bad out there, but I didn't factor in how much Baby M would slow me down.
The first issue is trying to get around a multi-level mall. I never realized how few elevators there are in most malls and how few strollers each one can accommodate. At Westside Pavilion I waited through 3 elevator cycles just to go down one level. I also have to wonder about the perfectly able-bodied, unencumbered shoppers who take the elevators. There are escalators everywhere-- why are they wasting time waiting around for the elevator? And, more importantly, why are they taking up valuable elevator space?
Once I arrived at my store of choice I often found the aisles were so narrow that I couldn't fit through with my stroller. I was using my Snap N' Go which has a pretty small footprint. I don't know what the women pushing around those giant travel systems or double strollers do. I just barely made it through J Crew and I gave up on the Borders Express after I bumped into 3 displays in as many minutes.
Baby M is still eating every 2-3 hours which means we had to find places to nurse. I figured I would just have to find a quiet bench somewhere, but was pleasantly surprised to find the "Family Room" at the Century City mall. It's a room off the food court filled with comfy chairs, changing stations and even private nursing rooms. It was not crowded and it was great to be in a place where I could relax for a few minutes. Much better than the Fox Hills Mall where I was directed to a white bench in the crowded Macy's 2nd floor bathroom. While nursing there a 6 year old girl came up and asked what Baby M was eating and when I replied "milk" she demanded that I show her. I declined.
I do have to say that I am quite proud of Baby M. He slept or sat happily in his stroller for the majority of the shopping trip and only cried when we were waiting in the checkout line. I'm sure he was just trying to see if anyone would let us cut in front of them. He's a clever boy :)
The first issue is trying to get around a multi-level mall. I never realized how few elevators there are in most malls and how few strollers each one can accommodate. At Westside Pavilion I waited through 3 elevator cycles just to go down one level. I also have to wonder about the perfectly able-bodied, unencumbered shoppers who take the elevators. There are escalators everywhere-- why are they wasting time waiting around for the elevator? And, more importantly, why are they taking up valuable elevator space?
Once I arrived at my store of choice I often found the aisles were so narrow that I couldn't fit through with my stroller. I was using my Snap N' Go which has a pretty small footprint. I don't know what the women pushing around those giant travel systems or double strollers do. I just barely made it through J Crew and I gave up on the Borders Express after I bumped into 3 displays in as many minutes.
Baby M is still eating every 2-3 hours which means we had to find places to nurse. I figured I would just have to find a quiet bench somewhere, but was pleasantly surprised to find the "Family Room" at the Century City mall. It's a room off the food court filled with comfy chairs, changing stations and even private nursing rooms. It was not crowded and it was great to be in a place where I could relax for a few minutes. Much better than the Fox Hills Mall where I was directed to a white bench in the crowded Macy's 2nd floor bathroom. While nursing there a 6 year old girl came up and asked what Baby M was eating and when I replied "milk" she demanded that I show her. I declined.
I do have to say that I am quite proud of Baby M. He slept or sat happily in his stroller for the majority of the shopping trip and only cried when we were waiting in the checkout line. I'm sure he was just trying to see if anyone would let us cut in front of them. He's a clever boy :)
Friday, December 14, 2007
Attack of the giant mayonnaise
Sometimes I think I am the only person in Los Angeles who doesn't love, Love, LOVE Costco. Whenever I express even mild distaste for the store I am told about the low gas prices, the cheap diapers, the excellent baby wipes, the great chicken salad, the cost savings of buying toilet paper in packs of 40, the free food samples, etc, etc. Those things are all true, but they fail to make up for the fact that my local Costco is one of the busiest in the nation which means parking is impossible, the store is packed with frantic people running around with enormous metal carts full of giant jars of mayonnaise and any free sample has a line 20 people long. Additionally, my 1200 sq ft house has no place to put 40 rolls of toilet paper, my husband and I cannot eat 10 lbs of chicken salad and I find the whole scale of the place completely overwhelming.
However, I finally used up all of the diapers from the towering diaper cakes I received as shower gifts and after realizing how expensive those Pampers really are I decided to brave Costco with Baby M. Going to Costco with a baby is doubly dangerous-- not only are there crazy people running around in a shopping frenzy, with that infant seat perched on the cart you can't see where you're going. I felt like I was driving a suburban with hood up. We had several near collisions. To top it off Costco was out of size 2 diapers and the only free sample they had out was hand cream. Who wants to stand in line for half an ounce of lotion? Ten people, evidently. I suppose it wasn't a total loss, I ended up with a year's supply of soap and enough ravioli to last us until June.
However, I finally used up all of the diapers from the towering diaper cakes I received as shower gifts and after realizing how expensive those Pampers really are I decided to brave Costco with Baby M. Going to Costco with a baby is doubly dangerous-- not only are there crazy people running around in a shopping frenzy, with that infant seat perched on the cart you can't see where you're going. I felt like I was driving a suburban with hood up. We had several near collisions. To top it off Costco was out of size 2 diapers and the only free sample they had out was hand cream. Who wants to stand in line for half an ounce of lotion? Ten people, evidently. I suppose it wasn't a total loss, I ended up with a year's supply of soap and enough ravioli to last us until June.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Magic Friend Maker
Since childhood I've always had a hard time making friends. I'm quiet and shy and usually feel like I have nothing interesting to say (which seems to be the case, given the number of regular readers this blog has). I grew up in a military town and every year I would have one best friend and every year her family would move away by the end of the summer. You always hear about the problems military kids have making friends, but you never hear about those of us who were left behind and had to start over each year without the benefit of being the intriguing new kid. To help me deal with this problem my mother bought me a book that I still have to this day called The Magic Friend Maker about a girl who uses a special rock to make a friend after her friend moves away.
Anyway, all the months I was pregnant I was convinced that the baby would be my “magic friend maker.” He would help me find other women that I had something in common with and provide endless fodder for conversation. And I was right! There are tons of organizations out there to help new moms meet each other-- MOMS Club, Mommy & Me Classes, support groups at the Pump Station, etc, etc. In fact Baby M and I just had our first play date this week. It is so much easier to meet other women now that I'm a “mom”. When I was just “married lady whose friends all moved away because they couldn't afford to buy a home in Los Angeles” it seemed impossible to meet anyone. Now I feel like there is this whole new community that I am automatically accepted into. People often talk about how isolating motherhood is, but I felt much lonlier before baby M came along.
Anyway, all the months I was pregnant I was convinced that the baby would be my “magic friend maker.” He would help me find other women that I had something in common with and provide endless fodder for conversation. And I was right! There are tons of organizations out there to help new moms meet each other-- MOMS Club, Mommy & Me Classes, support groups at the Pump Station, etc, etc. In fact Baby M and I just had our first play date this week. It is so much easier to meet other women now that I'm a “mom”. When I was just “married lady whose friends all moved away because they couldn't afford to buy a home in Los Angeles” it seemed impossible to meet anyone. Now I feel like there is this whole new community that I am automatically accepted into. People often talk about how isolating motherhood is, but I felt much lonlier before baby M came along.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Colic
Like many mothers, I assumed that my baby would cry for specific reasons-- hungry, wet diaper, too hot/cold, etc. I believed those parenting books that said I would soon be able to identify my child's different cries, what each of them mean, and then take the appropriate action resulting in a generally happy baby. So I'm quite distressed to find baby M crying for hours each day for no discernable reason. I can catalog his various cries, but have no idea what they mean. Most of my day consists of trying to make the screaming stop. Yesterday Baby M cried for about 10 hours straight and I started to wonder how much I would resist if someone tried to kidnap him. Maybe he could read my thoughts because today he has been much better. Aside from evil thoughts, here are my top 10 tools for calming the baby:
1. Vacuum Cleaner – The only tool that works 100% of the time (hopefully I didn't jinx it with that statement). I just turn on our Dyson Animal and baby M quiets down within seconds and gets this serene look on his face. It's the most amazing thing. Of course, then I'm stuck listening to the vacuum.
2. Toxic by Britney Spears – Baby M seems to love Miss Spears, or at least this track. We have our own little dance party a couple of times a day. Interestingly, I tried some other dance music hoping for a little variety, but the baby didn't take to it.
3. Stroller – A walk around the block in the Zooper will sometimes quiet Baby M. The more cracks in the sidewalk the better. He likes a bumpy ride.
4. Kangaroo Korner Pouch – If I can get baby M relaxed enough to get him in the pouch (once he starts screaming he is either flailing around or his body is so stiff it's impossible to manuever him into the pouch) wearing him will often keep him quiet.
5. Vornado Fan – This is my husbands favorite trick. We blast him with the fan. I guess Baby M loves the wind in his hair. He also probably enjoys the whir of the fan, kind of like a quiet vacuum.
6. Bouncy Chair – We have the Fisher Price Itsty Bitsy Bouncer and the vibration feature is a life saver. Combine the bouncy chair with the vacuum and I get to eat dinner.
7. Swaddle Me Blanket (and the other 5's) - The book The Happiest Baby on the Block describes the 5 S's to calm a crying baby (swaddling, shushing, side/stomach, swinging, sucking). Combining all of the S's (except for sucking, pacifiers just make Baby M angrier) does get results, but it can get pretty tiring and too much shushing leads to hyperventilation. The Swaddle Me blanket makes getting and maintaining a good swaddle easier, especially for a wriggly baby. Since baby M sleeps swaddled at night I try not to swaddle him too much during the day.
8. Car Ride – This really a last resort, since I don't like the idea of wasting gas and creating excess pollution. Plus, it only works if you can keep the car moving at all times which means avoiding traffic. Good luck finding a time with no traffic in LA.
9. Polka Dots – So this one is only good if I catch him just as he is starting to think about crying. He loves looking at the dots on the groovy polka-dot blanket from Babylicious.
10.Mylicon Gas Drops – Our pediatrician suggested these drops when I told her how much Baby M cries. I've just been using them for 2 days, but I do think they are helping.
1. Vacuum Cleaner – The only tool that works 100% of the time (hopefully I didn't jinx it with that statement). I just turn on our Dyson Animal and baby M quiets down within seconds and gets this serene look on his face. It's the most amazing thing. Of course, then I'm stuck listening to the vacuum.
2. Toxic by Britney Spears – Baby M seems to love Miss Spears, or at least this track. We have our own little dance party a couple of times a day. Interestingly, I tried some other dance music hoping for a little variety, but the baby didn't take to it.
3. Stroller – A walk around the block in the Zooper will sometimes quiet Baby M. The more cracks in the sidewalk the better. He likes a bumpy ride.
4. Kangaroo Korner Pouch – If I can get baby M relaxed enough to get him in the pouch (once he starts screaming he is either flailing around or his body is so stiff it's impossible to manuever him into the pouch) wearing him will often keep him quiet.
5. Vornado Fan – This is my husbands favorite trick. We blast him with the fan. I guess Baby M loves the wind in his hair. He also probably enjoys the whir of the fan, kind of like a quiet vacuum.
6. Bouncy Chair – We have the Fisher Price Itsty Bitsy Bouncer and the vibration feature is a life saver. Combine the bouncy chair with the vacuum and I get to eat dinner.
7. Swaddle Me Blanket (and the other 5's) - The book The Happiest Baby on the Block describes the 5 S's to calm a crying baby (swaddling, shushing, side/stomach, swinging, sucking). Combining all of the S's (except for sucking, pacifiers just make Baby M angrier) does get results, but it can get pretty tiring and too much shushing leads to hyperventilation. The Swaddle Me blanket makes getting and maintaining a good swaddle easier, especially for a wriggly baby. Since baby M sleeps swaddled at night I try not to swaddle him too much during the day.
8. Car Ride – This really a last resort, since I don't like the idea of wasting gas and creating excess pollution. Plus, it only works if you can keep the car moving at all times which means avoiding traffic. Good luck finding a time with no traffic in LA.
9. Polka Dots – So this one is only good if I catch him just as he is starting to think about crying. He loves looking at the dots on the groovy polka-dot blanket from Babylicious.
10.Mylicon Gas Drops – Our pediatrician suggested these drops when I told her how much Baby M cries. I've just been using them for 2 days, but I do think they are helping.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
The Mother's Almanac
While I was still pregnant my mother-in-law gave me a copy of The Mother's Almanac by Marguerite Kelly and Elia Parsons, copyright 1975, saying that this was the only book she consulted to raise her two sons. I wasn't sure if this comment was supposed to mean “Look how great my sons are, use this book” (which, granted, her sons are pretty great, I mean I married one of them) or if this was just another comment along the lines of “in my day we didn't have car seats, baby bath tubs or 12 books on infant care.” Yes, we actually own 12 books on raising a child. Everything from What to Expect the First Year to Touchpoints to Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. And that doesn't include the additional 10 books my husband checked out from the library.
Knowing much of the thinking on raising children has changed over the past 30 years I hadn't paid much attention to The Mother's Almanac, but yesterday I pulled it off the shelf to have a look. The back cover promised to cover the “realities of motherhood from the mechanics of diapering to... old fashioned virtues, basic physics, bricklaying... and much more.” Whoa! None of my other books have anything about bricklaying! And basic physics? Am I going to have to determine the coefficient of friction to keep my baby from sliding down an incline? I was intrigued. I flipped opened the book and started reading.
The opening sentences read “There are many times in parenthood when happiness thrusts your spirits higher than the stars and the pleasure of loving makes living a throbbing delight. This is normal, but like sex, much too brief.” This is is the only childcare book I've ever read written in the style of a trashy romance novel. And a few pages later I found this gem, “ In child care, as in sex, practice doesn't make it perfect every time, but it sure does make it better.” It's clear this book came out of the decade that brought us the key party.
I skimmed through the section on labor & delivery, which, amazingly, contained several more sex allusions, and an outright plea for the missionary position. It also defined hospital rooming-in as having the baby with you for 5-8 hours, which I found funnier than all the throbbing and thrusting comments. Finally, I reached the chapter on what to do now that you're home from the hospital. It begins by stating that you should dress every day as soon as you get up. As of noon, my bottom half is dressed, but I'm still wearing my pajamas top, does that count as being dressed? The authors also offer, “There are at least two times a day when a wife should look good and smell good: at night when she goes to bed and in the morning before her husband leaves for work.” I'm afraid I fail on those counts; I've worn sweatpants and a ponytail pretty much every day for the past month and I smell like spit-up more often than not. The authors go on to talk about getting your “good figure” back and spend several paragraphs on various exercises for postpartum moms. Of course, they also include “Vaginal Exercises” with the helpful comment, “You'll like these more.” I'm sure at some point they will get around to actually caring for your child.
I haven't gotten to the bricklaying section yet, that comes later in the book. It makes sense, a child needs to be at least 3 or 4 before you start letting him play with trowels and construction materials. I think this is my new favorite childcare book, I'm going to start buying it for all my friends.
Knowing much of the thinking on raising children has changed over the past 30 years I hadn't paid much attention to The Mother's Almanac, but yesterday I pulled it off the shelf to have a look. The back cover promised to cover the “realities of motherhood from the mechanics of diapering to... old fashioned virtues, basic physics, bricklaying... and much more.” Whoa! None of my other books have anything about bricklaying! And basic physics? Am I going to have to determine the coefficient of friction to keep my baby from sliding down an incline? I was intrigued. I flipped opened the book and started reading.
The opening sentences read “There are many times in parenthood when happiness thrusts your spirits higher than the stars and the pleasure of loving makes living a throbbing delight. This is normal, but like sex, much too brief.” This is is the only childcare book I've ever read written in the style of a trashy romance novel. And a few pages later I found this gem, “ In child care, as in sex, practice doesn't make it perfect every time, but it sure does make it better.” It's clear this book came out of the decade that brought us the key party.
I skimmed through the section on labor & delivery, which, amazingly, contained several more sex allusions, and an outright plea for the missionary position. It also defined hospital rooming-in as having the baby with you for 5-8 hours, which I found funnier than all the throbbing and thrusting comments. Finally, I reached the chapter on what to do now that you're home from the hospital. It begins by stating that you should dress every day as soon as you get up. As of noon, my bottom half is dressed, but I'm still wearing my pajamas top, does that count as being dressed? The authors also offer, “There are at least two times a day when a wife should look good and smell good: at night when she goes to bed and in the morning before her husband leaves for work.” I'm afraid I fail on those counts; I've worn sweatpants and a ponytail pretty much every day for the past month and I smell like spit-up more often than not. The authors go on to talk about getting your “good figure” back and spend several paragraphs on various exercises for postpartum moms. Of course, they also include “Vaginal Exercises” with the helpful comment, “You'll like these more.” I'm sure at some point they will get around to actually caring for your child.
I haven't gotten to the bricklaying section yet, that comes later in the book. It makes sense, a child needs to be at least 3 or 4 before you start letting him play with trowels and construction materials. I think this is my new favorite childcare book, I'm going to start buying it for all my friends.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Trapped
Baby M and I have been confined to our small, stuffy, non-air conditioned house the past few days because of the California wildfires. We are lucky that we're not in the path of the fire, but with all of the smoke and particulates in the air we can't go outside or open the windows so the 2 of us sit and bake in the house as my husband goes off to his nice air conditioned office each morning. I didn't realize how much I looked forward to our daily stroll around the neighborhood with the Zooper until now. Besides the novelty of getting out of the house the stroller also lulls baby M to sleep. My other sleep inducing trick, walking around with the baby in my Kangaroo Korner adjustable pouch, is also failing because it's just too hot to be wrapped in fleece. I put him in there and after 5 minutes he is a little sweaty ball of rage. So aside from being hot and uncomfortable we are both a bit sleep deprived and cranky.
Today I worked up my courage to take baby M to a nice air conditioned mall, or at least, I figured, drive him around in a nice air conditioned car. My husband and I have taken him out several times, but I haven't taken him out in the car on my own yet. So just after 10AM I strapped baby M into his Baby Trend infant seat and then went into the garage to pull the car into the driveway and put the dog out. When I got back inside a few minutes later the baby was screaming, which is not unusual, but he was also turning a frightening shade of blue. He's grown a few inches since birth and I think the straps were too tight. After unstrapping him, calming him down and apologizing profusely for being a bad mommy I pulled out the car seat instructions to figure out how to loosen the straps. Is it just me or are car seat manuals impossible to follow? I am college educated, even graduated cum laude in engineering. I have put together an entire apartment's worth of Ikea furniture using instructions written in Swedish hieroglyphics, but I failed miserably at adjusting the straps on my car seat. Somehow the straps on the underside of the seat lengthened but the straps in the front of the seat stayed exactly the same. So baby M and I both had a good cry and then went to stick our heads in the freezer. Maybe we will try again tomorrow.
Today I worked up my courage to take baby M to a nice air conditioned mall, or at least, I figured, drive him around in a nice air conditioned car. My husband and I have taken him out several times, but I haven't taken him out in the car on my own yet. So just after 10AM I strapped baby M into his Baby Trend infant seat and then went into the garage to pull the car into the driveway and put the dog out. When I got back inside a few minutes later the baby was screaming, which is not unusual, but he was also turning a frightening shade of blue. He's grown a few inches since birth and I think the straps were too tight. After unstrapping him, calming him down and apologizing profusely for being a bad mommy I pulled out the car seat instructions to figure out how to loosen the straps. Is it just me or are car seat manuals impossible to follow? I am college educated, even graduated cum laude in engineering. I have put together an entire apartment's worth of Ikea furniture using instructions written in Swedish hieroglyphics, but I failed miserably at adjusting the straps on my car seat. Somehow the straps on the underside of the seat lengthened but the straps in the front of the seat stayed exactly the same. So baby M and I both had a good cry and then went to stick our heads in the freezer. Maybe we will try again tomorrow.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Baby M is here!
Baby M has arrived! Actually he arrived 12 days ago, but between his hourly feedings (the little piggy) and my husband's new found love of Facebook, I haven't had a chance until now to get on the computer and update the blog.
We checked into St. John's Hospital around 3pm at 5 cm dilated. It took 3 hours for me to go from 5 to 6 cm and that's when I decided to get the epidural. I was never one of those “if I have an epidural I'll have failed as a woman” women, but I thought I would give going natural a try and see how it went. I was anticipating 9 more hours of increasingly intense pain and decided that it was not for me. Once the epidural was in I dilated the next 3 cm in 30 minutes, so it's not always true that an epidural will slow down your labor. But thank goodness I got the epidural because I definitely would not have wanted to feel the next 5 hours. I felt a gush shortly after getting the epidural which I thought was my water breaking, but was actually a gush of blood from an internal tear.
As with most hospital births, the baby's heart rate was being monitored and it had been up and down throughout my labor. As we got close to pushing his heart rate dropped precipitously. The atmosphere in the delivery room started getting frantic. My OB was calling for assistance, new people were coming into the room and I was fixated on the number on the monitor. After a few pushes and the heart rate dipping into the 70s my OB decided to use the vacuum to pull baby M out. The cord was wrapped so tightly around his neck that it needed to be cut before he was all the way out.
Thankfully both baby M and I are fine. He scored an impressive 9 on his Apgar test and after a brief weight loss he is above his birth weight. I ended up with some nasty tearing called a sulcus tear and my nether regions are still kind of a mess, but after a very rough first week I am moving around and even taking walks with the stroller through our neighborhood.
So after a harrowing entrance baby M is here and I am officially an LA Mom.
We checked into St. John's Hospital around 3pm at 5 cm dilated. It took 3 hours for me to go from 5 to 6 cm and that's when I decided to get the epidural. I was never one of those “if I have an epidural I'll have failed as a woman” women, but I thought I would give going natural a try and see how it went. I was anticipating 9 more hours of increasingly intense pain and decided that it was not for me. Once the epidural was in I dilated the next 3 cm in 30 minutes, so it's not always true that an epidural will slow down your labor. But thank goodness I got the epidural because I definitely would not have wanted to feel the next 5 hours. I felt a gush shortly after getting the epidural which I thought was my water breaking, but was actually a gush of blood from an internal tear.
As with most hospital births, the baby's heart rate was being monitored and it had been up and down throughout my labor. As we got close to pushing his heart rate dropped precipitously. The atmosphere in the delivery room started getting frantic. My OB was calling for assistance, new people were coming into the room and I was fixated on the number on the monitor. After a few pushes and the heart rate dipping into the 70s my OB decided to use the vacuum to pull baby M out. The cord was wrapped so tightly around his neck that it needed to be cut before he was all the way out.
Thankfully both baby M and I are fine. He scored an impressive 9 on his Apgar test and after a brief weight loss he is above his birth weight. I ended up with some nasty tearing called a sulcus tear and my nether regions are still kind of a mess, but after a very rough first week I am moving around and even taking walks with the stroller through our neighborhood.
So after a harrowing entrance baby M is here and I am officially an LA Mom.
Monday, October 1, 2007
The The Salad
Well I am officially 4 days overdue and starting to wonder if this baby is ever planning on coming out. At my last OB appointment I was dilated one lousy centimeter and I haven't had any contractions so I've been feeling like we need to take some action to get things going. My husband has been repeatedly singing the Diana Ross tune “I'm Coming Out” to my belly, but so far it hasn't had any effect. I suspect baby M is not much of a disco fan.
My doctor suggested sex and Chinese food to get labor started, but honestly, sex is not appealing to me or my husband right now. Instead we decided to try the famous labor inducing salad at the Caioti Pizza Cafe in Studio City. The story goes that pregnant women start labor within 48 hours of eating the “The The Salad”. The salad has romaine lettuce, watercress, walnuts and gorgonzola cheese with a balsamic dressing. I had them add some chicken which my waitress assured me would not affect the “special properties” of the salad. It was a really yummy salad, but unfortunately here I am 48 hours later and still not in labor. There were 2 other pregnant ladies eating the salad at the same time as me, maybe they had better luck.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Honey We're Killing the Kids
The other day we visited the recently remodeled home of an old college friend. The house is lovely and modern, like something out of Dwell magazine. As she walked us through the sunny, open floor plan she highlighted the low VOC paint, the environmentally sustainable cork floors, the whole-house water filtration system, and the earth-friendly carpeting. Then she reminded us of all the toxic chemicals in most retail baby products and gave us some free samples of Arbonne Baby Care. Convinced that my daily application of sunscreen, our VOC-emitting home and all that chlorinated water I've been drinking had already permanently damaged the baby, I purchased an additional $150 with of all-natural skin-care products hoping to fend off any further damage.
The next morning I pulled up Babble's main page to find this article on lead poisoning. Like the author of the piece, I assumed lead poisoning only happened to unsupervised children “gnawing on windowsills” in slummy apartment buildings. (and, of course, anyone who happens to buy toys made in China, which really, is just about anyone who buys toys) So now I was convinced that underneath my VOC-emitting Silver Sage walls a sinister layer of lead dust was accumulating, just waiting to off us all. I thought this news might finally cause that famous “nesting instinct” to kick in and I would get out my mop and buckets in a cleaning frenzy, but the information sheet on how to remove lead dust began with “PREGNANT WOMEN MUST NOT REMOVE LEAD DUST”, so I just stayed in front of the computer waiting for the next terrifying bit of information to come over the internet.
And I didn't have to wait long. I checked in on our neighborhood message board where I found a debate raging over whether or not petroleum based products (i.e. Vasoline) are causing irreversible damage to our kids. After doing a bit of my own research I concluded Vasoline is probably just fine, but I did spend about an hour on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep web site checking the safety rating of every cosmetic product I use. Most of them fell in the “moderate hazard” range, which was somewhat disconcerting because I actually do make an effort to use “safe” products, especially since I became pregnant.
I guess the point of all this is that even though I feel like a fairly well-informed, environmentally conscious consumer, there are still a ton of hazards that I hadn't considered and for a day or so I felt completely inadequate as a wife/mother/consumer/citizen. I can't rid my home of every possible toxin and even if I tried to I would probably end up introducing some new danger during my efforts. I know you can't believe everything you read on the internet and I know that the “natural products” industry has an interest in scaring us away from conventional products. At the same time there is compelling evidence that chemicals in many of the products we use may be causing developmental problems, fertility issues, allergies, etc. Am I just a big worrywart? Somehow I don't think my parents ever bothered with these sorts of things and they may have been better off for it.
The next morning I pulled up Babble's main page to find this article on lead poisoning. Like the author of the piece, I assumed lead poisoning only happened to unsupervised children “gnawing on windowsills” in slummy apartment buildings. (and, of course, anyone who happens to buy toys made in China, which really, is just about anyone who buys toys) So now I was convinced that underneath my VOC-emitting Silver Sage walls a sinister layer of lead dust was accumulating, just waiting to off us all. I thought this news might finally cause that famous “nesting instinct” to kick in and I would get out my mop and buckets in a cleaning frenzy, but the information sheet on how to remove lead dust began with “PREGNANT WOMEN MUST NOT REMOVE LEAD DUST”, so I just stayed in front of the computer waiting for the next terrifying bit of information to come over the internet.
And I didn't have to wait long. I checked in on our neighborhood message board where I found a debate raging over whether or not petroleum based products (i.e. Vasoline) are causing irreversible damage to our kids. After doing a bit of my own research I concluded Vasoline is probably just fine, but I did spend about an hour on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep web site checking the safety rating of every cosmetic product I use. Most of them fell in the “moderate hazard” range, which was somewhat disconcerting because I actually do make an effort to use “safe” products, especially since I became pregnant.
I guess the point of all this is that even though I feel like a fairly well-informed, environmentally conscious consumer, there are still a ton of hazards that I hadn't considered and for a day or so I felt completely inadequate as a wife/mother/consumer/citizen. I can't rid my home of every possible toxin and even if I tried to I would probably end up introducing some new danger during my efforts. I know you can't believe everything you read on the internet and I know that the “natural products” industry has an interest in scaring us away from conventional products. At the same time there is compelling evidence that chemicals in many of the products we use may be causing developmental problems, fertility issues, allergies, etc. Am I just a big worrywart? Somehow I don't think my parents ever bothered with these sorts of things and they may have been better off for it.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Food Poisoning!
I thought I was going to make it through this pregnancy vomit-free, but after 8 and half months of avoiding morning sickness I ended up with food poisoning and have spent the last last 18 hours nauseated, vomiting and battling diarrhea. I know 18 hours is much preferable to the 3 months of nausea that many pregnant ladies endure, but I am still feeling icky and sorry for myself.
My husband and I had gone out to dinner at Chaya Venice for our anniversary and quite possibly our last nice dinner out for the next few months. I ordered the baked chicken wrapped in prosciutto. I know prosciutto is on the “bad food” list, but since it was baked (and since I really wanted it) I thought it would be okay. I guess not.
After not being able to keep anything down for hours I decided to call my doctor and make sure the baby wasn't at risk. I figured he'd be okay without food, but I was starting to worry about how the bacteria might affect him. Her office was already closed so I had to call her cell phone, which I always hate to do, but she was very nice about it and said that baby would be fine, but that I would just have to wait out the food poisoning since any of the medications typically used to treat it can't be used during pregnancy. She also reminded me to drink lots of fluids and try to eat bland foods like toast and bananas.
My husband and I had gone out to dinner at Chaya Venice for our anniversary and quite possibly our last nice dinner out for the next few months. I ordered the baked chicken wrapped in prosciutto. I know prosciutto is on the “bad food” list, but since it was baked (and since I really wanted it) I thought it would be okay. I guess not.
After not being able to keep anything down for hours I decided to call my doctor and make sure the baby wasn't at risk. I figured he'd be okay without food, but I was starting to worry about how the bacteria might affect him. Her office was already closed so I had to call her cell phone, which I always hate to do, but she was very nice about it and said that baby would be fine, but that I would just have to wait out the food poisoning since any of the medications typically used to treat it can't be used during pregnancy. She also reminded me to drink lots of fluids and try to eat bland foods like toast and bananas.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
The car seat is in!
This morning my husband and I drove to the LAPD station near the corner of La Brea and Venice to have our child safety seat installed. We had considered installing it ourselves, but after reading the infant seat instructions, our Honda's owner manual and fiddling with a multitude of buttons, latches and straps we determined we needed professional help. Guess those 4 years of engineering school didn't prepare us for the complicated mechanics of car seats. Perhaps if we'd splurged on those Master's degrees...
Thankfully, LAPD has a free installation/inspection program and after a quick phone call last week we had an appointment with 2 very nice officers this morning at 8AM. They showed us how to adjust our Baby Trend Flex-Loc seat and buckle it into the center of our Honda's back seat. We asked them about installing it on one side or the other, but our reason (needing a place for the dog to sit) was deemed unsatisfactory. The officer asked us, “what's more important, the baby or the dog?” so we sheepishly agreed that the center of the backseat was the way to go. Our dog is too big to sit in the back next to the car seat, maybe she'll have to start riding up front with my husband.
I'm starting to understand why people run out and buy a giant car as soon as they have a baby. Between the car seat, stroller, diaper bag, etc., then throw transporting a dog into the mix, well, it's easy to feel a bit cramped. And we're just dealing with the infant seat here. I've seen some of those convertible car seats, which the officers informed us we'll need to upgrade to once the baby is over 22 lbs, and they are like mini Barcaloungers! I wonder if they come with tiny little cigars and brandy glasses.
I remember watching as our friends (who are a few years ahead of us on the whole kid thing) slowly replaced their compact sedans with mini-vans and scornfully asking “Why does the addition of 8 pounds of baby suddenly require 2 tons of car?” Now I at least understand the inclination. I still can't justify a mini-van or one of those obnoxious Hummers, but I do admit to eying station wagons lately.
Thankfully, LAPD has a free installation/inspection program and after a quick phone call last week we had an appointment with 2 very nice officers this morning at 8AM. They showed us how to adjust our Baby Trend Flex-Loc seat and buckle it into the center of our Honda's back seat. We asked them about installing it on one side or the other, but our reason (needing a place for the dog to sit) was deemed unsatisfactory. The officer asked us, “what's more important, the baby or the dog?” so we sheepishly agreed that the center of the backseat was the way to go. Our dog is too big to sit in the back next to the car seat, maybe she'll have to start riding up front with my husband.
I'm starting to understand why people run out and buy a giant car as soon as they have a baby. Between the car seat, stroller, diaper bag, etc., then throw transporting a dog into the mix, well, it's easy to feel a bit cramped. And we're just dealing with the infant seat here. I've seen some of those convertible car seats, which the officers informed us we'll need to upgrade to once the baby is over 22 lbs, and they are like mini Barcaloungers! I wonder if they come with tiny little cigars and brandy glasses.
I remember watching as our friends (who are a few years ahead of us on the whole kid thing) slowly replaced their compact sedans with mini-vans and scornfully asking “Why does the addition of 8 pounds of baby suddenly require 2 tons of car?” Now I at least understand the inclination. I still can't justify a mini-van or one of those obnoxious Hummers, but I do admit to eying station wagons lately.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing
So, I am not officially a mom yet, but at 8 months pregnant I decided to go ahead and post a few pre-baby entries, just to get things rolling.
Today my mother-in-law informed me that she and my father-in-law will be attending a “Grandparent's Safety Workshop” at Babies R' Us. The workshop is supposed to let grandparents know what's changed since they were parents and teach them about “proper selection and safe use of baby products.”
I think it is very sweet that they are excited about the workshop and it's great that someone else is going to get to explain to them that, yes, the baby really does need to sleep on his back and no, the baby doesn't need to be eating pureed steak at 2 months old in order to get enough iron. On the other hand, I am a little wary about them becoming baby product “experts.”
One thing you should probably know about my in-laws is that product research and shopping is their hobby. They can tell you the cheapest place to buy a cantaloupe and the highest rated electric toothbrush without breaking a sweat. This is useful when it is time to buy a new television set, but annoying when I'm told that I'm not using the right kitchen sponge or paying too much for oatmeal.
So although I'm happy to know that my little guy will be safe at Grandma's house, I am concerned that when Grandma comes to my house we'll be put through a military style inspection (and fail miserably-- I've already forgotten how to unfold our stroller!) or be asked to justify why we have the Tiny Love playmat instead of the one by Fisher Price.
I know I should stop worrying, or at least worry about something more pressing like writing my birth plan or putting away the mountains of shower gifts. Sometimes it just seems that everyone else is more excited and ready for this baby to be born than I am. I keep waiting for the “I'm so sick of being pregnant, bring on the labor” feelings to start, but so far I'm happy to go on being fat, well-rested and contraction free.
Today my mother-in-law informed me that she and my father-in-law will be attending a “Grandparent's Safety Workshop” at Babies R' Us. The workshop is supposed to let grandparents know what's changed since they were parents and teach them about “proper selection and safe use of baby products.”
I think it is very sweet that they are excited about the workshop and it's great that someone else is going to get to explain to them that, yes, the baby really does need to sleep on his back and no, the baby doesn't need to be eating pureed steak at 2 months old in order to get enough iron. On the other hand, I am a little wary about them becoming baby product “experts.”
One thing you should probably know about my in-laws is that product research and shopping is their hobby. They can tell you the cheapest place to buy a cantaloupe and the highest rated electric toothbrush without breaking a sweat. This is useful when it is time to buy a new television set, but annoying when I'm told that I'm not using the right kitchen sponge or paying too much for oatmeal.
So although I'm happy to know that my little guy will be safe at Grandma's house, I am concerned that when Grandma comes to my house we'll be put through a military style inspection (and fail miserably-- I've already forgotten how to unfold our stroller!) or be asked to justify why we have the Tiny Love playmat instead of the one by Fisher Price.
I know I should stop worrying, or at least worry about something more pressing like writing my birth plan or putting away the mountains of shower gifts. Sometimes it just seems that everyone else is more excited and ready for this baby to be born than I am. I keep waiting for the “I'm so sick of being pregnant, bring on the labor” feelings to start, but so far I'm happy to go on being fat, well-rested and contraction free.
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