lindswing

ranty

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 05:14:00 +0000

I heard someone interviewed on npr a few days ago who said she was going to vote straight republican ticket simply because she said it was time for a change in Washington.

The way she said it implied that the current leading party had been there for years, and they have. For two to four years. Two to four years ago, everyone was super excited about change, too. THE ANSWER IS THAT POLITICS ARE CRAP AND NO ONE HAS ANY MEMORY AND NO ONE BOTHERS LEARNING ANYTHING ABOUT ANY CANDIDATES AND RAR.

Ahem. The way that a few races went in Idaho make it crystal clear that they were decided by people who only voted strictly by party, and that party, being as it's Idaho, was Republican. I'm, understandably I believe, dismayed by the results of several races. I voted a nice little mixed ticket based on what I had sought out and learned about the candidates. Louis and I were in agreement with our votes in most races, though he'll always go more Republican than I will. He also decided to write in a few random names just for kicks.

If you don't know, don't vote. It's not mandated that you fill in a bubble in each category.

If there are two men running for superintendent of public instruction, and one of them has no history in education, but is a Republican, and the other ran the largest school district in the state for many years, and is a Democrat only because one must have a party in every race, maybe the one who has a clue about things like, oh, special education law (holy cow, so confusing) should get your vote? Longest sentence ever; I apologize.

Anyway, I find elections predictably disappointing. Damned elections. Let's have a king and stop with the nonsense.

And Washington state, you dummies: why on earth would you not take advantage of the opportunity to move liquor sales to the private sector? If Idaho had a referendum to change the obscenely antiquated liquor laws, I'm almost sure it would pass. YOU HAD THE CHANCE!

Why do I pay attention to this nonsense, again?

Update from a prior whiny blog

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 05:11:00 +0000

Remember this summer when I posted about how I was really bummed that I didn't apply for a particular job opening before it was filled and closed? I had this funny little thought that it would be really cool and was a valid possibility that I would just be so amazing at completing the job for free that they would decide to offer me a job. Yeah, right, I kept telling myself.

And then my supervisor asked all of the psychologists in one of our meetings if they would be ok if she asked if I was hired for PAY for an additional two days per week of work. And all of the desperately overworked psychs said YES PLEASE CAN HAZ. So, I submitted an application, asked a few people to write me letters of recommendation, and then before I so much as had an interview, I received a call asking me to come in and set up my information with HR. And that's how I got a magic job.

Unfortunately, I'm still working those other two days a week unpaid, which brings us (if you're good at math you'll know this one already) to four whole days of work. And Soren does not like it, and I do not like it. It's only for a few months, of course, but it's going to be a rough few months.

A gal from my playgroup comes to watch Soren for a couple of hours in the morning so that Louis can get to work on time; totally worth every penny. My mom isn't so much great at getting to our house at a reasonable hour, but she does watch him for free three days (plus!) and one overnight a week. Bryn is great, and she brings her little girl (who is a few months older than Soren) most of the time. I think it's good for him to spend time with other children. And! Bryn uses cloth diapers, so she's totally ok with using ours. My dad will also be watching Soren one day per week, too, but not until hunting season ends. Ohh, hunting season. And that day, Soren will get to hang out with his cousins! Yay!

I haven't worked this much (over 30 hours a week! WHAT?!) in about 2 years, and I don't think working full time is a good idea for human beings. Part of my new paycheck (PAYCHECK!) is an improved and expanded coffee budget. Oh, coffee.

Maybe the best news is that I will finish my entire internship in only one year instead of two. Next year I will be fully certified and be able to get a real big girl job where I get paid for all of the days that I work.

Success!

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 03:59:00 +0000

Managed to locate my computer! So I can NaBloPoMo! Now I'm going to fill out my ballot! Then the stupid campaign will be over!

Also, THIS

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:29:00 +0000

Adjust

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Bringing Soren home was a nice little excuse to do something I have always wanted to do: turn the thermostat up and leave it there. Mmm, so nice. I mean, it's not toasty in here by any stretch of the imagination, but my nose isn't cherry red and running all the time, either. I still drink tea and wear wool socks and a fleece robe, for goodness sake.

Newborns cannot regulate their nervous systems, or at least are highly inefficient at it. Their breathing is disturbingly choppy (which is the primary reason one does not sleep in the first days home from the hospital; every choky, delayed breath instigates cardiac problems in their instantly alert mamas), and their tiny fingers and toes turn blue with the slightest provocation. This is why skin-to-skin contact is as beneficial as it is: it is one way (the best way!) that babies' heart rates, breathing, and temperatures regulate. We were too terrified to co-sleep with Soren at first, as he seemed very fragile and easily crushed, not to mention incapable of voicing his concerns should one of us roll over onto him. Good grief, he probably wouldn't really have minded the not breathing part- it was such work after 9 (AND A HALF) months of easy street living. So, into his bassinet he went, and up the thermostat went. It was delightful, let me tell you. It's STILL delightful! But it's time. It's time to put it back to a reasonable level (60 at night, not above 68 during the day) and deal with the wishing endlessly that it were free to keep it at 78 or so. Oh, man, that would be incredible.

note: I have never in my life set the thermostat to 78, it's just a fantasy of mine. 72 is as high as I've ever gone, and that only for a little while.

Currently...

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 03:59:00 +0000

...addicted to reading this website.

http://myobsaidwhat.com/

The pitter patter of little feet is really closer to spastic clomping.

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 00:54:00 +0000

Adjust your expectations accordingly.

Soren as of 10/10/10

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 20:57:00 +0000

Because writing weekly in Soren's baby book about his escapades and every move ended when he turned one, I'm not really sure what he is capable of or what this is going to look like. Hang on to your hats.

Soren can sign:
All done
More
Milk
Hot (baby sign, which is blowing)
Help
(Wave)
(Point)
A few he made up that we don't understand

Soren can say:
mama
dada
dog (and bark)
cat
deer (and grunt)
(dinosaur/bear sound-roar)
bear?
that
this
all done
milk
help
hot (and, oh boy, does he know everything that is hot in the whole wide world, especially fire- real or in books.)
say
bye-bye
hi
hey
gimme that (this seems far fetched, I know, but he does it all the time when he wants something, so I'm going to count it)
ball
balloon
bike
tree
cup
eat
bum (we always call diaper changes "getting a nice, dry bum")
drink?
there
book
Other words that I still only suspect he's getting, as well as a bunch that he consistently uses to refer to things that either aren't correct or intelligible.

Soren can walk, almost run, dance, bring us things, take us to what he wants, come here, clap, high-five, blow his nose when you hold up a tissue and say, 'blow' (!!), "read" books to himself, hold a phone sort of to his head and pretend to talk on it, drink from a cup (regular cup) without spilling, drink from a cup with lots of spilling, clean the floor, push the vacuum, move things between drawers, turn on and off the water, open and close doors (not if latched, but since our house is old and warped, most of our doors don't close), open and close the microwave, use a spoon and fork (though not well), chatter incoherently most of the day, and snuggle lots of times. He pretends with objects and mimics just about everything we do that he can attempt. If he isn't wearing a diaper, he'll cry right before he wets, which we have decided means he's going to potty train himself really early (HA!); either that or he'll potty train really late, because he doesn't like going pee without a snug-fitting underpant situation. He is always happy to see us and rarely in a bad mood.

No, seriously, all of my blog titles are children's board book lines.

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 04:24:00 +0000

Oh, hello there blog readers. I just spelled 'hello' as 'hellow:' that's how much I miss you sweet people.

I now am in possession of a one year old little boy, which is a very nice thing to be in possession of. I keep composing these posts about what he can do and say and how fast he grows and where have the thigh rolls gone? Oh, but only in my head, I suppose. Sorry about that.

baby steps

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:39:00 +0000

A few days ago, Soren took his first step. I know, you would have liked to have known about this momentous event when it happened. Needy, all of you.

Anyway, it was really more of a controlled fall with motivation: he was standing at the ottoman (the cushy one that we brought up from the basement to replace the face-smashing coffee table) and I knelt a few feet away and tried to entice him to step. To be perfectly honest, my mom told me the day before that he just might have done something similar with her, a suggestion which I quickly shut down. If his first steps didn't happen in my sight, they didn't happen. I knew I needed to get a move on if I was going to definitely be witness to Soren's first steps. Because what milestone is more momentous and mythical than a baby's first steps? None. Louis was there videotaping the interaction, so it was a good time. And yes, there is video of his first steps, taken in eyeshot of both his parents. Perfect.

Anyway, Soren took one or two steps to me three times in a row, then wouldn't do it again for a few days. He was still primarily walking with both of our hands, so I felt confident asserting that he was still ages and ages and at least a month away from walking. This afternoon, in his glee that I was home and he was home and WE WERE HOME TOGETHER AT LAST 4EVER, he practically skipped around the house hardly even holding just one of my fingers. After his bath tonight, he had his usual naked time (don't knock it 'til you've tried it, says Soren), and he was so happy about being naked and free! that he walked with his arms out to his sides between the couch and ottoman. At least 4 of those joined steps were hands-free. I'm thinking walking is closer than a month away. The kid wants to MOVE.

Update from last post

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 05:21:00 +0000

So, I just went to Rite Aid for the First Time as a Couponer (by which I mean, goodness, I was in Rite Aid buying baby Tylenol a few days ago, but it was never like this).

Despite getting $40.02 worth of items for TWO DOLLARS after +Up Rewards ($ good toward next trip) and rebates, my primary emotion is MAD. Why? Because I had another coupon for Listerine sitting next to my computer, and I could have instead been telling you about how I got $40.02 worth of stuffs for ONE DOLLAR. One. But, no, two. I spent twice as much as I should have, darn it.

I got:

2 Oral B Pulsar toothbrushes
Small bottle of Listerine Total Care
1 tube of Crest Pro-Health
1 pack of Orbit gum
2 pack of ept tests
2 Nivea chap sticks

For two dollars. Should have been one dollar. Boo. ya.

And I actually just realized that I should have used another different coupon that would have been a dollar MORE off, and then I could have said I got it all for free. MAD! (onetwothreefour five six seven eight nine ten aaaaand, ok)

A good idea

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 19:51:00 +0000

There's a whole, wide world out there that I've just discovered: Couponing. Not clipping coupons, which I've done religiously for years. Capital C Couponing. This world is hardcore about coupons and bargains and FREE STUFFS. I like that about it. I used to be really excited about seeing a total savings of 50% on my receipt: now at least 70% is required for that sense of shopping success, that feeling of, "I WIN SHOPPING!" Granted, I get most of our produce and meat through our CSA, so my shopping at the store involves mostly the items that can be gotten way, way on sale. In addition to stocking up and freezing things that are in season (blueberries are a perfect example of this: I have bags of frozen blueberries to last until next year's blueberry crop), getting boxes of cereal en masse when they can be procured for less than a dollar a box (if not FREE) is an excellent time. I make our bread and yogurt, but I'm serious about only ever buying organic milk, so that's a fairly big expense. I WILL NOT shop at Walmart unless there's a REALLY good deal (like getting $4 to get a free starter kit and refill of Dryel, for example, like I did last week), because I value my dignity too much. When I went to get the Dryel, the checker yelled at me for inadvertently giving her one too many coupons and renewed my decision to NEVER SHOP THERE. True Story. Anyway, there are websites (so, so many websites) that evaluate ads and coupons available and match them and tell you about it. The best ones I've found are:

Fabulessly Frugal
The Krazy Coupon Lady
Money Saving Mom
Saving Naturally
Couponing for 4
Freebies 4 Mom

Yes, the intention misspellings and uses of the number 4 DO bother me, thanks for asking. Tolerance is worth it, I think.

If you're into that kind of thing.

Mila's Daydreams

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:05:00 +0000

Have you seen this website? If you haven't, GO LOOK NOW. It's seriously the most adorable thing you can do with the next five minutes.

damn straight.

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:39:00 +0000

So, cloth diapers. Let's talk about them.

My current stash is 15 BRAND NEW BumGenius 3.0s (we'll talk about the brand new part in a second), 2 velcro deficient BumGenius 3.0s, 2 BumGenius organic all-in-ones (called Elemental now), and 2 Happy Heinys (one velcro and one snaps), for a grand total of 21. My "registry" at kellyscloset.com has about a zillion other kinds I'd love to try, but alas: the moniez, I do not has demz.

Yes, that does mean that I still like cloth diapering. Nay, I LOVE cloth diapering. I love the cute diapers. I love the lack of diaper rashes. I love NOT buying disposable diapers. I love how they look all lined up on my clothesline. I love the superior feeling I get when they peek out of Soren's clothes in front of others. Cough.

I think it's only fair that I get to do a little bit of that, as I had to endure a LOT of disgust and disdain when I announced my intentions. Can you imagine how many people looked at me like I was crazy? Who told me in their very most condescending voices that I would give it up reeeaaaal quick? Well, do you know who saves a lot of money every month? Who can count on one hand the number of diaper rashes, none serious, that her child has had (and all but one when he was wearing disposables for an extended period)? Who will refrain from dumping tons of nasty chemically, poopy, virgin-papery diapers into her local landfill this year? THIS GUY. So, yes, I am still "doing that" cloth diapering thing.

There have been a few frustrating times; we still use disposables while traveling, mostly to avoid the bulk and having to find a washer/dryer. When build-up happens, it's annoying. I've found that soaking in Rockin' Green is remarkably effective at getting rid of that little problem. Dawn and Bleach will also take care of that, but it's harsher on diapers than just soaking. When the velcro starts to get a bit unsticky, you can throw them in the dryer (you're supposed to air dry the covers), but that'll only keep you going so long. I'm hoping that the new diapers don't have velcro problems in a year, but whatever. I'll just sew new tabs on them if I have to. Nighttime was frustrating for a time, but we discovered HempBabies inserts, and those things are magical. I got a huge box of Huggies overnight diapers for $7 delivered to my door, so I WENT for it, but those leak before a BG with two hemp and one newborn size microfiber inserts. I was more than a little surprised to wake up in a huge puddle from the Huggies, I won't lie (to clarify: Soren still co-sleeps in the mornings, and he generally sleeps curled up against me so that I'm the first to know if his diaper leaks). The TARGET brand diapers are about as effective as the Huggies Overnights, for goodness' sake. So, there you go. The key is making your diapers work for you: almost any usage (unless you buy a million diapers and still use disposables like half time) is going to result in savings. It took about 4 months of straight usage for our start-up costs to equal the price of the disposables we used. We used disposables for the first month, too, which I would totally do again. That means that we started diapering for FREE before Soren was 6 months old, and that's using the "expensive" kind of cloth diaper. Our water bill went up pennies, you detractors who say that you negate the benefits with extra water usage.

Let's talk about brands.

My BumGenius (BG) 3.0s were not holding up so well. Really, mostly they were in great shape, but the velcro was TOAST. Like, no more letting the baby romp around in just a diaper, because he'd shortly be romping around naked, or at least only one velcro-tabbed. NOT GOOD. However, Cotton Babies, the manufacturer, has a really great 1 year warranty on them. I managed to round up receipts for 15 of the diapers (and I probably could have found the receipt for two more; also, I've obviously lost a diaper along the way, as I had one receipt past its year date without a corresponding diaper), and I mailed them back with little to-do a few weeks ago. I eagerly tracked their progress through the system, and UPS brought them to my door on Friday. They are sparkling. I don't remember my others being so soft when I got them, and the velcro appears to be the new kind that they recently switched to for their 4.0s. So. Flipping. Awesome. They sell refresher kits for a buck fifty, and I plan to get a couple of those to update the velcro and, hell why not, elastic on the other two. If you're unclear on what these diapers are, they're waterproof covers with a built-in pocket into which you insert microfiber and/or hemp/cotton soakers. The part against the baby is fleece, which wicks moisture. When you change a diaper, you drop the whole damn thing into your bin and then put a fresh diaper on the baby. Just like "regular" diapers.

My BG organic all in ones have snaps instead of velcro, and I love them. I wasn't a huge fan when Soren was tiny: they leaked and he didn't like the feel of wet cotton against his skin. Now that they're opened up all the way (all of the BG diapers adjust to fit sizes from 8 to 35 pounds), the leaking problem has stopped, and Soren doesn't mind going longer than an hour in them. I would totally get more if they weren't so many dollars. I'm not confident that they'll fit all the way to 35 pounds, though, as the snaps seem close to their limit. Actually, on second thought, I just started tightening them one more snap than before, so he'll probably continue thinning out and be able to wear them. I would love to get some of the new BG 4.0s with snaps. Mmm.

Happy Heinys aren't my favorites. I do appreciate my cow print velcro diaper, but the one with monkeys and snaps is kind of hateful. Ok, that's pushing it, but I do not like it and always use it last. Dislike. The velcro on the HH is INTENSE, but they made the laundry tabs smaller than the velcro and so that diaper tends to go all diaper sausage on me (few things are more annoying then dutifully attaching all of the laundry tabs only to pull out a chain of diapers later). The snap one is just stupid and the snaps don't hold and I realized that I don't really care for prints and it's so damned saggy in the crotch. But the fleece inside is softer than the BG, so there's that.

I have found that Rockin' Green is my favorite diaper detergent (and I tried the other Biggies: Charlie's, Country Save, and one other that I forget). We're big fans of the Rockin' Green. We use it for everything, since regular detergents can leave build-up in your washer and dryer that can make your diapers repel liquid and get stinky. We also just use dryer balls instead of dryer sheets (those are REALLY bad news for cloth diapers, and can actually void your BG warranty).

So, there you go. I still love cloth diapering. I showed all of you.

Would you like to hear about a dumb thing that I did?

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 23:49:00 +0000

The school district in town has a very, very long-standing position of not paying interns. Ever. Half or more of the school psychologists currently employed in the district did their internships for free and are perhaps still a little bitter (or maybe they're actually all good sports who like their jobs). Knowing it was hopeless (or, "knowing"), I didn't apply when a position opened up this spring. Even though one of the psychs on the committee encouraged me to do so. WHAT, Lindsey, were you really so stupid to ignore that level of prompting?!. You can see where this is going. They hired two of my classmates (who were bright enough to apply, duh) to split the position. Did I mention that I wanted the position only part-time was part of my excuse for not applying? I'm very happy for both of them, and I certainly don't wish that I had gotten a job in place of either of them. That being said, I was incredibly furious with myself for not applying at the very least.

Cue June. Cue day where I found out we had to spend many, many dollars on our car and the dentist informed me that my teeth were in need of many, many dollars' worth of work. I went looking for potential jobs, when lo-and-behold, this district had a position for a psych posted. WHAT. I know. You probably think I applied right away, right? WRONG. I dragged my feet for months, until a week ago when I told my supervisor that I wouldn't be applying for the position after all, because, HEY! I don't know anything about secondary psych! (not completely true, but an excuse that sounded good in my head- I'll take the easy, unpaid year, please, thanks). Then, everyone told me I am a dumb for not at least applying, so I've spent the last couple of days asking for letters of reference and filling out the application and writing a cover letter. On Monday, the position was still posted. Today, the position is not posted. I ALMOST just ran the application over to the district office on Monday, albeit missing a few pieces, just to get it in. But, no. Now my only choice is the easy, unpaid option (because I am a wuss), and that isn't the option that I WANT. Wah, wah, wah.

Anyway, I've had a brief pity party, curled up in our red chair, but I've decided that I'm not allowed anymore of that, especially today. Louis has seen to it that I've had a delightful and very nice birthday. He let me sleep in, made me coffee, showered me with presents and flowers and chocolates, then watched the baby so that I could go to yoga without worrying that I'd get paged in the middle of a sun salutation or something. And oh, it was such a good yoga class. Then, I had lunch with my mom and now I'm lounging (and pouting) while Soren naps and Louis cleans my car. We're going to go drop Soren off at my mom's for the night in just a little bit (which, YIKES!), then go to dinner and a going away party for our friends. Our friends who we are sad to see leaving. Like our other friends, who we were sad to see go a few months ago. But whom we get to go see in October when we go see Sufjan Stevens in concert, because Louis loves me and is so nice. Anyway, I might even have TWO drinks throughout the evening, as I won't have to nurse Soren for many hours. Yes, you could say that I'm not much of a drinker.;

Ok, that's better. Thanks for listening.

All I can think of for titles are lines from Soren's books, but only Louis would get it.

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:59:00 +0000

Soren has entered the whirlwind phase of his existence. The busiest little boy I've ever seen, he swoops from room to room dragging things in and out, emptying drawers, scattering bits of anything, shredding paper, eating inedible objects, pulling things upon his head and squealing about it, dancing at any opportunity, chattering at passing dogs, and other generally baby-like activities. He rarely holds still for more than a moment, and even those moments are infrequent. If I spent my entire day following him around and alternately entertaining him and picking up in his wake, I'd have a very busy life, emphasis on the picking up after him.

Despite all the work Soren causes, he's absolutely the most delightful tiny creature I've met. No, really, he is a very exemplary specimen. While I've found myself wishing for my own and admiring others' teeny tiny babies, I like this phase most of all so far. He's learned about communication and reciprocal interactions, and he is in a constant state of enchantment with the world and all its wonders. His attention to detail is both inspirational and terrifying. "What is that in your mouth, Baby?!" At least a dozen times a day. Opening either the dishwasher or the refrigerator has the effect on Soren of the sound of a can opener to a pampered kitty. Loading the dishwasher or putting our CSA groceries away is a challenge. I've recently resorted to putting him in the farthest corner of the living room with a toy and running to the kitchen to get in 30 seconds of work before he notices that I've left and races to join me.

He can climb our basement steps in under a minute. He can stand unaided for many, many continuous seconds. My mom taught him to turn his bedroom light off from his crib (which, thanks, Mom); fortunately, he is still too short to make it turn on, though this does not stop him from trying. A year ago, I was just hoping he would refrain from being born on my own birthday, a wish he more than granted. It's incredible what a human goes through in his or her first year of life. I can hardly even remember him in his curled-up, skinny newborn phase, he changed into this gregarious, chubby little boy so gradually. And his thigh rolls! His limbs have stretched out so that his rolls are slowly going the way of the froggy legs. In just a few weeks, he'll be One. An entire year flown by, and there are so many things I thought I'd have all the time in the world to do but still haven't. I'm actually looking forward to the structure of the school year, as I think I get more accomplished in that mindset.

For the next couple of weeks, though, we're going to do things like eat watermelon by the wading pool before dinner, yell at passing neighbors and their pets, and go for tons of walks. We'll snuggle in bed in the mornings while I distract him with random items from my nightstand and try to sneak a few more minutes of sleep. I'll try to remember just what he's like right this minute, because tomorrow he might not raise whatever it is he's enjoying over his head or yell at barking but out of sight dogs. I anticipate still liking that version of Soren, too.

Lovely.

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:32:00 +0000

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/diet/articles/2010/05/18/bpa-in-cans-poses-health-threat-report-claims.html?PageNr=1

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20100518/canned-food-may-expose-people-to-bpa

how it's going NOW

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 05:08:00 +0000

Vacation + hanging out with friends + eh! about bedtime = not going so well.

It's definitely going better than it was before we started at all, though, tonight especially.

He's been sleeping way in to compensate, and that's a good time had by all.

At least it's not him getting to sleep at 11 and the popping awake with the sun, right?

Would you like to know how it's going NOW?

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:53:00 +0000

Soren has learned to pull himself up to standing.

This is incredibly exciting. So! Much! Fun!

Can he get back down? No. He often plops back down accidentally, but as he gets better and better at balancing, he more often is getting stuck in the standing position.

You know one really good place to stand up?

His crib. So soft on the bottom! Such nice bars to grip! So many lonely hours to fill!

So, sleep has been... unusual the last two nights. He's still going down for sleep great, but oh the wake ups. So many wake ups.

Sleepy, suh-leepy, sleep sleep.

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:17:00 +0000

Would you like to know how it's going on the sleep training front?

INCREDIBLY is how it's going. I'm a bit nervous that I'll jinx something by posting about it, but The No Cry Sleep Solution is solving all of our sleep problems. No crying, no hating, lots of sleeping. MAGIC.

There were a couple of rough nights after my last report, and I was genuinely nervous that it was going to fail and I was going to have to pack up all of my attachment parenting literature and let the baby Cry It Out. BUT NO. He's been teething (oh, gosh, I just realized I forgot my preemptive half dose of tylenol tonight) and it's been so hot outside that we were letting the poor kid sleep in nothing but a diaper. There was a night or two where I got so frustrated that I had to just rock him all the way to unconsciousness and tell myself we'd try again another time.

Then, two nights ago, he slept for EIGHT HOURS without a peep. Yes, you've heard that before, but maybe not in 2010? It's been a long, long time since he slept more than three hours at a time, let alone eight. I got to sleep for 5 straight hours! You cannot imagine how incredible that is until you've gone through 19 months of getting up all night long. You can do anything on five straight hours of sleep.

The next night (last night), he went out on the THIRD lay-down (and the first two were admittedly too early), then slept for over 6 hours (after waking up after 10 minutes for a cuddle). Tonight, he fell asleep the first time I laid him down in his crib. FIRST. He's decided that he sleeps on his side now, so he takes a little adjusting once I put him down, but he's not freaking out when I leave him there partially awake. Next step is to get him comfortable with this for a few nights and then progressively put him down more and more awake.

Attachment Parenting WINS AGAIN!

Nursing Babies

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:36:00 +0000

I just read a really excellent article on the benefits of "extended breastfeeding" (nursing past a year).

At Soren's 9 month well-child check up, his pediatrician told us that breastmilk loses its nutritional benefit after a year. The way he spoke about it was like it was a closed case, like it wasn't something we were even allowed to consider. Instead, we are supposed to start giving him massive quantities of milk produced for baby cows, which, fortunately for us, contains the perfect nutrition for human babies that human breastmilk lacks and is totally not an allergen for a ton of Americans. Oh, wait.

I'm supposed to believe that this substance that is the most perfect food on the planet for humans, custom formulated for my particular brand of baby, magically loses its potency on or about the day Soren turns one year old? Formula companies and the dairy industry have worked long and hard to incubate this attitude in the minds of medical personnel in the United States, and it's maddening. Now, I won't pretend that breastfeeding is the easiest thing I've ever done or that it's never frustrating even any more, but let's be honest about how much better it is than anything that can be purchased in a carton. Not to mention, purchased with monies. Mah monies that I can otherwise spend on more important things, like super dark chocolate and unbroken sunglasses.

Someone told me the other day that she didn't think she could handle the scheduling and inconvenience of breastfeeding. What? It's less convenient to instead use a product that one must drive to the store to procure for huge sums of cash, then have to stumble to the kitchen at midnight and three and six a.m. to carefully measure powder with water (what, no clean bottles?! CRAP!), shake it up, warm it up, and then give to your now hysterical baby. You have to do this "schedule" thing regardless of what you feed your baby- babies eat a lot. Maybe what she meant was that parenting overall seems challenging? Because breastfeeding is the convenient way out, my friends. Parenting is difficult and time consuming, always. I don't have to worry about getting somewhere without my formula or being at a place without clean water or not realizing I am out of milk until 3 am. Nope. Marketers have just done a really, really fabulous job convincing people that formula is easy. I'll admit that it's easy that first, mind-blowingly hard first week of parenthood, when the baby is still figuring out how to breathe and you don't know what day it is, let alone want to do the nursing for hours and hours again instead of sleeping. Ok, fine, they've got me there. But it doesn't last! Then there's the part where breastfed babies don't get sick as often. That right there is worth it.

Anyway, the point is to show you this article. It's good, you should read it.

(This post is coincidental to recent conversations about this topic!)

Did you know

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 22:07:00 +0000

One of my favorite things is peeking down alleys as I walk by. Bonus points if there's a cool building at the end, a hill in the middle that results in a few blocks being dipped out of sight, or flowers growing into what should be driving space. It's such a little thrill.

I've also always had a thing for watching orchard rows while driving. So straight and uniform! So delightful! There is a spot in Oregon just West of Umatilla where a paper company grows acres and miles of beautiful, perfectly spaced trees; incredible.

Come along with me

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 23:26:00 +0000

Because, as you may have noticed, I'm not a huge fan of cry-it-out sleep methods, we decided that when the time was right, we would follow the sleep training method described in the book The No Cry Sleep Solution.

A few months ago, I wrote about my previous "attempt" to do this. To summarize that post, lest you think the method failed, I decided I wasn't ready to give up cuddling my baby to sleep and in the wee hours and didn't even try. I put the book back on the shelf and commenced rocking the baby to sleep and then oh-so-carefully laying him into his crib. This was ok at the time, but his sleep habits have declined rapidly recently. It's been tough, particularly since he's also really begun experiencing separation anxiety and is horrified when he finds himself awake and alone. The key part of this sleep training technique is teaching the baby to fall asleep on his own, so that when he goes through normal sleep cycles and wakes up slightly, he isn't surprised to find himself in a place other than where he fell asleep. Imagine falling asleep in your nice, warm, cuddly bed, only to awaken on the kitchen floor.

I wanted a good stretch of days without interruption in our new plan, so I determined that the day after the fourth would be the first night. The initial phase has you rock the baby to the very precipice of sleep and then lay him down. The book warns that it will be almost certainly necessary to repeat this process multiple times (she says even up to five whole times, which I translated to five hundred whole times; I know my baby).

Soren's daytime naps have gotten very nice and predictable, and she recommends waiting until nighttime sleep is good to sleep train with naps. Ensure your child naps at any cost; sleep begets sleep. He's also quite used to his bedtime routine by now, as we've been at it for months and months. We try to keep things calm and not super bright for the hour before sleepy time, which is a real challenge as it's not dark here until almost ten pm in the summer.

So, last night. HORRIFYING. I composed emails to the author of the book in my head to keep myself from screaming or otherwise harming the baby. I followed the plan, and after the fifth lay-down, Soren totally lost it. He was so upset by this whole laying him down barely awake thing that he proceeded to bawl inconsolably (and console, I did attempt) for nearly 30 minutes. Mercifully, the book says that if either of you become upset during this sleep-showdown, do whatever you usually do to get the baby to sleep and try again the next time. When he finally calmed down, he passed out cold almost immediately and was easy to lay in his crib fully asleep. Soren rarely does this inconsolable crying thing, though it's been a bit more of a habit recently (thus the readiness for sleep training). I do not understand how mothers cope with it. I nearly lose my mind every time it happens. Louis is usually home, and we can take turns trying to calm him, but I was alone this time. Putting him in his crib to cry while I took deep breaths in the living room seemed counter-productive to helping him learn that his crib is a safe and inviting place, and I managed to refrain from that this time. Once he did sleep, he slept for three hours straight, nursed and went back to sleep (kind of from groggy?) for an additional 3 hours, and then slept another continuous three hours before coming to bed with us (just because I didn't want to get up). Best night of sleep he's had in months. He's been coming to bed with us at 1 am at the latest, but he made it past 4 last night. And while I do appreciate the cuddly time, sleeping with him isn't the most restful event in my life.

Tonight, I expected something similar, perhaps with less good sleep following the crying jag, because I'm still a pessimist at heart. But do you know what happened? On the 6th or 7th lay down, Soren smiled at me, rolled to his side, and fell asleep. On his own. Laying in his crib. Like the book says.

I don't know that I can even really comment beyond that. I walked into the kitchen with my mouth open, utterly speechless. It's a freaking miracle.

I've needed to go in once already (after about 90 minutes of sleep), but I picked him up for just a moment, kissed his little nose, laid him back on his other side, and he was out. Not a peep.

I'm not saying all of our problems are gone, but I am feeling a little bit hopeful.

I'll keep you all posted on our progress.

Fun Fact

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 06:24:00 +0000

Asparagus urine works for babies, too.

So, if your baby enjoys eating asparagus, as mine does, you might want to have your husband, part of the other half of the population not able to enjoy the aroma of thioesters, change those post-dinner diapers.

Ew.

One Trick Pony

noreply@blogger.com (Lindsey) — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:15:00 +0000

Soren has this little habit of doing something once and then waiting a long, long time before doing it again.

He rolled over a few times in a row before he was two months old, but then not again for a couple of months. When he first rolled over so early, I felt the general mix of pride and terror at having an early-mover. Also a great deal of relief that he wasn't showing early signs of developmental delay (the sort of relief that can only come after years of working with children with significant genetic-based challenges). After a while, though, it subsided into more of a sense of terror. When it was closer to the typical age for rolling over consistently, Soren totally picked it up again, though.

At his 6 month appointment, they asked if he babbled. Thinking that he was a very verbal baby, and having been told that his verbalizations were actually very complex for his age when he was wee, I answered yes. By the time I was home, though, I realized that he actually didn't babble. He cooed in complex and interesting ways, but there was no consonant-led repetition of sounds. After several days of near-constant terror, I asked around. Consensus was that the moms with boys generally didn't babble at 6 months, especially if the little guy was a fan of the paci. A few weeks of limiting paci consumption and deliberately babbling at Soren, and he was mamamamadladladladla-ing with the best of them.

Over a month ago, Soren waved bye-bye to my mom. Full, deliberate wave. He will not repeat it.

A few days ago, he was making a funny pursed-lips face and I made it back and asked if he could give me a kiss. And he did! It was incredibly deliberate (as well as the most adorable thing EVAR), but he wouldn't repeat it.

Until today! He only waited three days this time! Giving high fives was a trick that he refused to show anyone other than me for a time. Then he did it to my dad and now he'll just high five any old hand that's offered.

He seems to have learned that he needs to rehearse his new tricks. A couple of weeks ago, he learned to sit back up from laying down or crawling position, and he now spends most of his time sitting up, getting up on his hands and toes, and going back to sitting. And over and over and over. He's pretty fast, and has fashioned some kind of forwardish motion from this exercise, which makes him happy. Not being able to crawl forward competently is the great grief of his life these days, well perhaps just behind the 5 teeth plowing their vicious ways through his poor, tender gums right now. And I should clarify that he's begun to crawl forward in small, hesitant hops just since yesterday. Only time will tell whether he'll maintain this skill.

The other thing he's been practicing diligently is clapping. He started clapping about a week or so ago, but seemed to forget how to get both hands working together. He kept ending up with his own hands linked inter-digitally. Today seems to be the blossoming day for clapping. He sees a baby: clappa-clappa! He sees a fan with a pretty red light: CLAP! He sees a ballon and men wearing funny helmets riding funny bikes: CLAPPYCLAP! It's really adorable.

So, I have hope that one day Soren will be able to repeat his skills and keep me from looking like I'm making things up about him. Also, he can do so many things! His utter fascination with what most of us consider mundane is precious. Oh to be new to the world again!