When you've got a child, you hit miles stones constantly. When they first lift their heads up whilst on their tummies, when they manage to sit up unaided, when they stand up unaided, then they start walking around and never stop. They get teeth, they begin to eat food, stop drinking breast milk and/or formula. They grow out of newborn clothing, then three months clothing, six month clothing, nine month, twelve months, and just when you think they have slowed they no longer fit into 18 months. Just when you think you've got this whole having a child thing under control, they begin talking.
Miles stones. So many mile stones.
EMO (who still munches time, but I think I'm gonna call her EMO from now on here, as she can be kinda emo sometimes) just hit another milestone: preschool registration. Granted, I didn't fill out the mountains of paper work, got copies of her shot records, or whatever else is needed to really "register," but I did fork over money to reserve her spot at a preschool at a local Methodist Church.
I know nothing of preschool. Especially when the kids are only two. I began preschool when I was turning three. And other than screaming when my mother left me, wearing my shoes on the wrong feet, and being hit in the head with a metal truck, I don't remember much.
I was not a social child. I was perfectly content at home, alone, and entertaining myself by pretending my clothes were people. By the time I was three, we'd moved to a neighborhood where there were children who were my age, several in fact. They became my childhood friends and several of them attended the Frog School as I have always called it. (I've no idea what it's actually called some 30 years later.) I cannot tell you if I had a good experience there. I don't remember a lot of those year other than I wasn't allowed to be Rainbow Bright and had to be a bear, I cried a lot at the start of each day when my mother left me, and a little boy threw a truck at my head for reasons I could never figure out.
Preschool is important. I know that much. I also know EMO is a social being and unlike myself really likes other people and going out. Since she was born, I've been dragging myself out mostly for her benefit (mine is just a side benefit). We go shopping. We go to art class. In the summer months I take her to the gym and let her socialize with those whose parents would also like to work out and not have a child climbing all over them when they are trying to do Russian twists or downward dog. It was last summer I realize I needed to do something with EMO to expose her to more kids, as she LOVED it when other kids showed up, no matter their age. Shortly after I began to panic on what do to with the poor kid (didn't need day care, couldn't see paying for it if I didn't need it), one of the girls who I had been friends with as a small child and gone to the Frog School with (and put our shoes on the wrong feet together) posted on Facebook her two-year-old daughter had started Frog School.
I was like, "Wait? Two-year-olds can go to preschool?!"
And I instantly began to see if there were places other than the fancy place in town to send EMO. (Well, it might not be fancy, but they won't even post their tuition prices online. You must call.) After an afternoon of searching, I found a preschool taking place in a Methodist church. Due to this, I decided this was it. This was where EMO was going.
I grew up going to a Methodist Church and some of my best memories are in that musty, dusty smelling building. I am not overly religious. I was allowed to form my own believes and will allow my daughter to do the same. But, I am partial to Methodist Churches. I knew the moment I entered, I'd picked the right joint. It felt like home, familiar, and even smelled the same as the church I'd gone to as a kid. Since I had no idea where I was supposed to meet the woman who was going to give us a tour, I wandered a little till I heard the sound of children and headed down the stairs.
It was like walking back in time. While not everything was the same (no half finished Noah Ark murals on the walls and not totally made out of cinder blocks, there was something comforting about the building. The church was huge, so it took us a while to find the offices. We then sat and waited a little while, EMO pointing out all the fruits that were taped to the walls and failing to find the banana when asked.
As the tour took place, I was struck more and more how the building, thousands of miles away from the church of my childhood, was startling like my own. We walked through their "fellowship hall" and man, I was taken back. While the church itself is a lot more beautiful than the one I attended for years, it still felt right.
So, I filled out the form to reserve her spot, forked over $48 for the art fee, EMO waved goodbye to the tour lady (who had put her shoes back on and her coat, my girl is not shy in the least), while the other girl who was on the tour who was about a year older screamed.
While I wouldn't say the girl was horrible, she was really testing boundaries. The mother was mildly embarrassed, but handled it well. I tried not to feel smug while EMO held my hand, put away toys when asked, and was all around the perfect toddler that make others think, "Hey, this wouldn't be so bad if my kid was as well behaved as EMO." A friend of mine who gave birth this passed weekend said the same thing after sitting with EMO when I got my haircut last week.
While EMO does throw fits, they almost always happen at home, and if they are in public she fails to get the reaction she wants, usually doesn't get what she wants, and gets Angry Mom face. This seems to work. She might pout, but soon someone will say something to her and she'll smile again.
EMO still refuses to eat anything green (except pickles), won't eat meat (except hot dogs), and won't eat anything healthy other than fruit. She has a skin allergy to peanut butter, but sometimes to get protein into her (she recently decided she was above eggs), I feed it to her in limited qualities (mostly if I barely put any on the bread, she doesn't get it all over her face). She is still the most horrible napper known to man, but she will take them. Sometimes. She always goes to bed at eight, usually is asleep by nine and doesn't wake till seven the next morning. She won't eat breakfast if I make it, but if it's in smoothie form she will eat it.
My little girl is growing up. She is testing her boundaries to see what she can get away with. She will start school next fall.
Do I miss the newborn stages? The cuddles, the baby smell, nursing, the quiet, the being immobile?
No.
About the only thing I miss is...nothing. I was anxious for her to get to this stage, where she was discovering things, playing, and talking (or trying). I wake up each morning exhausted (because I have that cold that won't go away and cannot stop coughing), but I smile as it's another fun filled day with EMO. That kid has been independent and stubborn since she came out. Being a newborn frustrated her to no end. She wanted to sit up. She wanted to roll away. When she was finally able to do these things...she was so proud. And once she started walking, god, I've never seen a happier child.
Today, as we toured the school, she held her hand out to me, she dragged me to the bins of toys, then abandoned me instantly when there were other children were around.
I smiled, didn't feel sad. I felt elated.
EMO is going to love preschool, just as she's loved every, single milestone she's reached so far on her way to being an independent person.
Showing posts with label living with baby. Show all posts
Showing posts with label living with baby. Show all posts
09 February 2016
26 August 2015
A Green Cookie
Pilot Boy told me these were very good cookies and he almost alway detests when I "experiment" with chocolate chip cookies.
Anyways, here ya go:
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hidden Zucchini
1/2 cup virgin olive oil (Weird, I know. While all I could smell of the batter of the olive oil, can't taste it once it's baked)
1 egg
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup almond flour (or, 1 cup of all purpose)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (or if you're an idiot, 1/2 tablespoon and then attempt to pick out some once you realize your mistake. Didn't seem to affect the recipe too badly.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 whole zucchini, finely shredded and squeezed to rid of some of the liquid
1/2 cup big chocolate chips (I used dark ones)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips. (and some over flow if you like chocolate)
What to do with all these things:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line your cookie sheets with parchment or slip mats. Or not.
2. In a bowl with high sides and that is of medium size, combine the olive oil, egg, white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Once these items are in the bowl, use an electric mixer (or a stand one if you want) and...MIX! Until the sugar dissolves.3. In another bowl of medium size, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices. Combine in a method of your choosing. (I stirred it with a spatula!)
4. Add the dry to the wet. Use your electric mixer till just combined.
5. Then add the zucchini and mix till the greens tuff is throughly mixed into the dough.
6. Dump the chocolate chips in and use the handy spatula (or spoon, fork, or whatever) to combine.
7. Don't panic when all you smell is olive oil.
8. Drop tablespoons of dough onto the cookie sheets, spacing them apart a bit as they do spread a wee bit.
9. Put into the oven and leave there for between 12-15 minutes. (I left mine in for 13:30.)
10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheets for two minutes.
11. Transfer to wire wracks to complete cooling.12. Eat.
24 August 2015
All Things Green and Sweet (Getting a Toddler to Eat Green Things)
So, once upon a time I had a child who ate anything I fed her. Kale and parsnips, check. Quinoa and blueberries, check. Peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes, check. Any combination of baby food I tried, Time Muncher snarfed down. I was thrilled. I had a child who would eat literally anything! Even things I detested.
Then, I started feeing her actual food, meaning non-baby food. Suddenly, zucchini was littering the floor, peas were being thrown at Basil Bea Dog, and even grilled chicken was left behind to be fed to the dog. I tried sneaking veggies into things she ate, but she'd figure me out and the hour long veggie frittata I had slaved over was smashed into the cup holder on her high chair (followed by her evil genius laughter).
I suddenly had a picky eater. And most problematic was her refusal to eat all things green, even honeydew.
I mentioned this to her doctor (after searching Pinterest and finding a few things to try when it finally cooled down as almost everything required baking) and he mentioned green smoothies.
"It's what we fed our daughter when she refused her greens," he said smiling easily and looking almost fond at the memories.
So, after her doctor appointment, I went to the Neighborhood Market by Walmart (because it's colder there and less crowded and I have a panic disorder), I got a huge bag of kale and spinach, along with some frozen fruit. So, I set up to make smoothies.
I had gone through a smoothie phase when I was in my first trimester, then I decided my blender couldn't handle ice and gave up.
So, while Time Muncher was sleeping, but close to when she was going to wake, I whipped up one of the green smoothie recipes I'd found on Pinterest.
Or, well, I fudged it as I didn't have everything. I mean, I try to be healthy, but I didn't have almond milk, coconut water, or any of the other "healthy" things people these days seem to always have on hand.
I thought it was a little gross the concoction I'd made, but Time Muncher sucked it down. I put the left over into some pouches and gave those to her whenever she was hungry over the next few days. Put anything in a pouch and she will eat it.
I branched out into green smoothies that I liked. The best combo I found happen to use kale. I figure since I'm feeding her spinach muffins, she can get a dose of kale in her smoothie.
Yeah, spinach muffins. These things are so good, I can't stop eating them. They are seriously brilliant. I followed this recipe here. The only change I made was I used white whole wheat all purpose instead of white, but that's all I changed, so I will direct you there instead of rehashing the recipe.
Now, for smoothies, I did look at recipes, but for the most part, I found if I just eyeball it, they turn out better. So, here are my fool proof, toddler approved, green smoothies.
KALE SMOOTHIE
Overflowing handful of chopped kale
Splash of vanilla extract (very small)
Thawed mango and strawberries (or fresh)
A soup spoon or two of plain greek yogurt.
A dash of cinnamon. Or ginger. Or whatever strikes your fancy.
1. Add all ingredients to blender.
2. Turn blender on (after you've plugged it in). Blend.
3. When everything is blended and you cannot see any kale bits remaining, pour into sippy cup and serve instantly.
4. Either put left overs into pouches to enjoy the next day, or finish it yourself.
SPINACH SMOOTHIE
Overflowing handful of spinach
Splash of vanilla extract (very small)
Canned pineapple, chopped or crushed. Or buy the slices and cut them yourself
Half a banana, cut up to ease the pain on the blender.
1/2 c of whole milk
A dash of cinnamon, ginger, or whatever spice you'd like.
1. Put everything into the blender.
2. Plug blender in.
3. Blend until you see no more spinach anywhere.
4. Pour into spippy cup and watch your toddler consume spinach without his or her knowledge.
5. Eat the left overs yourself. Or put in another sippy cup to be enjoyed tomorrow.
The last thing I've snuck spinach into is pancakes. It occurred to me, after finding out how much Time Muncher loved pancakes, she might eat them even if they are green. So, I turned to the trusty Pinterest, found some spinach pancake recipes and went from there.
SPINACH PANCAKES
Tweaked from here.
One large handful of spinach
3/4 cup of plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup of milk (I use whole milk since they are for Time Muncher)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon oil (I used veggie)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup almond flour (if you have on hand, if not, leave it out)
1 tablespoon of sugar (any type you feel like using, I used white due to the fact it was sitting right there)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Plug in your blender. Put a skillet on the stove and turn it on to medium to heat.
2. Put all wet ingredients into the blender with the spinach.
3. Blend, blend, blend, blend.
4. Whilst blending, get a large mixing bowl and combine the dry ingredients. Stir until they are combined.
5. Add the wet to dry and mix. If the batter is still too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, add a little bit of flour. (Each time I've made this, the batter's been too thick, so I added a little more milk. Batter should be thin, but not liquified.)
6. Using a tablespoon, add a dollop of batter to the skillet. Depending on skillet, you might get more or two into the pan.
7. Stand and stare at them till they start to bubble. If they don't bubble (because they are too thick) wait about two or three minutes if you like timing things.
8. Flip!
9. Sing a little ditty in your head.
10. Upon finishing your ditty (which ought to be two minutes or so long), remove pancake from skillet.
11. Wait for it to cool before feeding it toddler.
To reheat the left overs you will likely have (unless your husband is home and he eats them all because they are "SO SMALL! Why are they mini pancakes? Why can't you just make regular pancakes?"), microwave for 25 seconds to heat the middle, then warm on a heated skillet or griddle for a minute just to crisp the outside up. You'd never know they were nuked. Trust me.
Then, I started feeing her actual food, meaning non-baby food. Suddenly, zucchini was littering the floor, peas were being thrown at Basil Bea Dog, and even grilled chicken was left behind to be fed to the dog. I tried sneaking veggies into things she ate, but she'd figure me out and the hour long veggie frittata I had slaved over was smashed into the cup holder on her high chair (followed by her evil genius laughter).
I suddenly had a picky eater. And most problematic was her refusal to eat all things green, even honeydew.
I mentioned this to her doctor (after searching Pinterest and finding a few things to try when it finally cooled down as almost everything required baking) and he mentioned green smoothies.
"It's what we fed our daughter when she refused her greens," he said smiling easily and looking almost fond at the memories.
So, after her doctor appointment, I went to the Neighborhood Market by Walmart (because it's colder there and less crowded and I have a panic disorder), I got a huge bag of kale and spinach, along with some frozen fruit. So, I set up to make smoothies.
I had gone through a smoothie phase when I was in my first trimester, then I decided my blender couldn't handle ice and gave up.
So, while Time Muncher was sleeping, but close to when she was going to wake, I whipped up one of the green smoothie recipes I'd found on Pinterest.
Or, well, I fudged it as I didn't have everything. I mean, I try to be healthy, but I didn't have almond milk, coconut water, or any of the other "healthy" things people these days seem to always have on hand.
I thought it was a little gross the concoction I'd made, but Time Muncher sucked it down. I put the left over into some pouches and gave those to her whenever she was hungry over the next few days. Put anything in a pouch and she will eat it.
I branched out into green smoothies that I liked. The best combo I found happen to use kale. I figure since I'm feeding her spinach muffins, she can get a dose of kale in her smoothie.
Yeah, spinach muffins. These things are so good, I can't stop eating them. They are seriously brilliant. I followed this recipe here. The only change I made was I used white whole wheat all purpose instead of white, but that's all I changed, so I will direct you there instead of rehashing the recipe.
Now, for smoothies, I did look at recipes, but for the most part, I found if I just eyeball it, they turn out better. So, here are my fool proof, toddler approved, green smoothies.
KALE SMOOTHIE
Overflowing handful of chopped kale
Splash of vanilla extract (very small)
Thawed mango and strawberries (or fresh)
A soup spoon or two of plain greek yogurt.
A dash of cinnamon. Or ginger. Or whatever strikes your fancy.
1. Add all ingredients to blender.
2. Turn blender on (after you've plugged it in). Blend.
3. When everything is blended and you cannot see any kale bits remaining, pour into sippy cup and serve instantly.
4. Either put left overs into pouches to enjoy the next day, or finish it yourself.
SPINACH SMOOTHIEOverflowing handful of spinach
Splash of vanilla extract (very small)
Canned pineapple, chopped or crushed. Or buy the slices and cut them yourself
Half a banana, cut up to ease the pain on the blender.
1/2 c of whole milk
A dash of cinnamon, ginger, or whatever spice you'd like.
1. Put everything into the blender.
2. Plug blender in.
3. Blend until you see no more spinach anywhere.
4. Pour into spippy cup and watch your toddler consume spinach without his or her knowledge.
5. Eat the left overs yourself. Or put in another sippy cup to be enjoyed tomorrow.
The last thing I've snuck spinach into is pancakes. It occurred to me, after finding out how much Time Muncher loved pancakes, she might eat them even if they are green. So, I turned to the trusty Pinterest, found some spinach pancake recipes and went from there.
SPINACH PANCAKES
Tweaked from here.
One large handful of spinach
3/4 cup of plain greek yogurt
1/3 cup of milk (I use whole milk since they are for Time Muncher)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon oil (I used veggie)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup almond flour (if you have on hand, if not, leave it out)
1 tablespoon of sugar (any type you feel like using, I used white due to the fact it was sitting right there)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Plug in your blender. Put a skillet on the stove and turn it on to medium to heat.
2. Put all wet ingredients into the blender with the spinach.
3. Blend, blend, blend, blend.
4. Whilst blending, get a large mixing bowl and combine the dry ingredients. Stir until they are combined.
5. Add the wet to dry and mix. If the batter is still too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, add a little bit of flour. (Each time I've made this, the batter's been too thick, so I added a little more milk. Batter should be thin, but not liquified.)
6. Using a tablespoon, add a dollop of batter to the skillet. Depending on skillet, you might get more or two into the pan.
7. Stand and stare at them till they start to bubble. If they don't bubble (because they are too thick) wait about two or three minutes if you like timing things.
8. Flip!
9. Sing a little ditty in your head.
10. Upon finishing your ditty (which ought to be two minutes or so long), remove pancake from skillet.
11. Wait for it to cool before feeding it toddler.
To reheat the left overs you will likely have (unless your husband is home and he eats them all because they are "SO SMALL! Why are they mini pancakes? Why can't you just make regular pancakes?"), microwave for 25 seconds to heat the middle, then warm on a heated skillet or griddle for a minute just to crisp the outside up. You'd never know they were nuked. Trust me.
28 April 2015
Time Munching with Wiggles
A year ago, I was exhausted, elated, freaked out, exhausted, anxious, and exhausted. Why?
I'd just had a baby.
By this time (roughly 7pm), I'd adjusted to the fact I had this small being dependent on me and I had peed the three mandatory times required for me to be able to go home the next day. I'd been fed, drugged, and was looking forward to sleeping. As I might have mentioned, I was exhausted.
A year later, I'm no longer exhausted, but I am constantly tired. It usually hits at about 7pm. I just get utterly exhausted and desperately want to go to bed.
However, someone who no longer really Wiggles doesn't wish to sleep at seven.
Or much.
That much hasn't changed in the year of life. My kid still doesn't like sleeping much. She does, though, seem to understand she needs it and will do it. For some stretches. She takes one nap, sometimes two hours long. She sleeps from about 8 till 12, then 12 till 6.30, 7 if we're lucky. On bad days, she wakes up at 4 am ready to get up and face her day.
Crazy child.
She walks now more than she crawls. She's into everything and I'm not sure how she sees as her hair is always in her face. (She won't wear barrettes and yanks out elastics.) Her feet are not big enough for most walker-shoes, as she wears a 2.5, not a 4. She wears a size 12 in length, but a 6 in with. Everything still makes a trip into her mouth and she loves to chew on books. Unloading the DVD bins is a daily activity, as well as handing Mommy all the DVDs as if they are precious jewels.
My days speed by at the speed of light and by the time we put Time Muncher (formerly known as Wiggles) I cannot for the life of me figure out where the day went. While I might not be able to explain to you what I exactly did today, I'll will have either gotten dressed to leave the house or dressed to work out. If I dressed to work out, I almost always get it down during nap time. I might not unload the dishwasher, but I will work out. Days I work out AND unload the dishwasher are REALLY AMAZING DAYS.
The past year as seen Time Muncher go from a squirming, funny looking newborn, to a pretty little baby, to a long, lean walking machine. Her hair went from just on her head to everywhere, and her teeth went from zero to four. She laughs, cries crocodile tears, and claps her hands for Elmo. She always stops what she's doing when Frozen starts and will attempt to dance to any music she hears.
She takes her socks off, tends to loose one shoe, hates for you to put things over her head, but will always help you remove her shirts. She likes to give people things and then stare at them while they hold them. She usually doesn't want them back. She love to knock things over and hates when Dad leaves the room when she's cranky.
Everyone tells me she's beautiful, she looks like me, and she's utterly adorable (especially when she waves at them or claps her hands). I tend to agree with all these assessments and I love that she loves almost all food we give her (except cheese and spinach ravioli). She drinks water, love wheat puffs she can share with Basil Bea Dog, and rolls around on the dog bed like it's her own.
I know life has changed with the addition of Time Muncher, yet I am still me. And I am proud of this. I did not loose myself. I changed-- I no longer spent two hours to get ready to leave the house. I can get ready to go somewhere in under 30 now, including a shower! I still write, still do art projects, and still bake sugary things I shouldn't likely be eating. I sewed a diaper bag, painted half a bedroom, wrote several stories, edited several stories, scrap booked, and got into oil paints. I still love clothes, buy too many pairs of shoes, and adore designer purses. I just also love buying shoes, clothes, and toys for TM. I love building block towers for her to knock over, reading books to myself while she chews on another and is clearly not listening to me, and walking her down the mean streets and not get hit by cars because the town lacks sidewalks. I like taking TM shopping. She likes to get out and see the sights.
I am less house bound since TM and will likely remain that way as she's super social. And now that she's walking and playing, she'll likely like some friends.
A year ago, I had a baby. A year ago, I didn't know what was going to happen, yet I was looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to the next year of development and every year after. Will I miss her being a baby? Being a newborn who didn't do anything except lie there and stare at the ceiling?
No. I'm one of those weird people who will not miss those days because they were boring and frustrating. My child didn't want to cuddle, she wanted to be independent. She was so happy the day she figured out how to move on her own. I do cherish the moment she wants to cuddle, when she sits in my lap and happily sucks on her two fingers and ceases moving.
Those moments...those I like.
I'd just had a baby.
By this time (roughly 7pm), I'd adjusted to the fact I had this small being dependent on me and I had peed the three mandatory times required for me to be able to go home the next day. I'd been fed, drugged, and was looking forward to sleeping. As I might have mentioned, I was exhausted.
A year later, I'm no longer exhausted, but I am constantly tired. It usually hits at about 7pm. I just get utterly exhausted and desperately want to go to bed.
However, someone who no longer really Wiggles doesn't wish to sleep at seven.
Or much.
That much hasn't changed in the year of life. My kid still doesn't like sleeping much. She does, though, seem to understand she needs it and will do it. For some stretches. She takes one nap, sometimes two hours long. She sleeps from about 8 till 12, then 12 till 6.30, 7 if we're lucky. On bad days, she wakes up at 4 am ready to get up and face her day.
Crazy child.
She walks now more than she crawls. She's into everything and I'm not sure how she sees as her hair is always in her face. (She won't wear barrettes and yanks out elastics.) Her feet are not big enough for most walker-shoes, as she wears a 2.5, not a 4. She wears a size 12 in length, but a 6 in with. Everything still makes a trip into her mouth and she loves to chew on books. Unloading the DVD bins is a daily activity, as well as handing Mommy all the DVDs as if they are precious jewels.
My days speed by at the speed of light and by the time we put Time Muncher (formerly known as Wiggles) I cannot for the life of me figure out where the day went. While I might not be able to explain to you what I exactly did today, I'll will have either gotten dressed to leave the house or dressed to work out. If I dressed to work out, I almost always get it down during nap time. I might not unload the dishwasher, but I will work out. Days I work out AND unload the dishwasher are REALLY AMAZING DAYS.
The past year as seen Time Muncher go from a squirming, funny looking newborn, to a pretty little baby, to a long, lean walking machine. Her hair went from just on her head to everywhere, and her teeth went from zero to four. She laughs, cries crocodile tears, and claps her hands for Elmo. She always stops what she's doing when Frozen starts and will attempt to dance to any music she hears.
She takes her socks off, tends to loose one shoe, hates for you to put things over her head, but will always help you remove her shirts. She likes to give people things and then stare at them while they hold them. She usually doesn't want them back. She love to knock things over and hates when Dad leaves the room when she's cranky.
Everyone tells me she's beautiful, she looks like me, and she's utterly adorable (especially when she waves at them or claps her hands). I tend to agree with all these assessments and I love that she loves almost all food we give her (except cheese and spinach ravioli). She drinks water, love wheat puffs she can share with Basil Bea Dog, and rolls around on the dog bed like it's her own.
I know life has changed with the addition of Time Muncher, yet I am still me. And I am proud of this. I did not loose myself. I changed-- I no longer spent two hours to get ready to leave the house. I can get ready to go somewhere in under 30 now, including a shower! I still write, still do art projects, and still bake sugary things I shouldn't likely be eating. I sewed a diaper bag, painted half a bedroom, wrote several stories, edited several stories, scrap booked, and got into oil paints. I still love clothes, buy too many pairs of shoes, and adore designer purses. I just also love buying shoes, clothes, and toys for TM. I love building block towers for her to knock over, reading books to myself while she chews on another and is clearly not listening to me, and walking her down the mean streets and not get hit by cars because the town lacks sidewalks. I like taking TM shopping. She likes to get out and see the sights.
I am less house bound since TM and will likely remain that way as she's super social. And now that she's walking and playing, she'll likely like some friends.
A year ago, I had a baby. A year ago, I didn't know what was going to happen, yet I was looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to the next year of development and every year after. Will I miss her being a baby? Being a newborn who didn't do anything except lie there and stare at the ceiling?
No. I'm one of those weird people who will not miss those days because they were boring and frustrating. My child didn't want to cuddle, she wanted to be independent. She was so happy the day she figured out how to move on her own. I do cherish the moment she wants to cuddle, when she sits in my lap and happily sucks on her two fingers and ceases moving.
Those moments...those I like.
26 March 2015
Diaper Update
Wiggles is now almost 11 months old. She weights 19 pounds and I've no clue how tall she is as I haven't gotten her to be still long enough to measure her. Her legs have finally chunked out a bit, but she is still long and skinny for a baby. Likely because she is NEVER still. Even when she's asleep she's not still.
We still battle for naps, still have issues sleeping through the night. But sometimes it does happen: sleeping through the night.
Only we had a problem: diaper overflow.
My beloved Luvs were no longer containing the outflows. In the past, when this occured, it was time to go to the next size up. While she was in the weight limit for the diapers in the past, her legs were usually a little too skinny for the next size, her her loads were ready so we just strapped her in and hoped for the best. This time, she is no where near the weight limit for the size 4. She is firmly in size three, yet they do not hold enough pee.
Pee is my enemy now, not poop. (Unless she pees and poops at the same time, then it is a disaster.) During the day, I can change her diaper every two hours. However, HUGE COMMA, at night, I am not waking her up to change her diaper. It ends in tears. Trust me. I woke her once at four to change her diaper because she hadn't woken at her usual time for a bottle. I'd hoped I could get the wet diaper off, put a dry on one, and put her back down.
Not so lucky.
So, the next day, I went to investigate diapers, just as I had when she was still in my belly. This time, though, I had more options. Did you know there are like two different versions of diapers for her size in Pampers? And Huggies? But Luvs only had one type of diapers and they simply do not hold enough pee to go all night long without a diaper change. But, they do make diapers that go that long. After spending a little too long staring at diapers, I picked up small packs of Pampers Cruisers and Huggies Snug and Dry. Both claimed they held 12 hours worth of wetness.
Pampers Cruisers were up first. I put it on her before her nap that day--which she actually took! It was two hours long. In the Luvs, I'd have a very heavy diaper after a two hour nap. With the PC diapers, I had a half full diaper of pee. Happy, I changed her diaper and put her in a Huggies one. Instantly, I hated the Huggies on. I don't like them-- plain and simple. They seem flimsy. At least her legs fit into the holes this time. She wore it for four hours while crawling around and no leaks. I've used the Huggies Snug and Dry at bedtime and so far, no leaks and no overly full diapers. Same with the Pampers.
She's slept through the night at least three times since I bought the new diapers and only one time did Pilot Boy put the wrong diaper on her at night. I had a damp baby come morning when she spent the entire night in the Luvs diaper (she usually wakes up when wet, but she's growing or something).
So, after we finish the Luvs, we're switching to Pampers Cruisers and I will forlornly stare at my empty pocket book but no longer have to change her pants every three or four hours.
We still battle for naps, still have issues sleeping through the night. But sometimes it does happen: sleeping through the night.
Only we had a problem: diaper overflow.
My beloved Luvs were no longer containing the outflows. In the past, when this occured, it was time to go to the next size up. While she was in the weight limit for the diapers in the past, her legs were usually a little too skinny for the next size, her her loads were ready so we just strapped her in and hoped for the best. This time, she is no where near the weight limit for the size 4. She is firmly in size three, yet they do not hold enough pee.
Pee is my enemy now, not poop. (Unless she pees and poops at the same time, then it is a disaster.) During the day, I can change her diaper every two hours. However, HUGE COMMA, at night, I am not waking her up to change her diaper. It ends in tears. Trust me. I woke her once at four to change her diaper because she hadn't woken at her usual time for a bottle. I'd hoped I could get the wet diaper off, put a dry on one, and put her back down.
Not so lucky.
So, the next day, I went to investigate diapers, just as I had when she was still in my belly. This time, though, I had more options. Did you know there are like two different versions of diapers for her size in Pampers? And Huggies? But Luvs only had one type of diapers and they simply do not hold enough pee to go all night long without a diaper change. But, they do make diapers that go that long. After spending a little too long staring at diapers, I picked up small packs of Pampers Cruisers and Huggies Snug and Dry. Both claimed they held 12 hours worth of wetness.
Pampers Cruisers were up first. I put it on her before her nap that day--which she actually took! It was two hours long. In the Luvs, I'd have a very heavy diaper after a two hour nap. With the PC diapers, I had a half full diaper of pee. Happy, I changed her diaper and put her in a Huggies one. Instantly, I hated the Huggies on. I don't like them-- plain and simple. They seem flimsy. At least her legs fit into the holes this time. She wore it for four hours while crawling around and no leaks. I've used the Huggies Snug and Dry at bedtime and so far, no leaks and no overly full diapers. Same with the Pampers.
She's slept through the night at least three times since I bought the new diapers and only one time did Pilot Boy put the wrong diaper on her at night. I had a damp baby come morning when she spent the entire night in the Luvs diaper (she usually wakes up when wet, but she's growing or something).
So, after we finish the Luvs, we're switching to Pampers Cruisers and I will forlornly stare at my empty pocket book but no longer have to change her pants every three or four hours.
16 January 2015
adventures in online consignment and designer jeans
Since having Wiggles, my body is different. One: I still weight ten pounds more than I did before Wiggles decided to implant herself and grow. Two: how I carry that extra ten pounds is different than how I usually carry weight. Last time I had a huge weight gain, EVERYTHING grew wider. Hips, waist, bust, legs, arms...you get the idea. This time those pesky ten pounds (or sixteen after the holidays) sits right where Wiggles used to hang out. Only, now instead of being all hard and baby filled, it's just saggy and empty. I can feel my abs once more, but after eight months, I accepted the fact it's kind of here to stay. My hips aren't all that wider, but my waist is two inches wider than it was before Wiggles. (BW.)
So, I sighed and chucked my favorite Lucky Brand jeans, those VS jeans I've had since I was 25, and my various other jeans/pants. (Except my American Eagle ones I've had since I did that first major weight gain while in Del Rio. Those, oddly, still fit me just fine. No clue why as the others are all the same style, just different brands. But whatever.) I dreaded, deeply dreaded, finding new pants. I have never liked buying new pants. Mostly because they don't make pants for me. When I was a twig, nothing fit because unlike most twigs, I had hips and a butt. (Go figure.) And while I matched up measurement wise perfectly with a size six across the board, some times I needed a four, sometimes a two, and once a zero.
After Wiggles (AW), I don't fit in anywhere. My hips are the same size, my bust depends on the day of the week, and my waist is a size ten. I wouldn't mind wearing a size ten. I don't care about the number, I mostly care about how my butt is going to fit into a size ten. Because while my so called waist is a size ten, my butt is still a size six. And I know there are a whole bunch of people who have a similar problem. And I know there are pants that are made for people like me. However, I cannot try these pants on easily because I live in the middle of nowhere.
Also, I don't want to pay a lot of money, but I really wanted designer jeans. I mean, I've always wanted designer jeans, but I didn't understand paying 100 or more for jeans. I had a heart attack when I hit the buy button on my Lucky Brand jeans and they were only 88, and I got extra marked off for being a first time buyer on the website. But, that's a lot of money for a pair of pants.
Then, while buying clothing for Wiggles, I realized: If they have online consignment for children, they must have them for women. I had seen a news story back when I was pregnant about online congisnment, but it was mostly really high end stuff and mostly purses. I didn't need a new purse (shocking, I know), but I did need new pants.
So, after buying Wiggle's some new jammies to fit her super long body from Moxie Jean , I did a web search for online consignment. I wound up on a website called ThredUp. I surfed around, looking at what they had, what they took, and realized it was right up my alley. It was a mix of high end and the middle of the road. Basically, everything I wore and what I aspired to.
My first order, I ordered mostly jeans. Because that was what I needed. After much deliberation, I decided I'd try a size 29, a size up from what all my old jeans were and a size down from what all the sites claimed I needed for my new waist. While, when you order enough to get free shipping your order will take what feels like a life time to zigzag from California to where you are (sometimes being mere miles away yet going to Dallas for some reason), it is worth it. The prices for their lightly used designer items is great and you can easily return anything that doesn't fit. You have to pay for the return, but clothes are light and if they are heavy, flat boxes work just fine.
Anyhoo, I got four pairs of jeans to start out. James Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, Hudson, and 7 For All Mankind. All size 29.
The James Jeans were rather tight, but they were supposed to be legging jeans. After I wore them a few hours, they stretched out perfectly. Now I just air dry them on a hanger pulling the waist to keep the shape I molded.
Citizen for Humanity fit perfectly right out of the box. They were also trouser style, which I LOVE. They reminded me of my favorite pair of Levi's had in college that bit the dust awhile ago. (I still have them, but don't wear them for fear of them falling apart.) My only issue: after two wears, they loose their shape and fall down all the time. I had totally forgotten this was an issue for regular jeans. I hadn't had this issue until I tried to wear maternity jeans, but it seems to be my new world. As the Hudson jeans did the same thing. Even if I wear a belt, by the second wear, I'm always pulling my pants up.
The 7 For All Mankind jeans didn't fit at all. Couldn't even button them. So, I sent them back with other items that didn't fit and ordered the next size up. I have a feeling since they fit perfectly right out of the box, in a few hours I'll be pulling them up as well. Such is life. While reordering the 7s, I ordered a pair of green jeggings by Habitual. Never heard of them, but green pants! They looked like they'd be way too small, but they fit fine but were super long. All the jeans I got claimed to have 32 inch inseams. Well, except the 7s. They claim they have 31. I'm not sure who measures inseams of the jeans I've been wearing, as I've always worn a 32 when I want to wear flats and a 34 when I wear heels. Clearly, when the company claims it's a 32, it's really not because none of my former jeans were too long unless they were 34s.
Maybe I shrunk?
Now, I've also used the selling side of this site. I sent in a bag before the holidays. However, due to the volume of people unloading clothing on them, they are backed up and I haven't gotten my itemized list of what they took. I did, at the same time, send off a bunch of Wiggle's old stuff to Moxie and heard back. I sent in 102, but they only took 64. They did tell me why they didn't take the items they rejected and all things that are nice (which mine were) are donated to a local charity. Hence why I went with them when I was doing my research for kids consignment online. (There's thrift stores in this place, but no kid consignment.) ThredUp also says they donate the things they don't take, so I view it as either way, I get it out of my house easily and get a little bit of money (or store credit. For Moxie if you spend your money one their site, you get ten bucks extra. I will be spending it there, as Wiggles keeps growing.)
Alright, I must end this entry of somewhat random pointlessness and dry my hair before Wiggles wakes up from her nap as I said I'd go to a fini flight (Final Flight) for one of our friends whose getting the hell out of Dodge.
So, I sighed and chucked my favorite Lucky Brand jeans, those VS jeans I've had since I was 25, and my various other jeans/pants. (Except my American Eagle ones I've had since I did that first major weight gain while in Del Rio. Those, oddly, still fit me just fine. No clue why as the others are all the same style, just different brands. But whatever.) I dreaded, deeply dreaded, finding new pants. I have never liked buying new pants. Mostly because they don't make pants for me. When I was a twig, nothing fit because unlike most twigs, I had hips and a butt. (Go figure.) And while I matched up measurement wise perfectly with a size six across the board, some times I needed a four, sometimes a two, and once a zero.
After Wiggles (AW), I don't fit in anywhere. My hips are the same size, my bust depends on the day of the week, and my waist is a size ten. I wouldn't mind wearing a size ten. I don't care about the number, I mostly care about how my butt is going to fit into a size ten. Because while my so called waist is a size ten, my butt is still a size six. And I know there are a whole bunch of people who have a similar problem. And I know there are pants that are made for people like me. However, I cannot try these pants on easily because I live in the middle of nowhere.
Also, I don't want to pay a lot of money, but I really wanted designer jeans. I mean, I've always wanted designer jeans, but I didn't understand paying 100 or more for jeans. I had a heart attack when I hit the buy button on my Lucky Brand jeans and they were only 88, and I got extra marked off for being a first time buyer on the website. But, that's a lot of money for a pair of pants.
Then, while buying clothing for Wiggles, I realized: If they have online consignment for children, they must have them for women. I had seen a news story back when I was pregnant about online congisnment, but it was mostly really high end stuff and mostly purses. I didn't need a new purse (shocking, I know), but I did need new pants.
So, after buying Wiggle's some new jammies to fit her super long body from Moxie Jean , I did a web search for online consignment. I wound up on a website called ThredUp. I surfed around, looking at what they had, what they took, and realized it was right up my alley. It was a mix of high end and the middle of the road. Basically, everything I wore and what I aspired to.
My first order, I ordered mostly jeans. Because that was what I needed. After much deliberation, I decided I'd try a size 29, a size up from what all my old jeans were and a size down from what all the sites claimed I needed for my new waist. While, when you order enough to get free shipping your order will take what feels like a life time to zigzag from California to where you are (sometimes being mere miles away yet going to Dallas for some reason), it is worth it. The prices for their lightly used designer items is great and you can easily return anything that doesn't fit. You have to pay for the return, but clothes are light and if they are heavy, flat boxes work just fine.
Anyhoo, I got four pairs of jeans to start out. James Jeans, Citizens of Humanity, Hudson, and 7 For All Mankind. All size 29.
The James Jeans were rather tight, but they were supposed to be legging jeans. After I wore them a few hours, they stretched out perfectly. Now I just air dry them on a hanger pulling the waist to keep the shape I molded.
Citizen for Humanity fit perfectly right out of the box. They were also trouser style, which I LOVE. They reminded me of my favorite pair of Levi's had in college that bit the dust awhile ago. (I still have them, but don't wear them for fear of them falling apart.) My only issue: after two wears, they loose their shape and fall down all the time. I had totally forgotten this was an issue for regular jeans. I hadn't had this issue until I tried to wear maternity jeans, but it seems to be my new world. As the Hudson jeans did the same thing. Even if I wear a belt, by the second wear, I'm always pulling my pants up.
The 7 For All Mankind jeans didn't fit at all. Couldn't even button them. So, I sent them back with other items that didn't fit and ordered the next size up. I have a feeling since they fit perfectly right out of the box, in a few hours I'll be pulling them up as well. Such is life. While reordering the 7s, I ordered a pair of green jeggings by Habitual. Never heard of them, but green pants! They looked like they'd be way too small, but they fit fine but were super long. All the jeans I got claimed to have 32 inch inseams. Well, except the 7s. They claim they have 31. I'm not sure who measures inseams of the jeans I've been wearing, as I've always worn a 32 when I want to wear flats and a 34 when I wear heels. Clearly, when the company claims it's a 32, it's really not because none of my former jeans were too long unless they were 34s.
Maybe I shrunk?
Now, I've also used the selling side of this site. I sent in a bag before the holidays. However, due to the volume of people unloading clothing on them, they are backed up and I haven't gotten my itemized list of what they took. I did, at the same time, send off a bunch of Wiggle's old stuff to Moxie and heard back. I sent in 102, but they only took 64. They did tell me why they didn't take the items they rejected and all things that are nice (which mine were) are donated to a local charity. Hence why I went with them when I was doing my research for kids consignment online. (There's thrift stores in this place, but no kid consignment.) ThredUp also says they donate the things they don't take, so I view it as either way, I get it out of my house easily and get a little bit of money (or store credit. For Moxie if you spend your money one their site, you get ten bucks extra. I will be spending it there, as Wiggles keeps growing.)
Alright, I must end this entry of somewhat random pointlessness and dry my hair before Wiggles wakes up from her nap as I said I'd go to a fini flight (Final Flight) for one of our friends whose getting the hell out of Dodge.
26 August 2014
The Tale of Finding Diapers and Wipes
Before Wiggles was born, I researched diapers. Any mom to be would do this, right?
Yeah.
Was there really a point?
No.
What type of diaper you choose is up to you. While Pampers might claim to be the best, you might discover you cannot stand Pampers because they never contain the exploding poop. Someone might tell you that Huggies are the greatest diapers known to man, but when you put them on your kid, her leg isn't fat enough to prevent any leaking. People might love those environmentally friendly diapers, but you live in the middle of nowhere and they aren't sold at Walmart.
Wiggles wears Luvs. (You live and learn, and then you get Luvs.) Why does Wiggles wear Luvs?
1. They fit her tiny butt.
2. They hold in the exploding poop because they fit her skinny, little legs.
When Wiggles was born, she was a skinny little thing and the newborn diapers didn't fit. Seriously, they were too big. We had to overlap the little straps just to get them to stay up. Since all hospitals love Pampers, we had a free package of Pampers. So, we used them. I didn't like them because they were too big.
Then she began exploding poops. And I liked them even less.
Now, because I had done my research and learned there was no diaper that was the best, I had bought all three brands available in newborn size in town. (Pampers, Huggies, and Luvs.) Finding newborn sized diapers was a trial. But, I'll get to that later.
We used up the first bag of Pampers from the hospital and moved onto the Luvs.
I liked those the best.
Next up, Huggies.
I am not sure who Huggies newborns are made for, but they weren't made for long, skinny babies. Huggies period aren't made for skinny legged babies. (We have size 2 Huggies that we got as a gift from Pilot Boy's work.) I cannot get those stupid things tight enough to prevent side leakage.
So, those were out.
Pampers were okay, but I didn't feel they held a lot of anything, but I used them in a pinch because...Walmart only got in a shipment of newborn sized Luvs like every other month. And then they'd only have like two packages. Wiggles was also in newborns till she was almost two months. She likely would still be wearing them, only they are meant for tiny loads, not two month sized loads.
So, we moved to size one in Luvs.
And then no one every had those either.
No one every has the size I want. Wiggles is now in the size 2 and no one every has size two Luvs. They'll have every size I do not need, but never the size I do.
Bah.
Now, I didn't do any research for wipes. A wipe is a wipe, right?
No.
Once again, whilst at the hospital, we were given a travel package of Pampers Sensitive wipes. I had bought smaller packages of various unscented wipes to use in my wipe warmer. I had Pampers and Huggies, as those were the only wipes they had at Walmart. (Well, other than the Walmart brand, but I'm a snob.) I used the Pampers for awhile, even bought a huge bag of them to restock the wipe warmer. Then, I discovered a HUGE thing of Huggies All Natural Wipes. I'm pretty sure those weren't there when I first was trying out wipes, but I got them anyways because they were cheaper than the huge package of Pampers.
Whoa. When they say you only need one wipe to clean up, they really weren't lying. I also love how thick the Huggies wipes are.
So, I use Luvs diapers because they fit my kid's skinny little legs and Huggies wipes because they are thick and wonderful to wipe her butt.
Yeah.
Was there really a point?
No.
What type of diaper you choose is up to you. While Pampers might claim to be the best, you might discover you cannot stand Pampers because they never contain the exploding poop. Someone might tell you that Huggies are the greatest diapers known to man, but when you put them on your kid, her leg isn't fat enough to prevent any leaking. People might love those environmentally friendly diapers, but you live in the middle of nowhere and they aren't sold at Walmart.
Wiggles wears Luvs. (You live and learn, and then you get Luvs.) Why does Wiggles wear Luvs?
1. They fit her tiny butt.
2. They hold in the exploding poop because they fit her skinny, little legs.
When Wiggles was born, she was a skinny little thing and the newborn diapers didn't fit. Seriously, they were too big. We had to overlap the little straps just to get them to stay up. Since all hospitals love Pampers, we had a free package of Pampers. So, we used them. I didn't like them because they were too big.
Then she began exploding poops. And I liked them even less.
Now, because I had done my research and learned there was no diaper that was the best, I had bought all three brands available in newborn size in town. (Pampers, Huggies, and Luvs.) Finding newborn sized diapers was a trial. But, I'll get to that later.
We used up the first bag of Pampers from the hospital and moved onto the Luvs.
I liked those the best.
Next up, Huggies.
I am not sure who Huggies newborns are made for, but they weren't made for long, skinny babies. Huggies period aren't made for skinny legged babies. (We have size 2 Huggies that we got as a gift from Pilot Boy's work.) I cannot get those stupid things tight enough to prevent side leakage.
So, those were out.
Pampers were okay, but I didn't feel they held a lot of anything, but I used them in a pinch because...Walmart only got in a shipment of newborn sized Luvs like every other month. And then they'd only have like two packages. Wiggles was also in newborns till she was almost two months. She likely would still be wearing them, only they are meant for tiny loads, not two month sized loads.
So, we moved to size one in Luvs.
And then no one every had those either.
No one every has the size I want. Wiggles is now in the size 2 and no one every has size two Luvs. They'll have every size I do not need, but never the size I do.
Bah.
Now, I didn't do any research for wipes. A wipe is a wipe, right?
No.
Once again, whilst at the hospital, we were given a travel package of Pampers Sensitive wipes. I had bought smaller packages of various unscented wipes to use in my wipe warmer. I had Pampers and Huggies, as those were the only wipes they had at Walmart. (Well, other than the Walmart brand, but I'm a snob.) I used the Pampers for awhile, even bought a huge bag of them to restock the wipe warmer. Then, I discovered a HUGE thing of Huggies All Natural Wipes. I'm pretty sure those weren't there when I first was trying out wipes, but I got them anyways because they were cheaper than the huge package of Pampers.
Whoa. When they say you only need one wipe to clean up, they really weren't lying. I also love how thick the Huggies wipes are.
So, I use Luvs diapers because they fit my kid's skinny little legs and Huggies wipes because they are thick and wonderful to wipe her butt.
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