Sunday, August 7, 2011
Breastfeeding Reading: Eat Well, Lose Weight, While Breastfeeding
While nursing, my activities are limited to watching TV, reading, playing on my phone, and of course playing with my little boy. Twenty minutes to an hour of nursing every 90 minutes to 4 hours all day and night adds up to a lot of reading time. The first book I decided to read was Eat Well, Lose Weight, While Breastfeeding: The Complete Nutrition Book for Nursing Mothers by Eileen Behan.
This book is not the diet book I was expecting. Fortunetly, it was what I needed to know to prevent me from risking my own health at an attempt to lose weight. Behan breaks down all the vitamins and minerals needed while breastfeeding and shows the importance of consuming enough calories. Since reading this book, I have experienced my weight drastically reducing back to my pre-pregnancy figure (but with an extra two cup sizes) while consuming 1800 to 2000 calories a day. She also answers a lot of questions and concerns for the new breastfeeding mother. I recommend this book for any mom new to breastfeeding who may be running out of energy to care for their baby (we all are) or are a little concerned about their figures after having a baby.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Our Gypsy Kid
was born 11:35am via c-section on July 5th in Pensacola Florida, weighing 9.5 pounds and measuring 22 inches long. 
My contractions started at 3:00AM on July 4th. Despite being incredibly strong and lasting one to two minutes of time, the intervals between contractions were very inconsistent. We attempted to leave for the hospital twice before 10am, but the contractions would stop as soon as we got close. I didn't want to be turned away or have labor induced before I was ready. John was exhausted from scuba diving and being sunburned. Finally around 4:30pm, we decided to go to Triage to see what was happening with my dilation before we took the six hour drive back to Georgia. After giving us a hard time about traveling when I was overdue, they determined that I was in labor at 4-5 centimeters.
I did not spend very long in Triage. A nurse checked my dilation and hooked me up to a couple monitors that showed my heart rate and blood pressure, the baby's heart rate, my blood oxygen level, and the strength of my contractions. She also threaded my IV but botched it up until someone could help her, resulting in my wedding ring appearing to be comprised of rubies instead of diamonds. I was not on any medications, so I was dealing with a lot of pain during the contractions. Between the pain and fear, John managed to make me laugh. During painful contractions, he rubbed my back and checked my "score." He'd exclaim "New high score!" if the new contraction was stronger than any prior contraction. He also monitored my blood pressure as he found little ways to annoy me like snapping my hair band I was wearing on my wrist. His silliness really made the pre-epidural phase much more bearable. My uterus was very posterior, causing painful back labor. A resident started an ultrasound to determine the size of our little one, but stopped after she messed up measuring the head circumference twice. The next 18 hours may have been a lot different if she had done the ultrasound correctly.
Six hours later, I was feeling awesome with my epidural and IV allowing my body to contract and push without me feeling it, was 7 centimeters dilated, and was talking and laughing with John's parents, his sister, and my brother all in the delivery room (leaving whenever I needed to be checked of course). The doctor asked to break my water and induce contractions with Pitocin. I was hungry and tired so I agreed to try to speed up labor. By 4am, I had been at 9cm for a couple hours and wasn't dilating further. John's parents went home for a nap, John's sister was still eagerly watching my contractions monitor like the stock market, and John and my brother were taking frequent naps between visits from the nurses. I had an epidural window in my back, which meant I was feeling the full strength of the contractions in one spot. Around 6AM, an anesthesiologist gave me powerful pain relief. I fell asleep for forty minutes, but it felt like 4 hours. I woke as a nurse discovered bleeding and was getting a second opinion to determnine if the placenta was pulling away. As they determined that he was not in danger, I heard a brief slowing of his heart rate on the monitor. They took me off the Pitocin to not stress my little one. I was so scared, I just sobbed desperately.
After I felt comfortable that he was alright and his heart rate continued to be strong, I was introduced to the doctor with the day shift. I did not like her from the very beginning. After she introduced herself, she explained that she wanted to perform a c-section because I had been at 9 centimeters for a long time. I was well aware that it was taking a long time; I was exhausted and starving. I wanted more justification. She was also really rude to the resident because he had "only three years of experience." The resident explained to me that the baby was in a bad position but his position could still change. After they "discussed" my case outside of the room, the doctor agreed to let me push and told me that it should be possible because we were only expecting a 6.5 to 7 pound baby. I was shocked dumb. I wanted to say that there was no way he was that small, but then I didn't want to be wrong. I had seen a lot of pregnant women larger than myself and I had never been pregnant before. He felt really long to me, he was 14 ounces at 20 weeks, and he was a week overdue, so I was expecting 8.5 pounds.
My first attempt at pushing began when I complained that I was extremely uncomfortable from feeling the need to push out a bowel movement. My pain relief had mostly worn off, so they paged an anesthesiologist as I started pushing. I pushed and pushed, but was in too much pain to push effectively. One of the nurses said she had seen him crown, but none of the other nurses, doctor, or resident had seen it. He wasn't moving despite my pain. I begged for more drugs, then admitted defeat to have a c-section. Nurses then discovered a kink in my IV and the anesthesiologist finally arrived. By that point, I was too swollen and he still wasn't going anywhere. I waited two hours to be prepped for the c-section and spent a majority of that time pushing.
John's sister told me to smile for a picture as I was being transported to OR, but all I could do was cry. After 18 hours of labor, I felt that I had failed. I've never broken a bone or had major surgery so I was terrified. The drugs gave me the shivers. I could feel tugs, but not pricks. I was thankful to have John there on the same side of the curtain. They worked urgently, cutting down quickly and sawing at me in all different directions. John kept his composure, though he admitted later that he was thinking "What are you doing to her!?" Less than five minutes into surgery, all the doctors exclaimed "That's a big baby" and I heard a light cry that stopped shortly. I immediately asked if I could see him and how big he was. Suddenly, a spot of liquid leaped over the curtain onto my neck. I asked the doctor who was monitoring my side of the curtain to remove my blood off my neck. A doctor on the other side responded that it was my baby's, from the placenta. They began sewing me up and they placed him on the scale. 9 pounds, 8.4 ounces. I then saw why he kept pausing and resuming his cries. Whenever the doctor held him close to his face, he'd automatically stop crying. I wasn't able to hold him because of the drugs causing my arms to shake, but John held him close so I could kiss his forehead. The doctors were surprised by his long fingers, long nails, and long body. They also said he was cute, but I'm sure they always say that. I think he's adorable. He had a light bruise on his forehead from my pushing him into my pelvic bone. During all that labor, he didn't go anywhere because he was too big to get past my pelvic bone. That would have been nice to know earlier.
A week later, we're both healthy and I am handling my c-section recovery very well. I feared that breastfeeding would be difficult after a c-section, but breastfeeding has actually helped me recover. Carrying and positioning my large baby has caused my core muscles harmed by the c-section to strengthen and heal. My scar is very clean and low, and breastfeeding causes contractions that are healing me on the inside. I am loving breastfeeding, but will be very happy when I reach 3 weeks and can begin giving him pumped milk from a bottle. John and I deserve a date night, complete with sushi and wine.
My contractions started at 3:00AM on July 4th. Despite being incredibly strong and lasting one to two minutes of time, the intervals between contractions were very inconsistent. We attempted to leave for the hospital twice before 10am, but the contractions would stop as soon as we got close. I didn't want to be turned away or have labor induced before I was ready. John was exhausted from scuba diving and being sunburned. Finally around 4:30pm, we decided to go to Triage to see what was happening with my dilation before we took the six hour drive back to Georgia. After giving us a hard time about traveling when I was overdue, they determined that I was in labor at 4-5 centimeters.
I did not spend very long in Triage. A nurse checked my dilation and hooked me up to a couple monitors that showed my heart rate and blood pressure, the baby's heart rate, my blood oxygen level, and the strength of my contractions. She also threaded my IV but botched it up until someone could help her, resulting in my wedding ring appearing to be comprised of rubies instead of diamonds. I was not on any medications, so I was dealing with a lot of pain during the contractions. Between the pain and fear, John managed to make me laugh. During painful contractions, he rubbed my back and checked my "score." He'd exclaim "New high score!" if the new contraction was stronger than any prior contraction. He also monitored my blood pressure as he found little ways to annoy me like snapping my hair band I was wearing on my wrist. His silliness really made the pre-epidural phase much more bearable. My uterus was very posterior, causing painful back labor. A resident started an ultrasound to determine the size of our little one, but stopped after she messed up measuring the head circumference twice. The next 18 hours may have been a lot different if she had done the ultrasound correctly.
Six hours later, I was feeling awesome with my epidural and IV allowing my body to contract and push without me feeling it, was 7 centimeters dilated, and was talking and laughing with John's parents, his sister, and my brother all in the delivery room (leaving whenever I needed to be checked of course). The doctor asked to break my water and induce contractions with Pitocin. I was hungry and tired so I agreed to try to speed up labor. By 4am, I had been at 9cm for a couple hours and wasn't dilating further. John's parents went home for a nap, John's sister was still eagerly watching my contractions monitor like the stock market, and John and my brother were taking frequent naps between visits from the nurses. I had an epidural window in my back, which meant I was feeling the full strength of the contractions in one spot. Around 6AM, an anesthesiologist gave me powerful pain relief. I fell asleep for forty minutes, but it felt like 4 hours. I woke as a nurse discovered bleeding and was getting a second opinion to determnine if the placenta was pulling away. As they determined that he was not in danger, I heard a brief slowing of his heart rate on the monitor. They took me off the Pitocin to not stress my little one. I was so scared, I just sobbed desperately.
After I felt comfortable that he was alright and his heart rate continued to be strong, I was introduced to the doctor with the day shift. I did not like her from the very beginning. After she introduced herself, she explained that she wanted to perform a c-section because I had been at 9 centimeters for a long time. I was well aware that it was taking a long time; I was exhausted and starving. I wanted more justification. She was also really rude to the resident because he had "only three years of experience." The resident explained to me that the baby was in a bad position but his position could still change. After they "discussed" my case outside of the room, the doctor agreed to let me push and told me that it should be possible because we were only expecting a 6.5 to 7 pound baby. I was shocked dumb. I wanted to say that there was no way he was that small, but then I didn't want to be wrong. I had seen a lot of pregnant women larger than myself and I had never been pregnant before. He felt really long to me, he was 14 ounces at 20 weeks, and he was a week overdue, so I was expecting 8.5 pounds.
My first attempt at pushing began when I complained that I was extremely uncomfortable from feeling the need to push out a bowel movement. My pain relief had mostly worn off, so they paged an anesthesiologist as I started pushing. I pushed and pushed, but was in too much pain to push effectively. One of the nurses said she had seen him crown, but none of the other nurses, doctor, or resident had seen it. He wasn't moving despite my pain. I begged for more drugs, then admitted defeat to have a c-section. Nurses then discovered a kink in my IV and the anesthesiologist finally arrived. By that point, I was too swollen and he still wasn't going anywhere. I waited two hours to be prepped for the c-section and spent a majority of that time pushing.
John's sister told me to smile for a picture as I was being transported to OR, but all I could do was cry. After 18 hours of labor, I felt that I had failed. I've never broken a bone or had major surgery so I was terrified. The drugs gave me the shivers. I could feel tugs, but not pricks. I was thankful to have John there on the same side of the curtain. They worked urgently, cutting down quickly and sawing at me in all different directions. John kept his composure, though he admitted later that he was thinking "What are you doing to her!?" Less than five minutes into surgery, all the doctors exclaimed "That's a big baby" and I heard a light cry that stopped shortly. I immediately asked if I could see him and how big he was. Suddenly, a spot of liquid leaped over the curtain onto my neck. I asked the doctor who was monitoring my side of the curtain to remove my blood off my neck. A doctor on the other side responded that it was my baby's, from the placenta. They began sewing me up and they placed him on the scale. 9 pounds, 8.4 ounces. I then saw why he kept pausing and resuming his cries. Whenever the doctor held him close to his face, he'd automatically stop crying. I wasn't able to hold him because of the drugs causing my arms to shake, but John held him close so I could kiss his forehead. The doctors were surprised by his long fingers, long nails, and long body. They also said he was cute, but I'm sure they always say that. I think he's adorable. He had a light bruise on his forehead from my pushing him into my pelvic bone. During all that labor, he didn't go anywhere because he was too big to get past my pelvic bone. That would have been nice to know earlier.
A week later, we're both healthy and I am handling my c-section recovery very well. I feared that breastfeeding would be difficult after a c-section, but breastfeeding has actually helped me recover. Carrying and positioning my large baby has caused my core muscles harmed by the c-section to strengthen and heal. My scar is very clean and low, and breastfeeding causes contractions that are healing me on the inside. I am loving breastfeeding, but will be very happy when I reach 3 weeks and can begin giving him pumped milk from a bottle. John and I deserve a date night, complete with sushi and wine.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
There goes my due date
I was hoping that my next post would include baby pictures, but our little gypsy child is still inside me. Apparently, I am a "well-toned woman." Instead of the baby dropping at 34-36 weeks like most first time pregnancies, my 40 week appointment revealed he is "in China," (my doctor is silly) on the other side of my former ballerina abdominals. I am dilated enough to go into labor, but my uterus is too high. I am honestly too grumpy to do anything besides play gemcraft while bouncing on an exercise ball, trying to bounce him lower into my pelvis. We have had a scuba trip planned since December for July 4th weekend in Pensacola. Now I get to sit in the 5th wheel all day while the guys dive and I am so jealous. Not to mention if I go into labor while John is out in the Gulf of Mexico spearing dinner. I felt so guilty making a doctors appointment for Friday, knowing that I will be 6 hours away. Hopefully I will go into labor during a day of shore dives so John can coach me through the 3 cm to 10 cm dilations and we can transfer the medical records easily enough. I am not sure I will be able to say no to all the drugs, though I currently think an epidural is more terrifying than natural childbirth. Keeping needles away from my spine seems like a good life practice. Although turning and changing positions in bed is extremely difficult right now, I would like to be able to move around at the hospital to prevent labor from stalling. I went from 1.5 cm to 3 cm all at once before the contractions stalled Saturday night. I passed out during painful 2 minute long contractions that were two minutes apart. I blame the stress of it being 3am in a house with no air conditioning. I don't know if I can handle the frustration of labor stopping again. I would be fine with Graham being born in Pensacola; he is our gypsy kid. But I am tired of packing. It will be nice to live in the 5th wheel full time.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
What I Am Working On
I was so busy thinking about my son's birth day, that I didnt realize how soon my husband's birthday will be here. I can't say what I'm doing, but I will say that I am crocheting something very demanding of my time and patience. I'll probably only have it half done in time. Earlier this week, I ordered cloth baby wipes from Amazon, but realized I could do them myself a lot cheaper. I am cutting 8 inch squares of flannel and zig zag stitching the ends. I also have a half completed blog post about the science community's consensus on breastfeeding and alcohol consumption. I am also going to sew a turtle blanket for Graham. We'll see how much time I actually have to prepare for Graham's arrival though. His hiccups have been signaling to me that he is heads down and a few of my Braxton Hicks contractions have been very strong. When he was smaller, John and I would poke around my belly looking for him. Now he's everywhere! He kicks and squirms all over my belly and it often hurts, either from the consistent pushing and stretching or the sudden kicks. I guess that is all normal though. Hopefully I can get a lot done this month, because June is going to be a little crazy.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Cha Cha Cha Changes
It is a very exciting time for our family right now. We got the 5th wheel that we originally wanted, sold my car, are planning to pickup our truck from the dealership today, are going to be attached to Decatur Ga, and are reaching the 'no travelling' stage of pregnancy.
Our new to us 5th wheel is a 1999 33" Terry with three slide outs. We have a full kitchen, a split bathroom (toilet across the hallway from shower), a washer and dryer, a bedroom with a full size bed and closet, a couch that pulls out into a bed, two recliners (soon to be one to make room for Graham's pack n play), an entertainent center that plays music throughout the 5th wheel, and a dining room table that we want to convert to a traditional rv bed/booth. We took some pictures when John's family and dog were checking out our new home. We cleaned out our bank account to pay cash for it, but we still think it was a good purchase. Graham has floor space to crawl around on, the shower has a little tub for his baths, and there is space for his pack n play to be his crib.
Now we need a truck strong enough to pull it. We sold my Mustang to a Ford dealership for $9500 and found an 02 F350 super duty crew cab 7.3 turbo diesel dually short bed with 130,000 miles for $12,000. We further negotiated to pay $10,400 for the truck plus $600 dealership fees and to pay taxes in Florida later. That's below trade in value by the way. So today, we are waiting on the ford dealership to let us know our check is ready for deposit, so that we can go pick up our beast of a truck. Because it is a short bed, we need a slider 5th wheel hitch instead of a normal gooseneck.
John is becoming a cave diver and starting a new job. I was hoping that he would hate his cavern course so that I would stop having nightmares of his body being pulled out of a cave, but now he's in love. It's such a dangerous activity; I really don't want him doing it. But of course when he does something, he does it all the way. He has contacted the best instructors in the industry. This weekend, he is diving with Lamar Hires, who was trained by and dive buddy to Wes Skiles. Both men are major icons in the cave diving community. The Yucatan has a lot of cave diving, so maybe I could use his new love of cave diving as motivation to get us to Mexico. John's latest fantasy is to build a rebreather for diving. I am hoping the expenses of this project will prevent him from actually attempting it, because faulty rebreathers kill both inexperienced and very experienced divers. John starts his new job in May, which will require him to go to an office once a week. I am now trying to volunteer as a camphost within an hour of his work, but haven't heard back from anyone yet. It may be awhile until we are actually mobile in our mobile home, but we'll figure it out.
Our new to us 5th wheel is a 1999 33" Terry with three slide outs. We have a full kitchen, a split bathroom (toilet across the hallway from shower), a washer and dryer, a bedroom with a full size bed and closet, a couch that pulls out into a bed, two recliners (soon to be one to make room for Graham's pack n play), an entertainent center that plays music throughout the 5th wheel, and a dining room table that we want to convert to a traditional rv bed/booth. We took some pictures when John's family and dog were checking out our new home. We cleaned out our bank account to pay cash for it, but we still think it was a good purchase. Graham has floor space to crawl around on, the shower has a little tub for his baths, and there is space for his pack n play to be his crib.
Now we need a truck strong enough to pull it. We sold my Mustang to a Ford dealership for $9500 and found an 02 F350 super duty crew cab 7.3 turbo diesel dually short bed with 130,000 miles for $12,000. We further negotiated to pay $10,400 for the truck plus $600 dealership fees and to pay taxes in Florida later. That's below trade in value by the way. So today, we are waiting on the ford dealership to let us know our check is ready for deposit, so that we can go pick up our beast of a truck. Because it is a short bed, we need a slider 5th wheel hitch instead of a normal gooseneck.
John is becoming a cave diver and starting a new job. I was hoping that he would hate his cavern course so that I would stop having nightmares of his body being pulled out of a cave, but now he's in love. It's such a dangerous activity; I really don't want him doing it. But of course when he does something, he does it all the way. He has contacted the best instructors in the industry. This weekend, he is diving with Lamar Hires, who was trained by and dive buddy to Wes Skiles. Both men are major icons in the cave diving community. The Yucatan has a lot of cave diving, so maybe I could use his new love of cave diving as motivation to get us to Mexico. John's latest fantasy is to build a rebreather for diving. I am hoping the expenses of this project will prevent him from actually attempting it, because faulty rebreathers kill both inexperienced and very experienced divers. John starts his new job in May, which will require him to go to an office once a week. I am now trying to volunteer as a camphost within an hour of his work, but haven't heard back from anyone yet. It may be awhile until we are actually mobile in our mobile home, but we'll figure it out.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Fifth Wheel Search
John and I have been shopping the Panama City, Pensacola, Atlanta, and Mobile Craigslist pages for a fifth wheel or trailer that is suitable for the two of us, our buddy Tom, and Graham to live in long term, for under $6,000. We thought we found the perfect solution, but then the guy's wife didn't want him to sell it. It had two living room slideouts and a bedroom slideout. There was only one bedroom and a couch that folded out into a bed, but the high ceilings would have been possible to put in a lofted twin bed for Tom in the living room, with space underneath for either a futon couch or Graham's pack n play and a dresser for Tom's clothes. It needed some work, but we could have tarred the roof, replaced the carpet and awning, and redecorated fairly cheaply before we put solar panels on top. I had dreams about redecorating, before the "seller" started having cold feet. I also wanted to rip out part of the entertainment center in the living room (get rid of the tv) and replace the full sized table with an rv table that would convert to another bed. There's still a chance that he will sell, but we're back to shopping. The situation makes me very grumpy.
I want to volunteer as a campground host at state parks until we save enough money up to be comfortably jobless and homeless for John and Tom to hack out (programmers) the new business(es). Campground hosts are typically couples who dedicate 25 hours a week to the campground for a specified 2-6 month commitment in exchange for free campsite and hookups. It's partly a customer service job and partly physical, but I'd enjoy doing it. Just need our motor home first!
We also need a truck, a diesel f250 superduty or f350 with full doors to get Graham in and out of his car seat would be nice. We haven't tried to sell my car yet to fund the purchase, but I'll be handling that when we go back to Atlanta next week. My 40th generation 04 Mustang Gt convertible is really useless to me right now, even if it is a sexy car. I think that a dealer would give me $9,000, put new tires on it, and sell it for $11000-$13000 pretty quickly. I might try calling up some high school guy friends to try to get decent used tires on it and sell it myself from Craigslist. My to do list for Ga: take birthing classes, tour the hospital, prenatal appointments, return library books, sell car, and find truck. For some reason, vehicles are cheaper in Georgia and Alabama, while RVs are cheaper in Florida and Alabama.
If you know anyone selling a fifth wheel or truck, hook me up lol. You can find me at the computer, emailing and calling a bunch of people who don't really seem interested in selling their things. Grrrr
I want to volunteer as a campground host at state parks until we save enough money up to be comfortably jobless and homeless for John and Tom to hack out (programmers) the new business(es). Campground hosts are typically couples who dedicate 25 hours a week to the campground for a specified 2-6 month commitment in exchange for free campsite and hookups. It's partly a customer service job and partly physical, but I'd enjoy doing it. Just need our motor home first!
We also need a truck, a diesel f250 superduty or f350 with full doors to get Graham in and out of his car seat would be nice. We haven't tried to sell my car yet to fund the purchase, but I'll be handling that when we go back to Atlanta next week. My 40th generation 04 Mustang Gt convertible is really useless to me right now, even if it is a sexy car. I think that a dealer would give me $9,000, put new tires on it, and sell it for $11000-$13000 pretty quickly. I might try calling up some high school guy friends to try to get decent used tires on it and sell it myself from Craigslist. My to do list for Ga: take birthing classes, tour the hospital, prenatal appointments, return library books, sell car, and find truck. For some reason, vehicles are cheaper in Georgia and Alabama, while RVs are cheaper in Florida and Alabama.
If you know anyone selling a fifth wheel or truck, hook me up lol. You can find me at the computer, emailing and calling a bunch of people who don't really seem interested in selling their things. Grrrr
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A Weather Mobile for Graham
This mobile was very easy and repetitive, using a lot of circles of single crochets. The original pattern can be found here. I cheated a little in order to save money on yarn. I used a yellow-orange color instead of a yellow and an orange. I also created the green from white yarn and kool-aid. I simply soaked the white yarn in water for 30 minutes, before I placed powder from a green kool aid packet in a bowl with 1/2 cup of water and the yarn in the sun for an hour, then pulled the yarn out and dried it in the sun (all done while sunbathing and crocheting the mobile's sun). The yarn I used was a really thin wool, the same that I used for the clouds. I used quilting batting to stuff it.
My niece was pretty excited when she came to visit while I was sewing the rays on the sun. She smiled really big, grabbed it, and ran off. I could crochet her a stuffed animal, but I am hesitant to spend the hours on it if it is going to fall apart or get lost in her overflowing toy chest. I want to crochet some stars from the yellow-orange yarn before I see if there is enough to crochet a sun for her. I envision hanging these pieces over Graham when he is in his play gym, before he is able to grab them. John's mom is giving us a baby shower this weekend. If we do not get a suitable play gym, we are going to construct one from pool noodles, pvc pipes, and ribbon. Play gyms are expensive, but we can make one ourselves for less than $10. We did receive a play gym from a family member, but the bar that held the toys was not stable when set up correctly. I don't want to have to worry about Graham's play gym collapsing on him, so we exchanged it for some clothes.
I am undecided on my next crochet project. I thought about crocheting some blocks, but I want to be able to stuff them with a solid cube so that they can be stacked without collapsing. I need ideas of a cheap material I can place inside the cubes. I have also thought about crocheting more booties and mittens for him, but will probably get a couple pairs from the shower. For the same reasoning, I have held off on crocheting a sleep sac such as:
The baby shower invitees were not provided the link to the baby registry, so I have a feeling we will be getting a lot of newborn onesies, blankets, scratch mittens, and booties (all blue of course). I will probably take a break from my crochet mania until after the baby shower.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Missing My Goober
John has been attending Pycon, a major Python programming conference, this week and this past weekend downtown. Luckily it is in Atlanta this year. Next year, we'll probably be going to San Jose Cali for it, which means John is going to try to persuade me to move there (I think it is too expensive). Normally, John works remotely from wherever we want, so I get to see him all day and we have flexibility to take road trips and visit both families. I have been terribly bored and lonely for the past two days at my mom's without him here. I realize that most women go at least seven hours without their husbands five days a week, but NOT ME! We usually don't go 2 hours without kisses or cuddles. So I've been trying to focus on crafts to keep my mind occupied from missing him.
Last week, I continued my crochet frenzy by making John and Graham matching hats. I also crocheted Graham a pair of booties to match his hat. Here are my goober and my toy penguin modeling the hats and booties.
The hats are not exactly the same, but are a similar style and are the same colors. I created my own pattern for each of the hats, which was very time consuming and frustrating. The booties pattern came from Red Heart, here, and came out much better than the yellow ones I had done previously. PS, you can kind of see my swollen prego belly in the picture of Graham's booties lol.
I also crocheted a couple fish for Graham's first mobile. I am using black, white, and bright red yarn to crochet striped fish, so Graham can see the color contrasts. I am going to attempt to hang 2-5 objects for him, changing them once a week. The first mobile is going to be out of reach, but then they can progress to some that he can grab and even shake to make noises. I have been collecting ribbons and silly trinkets like a hoarder. I have also been playing with different packing materials. I crocheted an octopus from the hat leftovers and stuffed it with paper. One of the mobile's fishes is stuffed with mardi gras beads and another is stuffed with cotton scraps from sewing.
Speaking of sewing, I completed one of my to-do list's sewing projects yesterday. BURP CLOTHS! I type that enthusiastically because I think they are adorable. I had to learn all the stuff that I should have learned in my Sewing 101 class, like sewing in a straight line, pinning, ironing, winding my bobbin, and just becoming intimate with my machine. My first one didn't come out so amazing, but I was pretty good by the time I finished my final burp cloth.
I made six, three each of two different patterns. They were pretty easy. I just sewed snuggly flannel onto the middle segment of a cotton diaper prefold. I used just over 1/4 yard of each print from the 1/2 yard I purchased for $2/yard on sale at JoAnn Fabric, so now I have scraps to play with! I love crafting leftovers. John will be busy with Pycon through Thursday. Hmmm, I have an idea of what to do with those scraps ;)
Last week, I continued my crochet frenzy by making John and Graham matching hats. I also crocheted Graham a pair of booties to match his hat. Here are my goober and my toy penguin modeling the hats and booties.
I also crocheted a couple fish for Graham's first mobile. I am using black, white, and bright red yarn to crochet striped fish, so Graham can see the color contrasts. I am going to attempt to hang 2-5 objects for him, changing them once a week. The first mobile is going to be out of reach, but then they can progress to some that he can grab and even shake to make noises. I have been collecting ribbons and silly trinkets like a hoarder. I have also been playing with different packing materials. I crocheted an octopus from the hat leftovers and stuffed it with paper. One of the mobile's fishes is stuffed with mardi gras beads and another is stuffed with cotton scraps from sewing.
Speaking of sewing, I completed one of my to-do list's sewing projects yesterday. BURP CLOTHS! I type that enthusiastically because I think they are adorable. I had to learn all the stuff that I should have learned in my Sewing 101 class, like sewing in a straight line, pinning, ironing, winding my bobbin, and just becoming intimate with my machine. My first one didn't come out so amazing, but I was pretty good by the time I finished my final burp cloth.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Crochet Booties & Mittens
Although there are other crafts I want to do, I am discovering that it is easier and cheaper to work on related crafts. I was able to use left over yarn from the blanket to crochet these booties and scratch mittens, so the additional cost was only $1 for the ribbon. It was also easier to pick up new skills, such as the fpdc stitch, when I have practice with the basics from the previous craft. Each bootie and each mitten took me one sitting to finish, so mine were done in three days. By comparison to the blanket, this was a very fast project. I had to learn about reading patterns and how to do rounds instead of rows (for mittens only). Now I feel confident that I can crochet matching hats for John and Graham. JoAnne's has a lot of yarn on sale this week and next, so I stocked up yesterday. I also picked up buttons, the blue ribbon in the picture, sewing patterns to make dresses for myself and toddler clothing for Graham, and fabric scissors. I spent $32 on $74 of crafting stuff thanks to sales and coupons. I need more supplies before I can sew clothing, but I can wait until sewing stuff goes on sale. JoAnne's likes to do themed sales, such as this week and next being sales on crochet and knitting supplies. I did take my sewing class there Wednesday, though I was disappointed with the instruction. The class lasted 3.5 hours, but we only spent 45 minutes sewing. If I sign up for a class on March 12th, then I can get 50% off the price of a class. I think I will take a more advanced sewing class, but only if the instructor is different than the sewing 101 instructor. I can practice sewing from old t-shirts until I feel comfortable buying fabric.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
My "To Attempt" List
I have been working on crocheting Graham's blanket since I learned I was pregnant. I just need to find my crochet needle to weave in the thread ends, then it will be done. 
Since I do not have a permanent address, nesting is a little difficult. DIY projects help me overcome this obstacle. I have been researching my next crafty project. I plan to become familiar with my sewing machine in March, so I can attempt to sew cloth diapers and a ring sling. I also want to make a few mobiles. Verybaby.com sells fabrics and has free tutorials for sewing cloth diapers. SleepingBaby.net shows different ways to make ring slings, even without sewing. I would like to sew a reversible ring sling though, and maybe include a zippered pocket. Something like the sling below would be my goal, just not sure of my own sewing skills just yet.
I was doing some research on mobiles. It never occurred to me before that different mobiles are best suited for different levels of visual awareness to promote visual stimulation. Newborn's mobiles should be black, white, and red and hung 12 inches from the baby's face. At two months, bright colors should be introduced. I was inspired by a few mommy blogs. From a Martha Stewart tutorial on making felt balls, a crafty momma made a beautiful mobile, complete with tutorial here. I like how the balls could be used for bouncy balls later. Hudson&Co shows a simple ribbon mobile constructed of common craft items, which can also be easily disassembled. Babies grow so fast. I like the idea of crafts that can be disassembled and reused for other purposes.
So a couple cloth diapers, a sling, and a couple mobiles are on my ambitious "To Attempt" list. I am hoping I can discover the hidden craftiness within myself.
Since I do not have a permanent address, nesting is a little difficult. DIY projects help me overcome this obstacle. I have been researching my next crafty project. I plan to become familiar with my sewing machine in March, so I can attempt to sew cloth diapers and a ring sling. I also want to make a few mobiles. Verybaby.com sells fabrics and has free tutorials for sewing cloth diapers. SleepingBaby.net shows different ways to make ring slings, even without sewing. I would like to sew a reversible ring sling though, and maybe include a zippered pocket. Something like the sling below would be my goal, just not sure of my own sewing skills just yet.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
My constant audience
From 16 weeks after conception, a fetus is capable of hearing. Graham has been reacting to sounds for the past month. He first responded to daddy's low voice when John spoke to my tummy. His kicks weren't strong enough to be felt by John until the following week, but I could feel it. After that reaction, we tried playing music for him. Cello concertos elicit the greatest reaction. He also reacts to first experiences, such as the first time he heard me speaking Spanish and the first time he heard me play the violin.
I started playing violin about a month ago. I played in middle school, but had not played in the past seven years. So after digging the violin out of my mother's closet, I had it tuned at a local music store, bought a chromatic tuner and book of songs, and started playing with violinonline.com and youtube. I recorded myself playing Pirates of the Caribbean here. I wanted to record more, but I am not very skilled with the software yet. Graham frequently also hears Colors of the Wind, Somewhere Out There, Beauty and the Beast, Pink Panther, and My Heart Will Go On. The first time I played an actual song, Graham kicked and squirmed rapidly. Now, he does not respond with his movements. Perhaps he is becoming acclimated to my rehearsal sessions.
I have a theory that children can sense hostility in words they do not yet understand and can become acclimated to hearing curse words. When my 13 year old brother was growing up, all of us older people in the house did not censure our language. The week before he entered kindergarten, we had to explain to him why certain words were not appropriate to use around his new friends. I am now trying to censure my language, before Graham arrives. Slip ups do happen on occasion, such as when the water temperature changed suddenly in the shower and I cut my knee on the bath faucet as I leaped out of the burning water. But I can avoid using the WTF expression and similar idioms. My swelling uterus means that I am never alone. My little audience of one may or may not be listening to me at any moment.
I started playing violin about a month ago. I played in middle school, but had not played in the past seven years. So after digging the violin out of my mother's closet, I had it tuned at a local music store, bought a chromatic tuner and book of songs, and started playing with violinonline.com and youtube. I recorded myself playing Pirates of the Caribbean here. I wanted to record more, but I am not very skilled with the software yet. Graham frequently also hears Colors of the Wind, Somewhere Out There, Beauty and the Beast, Pink Panther, and My Heart Will Go On. The first time I played an actual song, Graham kicked and squirmed rapidly. Now, he does not respond with his movements. Perhaps he is becoming acclimated to my rehearsal sessions.
I have a theory that children can sense hostility in words they do not yet understand and can become acclimated to hearing curse words. When my 13 year old brother was growing up, all of us older people in the house did not censure our language. The week before he entered kindergarten, we had to explain to him why certain words were not appropriate to use around his new friends. I am now trying to censure my language, before Graham arrives. Slip ups do happen on occasion, such as when the water temperature changed suddenly in the shower and I cut my knee on the bath faucet as I leaped out of the burning water. But I can avoid using the WTF expression and similar idioms. My swelling uterus means that I am never alone. My little audience of one may or may not be listening to me at any moment.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Language Research
I have personally held the belief that "bilingual" toys were a scam. First of all, I have never observed a young child acting attentive to a loud toy or the television noises. Secondly, I disagree with the widespread use of "bilingual". You are not bilingual if you understand that "donde esta..." means "where is...", but you might be bilingual if you understand asking "donde esta..." will help you find what you are looking for. Too many language learning songs, toys, and games are just translators. Bilingual children are capable of thinking in other languages, so they don't have to translate.
John and I watched an amazing video last night that literally made me jump out of bed (very painful with my aching back supporting my large uterus). TED is a nonprofit organization with the goal of hosting talks at conferences that range in subjects, but all share high intellectual thought and conclusions. The talks are archived on their website for the public to view for free. Patricia Kuhl's talk about baby's recognition of different sounds in languages is what we watched last night. Not only did she show that infants are much more capable of discerning different sounds used in other languages at an early age, she also showed that learning language through video or audio recording does not affect the brain the same way as interacting with a speaker. The study could be used to show that the Baby Einstein language toys, dvds, and cds are totally useless. I encourage you to watch the video yourself and explore other videos at ted.com
John and I watched an amazing video last night that literally made me jump out of bed (very painful with my aching back supporting my large uterus). TED is a nonprofit organization with the goal of hosting talks at conferences that range in subjects, but all share high intellectual thought and conclusions. The talks are archived on their website for the public to view for free. Patricia Kuhl's talk about baby's recognition of different sounds in languages is what we watched last night. Not only did she show that infants are much more capable of discerning different sounds used in other languages at an early age, she also showed that learning language through video or audio recording does not affect the brain the same way as interacting with a speaker. The study could be used to show that the Baby Einstein language toys, dvds, and cds are totally useless. I encourage you to watch the video yourself and explore other videos at ted.com
Monday, February 7, 2011
Flu Vaccine During Pregnancy
Children less than 5 are at higher risk than adults of being hospitalized for seasonal flu or complications, including pneumonia, dehydration, and worsening of preexisting heart disease, asthma, sinus problems, and ear infections. The CDC urges caregivers of infants to become vaccinated against influenza, but children less than 6 months cannot receive the vaccination themselves. Also, antiviral drugs used to treat and prevent flu are not recommended for children less than a year old. So what can a parent do to protect their infant who is less than six months?
A study conducted by colleagues from the Yale University of Medicine from 2000 to 2009 on seasonal flu vaccination found that prenatal vaccinations were effective in preventing flu hospitalization in infants. The effectiveness of influenza vaccine given to mothers during pregnancy in preventing hospitalization among their infants ages less than 6 months was 91.5%.
After trying to find conflicting studies, I was only able to find the H1N1 vaccine to risk complications with pregnancy and therefor got my seasonal vaccine at my local CVS. Seasonal flu vaccination is recommended for pregnant women who have completed their first trimester. I normally would not worry about Flu (I spent June and July of 2009 in Mexico), but I plan to travel with Graham before he is six months. Some of my vaccines will benefit him, either through my placenta while being in my womb (ending at about 6 months) or through my breast milk. Because of my antibodies, my breast milk will even help Graham defend against Chicken Pox! This extra immunity advantage is one reason why UNICEF and WHO suggest breastfeeding for two years.
A study conducted by colleagues from the Yale University of Medicine from 2000 to 2009 on seasonal flu vaccination found that prenatal vaccinations were effective in preventing flu hospitalization in infants. The effectiveness of influenza vaccine given to mothers during pregnancy in preventing hospitalization among their infants ages less than 6 months was 91.5%.
After trying to find conflicting studies, I was only able to find the H1N1 vaccine to risk complications with pregnancy and therefor got my seasonal vaccine at my local CVS. Seasonal flu vaccination is recommended for pregnant women who have completed their first trimester. I normally would not worry about Flu (I spent June and July of 2009 in Mexico), but I plan to travel with Graham before he is six months. Some of my vaccines will benefit him, either through my placenta while being in my womb (ending at about 6 months) or through my breast milk. Because of my antibodies, my breast milk will even help Graham defend against Chicken Pox! This extra immunity advantage is one reason why UNICEF and WHO suggest breastfeeding for two years.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Batteries not included
There is a toy being stored in my inlaws' guest bedroom that I had the unfortunate experience of bumping into in the middle of the night. "Oooone Two Threeee Four Five Six Sev'n Eight Nine Tinhnnnnnn" it loudly sang out for about four seconds. WHY? I wonder. How could a child learn to count to ten from a toy that rushes through it in four seconds? So I tried my own experiment. Playing with my niece, I found a toy that would say the alphabet. She loves pushing buttons and seeing things light up, but she did not seem to pay attention to the alphabet. Before laying her down for her afternoon nap, I held her in my arms and sung the ABC's. She quickly became uninterested in pulling my eyeglasses off my face and listened to me sing. She was QUIET, and STILL!! My study may not be very scientific, but I believe that she was more attentive to a human voice singing the alphabet than a toy that shouts hyperactively as she pushes buttons.
I believe that limiting battery operated toys will encourage Graham's imagination, lessen our environmental impact, and strengthen bonding and interaction between Graham and us parents. There are many wonderful wooden toys that encourage puzzle solving in small children, such as this toy snake on my registry:
Babies twist the wooden pieces to shape the curves of the worm's body differently. I plan to introduce this toy to Graham as soon as he starts playing with his own fingers in front of his chest (about four months). I am excited about playing with it too. Sometimes fascination can be found in simple objects.
Some toys could encourage imagination by limiting the noises they produce. This phone, for example, makes a lot less noises than other toy phones. I prefer a toy that does not say "Hello" when you push a button, so that my child will create his own conversation. I may decide to take the batteries out of this toy so that it does not ring, but there are other ways this toy can be fascinating to children. The bright colors, mirror, different textures, and teether rings would be interesting enough, without the noises. I was perfectly content playing with my pink phone that did not have batteries as a child. I liked talking on the phone to no one, just like I had observed my mom talking to the phone.
Then there are classic children's toys that were created before the wide spread use of batteries. These can be bath toys, counting tools, stacking objects, knocking down towers, a shape lesson... A creative parent or an imaginative child could come up with different ways to play with such a simple toy. One parent on Amazon suggested using them to build sand castles! Another parent observed that these cups have a color pattern. They are also BPA, PVC and phthalate free and make good chew toys for teething babies.
There are a few things that I would like batteries for, such as this adorable soothing sea horse. I have played with it at Walmart so I know that the night light on the tummy is very soft and mellow. The music is also very quiet, useful in quieting the baby as he wants to listen to the soothing sounds of waves. I plan to put Graham down to sleep in his portable crib before he is completely asleep, so this cute little soother would keep him company.
Battery operated toys are easier on the parent, but personal interaction is a much better way to learn. I'll be singing to Graham a lot and personally be sitting on the floor with him to show him shapes and colors, instead of his toys loudly announcing what shape the button was that he just pushed. Instead of pushing a car around the house that makes racecar noises, I want Graham to make the noises and imagine racing tracks and other opponents on his track. An imagination will be an important asset for a child who will have fewer belongings while travelling and who will be learning more from experiences than textbooks.
I believe that limiting battery operated toys will encourage Graham's imagination, lessen our environmental impact, and strengthen bonding and interaction between Graham and us parents. There are many wonderful wooden toys that encourage puzzle solving in small children, such as this toy snake on my registry:
Babies twist the wooden pieces to shape the curves of the worm's body differently. I plan to introduce this toy to Graham as soon as he starts playing with his own fingers in front of his chest (about four months). I am excited about playing with it too. Sometimes fascination can be found in simple objects.
Some toys could encourage imagination by limiting the noises they produce. This phone, for example, makes a lot less noises than other toy phones. I prefer a toy that does not say "Hello" when you push a button, so that my child will create his own conversation. I may decide to take the batteries out of this toy so that it does not ring, but there are other ways this toy can be fascinating to children. The bright colors, mirror, different textures, and teether rings would be interesting enough, without the noises. I was perfectly content playing with my pink phone that did not have batteries as a child. I liked talking on the phone to no one, just like I had observed my mom talking to the phone.
Then there are classic children's toys that were created before the wide spread use of batteries. These can be bath toys, counting tools, stacking objects, knocking down towers, a shape lesson... A creative parent or an imaginative child could come up with different ways to play with such a simple toy. One parent on Amazon suggested using them to build sand castles! Another parent observed that these cups have a color pattern. They are also BPA, PVC and phthalate free and make good chew toys for teething babies.
There are a few things that I would like batteries for, such as this adorable soothing sea horse. I have played with it at Walmart so I know that the night light on the tummy is very soft and mellow. The music is also very quiet, useful in quieting the baby as he wants to listen to the soothing sounds of waves. I plan to put Graham down to sleep in his portable crib before he is completely asleep, so this cute little soother would keep him company.
Battery operated toys are easier on the parent, but personal interaction is a much better way to learn. I'll be singing to Graham a lot and personally be sitting on the floor with him to show him shapes and colors, instead of his toys loudly announcing what shape the button was that he just pushed. Instead of pushing a car around the house that makes racecar noises, I want Graham to make the noises and imagine racing tracks and other opponents on his track. An imagination will be an important asset for a child who will have fewer belongings while travelling and who will be learning more from experiences than textbooks.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Westy Dream
Im thinking about selling my 40th generation, 2004 Mustang GT convertible, so that we can get a VW Westfalia from the 1970's. We could get about $10,000 for my car, buy a Westy for $6,000, make some changes and repairs with the help of my father in law, and live on the road. John and I have spent a lot of our most recent road trip (from Pensacola, to Panama City Beach for SCUBA, to Crystal River for snorkeling with manatees)fantasizing about owning a Westy. We've come up with a pretty sexy plan:
1970's Westy with bug trailer. We'd rather not have a trailer, but we might need one.
Pop top with solar panel that charges extra battery
Back seat lays down into a bed and lifts up for storage. Collapsible table functions as dining room table and school/office desk.
Stove, mini fridge, sink, and cupboard for cooking at camp or on the road.
Bike rack
We would need to bring along gear for camping, SCUBA/spearfishing, Graham's homeschooling, John's business, my sewing machine and hobbies, and our clothes/toiletries. Graham will have to become accustomed to having more puzzles than video games, visiting libraries and museums, learning from playing and observing daily life, enjoying the simplicity of having fewer clothes and possessions, making friends quickly and selectively maintaining communication , and being a vagabond with his expatriot parents. I think we could get over the conjugal felicities and privacy issues by socializing at camp grounds and encouraging Graham's own interests and hobbies that he could do on his own. He could camp in a tent, hang out with friends, or enjoy his alone time while we need our own privacy. Home schooled children are typically more mature and more similar to their parents, but we would listen if his plans and desires are different than ours. If he does become tired of the gypsy lifestyle, then we could interrupt the travelling for him to attend a traditional school and John and I could continue the adventures when Graham goes to college. We'll still be young enough.
The idea of selling my Mustang sucks, but it is not really practical for a car seat or family. Having a Westy would be amazing though. I'll probably do some more research and attempt to drive a stick shift before actually taking the first leap of selling my Stang.
1970's Westy with bug trailer. We'd rather not have a trailer, but we might need one.
Pop top with solar panel that charges extra battery
Back seat lays down into a bed and lifts up for storage. Collapsible table functions as dining room table and school/office desk.
Stove, mini fridge, sink, and cupboard for cooking at camp or on the road.
Bike rack
We would need to bring along gear for camping, SCUBA/spearfishing, Graham's homeschooling, John's business, my sewing machine and hobbies, and our clothes/toiletries. Graham will have to become accustomed to having more puzzles than video games, visiting libraries and museums, learning from playing and observing daily life, enjoying the simplicity of having fewer clothes and possessions, making friends quickly and selectively maintaining communication , and being a vagabond with his expatriot parents. I think we could get over the conjugal felicities and privacy issues by socializing at camp grounds and encouraging Graham's own interests and hobbies that he could do on his own. He could camp in a tent, hang out with friends, or enjoy his alone time while we need our own privacy. Home schooled children are typically more mature and more similar to their parents, but we would listen if his plans and desires are different than ours. If he does become tired of the gypsy lifestyle, then we could interrupt the travelling for him to attend a traditional school and John and I could continue the adventures when Graham goes to college. We'll still be young enough.
The idea of selling my Mustang sucks, but it is not really practical for a car seat or family. Having a Westy would be amazing though. I'll probably do some more research and attempt to drive a stick shift before actually taking the first leap of selling my Stang.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Saying No
For anyone who has or has babysat a toddler before, you can probably relate to feeling like a broken record. "No! Don't! No no." It seems as though the more you say it, the more the child does not pay attention. But when you turn around from washing dishes and notice your toddler is digging something out of the trash, it's really difficult to not shout in disgust or dissaproval. From my brief experience of watching a toddler, I have figured out a few ways to prevent the behavior and the reaction of "No!"
1. Offer an alternative
A toddler digging into the cabinets to play with pots and pans probably has a toy in his or her room that he or she would enjoy more. Instead of getting a toy for the toddler, take their hand and walk them to their toy chest. This shows them that they can come get a toy when they want to play.
2. Let them "help"
Toddlers are observant of the daily routines such as folding laundry and putting shoes in a certain place. When you have to do your chores, ask for your little ones help. Of course, be prepared for the toddler to unfold the laundry you just folded, but I prefer a little patience and fun while doing chores than constantly turning to see what they are getting into.
3. Notice attention seeking behavior
My niece would intentionally hit her head on the computer desk if someone was using the computer. She was letting me know that I was not being attentive enough. Children may misbehave just to get your attention.
4. Be interactive
A bored toddler is more likely to get into something they aren't supposed to be playing with. A toddler can play on their own, but they also enjoy the interaction of you sitting on the floor with them to play with their toys.
I am not suggesting to eliminate the use of the word "no". Children should know when they have done something wrong or bad, but "no" is not the only way to teach proper behavior. An adult does not want to be told no all the time, and neither do children. Caregivers could use that word less often to have a more powerful effect when it needs to be used.
1. Offer an alternative
A toddler digging into the cabinets to play with pots and pans probably has a toy in his or her room that he or she would enjoy more. Instead of getting a toy for the toddler, take their hand and walk them to their toy chest. This shows them that they can come get a toy when they want to play.
2. Let them "help"
Toddlers are observant of the daily routines such as folding laundry and putting shoes in a certain place. When you have to do your chores, ask for your little ones help. Of course, be prepared for the toddler to unfold the laundry you just folded, but I prefer a little patience and fun while doing chores than constantly turning to see what they are getting into.
3. Notice attention seeking behavior
My niece would intentionally hit her head on the computer desk if someone was using the computer. She was letting me know that I was not being attentive enough. Children may misbehave just to get your attention.
4. Be interactive
A bored toddler is more likely to get into something they aren't supposed to be playing with. A toddler can play on their own, but they also enjoy the interaction of you sitting on the floor with them to play with their toys.
I am not suggesting to eliminate the use of the word "no". Children should know when they have done something wrong or bad, but "no" is not the only way to teach proper behavior. An adult does not want to be told no all the time, and neither do children. Caregivers could use that word less often to have a more powerful effect when it needs to be used.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Sontek + Gypsy = Graham
Few of our friends have heard the timeline of our relationship without some expression of shock. John and I met in June 2010, when I couchsurfed with him, his roommate Tom, and their friend Miles. I only stayed two nights at their place in Pensacola and did not exchange phone numbers with John, despite feeling an amazing connection, because I did not think we would see each other again. A tragedy of travelling is that you often form great friendships with people who are going in another direction. However, a few days after returning to Atlanta, we had exchanged phone numbers over Facebook and were losing track of the hours that we spent on the phone together daily.
In July, I returned to Pensacola with the intention of getting my SCUBA certification and seeing John again. As our phone conversations became longer and more frequent (often killing our cell phone batteries before the conversation ended), the time until we would see each other again felt longer instead of shorter. Before I returned to Pensacola, I was already planning for him to meet my parents. Only a couple days were needed together in Pensacola before we were both sure that our long distance chemistry was also real when we were physically together. We decided to move in together.
We moved into a two bedroom apartment in midtown Atlanta on September 1, 2010. Two weeks of living together was sufficient for us to go the courthouse and apply for our marriage licence. We eloped on my 22nd birthday, September 17, 2010. Both of my mother's daughters were married in 2010, without a wedding.
In October, we relocated back to Pensacola to help care for our 13 month niece. We suddenly had a toddler to babysit 9 hours a day, five days a week. I struggled with keeping up with her diaper changes, bathing her, preparing her food, keeping her out of the trash and dog food, discouraging hitting and throwing, etc... The job got easier, but not before learning that our own child's heart was beating inside me. Learning that we were going to be full time parents encouraged John and I to research childhood development and parenting. Forums, books, blogs, and Youtube videos became my leisure activity, while our niece was down for a nap or busy eating in her high chair. By the time John's sister could resume her parenting responsibilities two days before Christmas, we had gotten significantly better at caring for a toddler.
So now our little boy Graham is on the way. We hope to home school him so that we can travel. John and I are mild expatriots, extreme adrenaline junkies, and fervent believers in learning from travels and experiences. I am excited about raising a gypsy child.
In July, I returned to Pensacola with the intention of getting my SCUBA certification and seeing John again. As our phone conversations became longer and more frequent (often killing our cell phone batteries before the conversation ended), the time until we would see each other again felt longer instead of shorter. Before I returned to Pensacola, I was already planning for him to meet my parents. Only a couple days were needed together in Pensacola before we were both sure that our long distance chemistry was also real when we were physically together. We decided to move in together.
We moved into a two bedroom apartment in midtown Atlanta on September 1, 2010. Two weeks of living together was sufficient for us to go the courthouse and apply for our marriage licence. We eloped on my 22nd birthday, September 17, 2010. Both of my mother's daughters were married in 2010, without a wedding.
In October, we relocated back to Pensacola to help care for our 13 month niece. We suddenly had a toddler to babysit 9 hours a day, five days a week. I struggled with keeping up with her diaper changes, bathing her, preparing her food, keeping her out of the trash and dog food, discouraging hitting and throwing, etc... The job got easier, but not before learning that our own child's heart was beating inside me. Learning that we were going to be full time parents encouraged John and I to research childhood development and parenting. Forums, books, blogs, and Youtube videos became my leisure activity, while our niece was down for a nap or busy eating in her high chair. By the time John's sister could resume her parenting responsibilities two days before Christmas, we had gotten significantly better at caring for a toddler.
So now our little boy Graham is on the way. We hope to home school him so that we can travel. John and I are mild expatriots, extreme adrenaline junkies, and fervent believers in learning from travels and experiences. I am excited about raising a gypsy child.
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