Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Introverts are just misunderstood
Ben is a fairly active kid. He loves it when we swing him around, lift him up high and hold him upside down. I know in a few years he's going to keep us very busy, running after him. And I have a sneaking suspicion that one day I'm going to find an 8 year old on our roof, attempting to jump into the nearest tree.
He's also very easy-going. He doesn't mind loud noises, dirty diapers don't bother him, he tolerates it when I fish stuff out of his nose and he's hard to startle. So it's always interesting when we find something that DOES bother him.
Last weekend we attended a party for my stay-at-home moms group. We all got to meet the husbands and it was great fun. However, an hour into the party there were about 20 people in a fairly small space. Apparently it was a bit too much for Ben to take, because his face crumpled up into the saddest look ever and he started crying. Not the "I'm-bored-come-play-with-me" cry or the "I-want-something-NOW" cry, but a cry so sad that it hurts my heart to think about. And it was accompanied by real tears, which are still pretty rare.
The same thing happened at my brother Nick's wedding reception a few weeks ago. Ben was fine for a while, but when we brought him out onto the dance floor all the action overloaded him. He got the same sad look on his face and started bawling.
It's interesting to me that a kid that so loves to be held and never seems to want to play alone has a problem with crowds. I thought for sure we had an extrovert on our hands, but maybe I'll gain one for my team!
He's also very easy-going. He doesn't mind loud noises, dirty diapers don't bother him, he tolerates it when I fish stuff out of his nose and he's hard to startle. So it's always interesting when we find something that DOES bother him.
Last weekend we attended a party for my stay-at-home moms group. We all got to meet the husbands and it was great fun. However, an hour into the party there were about 20 people in a fairly small space. Apparently it was a bit too much for Ben to take, because his face crumpled up into the saddest look ever and he started crying. Not the "I'm-bored-come-play-with-me" cry or the "I-want-something-NOW" cry, but a cry so sad that it hurts my heart to think about. And it was accompanied by real tears, which are still pretty rare.
The same thing happened at my brother Nick's wedding reception a few weeks ago. Ben was fine for a while, but when we brought him out onto the dance floor all the action overloaded him. He got the same sad look on his face and started bawling.
It's interesting to me that a kid that so loves to be held and never seems to want to play alone has a problem with crowds. I thought for sure we had an extrovert on our hands, but maybe I'll gain one for my team!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Hallelujah!
Do you hear it? The choir of angels on high? Or maybe you can see our house bathed in heavenly light.
Because at age 5 months and 5 days, Benjamin Hal finally slept through the night!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, that requires 10 exclamation points.) We didn't hear a peep out of him until 6:08am.
Last night my parents (a.k.a. Oma & Opa) watched Ben while Heath and I went to a movie. I don't know what kind of a voodoo spell they put on him, but I need that recipe! A movie and a baby who sleeps through the night?! I feel like I've won the lottery.
I am under no illusions that this will be a permanent situation. I fully expect that tonight he'll go back to his wakeful ways. But now we know he can do it. We have proof. And you know how babies always relent in the face of logic and proof.
Because at age 5 months and 5 days, Benjamin Hal finally slept through the night!!!!!!!!!! (Yes, that requires 10 exclamation points.) We didn't hear a peep out of him until 6:08am.
Last night my parents (a.k.a. Oma & Opa) watched Ben while Heath and I went to a movie. I don't know what kind of a voodoo spell they put on him, but I need that recipe! A movie and a baby who sleeps through the night?! I feel like I've won the lottery.
I am under no illusions that this will be a permanent situation. I fully expect that tonight he'll go back to his wakeful ways. But now we know he can do it. We have proof. And you know how babies always relent in the face of logic and proof.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Being geeky
Ben's playing Munchkin and his shirt says, "My other stroller is [epic]," which is a World of Warcraft reference.
I love to laugh... Ha! ha! ha! ha!
All week Ben has been practicing his laughing. For a few months now he's been going, "huh, huh, huh," which sounds like fake laughter, but which I actually think is his place holder for real laughter. And this week he's really been trying to break the "laugh barrier."
Tuesday morning he added a new dimension to his laughing. At first I actually thought he was getting sick, because he was coughing for 15 seconds at a time. But then I realized he was fake coughing and mixing it in with "huh, huh, huh." I'm not sure why he associated coughing with laughing, but I think it's here to stay.
The amazing thing to me is that I think he's realized this combination makes me laugh and now he does it on purpose. I've noticed a few times that he'll start the cough-laugh, then stop and look at me for my reaction. When he sees I'm amused he'll start up again. The boy is only 5 months old! It blows me away that he's capable of that kind of thinking.
A few days ago he was sitting in his bouncy chair and I produced his Beanie Baby dog. He loves that dog and when he saw it in my hands he broke into a huge grin and went "huh, huh, huh, cough, cough, cough" for a good 30 seconds. There was a look of pure joy on his face unmatched by anything an adult could produce. And seeing that look on his face was worth all the poop pants in the world.
Tuesday morning he added a new dimension to his laughing. At first I actually thought he was getting sick, because he was coughing for 15 seconds at a time. But then I realized he was fake coughing and mixing it in with "huh, huh, huh." I'm not sure why he associated coughing with laughing, but I think it's here to stay.
The amazing thing to me is that I think he's realized this combination makes me laugh and now he does it on purpose. I've noticed a few times that he'll start the cough-laugh, then stop and look at me for my reaction. When he sees I'm amused he'll start up again. The boy is only 5 months old! It blows me away that he's capable of that kind of thinking.
A few days ago he was sitting in his bouncy chair and I produced his Beanie Baby dog. He loves that dog and when he saw it in my hands he broke into a huge grin and went "huh, huh, huh, cough, cough, cough" for a good 30 seconds. There was a look of pure joy on his face unmatched by anything an adult could produce. And seeing that look on his face was worth all the poop pants in the world.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Poop Pants
There is a rule in our family that once the dinner conversation degrades down to poop (which it always does, for some reason), the meal is over. Usually the timing works out well and we're all finished eating by then, but these days I could stop every meal before we start.
Monday afternoon I had a doctor's appointment and I took Ben along. We ended up having a ridiculously long wait time. At first Ben was asleep in his stroller. Then he woke up and happily had a staring contest with the toy bug hanging from the car seat handle. But after a while he got antsy, so I took him out and sat him on my lap. Finally, after everyone else in the room was gone, they called my name. I picked Ben up and had a horrible realization. One of those moments where time goes into slow motion. Not only had he pooped, but it had leaked out of his diaper onto his pants and onto my pants. Luckily I was wearing dark jeans, but the stain was such that it looked like I had wet myself.
I quickly stuffed Ben into the stroller and covered up the stain with my coat. Once in the examining room the nurse was distracted by Ben's charming smile, so I was able to position my t-shirt so it wasn't obvious. One weight and blood pressure check later she left and I went into Super Mom mode. Wipes! New diaper! Thank goodness I brought a change of clothes for him! He just laid on the examining table grinning up at the fluorescent light fixture. I managed to clean him up and change his clothes before the doctor came in. But the worst part was having to put my poop pants back on to drive home. Oh, those intangible joys of motherhood.
Monday afternoon I had a doctor's appointment and I took Ben along. We ended up having a ridiculously long wait time. At first Ben was asleep in his stroller. Then he woke up and happily had a staring contest with the toy bug hanging from the car seat handle. But after a while he got antsy, so I took him out and sat him on my lap. Finally, after everyone else in the room was gone, they called my name. I picked Ben up and had a horrible realization. One of those moments where time goes into slow motion. Not only had he pooped, but it had leaked out of his diaper onto his pants and onto my pants. Luckily I was wearing dark jeans, but the stain was such that it looked like I had wet myself.
I quickly stuffed Ben into the stroller and covered up the stain with my coat. Once in the examining room the nurse was distracted by Ben's charming smile, so I was able to position my t-shirt so it wasn't obvious. One weight and blood pressure check later she left and I went into Super Mom mode. Wipes! New diaper! Thank goodness I brought a change of clothes for him! He just laid on the examining table grinning up at the fluorescent light fixture. I managed to clean him up and change his clothes before the doctor came in. But the worst part was having to put my poop pants back on to drive home. Oh, those intangible joys of motherhood.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
I sleep like a baby... Sleep for 2 hours and then wake up and cry
A couple months ago Ben and I paid a visit to my friend Irene and her son Isaac, who just turned 1. We arrived around Issac's nap time and I witnessed something that as a new mom completely amazed me.
Let me preface this by saying that at that time Ben and I were having Nap Issues. He didn't want to take them and I had no idea how to persuade him that, yes, he really did, lest his mother melt into a puddle of sleep deprivation and spit up stained clothes.
So when Irene took Isaac upstairs for his nap I was expecting to wait a while for her return. To my surprise, she was back downstairs within 2 minutes. Even more surprising was that I didn't hear any crying. It didn't take 45 minutes of rocking and singing to get him to precariously fall asleep in her lap, only to wake up if she made any small movement. I couldn't imagine a time when that would be my life. Having Ben take actual naps during which I was free to do whatever I wanted?! It was a pipe dream up there with wishing they'd put Weird Al songs on Rock Band.
Then we started sleep training in earnest. No more sleeping in bed with us. No more bassinet in our room. No more naps on Daddy's chest or Mommy's lap.
The first night he cried for an hour before falling asleep. He did better with naps during the day, but there was still some fussing. However, gradually he caught on and now we can (almost always) put him to bed or down for a nap with a minimum of protest. He's still not sleeping through the night because of that rolling problem I mentioned, but I'm now part of Irene's club. I can put Ben down for a nap and walk away. And then the world is my oyster... At least until he wakes up.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Somewhere there's a groundhog with a price on his head
Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow.
I've never minded winter. I've always been an "indoor" type of girl. But being stuck inside the house with an infant for months on end is driving me nuts. Getting out of the house is crucial to feeling like a real person and not just a Baby Butler. But when it's so cold and the weather's bad, sometimes it doesn't feel worth the effort of bundling him up and lugging the car seat around. So for the last few weeks Ben and I have spent many a day hanging around the house. I think even he gets bored with our living room sometimes.
I am very eagerly awaiting spring. Then we can go to the zoo or the Botanical Gardens or one of the many nearby parks. Even a walk around the neighborhood is sometimes good enough to stave off boredom. I suppose I could go to museums and walk around when it's cold, but museums are usually so quiet. Nobody needs their quiet contemplation of great art interrupted by the screech of a baby objecting to an artist's interpretation of a seascape. I've opted for the mall on occasions when I just needed to get out of the house, but even that gets boring after a while, and can be dangerous for the wallet.
So the proclamation of 6 more weeks of winter did not sit well with me. Someone go hold an umbrella over that rodent so his shadow disappears.
I've never minded winter. I've always been an "indoor" type of girl. But being stuck inside the house with an infant for months on end is driving me nuts. Getting out of the house is crucial to feeling like a real person and not just a Baby Butler. But when it's so cold and the weather's bad, sometimes it doesn't feel worth the effort of bundling him up and lugging the car seat around. So for the last few weeks Ben and I have spent many a day hanging around the house. I think even he gets bored with our living room sometimes.
I am very eagerly awaiting spring. Then we can go to the zoo or the Botanical Gardens or one of the many nearby parks. Even a walk around the neighborhood is sometimes good enough to stave off boredom. I suppose I could go to museums and walk around when it's cold, but museums are usually so quiet. Nobody needs their quiet contemplation of great art interrupted by the screech of a baby objecting to an artist's interpretation of a seascape. I've opted for the mall on occasions when I just needed to get out of the house, but even that gets boring after a while, and can be dangerous for the wallet.
So the proclamation of 6 more weeks of winter did not sit well with me. Someone go hold an umbrella over that rodent so his shadow disappears.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
It's my party and I'll roll if I want to
Want to know how a stay-at-home mom spends her days? For me, right now they're spent rolling an infant from his stomach to his back because lord knows he can't be bothered to do it himself.
One afternoon in December, for approximately 10 minutes Ben's entire life was all about rolling from his stomach to his back. Then, inexplicably, he stopped. He would only do it if Nancy (known aliases: Grandma, mother-in-law, best pumpkin roll maker in the world) was present. Then he wouldn't do it at all. It was as if it never happened.
Out of the blue in early January he rolled from his back to his stomach. And unlike rolling the other way, this one caught on. Now we can hardly keep him off his stomach. Lying on your back is sooo 2008.
However, this can get annoying because after a while he gets sick of being on his stomach, but he will not roll to his back. He just cannot be bothered to manipulate his own body that way. I can always tell when he's had enough. He starts out by grunting, as if his head is too heavy and it takes great effort just to hold it up. Then he starts to fuss, which I'm sure means, "Can you not see that I'm finished with this position? Turn me over post-haste or there shall be dire consequences." Finally the crying begins. Sometimes I let him cry for a bit, thinking that maybe in his frustration he'll remember his long lost love affair with rolling from stomach to back. So far it hasn't happened.
So I spend my days rolling him onto his back, only to have him immediately roll to his stomach. Then he starts to cry again. WHY DOES HE DO THAT??
Not only does he do this all day long, he also does it at night. At his 4 month checkup the doctor said he didn't need a bottle at night anymore. Hallelujah! Let the sleep training begin! It was hard at first, but he was getting SO close to sleeping through the night I could taste it. Visions of being well-rested and not being permanently bleary-eyed danced in my head. Then this rolling thing began. Now he wakes up 5 or 6 times a night crying because he rolled onto his stomach in his sleep. Only for Mommy, though. No, when Daddy takes over night duty on Friday Ben sleeps beautifully and only wakes up once or twice. Maybe he just wants to see me more. Yeah, that's what I'll tell myself.
One afternoon in December, for approximately 10 minutes Ben's entire life was all about rolling from his stomach to his back. Then, inexplicably, he stopped. He would only do it if Nancy (known aliases: Grandma, mother-in-law, best pumpkin roll maker in the world) was present. Then he wouldn't do it at all. It was as if it never happened.
Out of the blue in early January he rolled from his back to his stomach. And unlike rolling the other way, this one caught on. Now we can hardly keep him off his stomach. Lying on your back is sooo 2008.
However, this can get annoying because after a while he gets sick of being on his stomach, but he will not roll to his back. He just cannot be bothered to manipulate his own body that way. I can always tell when he's had enough. He starts out by grunting, as if his head is too heavy and it takes great effort just to hold it up. Then he starts to fuss, which I'm sure means, "Can you not see that I'm finished with this position? Turn me over post-haste or there shall be dire consequences." Finally the crying begins. Sometimes I let him cry for a bit, thinking that maybe in his frustration he'll remember his long lost love affair with rolling from stomach to back. So far it hasn't happened.
So I spend my days rolling him onto his back, only to have him immediately roll to his stomach. Then he starts to cry again. WHY DOES HE DO THAT??
Not only does he do this all day long, he also does it at night. At his 4 month checkup the doctor said he didn't need a bottle at night anymore. Hallelujah! Let the sleep training begin! It was hard at first, but he was getting SO close to sleeping through the night I could taste it. Visions of being well-rested and not being permanently bleary-eyed danced in my head. Then this rolling thing began. Now he wakes up 5 or 6 times a night crying because he rolled onto his stomach in his sleep. Only for Mommy, though. No, when Daddy takes over night duty on Friday Ben sleeps beautifully and only wakes up once or twice. Maybe he just wants to see me more. Yeah, that's what I'll tell myself.
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