We took Elsie for her 9-month checkup today. Here are the stats:
Length: 28.5
Weight: 18 lbs. 13 oz.
Head: 18.67 inches
She's still speeding ahead on noggin size and length, but her weight is slowing down. That's good. I suspect she'll be 20 pounds well before her first birthday.
We talked to the pediatrician about weaning, and she said, hey why not? Not exactly as helpful as I wanted (step by step, someone, please!) but it was good to be encouraged. Elsie loves to eat and honestly doesn't care if it's from the bottle, the box, the jar, or from me. Is it edible? She'll eat it. I'm down to pumping only once at school this semester (lunch time, with the motive of not having to keep the silent lunch crowd) and feeding Elsie in the morning and at night--about two nursing sessions a day, sometimes three. Any advice or ideas about this? I just don't want her being jealous or wanting to nurse, too, when the new baby comes.
I'm also not sure how this feeding thing progresses from here. When do we start giving her table food? Meat? I just don't know and I don't want to do it wrong!
Elsie is not feeling well. When Eli got her up to get dressed this morning, he said, "Whoa!" I thought he might have found a poopy diaper. Nope. It was a snotsplosion! All dried and crusted on top of her nose, her lips, her cheeks. The cribsheet was a mess. Can you say yuck? I nursed her in the dark this morning, so I didn't notice more than her snorting and having trouble breathing through her nose. (And I had a little dried snotsky on me, come to find out.) I don't think it's a cold, as she doesn't have a fever, she's not particularly fussy, and her appetite isn't affected, but the doctor said that her eardrums are a little inflamed and gave me an Rx for antibiotics just in case. I think it's allergies. If this weather would just make up its non-existent mind! The changing back and forth is wreaking havoc on my sinuses, and Elsie's too.
Okay, it's officially 8 o'clock. I can go to bed. I was ready for bed at 6:45 p.m. and realized that that was a little insane, so I've stuck it out for as long as I could. Goodnight!
Cheers.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
What's in a Name?
Tonight our middle school hosted a writing event for families called "OMS Writes". Original, right? It's a part of the Our Community Writes initiative around here. Anyway, on each grade level team (of which I am on the Achievers), the social studies and English teachers were to create a writing lesson that appealed to families and somehow tied in writing and history, preferably recording family history.
There's a piece by Sandra Cisneros in The House on Mango Street that inspired our event tonight. It's called "My Name", and it's written it from the point of view of a little girl talking about her love/hate relationship with her ethnic name. I thought--Perfect! Everyone has a story about her name, or about a name meaningful to him. So even though we ended up not using that particular piece, it inspired our presentation.
So, yes, I planned the whole thing. It was my idea. I told the social studies teacher what he would be covering, and then I stayed up late last night putting together a PowerPoint presentation. I spent a good part of today tweaking it. We used humorous quotes and examples.
Mostly, I'm shocked at the number of parents (who are presumably my age or older) who couldn't tell me the importance of names in Romeo and Juliet, The Neverending Story, or Rumpelstiltskin. Really?
But, I think they really enjoyed writing about names close to them and sharing their writings with their children. I'm also proud to note that the social studies teacher did some writing. It was a pleasant surprise. :)
Time for sleeping. Or recovering from the whirlwind responsibilities from that last four days (remember the tea party?).
Cheers.
There's a piece by Sandra Cisneros in The House on Mango Street that inspired our event tonight. It's called "My Name", and it's written it from the point of view of a little girl talking about her love/hate relationship with her ethnic name. I thought--Perfect! Everyone has a story about her name, or about a name meaningful to him. So even though we ended up not using that particular piece, it inspired our presentation.
So, yes, I planned the whole thing. It was my idea. I told the social studies teacher what he would be covering, and then I stayed up late last night putting together a PowerPoint presentation. I spent a good part of today tweaking it. We used humorous quotes and examples.
Mostly, I'm shocked at the number of parents (who are presumably my age or older) who couldn't tell me the importance of names in Romeo and Juliet, The Neverending Story, or Rumpelstiltskin. Really?
But, I think they really enjoyed writing about names close to them and sharing their writings with their children. I'm also proud to note that the social studies teacher did some writing. It was a pleasant surprise. :)
Time for sleeping. Or recovering from the whirlwind responsibilities from that last four days (remember the tea party?).
Cheers.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
9 Months
Wow! Where has the time gone? And this past month in particular has been quite a doozy.
Let's see, shortly after turning 8 months, Elsie
1. Decided it was time to crawl.
2. Two days later, she decided that it was probably time to sit up on her own (rolling onto her stomach and pushing back into a sit).
3. A couple of days after that, she decided that those two new skills would be complemented with being able to pull up onto her knees.
4. Within a week, that turned into pulling up to a stand.
5. In the same week, she started consistently babbling her Bs (still working on mamama...no luck yet, while Eli pushes dadada...no luck for him either)
6. And she started getting mad if we took something away from her, say, anything that has a cord.
7. And she, as of a few days ago, has started tentatively cruising down the length of the couch to get to what she wants.
8. Today, she was standing up in the playpen while Eli was folding clothes, and she fell backwards onto her bum and said, "Uh-oh." And then she did it again, just to prove it wasn't an accident. And then, just to confuse us, she spent about two minutes going through a string of "uh-oh-uh-oh-uh-ohs".
The pulling up has become second nature, as if she's been doing it all along. Crazy girl. She likes to pull up on our headboard and slap the wall behind it. And she likes to stand facing the cushions on the back of the couch and jump up and down. We are going to have a bed jumper here.
Nine months. It just doesn't feel like it has been that long. And the little girl we have has been infused with so much more life in the last month--a spirit of adventure and exploration. She's getting more bold while I'm getting more tired.
She's going to walk before she's a year old in May--that's my prediction. She tried a couple of times to stand up in the middle of the floor but lost her balance. Eli has held her and then let her stand and balance on her own, and right now she can do it for under ten seconds. That is sure to change as rapidly as she did over the last month.
Okay, time for grading papers. I must do this. And there might be a football game on in the background.
Cheers.
Let's see, shortly after turning 8 months, Elsie
1. Decided it was time to crawl.
2. Two days later, she decided that it was probably time to sit up on her own (rolling onto her stomach and pushing back into a sit).
3. A couple of days after that, she decided that those two new skills would be complemented with being able to pull up onto her knees.
4. Within a week, that turned into pulling up to a stand.
5. In the same week, she started consistently babbling her Bs (still working on mamama...no luck yet, while Eli pushes dadada...no luck for him either)
6. And she started getting mad if we took something away from her, say, anything that has a cord.
7. And she, as of a few days ago, has started tentatively cruising down the length of the couch to get to what she wants.
8. Today, she was standing up in the playpen while Eli was folding clothes, and she fell backwards onto her bum and said, "Uh-oh." And then she did it again, just to prove it wasn't an accident. And then, just to confuse us, she spent about two minutes going through a string of "uh-oh-uh-oh-uh-ohs".
The pulling up has become second nature, as if she's been doing it all along. Crazy girl. She likes to pull up on our headboard and slap the wall behind it. And she likes to stand facing the cushions on the back of the couch and jump up and down. We are going to have a bed jumper here.
Nine months. It just doesn't feel like it has been that long. And the little girl we have has been infused with so much more life in the last month--a spirit of adventure and exploration. She's getting more bold while I'm getting more tired.
She's going to walk before she's a year old in May--that's my prediction. She tried a couple of times to stand up in the middle of the floor but lost her balance. Eli has held her and then let her stand and balance on her own, and right now she can do it for under ten seconds. That is sure to change as rapidly as she did over the last month.
Okay, time for grading papers. I must do this. And there might be a football game on in the background.
Cheers.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
R.S.V.P.
At one point I knew what RSVP stood for, but I forgot, so sometime earlier this year I looked it up again.
Respondez, s'il vous plait. Or, "Respond, if you please," in English.
I'm sitting here saying the phrase alound to myself, trying to work on my French pronunciation, which is admittedly bad, and Eli is cringing. I think he may cave one day and get me some Rosetta Stone help just to put me out of his misery, but today's not the day (on this note, he can't stand when we drive into Louisiana and I try desperately to welcome us to Louisiana in French, as it is on the sign--Bienvenue a Louisiane).
Anywho, the Ladies' Tea was today, and it was so much more than I could ever imagine! My volunteer hostesses did so much and worked so hard to pull this off! The themes were varied and wonderful. And so I don't forget next year, here's what they were:
1. Tulips and Teapots
2. Love (Valentine's theme)
3. Beach and Blue (live goldfish in the centerpiece!)
4. Fancy Fillies
5. Angels (Willow Tree)
6. Roses and Lace (I'm naming this theme for what was on the table)
7. Pirate's Tea
8. Rub-a-dub-dub
9. Spring Tea
10. Tea with the Queen
That last one was mine. I wanted an Alice in Wonderland/Mad Hatter theme, but time and money ended up working against me. I'll have to table that idea for next year (pun intended). Thanks to ATB for sharing food with me!
This week was a little bit crazy with people turning in their RSVPs late, and there being a minor breakdown in communication when some of the hostesses knew that a few guests wouldn't be coming, but didn't mention this until this morning. My table was supposed to be overflow, with four people and two extra seats, but I ended up only having three when one of the college girls flaked out. So, in total 8 people sent in their RSVP and then did not show up, giving us 52 guests total. In the end, I didn't need to host a table, but that's okay. We were prepared for 60 plus any extras, so there was a lot of food.
For next year, I'm thinking maybe each hostess should be responsible for filling seats at her table, and following up with her guests to make sure they are going to come. I don't know. Maybe we should have people pay ahead of time to reserve their spots. This was the first year we did this, so people didn't know what to expect. Next year will be different, I'm sure. I had several people mention how they would like to host a table next year after seeing all the tables. So maybe there will be a next year.
The best part, I think, is when my friend came up--the same friend who told me that the idea of tea was antiquated--and admitted that she was wrong and I was right. That's quite a statement, and it made me smile.
So, here's to next year! (Anyone else want to coordinate?? Haha!)
[I didn't get to take any pictures, but JC did, so I'll post them when she gets them up on FB.]
Respondez, s'il vous plait. Or, "Respond, if you please," in English.
I'm sitting here saying the phrase alound to myself, trying to work on my French pronunciation, which is admittedly bad, and Eli is cringing. I think he may cave one day and get me some Rosetta Stone help just to put me out of his misery, but today's not the day (on this note, he can't stand when we drive into Louisiana and I try desperately to welcome us to Louisiana in French, as it is on the sign--Bienvenue a Louisiane).
Anywho, the Ladies' Tea was today, and it was so much more than I could ever imagine! My volunteer hostesses did so much and worked so hard to pull this off! The themes were varied and wonderful. And so I don't forget next year, here's what they were:
1. Tulips and Teapots
2. Love (Valentine's theme)
3. Beach and Blue (live goldfish in the centerpiece!)
4. Fancy Fillies
5. Angels (Willow Tree)
6. Roses and Lace (I'm naming this theme for what was on the table)
7. Pirate's Tea
8. Rub-a-dub-dub
9. Spring Tea
10. Tea with the Queen
That last one was mine. I wanted an Alice in Wonderland/Mad Hatter theme, but time and money ended up working against me. I'll have to table that idea for next year (pun intended). Thanks to ATB for sharing food with me!
This week was a little bit crazy with people turning in their RSVPs late, and there being a minor breakdown in communication when some of the hostesses knew that a few guests wouldn't be coming, but didn't mention this until this morning. My table was supposed to be overflow, with four people and two extra seats, but I ended up only having three when one of the college girls flaked out. So, in total 8 people sent in their RSVP and then did not show up, giving us 52 guests total. In the end, I didn't need to host a table, but that's okay. We were prepared for 60 plus any extras, so there was a lot of food.
For next year, I'm thinking maybe each hostess should be responsible for filling seats at her table, and following up with her guests to make sure they are going to come. I don't know. Maybe we should have people pay ahead of time to reserve their spots. This was the first year we did this, so people didn't know what to expect. Next year will be different, I'm sure. I had several people mention how they would like to host a table next year after seeing all the tables. So maybe there will be a next year.
The best part, I think, is when my friend came up--the same friend who told me that the idea of tea was antiquated--and admitted that she was wrong and I was right. That's quite a statement, and it made me smile.
So, here's to next year! (Anyone else want to coordinate?? Haha!)
[I didn't get to take any pictures, but JC did, so I'll post them when she gets them up on FB.]
Monday, February 1, 2010
Dream Life...or Which Baby Do I Get?
You may think you know me. But the truth is, you only know the awake, somewhat sane side of me. Eli, bless his heart, gets to be here for the dreaming side of me. After nearly seven years of marriage, I still wake up and say, "I had the strangest dream," as if that doesn't happen all the time. Again, after nearly seven years, Eli looks at me like, "What else is new?" and then patiently lets me tell him about the oddities of the night.
I have weird dreams.
Ever since Elsie has been here, I have weird waking dreams about babies. When I awake from a dead sleep to her crying, I'm terribly confused. How will I know which baby is mine? Which baby do I calm down? Whose baby is crying? Where is my baby?
I get about halfway to the room of crying babies before I remember that there's only one and that she'll be easy to find...you know, since there are not actually any others.
I think that this baby confusion started when Elsie was brand new. I would tell Eli that I felt like I had multiple babies, since they all had very different personalities--sleeping baby, happy baby, hungry baby, crying baby, SCREAMING baby, sleepy baby, content baby. She was the same baby, but she was so many things that were contradictory from moment to moment. It was really an emotional roller coaster.
All this to say that last night I woke up to Elsie crying at around 3 a.m. I was really confused...again...about which baby needed to be calmed or fed. And when I went into Elsie's room, I found that my confusion was not unfounded. When I went into Elsie's room, there were two babies, two pairs of eyes looking at me. One pair of eyes said, "Feed me!" And the other odd pair of eyes said, "I didn't do it."
The big, fat, white furry baby that was in the crib next to her must have crept into the room when I went in around eleven. I usually keep the door open when I go in so that I can help even out the temperature in there--it usually gets colder in there without air circulation, and the cats are usually asleep on the couch when I do this. Last night, they were up and around and I didn't even notice.
The good news is that he kept Elsie warm (or vice versa), and that in her almost nine months on the planet, this is the first time that either of the cats have slept in the crib with her. When she woke up screaming, I don't think Timmy knew what to do. He did eventually jump out of the crib and run away.
I told Eli about the two babies when I came back to bed, and he incorrectly guessed that it was Coco, because cuddling is something we expect from Coco. Haha. Timmy has really turned into a big old tolerant tub of lard. He lets Elsie pull his ears and grab handfuls of his fur, and he doesn't hiss or run away. He puts up with Elsie WAY more than he does Coco. Weirdo.
Anyway, that's the news from my weird waking dreamness. Last night I was NOT losing my mind and I did get the right baby. :)
Cheers.
I have weird dreams.
Ever since Elsie has been here, I have weird waking dreams about babies. When I awake from a dead sleep to her crying, I'm terribly confused. How will I know which baby is mine? Which baby do I calm down? Whose baby is crying? Where is my baby?
I get about halfway to the room of crying babies before I remember that there's only one and that she'll be easy to find...you know, since there are not actually any others.
I think that this baby confusion started when Elsie was brand new. I would tell Eli that I felt like I had multiple babies, since they all had very different personalities--sleeping baby, happy baby, hungry baby, crying baby, SCREAMING baby, sleepy baby, content baby. She was the same baby, but she was so many things that were contradictory from moment to moment. It was really an emotional roller coaster.
All this to say that last night I woke up to Elsie crying at around 3 a.m. I was really confused...again...about which baby needed to be calmed or fed. And when I went into Elsie's room, I found that my confusion was not unfounded. When I went into Elsie's room, there were two babies, two pairs of eyes looking at me. One pair of eyes said, "Feed me!" And the other odd pair of eyes said, "I didn't do it."
The big, fat, white furry baby that was in the crib next to her must have crept into the room when I went in around eleven. I usually keep the door open when I go in so that I can help even out the temperature in there--it usually gets colder in there without air circulation, and the cats are usually asleep on the couch when I do this. Last night, they were up and around and I didn't even notice.
The good news is that he kept Elsie warm (or vice versa), and that in her almost nine months on the planet, this is the first time that either of the cats have slept in the crib with her. When she woke up screaming, I don't think Timmy knew what to do. He did eventually jump out of the crib and run away.
I told Eli about the two babies when I came back to bed, and he incorrectly guessed that it was Coco, because cuddling is something we expect from Coco. Haha. Timmy has really turned into a big old tolerant tub of lard. He lets Elsie pull his ears and grab handfuls of his fur, and he doesn't hiss or run away. He puts up with Elsie WAY more than he does Coco. Weirdo.
Anyway, that's the news from my weird waking dreamness. Last night I was NOT losing my mind and I did get the right baby. :)
Cheers.
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