Wow, its been over 2 weeks since I posted........I really am bad at this. Good thing no one reads it!
I was looking at Katherine last night and wondering where the last 9 1/2 months have gone. People tell all the time that children grow up fast, but you know what? They really do! Not that I really want to get up every 2-3 hours to breastfeed or have to carry her around all day because she doesn't want to be put down. But she is growing up, becoming more independent each day, and I am already planning her first birthday party though it is still 2 1/2 months away. Wow.
Speaking of breastfeeding, I am all done with that! I had heard all kinds of sad stories about moms and babies who have these traumatic experiences when weaning. Mine was kinda easy actually--Katherine weaned herself. About 2 weeks ago she became less and less interested in nursing at bedtime and then a few days later, she refused. No more boobie for me, Mom. So we just rocked in the chair, then I put her down in her crib. She cried when I left the room each night since she wasn't being nursed to sleep but after a week, she now goes down without a fuss.
WOO HOO!!! I'm free! I attended two parties over the weekend and didn't have to worry one bit about how much I was drinking! Not that I was worrying about it much anyway, really. And even better is NO MORE PUMPING!!!! I continued to pump for about a week after she gave up the boob, but it has been 5 days since the last pump. Surprisingly I have had very little discomfort during this "dry-up" phase. Maybe by the end of the week I'll get a better idea of what bra size I'll end up with.....will it be the pre-pregnancy 36A? Will I get to keep my 38B? Or maybe a happy medium with 36B? Place your bets now.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Reverie
Wow, I'm falling down on the job already!
Yes, I have been a lazy ass and not posted. But I told you already that I am not that interesting, right? Hmmm, maybe this blog thing wasn't such a good idea.
But I will attempt to redeem myself with the last 15 minutes of company time for today. I am tired as I usually am when 5:00pm rolls around but have to say that Katherine is doing a much better job of sleeping through the night. I just hope it continues because I do hate letting her cry it out, I am sure my neighbors are ready to call Child Protective Services on me.
So Fall officially began yesterday. I have to admit that I do love Fall, though I do not like cool weather. There is something about Fall that gets all your juices flowing with respect to the holidays. But the holidays are weird here in California. Not weird just because there are a lot of weirdos living here, but it just feels weird. Being from Ohio originally, there was a certain progression toward the holidays, a natural protocol if you will, where the temperatures steadily begin to drop, the leaves begin to turn, seasonal home decor begins to sprout up around the neighborhood, and the snow begins to fall. It feels, how should I say, Christmasy? But not so in Cali. The temps will continue to be summer like probably all the way through October into November, its still sunny all day, it will be cooler but not cold, and it will rain a lot. And decor? Well, you see it now and again but Californian aren't that big on lawn ornaments. Hell, they aren't even that big on cutting the lawn (if they are lucky enough to have one).
I love living in California. But I kind of miss the ambiance of a Midwestern/East Coast holiday season. Two years ago I decided to visit my folks in Washington, DC for Christmas and I was looking forward to it because something about Christmas on the East Coast is different. It feels like Christmas. People decorate, they light up their homes, all that great stuff. In California almost everyone who decorates uses those icicle light because of course, we have no real icicles. And not as many people decorate because --horror of horrors--not everyone celebrates Christmas. Its such a diverse place that many people, even those who do celebrate Christmas, don't bother with decorations.
This year I resolve to put my money where my mouth is. I am going to decorate to my hearts content, for ALL said fall holidays, because its what I am used to. And I am going to do it with pride. Someone has to buy that stuff they have on display at Wal-Mart and Michaels.
Yes, I have been a lazy ass and not posted. But I told you already that I am not that interesting, right? Hmmm, maybe this blog thing wasn't such a good idea.
But I will attempt to redeem myself with the last 15 minutes of company time for today. I am tired as I usually am when 5:00pm rolls around but have to say that Katherine is doing a much better job of sleeping through the night. I just hope it continues because I do hate letting her cry it out, I am sure my neighbors are ready to call Child Protective Services on me.
So Fall officially began yesterday. I have to admit that I do love Fall, though I do not like cool weather. There is something about Fall that gets all your juices flowing with respect to the holidays. But the holidays are weird here in California. Not weird just because there are a lot of weirdos living here, but it just feels weird. Being from Ohio originally, there was a certain progression toward the holidays, a natural protocol if you will, where the temperatures steadily begin to drop, the leaves begin to turn, seasonal home decor begins to sprout up around the neighborhood, and the snow begins to fall. It feels, how should I say, Christmasy? But not so in Cali. The temps will continue to be summer like probably all the way through October into November, its still sunny all day, it will be cooler but not cold, and it will rain a lot. And decor? Well, you see it now and again but Californian aren't that big on lawn ornaments. Hell, they aren't even that big on cutting the lawn (if they are lucky enough to have one).
I love living in California. But I kind of miss the ambiance of a Midwestern/East Coast holiday season. Two years ago I decided to visit my folks in Washington, DC for Christmas and I was looking forward to it because something about Christmas on the East Coast is different. It feels like Christmas. People decorate, they light up their homes, all that great stuff. In California almost everyone who decorates uses those icicle light because of course, we have no real icicles. And not as many people decorate because --horror of horrors--not everyone celebrates Christmas. Its such a diverse place that many people, even those who do celebrate Christmas, don't bother with decorations.
This year I resolve to put my money where my mouth is. I am going to decorate to my hearts content, for ALL said fall holidays, because its what I am used to. And I am going to do it with pride. Someone has to buy that stuff they have on display at Wal-Mart and Michaels.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Grumpy Old Men
I have been a Barry Manilow fan since I was young. And yes, I am willing to admit it! I have his CDs displayed prominently among others in my collection like Journey, Depeche Mode, Destiny's Child, Metallica, and Elmo. I have even seen him in concert and have been on my husband about wanting to see is Vegas show. But I am SO disappointed in Barry and this whole thing about cancelling his appearance on "The View".
Barry, we barely knew thee.....apparently.
I guess Barry is a good friend of Rosie O'Donnell, who of course had a big well-known feud with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, her co-host on "The View". So now Barry has refused to go on the show since Elisabeth will be there (or "The View" decided to recind their invitation, I guess it depends on whose story you believe). I used to love Rosie O'Donnell when she was a VJ on VH1. I thought she was genuinely funny. I liked her talk show too. But in recent years I just think she opens her mouth way too much and got too big of a head for her own good. She is free to believe what she wants to believe and spearhead causes that she believes in. That is her right. But she just got a bit too over the top and in-your-face for me and now I don't like her. Okay, I digress.
Here is my problem with this whole thing......since when did Barry Manilow become such an intolerant schlep? He's been on "The View" twice already in the past year and didn't seem to have a problem with it (probably because Rosie was on) but now all of a sudden he doesn't like Elisabeth Hasselbeck? He says that her views are "dangerous and offensive" and his principles don't allow him to be on the same stage with her. Although I admit that I consider myself a moderate conservative, I don't always agree with her either. But dangerous and offensive? Come on, Barry, that just makes you sound pathetic and ignorant.
Sheesh......and I though Elton John was bitchy.
Barry, we barely knew thee.....apparently.
I guess Barry is a good friend of Rosie O'Donnell, who of course had a big well-known feud with Elisabeth Hasselbeck, her co-host on "The View". So now Barry has refused to go on the show since Elisabeth will be there (or "The View" decided to recind their invitation, I guess it depends on whose story you believe). I used to love Rosie O'Donnell when she was a VJ on VH1. I thought she was genuinely funny. I liked her talk show too. But in recent years I just think she opens her mouth way too much and got too big of a head for her own good. She is free to believe what she wants to believe and spearhead causes that she believes in. That is her right. But she just got a bit too over the top and in-your-face for me and now I don't like her. Okay, I digress.
Here is my problem with this whole thing......since when did Barry Manilow become such an intolerant schlep? He's been on "The View" twice already in the past year and didn't seem to have a problem with it (probably because Rosie was on) but now all of a sudden he doesn't like Elisabeth Hasselbeck? He says that her views are "dangerous and offensive" and his principles don't allow him to be on the same stage with her. Although I admit that I consider myself a moderate conservative, I don't always agree with her either. But dangerous and offensive? Come on, Barry, that just makes you sound pathetic and ignorant.
Sheesh......and I though Elton John was bitchy.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Hello, I'm Multi-Cultural........and you are?
Okay, so its only my 2nd day of doing this blogging thing, but did I mention that I am multi-cultural? And it's not just because I like both ballet and Barry Manilow, but because I am half Chinese, half Caucasian, with a Filipino husband. This is territory fraught with potential clashes. Now, I know what you are thinking......you're both Asian, aren't they all alike? Well, not exactly.
My husband was born in the Philippines and moved here when he was 17 years old. He is a naturalized citizen and has only ever lived in California. I was born in the States and raised in Ohio (that's a whole other multicultural issue I'll save for another blog).
One thing I will say about Filipinos is that they love to party. No occasion is too big or too small, but there are certain occassions that call for big blowouts. One of them is the first birthday of a child. Yesterday we attended the first birthday of some Filipino friends/collegues of my husband's. They had rented out a community center hall, hired a young lady dressed as Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" to come and face paint and do balloon animals (and apparently also give the dads something to look at with her bare mid-drift costume) and had enough food to feed a small army. I would guess that there were probably 50-75 people in attendence. It was fun, though Katherine was really too small to savor the chocolate cake or beat the piss out of the pinata. And it got me thinking about how my perception has changed over time. Prior to meeting my husband, I always figured that when I had a child, I'd have a small party for some friends and family when my child turned one.....I mean, they are small they won't remember anything, right? I always thought it was completely ridculous to throw a big bash for a child so small that they don't know what the hell is going on. Christenings are also major party events for Filipinos but I successfully squashed that one earlier this year with just a dinner at a restaurant for select friends and family, especially since I am not particularly religious and the Christening was mainly for the benefit of my husband and his family.
But I have to admit that I have changed my thinking on this whole first-birthday-thing somewhat. The reality is that I love to plan parties. I love being creative. And this is my daughter we are talking about...I want it to be a good time. I also want to, for completely shallow reasons, show that I can put on a kick-ass party for my child, even if she doesn't know it's her birthday. So while I am not planning on renting out a hall, I am planning on a sizable party for my child, complete with some sort of kiddie entertainment, lots of good food (not the standard filipino fare because quite frankly, I don't like filipino food), and cool favors. Now all I have to think of is a theme. I am a total Disney whore, so my initial thought was princess but I figure Katheine doesn't really know what that is yet and within another year or two I will have Disney Princess coming out the ying-yang. Plenty of time for a Princess party. So I am thinking either Elmo (whom she loves) or Winnie the Pooh (who she kind of knows), unless I come up with other bright, creative idea. But in any event, I am all about the party.
My husband was born in the Philippines and moved here when he was 17 years old. He is a naturalized citizen and has only ever lived in California. I was born in the States and raised in Ohio (that's a whole other multicultural issue I'll save for another blog).
One thing I will say about Filipinos is that they love to party. No occasion is too big or too small, but there are certain occassions that call for big blowouts. One of them is the first birthday of a child. Yesterday we attended the first birthday of some Filipino friends/collegues of my husband's. They had rented out a community center hall, hired a young lady dressed as Ariel from "The Little Mermaid" to come and face paint and do balloon animals (and apparently also give the dads something to look at with her bare mid-drift costume) and had enough food to feed a small army. I would guess that there were probably 50-75 people in attendence. It was fun, though Katherine was really too small to savor the chocolate cake or beat the piss out of the pinata. And it got me thinking about how my perception has changed over time. Prior to meeting my husband, I always figured that when I had a child, I'd have a small party for some friends and family when my child turned one.....I mean, they are small they won't remember anything, right? I always thought it was completely ridculous to throw a big bash for a child so small that they don't know what the hell is going on. Christenings are also major party events for Filipinos but I successfully squashed that one earlier this year with just a dinner at a restaurant for select friends and family, especially since I am not particularly religious and the Christening was mainly for the benefit of my husband and his family.
But I have to admit that I have changed my thinking on this whole first-birthday-thing somewhat. The reality is that I love to plan parties. I love being creative. And this is my daughter we are talking about...I want it to be a good time. I also want to, for completely shallow reasons, show that I can put on a kick-ass party for my child, even if she doesn't know it's her birthday. So while I am not planning on renting out a hall, I am planning on a sizable party for my child, complete with some sort of kiddie entertainment, lots of good food (not the standard filipino fare because quite frankly, I don't like filipino food), and cool favors. Now all I have to think of is a theme. I am a total Disney whore, so my initial thought was princess but I figure Katheine doesn't really know what that is yet and within another year or two I will have Disney Princess coming out the ying-yang. Plenty of time for a Princess party. So I am thinking either Elmo (whom she loves) or Winnie the Pooh (who she kind of knows), unless I come up with other bright, creative idea. But in any event, I am all about the party.
Three Cheers for Crying!
Yawn. Its Monday.
I have been relatively fortunate that Katherine slept through the night at a pretty early age, 7 or 8 weeks I think. But as babies grow their sleep patterns change. In the past month she as has not been sleeping through the night and has been waking 1-2 times a night. We have developed a nasty habit of picking her up and rocking her back to sleep and, in many cases, giving up and putting her in bed with us. Bad Parents!!!! Yes, I know we shouldn't do that but when you have to get up at 5:30am to go to work and its 3:30am, you just need to sleep. But I completely hit the wall last week and though I have always said that I am not big on the whole cry-it-out (CIO)thing, I decided that it was time to nip this whole thing in the bud. I could not continue to be a walking Zombie. It was okay when I was still on maternity leave and she was younger......but she is older now and knows how to sleep through....she's just in a rut.
So, cry it out she did last Thursday night. I did what is called the Babywise method I suppose, checking on her without picking her up, starting with 5 minutes, then 10, then 15 and so on. It took and hour and my husband sweat bullets the whole time but she finally did go back to sleep. It's now been three nights and with the exception of this morning at 5am, she has slept completely through 10-12 hours! Hallelujah!!! Now, lest I get too smug and carried away with this victory, I am quite well aware that we may have to do this a few more times to get this whole routine set in stone. But I'm game. I know CIO is not for everyone and there are many people who are staunchly against it as a form of cruelty, but the more I do this mothering thing the more I believe in "you gotta do what works for you." It seems to be working.
I have been relatively fortunate that Katherine slept through the night at a pretty early age, 7 or 8 weeks I think. But as babies grow their sleep patterns change. In the past month she as has not been sleeping through the night and has been waking 1-2 times a night. We have developed a nasty habit of picking her up and rocking her back to sleep and, in many cases, giving up and putting her in bed with us. Bad Parents!!!! Yes, I know we shouldn't do that but when you have to get up at 5:30am to go to work and its 3:30am, you just need to sleep. But I completely hit the wall last week and though I have always said that I am not big on the whole cry-it-out (CIO)thing, I decided that it was time to nip this whole thing in the bud. I could not continue to be a walking Zombie. It was okay when I was still on maternity leave and she was younger......but she is older now and knows how to sleep through....she's just in a rut.
So, cry it out she did last Thursday night. I did what is called the Babywise method I suppose, checking on her without picking her up, starting with 5 minutes, then 10, then 15 and so on. It took and hour and my husband sweat bullets the whole time but she finally did go back to sleep. It's now been three nights and with the exception of this morning at 5am, she has slept completely through 10-12 hours! Hallelujah!!! Now, lest I get too smug and carried away with this victory, I am quite well aware that we may have to do this a few more times to get this whole routine set in stone. But I'm game. I know CIO is not for everyone and there are many people who are staunchly against it as a form of cruelty, but the more I do this mothering thing the more I believe in "you gotta do what works for you." It seems to be working.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Who am I?
Why did I start blogging? Not sure to tell you the truth, I am not really an intersting person, I'm not a very good writer, so why am I here? Well, like most I would suppose, I think that I just need an outlet. So here I am.
A bit about me......I am 35 years old, married for 3 1/2 years and have a daughter, my first, born in December 2006. So she is almost nine months old (like you couldn't do the math) and is quite a handful. I am a first time mom so I am totally winging it.
My daughter, Katherine, just went down for her nap. I, unlike so many others, still feed/rock her to sleep. Whenever I admit to this seeming faux pas, I gets lots of stern looks and advice on how I need to teach her to just be put down and go to sleep on her own. I have to admit in theory that sounds fabulous. I sure as hell would get more done if I didn't I spent 15 minutes feeding her and rocking with her in a chair. I know that she needs to learn this and I am sure that eventually she will. But the reality is I enjoy feeding her the bottle (or boob) as she drifts off to sleep. I enjoy propping her up over my shoulder and rocking her as she drifts more deeply into slumber. Now, some would have you think that I am doing some sort of permanent damage to my daughter, like she will never be able to fall asleep on her own for the rest of her life. But how can that be? I like the closeness. I am certain (though of course she can't tell me)that she enjoys it to. So against the good advice of other well-meaning moms, I nurse and rock her to sleep. And you know what? That's fine with me.
A bit about me......I am 35 years old, married for 3 1/2 years and have a daughter, my first, born in December 2006. So she is almost nine months old (like you couldn't do the math) and is quite a handful. I am a first time mom so I am totally winging it.
My daughter, Katherine, just went down for her nap. I, unlike so many others, still feed/rock her to sleep. Whenever I admit to this seeming faux pas, I gets lots of stern looks and advice on how I need to teach her to just be put down and go to sleep on her own. I have to admit in theory that sounds fabulous. I sure as hell would get more done if I didn't I spent 15 minutes feeding her and rocking with her in a chair. I know that she needs to learn this and I am sure that eventually she will. But the reality is I enjoy feeding her the bottle (or boob) as she drifts off to sleep. I enjoy propping her up over my shoulder and rocking her as she drifts more deeply into slumber. Now, some would have you think that I am doing some sort of permanent damage to my daughter, like she will never be able to fall asleep on her own for the rest of her life. But how can that be? I like the closeness. I am certain (though of course she can't tell me)that she enjoys it to. So against the good advice of other well-meaning moms, I nurse and rock her to sleep. And you know what? That's fine with me.
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