tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42889137530959925782024-02-07T08:26:23.694-05:00Our Little CupcakeI'm a babywearing, breastfeeding, disposable diapering, pacifier friendly, co-sleeping, sometimes-crafty
Brooklyn mama to an awesome baby girl who happens to have MCADDCupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-6922661640346270152012-03-14T17:59:00.001-04:002012-03-14T20:07:22.244-04:00Update: 17 months<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_g1cxWoVCW9tdEMBrEZKwGlXAALsjPXp4hfDBAH3lRUIbmBuHZ12SAE2EZggORuoewq6rWY_RodCDRPtu3QPOoTI_6NG42nJR26i4TxgnK_dOm2-735NWQnQuDWBhKE76cptFT_Sqewg/s1600/420901_10101692054850390_7956322_75863264_1214593083_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_g1cxWoVCW9tdEMBrEZKwGlXAALsjPXp4hfDBAH3lRUIbmBuHZ12SAE2EZggORuoewq6rWY_RodCDRPtu3QPOoTI_6NG42nJR26i4TxgnK_dOm2-735NWQnQuDWBhKE76cptFT_Sqewg/s400/420901_10101692054850390_7956322_75863264_1214593083_n.jpg" width="240" /></a>I haven't been updating this blog, and I fear that I'm kinda done with it. I no longer <i>need </i>it, since MCAD isn't defining Cupcake's life the way I feared it would. Our life situation has changed, with moving, I'm going back to work, etc. Though I want to throw out the occasional update, because I've noticed people who google MCADD end up here, so I want to put out good vibes on the Internet.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cupcake is now 17 months and she's walking, climbing, and starting to talk. She plays with crayons, blocks and looooves reading books. Also, her latest obsession is babying her stuffed animals, she holds them, tries to feed them and walks them on her doll stroller. It melts my heart. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">She's also doing great health-wise. At her 15 month check-up, she was at the 98% percentile for height, and over the charts for weight. Because of that, we have been officially switched to low-fat (2%) dairy products. We talked with our nutritionist, and we are on a heart-healthy diet, but without any major restrictions beyond that.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nutrition-wise, we have a little foodie. Cupcake will try all sorts of new foods, and seems to have few texture problems. Risottos, fish, soups, chicken, veggies, grilled meals, sandwiches, fruits, tacos, Thai, etc, she'll eat all of it. Great for us, since we can cook one meal for the whole family. We still stick by the old staples that she loves for snacks and lunch: bananas, blueberries, oranges, low-fat Greek yogurt, pita bread, turkey sandwiches on whole-wheat bread, cooked carrots, peas and bell peppers, chicken. But she's cool when we want to try something else for dinner. She's getting more opinionated about not wanting to sit on her high chair, but we're letting table manners slide. It's more important that she eat a proper diet and develop varied taste buds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">On the breastfeeding front, we weaned at 16 months ! It was easier and harder than I was expecting, though one thing is for sure, it was the best thing for our family. Cupcake now drinks cow's milk from a bottle. We weren't able to transition her to a sippy cup, and thinking more about it, with her feeding requirements, we need her to still take a bottle at night.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We are still not taking L-carnitine. Cupcake hated the taste (would violently reject it), and we had decided with our previous doctor to only take it when she was sick. We've moved and have a new specialist in Texas, and on our first appointment he did full blood work. Her numbers came out good (though she still has the genetic mutation for MCAD), so we concluded that she doesn't need any carnitine supplements.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We've made it 17 months without any ER visits or metabolic crises. Luckily, Cupcake seems to have a tough immune system, and has managed to stay away from major illnesses. To this day she's never had the stomach flu, RSV, or coxsackie, and for that, we're very grateful. We take her out everywhere. She's been in the NY subway several times, and goes to her fair share or playdates, library story times, grocery stores, etc. We even took her abroad (more on that later). We haven't done anything particular to protect her from germs, and we've been lucky that she's responded well. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Last month, we had our first ear infection. Went to the doctor, who prescribed antibiotics, and commended us for catching it so early. Nice. She was on antibiotics for 10 days, and it was uneventful. Her medicine tasted like bubble gum and she loved it; she'd even ask for more. During this time, she didn't develop any major fevers, or have any appetite problems, so her MCAD was a non-issue. Thank Dog. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Also, we have started part-time daycare. The goal is to have her go full time eventually, but baby steps. My main concern was how seriously they would take her feeding requirements (since MCAD sounds made up when you try to explain it, doesn't it?), and though the daycare was very accommodating and understanding, it took a few tries for all of us to be on the same page. I had the daycare menu approved by our nutritionist. The next issue is that in the toddler classroom, they expect kids to self feed. Cupcake has been refusing to, so they have to spoon feed her. I'm hoping she'll get the hang of self-feeding soon, but currently our main concern is that she eat regularly. It's one of those MCAD concessions, I guess. We also send a banana daily in her bag in case she doesn't like the menu. So far, they've had to give it to her a few times. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's been quite a transition. Cucpake cried the first couple of weeks during drop-off It broke my heart, but I knew it was a good place (I had personal references and just got a good vibe from the teachers). By now, 6 weeks into it, she's fine when we arrive, and is well rested and happy when I pick her up. This decision has been good for our family, and she's learning new skills and socializing very well. She's had a couple of colds and the aforementioned ear infection since she started, but that seems to be par with the course.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Her current sleep arrangement is a full-sized futon mattress in her bedroom floor, Montessori style. This way, we can lay down next to her to help her fall asleep without braking our backs. It's an in-between to co-sleeping. At night, we transitioned slowly to less feedings by gradually adding water to her bottles. Cupcake has been cleared to go 8 hours at night without food, so we give her only water if she wakes before the 8 hour mark. After the 8 hour mark, we give her some milk diluted with water. The theory is that the water satisfies the sleep association and thirst, while slowly retraining the body's hunger cues. I think this is why she STTNs some nights, but who knows for sure? </div><div style="text-align: justify;">When she's sick, we go ahead and give her some milk in her nighttime bottles, just to be on the safe side.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">One last thing, Cupcake went on her first international trip to a South America! The flight was exhausting (toddlers don't like staying on their seat), but she did very well during the actual stay. We were visiting family, so we had lots of extra hands to keep her entertained and active. Our concern was food, as lots of people get food poisoning when visiting South American countries. It's just a fact, no judgment here. We were extra careful to keep her away from uncooked foods, and poor Cupcake missed out on amazing tropical fruit and fresh fish. Instead, she ate lots of chicken soups, cooked veggies, mostly homemade stuff, and what do you know, she never got sick. I was still breastfeeding her then, so we knew that no matter what she'd have a calorie source at hand. I'm really glad we were nursing, as there were many times we found ourselves with weird schedules because of all the family obligations, and I was able to keep her fed every 3 hours, no matter where we were (house, beach, park, car, etc).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ok, this was way longer than I intended, but its been a while. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-32793936104484266622011-12-10T23:13:00.000-05:002011-12-10T23:13:58.374-05:00UpdatesLife has been busy, and it's been a while since we've posted. And I feel an overwhelming dread that there are just too many things I want to say and not enough time. So I will paraphrase.<br />
<br />
- Cupcake continues to do well, and is still growing and healthy. Lately, she's been having some poop issues, which makes me think she might have more food aversions than we previously thought. Related to MCAD? Probably not, but worth keeping an eye on.<br />
<br />
- We're between doctors, which I hate, but we moved twice in the last 3 months, which meant that her 12 month check up was with a doctor that we'll never see again. Actually, we were willing to have her 15 month check up there, but apparently this doctor moved and left the practice. The rest of the practice is too far for us to attend and meet a whole new doctor, so we're on a search for a new general pediatrician. I don't like this, but it is what it is.<br />
<br />
- We are also between Metabolic Specialists, which I like even less. But we moved from Brooklyn in October, and the new specialist didn't have any available appointments until January, so in the meantime we have our emergency protocol letter and both doctors have told us to count them as the main resource. Hopefully nothing will happen, and this will be remembered as just another snafu in our health coverage.<br />
<br />
- Health coverage. I seriously think nothing in my life will be as frustrating as trying to figure out the US health care system. We've been royally f*cked one too many times, and we haven't even needed ER services yet. At least it's all settled now. Nate has a job, which provides full comprehensive coverage, and the last three months of COBRA, dealing with CHIP, and looking for private coverage will be but a terrible nightmare that happened some time in 2011.<br />
<br />
- I'm working again. *Finally* And even though it's only part-time right now, it's enough to afford to send Cupcake to daycare for a few days a week. I'm looking forward to this, and I think she'll really enjoy the social interactions as well. However, finding adequate daycare is a herculean task unto itself. Is this just a standard issue in parenting, or am I being extra vigilant because of her MCAD? I'll never know, I guess, this child is all I know on being a mom.<br />
<br />
- We've been seeing a lot more family and it's great. Lots more babysitting, and interactions with grandparents and aunts/uncles. Cupcake loves the attention, and Nate and I are getting a much needed break. I feel the light at the end of the tunnel in achieving more balance in my life. Maybe I'll even start doing yoga again to regain my zen-ness. Who know, stranger things have happened.Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-33612667636487998262011-10-12T19:39:00.000-04:002011-10-12T19:39:52.323-04:00Letter to my baby: ONE yearDear Cupcake,<br />
<br />
I cannot believe it's been a full 12
months since you came into our lives! In some ways, it feels like just
yesterday that you were a little blob coming home from the hospital.
Then again, I can't even remember what life was like before you came
into our lives. Really, it feels like long long long ago.<br />
<br />
We've
moved to Texas, and you seem to be adjusting wonderfully to the move.
Sure, you were a bit clingy for a bit, but overall I'm amazed at what a
resilient little thing you are. You've been hanging out with
grandparents, aunts and uncles, family friends and you smile at all of
them. You just love attention, don't you?<br />
<br />
<br />
And for over month now, you've been walking. You took your first
steps before 11 months, and every day you are just getting stronger and
stronger. Now you can walk, get up, and grab your stuffed animals, all
without having to lean on anything. It's pretty amazing. <br />
<br />
<br />
You are also becoming a slightly pickier eater. That's par with
the course, right? It really seems that as you've been exposed to more
foods, you seem to remember them and then want them later. The other
day we had to through 4 different dishes before we realized you were
asking for peas. And once you had your peas, you had no problems with
the rest of your meal. Bless you, you're becoming such a great
communicator.<br />
<br />
<br />
We also got you a new car seat, worthy of your ginormous size.
Still in the 90th percentiles, I'm afraid. How much longer will I be
able to hold you? Then again, these days you prefer to walk everywhere
anyway.<br />
<br />
<br />
I love you so much, my little Cupcake. You are growing into a
wonderful and intelligent little girl. And I can't wait and see what
the next year brings us.<br />
<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
<br />
<br />
Your Mama<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-51282637053701374422011-10-07T19:52:00.000-04:002011-10-07T19:52:43.633-04:00On movingSo here we are, halfway moved. I say halfway because we haven't found full time employment yet, which we need in order to rent our own place. So in the meantime we're staying with my parents. It's been 5 days so far, and though we seem to be getting in each others space a bit, I think we're gonna be fine. I hope. I really, really hope.<br />
<br />
So now we have to deal with finding jobs, getting our own place as soon as possible. And most dauntingly, dealing with a less than desirable health insurance situation. I'm most worried about getting Cupcake a pediatrician, a new metabolic team, and keeping her happy as we deal with all these changes.<br />
<br />
More to followCupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-22081747167058029222011-09-08T23:40:00.002-04:002011-09-08T23:40:30.287-04:00New Blogger ate my postAnd it was a long one too.<br />
<br />
I'm feeling so defeated by this. Don't think I like the new blogger format, it doesn't automatically save. And I kinda poured my heart out about what to do with Cupcake's sleep, what's going on with her teething, and how maybe the stress of moving is getting to us all, including her.<br />
<br />
Sucks I guess. I can't rewrite it, if feels futile to do so. booooCupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-31850358633308586662011-09-05T21:28:00.003-04:002011-09-05T21:28:30.809-04:00Breastfeeding and mole scratching<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div>
I am in need of some advice. Cupcake is at a phase where she's started to pick at some of my moles while breastfeeding. I originally tried to distract her , but she's pretty relentless. I've tried to cover up, but unfortunately, I have a large mole above each boob, and another right below them in the middle of my stomach. So no matter what one of them ends up uncovered at all times. And these are the slightly bumpy moles, they hurt when she scratches them.</div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div>
I've read that nursing necklaces are recommended for this. For the uninformed, this is a necklace who's sole purpose is to give the baby something to grab while nursing, not to be confused with a teething necklace, which we have, and they rock. Anyone have experience with these? Have they worked for you? Any easy ways to make one at home? I hate the idea of buying yet another baby gadget, specially if it doesn't work. We have enough craziness at home without having to add a shopping trip to our day. (I don't like shopping, unless it's for home wares and furniture, it's strange, I know.)</div>
</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div>
I'm feeling a bit frustrated with this development. I originally figured I'd let her play with the mole and she'd get bored of it. But it seems moles are like cell phones, babies can't get enough of them. I've thought of covering them with band aids, but it doesn't seem like that would solve the actual problem.</div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div>
</div>
</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div>
I've made it 11 months now, and there's no reason to stop breastfeeding at this point. </div>
</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div>
<br /></div>
</span>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-45218082584644970352011-08-30T19:53:00.001-04:002011-08-31T21:35:59.177-04:00Life changes - we're moving<div style="text-align: justify;">I've been neglecting this blog, but it's with good reason. We are moving across the country in a month, and this is all happening so suddenly that it's hard for me to catch my bearings.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjDJ2hbMxGxDycRII8eqPqAKBBAS4YsTkeoupKNfsnER3tm7lWoYr-cBbuxsEqJrkuyCozM8bp7HOhfY4-AjvQCeZssYmJsg0QoRE916pQbAxvaHGx5iq9p13p6CHr0sprIZlmpayY3s/s1600/Moving-House1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjDJ2hbMxGxDycRII8eqPqAKBBAS4YsTkeoupKNfsnER3tm7lWoYr-cBbuxsEqJrkuyCozM8bp7HOhfY4-AjvQCeZssYmJsg0QoRE916pQbAxvaHGx5iq9p13p6CHr0sprIZlmpayY3s/s1600/Moving-House1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Going back "home" is something we'd had in the back of our heads since Cupcake was about 3 months old, but it was more abstract. As in, wouldn't it be nice is we had grandparents nearby.... let's deal with that later. But then our crazypants landlord decided to not renew our month-to-month lease and basically gave us less than a 60 day notice to leave the apartment. Which.... is legal but kinda wrong. It came out of nowhere, and we still don't know why she's doing it. In fact, she's avoided us since she sent the letter, and yes, she lives right below us. It's a stressful situation to say the least.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So here we are, going back to Texas. Trying to figure out how to pack up our lives and move them, get new jobs, and do all this while keeping our almost one year old sane. Or maybe just keeping us sane, she'll be okay. We are also super excited to live near family again. Cupcake's grandparents want to babysit, and take her out, and give us a break. Maybe we'll get a few nights of sleep here and there?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This also means we'll have to get a new metabolic doctor, which stresses me because I really feel we got 'in a groove with our current doctor. I fear our new doctor might be stricter, or treat Cupcake's MCAD as something scary and debilitating, which is not an attitude that works for me. Oh well, we'll figure all this out when we get there. It's not gonna stop the move from happening. We HAVE to leave our apartment, and Nate has put in his two weeks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">As Martin Lawrence said in the climax of Bad Boys II, "$hit just got real'.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-75092649126715224492011-08-23T20:40:00.001-04:002011-08-24T20:59:21.846-04:00On having a constant snacker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcP1EYY3jqNmN0fuyjNss6JS6Nb86bnUaa1CeQreeqO6tQA1tyk1F0gzt6pvMc7vo8NM-ZVTdNLvKPnJqZFdCNLC_6o9sF4mCdORR6I9K-HMobxeXtZ1xo8LPOMxdK9CJcpIIjtjDMHM/s1600/DSC_0601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcP1EYY3jqNmN0fuyjNss6JS6Nb86bnUaa1CeQreeqO6tQA1tyk1F0gzt6pvMc7vo8NM-ZVTdNLvKPnJqZFdCNLC_6o9sF4mCdORR6I9K-HMobxeXtZ1xo8LPOMxdK9CJcpIIjtjDMHM/s320/DSC_0601.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>I've made a great discovery these last few weeks that hopefully should help us deal with the days better. Turns out that Cupcake is much more of a snacker than I ever imagined, and needs less naps.<br />
<br />
In fact, it seems that half the time she looked tired and I thought she needed to nap, she was actually hungry. I began to realize that she was tired but not actually going to sleep, and if I gave her food/breast milk, she'd perk right up.<br />
<br />
So we've been doing a new experiment. Cupcake is down to two naps, at noon and at 5 pm. If she seems to be tired earlier than that, I try to feed her first. If she's still tired after getting the blood sugar rush, then she's probably having a sleepy day.<br />
<br />
It's a curious thing, and probably related to her MCAD. When she's hungry, and her blood sugar goes down, she seems to crash more than other babies. She whine, gets cranky, tired, rubs her eyes, is pretty much insufferable. But once I give her food her entire demeanor changes. She smiles, the color comes back to her face (I hadn't even noticed she was looking pale!), her energy comes back, and her entire demeanor improves. It's such a change, and pretty remarkable.<br />
<br />
It makes me wonder how many times I've tried to put her down for naps and she fought them, when she was actually only hungry.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Does your kid need to snack constantly? Could it be FOD related, or is it just common infant behavior? What are easy healthy snack ideas?</i></div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-83004969368555032852011-08-11T16:57:00.000-04:002011-08-11T16:57:33.812-04:00Sleep Chronicles<div style="text-align: justify;">It's been a busy last few weeks, both in Cupcake's life and in ours. The main issue with Cupcake is a bizarro sleep regression that I'm having a hard time dealing with. Please forgive the dangling preposition, my mommy brain isn't functioning very well. Sleep deprivation is a b-ch.</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIqc7yOyYmtFdSnCaQwpgMbshx3Mt5wLbFZ5HheA8nzgUNYWBjPy2A8eIMLY6RL1E1RZlPQ03C-jsbzYAv98wKz3_0nDeaIigjosyExLQ42wPXq0SDVndgxZmRlkhspjR1D0nZXkTYxA/s1600/sleep2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKIqc7yOyYmtFdSnCaQwpgMbshx3Mt5wLbFZ5HheA8nzgUNYWBjPy2A8eIMLY6RL1E1RZlPQ03C-jsbzYAv98wKz3_0nDeaIigjosyExLQ42wPXq0SDVndgxZmRlkhspjR1D0nZXkTYxA/s200/sleep2.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life before baby</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOr72aoE6WoCYTo87KTaFU6r4VskEbqlneAU57XRENZRNjltSoxBwYa2VIHMa7-xZFrHHnBef3bxysZ71tbyLPK2EjI0RyJ6xVqXbBR-YH5CUkOQAZaIb5zlzOLwiYCCyiy5cuIqNb6Zg/s1600/GARFIELD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOr72aoE6WoCYTo87KTaFU6r4VskEbqlneAU57XRENZRNjltSoxBwYa2VIHMa7-xZFrHHnBef3bxysZ71tbyLPK2EjI0RyJ6xVqXbBR-YH5CUkOQAZaIb5zlzOLwiYCCyiy5cuIqNb6Zg/s200/GARFIELD.jpg" width="195" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life after baby</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"> I also seem unable to organize my thoughts into a standard essay-style blog entry, so maybe I'll just try to touch the highlights of what's going on with us.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>- We tried a form of modified sleep training. Basically, my arms gave out and I just couldn't rock her anymore for as long as she needed. The new plan was to rock her for 5 - 10 minutes (which seems reasonable, since she is, after all, a baby), then set he down on her crib. At this point, if she cries, just sing to her and pat her and reassure her that I'm there. She cried, and wailed, and looked very angry, but never more than 15-20 minutes. I would stay in the room with her, not wanting the issue of sleeping of her own to get confused with separation anxiety. <div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> It worked, I admit. Hearing her cry felt terrible, but she would fall asleep, and stay asleep for an hour. Then proceeded to be in a wonderful mood the rest of the day. I had feared that she'd hate me for doing this to her, but a baby's short term memory is bliss. Mostly, I felt like I had no choice, since I couldn't rock her.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- I'm not sure how I feel about crying to sleep, even though we had to do it. It seemed to me that Cupcake started waking up from naps mid cry, as opposed to the cooing she used to do. Am I projecting? Probably. Reminds me of Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog, when Captain Hammer is frozen mid song, and when he unfreezes he finished the note where he left off. Yes, I just compared my 10 month old's napping pattern to Dr. Horrible, what of it? In any case, even though my arms were finally getting rest, I wasn't fully convinced that this was the best approach for us. A week and half later, she was still crying 10 minutes per nap. Is that normal? Shouldn't she be happily self soothing by now?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- She's learned to stand on her crib. She's known how to pull up for long time, but she finally figured out how to go from laying down to sitting, and from there the rest is easy. So now, I can't even let her cry as an option, because as soon as I put her down on the crib, she immediately sits and stands. It's so quick, I could blink and I'd miss it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Which leaves me with some options, rock her to sleep until she's really good and zonked out. Which.... no, this is what got us in this predicament. My arms can't rock a 22 lb baby. Not gonna happen. Or I could take her out to nap on the stroller. Or I could just leave her to cry and figure it out for herself.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've tried to let her fuss it out, and it's just not working. She cried, gets completely red and snot nosed, and just doesn't let down. At what point do I throw in the towel? So far I'm stopping the torture after 20 minutes, I just assume she wasn't tired and we can try for a nap again later.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Have I mentioned that she's just kinda not sleeping during the day but stays in a great mood? She looks exhausted, will fall asleep within 30 seconds of me rocking her, and wakes as soon as I put her on the crib. But once I pick her up she's all smiles, plays well on her own, and largely shows no signs of being tired or overtired. I'm trying to remind myself that at this age many babies only need one nap, so as long as she gets one nap in there, it's all good. She'll fall asleep when she's tired enough, right?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- The sleep training has had one awesomely positive side effect. Cupcake now sleeps on her stroller again. After a 5 month stroller strike, she now will happily zonk out in her umbrella stroller, her neck bending to utterly uncomfortable looking positions. Freedom. I can now leave the house without worrying about coming back home for naps or risk total breakdown while out. Is it related to the sleep training, or simply a developmental phase?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Could she possibly be transitioning to one nap? And if so, she's gone from 3 naps to 1 in a matter of weeks. Not sure how to handle this.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Now with the the crib standing, she's back to waking up 4+ times a night. We'd managed to cut it to 2, by letting her fuss it out for a few nights. We're regressing. And the worse thing is that Cupcake seems to be sitting up in her sleep, and then her body wakes her up. None of us, baby included, are happy with this situation, but are at a loss on what to do. The night we let her sort it out herself, she just cried while standing for a half hour. I was so exhausted I let her, but we share a room, so this just wont work. Should we set up an air mattress in the living room? Would that work better? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br />
I'm having a some tough weeks, where I feel like I'm doing it all wrong. She doesn't sleep well, and it feels like a direct reflection of my love and parenting abilities. It's hard to convince me otherwise. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-55154450820909776232011-08-07T15:06:00.000-04:002011-08-07T15:06:52.113-04:00Blog makeoverI've been trying to upkeep this blog, reformat it some, and figure out what to do with pictures. Because, really, pictures are always better, but I still want to respect my child's privacy. Anyway..<br />
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I felt inspired by Dana's blog entry <a href="http://www.reallywhatwerewethinking.com/2011/08/10-tips-for-starting-blog.html?spref=bl">What Were We Thinking?: 10 tips for starting a blog.</a> Not only did she make a pretty nice and clean list with blog starting tips, it also made me realize that my current comment section stinks. Really, it does. So I've installed, hopefully successfully, a new commenting software that should allow me to respond to people more efficiently.<br />
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Also, at some point I will figure out how to work the Blogher banner ad. They say it's simple to install, but I beg to differ. Of course, it doesn't help that we've been going through a baby nap crisis this week (more on that soon), so I'm short on Internet time.Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-8275393842641330752011-07-30T12:30:00.000-04:002011-07-30T12:30:49.023-04:00Ambivalent feelings about L-Carnitine supplements<div style="text-align: justify;">So I'm gonna start off by saying that I'm not a fan of supplements, whatever their form. I don't take vitamins, and I was reluctant to even give Cupcake vitamin D drops (in the end I was spotty about remembering). I also don't give her iron supplements, choosing instead to make sure I'm feeding her meats/spinach/legumes. This might make me a terrible, mom, but I'm cool with it. :)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So when our doctor told us to give Cupcake daily <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnitine">L-Carnitine</a> for her MCAD Deficiency, I was dubious. But hey, I'll follow doctors orders if they're necessary. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Cupcake's New Born Screening numbers were very alarming. So much so, that the Metabolic doctors recommended that we give her the highest dosage of L-Carnitine for her weight, which I believe was 2 ml per day. Since we were new to the whole FaOD world, we did as instructed, and it was a colossal failure. She would scream every time we gave her the drops, which was twice a day, and we would all dread them. Still, if that's what's necessary, I figured we should toughen up. I believe in modern medicine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">At our follow up appointment one week later we asked the doctor if the Carnitine was strictly necessary. By this point, Cupcake's new labs were in, and her levels were much more stable. She still had MCAD (I'd been hoping for a false positive, but no such luck), but the situation wasn't as dramatic. And since Carnitine is controversial anyway, we made the decision together, with our doctor's approval, to only give it to her when she got sick. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our doctors trust us. We had by that point shown them our anal retentive tendencies of tracking all her feedings and diapers, so I think they felt confident that we'd be able to make the call if anything was amiss with Cupcake. Each case is different, of course, but I was more comfortable with giving medication only when absolutely necessary rather than as a precaution.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For her next two colds, we gave her L-carnitine from a syringe, and all was fine. I doubt she liked it, but it was a non issue.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then we had the recent <a href="http://our-little-cupcake.blogspot.com/2011/07/we-had-roseola.html">Roseola fever scare</a>. When her fever spiked at over 102, we called the Metabolic Center, and they informed us that our new L-Carnitine dosage was 5 ml, two times a day. That night, after she was done breastfeeding one side, we tried to put the syringe in her mouth and administer the meds. Forcefully, I might add, since she was refusing it. And then all h*ll broke loose. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Firstly, she swatted the meds away, which seems like a normal reaction. But afterwards, she started refusing all food and liquid. I just don't think she trusted us anymore, after we had pried her mouth open to put nasty medication in her mouth. (And L-Carnitine smells nasty, I can't even imagine the aftertaste it must have) Every time I tried to breast feed, she would scream and swat the boob away. Luckily, she was okay with bottles of formula, and we were able to persuade her to have a couple of ounces.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">For two days, she refused almost all food. And this baby has one of the healthiest appetites I've even known. It was probably the fever taking away her appetite, but it's too much of a coincidence that all this happened right after the Carnitine. I think the two issues are related.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So we didn't give L-Carnitine to her again. It seemed that our best shot to have her eat again would be to not freak her out with forced medicine. Eventually she started eating, and her fever broke at just about the time we were to see the Metabolic specialist.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We discussed with our metabolic doctor what to do about the L-Carnitine next time she got sick. And we all agreed that it's more important to have Cupcake eat real food (calories!) than take the medical supplement. Her advice was to mix it with something to mask the taste, and she specifically recommended Hawaiian punch as something that has hides nasty medication flavors I vowed right then and there to never judge another mother again if I see them feeding their babies nasty unnatural foods. You never know the whole story...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So we'll be taking a break from Carnitine unless the Hawaiian punch business works out. I understand that L-Carnitine supplementation has worked wonders for other children with metabolic conditions. But in our case, we'll be playing it by ear for a while.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-44960836172167728952011-07-28T09:46:00.001-04:002011-07-30T12:17:53.046-04:00We had Roseola<div style="text-align: justify;">So one pediatric appointment, a Metabolic appointment, a scary fever, sleepless nights, and lots of fussiness later, we have confirmation: Cupcake has/had Roseola.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UfDfO8D8rOuSIqEKgW4_RSwRwuKGypeSgj721BwaP9VpiFnWCO-kGyBJiATOiEYjUsvMpqc3-pm4tbd-ChEQPg39C_bhTr4jqqn3xbHjZean-tuLEqWqzVhLX2LCd52AYduyhhpv7T8/s1600/5990879328_71bb3aa26c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UfDfO8D8rOuSIqEKgW4_RSwRwuKGypeSgj721BwaP9VpiFnWCO-kGyBJiATOiEYjUsvMpqc3-pm4tbd-ChEQPg39C_bhTr4jqqn3xbHjZean-tuLEqWqzVhLX2LCd52AYduyhhpv7T8/s320/5990879328_71bb3aa26c_z.jpg" width="212" /></a>This is what our regular pediatrician suspected from the beginning, but we wouldn't know for sure until she got the tell tale rash. By yesterday her fever was gone, and this morning she woke up with a gentle red covering on her skin. I've never been so glad to see a weird rash, because now it means that it's over. Done. Fever broke, the rash should not be painful, and she's no longer contagious. We can go back to our regular programming.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Though we did learn a lot from the experience. Cupcake actually started refusing food for a whole day, going so far as to violently swat away anything we'd try to offer her. This was new for us, and left us at a loss of what to do. Somehow she managed to eat some snacks here and there and drink a bit of breast milk at just the right times, so we avoided any type of crisis, metabolic or otherwise. Even non FaOD children need to eat and hydrate if they're feverish. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I will go into more detail about our metabolic appointment, as that deserves its own post, and our new found frustrations and opinions about L-carnitine (in short, we're not fans of carnitine at the moment). In the meantime, we will rejoice that Cupcake did not have Coxsackie, a virus that still terrifies me and is probably lurking in the playground shadows.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-85091408520923440162011-07-24T15:51:00.000-04:002011-07-24T15:51:45.582-04:00Fevers<div style="text-align: justify;">Cupcake has a fever or 101.5 today, and she feels very warm. So far she's still eating like a champ and cruising the furniture like no one's business. Then again, she's also been clingier, and looks under the weather.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Thank God it's a weekend and Nate is here. We can trade holding her, and bounce our worries off each other. But because it's Sunday, the doctor's offices are closed, so we'd have to wait until tomorrow to have her checked.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've called our metabolic center (they have a 24 hour line), and they told us to follow her illness, and keep feeding her every 2 hours (breast milk or solid food), and call them back if she starts vomiting or refusing food. But otherwise, give her L-carnitine, fever reducing agents, and lots of TLC (that's Tender Loving Care). Not much more we can do. MCAD doesn't make Cupcake more susceptible to illnesses, nor does it make her body deal with the virus/bacteria any different. It's not her immune system that malfunctions. Rather, when she gets sick, we need to watch that she doesn't go into fasting, which could cause a metabolic crisis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So it seems that everything is "under control", but man, it's hard seeing a 9 month old miserable with a fever. She's alternating between happily energetic and whiny sleepy, depending on how much we sing to her. We'll just take it easy today, play in the house, and make sure she's getting plenty of rest and food.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">And here comes the mom-guilt. I fear she has the <a href="http://our-little-cupcake.blogspot.com/2011/07/mcad-and-neighborhood-viral-outbreak.html">coxsackievirus that's going around.</a> Why, oh why did I take her to that play-date on Wednesday? Is that when she caught it? Should I have protected her more from infections? Last Wednesday, I made the conscious decision to take her to the picnic in the park, even though some babies had come down with coxsackievirus. Since the infected kids wouldn't be there, I figured it was okay, and I just make sure she didn't share toys with any of the other babies. Maybe that wasn't enough. We also went out to the playground every day this week, even though we're having a crazy heat wave and this virus is making the rounds. Could it be the extreme temperatures that affected her ability to fight off infection? And if this illness gets worse and she ends up in the ER, I'm gonna have a hard time not blaming myself. I've always believed that we can't keep children in a bubble, that it's our duty to expose them to the world. Illnesses at a young age result in antibodies and healthier adults, right? </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I just feel so bad for her right now. She seems physically uncomfortable, and there's only so much Tylenol or ibuprofen can do. Any other tips for a feverish baby?</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-33330050458259393842011-07-21T11:20:00.000-04:002011-07-21T11:20:49.570-04:00Re-reading The No Cry Sleep Solution<div style="text-align: justify;">A friend gave me Elizabeth Pantley's <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780071381390">The No Cry Sleep Solution</a> when we went through our 4 month sleep regression. I read it along with Ferber's "Solving Your Child's Sleep Problems", and Weissbluth's "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." Of the there, Pantley's words and advice were the most relatable, and I liked her gentle parenting approach to a baby's nighttime needs. Overall, I highly recommend it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I've written about my opinions on <a href="http://our-little-cupcake.blogspot.com/2011/04/sleep-issues-reading-ferber.html">Ferber (liked the theories and research, not so much the CIO methodology)</a>, and <a href="http://our-little-cupcake.blogspot.com/2011/04/sleep-issues-ii-reading-weissbluth.html">Weissbluth (hated his close minded one-size-fits-all admonishments)</a>, but I realized that I've never blogged about the No Cry Sleep Solution. Probably because I was actively taking advice from the book, so it felt like it deserved several pages of analysis and thought.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://images.indiebound.com/390/381/9780071381390.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" onerror="this.src = 'http://www.indiebound.org/files/book_not_found-large.jpg';" src="http://images.indiebound.com/390/381/9780071381390.jpg" style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); max-width: 300px;" width="213" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Well, I'm ready now. If I am to be honest with myself, Cupcake never recovered from the 4 month sleep regression. She has some good days and some bad days, but the good days are still only 4-5 hours of sleep a night, and on the bad days she needs to nurse every 2 hours (she doesn't have nighttime needs beyond food, it seems). The bad times are not too terrible, compared to some other stories I've heard, but still, I'm getting worn out.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I want to respond to my child's needs, and if she needs to eat at night, then she shall have milk. However, I also want to help her self soothe to the best of her abilities. Nothing wrong with gently directing the child towards more sleep independence, right?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Over the next few weeks/days I plan on going over the book again, and hopefully writing about our experiences with it. What worked for us, what didn't, and what things don't work because we might just have totally unrealistic expectations.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-62071731368223559052011-07-19T20:51:00.000-04:002011-07-19T20:51:49.081-04:00MCAD and neighborhood viral outbreak<div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqooR55XcAOmXkw6Fb8qqhVL0jipLgVL57j02kgdnL7OIPKH1qHngTLRKkagHsa5giVZV-J08DDTbwsHkK2GaPKg-ZNR3x3SqVIV2a2Jt6EFnyvDmbOjbZtH5Zb371L5x7h3Xu09zI8w/s1600/434582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqooR55XcAOmXkw6Fb8qqhVL0jipLgVL57j02kgdnL7OIPKH1qHngTLRKkagHsa5giVZV-J08DDTbwsHkK2GaPKg-ZNR3x3SqVIV2a2Jt6EFnyvDmbOjbZtH5Zb371L5x7h3Xu09zI8w/s200/434582.jpg" width="200" /></a>It seems that several kids in our playgroup have come down with Coxsackievirus. A benign but highly contagious illness characterized by high fevers and blisters in the throat that cause nausea and decreased appetite.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I am terrified.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I don't care that this virus works itself out after 3-5 days with no lasting effects. For a child with MCAD, a high fever with decreased appetite is exactly the most dangerous situation to be in. I'd rather take a 2 week long cough, or general fussiness. But please, no high spiking fevers. We've avoided the ER so far, and I am not about to start going.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm glad our playgroup responded so quickly and informed all of us of the situation. But it leaves me wondering what to do tomorrow. We have a lunch picnic play-date and a music class scheduled. Do we still go? So far I've avoided sheltering Cupcake from illnesses, choosing to take her out in crowds no matter what. And she's responded by having a strong immune system. But this is the first case of a specific viral outbreak. I don't want to hide, but I don't want her to be ill either.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">She's been fussy this evening, and took a bizarro nap at 7 pm (her bedtime is 10 pm). We can't tell yet if it's a strange extra evening nap, or if she'd down for the night. Either way, something is off, and I hope to Dog she's not coming down with the illness.</div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #444444; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span></span>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-44818172067385411732011-07-16T22:20:00.000-04:002011-07-16T22:20:30.755-04:00Taking a baby to the beach<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpdRi3pGwqF4FnB1Rg5vbCyVXNdvvkTZmPkyidjiAijxE4-4Qy8lgSebWSb-RRTNex_lWwg3gEs08qZofehRRqwxURwf1VUMUCMt_-zZQXi2CkdqV4Tsa8mpC5UGVMwLur7cWGNmCxq8/s1600/20090331124110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWpdRi3pGwqF4FnB1Rg5vbCyVXNdvvkTZmPkyidjiAijxE4-4Qy8lgSebWSb-RRTNex_lWwg3gEs08qZofehRRqwxURwf1VUMUCMt_-zZQXi2CkdqV4Tsa8mpC5UGVMwLur7cWGNmCxq8/s320/20090331124110.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob Riis Beach. Photo from National Park Service.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Gone are the days of picking up a bag, throwing some sunblock, towel and book, and heading to the beach. Trips with a baby means tripling the amount of stuff you lug around (at least), staying for half as long, and changing your expectations of ,"fun and relaxation". Having said that, a little bit of preparation, and you can have a wonderful time going to the beach with your little one. And if you're lucky, they'll love the sand and water.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Today we took Cupcake to the beach for the first time. I was a bit nervous. What if she hated it? What if we had a total meltdown in the car? Would we forget something vital and important? And most importantly, would it be fun for all of us? It was a resounding success. So much that I've decided to compile my patented advice for posterity. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ways to have a wonderful time at the beach with a baby:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><ul style="text-align: justify;"><li><b>Sun Protection</b> I'm a little paranoid about the sun (not for myself, just the baby), since their skin is still so delicate. So we followed the advice of overprotecting. Applied sunblock at home before we dressed Cupcake, then reapplied at the car when we got to the beach (by this point, between getting ready, driving and grabbing a bite to eat, it had been over two hours since the last sunblocking). And again after being at the beach for about a half hour. Honestly, it's impossible to overprotect the skin, and though the baby lotion is grossly overpriced, I'd rather waste 5 bucks than have to deal with sunburns at 3 am. We use California Baby Sunblock SPF 30.</li>
<li><b>Time the outing around naps.</b> No sense in dealing with a cranky and sandy baby. We decided to hit the surf after the morning nap, hoping that she'd sleep in the car on the way there. For this purpose, we also picked a beach that was approximately 40 minutes away. We thought we were soooo clever. Instead, Cupcake had a meltdown as we were arriving in the beach area, and we had to give her an Ergo nap while we grabbed lunch in an air conditioned diner. Ended up working out. Then we started packing up as she began to show signs of tiredness, so that by the time we drove bar she zonked out in the car. All in all, we maximized our time in the actual sand.</li>
<li><b>Have the right gear.</b> We had a spankin' new beach umbrella (with an adjustable tilt), beach towels, a foldout chair, sun hat, plastic toys (didn't buy anything special, just used her regular plastic toys), bucket, t-shirt, water, snacks and swimming diapers.</li>
<li><b>Don't bring more stuff than you can carry. </b>Even if you are driving and the beach has on-site parking, you'll still end up walking a bunch on the sand. Unless it's one of those beaches where you park right in front of your towel, but meh, those beaches aren't too nice in my book. Most beaches have water, then a long stretch of sand, some type of boardwalk/ bathroom area, and then a parking lot. And if it's a beautiful sunny day, the car ends up pretty far back. We brought a bunch of stuff, but there were also two of us carrying it. I wish we'd packed more compactly, as we didn't take into account that Cupcake would be super squirmy with excitement of being outside, so it ended up being one of us with just the baby, the other one in Sherpa mode with too many small bags. Next time, larger bags so there's less packages.</li>
<li><b>Bring an inflatable pool.</b> This was a bit of a hassle but oh so worth it. With an inflatable pool, we were able to have Cupcake play in the water under the umbrella shade right next to us. We filled it with ocean water, and gave her some toys, and she had a wonderful time. She played there on her own for over 20 minutes. Time for us to relax some, chat, get some sun. Our main issue was deflating it, because it wouldn't fit in the bag again, so next time we have to bring a much large plastic bag to squish it into.</li>
<li><b>Designate a non-sandy towel</b>. Everything gets sandy, it's just a fact. But it helps to have a towel that stays in your bag, until it's time to dry everyone up. This towel stays clean and off the ground, and is perfect to dry the baby before you head home.</li>
<li><b>Bring snacks and water. </b> We had bananas (her favorite), mum-mums, and sport nozzle water bottles. When in doubt, when Cupcake got fussy, we gave her water. One can never overestimate how much they're sweating (specially if your baby has a metabolic condition, as Cupcake does). We also gave her milk at the beach, as I have absolutely no qualms about pulling my bikini top to nurse Cupcake (while under the shady umbrella). Hydrated well-fed baby = happy baby.</li>
<li><b>Address how baby is responding to the water</b>. In our case, Cupcake turned out to not be a fan of sitting on the shore and having the waves hit her. And she does NOT like wet sand, hilariously. However, she loved loved loved having us hold her and moving her around the waves. We'd hold her in something like the "colic hold", and have her splash her arms and legs in the water, then when the waves came they'd splash her and she loved it. I was expecting her to sit on the sand, but hey, she knows what she likes.</li>
<li>Take lots of pictures! It took us by surprise how much Cupcake enjoyed it. Specially a long interaction with sand. She was absolutely perplexed at how it slid off her hands. Glad we were able to capture ever moment. </li>
</ul>All in all our first beach experience was a big success, and I can't wait to repeat it next weekend. For now, we're gonna take it easy tomorrow and give Cupcake's skin a break from the sun. We were prepared, and Cupcake is a total beach bunny. Next adventure, the local outdoor pool.Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-34335750740714714242011-07-15T20:10:00.000-04:002011-07-15T20:10:16.367-04:00Updating the blogI'm redesigning the blog, so please forgive the crazy formatting issues for a couple of days here. I'm trying to take it down while I reformat, but I'm not sure I'm doing it correctly.<br />
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HTML and graphic design are fun, so I might be putting way too much effort into this. Time I don't have at the moment because I really should be doing dishes, cleaning the living room floor and updating my professional online portfolio. Which is why the site might be wonky for a bit.<br />
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Thanks for your patience :)Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-49217828108013335752011-07-12T02:19:00.000-04:002011-07-12T02:19:40.277-04:00Breastfeeding - How to deal with a biter<div style="text-align: justify;">This seems to be a current topic of conversation in my mom-baby group, as many of our kids have multiple teeth. Cupcake still only has her 2 bottom teeth, but they're razor sharp. And yes, sometimes she bites.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We went through a bad biting stage for a while, and I asked my local La Leche League chapter for their advice. They are such a great source of information, even if I still find them overly AP for my tastes. <span style="background-color: black;"></span>Also, through asking other people, I've come up with a brief summary of some techniques to deal with a compulsive biter. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here goes:</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Reprimand </u>: Pull them off the boob and say NO! very firmly. Then put the milk (boob) away. This didn't work for us. Cupcake found it hi-la-rious. Which then would make me laugh, and well... it wasn't getting the point accross. At the LLL meeting, many ladies said that this technique works in theory, but not in practice. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Distract and underplay the reaction</u>: Many times, yelling Ow! in pain or telling them a firm NO! can be counterproductive, because most babies laugh at the attention. Instead, try to have a non-reaction. When they bite, pull them away (making sure to insert your finger in their mouth so you're not pulling your nipple out while biting, ouch!), and cover your boob. They will cry, and you distract them with a teething toy in their mouth, or something else in their hands. When they're calmed down a bit, start breastfeeding again. Repeat for as many times as necessary until they seem to get it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Know that this too, shall pass</u>. Just because the baby has started biting all the time, it doesn't mean this is the new normal. Like everything else, they go through phases. Cupcake had a terrible week right before her first tooth came him, and I was basically ready to end our breastfeeding relationship. I gave myself a deadline for a week away, if she wasn't done biting by then, we'd have to use formula. Her tooth came in before that time (lucky girl) and she stopped biting. Still bites once in a while, but it's very seldom. Right now she's teething again, so she'll bite more, but it's not a chronic issue. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Prevent the bite</u>. Observe their biting habits. Are they biting at the end of the nursing session, before the let-down, when they're done with one side? Maybe they're done drinking for a bit and need to teeth. Have a cold teething toy close at hand. And when they're drinking, observe closely if the sucking motions are slowing down, then pull them off the boob and insert a teething toy in their mouth. As in, try to pre-empt the bite. I've never been able to actually do this. Cupcake always catches me by surprise.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Nurse when well rested</u>. Many times, they bite out of frustration or tiredness. See is you can feed them at times when they're not dying for a nap. This has really worked for us.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>Change nursing positions.</u> For example, Cupcake will only bite me when she's laying down. If she bites, I switch her to sitting. She sits on my lap, facing me, with the boob on her face. Looks hilarious, but it seems to distract her enough.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><u>The boob smother</u>. The Dr Sears recommended method of pushing the biter's head into your breast. Effectively, this smother forces them to have to open their mouth and they can't bite (it saves your nipples too) Repeat as many times as necessary until they get the point.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Any other techniques you would like to share? I'm always open to breastfeeding advice.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-58786094253681190052011-07-07T19:00:00.000-04:002011-07-07T19:00:52.978-04:00On weaning<div style="text-align: justify;">Man, I think I'm gonna have to make an appointment with our Metabolic doctor soon, because Cupcake is showing sings of <i>weaning</i>. At the ripe old age of 9 months. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm having very conflicted feelings about this, which I'm sure it's normal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Currently we nurse at 9 am (wake up time). 12:30 or1pm, 4pm, 7pm and 9:30pm (bedtime), 12:30 pm, (dream feed) 4:30 ish (if she only wakes up once a night, which... riiiight... it's the best case scenario).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">(As an aside, I'd like to share that technically, Cupcake can go longer between feeds - we're at 8 hours overnight- and doesn't metabolically need the midnight feed. But we do it anyway, because otherwise she'd wake up at 2am, just as I am reaching my own REM sleep. We have to work together, child. But even though medically she could sleep longer, she seems to still get hungry during the night, after about 5 hours. You can't convince me that MCAD is unrelated to to appetite. I was told that the only issue with her MCAD is to feed her, so if she's hungry, homegirl is getting milk. Hopefully this will sort itself out as she gets older.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Aside over. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">So we've been having lots of trouble with the bedtime feed. Cupcake is tired, fussy, and my letdown is super slow at the end of the day. Also, and this might be the biggest factor, she usually has dinner with us at about 8 pm. I'm beginning to think that milk at 7, solids at 8, and then again milk at 9:30... maybe not such a good idea. By the time bedtime comes along she's probably not that hungry. She'll usually eat, but more and more often she likes to be at the boob, but gets frustrated after a few minutes. We go on with the routine and read books instead, and she doesn't seem too upset about it. Seriously, sometimes she skips her bedtime milk, which I thought was supposed to be the sacred one.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm thinking of combining the 4 pm and 7 pm nursing sessions. As it is, the 4 pm is a complicated one too. The way her naps work, I end up combining her 4 pm milk with her solid lunch sometimes. And as we are usually out at the park at this time, she doesn't seem to interested in breastfeeding. So maybe I'll just do one nursing session at about 5:30 or 6 pm, so that by the time bedtime comes along she'll actually hungry.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We'll see. I'm hoping that in response to this adjusted feeding schedule, her naps will reorganize as well, and she'll go into two longer naps, instead of the current three.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next week there's a La Leche League meeting. I'll be curious what they have to say about it. I'm fine with weaning. Though I love breastfeeding, I'm not particularly interested in extended nursing. I mean, if Cupcake has a hard time letting go, I'll keep giving her the boob as long as needed, but I have a feeling that won't be THAT long. She likes real food way too much.</div><br />
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</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-43631196033100129062011-06-24T20:50:00.001-04:002011-06-24T20:50:20.118-04:00Baby Earrings - solved<div style="text-align: justify;">We went back to our pediatrician today, as the nurse who's the earring expert was in today. I like her, we've seen her for a sick visit before, and she's very professional and reassuring.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">She looked at Cupcake's ear and told me that the hole might not have closed all the way and that she wanted to try to get the earring through before re-piercing. No reason to put Cupcake through pain if it wasn't necessary.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I gave her our earring (the thinner one), and she managed to poke it in through the back (which is where we'd been having trouble). So it was decided, the hole was still there, so we could just push the original thicker earring through. I wanted the thicker earrings because their backs have a locking mechanism and would be safer.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So she asks me to hold Cupcake down while she gets the earring in the hole, and in the second try it goes in! Sure, Cupcake cried, but it was more of the angry cry rather than pain. It wasn't her usual banged-her-head high pitched shriek, but more of a low angry cry. If I had to translate it from baby talk, it would probably be something to the effect of: "stop touching me, weird nurse lady, I want to practice standing... why are you still touching me, why can't I move my arms!" I can handle her anger. As soon as the nurse was done, I picked Cupcake up, and all was well. She got a Mum Mum to distract her, and she promptly forgot that she was upset.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our pediatrician didn't even charge us for this. I'm so grateful at how professional and thorough they were with all this. I felt like Cupcake's ears were in good hands. We were at her pediatrician's in a sterile environment, where a medical professional is overseeing it, and her ears are fine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Drama is over. Back to our regular programming.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-41777594257757393392011-06-24T01:10:00.000-04:002011-06-24T01:10:10.646-04:00Baby Earrings - follow up<div style="text-align: justify;">I went to the pediatrician today to see what to do about Cupcake's missing earring. We'd tried to put it back ourselves last night, but we couldn't get it through. I called her doctors office (where they did the original piercing), and the doctor nicely told me that she could try to put it back, no biggie, just stop on by around lunch time.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We went a little after 1 pm, and waited for about 10 minutes, which is fine because our pediatrician has a wonderful waiting room full of wooden toys that must be some Montessori fantasy (you know the type, wooden, pure and very Swedish). Cupcake has a great time playing with new toys.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the doctor finally saw her she regretfully informed us that the hole had healed completely, and the best thing to do would be to re-pierce it. I mean, we <i>could </i>try to push it through, but then we'd be risking potential pain, and also infection. Her medical advice was to re-pierce so we'd know that the needle was antiseptic, and they could use the proper little piercing contraption. I was devastated. I just could not believe that the hole could close in a mere 30 hours. Our pediatrician was super nice about it, and reassured us that this was in fact wonderful news: Cupcake is very healthy and can heal quickly. Well... when you put it that way...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We have another appointment tomorrow for the re-piercing, when the nurse practitioner is in. On one hand, I'm really upset that she'll have to go through the pain again, but I'm reassured that our doctor is taking care of it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Whatever. My mom is currently in a conference in Spain, and I asked her if she could go buy us some baby earrings to have as backup should she pull one out again. I seriously don't know where one would go about buying baby jewelry in the US.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Apparently, my mother went to the first jewelry store she found and asked for baby earrings, and they had newborn, baby and toddler styles. Bless them. She started chatting with the store owner, explaining to him that she needed earrings for her granddaughter, because in the US babies don't have earrings, and told him how scared I (Cupcake's mama) was about the piercing falling off, since some people in the US considered baby piercing barbaric. His response: They legalized handguns, but they consider earrings barbaric? That's ridiculous.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's so reassuring whenever I hear of other countries that pierce. I was feeling very mixed about it today, but it's just a cultural difference, much like Cupcake's late bedtime. I'm still scared about the re-piercing tomorrow. But it'll be okay. It's being done in a sterile environment, and Cupcake is a tough girl. We'll be fine.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-55016720377815506822011-06-22T23:03:00.000-04:002011-06-22T23:03:56.758-04:00Baby earrings<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm having some major second thoughts about my decision to give Cupcake earrings, and I feel like a terrible mother about it.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">She got earrings when she was almost 3 months old. At the time I was freaking out that we had waited too long. I come from a country where baby girls get their ears pierced in the hospital, within days of birth, and the idea of waiting 3 months filled me with dread.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Nevertheless, after her tetanus shot, we made our appointment, and our doctor's office pierced her ears. It was a pretty easy procedure, that didn't seem to hurt cupcake too much. Sure, she cried after the first piercing, but it seemed to come from frustration at being strapped down more than anything else. She cried for a few minutes (they felt like hours), and then promptly forgot about it. In fact, that evening was the first time we heard her laugh.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our pediatrician told us to rotate them and clean them, and that after a month we could take them out and replace them with our own earrings. We ended up keeping them for almost 3 months, as we were both too nervous to deal with holes in her ears.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, we got some courage and replaced the earrings. It was stressful, but she seemed pain free, which was our main concern. The new earrings were a gift from Cupcake's great-grandmother, and they were special gold baby earrings with a special back to protect from scratches. Everything was gravy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then yesterday I found one earring on Cupcake's play mat. Apparently, she took it off, not really sure when. And I looked and looked, and I couldn't find the back (did she swallow it?). No problem, I thought, we'll just put back the original earrings from the pediatrician's office and go about our way. Except that then last night we were running errands and we got home past Cupcake's bedtime, so we had to put her down quickly and didn't get a chance to try to put the earring back. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We tried again this evening, and it won't go in. It goes in one side, but doesn't seem to come out the other. We've realized that the doctor's earrings are much thicker than ours, so her ear might have healed thinner during the last 3 months. I don't know, at some point early in the procedure I had a total panic meltdown.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I feel like a selfish mother for putting holes in my baby's ears. And I tell myself that this is cultural, that I had earrings as a baby and it's perfectly normal, but we live in the states, and the constant scrutiny of people noticing her ears are pierced is getting to me. I try to tell myself that it's better to do it when they're young, as there is less chance of infection, but then <i>why won't the earring go in her ear?</i> I'm so scared it's gonna have to be re-opened, that it's gonna be infected, that it will cause her pain. I can't bear to have her cry over something so stupid.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I feel like a terrible mother because we might have been able to get the earring in the hole if I hadn't freaked out. This was a two person job: one holds the baby down while the other puts the earring, and I couldn't do either. I ended up hyperventilating in the bathroom while Nate tried valiantly to fix the problem, but ultimately couldn't. Why can't I handle it? What's wrong with me? Why am I failing when I'm needed? I'm gonna call the pediatrician tomorrow and see if she has any advice.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-7613526569921302172011-06-22T14:41:00.000-04:002011-06-22T14:41:05.581-04:00What's our bedtime routine?<div style="text-align: justify;">The bedtime routine is one of the few things we feel in total control of as parents. We chose it, altered in response to Cupcake's preferences, adjusted things that worked better logistically, and have arrived in a routine that we all enjoy. Cupcake is happy, we have activities to do with her, and most importantly, she goes to sleep very quickly at night. (Does she stay asleep? No, she still nurses at night, but one issue at a time, right?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We start some time between 9 - 9:30 pm. And yes, that's late compared to other kids in the US, but she wakes for the day at 9:00 am, so it's a non issue, she's getting all the sleep she needs. So depending on how tired she is, we either try to hold her over until 9, or sometimes we are having such good family time that next thing we know its 9:30 already and it's time to get her in her bath.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">First bath, always with her dad. This is their special time to bond and play.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next dry off and, put on diaper, and have baby massage with lotion. I used to do this, but now Nate has been giving her the massage more and more often. That way I can be cleaning or cooking for longer. Then she puts on pajamas.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">At this point Nate will take her to the kitchen clock and tell her what time it is. This is my sign that they're done,and I nurse her in the couch. She has milk, sometimes lots, though lately she doesn't seem as hungry at night.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Then we read two books. All three of us. Sometimes only one of us will read if the other is busy, but it's such a fun family activity, we try to do it together. We used to skip the book sometimes when she seemed way too tired, but now we <i>have </i>to read it. Then about a month ago seemed to be sleep nursing and we made the misguided decision to go ahead and take her to bed, and he screamed bloody murder, and was not content until we read two book. Yes, two. It's pretty cute, she likes turning the pages, and has books that are obviously her favorite. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When the books are over, I give her a goodnight kiss and she goes to our room with her dad. He rocks her on a yoga ball (still), and she's out within 5 minutes. He sets her down on her crib, she turns to sleep on her side, and by 10 pm-ish we are done.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's been really great. She really knows the routine by now, and we've been able to leave her for the evening with my mom, who followed the sequence to a T and said Cupcake zonked out with no problem.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's curious how she seems to get that it's time to sleep. She's energetic and awake in the bath, then gets tired and cranky during pajama time, is about to pass out during milk, but wakes completely for the books. We used to worry about the books taking her out of the tired zone, but it seems the exhaust the last bit of energy she has left, so by the time we're done with them she's ready for sleep.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Next goal, establish a nap time system that's as effective.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-5213307383739148822011-06-20T14:25:00.000-04:002011-06-20T14:25:45.441-04:00Swimming pool<div style="text-align: justify;">Yesterday, as a father's day treat, we took Cupcake to the pool for the very first time. It's summer time, and the weather is great, but since the local school aren't on summer break yet, the public pools aren't open . So instead we went to a nearby indoor pool that offers open family swim Sunday afternoons.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm glad we went the indoor route first, because we didn't have to worry about sunburns, or Cupcake getting cold from the breeze after getting out of the water.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Our initial goal was to be there for 15 minutes, figuring Cupcake might hate it, but since we had to pay to get in, we should try to stay as long as possible. No issue, she LOVES the water.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">When we first put her in (there's no wading pool, so this is all us holding her on the 4 ft end), she made a strange face, seemingly confused at the concept of being inside such a big bathtub. But within minutes, seeing that both mom and dad were there with her, she warmed up to the concept. She started splashing, moving her legs, and smiling. Big wide smiles as she looked at all the other kids playing in the pool. I'm so glad we went, she had a wonderful time. Didn't put her face in the water, or anything too ambitious, we just wanted to make her familiar with water. I want her to enjoy being in the pool and the ocean.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the end, we stayed for 35 minutes, much longer than anticipated. And when we got back home, she zonked out for a nap within minutes. What a great way to tire out an 8 month old baby. I expect we'll be going back many Sunday afternoons in the future.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4288913753095992578.post-16984358117261610602011-06-19T13:02:00.000-04:002011-06-19T13:02:50.219-04:00I might be trying a new blogging style<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm realizing that I'm not a good writer. Not in the quality sense (though I am aware that my writing style would horrify my high school AP English teachers), but rather in the inspirational sense. As in, I'm often not that inspired to sit down and blog.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Through the day, I have a constant commentary running through my head, and things I want to talk out, put down on paper/keyboard. But it's hard to find the time to finish a complete thought on the computer (specially now that one of my professional licensing exams is coming up). But then I noticed that I'm very involved in the email threads for my mom group. The difference? Well, in addition to knowing in person most of the people in that group, it's also more of a Q&A environment. Someone has an issue and asks the group for feedback. Sensing the immediate tangible concern, we answer our personal experience and what's working (or not working) for us. There's an issue, there's something to write about. None of this open ended essay-about-my-life trap I've been falling into with this blog.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">So I've decided that I'm gonna pose certain questions to myself (most of which I will probably borrow from my mom group email threads) and answer them in this blog. Why here? Well, it's hard to truly open up to fellow moms you know in person. At the end of the day, you don't want to look like the crazy mom who will still be dealing with diapers and rocking to sleep at age 8. And since we are all so hard on ourselves, sometimes its hard to open up about how hard this really is, or how intrinsically satisfying it can be. At least it's hard to do it face to face. Which is where a blog comes in, with it's layer of distance yet the promise of truth. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Lets see if this experiment works.</div>Cupcake's Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15451180139723462937noreply@blogger.com0