Life with Ian

Vocabulary Explosion

2010-06-11T07:53:00.001-07:00

For the past several weeks, Ian's vocabulary has grown exponentially. From his first coherent word, "abwa" for agua, to all of this today (with English phonetics):

English Words
statue (tah-too)
book (buh)
car (cah)
store (stoh)
water (wa-duh)
apple (ap-oh)
Mimi (mimi)
Daddy (daddy)
nom-noms (nah-nah)
Mommy (nah-nah) LOL!
school (skoo)
No (noh)
tree (tee)
fart (fah)
"I know" (says it perfectly!)
"thank you" (tay-too)
cheese (teeee)
Sylvia (tee-via)
Jennifer (jeh-...)
Grandy (daddy) LOL!
Oliver (ah-buh-buh)
George (geoh)
down (dow)
diaper (dy-poh)

Spanish Words
abuela (a-geh-jah) - grandmother
agua (abwa) - water
pajaro (tah-tah) - bird
trilliza (ti-zah) - triplet, from a cartoon he watches
No (noh)
tortilla (tee-ya)
leche (leh-teh) - milk
sapo (tah-toh) - frog
niño (nee-noh) - boy
niña (nee-nah) - girl
caca (caca) - poop
chi-chi (tee-tee) - pee
aqui/aca (says perfectly) - here
alla (says perfectly) - there

Jason spends a ton of time reading with Ian, going over words, quizzing him, etc. Mami and I spend lots of time enriching his vocabulary as well (her in Spanish, me in English) by speaking to him non-stop. Full ride to Harvard, here we come.

Ian also mimics tons of words that we say, as we say them. There is a lot more he understands than he can utter. One thing that is so 100% Jason is that Ian is not afraid to attempt to say anything. It reminds me of the time J and I were in Nice and he used a bastard-mix of Spanish, English and possibly Portuguese to attempt communicating with the French. It was awesome.

It's All Happening At the Zoo

2010-05-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

On Memorial Day, Jason and I took advantage of the cool morning air and a day off from work to visit the Dallas Zoo with Ian. He loved it!

Making friends at the petting zoo

A look inside the koi pond

Gimme gimme chickens!

A serious elephant

Graceful Giraffes

At Gigi's Lakehouse

2010-05-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

The Sunday before Memorial Day, the three of us headed east to Grandma Hazel's lake house in Mineola, Texas. Lake water freaks me out, but the boys (Jason, Uncle Josh and Ian) had a blast swimming around in that murky water!

Before jumping in the lake, Ian enjoyed exploring the grounds around the lake house, smelling hydrangeas, yelling "tree!", and checking EVERYTHING out very cautiously. So cute.

Good-bye School!

2010-05-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

This past Friday was Ian's last day at his very first daycare - Arapaho United Methodist. We were all very sad, but no one was as sad as his caregivers, Tia and Nina. They loved "little Bubba" so much. Jason and I backed cookies to say "thank you" for their compassion and caring, but there really is no way to thank the first "strangers" to fall in love with the Chunks.

We'll miss you, Arapaho!

Summer Days at Abuela's + Grandy's

2010-05-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

Good Times in Oak Cliff

2010-04-12T14:59:00.001-07:00

This weekend we had a blast doing fun artsy things around Oak Cliff during the 2nd Annual Art Crawl. This consisted of the Urban Street Bazaar, A Better Block, and many, many other activities and functions.

Ian squats for a better view of the goats at the Better Block's petting zoo.

Eating his favorite food at La Reyna's on Davis @ Tyler

Ian and I ate lunch together at Cafe Brazil on Saturday. The waiter kindly posted our Spring Bash poster in their window!

Ian chills at the Urban Street Bazaar with goat poop on his shoes - nice!

Outside in the Backyard

2010-04-12T08:28:00.000-07:00

Jason and I are certain we have a James Audubon in the making. Ian loves to be outside and wants to be there all day long. We spend hours out in the backyard, the park, or walking down the street. Ian touches all the flowers, picks some of the weedy ones (which is just fine thank you), and points at the sky yelling, "Ta-tas!" (birds).

He and I spent a couple hours out in the backyard on Saturday doing nothing really. Just enjoying the incredible weather and looking and touching EVERYTHING. Every now and then I would do a crossword puzzle, scoop poop, or do a little weeding.

Ian is truly an outdoors type. We have this sand and water table on the way, and I cannot wait for Ian to get his hands on it! Here are some photos and a video from this past weekend. Enjoy!

Ian's Vocabulary

2010-04-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

As of April 2010:

Abwa
water, agua, just about any drinkable

Tackle tackle
more food please, that right there

Da-da or da-dee
Daddy

Na-na
mommy, nom noms

Ak-oh
apple

Ta-tas
birds

Wah-wah
dog, any four-legged furry critter

He can also moo (thanks to Grandy) and recognizes loads of other words like guelis (abuela), Mimi, Grandy, outside, Oliver, and lots more!

A Nice Morning Routine

2010-03-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

We have the nicest morning routine I've ever experienced. I used to just hate mornings. They made me grouchy and sluggish and forced me into a lifelong habit of COFFEE. Oh wait - that's a good thing.

Anyway, the little guy, Jason and I have a sweet routine. Ian wakes up rather easily, looks at me and goes, "Uh?" He wants one of two things: nom-noms or TV. He'll even go so far as to point to the TV set - "Uh? UH?!" *finger pointing*

I flip on the telly to V-Me, advert-free international programming dubbed in Spanish. His favorite shows are Cinco Minutos Mas (Australia), Pororo (Korea), and Las Tres Melliz as Bebes (Spain).
Then while he watches his developmentally-sound TV shows, we get ready for work - make coffee, wash face, get dressed - all at our leisure. The little dude might get out of bed to amble about, grabbing this or that. But mostly, he sits on the bed looking like this:

And this:

The Feeding Mystery Solved!

2010-03-23T12:42:00.000-07:00

So the feeding mystery has been solved. The secret? There isn't one.

Basically, I was totally stressed about Ian "being behind" because he wasn't diligently eating his finger foods like "all 14 month olds should." We simply started feeding him what we eat and presto change-o! Happy boy.

His favorite foods so far are the black beans, grilled chicken and veggie rice from Gloria's. He could eat that all day long. The biggest thing we've learned recently is that if he has his own plate, he will ignore it. He wants whatever we eat. So now we salt our food a bit less and use very little spice, and are able to share with the little dude all he pleases.

Amber's Sweet Potato Fries

2010-03-05T15:26:00.000-08:00

Amber has been a lifesaver today, sharing her knowledge with me on the foods Colm likes. Colm is 6 months older than Ian, and as I tell Amber: "Girl, I'm so lucky you got knocked up before I did." She's a wealth of knowledge! Here's an email I got from her today (among many other amazing suggestions) for Sweet Potato Fries that are baked!

1) Slice a sweet potato into little fries
2) Coat with canola oil, salt and pepper
3)Throw in the oven at 400 for about 12-15 minutes (or when they start to brown).
4) Turn them over in the middle, so they'll cook on both sides.

Super healthy and kids LOVE them!

She also suggests baking chicken strips (coat chicken in egg, dip in breadcrumbs or crushed up corn flakes and bake), or bean/cheese quesadillas. And she adds, "Be prepared for mess, but it's also fun to see when they really like something. Colm will say OOOOOOOH...yummy! So cute! :)"

THANK YOU AMBER GIRL!!!!!

Toddler Food Ideas

2010-03-05T12:46:00.001-08:00

Ian is now at the "no more pureed food" stage and it's time to get him on the finger food express. I'm going to use this post to maintain a list of food ideas as they come to me. All would be cubed or sliced into a safe finger-food size:

PROTEIN
hard-boiled eggs, deli meat (turkey, chicken), tofu dogs, peanut butter

DAIRY
cubed Swiss cheese, string mozzarella cheese, yogurt snacks, cream cheese

FRUITS
grapes, strawberries, bananas, avocado, banana, peaches, plums, raisins

VEGGIES
zucchini, cauliflower, carrots, peas, cucumber, broccoli, yellow squash

GRAINS & SNACKS
saltines, graham crackers, Cheerios, multigrain waffles, multigrain pasta, toasted wheat bread, Goldfish crackers, cereal bars

COMPLETE MEALS
Mac-n-Cheese + peas + ham
Pasta + marinara + ground turkey + veggies
PB&J sandwiches
Cream cheese + fruit + crackers
Grilled cheese + avocado
Pizza: wheat english muffins + marinara + veggies

Recipe: Peas & Carrots

2010-03-04T10:58:00.001-08:00

Ian has become one picky eater. One day he'll love bananas, the next day he refuses them. He uses his arm to wipe my hand away, a lot like how we used to deflect attacks in kung fu - only not as painful!

He seemed to be refusing all the yummy home cooked veggies I was making, so I decided to do it Julia-style: add butter! I mixed in a little pinto beans for some protein, and cereal for some heft, and guess what? He loved it! The recipe (like all home made baby food) is so simple, there's no reason to pop open a jar every meal:

INGREDIENTS
2 large carrots
2 cups peas
> OR 1 package frozen peas & carrots
1 tbsp pureed pinto beans*
1 tsp Brummel & Brown yogurt butter
1 tbsp Earth's Best baby cereal

WHAT TO DO
Cut and peel the carrots. Steam the veggies together until tender. Chop in a handheld chopper until chunky, not pureed. Mix in pinto beans, butter and cereal. Microwave for 10 seconds if butter doesn't melt. Done!

Mimi and Ian eating dinner in the sunroom

* I have jars of this in the freezer. You can make one bag on a Sunday afternoon, store in clean baby jars or ice cube trays, and you'll have enough beans for a month or more!

My Vampire Baby

2010-03-02T07:38:00.001-08:00

Ian's teeth are coming out like gangbusters. Just the other day I noticed a new incisor on his left, then felt for the right one, and sure enough it's coming out! The next day, my mom noticed a new tooth on the bottom, and the symetrical buddy coming out soon, as well. By the way he's rubbing his cheeks and pulling on his ears, I can only guess molars are on the way, too! The little bugger won't let me see that far into his mouth, so it's all conjecture.

And guess what's his new favorite thing to do? Biting. He's exploring his new teeth, my little Count Dracula.

Yes, He Loves McDonald's

2010-03-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

During the cold winter days, it's easy to get cabin fever. Ian is certainly not immune to boredom and the "same old stuff in the same old house." One day I got the idea to take him to McDonald's, not for the incredibly nutritious food, but for some free indoor play. He loved it!

Admittedly, we bought him a yogurt parfait, the only thing on the menu I would even consider feeding him. He loved it, but not as much as the slide and other children. He even got a hug from a cute little 2 year old. What a mack daddy!

My mom and Randy have also taken to McDonald's. These are some pics of them at our local Oak Cliff McD's, complete with graffiti tags! Nice.

A Look Back

2010-02-28T08:19:00.000-08:00

This video was shot right before Ian's first Christmas Eve. He was still crawling and toddling along furniture and walls, but hadn't walked yet. Ian took his first tentative steps on his own in late January, just after his birthday.

Where Are the Wild Things?

2009-12-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

Here they are - sitting on a Lay-Z-Boy reading a book together. Ian is a fantastic reader - loves to turn the pages and even does so on cue: "Turn the page!" We line his books up on the sofa like a display and he goes one by one, picking it up, flipping the pages, tossing it aside. He has such a great attention span, and listens intently as a story is read to him. He stares at the illustrations and turns the page when he hears the reader stop.

Speaking of wild things, Jason and I went to our first movie alone together since having Ian. We saw Where the Wild Things Are while Ian stayed with Gigi and Mimi. I suspect it will be another 10 months before J and I get out to the theater again sans baby.

[Anyone see One-Sock Ian?]

My Days at Guela's and Grandy's

2009-12-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

There aren't enough words to express how grateful, blessed and lucky we are to have Ian spend his week days in the care of my mom and Randy.

Hello World!

The Tornado

Baby's First Harley

Fun At Lunchtime

And Finally - a Nap!

Scenes of a Texas Winter

2009-12-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving at Possum Kingdom

Playing in the Leaves

Bed Head from a Winter Nap

New Winter Hat

Self Feeding (Oliver Celebrates)

2009-11-30T12:11:00.000-08:00

This week Ian has begun feeding himself successfully. And by "successfully" I mean picking up a piece of puff cereal and putting it into his mouth. Before that, he would pick it up, close his fist, then attempt to put the cereal into his mouth with his closed-up fist hiding the food. Duh!

He has now taken it a step further by dropping puffs on the floor and delighting in watching Oliver scramble to eat it up. I've even caught Ian feeding Oliver from his hand. So cute and such a waste of good baby food!

Cliff Fest 2009

2009-11-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

I did my first art/craft show in months and had a blast! I shared with my pal Larry (a.k.a. The Kessler Craftsman) and we really enjoyed the event, which celebrated all things Oak Cliff - food, art, music and culture. Mami, Randy, Ian and Jason came out to play and I made some killer jewelry sales. Enjoy the photos!

A Natural Historian in the Making

2009-10-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

--- On Tue, 10/20/09, Constanza Ward wrote:

From: Constanza Ward
Subject: Chunklinis
To: "Tefi" , "Jason"
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 3:18 PM

Today has been a day for outside exploration and also lunch al fresco. For the first time, Chunkletines went outside by himself (crawling) to the patio – we left the kitchen door open to see what he would do. Once outside, he touched pebbles, dirt, twigs, rocks, snails, bark, etc., and of course, played with the fountain’s water. Then we opened the gate and he crawled like Speedy Gonzales all the way to the curb –don’t worry, we watch him like hawks. He loves to play with dry leaves and grass. He also kind of touch the tree, found it a little bit rough for his delicate hands.

Since the day is so beautiful, we took his high chair to the patio and had his lunch there. :)

--- On Tue, 10/20/09, Stephanie wrote:

From: Stephanie
Subject: Re: Chunklinis
To: "Jason", "Mami"
Cc: "GRandy"
Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2009, 3:49 PM

That's awesome! On Sunday we were both getting VERY BORED being inside the sun room so I scooped him up and we sat on the sidewalk in the front lawn watching Jason do yard work. He made special friends with a petrified piece of wood mulch and enjoyed starring at the black ants crawling around and birds in the trees.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet the next John James Audobon.

Wave Hello, Wave Good-Bye

2009-10-20T07:02:00.001-07:00

Wave Hello!

Wave Good-Bye!

...and then there's Power to the People

Ian Loves Babo

2009-10-15T07:28:00.000-07:00

Ian is crazy about his Babo. He's got a lot of plushies that he loves (esp. the green frog that cousin Jenn gave him on his diaper cake), but Babo is number one. Ian takes Babo everywhere with him: in the car, to the State Fair, the park, in his crib...

Maybe it's his little arms that fit perfectly into Ian's little hand. Or maybe it's the two bitty ears on top of Babo's head that Ian loves to chew on. Whatever the reason, Babo is Ian's BFF.

Here's Babo's story:

Babo will protect you. Having a bad day? Someone giving you a hard time? Babo's got your back. What Babo lacks in mind power, he makes up for in love. He's everybody's best friend. He will stick with you to the end and when something scary happens, he will send you a nice greeting card from wherever it is he runs away to. A very curious, mischievous creature, Babo may need some guidance and parenting, so make sure to bring him with you to as many places as possible. Leaving him at home is fine, but please put all cookies and money on the highest shelf.

Fair Day!

2009-10-07T12:17:00.000-07:00

Our big gypsy group went to the State Fair today - me, Jason, Ian, Randy, Mami and Jen. We had big fun eating TONS of really healthy food and walking walking walking.

Ian just loved the car expo. We found a quiet carpeted corner and let him crawl to his heart's content. It was very "gyspy" only we didn't steal anything or get persecuted.

Some New Pictures

2009-10-01T15:14:00.000-07:00

Grandma Mimi Feeding the Ian Monster

Fun in the Grass

New Toys!

Funny Squinty Face

Mami's Birthday "Brunch" at Desperados

Crawling and Clapping

2009-10-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

Oh, long time no post. Shame on me! Mama's been busy losing sleep...

For about 3 weeks now, Ian has decided that sleeping a consecutive chunk of time (7+ hours, as before) is no longer en vogue. So the Ian monster has decided to fall asleep quite easily at 9pm (we're keeping him up later since he seems to enjoy playing in the evening), then snoozes until about midnight, wakes up for some nom-noms, then won't go back down easily. Every couple hours it's whaaa, whaaaa. Lord!

He's still got just the two teeth, but more may be on the way, hence the sleeplessness. Or, he's going through some major growth developments. Or both! Last week he began full-on crawling. It just sort of happened like that! *snaps fingers*

He also loves to clap. Ian will crawl around *shuffle shuffle*, go straight into a sitting up position, clap for a few seconds, then he's off again crawling around. He loves to open doors, especially the ones to the laundry area.

A few nights ago he did the cutest thing. He really struggles with the transition from awake>asleep. I let him fret and loll about on the bed as he tires himself out and drifts off. No amount of rocking or nursing will work these days. So the other night as he finally gave in, laid back and began to drift, he lifted both hands into the air and *clap clap* (pause) *clap clap*. He silently and slowly "clapped" himself to sleep.

It. Was. Precious.

New Syllables

2009-09-08T09:14:00.000-07:00

Ian's mouth has been uttering some adorable babble lately. Out little linguistic giant is starting to say his "i"s and "th"s. These past few days have been (phonetically): "eye eye eye, dye dye dye, bye bye bye." Yesterday he started with the: "thuh, thuh, thuh" with his tongue under his top gums and resting on his lower lip. And he's still going strong with the: "da da da da." So cute! He'll be speaking Japanese, Spanish and English by next month.

Hooked On Phonics

2009-09-02T13:05:00.001-07:00

If I smell like maple syrup...

2009-09-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

It's the fenugreek! I've begun taking this supplement since milky moms swear that it helps boost milk production. Sleep has been a declining commodity lately in the Hindall-Wright household, so this tends to make my supply dip. According to the angels at La Leche and the moms on the LLL forums, fenugreek is an herb with a proven track record. The best part is, it smells like maple syrup and people who take it also end up smelling like a stack of hotcakes. Yum!

Etsy Dallas Beer-B-Q

2009-08-31T14:44:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back I helped organize a team BBQ with Etsy Dallas, the local craft collective that I founded back in 2007. We had a blast and Ian was the hit of the gathering:

Me and the Chunks, chillin' in the Texas heat
Ian charms my friend Cheyne
Jason, Ian in the Baby Bjorn, Jenna, and her boyfriend chillaxin' in the kitchen
Oh, that's a good-lookin' boy
We swear it was the Texas heat, not the Shiner Bock

7 Months - Hard to Believe

2009-08-18T14:41:00.000-07:00

Our little guy turned 7 months old yesterday AND I got my period after a nice 17-month reprieve (boo! hiss! TMI?).

Aaaaanyway. So Ian is laughing and semi-crawling all over the place. Just look at this video I took the other day. How cute is he? Scoot scoot scoot...

Almost Crawling!

2009-08-08T10:16:00.001-07:00

Holy cow, batten down the hatches! Put away the figurines! Lock up your girls!

Ian is THIS CLOSE to crawling. He's a scootin' machine and has perfected the "sidewinder." It's just a matter of time before he's up on his knees. Stay tuned!

(If you hear a crash, you know he's finally crawling.)

New Pool, New Face

2009-08-03T13:53:00.001-07:00

A few days ago Ian started making a special new face. It's a cross between a grimace and a smile. Yesterday at Gigi's he was entertaining the heck out of all of us with his new face and today he continues the grimace at Mami's. Here's my little monster playing in his new pool:

Tooth! Tooth!

2009-07-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

Just got a call from Mami that Ian has his first tooth! It must have come in overnight, or possibly this morning because I don't remember seeing it yesterday. How exciting! They are coming up to my office shortly so I can see it. :)

Ian is such a cool, easygoing baby that I just knew cutting his first tooth would be no big deal for him. He's been slightly fussy at night, but nothing major. No real crying, nothing a few nom-noms and a pacifier can't fix. I ignored all of those negative, "Oh just you wait until he teeths" bullcaca that people felt so inclined to tell me. That's not to say that he won't have a future teething freak-out...anything is possible.

Ian is also putting together syllables in his language development. Yesteday, the word of the day was "Hey-Teh." It almost sounded Swedish. Today it's "May-teh." He's loving his T's right now!

Can you believe this was him a year ago? What a miracle:

My Travellin' T-Shirt Man

2009-07-24T11:08:00.001-07:00

Colombia - from Mami
Greece - from Tia Sylvia

Goodbye, George

2009-07-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Our family just got a little smaller. Here's a message I sent to family and friends about George's death yesterday evening. He was almost 15 years old and had been my companion nearly his entire life.

"The procedure was quick, peaceful and humane. It took about 2 seconds from the moment the doctor put the needle into George for his little heart to stop beating. He took two final breaths and that was it. His eyes remained open so I was able to stare into those beautiful deep blue eyes. Cousin Jennifer was with me in the room and she was also able to witness the silent passing of one of this life's most beautiful creatures.

His body itself had given up growing several days/weeks earlier. For example, I cannot remember the last time I had clipped his little toenails and they had not grown back at all. He also stopped eating and grooming himself, but was still a gentleman to his final moment: Right before leaving for the clinic last night, George picked himself up off the floor, hobbled to his litter box, and urinated. Even on his deathbed, he was gracious.

Last week if you had asked me how George was doing, I would have responded that he is doing well! Eating, sleeping, talking talking talking. But just a few days ago his health and behavior plummeted. The change in him was instant. Yesterday morning I knew things were grave, but I had hope. Then when I got home from work, I was greeted by a completely different animal. It was time, and I knew it instantly.

The house is so quiet now. What I wouldn't give to hear that little thud of him jumping over the gate to talk to me at 3 in the morning."

Jason shot this video a couple years ago in our backyard. George was so plump and healthy. This is how I'd like to remember him:

The Two Ians

2009-07-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Jason's old college friend Ian Bjornstadt finally got to meet Ian the Younger this past weekend in Austin. Big Ian was on tour and happened to be passing through Austin on the same exact weekend that we were vacationing there. Small world! The stars aligned for the two Ians to meet:

Hard to Believe

2009-07-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe this is the same child. What a difference (almost) six months makes!

6 days old

5 1/2 months old

Homemade peas, please!

2009-06-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

Today I rushed home with Ian and got right down to the business of making peas. It was just about as easy as popping open a jar of Gerber. Here's how I did it:

1. Buy fresh or frozen peas.

2. Steam the little suckers for about 10 minutes on a low boil.

3. Puree with a cup or so of distilled water. You can also use the pea water from the pan; it's loaded with vitamins!

4. Work the puree through a sieve, if you please. This is optional and honestly not worth the time.

5. Feed fresh to baby.

6. Then freeze the rest. This bag made enough for two trays full - that's about 18 jars of the factory stuff. And it took less than 20 minutes. Easy peasy!

Swimmy Swim Swim

2009-06-29T08:32:00.000-07:00

Ian went on his first road trip this past weekend. We hit I-35 and headed down to my old 'hood of Austin, TX. He did fabulousy. Seriously, he is such a great kid. No muss, no fuss, and he slept well in the house we were staying in. Here are some pics of our first swim together. So much fun! Thank you La Quinta for letting us crash your pool party...

And here's a short video:

When It Comes Time

2009-06-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

Today was a stressful day. In short, a coworker came to work after his 3 daughters were diagnosed with type A influenza, likely the swine flu. He stayed at work ALL DAY LONG. I was a nervous ball of doody all day, afraid to store my milks in the communal fridge, scared to leave my office, afraid to kiss Ian hello this afternoon when I saw him.

So where do I turn when I need support? The La Leche League Mother-to-Mother forums. They are the best resource for any nursing mother to vent, get advice, and help out others in need. We all share similar philosophies about various topics: breastfeeding, diapering, co-sleeping, and discipline.

Now everyone's got an opinion or two (or three) about corporal punishment. Mine can be summed up in four simple words: "Absolutely not, no, never."

That said, it's nice to come across a quote from an expert in parenting that backs your philosophy. This one by psychologist Penelope Leach stopped me dead in my tracks:

"Children are the only people in this society anybody is allowed to hit. All the rest of us are legally protected."

When it comes time to punish Ian, I hope for the courage and patience never to raise a hand to him. Teach him, model good behavior, withhold things, insist on high standards? Absolutely. But physical pain? Never, no, and absolutely not.

------------

Moment of Truth, Part I: Once, I was so frustrated with Ian and soooooo tired. He was wailing and I could not calm him down. I placed him roughly onto the couch to take a breather and it freaked him out. His head banged up against a notebook corner. I don't think he was hurt physically, but he was scared. He turned beet red and could not even catch his breath to cry. I was devasted. This is as close to hurting my child as I ever want to get. It's embarassing to even remember it.

Moment of Truth, Part II: When I get upset with Ian and raise my voice, he thinks it's hilarious. I say angrily, "Stop it Ian!" and he just looks at me and smiles real big. That's my boy. What a diplomat, just like his dad.

Evolution of the Avocado Baby

2009-06-15T11:21:00.000-07:00

Okay, let's try this out.

Huh. I don't think so.

Again?

Nooooo.

Ewwww, please!

Fine, I'll try it one more time.

Whoo hoo! I love avocado.

Poop-tastic

2009-06-14T14:45:00.001-07:00

I am lovin' Ian's poops right now. Sure, they are stinky. And yes, they are poopy. But they are solid little smushed turds that are so easy to clean up! They look like refried black beans and smell like avocados. (And suddenly I'm hungry for Gloria's...)

He's been digging his solid food regimen more and more. He gets such a variety now that we feel confident we are growing a healthy eater. I've even vowed to eat as well as he does. Let's see how long that lasts!

Lately he's been nursing like crazy, so he's likely hitting a growth spurt. He has been lifting up quite a bit with his arms (like he's doing push ups) and scoot-scoot-scoots across the floor. He also is doing his tripods (sitting up with one arm on the ground to steady himself). Crawling is just around the corner. Lord help us all.

Charlie Brown

2009-06-08T19:32:00.000-07:00

That Charlie Brown. He's a clown! More HERE.

Avocado Baby

2009-06-08T14:17:00.000-07:00

I got this email from my mom this morning about feeding Ian avocado for the first time:

"I had two plates ready, one with his cereal and the other with the mashed aguacate. I started with the cereal, and he was eating it like there is no tomorrow, when... pow, I switched to the aguacate. At the beginning he was not too sure what had happened, then he started making the funniest faces in the world, several times like he was going to throw up in a minute. But, in general, I think he liked it."

He did the same thing with the sweet potatoes a couple weeks ago. It was like we were feeding him poo. But he never really rejected it. He slurped it up and made head motions like a baby bird straining to reach the worm mama was feeding him. Too funny!

Another new development: He's starting to leeeeeeean forward in his swing. It's like he's doing a slow motion head dive onto the floor below. Yesterday, before realizing this was his new "thing," I left him in his swing sans buckle and he slipped right out and toppled to the floor. Luckily, the drop was about 2 inches onto a carpeted rug, so no biggie. But it scared me for a second. Bad mom! Bad mom!

Parenting, Interrupted

2009-06-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

So I'm totally guilt trippin' over the lack of time I have with Ian during the work week. I love my job and "having a career," but am seriously not enjoying being away from him. It feels unnatural, as if my parenting experience were being arrested, or at the very least - interrupted.

With this guilt I thee spend. On a very short lunch break, I hit the aisles of Toys R Us and bought my little guy some toys, including this classic:

He's in the early stages of teething, so I also picked up a few things for him to salivate all over and gnaw on to his heart's content.

To add to this parenting misery, Jason and I have agreed to put him to sleep a little earlier. Instead of cereal at 8ish (then a warm bath and final nursing), we are going to start the routine closer to 7:30. He is showing signs of sleep deprivation and does not nap well during the day. This means less time with him after work.

*insert very sad face here*

A Series of Series

2009-06-02T10:07:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my favorite photos of Ian.

Sweet Potatoes

2009-05-31T15:29:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I made Ian some sweet potatoes. Yum! (Well, not really. I don't like them myself, but I don't want to put my dislikes onto Ian.)

These veggies are loaded with fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium. I baked and mashed them following the instructions on http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/, and then thinned them with distilled water. After that, I put the mush in the blender and pureed the batch.

Then I saved a little in a tupperware for the next few days and put the rest into cube trays for freezing.

We're going to give Ian some of these sweet potatoes tonight in his oatmeal cereal. Delish!

Never Smile at a Crocodile

2009-05-31T10:40:00.000-07:00

He's finally asleep! (see previous post)

Ian's zonked out in dad's arms right now after listening to some kids' tunes by indie musicians. The song "Pink Whale" by Shana Berry is what did it. Jason found it on his new favorite web site Zooglobble.

Another good one: "Never Smile at a Crocodile" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxtvvIKNDuU

Let's see how long our little cat napper stays asleep...

(And speaking of You Tube, several new Ian Vids uploaded! Check it out: www.youtube.com/tefidesigns)

Why Won't You Fall Asleep?

2009-05-31T09:31:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with a baby that sleeps pretty well at night. He has no trouble drifting off to sleep after his bedtime routine ends (cereal+prune juice; warm, quiet bath; final nursing).

So why is it that this child just won't nap during the day? He gets so sleepy, rubs his eyes, and fusses. But when it's crib-time with the lullabies and Mozart, Ian just fights and fights sleep like he's in Nightmare on Elm Street and bad things will happen if he drifts off.

Everything we've read says that all you can do is give them the opportunity to nap and create an environment conducive to sleeping. The rest is up to the baby.

Yes, well. This baby has made a decision: I will not nap.

I blame this stubbornness on his dad.

Nekkid

2009-05-29T10:57:00.000-07:00

So my mom and Grandy are sitting Ian today (Friday), and lookie what I got in my inbox just now:

Adorable! Now you realize, Ian will resent me for posting this and we will likely require family therapy when he's older. But. Hehe....butt. It's too cute!

Big Huge Fun with Photos

2009-05-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

Wharhol - style

Hockney - style

Mosaic
created at http://www.bighugelabs.com/

Ian Benito Mussolini

2009-05-27T12:58:00.000-07:00

I just love this photo. Came across it while I was cleaning out the folders on my computer. I snapped this on our last day together of my precious, precious maternity leave. I will never forget that special time in my life.

One Year Ago

2009-05-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

A year ago I was having a fun birthday dinner at Tillman's Roadhouse with a handful of close friends. I was nearly 2 months pregnant and had only recently learned about my pregnancy, so I was on my best behavior. Read: no booze.

I remember my pregnancy with such fondness. It was such a special, beautiful time, much like my 3 months with Ian when I was on maternity leave. But with the passing of time comes more special goodness. Ian is now 4 months old and is changin everyday. He can grab his feet now and thinks that's just the coolest thing ever. He got his second round of shots yesterday at Dr. Curry's which he did not like at all.

Tomorrow is my birthday! I will spend tonight with my BFF Jen eating noodles at East Wind. I suspect we'll talk non-stop for 3+ hours, because that's what we do. Tomorrow I'm spending it like the "good old days" with my mom and Ian at NorthPark. We'll stroll around, eat a Snappy Salad, drink a Starbucks, visit Anthropologie, then stop off at one of the nice NP nursing rooms for some nom-noms. Saturday we're doing lunch with my Dad, Sunday I'm SLEEPING, then Monday it's ping-pong at aunt Sylvia's.

Life with Ian is good.

Look At My Big Boy

2009-05-18T13:16:00.001-07:00

Hanging at Abuela's on a beautiful Monday afternoon in his new Exersaucer eating his hand, etc. etc.

My First Mother's Day

2009-05-08T12:04:00.000-07:00

A year ago this Sunday, my mom and I spent Mother's Day at the Firewheel shopping center. We ate at Pei Wei then bought some perfume and body lotions for her. After that it was sandals at DSW, dresses at Fossil and some candles at World Market. As I walked around in my new summer dress and sandals, I felt pregnant. And I even told my mom as much. But I'd felt pregnant before so I pushed my feelings and instincts aside as I tried to remember: Now when did I have my last period...?

She wanted to get a preggie test and find out right then and there. On Mother's Day? Nah, I told her, too cliche. Besides, I had a gyno appointment the next day. I'll find out then.

Well don't you know. A year later and I have my precious baby Ian. What a difference a year makes.

I am so grateful I have him in my life.

I'm grateful for his smiles and farts and every little thing he does.

I'm grateful Jason loves him as much as I do.

I'm grateful for George even tho his health is a little wishy-washy right now. My darling old man.

I'm grateful Oliver has graciously taken a backseat as the focus goes to baby and sick kitty. My poor little middle child.

I'm grateful my body make milk and that I can pump at work so Ian can have his milkies even when I'm not with him.

Most of all, I'm grateful to my own mom who spends her days with Ian so Jason and I can work and pay for the things that make our life run.

Oh, and I'm grateful I've gotten so good at typing with one hand while I pump/nurse.

The Fourth Tenor

2009-05-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

Pavarotti, eat your heart out.

Smell the Fart

2009-04-29T07:13:00.000-07:00

Seriously.

This morning as I was nursing Ian and thinking to myself What necklace shall I wear today? (I picked the Scrabble tiles piece), Ian let out a pretty loud toot.

He startled himself, pulled off the breast, looked at me quizzically, then turned his head toward his backside and sniffed. No joke; he smelled his own fart.

And then he looked at me...and smiled.

IanTube

2009-04-26T13:57:00.000-07:00

Lots of videos of Ian on my You Tube account! I shoot these with my little Nikon and the quality is pretty good. Sometimes I forget that videos can't be flipped like photos, so some of them are sideways. Oh wells.

On the Verge of Collapse

2009-04-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

Ian and I woke up at 8am this Sunday morning (that's late these days!) and nursed like nobody's business. After yesterday's Spring Fling art/craft show, I was away from the little guy for over 10 hours and my boobs were sooooo full o' milks. I pumped 3 times at the show right there are my table and even still I was so super engorged and in lots of pain. I used my manual Medela pump and my awesome new nursing cover and yielded 7 ounces.

Here's the cover. I bought it from Lilacs & Lollipops, a crafter in Salt Lake City, and love it so much!

So anyway, after nursing Ian this morning I got up to feed George (who has been diagnosed with pancreatitis so he gets special moist kitty food) and noticed he'd thrown up AGAIN several times. These pukes are different than the others tho b/c they are less and look just like bile, not food. Plus, one had a giant hairball in it, one had plant matter (one of our house plants) and the other two are itty bitty kitty pukes. Still I called the vet and am waiting to hear back.

After feeding George I walked back into the bedroom to find Ian, happy as can be, about 3 feet away from where I left him, his legs dangling off the side of the bed, smiling real big like he knew he had accomplished a couple roll overs. I can't believe it! First off, Imissed his rolling, which is a new development milestone for him. And secondly, HOLY CRAP he almost fell off the bed. Luckily it's a Scandinavian-style bed so it's low to the ground BUT STILL. Man, I got scared and so thankful he didn't fall!

I'm going to spend the entire day today with him since I missed him all week now that I'm back at work and then the Fling yesterday all day in Fort Worth. So I declare today Ian Day. Celebrate!

Language Acquisition (blah blah blah)

2009-04-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

That is what I wanted to study in college my senior year. Yup, once I got through most of my college career, I took a linguistics class and thought: Holy cow! This is what I want to study. But it was too late to start over, so...

Now I'm doing some hands-on field work. Watching and listening to Ian's "talk" change from coo's and gurgles to recognizable consonant sounds is incredible. It won't be long before he says mama. And then soon after that, Mama you're the greatest person in the world. Ha!

Funny Faces

2009-04-23T18:59:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics I took on our last day together. When you look at these you can almost hear the sounds he was making...

First Meal

2009-04-23T18:48:00.001-07:00

Last night, Jason, my mom and I fed Ian his first solid meal. Being only three months old, I had my reservations. The American Pediatrics people recommend starting no earlier than four months, but Dr. Curry said that as healthy and fast-growing as Ian is he can start at three months. It was soooo cute. He got messy but loved it. He pushed out about half of the food and ate quite a bit for his first time.

Tonight J and I fed him for the second time and he went after the food with such enthusiasm. He loves his rice cereal! Earth's Best organic mixed with my breast milk, naturally...

What a Ride

2009-04-17T11:08:00.001-07:00

Back at work - grind grind grind. Lots to do and it took about two seconds for me to get back into the swing of things. I've been at this since July of 2004 so it should come easy.

First things I did were make coffee (crucial), open my new desk calendar and recycle months Jan, Feb and March, turn on my computer and open my email, change my voice mail message, and finally call HUD to ask questions about the most difficult and trying of all grant requests. Darn the government!

Since then I've been slowly going through reports, updating my own version of these reports and plodding through the stack of papers in my inbox. Not too bad, thank the Fates. I pumped at 10:30am and in about seven minutes had eight ounces. Wowza! My mom called around 11am to let me listen to Ian talk and coo. Yup, along came the waterworks. But they were tears of joy, mainly, to hear my boy happy, alert and well-cared for. Jason and I are so lucky!

Today my thoughts keep floating back to the early days with Ian. I'll come across a letter or report dated January 16th, or I'll see a check that came in dated February 10th and I'll think - Man! What was I doing back then? Oh yeah, having the time of my life.

The weather seems to be siding with me today. No sir, the sun won't shine on the day of my return to work away from Ian. It's dark and gray, rainy and stormy. Just like my emotions today. Good thing I'm super busy. Work work work...and more coffee.

Group Hug, Everybody

2009-04-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

In the early days of my life with Ian, it was rough. So rough that I clinged to anything comforting and familiar: a hot cup of coffee, my sweet-smelling sheets, the plush pillow behind my head, and The Golden Girls.

You heard me right, The Golden Girls. I grew up watching this show in the 80's and it never occurred to me not to relate to it because it starred four "mature" women. Everything they did and said was funny, and I fell instantly in love with Estelle Getty's character Sophia Petrillo. She was hilarious and endearing.

So those early days of nursing Ian EVERY TWO HOURS proved difficult, and watching the Girls on TV kept me from going insane. Lifetime showed reruns of the show from 7am-9am and then again at night from 11pm-midnight. Guess what: I was up at those hours every day so I never missed an episode.

Then one day, Lifetime cut the episodes and moved them to WE, a channel we don't get. I was crushed. So after a few days missing my Girls, I went online and ordered myself DVDs of all seven seasons. That's right. And I spent the next few weeks watching each DVD, laughing, crying, always having a good time.

Yesterday I finally made it to the last DVD. Watching the series finale was so emotional for me. It was all about life changes, transition and saying good-bye. It was perfect.

Of course, I cried like a, well...like a baby.

About the photo: I snapped that back in February to record what I did during those first few weeks. Notice the captions. In order to be able to watch TV and not disturb Ian, Jason and I got very used to watching shows with captions on and the volume turned way down. Now it feels weird to watch TV without captions!

Heartsick

2009-04-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's almost over. Today is the last Monday of the best period of my life, so far. My maternity leave officially ends this Thursday as I return to work on Friday. I can actually feel my heart breaking.

It's been so wonderful, just a dream. I feel so lucky to have been able to have this time in my son's life. To watch him grow and change before my eyes. To hold him and smell the top of his head at any time of the day because we've been together constantly - inseparable.

Going back to work feels so unnatural. It just doesn't feel right leaving my son with someone else, even if it is my mother, his grandmother - and who better to spend the days with him? I am so lucky to have her to watch him, and to have Jason's family in his life, a family who loves him so, so much. But I can't help but feel that I am the one who should be with him all day, every day. There's this invisible tie, some biological bond, that makes me feel like the only way I can tear myself away from Ian and return to work is to do it kicking and screaming.

I remember the early days when I never thought I could get the hang of all of this. I thought I'd be feeding him formula by week two since I was having so much trouble breastfeeding. I never thought I'd get used to the sleep deprivation, but now I look forward to those 3am feedings. It just means more time with Ian. By the second month I was actually looking forward to returning to work just so I could get a break from him. I could kick myself now for ever feeling that way.

I also never thought Jason and I would get back into a healthy "me & him" relationship, but every day we enjoy each other's company and companionship more and more.

Here're a couple photos I took just now, through a sea of tears. They are of the bedroom where Ian and I spent a lot of the past 3 months together. To the left on the nightstand are the nipple shields I use to allow me to breastfeed him, a jar of peanuts that I snack on constantly during our nursing sessions, my never-empty mug of coffee and the cup of water that Jason is always refilling for me. Then on the bed my laptop, which is almost always on so I can check my email and stay in touch with the world. Or, I watch my Golden Girls episodes on it while Ian nurses on one side, then the other. To the right of that is his changing table, his perch to the outside world as J or I clean his poops and avoid the overspray. Notice his hanging pals on the blinds. They keep him company while we clean and talk and giggle and coo. Either today or tomorrow I'm moving it back into the nursery. I think this will help me accept the separation that he and I are about to experience.

Lots of tears. I don't think I can do this.

The Fists Have It

2009-04-09T20:53:00.000-07:00

Ian's new favorite chew toy? His balled up little fist. He tries to jam that sucker in his mouth like it's a fist-eating contest. Experts say this is an early sign of teething. That his gums are itchy as they get ready to cut teeth.

Oh. And the drool. Lots and lots of drool.

Ian and His Pops

2009-04-06T13:30:00.001-07:00

Captain Skarky

2009-04-06T13:07:00.001-07:00

Short Bus Special

Mr. Giggles

Tongue Tied

The Cute Meister

Changes

2009-04-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

So many changes lately! Ian can almost turn himself over, he thinks his fists are just delicious, and he talks, talks, talks. And giggles.

This week I gave him his first bath, just the two of us. I was nervous at first, but in the end it was fun and relaxing. His hair is coming in thicker than ever, and I think it's going to be like Jason's.

We have so much fun together. These days are growing shorter and shorter and it makes me sad. I will never have this time back again. Nine days to go and I'm already waxing nostalgic. Sniff, sniff.

This Little Bear

2009-03-30T15:58:00.001-07:00

Here's an outfit my mom bought in Guatemala for Ian waaaay back when - sometime last fall when I was preggers. Rrrrow!

Chicken Boy

2009-03-30T15:54:00.001-07:00

Here is the stuffed knitted chicken my mom just finished for Ian. I bought her a how-to book about knitted toys and this was her first project. Cute cute!

(more pics on my Flickr account...)

Boogies

2009-03-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

I just pulled out the largest booger I've ever seen. It was so hard and big, it wouldn't even fit in my nose! Poor little guy's got ginormous nostrils, apparently. When I washed it down the sink it sank immediately down the drain. Ian cried and fussed as I was aspirating it out with that bulby thing for babies. No wonder! I feel like I pulled out some of his brain...

Lights! Fans! Peter Pan!

2009-03-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Just like that *snap*, the love affair with the diaper changing table seems to have come to an end. Perhaps Ian will have a rendezvous with it from time to time, but now his new love is lights and ceiling fans.

He will lay on the bed and stare, smile, giggle, and "talk" to our new ceiling fan for upwards of 20 minutes. When holding him, he'll crane his neck until he's a perfect arc in order to stare at the ceiling lights, enchanted. His body (head craned back, back arched, feet pointed outward) looks like something out of Cirque du Soleil.

When you hold him up in that arcked position and away from your body, you can make him "fly" through the air like Errol Flynn's Peter Pan (or like the Sandy Duncan version, as well). Wheeeeeee!!!

Introducing Giggles McGee

2009-03-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

Got Milks?

The Football Hold - ten hut!

Fat Bald Innocent

Baby Bob Hope

Hands & Feet

2009-03-07T10:34:00.001-08:00

One-Sock Ian

2009-03-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

Whoa, this blog has gotten stale! Here're a few updates:

He is now on a fairly decent nighttime sleeping schedule. He sleeps around 10pm, and wakes to nurse around 1am, 4am, and 7am. It's gotten so much easier. He feeds for about 15 minutes then falls right back asleep. So efficient!

Also, I've nursed a few times w/o the nipple shields with some success. He still does better with them on - gets more milk in less time, which is good for us both. I have set a goal of exclusively breastfeeding until 3 months at which time I will return to work and my mom will step in as caretaker. I plan tp pump at work but hear that milk supply greatly decreases this way so chances are he will need to be supplemented with formula. If that happens, my next goal is to provide as much breast milk as possible until 6 months. At this time we'll introduce solids so there won't be a big need to milk/formula. I hope to give him my breast milk as a snacky until he's 1 year old. After that, it's whiskey all the way.

He has gotten so big! His hair is coming in reddish-blond, but he still has the dark hair on the top and around the bottom of his head. My mom says he looks like a friar. He smiles a lot, too in reaction to my, Jason's, and my mom's voices. He even laughs a little and talks a ton. Lots of "eh eh eh" and "oooooh." Yesterday, for the first time, he nearly turned himself over in the crib. As I understand it, this is a huge development that happens around this time. And today he's 7 weeks old!

He remains One-Sock Ian - always kicking one off snd leaving the other on. So strange. But, he is wearing some of his 6-month clothing. My! We'll have to start calling him Ian the Gentle Giant. Ho ho ho - gentle giant!

Pump It Up

2009-02-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

Tonight I pumped for the first time. I had heard that pumping is difficult in the beginning etc. but I must be blessed. In less than 10 minutes I had an ounce each breast. Incredible! I could have pumped more but I don't want to jack up my supply and end up with engorged breasts. Ouch!

Thanks to Carmen & Betty we were able to purchase a pretty good pump, the Lansinoh Double Electric Pump. Now that I will be buidling up a supply, I'll be able to let J feed Ian now and then so I can get some sleep, and can also take advantage of babysitters so I can go out w/o Ian for longer than 2 hours. Yay!

I also plan to us it at work once I return in April so that my mom can feed Ian my milkies while she watches him during the day. Only the best for my baby!

The Magical Changing Table

2009-02-21T12:20:00.003-08:00

You know how babies always have their "thing"? Example, Jason's cousins Enid and Robbie, who live in NYC and have two boys, told us once that the only way to get Lorenzo to sleep was to put him in his carseat, rock him on the coffee table and turn on a hairdryer. Funny!

Well Ian's thing is the diaper changing table, which we've moved into the bedroom and keep near the windows. He loves it! Actually it's the sun coming through the blinds that mesmerizes him. I lay him down and he immediately turns his head and stares and stares. He smiles and giggles and makes noises that sound like talking. It's incredible! I have left him happily on the table for up to 30 minutes. Of course I stay nearby b/c of the falling hazard.

I wonder what his next "thing" will be...

Sheets of Fury

2009-02-21T12:14:00.000-08:00

The other night my mom stayed over to give Jason a good nights' rest and help me out throughout the night with diapers, rocking, etc. It was an incredibly explosive evening.

First, projectile vomiting. I mean, Ian would have made Linda Blair (The Exorcist) proud. It was all over the sheets and my pillow, not to mention my face! Blech. We put a towel over the vomit and I switched pillows. No way were we changing the sheets at 3am!

Then, after all three of us finally drifted off for a couple hours, my arm started feeling reeeeally warm. Yup, the baby had whizzed all over my arm and the vomitty sheets. Cue towel #2 over the peed part of the sheet.

Finally, the sun came up and I was nursing Ian for the 3rd time that night/early morning. He pooped, which is very common during a feeding. It's an input-output gastrointestinal type thing. So I thought nothing of it until I lifted him up to burp him and noticed that his poop had exploded out the top of his diaper, onto my pj pants and....yup, on the same nasty sheet.

My mom and I finally agreed it was time to wash the sheets. They had become quite the bio-hazard!

After the Milk

2009-02-17T04:44:00.001-08:00

Mmmm, satisfied!!

Miracle Octopus

2009-02-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

Auntie Jen gave Ian a Baby Einstein octopus toy that plays music and tells colors in English, Spanish and French. Squeeze his head and he plays fun, carnival-style tunes; squeeze his tentacles and he tells the colors.

This octopus has become Ian's miracle distraction on the changing table. Before he can begin to fuss, I squeeze the head and Ian just stares and stares, allowing me to wipe, clean, airdry and diaper my little one with ease!

Cloth Diapers - Hurrah!

2009-02-15T10:27:00.000-08:00

Jason and I are loving the cloth diapers we got Ian. His butt rash cleared right up when we switched to cloth yesterday afternoon and he's less fussy when he makes a boom-boom in the cloth as compared with the disposable.

And they really aren't that hard to clean up. We have a spray nozzle that attaches to the comode that we use to hose off the solid stuff. Then, we just dump the cloth diapers into the wash and presto! Super easy. And so much better for the environment and Ian's bum.

Right now he's asleep in the swing. That should last about 3 minutes.

Best News Ever

2009-02-13T19:27:00.000-08:00

Confused about when to let Ian sleep through the night, I posted this in the La Leche League forum and also emailed Linda Worzer, the woman who taught our Bradley birth class:

"My month-old baby son is gaining weight well and I think our supply-demand relationship is getting very close to established. I no longer get way engorged at night and can go 4 hours at a time at night feeding him.So how do I know when I can go longer? Do I wait for him to wake us up to feed or do I continue to wake him every 3-4 hours?

His pediatrician said he can even go 5 hours w/o feeding at night, but he was thinking solely of his good weight-gain. What about my milk supply? I'm scared it will diminish. But if my lo is sleeping so soundly through what used to be a feeding, my instinct is to leave him alone and let his hunger pangs wake us up.

Help!! I'd love more sleep for all three of us, but I don't want to screw up my milk supply or his weight gain. btw - He feeds a ton during the day, about every 2 hours."

Here is Linda's response:

"He is mature enough to wake and let you know when he needs to eat. You can allow him to sleep as long as you wish at night. Many babies "cluster feed" (as you mentioned) during the day to ensure they receive all the calories and nutrients they need.

At 6 weeks of age, most babies experience a growth spurt during which they return to more frequent requests for feedings. After that, it's not uncommon for a baby to sleep longer at night and possibly to nap longer during the daytime.

Your milk supply is firmly established by three weeks postpartum, so no worries there.
Relax, enjoy, and get more sleep - before you know if, he'll be teething and waking frequently at night again ; )

P.S. My second child (who was exclusivey breastfed) slept consistently 12 hours at night from the age of three months and took one two hour nap in the daytime. She topped the growth charts in height and weight."

Beautiful Boy

2009-02-12T20:27:00.001-08:00

I have never loved something like I love Ian. It's incredible. There is a bond that exists that I can't begin to explain.

When we're in the car or alone at home I like to sing to him. He really seems to like Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and John Lennon's "Beautiful Boy." I found this on You Tube:

Big Scare

2009-02-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

Just now as I was showing Jason my new way of putting on a cloth diaper (we've been using a mix of disposable and cloth since last weekend). Ian was on the diaper table and J and I were standing over him. As he is wont to do, Ian threw up his strong, long arm and knocked over a tube of Aveeno butt cream right into his face. It toppled into his eye and he went ballistic. I was scare poopless since I didn't know if his eye-closing reflex was fast enough to protect his eyeball, or if the sharp end of the tube scratched his eye. He was so red and crying so hard that I was really freaked out. Jason, who was way more calm than me, took over and was able to calm Ian. Apparently he'd swallowed a lot of air with all the crying and Jason was able to burp him a few times and stop his crying.

THANK GOD. I was already imagining a baby eye patch and future blindness, etc. You know how it goes. Just the sight of seeing my son in pain and wailing was enough to just kill me. But he's better now and asleep in his father's arms. I'll keep an eye on his eye overnight and see where we're at tomorrow morning. I'm not 100% convinced all is well. We'll "see."

Bathtime!

2009-02-02T18:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Ian got his first home bath. Papa Jason did the honors and I watched on and assisted, as needed. Basically I just enjoyed the view and took tons of pictures. It was close quarters in the bathtub and I think the next time we bathe him will be on the kitchen countertop.

Click here to check out the rest of the photos!

Footprints

2009-02-02T14:46:00.000-08:00

At his 10-day visit last Tuesday, Ian got his footprints permanently added to the walls of the Birth & Women's Center. All babies born at the Center get their feet stamped along the borders of the doors, windows, and floors. It's so neat to see all the footprints when you walk through the Center.

We chose the upstairs birthing room where it all began. That's where I got my first dose of Cytotec and then Jason and I got a nice 2-hour rest in the bed while the drug did its job. Then our second dose there later that afternoon, and another couple's rest together in the bed. Bada bing bada boom - a handful of hours later and the contractions started!

Life with Ian continues to be a glorious challenge. I can't get enough of him and he can't get enough of me and my attention! I'm getting real used to these 3-hour maximum doses of sleep and have already forgotten what a full night's rest feels like. The human body has an incredible way of adapting to just about anything. I plan to begin pumping soon, so I'll be able to leave Ian with one of his grandmas, aunts, cousins, etc. overnight one day soon and get a full night's rest. Of course, if I go too long without nursing, my breasties get engorged and then I'm miserable. Perhaps I can get a full night's rest once Ian is weaned...in about a year!

My Stump, My Lovely Little Stump

2009-01-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

Check it out! Here are two pics of my abuela throwing my umbilical cord stump into the ocean in Colombia - a place called La Guajira (wa-hee-da), which is the peninsula that juts out into the Caribbean and faces Venezuela. In one picture you see my abuelo cheering her on.

These were taken in August 1975. This is a tradition in my mom's family to ensure a long, healthy life for the baby. Now I'd love it if someone would go on and purchase 2 round trip tickets to, oh say, the Bahamas so Jason and I can throw Ian's stump into the ocean. He's worth the trip!

These Four Walls

2009-01-28T08:59:00.001-08:00

Oh this feeding thing is hard. It's never-ending! I just have to remind myself that it's for the benefit of my new favorite person, and that once he's regained his birth weight and then some, it will get a lot easier and less frequent. But until then, I'm stuck feeding every 3 hours, 24 hours a day. I'm not complaining, really (maybe just a little). This is my job and I'm happy to do it.

My, I've spent a lot of time in this bedroom. Both during my pregnancy and now, this room has become my domain. This bed, the TV, the windows and sunlight pouring in. It's a good thing my personality is that of someone who likes to spend time alone. Whenever I feel stressed, I just pick up my little angel and hold him and smell the top of his head. It's a beautiful reminder that this new job of mine is totally worth it. It just takes some adjusting.

He just did the funniest thing: Sometimes when I put him down he's fine for a few minutes. Then, I'll see a freak-out coming on so I scoop him up and give him hugs and kisses. He tends to wring his hands and punch the air when he's agitated. Just now as I was calming him down, he folded his hands together, fingers locked as if doing the game "Here's the church, here's the steeple..." What coordination!

Behind the Name

2009-01-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

Ian is the Scottish Gaelic form of "John" and means "favored by God." His saints day (John) is December 27th and he's the patron saint of writers, wool-workers, Turkey, and motorways (huh?). That's pretty interesting since I studied to be a writer and I also work with wool to create unique felted jewelry. I'm also told I look Turkish AND I drive on highways. Eeeeerie...

Some Famous Ians
Ian Anderson, leader of Jethro Tull
Ian Astbury, lead singer for The Cult
Ian Curtis, lead singer for Joy Division
Ian Fleming, writer of James Bond novels
Ian Gillan, leader of Deep Purple
Ian McCulloch, lead singer for Echo & the Bunnymen
Ian McKellen, actor
Ian Wilmut, cloned Dolly the Sheep
Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa, that would be Dweezil

See a pattern here? Our guy is going to be a rock star!

My Mission: Feed, Feed, Feed

2009-01-27T14:41:00.001-08:00

Jason and I took Ian to his 10-day visit at the Center and he weighed in at 8lbs 7oz. The weight loss is normal and Cherie was happy with that but would like to see him get up to his birth weight very soon. That, she said, will keep him from crying all night long.

Apparently the little guy is hungry and I haven't been giving him enough. Well, I thought I had since I let him nurse until he either pulls away for good or falls asleep at the nip. But my mistake was feeding him from one breast per feeding. My new regimen is to nurse him 10 minutes on one boob, then burp him and let him finish up on the other one. He needs milk fat from both breasts in order to gain his weight back, and then some. I didn't know that! So now we have some making up to do. In fact, it's time for Ian to get his nom-noms on pretty soon here...it's neverending!

Road Rage Ian

2009-01-26T07:43:00.001-08:00

See what happens when you cut Ian off on the highway? Shazam!

Songs for Ian

2009-01-26T07:32:00.000-08:00

When He's Crying
"Smoke on the Water" Deep Purple
"You Got It" Roy Orbison

When We're Hanging Out
"This Charming Man" The Smiths
The Golden Girls theme

When We're Exercising
"Let's Get Physical" Olivia Newton-John
"Brick House" The Commodores

New Developments

2009-01-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of Ian. In the 9 days that we've had him, he has already grown in leaps and bounds. He no longer cries when we diaper change him, and he's nursing magnificently. He feeds for about the same amount of time (30 minutes) and just about the same space of time in between (3 hours).

His neck muscles are really strengthening, his arms and legs are wiggling about like crazy, and the rest of his body seems to be catching up with his monstrously large hands.

Last night the colic tried to get ahold of him, but I managed to get him to calm down in about 45 minutes and we slept for a couple of hours until I woke us both up for a feeding. It was nice to let Jason sleep the night through and Ian cooperated perfectly. After the 3-4am feeding, he went right back to bed and slept until 7am. To ensure this keeps up, I'm hitting the aisles at Babies R Us to buy a Swaddleme and Colic Massage Pad. Let's hope these help!

Adios Stump!

2009-01-25T21:36:00.001-08:00

That smelly little nubbin known as the umbilical cord stump finally dried up and fell off yesterday (Saturday). It was great that it only took 7 days to come off since everything we heard and read said it would take about 10-15 days. The thing was sooooo stinky and it made it hard to get cuddly-cuddly with Ian.

We saved it in a baggie and gave it to my mom who is going to keep it until someone is able to toss it into the ocean. You heard me right. The ocean. Apparently it's a tradition in the Barreto-Cubides family. The superstition goes that tossing the stump into the ocean ensures a lifetime of good health. Mami tells me Lita (my abuela) tossed mine into the sea. Whatever it takes to make sure Ian lives a long healthy life, right?

Separation Anxiety

2009-01-24T15:50:00.000-08:00

Wednesday evening was a tearful one. Jason and I made the decision that he would return to work on Thursday and it made us both so, so sad. We had just gone through the most exciting, incredible, beautiful experience of our lives together, and it was coming to an end. They call it the "babymoon" like honeymoon, and when it as over we were left with a lot of sadness.

I knew that he and I would never experience something like this again. I was also so sad that my pregnancy was over. I enjoyed it so much, carrying little Ian inside me, Jason taking care of us both. The the labor and delivery experience followed by the learn-as-we-go days back home with Ian are experiences we will never forget.

Jason was very sad to be separated from us as well, and we spent Wednesday night talking and crying (me, not him), and staring at Ian.

I spent Thursday without him, but my mom was here to help out, spend time with Ian, and basically keep me distracted while Jason was away. We went to lunch at Hunky's then to Tom Thumb for some groceries and Starbuck's coffee. It wore me out but I was happy to get out of the house. The day went by quickly and I was so grateful for her company and help.

Friday was a lot easier. Mami came back again and spent the day cooking and cleaning. I cannot believe what an amount of support she has been. We are so lucky to have her available to help out so much.

Speaking of wonderful grandmas, we are lucky to have Mimi (Pat) be our sitter for Jason's and my first date out together. It will most likely happen in a week or two, but we are really looking forward to Pat having time to bond with Ian and for us both to have some alone time together. We are going to dinner at Tillman's Roadhouse, a nice restaurant here in Oak Cliff. Can't wait!

A Trip Outdoors

2009-01-24T13:23:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday morning we went to the Center for a breastfeeding consultation with Beverly. When I called they did not hesitate to tell us to come in anytime for help. There was no appointment, no payment, none of that. Such a wonderful place.

Once there, Beverly got straight to work showing me how to get my nipple back into his mouth so he could suckle. She got me all set up with pillows and water and stayed there for an entire feeding. What a relief to watch him feed for a good half hour! In between the feeding session, Jason changed Ian's diaper and we all got to witness Ian's first "spray." Urine everywhere. It was pretty cute.

After watching Ian feed for awhile, Beverly determined that my nipples were not long enough to reach his soft palate so she suggested a product called a nipple shield. She was so confident it would be the answer to our struggles, and we could not have been more pleased and relieved. We went to Babies R Us straight away and once we got home and opened the packaged we realized we'd gotten a size too big. Crikey! I was devastated.

Enter Grandma Pat (aka Mimi), our savior! She came to our rescue that night and brought over the correct size nipple shield and dinner - delicious roast chicken, fresh bread, and veggies. Sooooo yummy. The nipple shield was an instant hit and Ian's been feeding like a maniac ever since. My nipples are so very ouchie as they acclimate to the reshaping wonder of the shield, but it's a small price to pay to watch my little one get the nourishment he needs. I guess the "Martyr Mom" thing starts early!

Rewind a bit: Jason took Ian for his first Well Baby visit that afternoon while I stayed home and enjoyed a long, quiet nap. Ahhhh. Jason reported that the visit went really well. Dr. Curry was so pleased with Ian's color, reactions, alertness, strength, and um, large thingie-thing. In fact, he was surprised at how endowed our little man is! He did want to see Ian gain more weight and Jason explained how we've been having difficulty feeding him but that we'd gotten some help earlier that day and were hopeful he would begin eating well.

We were right! He began feeding anywhere from 30 minutes to one+ hour at a time with an average of two hours in between feedings. Incredible!

Shame Spiral and Desperation

2009-01-24T13:17:00.000-08:00

In the wee hours of Monday night/Tuesday morning Jason and I nearly lost it. Ian had been crying for 3 hours straight and was beginning to go hoarse. We were so worried since he had not eaten in over a day. Sure, he'd gotten a few drops here and there but nothing substantial.

By 3am we were so weary. Sitting together on the bed with a beet-red Ian we looked at each other and I uttered that F word: "Formula?"

Luckily, we were in instant agreement. Until I could get some help with breastfeeding, we were going to do whatever it took to feed our little guy.

(I was also extrememly miserable since my milk had come in several hours earlier and I was so engorged I thought my breasts would explode. Milk was literally leaking out in teaspoonfuls and there was nothing I could do about it since Ian wasn't taking any of it. I even tried to suck up the puddles of milk with a dropper and feeding him that way, but all it did was give him gas!)

So at a desperate 3am Jason headed to 7-11 to get some formula and I head straight to the kitchen to boil bottles and nipples. Once the bottle was prepared, Jason gave it to Ian and instant success! Ian drank and drank and drank, then slipped into a blissful sleep. We were so relieved and all feelings of shame and fear that we did the wrong thing disappeared. Still, we were insistent on getting breastfeeding help, but first: Sleep!