Inspired by Swistle, I am one of many participants in a group of Pay It Forward contests. Here's how it works:
1. I tell you about a prize.
2. You decided to enter the contest and leave a comment on this post, by the deadline.
3. I use a random number generator to select a winner.
4. I send the prize to the winner.
5. The winner sends a fun package to someone else.
For my prize, I'm going to put together a writerly package. It will include things like a fun/funky journal or notebook, pens, note cards, or other items along those lines. The winner of my Pay It Forward will be able to choose whether she'd like writerly items geared toward an adult or a child (the child's option, for one example, would likely include stickers).
To enter you must leave a comment on this post by Friday, July 4, at 4 p.m. EST. If you don't know what to say, how about leaving the name of a book you really love, or telling me if you've ever kept a journal.
I'll announce the winner sometime the following week, and, with any luck, I'll get the package mailed out before Christmas.
If I don't know you personally, make sure you leave an email address or blog link in your comment, that way I'll be able to let you know you've won!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Blog Karma
After my last post, full of fascinating product reviews, I had an experience related to each of the products.
1) After my not so glowing review of the Schick Intuition razor, I got an email from someone offering to send me a competitor's razor to try for free. Part of me says, "Yes, please!" and part of me says, "What's the catch?" I haven't responded to the email yet. Do you think if I post a negative review of my car someone will offer to send me a free minivan to try?
2) I received the June issue of Wondertime. I had already received the July/August issue and hadn't even realized I was missing an issue, but it was such a pleasant surprise to have another to read that I don't really mind that they came out of order. I am trying to stretch out the reading of the June issue because there won't be another one until September. (Yes, I like it that much.)
3) Michael had what will surely be referred to as The Great Diaper Blowout of Aught Eight, and I thought to myself, "Self, you should document this in order to prove the worth of the Shout Advanced you spoke so highly of." And I did.
In the interest of full disclosure I will share that stains of such proportions did require two treatments and two trips through the washer to be totally removed. Matt (who would, by the way, like the credit for cleaning the baby after said diaper blowout) was ready to just throw the clothes away, so bad were the stains. Shout Advanced, I sing thy praises! (Edited to add: When I look at that photo, it seems like there is a tiny hint of a shadow of a stain on the lighter piece of clothing, I swear to you, this cannot be seen in when I am holding the actual item in front of my face!)
And now, for some unrelated bonus content:
Harper has taken to falling asleep with sunglasses on because it is, according to her, too bright in her room when she tries to sleep.
****
Stay tuned, in a day or two there's going to be a contest!
1) After my not so glowing review of the Schick Intuition razor, I got an email from someone offering to send me a competitor's razor to try for free. Part of me says, "Yes, please!" and part of me says, "What's the catch?" I haven't responded to the email yet. Do you think if I post a negative review of my car someone will offer to send me a free minivan to try?
2) I received the June issue of Wondertime. I had already received the July/August issue and hadn't even realized I was missing an issue, but it was such a pleasant surprise to have another to read that I don't really mind that they came out of order. I am trying to stretch out the reading of the June issue because there won't be another one until September. (Yes, I like it that much.)
3) Michael had what will surely be referred to as The Great Diaper Blowout of Aught Eight, and I thought to myself, "Self, you should document this in order to prove the worth of the Shout Advanced you spoke so highly of." And I did.
The results of The Great Diaper Blowout of Aught Eight:
Michael, giving his best, "Who, me?" look:
The post-laundry, totally stain free clothes:
In the interest of full disclosure I will share that stains of such proportions did require two treatments and two trips through the washer to be totally removed. Matt (who would, by the way, like the credit for cleaning the baby after said diaper blowout) was ready to just throw the clothes away, so bad were the stains. Shout Advanced, I sing thy praises! (Edited to add: When I look at that photo, it seems like there is a tiny hint of a shadow of a stain on the lighter piece of clothing, I swear to you, this cannot be seen in when I am holding the actual item in front of my face!)
And now, for some unrelated bonus content:
Harper has taken to falling asleep with sunglasses on because it is, according to her, too bright in her room when she tries to sleep.****
Stay tuned, in a day or two there's going to be a contest!
Monday, June 23, 2008
Unsolicited Product Reviews
There are a couple of things I have been eager to talk about here, whether the Internet cares for my opinion or not. I'm not getting paid to review anything (ha!) and suspect my readership would have to increase mightily before anyone would care to pay me to do so. . .
Something I don't like -- the Schick Intuition Plus razor. To be fair, it's pretty and I think the idea behind it is a good one, but it just doesn't work for me. I have over a dozen of these things because they were giving them away when I was in the hospital for a month and just about everyone who walked through the door left one for me. The supposed benefit is that this razor eliminates the need for shaving gel/cream etc. This point is lost on me because I don't use those things anyway. In my experience the surrounding skin conditioning stuff is too big in the beginning, making it difficult to get a close shave and making the whole thing unduly slippery. I've been through several of these now and there is a very small window between when the conditioner ceases to be too big and when it falls off completely. I find the razor very uncomfortable once the conditioning stuff is gone so I am going through them pretty quickly. I would not pay for refills at the rate I would need them. We do have a bit of a moisture problem in our bathroom, so it is possible that the razor would hold up better under drier conditions. It just seems to me that a product designed for bathroom use shouldn't fall apart when it gets wet.
Now for two things I really like.
The first is Shout Advanced stain remover. (It will come in handy for the blood I got on my sheets after cutting myself with the slippery razor.) I cannot say enough good things about this concoction. We have had some severe baby stains in these parts lately. In particular, I have had many items stained by regurgitated baby vitamins with iron in them and by prune juice, both dribbled from the bottle and spit up. This stuff is amazing. A few days ago Michael spit up prune juice all over a fuzzy white blanket; I treated it with the Shout stuff, washed it normally (in cold water with regular Tide) and I can no longer tell there was ever a stain there, I kid you not. The only baby stains this has not removed completely are the ones I failed to thoroughly spray. It works for set in stains (days old!) and fresh stains. It seems important to rub it in well and let it sit for at least a few minutes before laundering (you can leave stains for several days after treating if need be), but I swear the stuff is practically magic. The only downfall is that it warns to wash your hands after you use it, so you'd definitely want to keep it away from the kiddos. A certain three-year-old I know has a tendency to play with exactly this sort of thing if it is accidentally left within her reach.
I was unable to find a link for this product, but if you're looking for it in the store it comes in a blue spray bottle. I wouldn't sent it in the mail, but the next local person I know to have a baby shower is totally getting a bottle with their gift.
The other thing I really like is Wondertime magazine. A few of months ago a friend (Hi, Moira!) sent me a piece from the magazine about blogging and a couple of weeks later I received a card in the mail saying that another friend (Hi, Jill!) had given me a subscription. I've received three issues so far and read them all cover to cover (the other parenting magazine I get I usually flip through, but I'm not sure I've read one issue cover to cover in three plus years). I find the issues nearly as engaging as a compelling novel. Wondertime is beautiful but not cute. The style (layout/photography) has a nostalgic feeling to it, bringing to mind all the happiest of my fuzzy childhood memories, without being cheesy at all. The advice is gentle, the opinion pieces are balanced, and it is relatively very light on the advertising. So far (three issues in) I haven't come across a single article of the scary and over-reactive type I feel like I'm seeing in lots of parenting magazines these days. No seven page pull-out on 398 seemingly harmless summer items that could maim your innocent child. They do highlight kid friendly products and I find it refreshing that most of their suggestions are affordable for the masses and not only items to put on a list for the day I win the lottery. I am not sure how apt a description this is, but it feels more like I'm reading really well written essays than articles. The NPR of parenting magazines, perhaps?
Oddly enough I am not as taken with their website, but that's fine by me, because I really do not need one more thing to keep me busy online!
So there you have it, some advice you didn't ask for! Go ahead and leave your thoughts about these, or similar, products in the comments, I dare you.
Something I don't like -- the Schick Intuition Plus razor. To be fair, it's pretty and I think the idea behind it is a good one, but it just doesn't work for me. I have over a dozen of these things because they were giving them away when I was in the hospital for a month and just about everyone who walked through the door left one for me. The supposed benefit is that this razor eliminates the need for shaving gel/cream etc. This point is lost on me because I don't use those things anyway. In my experience the surrounding skin conditioning stuff is too big in the beginning, making it difficult to get a close shave and making the whole thing unduly slippery. I've been through several of these now and there is a very small window between when the conditioner ceases to be too big and when it falls off completely. I find the razor very uncomfortable once the conditioning stuff is gone so I am going through them pretty quickly. I would not pay for refills at the rate I would need them. We do have a bit of a moisture problem in our bathroom, so it is possible that the razor would hold up better under drier conditions. It just seems to me that a product designed for bathroom use shouldn't fall apart when it gets wet.
Now for two things I really like.
The first is Shout Advanced stain remover. (It will come in handy for the blood I got on my sheets after cutting myself with the slippery razor.) I cannot say enough good things about this concoction. We have had some severe baby stains in these parts lately. In particular, I have had many items stained by regurgitated baby vitamins with iron in them and by prune juice, both dribbled from the bottle and spit up. This stuff is amazing. A few days ago Michael spit up prune juice all over a fuzzy white blanket; I treated it with the Shout stuff, washed it normally (in cold water with regular Tide) and I can no longer tell there was ever a stain there, I kid you not. The only baby stains this has not removed completely are the ones I failed to thoroughly spray. It works for set in stains (days old!) and fresh stains. It seems important to rub it in well and let it sit for at least a few minutes before laundering (you can leave stains for several days after treating if need be), but I swear the stuff is practically magic. The only downfall is that it warns to wash your hands after you use it, so you'd definitely want to keep it away from the kiddos. A certain three-year-old I know has a tendency to play with exactly this sort of thing if it is accidentally left within her reach.
I was unable to find a link for this product, but if you're looking for it in the store it comes in a blue spray bottle. I wouldn't sent it in the mail, but the next local person I know to have a baby shower is totally getting a bottle with their gift.
The other thing I really like is Wondertime magazine. A few of months ago a friend (Hi, Moira!) sent me a piece from the magazine about blogging and a couple of weeks later I received a card in the mail saying that another friend (Hi, Jill!) had given me a subscription. I've received three issues so far and read them all cover to cover (the other parenting magazine I get I usually flip through, but I'm not sure I've read one issue cover to cover in three plus years). I find the issues nearly as engaging as a compelling novel. Wondertime is beautiful but not cute. The style (layout/photography) has a nostalgic feeling to it, bringing to mind all the happiest of my fuzzy childhood memories, without being cheesy at all. The advice is gentle, the opinion pieces are balanced, and it is relatively very light on the advertising. So far (three issues in) I haven't come across a single article of the scary and over-reactive type I feel like I'm seeing in lots of parenting magazines these days. No seven page pull-out on 398 seemingly harmless summer items that could maim your innocent child. They do highlight kid friendly products and I find it refreshing that most of their suggestions are affordable for the masses and not only items to put on a list for the day I win the lottery. I am not sure how apt a description this is, but it feels more like I'm reading really well written essays than articles. The NPR of parenting magazines, perhaps?
Oddly enough I am not as taken with their website, but that's fine by me, because I really do not need one more thing to keep me busy online!
So there you have it, some advice you didn't ask for! Go ahead and leave your thoughts about these, or similar, products in the comments, I dare you.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Shhhhh. . .
Okay, I'm going to say this really quietly and try not to jinx things. . .
Michael slept from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the last two nights.
Truth be told, I'm a little freaked out by this. I was actually horrified that he'd been awake, hungry, in the middle of the night and I'd just not noticed. However, since he's still sleeping in our room that is fairly unlikely. He is not gaining weight at alarming rates and I'm a little nervous that he's not big enough to be sleeping through the night. Plus this new sleep schedule, combined with the fact that Matt gives him a bottle at 5 a.m. means I might be on the verge of getting decent sleep again, which is so delicious a thought I nearly cry considering it.
I'm tempted to call the doctor and ask whether this is okay. Then again, we'll be there in two weeks anyway and there's always a chance this is a fluke.
My mom is all, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth you idiot!" (I might have added the idiot part.)
The truth is, if he were three months + old and hadn't been a preemie, I would have been trying to make this happen for at least a month already.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Looking Less Like a Disgruntled Old Man By the Day
Last month:
This month:
I love my baby dearly, and I am still able to admit that for a long time now he's looked decidedly more like a troll or an old man than a sweet little boy. But perhaps we are entering a wonderage (complete with more social personality and sleeping through the night perhaps?) because I have noticed a change lately. In the last few days Michael has really begun to inch up on the adorable scale. (Whew!)
When we were up at my parents' house last week, Michael, Harper, and I were all hanging out in my bed. Harper and I were talking to him in that ooey-gooey voice reserved for the smallest of babies and he looked squarely at her and gave her a huge, gummy, ear-to-ear, crinkly-eyed grin. His first smile, smiled, appropriately, at his big sister. It took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. I will always treasure that moment. How special for Harper that she'll always know Michael smiled his first smile for her. When she tells people about it she says, "Michael smiled at me all by himself!"
Speaking of Harper, Swistle recently commented that she loved the three's for the talking, and she is so right. My brother came over for lunch on Monday and was yawning (a little too much partying, Jamie???). Harper asked if he was tired and invited him to have a "napover" with her.
I love, love, love the insight into Harper's thoughts that she is constantly providing through her chatter. I love how she is learning to use language. AND I love the childish mispronunciations and misunderstandings that come with learning language. Many of them I hate to correct because all too soon she'll outgrow them on her own. (Remember "fyock?" Sigh.) Right now my favorite mispronunciation is elevator; Harper says, "elegator." And when she says remember, she leaves the "b" sound out, "rememer?" And many of her "th" sounds come out like "f"; so thirty is "firty." These little quirks are something about this age that I know I'm going to miss.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Weather Watchers
I think I will need prescription for anti-anxiety meds before this summer is over. I used to love a good thunderstorm, but something has shifted in me and they now give me a very severe nervous tummy. I would like to note that I have always had a healthy respect for tornadoes (it happens fairly automatically if you grow up in the midwest), but my respect (read: intense fear) has been ratcheted up a notch of late.
Part of the reason for this is certainly the insane storm season we've had here already, and all the horrific tornadoes so early in the year. But I think another reason I am so much more nervous about storms, specifically tornadoes, is the fact that I have children now and I just can't stand the thought of anything happening to them.
We had the first major storm/tornado threat in our part of Ohio a little over a week ago. I believe it was a Tuesday night, sometime after eight, when the sirens went off. Harper was already out cold for the night. I started yelling for her to “getup!getup!getup!getup!” which she reacted to by not moving or blinking or giving any other sign that she could hear anything. So I had myself a little Sophie’s Choice moment when I debated which child I should leave to the mercy of the tornado while I ran the other one down to the basement. Since I was already holding the baby, he got to be ferried to the basement first. Then I ran back up for Harper - thankfully our house had not been leveled while I saved the youngest child - carried her downstairs, and deposited her safely in an armchair. As an afterthought, I ran back up for Harper’s epi pens (Because the food at the shelter where we’d have to stay after the house had been leveled might not be safe and then where would we be?), the diaper bag, and my cell phone. And then we waited.
Michael was surprisingly content to let me entertain him as he lay on the floor, while I kept half an eye on the fuzzy reception of the local weather report on the basement television.
Harper passed the time doing some sort of bizarre sleep yoga. The next morning she had no memory of being in the basement. (And, yes, she still wears a diaper to bed. BIG SIGH. That is for another post.) As luck would have it, my camera was in the diaper bag and I was able to document Harper’s strange position changes.
Part of the reason for this is certainly the insane storm season we've had here already, and all the horrific tornadoes so early in the year. But I think another reason I am so much more nervous about storms, specifically tornadoes, is the fact that I have children now and I just can't stand the thought of anything happening to them.
We had the first major storm/tornado threat in our part of Ohio a little over a week ago. I believe it was a Tuesday night, sometime after eight, when the sirens went off. Harper was already out cold for the night. I started yelling for her to “getup!getup!getup!getup!” which she reacted to by not moving or blinking or giving any other sign that she could hear anything. So I had myself a little Sophie’s Choice moment when I debated which child I should leave to the mercy of the tornado while I ran the other one down to the basement. Since I was already holding the baby, he got to be ferried to the basement first. Then I ran back up for Harper - thankfully our house had not been leveled while I saved the youngest child - carried her downstairs, and deposited her safely in an armchair. As an afterthought, I ran back up for Harper’s epi pens (Because the food at the shelter where we’d have to stay after the house had been leveled might not be safe and then where would we be?), the diaper bag, and my cell phone. And then we waited.
Michael was surprisingly content to let me entertain him as he lay on the floor, while I kept half an eye on the fuzzy reception of the local weather report on the basement television.
Harper passed the time doing some sort of bizarre sleep yoga. The next morning she had no memory of being in the basement. (And, yes, she still wears a diaper to bed. BIG SIGH. That is for another post.) As luck would have it, my camera was in the diaper bag and I was able to document Harper’s strange position changes.
Fortunately we all survived that evening unscathed.
We also missed the worst of the severe weather which cut through our path to my parents' house last Friday. Although the storms did blow two semi trucks over, turning I-65 into a parking lot for nearly half an hour. At least Harper got to see her first ever real-life rainbow while we were sitting in the resulting traffic.
The first Saturday we were here we all ended up in the basement as tornadoes and severe thunderstorms swept this area of Wisconsin.
Sunday we drove back from my aunt's house in torrential downpours, during which I was sure our car was going to be washed off the road.
The weather last night and this evening has sent me scurrying around making sure there were working flashlights and putting needed items in the basement "just in case."
And we are very fortunate not to be in a town where severe flooding is occuring. Just yesterday a friend was going to drive out from Madison to see us but couldn't because, oops, the freeway is under water.
Mother Nature? We've had enough, okay?
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Gasp!
I can't believe I haven't posted in nearly two weeks. Oops!
We are fine. We are on "vacation" in Wisconsin this week and getting here was one of the worst drives we've EVER had.
Michael is awake more and completely discontent unless he's being snuggled or fed. Even with extra adults around to help, this is not conducive to getting anything accomplished, especially with a three-year-old who requires a little attention now and again.
I kept thinking I would be able to catch up a little this week but limited computer access has turned that plan on its head.
We are really enjoying our time with my family, who we don't see often enough. My dad is headed out of town for the next two days. He was telling Harper that he'd be in Detroit for work and she said, "You get a one day vacation from the house, how special for you!"
My sister told Harper she would sleep over here tomorrow night and Harper said, "That's because I'm totally old enough to have a sleepover!"
Harper has been entertaining and maddening this trip. She alternating between cute and funny and downright awful. She told my dad she likes coming here because she is the boss in this house. Ha!
My sweet mother is sitting on the couch right now, holding the pacifier that Michael wants but cannot reliably keep in his mouth. So I am typing on borrowed time.
So this random post with little substance is mostly to let you know we haven't dropped off the face of the planet. I hope to be back soon with regular posts and pictures. Kisses to you, Internet!
We are fine. We are on "vacation" in Wisconsin this week and getting here was one of the worst drives we've EVER had.
Michael is awake more and completely discontent unless he's being snuggled or fed. Even with extra adults around to help, this is not conducive to getting anything accomplished, especially with a three-year-old who requires a little attention now and again.
I kept thinking I would be able to catch up a little this week but limited computer access has turned that plan on its head.
We are really enjoying our time with my family, who we don't see often enough. My dad is headed out of town for the next two days. He was telling Harper that he'd be in Detroit for work and she said, "You get a one day vacation from the house, how special for you!"
My sister told Harper she would sleep over here tomorrow night and Harper said, "That's because I'm totally old enough to have a sleepover!"
Harper has been entertaining and maddening this trip. She alternating between cute and funny and downright awful. She told my dad she likes coming here because she is the boss in this house. Ha!
My sweet mother is sitting on the couch right now, holding the pacifier that Michael wants but cannot reliably keep in his mouth. So I am typing on borrowed time.
So this random post with little substance is mostly to let you know we haven't dropped off the face of the planet. I hope to be back soon with regular posts and pictures. Kisses to you, Internet!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Random Dinner Conversation
At the table tonight. . .
Matt: Who does your hair better, Mommy or Daddy?
Harper: Mommy!
Matt: Who is funnier, Mommy or Daddy?
Harper: Daddy!
Matt: Who is smarter, Mommy or Daddy?
Harper: Me! I'm the smartest!
Matt: Who does your hair better, Mommy or Daddy?
Harper: Mommy!
Matt: Who is funnier, Mommy or Daddy?
Harper: Daddy!
Matt: Who is smarter, Mommy or Daddy?
Harper: Me! I'm the smartest!
Friday, May 23, 2008
That Time Again
Last year I wrote a lengthy post about teacher gifts. I feel like I should qualify this by saying that there is no obligation to give gifts to teachers and I believe teachers are truly grateful for any gift, if they see it as a symbol of your gratitude. I wrote the post just in case people were looking for some guidelines and I do stand by my suggestions.
This year Harper has been in preschool and it is the first time I have had to wonder/worry about an end-of-the-year gift. (She didn't start until January so I was off the hook for the holidays.) I decided to have Harper decorate some blank note cards for the teachers to use. I like this gift idea for several reasons: Harper could do it on her own, the gift is consumable, it is clear we put some time into it, and - if the teacher isn't going to use the cards - they can be tossed into the recycling bin. Not that you need a tutorial, but here's how we made the cards.
1) I folded blank (unlined) 5 x 8 index cards in half.
2) Harper used mini-cookie cutters and washable paint to stamp designs on the cards. I thought about hand prints, but we probably would have needed larger cards.
3) I paired each card with an "invitation" sized envelope from an office store. I think the paint, index cards (sold in a set of 500!), and envelopes came to less than $20. A good investment, considering all the materials we have left.
4) I will bundle a set of nine cards for each teacher (three from each color scheme) and tie it with some wired ribbon.
Here's a sample of the cards:
An older child could certainly draw pictures on the front of the cards. We made these as parent gifts when I taught first grade and they were adorable. Harper isn't so into drawing yet and I knew she would get tired of that before we made 27 cards. The stamping was nice because she really did do it totally on her own and each card is unique because she was fairly random with the stamping. Sometimes the cookie cutters would get a bubble of paint in them, which is how some of the shapes ended up with a little swirly thing inside them.
We don't do a lot of crafty stuff at home and Harper was thrilled with the painting element, even though it took a grand total of about 20 minutes to stamp all the cards. She really wanted pink paint, which I didn't have, and was fascinated when we made pink by mixing red and white paint. I am going to try to make myself do more of this kind of thing with her, especially during times when I have someone to help out with Michael.
Because we only have three teachers this year, I'll probably also buy small-ish gift cards for either a coffee shop or book store and include them with the cards. Most importantly I will write thank yous to all the teachers for helping Harper to have such a fabulous first school experience. I'm also going to write notes to the program director and the nurse who were so great in helping us work through ways to keep school safe for Harper and her peanut allergy. They deserve a big thanks for putting up with this all year:
This year Harper has been in preschool and it is the first time I have had to wonder/worry about an end-of-the-year gift. (She didn't start until January so I was off the hook for the holidays.) I decided to have Harper decorate some blank note cards for the teachers to use. I like this gift idea for several reasons: Harper could do it on her own, the gift is consumable, it is clear we put some time into it, and - if the teacher isn't going to use the cards - they can be tossed into the recycling bin. Not that you need a tutorial, but here's how we made the cards.
1) I folded blank (unlined) 5 x 8 index cards in half.
2) Harper used mini-cookie cutters and washable paint to stamp designs on the cards. I thought about hand prints, but we probably would have needed larger cards.
3) I paired each card with an "invitation" sized envelope from an office store. I think the paint, index cards (sold in a set of 500!), and envelopes came to less than $20. A good investment, considering all the materials we have left.
4) I will bundle a set of nine cards for each teacher (three from each color scheme) and tie it with some wired ribbon.
Here's a sample of the cards:
An older child could certainly draw pictures on the front of the cards. We made these as parent gifts when I taught first grade and they were adorable. Harper isn't so into drawing yet and I knew she would get tired of that before we made 27 cards. The stamping was nice because she really did do it totally on her own and each card is unique because she was fairly random with the stamping. Sometimes the cookie cutters would get a bubble of paint in them, which is how some of the shapes ended up with a little swirly thing inside them.
We don't do a lot of crafty stuff at home and Harper was thrilled with the painting element, even though it took a grand total of about 20 minutes to stamp all the cards. She really wanted pink paint, which I didn't have, and was fascinated when we made pink by mixing red and white paint. I am going to try to make myself do more of this kind of thing with her, especially during times when I have someone to help out with Michael.
Because we only have three teachers this year, I'll probably also buy small-ish gift cards for either a coffee shop or book store and include them with the cards. Most importantly I will write thank yous to all the teachers for helping Harper to have such a fabulous first school experience. I'm also going to write notes to the program director and the nurse who were so great in helping us work through ways to keep school safe for Harper and her peanut allergy. They deserve a big thanks for putting up with this all year:
Monday, May 19, 2008
Cutest Little Feet That You Ever Did See
Adult feet?
I can take or leave them.
Baby feet?
So cute!
Baby shoes!
I wish I had nothing to do all day but nibble them.
Michael's feet are especially appealing and hilarious because he still wants to keep them flexed all the time. Those kind of toes practically beg to be played with. I can't wait until it is warm enough to keep them exposed more of the time. I think baby feet might have magical healing powers. It is difficult to stay frustrated when you are faced with those teeny tiny toes.
Also, about the baby shoes? I know they are totally unnecessary, but they do serve the function of keeping a baby's socks in place. That is a bonus, especially in a house with a dog.
I can take or leave them.
Baby feet?
So cute!
Baby toes!
Baby shoes!
I love them so much I even put some on Michael's birth announcement.
I wish I had nothing to do all day but nibble them.
Michael's feet are especially appealing and hilarious because he still wants to keep them flexed all the time. Those kind of toes practically beg to be played with. I can't wait until it is warm enough to keep them exposed more of the time. I think baby feet might have magical healing powers. It is difficult to stay frustrated when you are faced with those teeny tiny toes.
Also, about the baby shoes? I know they are totally unnecessary, but they do serve the function of keeping a baby's socks in place. That is a bonus, especially in a house with a dog.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Growing? Yes. Sleeping? Not So Much.
Michael at one month, six days.
Michael at two months, two days.Can you see the difference?
I feel like I have a million posts knocking around in my head, but it is so darn difficult to get to the computer. Last night Michael was awake from 2:30 a.m. until 4:30 a.m. I'm down with the needing to eat in the middle of the night, but needing to eat and then have a play session for over an hour, that I'm having trouble accepting. Oh, and Harper woke up just a little after 5:30 this morning. So there was not much sleep for me last night. And I recently reread my parenting contract -- life with a three-year-old and an infant does not include an option to nap.
At Micheal's two-month appointment, he was 8 lbs., 3 oz. which, according to the nurse, was almost on the chart. We'll get there.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Harper Time
We made our annual spring pilgrimage to the arboretum when my mom was here two weeks ago. I was sad to see the tulip area was under construction, thus ruining my plans for yearly Harper + tulips photos, but we still enjoyed the beautiful grounds.
Michael has gotten the lion's share of attention lately, both in our day-to-day life and here on this blog, so I thought I would take some time to share a few things/stories about Harper today.
I totally took advantage of my mom's willingness to feed/hold the baby to spend some extra time with Harper. One afternoon we made muffins. I have a 1/4 c. scoop I keep in the flour canister so I told Harper we'd need 7 scoops of flour to make the muffins. She helped count as we added the flour to the bowl. After putting in four scoops she looked up at me and said, "We need three more!"
Smarty pants.
Later that day we were eating the muffins and Harper said, "These muffins are great Mom! They taste just like you and me!"
Huh?
We ate dinner on the patio the other night and Harper was just thrilled about it. As we brought the dishes back inside she exclaimed, "That was a great feast!"
Harper has transitioned into a gymnastics class in which she goes in on her own. Previously her class involved teachers giving instruction and then parents helping their own children through the stations. We weren't sure how the transition would go, but Harper LOVES it. She tries things she wouldn't attempt when we were helping her and she is apparently very well behaved. (Whew!)
One gorgeous night last week I took Harper and Michael to the park after dinner. There were a couple of other kids there and Harper immediately went to make friends.
"I'm Harper and over there (gesturing to the picnic table where I sat with the baby) I have a nice baby named Michael."
The girl replied, "I'm Emma and I have a toddler named Cameron."
Michael should be flattered, she used to introduce herself and then immediately tell other children that she had a dog named Rebound.
During the same park trip I had reminded her not to climb up the slides. Harper and Emma were playing some sort of follow the leader game when Emma started climbing up a slide and told Harper to follow. Harper said, "My mom told me I have to go up the steps," and turned and ran in the direction of the stairs. I know it's a small thing, but I feel like Harper spends a lot of time purposefully doing the direct opposite of what I say that I was really proud of her for not blindly following the other child. On the way home I told her how proud I was. It is nice to have that kind of interaction. I need to remember to pay attention and "catch" her behaving more often.
At dinner the other night we were telling knock knock jokes, sort of. Harper doesn't totally get it and will just use two totally unrelated items in her jokes. For example:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Cow.
Cow who?
Cow grass! (Cue hysterical laughter.)
I told a joke that went like this:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Dwain.
Dwain who?
Dwain the tub, I'm dwowning!
Harper didn't actually find that joke funny, but some part of her understood it was supposed to be funny and so she tried to adapt it to her own jokes. For the rest of the night her knock knock jokes ended with, "sinking in the bathtub!" So her first joke would go like this:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Cow.
Cow who?
Cow grass (long pause) sinkinginthebathtub!!!!
(Sigh. As I type I realize this was so much funnier in person. You'll have to take my word for it.)
I wish more of you could know Harper in person. I think you'd like her. She drives me crazy sometimes, but is impossible for me not to be crazy in love with her.
Michael has gotten the lion's share of attention lately, both in our day-to-day life and here on this blog, so I thought I would take some time to share a few things/stories about Harper today.
I totally took advantage of my mom's willingness to feed/hold the baby to spend some extra time with Harper. One afternoon we made muffins. I have a 1/4 c. scoop I keep in the flour canister so I told Harper we'd need 7 scoops of flour to make the muffins. She helped count as we added the flour to the bowl. After putting in four scoops she looked up at me and said, "We need three more!"Smarty pants.
Later that day we were eating the muffins and Harper said, "These muffins are great Mom! They taste just like you and me!"
Huh?
We ate dinner on the patio the other night and Harper was just thrilled about it. As we brought the dishes back inside she exclaimed, "That was a great feast!"
Harper has transitioned into a gymnastics class in which she goes in on her own. Previously her class involved teachers giving instruction and then parents helping their own children through the stations. We weren't sure how the transition would go, but Harper LOVES it. She tries things she wouldn't attempt when we were helping her and she is apparently very well behaved. (Whew!)
One gorgeous night last week I took Harper and Michael to the park after dinner. There were a couple of other kids there and Harper immediately went to make friends.
"I'm Harper and over there (gesturing to the picnic table where I sat with the baby) I have a nice baby named Michael."
The girl replied, "I'm Emma and I have a toddler named Cameron."
Michael should be flattered, she used to introduce herself and then immediately tell other children that she had a dog named Rebound.
During the same park trip I had reminded her not to climb up the slides. Harper and Emma were playing some sort of follow the leader game when Emma started climbing up a slide and told Harper to follow. Harper said, "My mom told me I have to go up the steps," and turned and ran in the direction of the stairs. I know it's a small thing, but I feel like Harper spends a lot of time purposefully doing the direct opposite of what I say that I was really proud of her for not blindly following the other child. On the way home I told her how proud I was. It is nice to have that kind of interaction. I need to remember to pay attention and "catch" her behaving more often.
At dinner the other night we were telling knock knock jokes, sort of. Harper doesn't totally get it and will just use two totally unrelated items in her jokes. For example:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Cow.
Cow who?
Cow grass! (Cue hysterical laughter.)
I told a joke that went like this:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Dwain.
Dwain who?
Dwain the tub, I'm dwowning!
Harper didn't actually find that joke funny, but some part of her understood it was supposed to be funny and so she tried to adapt it to her own jokes. For the rest of the night her knock knock jokes ended with, "sinking in the bathtub!" So her first joke would go like this:
Knock knock.
Who's there?
Cow.
Cow who?
Cow grass (long pause) sinkinginthebathtub!!!!
(Sigh. As I type I realize this was so much funnier in person. You'll have to take my word for it.)
I wish more of you could know Harper in person. I think you'd like her. She drives me crazy sometimes, but is impossible for me not to be crazy in love with her.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Monday, May 05, 2008
Breast Intentions
Well if the title of this post doesn't tip you off, here is the big, bold TMI warning:
I am now going to talk lots and lots about breastfeeding. If this makes you uncomfortable than feel free to leave and come back another day. Consider yourself warned!!!
The breastfeeding talk will begin after these photos of Michael. . .
When Harper was young we were really lucky in that I had very little trouble breastfeeding her. I think I even managed to realize this at the time. She took to it right away, I produced plenty of milk, and I never had one single complication. The biggest problem we had was keeping her awake to eat enough and that was just at the very beginning. Harper never would take a bottle, so the most difficult part of breastfeeding her was that no one else could ever feed her for the first six months of her life.
Michael has been eating fortified breast milk since birth, which means I have spent lots and lots of time with the breast pump. When he finally got the go ahead to try directly breastfeeding he didn't take to it at all, but he was so little I didn't fret about it too much. Now here we are, he's nearly two months old, and the child has still not taken to breastfeeding.
With the exception of middle of the night feedings, I have offered Michael my breast every time I've fed him, but he was still not getting it at all. Last week we had an appointment with a lactation consultant at the hospital where he was born (totally free, by the way, for babies delivered at that hospital). The lactation consultant helped me work with a nipple shield and at least made a good show of being convinced that Micheal would get the hang of it. Incidentally the pediatrician said that Michael was gaining enough weight that if I wanted to battle him over breastfeeding a bit she wouldn't be worried about him burning too many calories in the process.
So now Michael's feeding time looks a bit like this:
Part One -- Struggle with Michael and the nipple shield. About 40% of the time he just snuggles up to me and falls asleep. About 40% of the time he gets really, really angry and screams. About 20% of the time he seems to actually get some milk from my breast before resorting to one of the other two options.
Part Two -- Feed Michael from a bottle until he seems full. There has yet to be a breastfeeding session where he doesn't take at least another ounce from the bottle, and he usually takes two or more.
Part Three -- More quality time with the breast pump, to make sure the girls were emptied and keep producing milk.
The whole process, when you add in diaper changes, bottle preparation, and cleaning of all the bottles/equipment, can take from an hour and a half to two hours. Michael eats every three to four hours, from the start of the previous feeding. You go right ahead and do the math to figure out how much time that leaves when I am not engaged in feeding or producing milk. Not much!
This is not a sustainable way to live/function for us as a family. Especially on nights when Matt has practice and isn't really home until after Harper is in bed. If it weren't for continued help from our parents we wouldn't even be having this discussion because I would have had to ditch the pump long ago.
Here are my options:
1. Continue things as they are, which is not really much of an option.
2. Forget trying to get Michael to breast feed directly, but continue pumping several times a day so that he can continue to drink breast milk from a bottle.
3. Continue giving Micheal breast milk until our supply of frozen milk is exhausted and then switch to formula.
4. (The Best Possible Scenario) Continue to struggle with the direct breastfeeding until Michael gets it and we are able to ditch the pump and the bottles, at least most of the time.
Here are the reasons to continue feeding Michael breast milk/encouraging him to breastfeed:
1. I had a wonderful experience breastfeeding Harper and I want that bonding/closeness with Michael.
2. There are health benefits for both of us if I breastfeed him.
3. If Michael gets the hang of it we will be able to leave the house and I will have everything I need to feed him without any extra equipment. I loved that I could feed Harper almost anywhere with nothing to prepare or clean up after (diapers not included!).
4. Formula is ridiculously expensive.
5. I have spent so much time pumping to make this possible that I hate to quit now.
6. I really want to do it!
Here are the reasons to say we've tried this long enough and just switch to formula when our supply of milk is exhausted:
1. Unless Michael learns to directly breastfeed soon this just does not seem like a sustainable situation.
2. I spend so much time pumping and feeding him, I am hard pressed to find time to interact with Michael outside of feeding times. I don't feel like I have any time to enjoy my baby because the window of time when I'm not engaged in pumping or feeding I'm frantically trying to do everything else.
3. Under the current circumstances I have very little time to give Harper my full attention or any attention at all.
4. I have found I must pump at least once during the night to keep up my supply which leaves me with even less precious time to sleep.
5. Other people will continue to be able to feed Michael. Matt always takes one of the overnight feedings and that makes a huge difference in my ability to get some sleep.
6. There is at least one moment in every day when I want to collapse in tears because I just can't do this for one more minute.
So what do I do? The lactation consultant would have me give Michael at least another six to seven weeks to transition completely to the breast. The pediatrician says I have to weigh the benefit of breastfeeding against the stress of our current situation and will be totally understanding if I never use the breast pump again.
I am actually asking for advice here. I know that breast milk is the best for babies, but I also know that formula is not poison and may end up being the most realistic option for us. Please chime in here! I am calling on your collective wisdom for some guidance.
(Seriously, if you actually read all the way through this post, you must have formed some opinion. . . spill it!!!)
I am now going to talk lots and lots about breastfeeding. If this makes you uncomfortable than feel free to leave and come back another day. Consider yourself warned!!!
The breastfeeding talk will begin after these photos of Michael. . .
When Harper was young we were really lucky in that I had very little trouble breastfeeding her. I think I even managed to realize this at the time. She took to it right away, I produced plenty of milk, and I never had one single complication. The biggest problem we had was keeping her awake to eat enough and that was just at the very beginning. Harper never would take a bottle, so the most difficult part of breastfeeding her was that no one else could ever feed her for the first six months of her life.
Michael has been eating fortified breast milk since birth, which means I have spent lots and lots of time with the breast pump. When he finally got the go ahead to try directly breastfeeding he didn't take to it at all, but he was so little I didn't fret about it too much. Now here we are, he's nearly two months old, and the child has still not taken to breastfeeding.
With the exception of middle of the night feedings, I have offered Michael my breast every time I've fed him, but he was still not getting it at all. Last week we had an appointment with a lactation consultant at the hospital where he was born (totally free, by the way, for babies delivered at that hospital). The lactation consultant helped me work with a nipple shield and at least made a good show of being convinced that Micheal would get the hang of it. Incidentally the pediatrician said that Michael was gaining enough weight that if I wanted to battle him over breastfeeding a bit she wouldn't be worried about him burning too many calories in the process.
So now Michael's feeding time looks a bit like this:
Part One -- Struggle with Michael and the nipple shield. About 40% of the time he just snuggles up to me and falls asleep. About 40% of the time he gets really, really angry and screams. About 20% of the time he seems to actually get some milk from my breast before resorting to one of the other two options.
Part Two -- Feed Michael from a bottle until he seems full. There has yet to be a breastfeeding session where he doesn't take at least another ounce from the bottle, and he usually takes two or more.
Part Three -- More quality time with the breast pump, to make sure the girls were emptied and keep producing milk.
The whole process, when you add in diaper changes, bottle preparation, and cleaning of all the bottles/equipment, can take from an hour and a half to two hours. Michael eats every three to four hours, from the start of the previous feeding. You go right ahead and do the math to figure out how much time that leaves when I am not engaged in feeding or producing milk. Not much!
This is not a sustainable way to live/function for us as a family. Especially on nights when Matt has practice and isn't really home until after Harper is in bed. If it weren't for continued help from our parents we wouldn't even be having this discussion because I would have had to ditch the pump long ago.
Here are my options:
1. Continue things as they are, which is not really much of an option.
2. Forget trying to get Michael to breast feed directly, but continue pumping several times a day so that he can continue to drink breast milk from a bottle.
3. Continue giving Micheal breast milk until our supply of frozen milk is exhausted and then switch to formula.
4. (The Best Possible Scenario) Continue to struggle with the direct breastfeeding until Michael gets it and we are able to ditch the pump and the bottles, at least most of the time.
Here are the reasons to continue feeding Michael breast milk/encouraging him to breastfeed:
1. I had a wonderful experience breastfeeding Harper and I want that bonding/closeness with Michael.
2. There are health benefits for both of us if I breastfeed him.
3. If Michael gets the hang of it we will be able to leave the house and I will have everything I need to feed him without any extra equipment. I loved that I could feed Harper almost anywhere with nothing to prepare or clean up after (diapers not included!).
4. Formula is ridiculously expensive.
5. I have spent so much time pumping to make this possible that I hate to quit now.
6. I really want to do it!
Here are the reasons to say we've tried this long enough and just switch to formula when our supply of milk is exhausted:
1. Unless Michael learns to directly breastfeed soon this just does not seem like a sustainable situation.
2. I spend so much time pumping and feeding him, I am hard pressed to find time to interact with Michael outside of feeding times. I don't feel like I have any time to enjoy my baby because the window of time when I'm not engaged in pumping or feeding I'm frantically trying to do everything else.
3. Under the current circumstances I have very little time to give Harper my full attention or any attention at all.
4. I have found I must pump at least once during the night to keep up my supply which leaves me with even less precious time to sleep.
5. Other people will continue to be able to feed Michael. Matt always takes one of the overnight feedings and that makes a huge difference in my ability to get some sleep.
6. There is at least one moment in every day when I want to collapse in tears because I just can't do this for one more minute.
So what do I do? The lactation consultant would have me give Michael at least another six to seven weeks to transition completely to the breast. The pediatrician says I have to weigh the benefit of breastfeeding against the stress of our current situation and will be totally understanding if I never use the breast pump again.
I am actually asking for advice here. I know that breast milk is the best for babies, but I also know that formula is not poison and may end up being the most realistic option for us. Please chime in here! I am calling on your collective wisdom for some guidance.
(Seriously, if you actually read all the way through this post, you must have formed some opinion. . . spill it!!!)
Saturday, May 03, 2008
The Results!
We have a winner! Erin correctly guessed what we used the pictured items for, and it was. . .
getting Vaseline out of Harper's hair! Woo-hoo for Erin, and also, ugh! Erin's guessing was aided by her memory that we have had a previous significant Vaseline incident. (Part of me is surprised more people didn't remember that; Tessie would call you skimmers!) I will be sending Erin a prize (If Erin were getting a gift card, do you think she'd prefer iTunes or Amazon?) I'm thinking that Emily should get a prize as well because her answer made me laugh the hardest. (Chicken pox, ha! And, thankfully, no!)
So here's what went down. . . Around 11 p. m. Monday night my mom (who was blessedly here for the week and is leaving tomorrow, boo hoo) comes into the bedroom holding a half empty and completely goopy tub of Vaseline and says, "I made a big mistake." She had inadvertently left the Vaseline on the nightstand when she put Harper to bed. Harper had enjoyed spreading it thoroughly all over one stuffed bear, her bedding, her headboard, her pajamas, and her head. Miraculously spared was a book of barnyard stories she'd been "reading" sometime during her busy night of getting in bed, smearing Vaseline all over, and falling asleep. We remove what we can without waking her and decide just to deal with the rest in the morning.
Tuesday morning Harper walks into our bedroom around 6 a.m. and says, "I put Vaseline all over my bear." I miraculously refrain from screaming and instead say, "Don't touch anything!" ushering her into the bathroom. There she is stripped of her saturated pajamas and plopped into the bathtub where the water beads up on her skin and multiple kinds of shampoo have no effect whatsoever on the petroleum jelly in her hair. My mom glommed her hair into pigtails and sent her off to school. We totally missed the opportunity to make some serious Pippy Longstocking braids. Harper's hair was so slick/stiff/greasy that we didn't so much brush or comb it as mold it.
While Harper was at school I decided to Google "removing Vaseline from hair" and got a batch of rather dubious suggestions, although one did turn out to be helpful. I also called the Vaseline company and wrote down their suggestion for removing the stuff from a person's hair.
Things the Internet suggested which did not work, and the order in which we tried them:
1) Baby Oil
In theory the application of baby oil was supposed to give the Vaseline something else to bind to and then be able to be washed out with regular shampoo. This did not work at all and I believe actually made things worse. Note to self: try to refrain from setting aside common sense when taking advice from the Internet.
2) Vinegar
This was also not helpful, stunk, freaked Harper out by stinking, but at least didn't make anything worse.
3) Ivory Dish Soap
While it may have washed the vinegar smell out of Harper's hair, it also had no effect whatsoever on the petroleum jelly/baby oil fiasco.
4) Baking Soda
Here we are back to the theory of giving the Vaseline something else to bind to. In hindsight this might have worked better if we'd put it on dry hair. It took a good half a box of baking soda dumped with desperation on Harper's head before deciding that maybe that wasn't working so well either.
Document A: A photo of Harper's wet hair with baking soda ineffectively worked into it.
We resisted the temptation to pour more vinegar over her head once it was covered with baking soda (Hello grade school science experiment!). More difficult to resist? Pouring lemon juice on it.
5) Lemon Juice
Harper hated the sensation of the bubbles caused by a lemon juice + baking soda treatment. (We should have made this more tolerable by warming the lemon juice a bit.) The adults involved (me, my mom, and Ann who had stopped by to drop some things off) were unfortunately highly encouraged by all the bubbles. Surely we were breaking up that darn Vaseline now!
6) Coke
What? I know! We were desperate, my back was sore from bending over the tub for an hour straight, Harper was getting cranky. Why not Coke? One of the sites suggested it, I think.
7) Dawn Dish Soap
Because it's not the same as Ivory. Our particular bottle of Dawn also had oxy action! And still didn't work!
We begin to think about shaving Harper's head. I'm actually not kidding.
We dry Harper's hair, well as much as we think it can be dried, and then put her down for a nap. I call several local salons and kiddie hair cut places, every last one suggests Dawn dish soap. I take Michael for an appointment at the hospital and ask several nurses what to do, again with the dish soap suggestions!
Finally, Tuesday evening, we try the magic combination of materials and steps which will ultimately do the trick. Without further ado, here is the proven method for removing copious amounts of Vaseline from very thin three-year-old hair:
1) Generously coat dry hair with corn starch.
2) Wrap corn starched hair with plastic wrap.
3) Apply heat with hair dryer for ten minutes.
4) Wash corn starch from hair with Dawn dish soap.
5) Apply more Dawn dish soap.
6) Wrap soapy hair with plastic wrap.
7) Apply heat with hair dryer for ten minutes.
8) Rinse.
We ended up doing this twice, but the second time we did not use the hair dryer we just let her plastic wrapped head sit for ten minutes. After the second treatment, Harper's hair was pretty much back to normal.
*****
I once had a high school English teacher praise me for being succinct, let's hope he isn't reading!
*****
Also from the vat of home remedies:
We are giving a constipated Michael the occasional ounce of diluted prune juice. This is under our doctor's advice, of course.
*****
It has taken me nearly three days to complete this post, including the last half hour of one-handed typing. Even with an extra adult in the house I can't seem to get anything accomplished!
getting Vaseline out of Harper's hair! Woo-hoo for Erin, and also, ugh! Erin's guessing was aided by her memory that we have had a previous significant Vaseline incident. (Part of me is surprised more people didn't remember that; Tessie would call you skimmers!) I will be sending Erin a prize (If Erin were getting a gift card, do you think she'd prefer iTunes or Amazon?) I'm thinking that Emily should get a prize as well because her answer made me laugh the hardest. (Chicken pox, ha! And, thankfully, no!)
So here's what went down. . . Around 11 p. m. Monday night my mom (who was blessedly here for the week and is leaving tomorrow, boo hoo) comes into the bedroom holding a half empty and completely goopy tub of Vaseline and says, "I made a big mistake." She had inadvertently left the Vaseline on the nightstand when she put Harper to bed. Harper had enjoyed spreading it thoroughly all over one stuffed bear, her bedding, her headboard, her pajamas, and her head. Miraculously spared was a book of barnyard stories she'd been "reading" sometime during her busy night of getting in bed, smearing Vaseline all over, and falling asleep. We remove what we can without waking her and decide just to deal with the rest in the morning.
Tuesday morning Harper walks into our bedroom around 6 a.m. and says, "I put Vaseline all over my bear." I miraculously refrain from screaming and instead say, "Don't touch anything!" ushering her into the bathroom. There she is stripped of her saturated pajamas and plopped into the bathtub where the water beads up on her skin and multiple kinds of shampoo have no effect whatsoever on the petroleum jelly in her hair. My mom glommed her hair into pigtails and sent her off to school. We totally missed the opportunity to make some serious Pippy Longstocking braids. Harper's hair was so slick/stiff/greasy that we didn't so much brush or comb it as mold it.
While Harper was at school I decided to Google "removing Vaseline from hair" and got a batch of rather dubious suggestions, although one did turn out to be helpful. I also called the Vaseline company and wrote down their suggestion for removing the stuff from a person's hair.
Things the Internet suggested which did not work, and the order in which we tried them:
1) Baby Oil
In theory the application of baby oil was supposed to give the Vaseline something else to bind to and then be able to be washed out with regular shampoo. This did not work at all and I believe actually made things worse. Note to self: try to refrain from setting aside common sense when taking advice from the Internet.
2) Vinegar
This was also not helpful, stunk, freaked Harper out by stinking, but at least didn't make anything worse.
3) Ivory Dish Soap
While it may have washed the vinegar smell out of Harper's hair, it also had no effect whatsoever on the petroleum jelly/baby oil fiasco.
4) Baking Soda
Here we are back to the theory of giving the Vaseline something else to bind to. In hindsight this might have worked better if we'd put it on dry hair. It took a good half a box of baking soda dumped with desperation on Harper's head before deciding that maybe that wasn't working so well either.
Document A: A photo of Harper's wet hair with baking soda ineffectively worked into it.
We resisted the temptation to pour more vinegar over her head once it was covered with baking soda (Hello grade school science experiment!). More difficult to resist? Pouring lemon juice on it.5) Lemon Juice
Harper hated the sensation of the bubbles caused by a lemon juice + baking soda treatment. (We should have made this more tolerable by warming the lemon juice a bit.) The adults involved (me, my mom, and Ann who had stopped by to drop some things off) were unfortunately highly encouraged by all the bubbles. Surely we were breaking up that darn Vaseline now!
6) Coke
What? I know! We were desperate, my back was sore from bending over the tub for an hour straight, Harper was getting cranky. Why not Coke? One of the sites suggested it, I think.
7) Dawn Dish Soap
Because it's not the same as Ivory. Our particular bottle of Dawn also had oxy action! And still didn't work!
We begin to think about shaving Harper's head. I'm actually not kidding.
We dry Harper's hair, well as much as we think it can be dried, and then put her down for a nap. I call several local salons and kiddie hair cut places, every last one suggests Dawn dish soap. I take Michael for an appointment at the hospital and ask several nurses what to do, again with the dish soap suggestions!
Finally, Tuesday evening, we try the magic combination of materials and steps which will ultimately do the trick. Without further ado, here is the proven method for removing copious amounts of Vaseline from very thin three-year-old hair:
1) Generously coat dry hair with corn starch.
2) Wrap corn starched hair with plastic wrap.
3) Apply heat with hair dryer for ten minutes.
4) Wash corn starch from hair with Dawn dish soap.
5) Apply more Dawn dish soap.
6) Wrap soapy hair with plastic wrap.
7) Apply heat with hair dryer for ten minutes.
8) Rinse.
We ended up doing this twice, but the second time we did not use the hair dryer we just let her plastic wrapped head sit for ten minutes. After the second treatment, Harper's hair was pretty much back to normal.
*****
I once had a high school English teacher praise me for being succinct, let's hope he isn't reading!
*****
Also from the vat of home remedies:
We are giving a constipated Michael the occasional ounce of diluted prune juice. This is under our doctor's advice, of course.
*****
It has taken me nearly three days to complete this post, including the last half hour of one-handed typing. Even with an extra adult in the house I can't seem to get anything accomplished!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Game Time
(No fair guessing if you know the answer from talking with me!)
Leave a comment if you care to guess what I used each of these things for today.
They were all used for the exact same purpose.
In no particular order:
baby oil
vinegar
lemon juice
baking soda
coke
dish detergent (two different varieties)
corn starch
If someone guesses the scenario correctly, there may be a prize!
Guesses due by Thursday, May 1st, at 10 p.m. Good luck.
Leave a comment if you care to guess what I used each of these things for today.
They were all used for the exact same purpose.
In no particular order:
baby oil
vinegar
lemon juice
baking soda
coke
dish detergent (two different varieties)
corn starch
If someone guesses the scenario correctly, there may be a prize!
Guesses due by Thursday, May 1st, at 10 p.m. Good luck.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Siblings
There are a lot of factors to consider when you decide how many children you'd like to have. To be honest, before we had kids at all, Matt and I thought we'd like a bigger family, maybe three or four kids (go ahead and laugh). Being parents to Harper was different from anything we'd imagined in so many ways (I thought I'd be much better at this mom thing!) and some of our thinking started to shift about what a good size for our family might be. So we hemmed and hawed a bit about the right spacing/timing and number of children to have, ultimately deciding on at least one more. Enter Michael.
There is something both exciting and scary about adding another child to the family dynamic and I knew, in my heart of hearts, that part of the reason I wanted another child was to give Harper a sibling. I know they won't always get along perfectly, but I hope Michael and Harper become close as they grow and end up seeing each other as the blessings we know they are.
Just before this photo, Harper asked Michael to make a silly face.
Here Harper is enacting some kind of scene from The Lion King.
We'll have to work on her propping ability.
Harper is playing "This Little Piggy" with Michael's toes; this may be one of the sweetest things I've ever witnessed.
I have been asked a lot whether Harper is enjoying being a big sister. If she's upset about it, she's only taking it out on us, not on Michael. It is difficult for her right now, because adult attention is in short supply, but she really does love her brother.
On the few occasions we've all been in the car Harper will offer reports from the back seat about what Michael is doing. "His face looks like this!" she'll say, and then squish her eyes shut to show us.
When Michael cries, she'll lean over the pack n' play and say, "Shhh, buddy, don't cry, the big sister is here." She also likes to tell him, "It's okay sweetheart."
Before I settled in to pump (for the millionth time) the other day, I asked Harper if she wanted to bring some toys into the room. "That's okay Mom," she said, "I'll just watch Michael."
I still feel the weight of this adjustment and find myself hanging on by a thread at many points during the day, but watching Harper with her brother makes me feel like our family is exactly as it is supposed to be.
There is something both exciting and scary about adding another child to the family dynamic and I knew, in my heart of hearts, that part of the reason I wanted another child was to give Harper a sibling. I know they won't always get along perfectly, but I hope Michael and Harper become close as they grow and end up seeing each other as the blessings we know they are.
Just before this photo, Harper asked Michael to make a silly face.
Here Harper is enacting some kind of scene from The Lion King.
We'll have to work on her propping ability.
Harper is playing "This Little Piggy" with Michael's toes; this may be one of the sweetest things I've ever witnessed.I have been asked a lot whether Harper is enjoying being a big sister. If she's upset about it, she's only taking it out on us, not on Michael. It is difficult for her right now, because adult attention is in short supply, but she really does love her brother.
On the few occasions we've all been in the car Harper will offer reports from the back seat about what Michael is doing. "His face looks like this!" she'll say, and then squish her eyes shut to show us.
When Michael cries, she'll lean over the pack n' play and say, "Shhh, buddy, don't cry, the big sister is here." She also likes to tell him, "It's okay sweetheart."
Before I settled in to pump (for the millionth time) the other day, I asked Harper if she wanted to bring some toys into the room. "That's okay Mom," she said, "I'll just watch Michael."
I still feel the weight of this adjustment and find myself hanging on by a thread at many points during the day, but watching Harper with her brother makes me feel like our family is exactly as it is supposed to be.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Least I Can Do
. . . is offer some more pictures.
It was just too beautiful not to go outside (the day we took these photos) but sheesh! even getting out into our own front yard for fifteen minutes felt like an ordeal. We're doomed!
It was just too beautiful not to go outside (the day we took these photos) but sheesh! even getting out into our own front yard for fifteen minutes felt like an ordeal. We're doomed!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
That Time Again
Spring 2006
Spring 2007
Spring 2008
If I want to take this same picture again next year, it looks like I'll need to plant some new daffodils. What happened to them???
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Still Here
My mom left this morning and we are still marching forward.
Matt's mom picked Harper up from school, took her to lunch, and got her to gymnastics tonight as I, apparently, can only manage one child at a time. I am thinking (hoping, praying) this will change -- not the fact that they are willing to help us, but rather my ability to parent both of my children.
Some photos so you know we are, in fact, alive over here:
Harper picked that mask from the Halloween store last October. She was there with Matt while I hosted a book club at our house. She discovered the mask when we were cleaning out closets to get the bedrooms switched. Lovely.
Here's Michael in a photo taken today, six days beyond the one month mark. Something I wished I'd done with Harper was take a monthly photo of her in the same spot to sort of document her growth. Even though I missed one month exactly, I thought I could still make an attempt with Michael. This is probably a terrible thing to say about your child, but when he lays with his arms and legs like that? I can't help but notice a resemblance to a Butterball turkey, if you were getting a turkey to feed only two people.
We had a check with the pediatrician yesterday and Michael now weighs 6 pounds, 2 ounces. So at least he's eating. I can't manage to do much else, but I am managing to fatten up the baby.
Matt's mom picked Harper up from school, took her to lunch, and got her to gymnastics tonight as I, apparently, can only manage one child at a time. I am thinking (hoping, praying) this will change -- not the fact that they are willing to help us, but rather my ability to parent both of my children.
Some photos so you know we are, in fact, alive over here:
Harper picked that mask from the Halloween store last October. She was there with Matt while I hosted a book club at our house. She discovered the mask when we were cleaning out closets to get the bedrooms switched. Lovely.
Here's Michael in a photo taken today, six days beyond the one month mark. Something I wished I'd done with Harper was take a monthly photo of her in the same spot to sort of document her growth. Even though I missed one month exactly, I thought I could still make an attempt with Michael. This is probably a terrible thing to say about your child, but when he lays with his arms and legs like that? I can't help but notice a resemblance to a Butterball turkey, if you were getting a turkey to feed only two people.
We had a check with the pediatrician yesterday and Michael now weighs 6 pounds, 2 ounces. So at least he's eating. I can't manage to do much else, but I am managing to fatten up the baby.
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