From Tiaras to Teething Rings: Competitive Mommying Part 1

From Tiaras to Teething Rings: Competitive Mommying Part 1: So after meeting a girlfriend for coffee today…I realized that competitive mommying, as I like to call it, starts in the womb. Its a little ...

Competitive Mommying Part 1

So after meeting a girlfriend for coffee today…I realized that competitive mommying, as I like to call it, starts in the womb. Its a little hard to tell which side, pre or post womb, is more competitive…but here is my take. For the in the womb mommy battles, there appears to be 3 main components:

1)Mommy weight gain in pounds: Nobody wants to gain the most. Everybody wants to be "all belly." Ok ok, so I am super duper guilty of this desire except the fact of the matter is I was the size of a small beluga whale. Yes, I somehow managed to gain 60lbs eating fruits and veggies with a cookie tossed in here and there. I try to blame the majority of the weight gain on bed rest this but we will never really know why I desired to look like a beached whale. I always thought that I would be this hip and chic pregnant girl glowing from head to toe, but who doesn't want to look like that?!?!

2)Size of supposed baby in belly: Ok, so while preggers I too wanted this humongo baby. I now ask myself what the heck was I thinking?!?! Who wants to birth a huge butterball turkey?!?!? Not me! So, if we are going to be honest here…I think I was secretly hoping for this HUGE baby so that there would be less weight to lose after the dude was born. Not my luck…our little senor was just a mere 6 lbs and 7 whole ounces! The doctor told us at least 8 lbs but they never really know for sure until the babe arrives. What was the point in gaining 60lbs for a 6 pound and some change baby???? I sure as heck don't know. As I was so deflated when they yelled out my little man's weight, I even asked if they were sure that there wasn't another one in there. Holy smokes…53.5lbs to lose after a c-section???? Oy Vay!

3)Infant trivia: Ok, so that may sound a little weird but for all you mommies and mommies-to-be …you know its true. It seems like everyone has done the most or best research on baby goods for their registry. But, lets face it…we all have different tastes and needs, thus we all seem to pick different items, but we all think what we have is the best and most definitely will tell you why. So it actually can be pretty funny watching new moms and moms-to-be critique baby registries. So while infant trivia is quite entertaining already, it does not seem to end there. It gets really funny when all these mommies…ok, ok, I know I am included here…get going on crib bumpers, co-sleeping, bottles, baby carriers, colic and it seriously could go on for decades. I think the funniest part about infant trivia is the back chatter after moms get together. The "i cant believe she thinks la la la.."Too funny!

Stay tuned for Part 2...

Kids do the darndest things :)

The other day I had a 2.5 inch slit open to the yard where the dogs so I could refill water bowls and such. I usually set my little guy at the end of the hallway to give myself a running start to this activity. The kid isn't walking yet but he is a serious kind of crawler who follows me everywhere :) It seemed that in less than a blink of an eye I turned around and my little guy had followed me into the guest room and was standing in the sliding doorway I had slightly opened. hmmmmm…what was he planning on doing. I know he loves the dogs but they aren't quite as much a fan of him as he is of them. First, came the wave and then the "da da da da," which in little senor's language is "Doggies!" A few licks of the face and a few little fits of giggling and then the cutest things happened. He reached into the dog biscuit box. I thought to myself…whats the worst thing that could happen here. Maybe he will grab a biscuit and try it out. He is not a great solid food eater so I wasn't too concerned about him eating a biscuit and liking it…lol. Plus, who wants to eat lamb and rice dog biscuits. Yuck! So here is what happened...he reached into the box, grabbed a biscuit and handed one to our oldest dog Madison. On first thought, she wasn't sure she should take one but then decided on a very quick second thought… you could see her thinking it's a biscuit…give it to me! With the success of the first biscuit, my lil man was ear to ear smiles. In the box he went for biscuit #2. Success again with Memphis! Back in the box for the third time and I lifted him up to give it to Digger who also was unsure of whether to take the biscuit. With an OK from mom…biscuit was taken and happily eaten and I was ear to ear smiles. It was in that moment, I felt so lucky to be able to be home for such an event. Its crazy how fast kids learn and mimic. I guess it is time for me to be on my best behavior :)

Stroller Wars

Alright…so I officially feel like a mom with this blog entry. Really??? Stroller wars??? Self…get a hold yourself…lol. So true though. Just as of late I have traded (bought and sold on Craigslist..yes I am an avid Craigslister)the bain of my existence although pretty stroller for a utility-based stroller that brings daily joy into my life :) *Disclaimer: Bob stroller not up for discussion…awesome…a little bulky but awesome!

Ok, so I think I started out on the wrong foot with the stroller.

Problem 1: Did not consult other mommies about what stroller to purchase while preggers
Problem 2: Watched You Tube videos to see how to use stroller
Problem 3: Purchased stroller based on You Tube videos and looks

So you might ask…what the heck can of stroller did I buy pre-babe? A Bugaboo Cameleon. First I was drawn to the options this stroller comes with. It has a bassinet, car seat adapter and toddler seat. Now what pregnant mom did not envision herself strolling down a tree lined street pushing a bassinet "Father of the Bride 2" style??? Not only did this vision sell me, the you tube videos are awesome. I highly suggest if any one is bored to start checking out the baby product you tube how-to videos. I swear you will end up buying a product because it looks like so much fun to try all the options these items suggest and they all make it look so easy. I had this same sort of strange desire to buy the magic bullet because I loved the informercials so much. Ok, so I realize I am getting off topic. So the Bugaboo…love the way it looks and it folds up pretty compact; however, it is difficult turn the baby around in the middle of a walk and assembly and breakdown require to baby-free hands. Now when I was pregnant and someone told me that babies like to turn directions…I would have thought you all were nuts. Seriously!!! Don't all babies just face outward and check out the world??? Ok, so here is a perfect example: I was on a walk and the little guy was facing outward and then in the snap of a finger decided he needed to be in on a conversation I was having with my girlfriend and he started to fuss and cry. Seems that at the beginning of any fuss…I go into a tailspin wanting to make it stop. With my bugaboo, its really hard to unsnap the seat, pick up the seat and turn it around with baby in it and re-snap it in. Is it impossible? No. Would it make my life easier if the seat rotated…yes! So this among other issues with my Bugaboo, like the single drink holder that leaves a lot to be desired, the terrible customer service, the fact that the stroller was too wide to fit in a lot of store aisles and the requirement of two hands for assembly and breakdown made me give this stroller the boot. So back on Craigslist it went and on the hunt for a new stroller I went. So what did I find? The Orbit :) Designed by two engineers, this whole stroller is about ease and utility. You can pop the car seat right onto the stroller, pop that off and attach a bassinet or toddler seat. All items can turn 360 degrees at the drop of a hat. You can steer the stroller with one arm while holding baby in your other arm…YES! Two drinks in the drink holder. Why is this a must have? One for water and one for coffee :) The toddler stroller seat also works as a high chair at restaurants. In two seconds, the baby is able to slide under the table and face the dining table as well as being the perfect height.So now when the little senor fusses mid walk...I simply lift two levers and spin him around. Sweet! Fuss averted! Yes! One last fantastic feature, ok well maybe two..no really probably a dozen more but we will stick to two, is that I can fold up the whole thing with one hand and its made with all okeo-tex green materials that are wonderful on little senor's sensitive skin. One more thing, all the seating attachments have fabulous full covering sunshades that also have a full-length cover attached to them so if the baby is sleeping you can pull it right over them. No more blankets over the stroller to keep the sun out. Oh, Oh the car seat base allows you to turn the car seat towards you to fasten or take out the kid and turn back to rear facing…So stinking easy! Love it! I could go on and on and on. Orbit…you rock my world so much that I just put a sticker on the back of my car. I know I surprised even myself with that one. Yes, I feel like starting the Orbit Stroller fan club…it could be ilke the Eichler home club for strollers….hmmmm…I think I am on to something…lol…

So what I have learned about myself: Utility, ease and organic seem to trump everything :) But seriously…did I just write a blog post about strollers and wanting to start a stroller fan club…OY VAY!

From Tiaras to Teething Rings: UNCLE!!!!

From Tiaras to Teething Rings: UNCLE!!!!: "Yes, thats me yelling UNCLE and holding up the white truce flag. Why you might ask? Well, for awhile here its been fairly easy hanging with..."

UNCLE!!!!

Yes, thats me yelling UNCLE and holding up the white truce flag. Why you might ask? Well, for awhile here its been fairly easy hanging with the little guy, running errands, going places as long as it was between the baby business hours of 8am-4pm. As of late, thats all changed and I think I have lost every shred of dignity that was lingering around me. How so? Everything was manageable prior to the dude learning how to crawl.That was only a mere month ago at the ripe age of 6.5 months. I know some people are really impressed with this, but while its nice to check off a new skill learned…its a game changer. Now, that he is able to use his legs, his new hobby has been crawling up mom at all times. No, he cannot be still like most babies. In his mind, why not crawl up moms love handles while pulling down her shirt, stick a finger up her nose and pull out her hair and maybe having a foot slip down her shirt. Fun right??? You betcha!!! Especially while trying to have a meaningful conversation with someone. Everyone always says…awww how cute…boys will be boys….Ahhhhhh!!!! I always thought I would be one of those put together mamas looking cute all the time with my sweet boy attached to my side. Ha! I do have a sweet boy that I love to death but about me being put together…not even close! As of late, Im lucky if I come home resembling the person that left the house the house earlier that morning. Lets just say mirrors are not my friends.

One would also think that by learning how to crawl that this would be enough for the dude for a LONG while…nope!!!! As soon as he mastered getting his crawl on, then came the crawl to sit, the sit to knee pull-up, the full on pull-up and now attempting to walk last night…WHY???? I am not going to lie here…its really neat to watch how excited he gets about how mobile he is getting, but I would be totally, totally, totally fine with him waiting to walk for another 6 months at the minimum. I mean for goodness sakes, there is no need to rush here. Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. Why am I yelling UNCLE at the top of my lungs??? Well, after thinking that his crazy busy behavior was a small passing phase, I have learned that it is not. I kept thinking that if I just continued on with my life the way it has been, going out to our favorite restaurants, shops and so on…he would just adjust, hang out and chill. No! He always wants to be on the move and yabbering at the top of his lungs. This is where a small problem comes in…while I am not any where close to be a germophobe…all floors are not suitable for crawling even by my standards. So what do you do in this sort of situation. I give in advance. For example, I have been looking forward to going to Miss California for months now to see friends, meet up with my other Miss CA has beens and most importantly see my little sis give up her title, but I feel like if I cry UNCLE in advance I just may be saving myself from disaster. Can you imagine getting all dressed up, hair done and then taking the little guy with me to the pre-pageant reception and then having him pull my hair out, fingers up nose, foot down dress and throwing the nursing cover off??? I can…and thats where my last remaining shreds of dignity will be lost. Like everything, this too shall pass but I think I rather have it pass in the comfort of my own home..lol!

Developmental Milestones…Love 'em or Hate 'em

So recently at one our 6-12 month parent classes, the facilitator passed out recommended developmental milestones for babies birth to 12 months. She asked all of us to check off where our babes were from birth to 7 months. Could they sit on their own, were they rolling over, were they babbling, blowing bubbles, putting things in their mouths, etc. As I was looking at the check off sheets…I started to think. What if the little guy was one of the babies that wasn't hitting these supposed milestones? How would I feel? Should I have read him more Baby Einstein books and less Dr. Suess? Was I doing something wrong as a mom? And then I stepped back and really thought about all of this. Did it really matter that much? The answer is generally, no. What would it mean if the little senor couldn't do these things…I don't know.

Would he thrive in life if he couldn't roll over? So after class, I called my mom. I asked her if I hit all the "supposed" milestones on time. She replied, I don't know that was over 29 years ago. Why are you asking me? Are you having difficulty rolling over, sitting, sticking things in your mouth??? No, I replied and started to laugh. This is when I realized that it is nice to double check to see if your baby is growing on target but these are general milestones. Some you will hit early and others late but at the end of the day as long as you have a happy , thriving baby thats all that really matters :)