Kids say the darndest things edition

Since I became a mother, I've given up on the luxury of being able to go to the bathroom by myself. I'm sure it'll happen again someday, but for now I'm resigned to the fact that one of my children will always walk in when I'm otherwise indisposed.

What happened yesterday, though, really topped it off.

After running around town for nearly four hours, we finally made it home and I raced into the bathroom. I hadn't been in there for 60 seconds, when the Squid came tearing down the hall and into the bathroom yelling "Mommy, mommy. I need to potty."

I told her that it was good that she realized she needed to go to the bathroom, but that she needed to wait for me to finish. (Or heaven forbid, use the other bathroom.) I'd be done in a couple minutes and then she could have the potty to herself.

This did not go over as expected. She stood there staring at me for about 30 seconds and then said (and I quote), "Hurry up, mommy. You're wasting my time!"

I fought off the laughter (I can only imagine what I was keeping my 3-year-old from)... but Mark did not.

Unfortunately, he walked by at that exact moment and - you guessed it - literally doubled over w/ laughter, ruining any chance that the Squid won't repeat the phrase the next time she finds me on the potty when she needs to go.

I suppose I should be happy that she has good grammar, but geesh! Can't a mom get 60 seconds to use the bathroom?!?

I survived a vampire mauling

It's true. A deliriously adorable female vampire we call "the Monkey" recently mauled my breast. I won't reveal which one, but needless to say, I have the teeth marks and bruises to prove it. There was nothing vindictive about the attack -- 8-month-old's don't know about vindictiveness -- but it hurt like hell and that evening's meal came to a quick end as the baby was put to bed and I retreated to the bathroom for antiseptic and an assortment of bandages.

Most of my friends think I've been spending too much time absorbing all-things Twilight and TrueBlood, but my theory that we spawned a vampire isn't completely nuts. I will admit to spending too much time pondering this particular strain of thought, but stay with me for a minute and consider my points.

1/ She has teeth...lots and lots of sharp teeth. The Monkey has 8 teeth and she's only 8-months-old! I'm not kidding. Two are only partly through, but the 6 that have sprouted through are hard to miss. And they're SHARP! The Squid, in comparison, didn't get her first tooth until she was around 10-months-old and while it was sharp, she has nothing on her sister's teeth.

2/ She's fast. The monkey crawls like the wind and is trying so very hard to stand on her own, without any assistance from people, furniture. She can be across the house in the time it takes someone to open the blinds.

3/ She's beautiful. This actually goes w/o saying. Both my girls are beautiful- whether one or both have some vampire in them. (Not that I'm biased or anything)

4/ She comes from a long line of Unitarian Universalists. So this one may be stretching a bit (okay, a lot), but she's being raised as a Unitarian Universalist. Both her parents are UU's, as are her maternal and paternal grandmothers, and one of her maternal great-grandmothers. Unitarian Universalism traces its early days to Transylvania.... you get my drift. Crazy, but you can't argue facts.

I could go on, but those are the main points. Seems too striking to ignore, yet is bound to get me locked up if I tell too many people... Back to reading "Dead to the World" interspersed w/ as much of Schiller's "On the Aesthetic Education of Man" as I can stand.

The monkey's new bed - and mommy's guilt

It has been almost 2 weeks since we moved the monkey into her own crib in her own room, yet I'm as conflicted now as I was that first night. I know that it was time - actually it was WAAAY past time to move her out of our bedroom, but I still miss having her in the little bassinet beside the bed. I still miss hearing her breathe in and out and listening to her shuffle around the bassinet to get comfortable.

I think it gets back to the mommy guilt that doesn't ever seem to escape. You know, the guilt that I only get a few hours a day with my girls because I have to work outside the home. Being a SAHM was never an option for me but that doesn't mean I don't feel bad about spending any time away from my children. It's hard to admit because I can't actually imagine not working outside the home. I love having daily contact with adults and feeling needed by people other than my blood relatives, but there are days when I wish I could stay home, take the girls to the park, make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch, and watch the Little Mermaid when the temp soared above 100 degrees. I still feel guilty, though.

I feel guilty taking 15 minutes to update this blog (thus, the few blog entries these past few months). I feel guilty going to the gym after work and leaving them w/ yet another caregiver. (thus, I pay for memberships at 2 gyms - the one at work so I can workout on my lunch break and 24 hour fitness- which I've had forever and consequently, pay so little that it would be a crime to not keep paying the monthly fee.) The squid actually loves going to the "indoor gym" on the weekends, but I'd rather spend the time I do have w/ them pushing the jogging stroller around the neighborhood than racing on the elliptical at the gym. If strangers knew about my guilt, they'd probably think I was Catholic or Jewish - but I'm not. I'm a born and bred Unitarian Universalist.

Enough with the pity party. Yes, I'm guilty of feeling guilty. What mother isn't?

I'll tell you what I don't feel guilty about. I don't feel guilty that:
1/ I don't cook nutritious meals for my family. My husband is a MUCH better cook and his meals are both nutritious and INCREDIBLE.
2/ I enjoy an occasional glass of wine and/or a margarita, even while I'm still nursing. French women do it and I consume enough food at dinner to more than make up for the tiny bit of alcohol that might grace my stomach.
3/ Our children go to bed later than many. When the cook doesn't get home until 7 or later, it's impossible to eat before 8 p.m. I like to say that we're on a European schedule! I don't feel guilty because we all eat together and we all eat the same thing - no chicken fingers and fries for the kids while the adults eat grilled chicken w/ asparagus and garlic jalapeno mashed sweet potatoes. We all eat the same thing or nothing.
4/And I don't feel guilty for loving my girls unconditionally. They deserve nothing less.

Tweets of Life

Here are a few examples of how our life is going...via @365DaysofCake

April 28, 2010 - 2-year-old: I want to go to Target. Me: Ok, we need to go get dog food. 2 yo (on way to store): I want to go home. Ugh.

April 27, 2010 - The fact that our nearly 3-year-old now has "attitude" would be funny if it weren't so trying.

April 24, 2010 - Made it 3 miles w/ the double jogging stroller this a.m. Not the first time, but probably the fastest.

April 19, 2010 - Our family's Sunday afternoon activity: http://ow.ly/1Ap4r #urbanchicken #coop

April 17, 2010 - Putting away the monkey's 0-3 mo clothes today. Can't believe she's already 4 months! Time flies.

April 15, 2010 - Being awake @ 3 a.m. should be illegal.

April 14, 2010 - Why do babies always feel like playing @ 2 a.m.?

The Four-Month Checkup -- Baby Development Month by Month -- WhatToExpect.com

The Four-Month Checkup -- Baby Development Month by Month -- WhatToExpect.com

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Few Women Get Enough Exercise During Pregnancy

Luckily for both my girls' sakes, this was not my problem:

Few Women Get Enough Exercise During Pregnancy

Families in front of Eastport, and Passamaquoddy Bay by Thomas Chambers_007

Families in front of Eastport, and Passamaquoddy Bay by Thomas Chambers_007
Originally uploaded by Center for Creative Connections

And here's the three of us at the event- mommy, the monkey and the squid!

Families in front of Eastport, and Passamaquoddy Bay by Thomas Chambers_008

Families in front of Eastport, and Passamaquoddy Bay by Thomas Chambers_008
Originally uploaded by Center for Creative Connections

Savena at the DMA's March 2009 family day! She's such a ham. When she saw the photo set and green screen, she immediately ran up and perched herself in front of the camera.

Catching up

(This was written on 3/23/10.)

Today is the proverbial first day of the next chapter of our lives as parents. Today is the first day I actually return to the regular working world of a 9-5 job...or in my case, 7:30 - 4:30 p.m. I've been working on a special assignment for a week, but thanks to a wonderful boss, I've been able to do it from the comforts of my home, with my beautiful baby girl by my side.

Needless to say, Miss Cora Ann arrived safe and sound at 6:19 p.m. December 16, weighing in at 8 lbs. 4 oz. They measured her at 18.5 inches, but that was at least an inch short. Those darn newborns - always scrunching up their legs! j/k. Like her big sister, Savena, aka the squid, the "monkey" came exactly five days early. Must be something about my body that says 'I'm done' on that particular day. One thing that's certainly true - second babies do come much, much quicker. Cora took a whopping 15 hours - one third the time it took the squid to make her grand appearance back in June 2007. It also took much less time "pushing" as well. Mark likes to tell friends that it only took 3 pushes and there she was, but I think it was actually more like 3 rounds of pushes. I'll spare you the details, but it was much quicker. I like to think that I learned how to push w/ the squid! The only negative outcome of pushing so hard was that I threw my neck out and was in major, major pain until our neighbor told me that the pain was likely exacerbated by the epidural and that I needed caffeine. A cup of black tea later I was already feeling better - with fewer painkillers!

Life since Cora's birth has been a whirlwind of doctor's visits, walks in the park, lazy mornings, plane trips to Gaga and Papa Chris' house, play dates and snow. Yes, snow. In Dallas and Santa Fe. We've actually christened Cora the snow princess because since her birth, Dallas has seen more snow than it has in decades. We've had more than 17" inches this winter - and I'm honestly not sure if that's since Dec. 21 or Jan. 1. We even had a white Christmas! Go figure.

Fetal Position - 32 Weeks Pregnant -- Fetal Development This Week -- WhatToExpect.com

Fetal Position - 32 Weeks Pregnant -- Fetal Development This Week -- WhatToExpect.com

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The squid's budding vocabulary

Sorry I've been so negligent in updating this blog. It seems like everyday I have something I want to post about, but either have to compile a cognizant blog entry over on RaceTrackHollow for class or am chasing Savena around the house while trying to read Marx! Ugh. Ok, so that was just Sunday evening.

Savena's vocabulary is, not surprisingly, growing every day. She has yet to say her own name, preferring to call herself "me" rather than Savena. I'm just "mommy," but Mark is either "daddy" or "Mark Shear." Not sure where she picked that up, but it's pretty cute. Devin is "sissy" and Ms. Jeane, her sitter, is Nini.. or is it Neenee. Not sure, but the J never comes out.

Her other fave words/phrases include:
BABAR* (her favorite show. Of course, it's also one of the few she has seen)
More peas (more please.)
Apple
Boots
Dutty (Dusty, one of our dogs)
Hey!
Go person, go! (usually when we're stuck in traffic)
Huh. (This one drives me crazy, but at least she hasn't started saying "Do what?" yet. She may be put up for adoption if that starts. :-) J/K )
Acorn, leef (leaf)
Duck, dog, skirl (squirrel), cowww (cow)
Juice
Dora (has seen the show once, but she has a Dora doll)
My baby.
Belly, elbow, leg, knee, feet, eye, noz (nose), ear, mouth
sky, rain
plane (she adores planes - takes after her mamma!)
No, peas. (When you ask her to do something, she says this instead of 'no, thank you' if she doesn't want to have anything to do with it.)

In other news, the monkey's growing every day. We're definitely going to have a very active little one on our hands when she makes her arrival in 8-9 weeks. Part of me can't believe it's almost time, but then my brain kicks in and reminds me that there's a reason I haven't had a margarita since March. Due date is still 12/21, but Mark's taking bets that the baby comes in early December. We'll see.

New Squidisms

Savena and Mark were merging onto Central the other day when the car in front of them slowed WAY down. Without missing a beat, she yelled out "Go, people, go!" Gotta love that kid!

It's a boy, it's a girl..it's a MONKEY!!!!

Just kidding. No monkeys here! We're calling the baby "the monkey" a la "the squid", but we did actually find out what we're having this time. Drumroll please...it's a GIRL! I think Mark put it best when he saw the sonogram - "Yup. Nothing (hanging) there. Must be a girl." Mark was hoping for a little boy, but it deliriuosly excited about adding a third girl to the world. Just think - by the end of the year we'll have the Big Princess (Devin), the Little Princess/Squid (Savena) and a Duchess (Name still in progress). You must have been born before 12/25/78 to be a Queen, so I'm still the only Queen in the house. Woo hoo!!

The due date is the same: Dec. 21. Dr. D is happy with the baby's growth, heart rate, etc. I'm exhausted much of the time, but am eating well and re-learning how to sleep with my growing belly. It's at times like this that I wish sleeping on my stomach wasn't my preferred position. Oh, well. It's only for another 17 weeks - maybe less, if "the monkey" comes early. Her big sister did, so we're hoping that she'll decide to make her entrance at least a few days early to avoid some of the pre-holiday madness.

Life is pretty hectic right now. Ginger moved to Houston, so Mark's in the midst of training a new employee. She's very nice, but change is hard, particularly when you've been working with someone for close to 10 years. I just started grad school again. I'm only taking one class this semester, but between work, raising a two-year-old, "growing" another child and everything else - I feel that I'm in for a really long semester. The best part is that my (work) office was recently moved to new digs across campus and there's black stuff falling from the air vents!! Fun times. It's not that surprising given the building's age, but it's still enough to make a pregnant girl worry. Facilities is supposedly on it, so hopefully it'll be cleared up soon.

Then there's the swine flu pandemic swirling around. I know that pregnant women are supposed to be first in line for the vaccine, but I'm very conflicted about getting it. Nobody has any clue how it'll impact the fetus, yet they're encouraging us to get one. I need to keep gathering info/recs from the infectious disease specialists I work with and my own personal physicians. I'm leaning toward not getting one, but will probably change my mind a dozen times in the next few days alone. The good thing is that I still have some time. It's not like they're going to have a vaccine until mid-October.

As you can probably imagine, every day is a new adventure with Savena. Her vocabulary is expanding and she loves everything - particularly if it involves being outdoors. Here's a sampling of her new words:

More peas. (More please)
Apple
Mark (she occasionally calls her daddy this, much to his disdain.)
Tummy
Baby
Elbow
Knee
Sissy

That's all for now. :-)

Fetus Hair Growth - 22 Weeks Pregnant -- Fetal Development This Week -- WhatToExpect.com

Fetus Hair Growth - 22 Weeks Pregnant -- Fetal Development This Week -- WhatToExpect.com

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Fetal Nervous System - 18 Weeks Pregnant -- Fetal Development This Week -- WhatToExpect.com

Fetal Nervous System - 18 Weeks Pregnant -- Fetal Development This Week -- WhatToExpect.com

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How do you update a blog that you've been meaning to update for close to 6 weeks but haven't had time? You just start. So, here goes.

Much has been happening to our growing family since the last post, chiefly that both Savena and the baby have gotten bigger and we've all gotten older. Just kidding.

Savena did have her first dentist appointment. That was fun! Just kidding again. Mark will be taking her to the next appt. The dentist was nice and courteous, but wasn't who we wanted to see - evidently the staff didn't understand that we were going there to see one particular dentist - and only her. The whole reason we went to this place was to see a new pediatric dentist who Mark has been seeing as a patient since she was a teenager. We wanted to support her, but then didn't even get to see her. Savena got a pink balloon and a toothbrush, but I'm going to try to avoid dental offices with McDonald's style play yards on Saturday mornings. It was a bit much.

Savena also celebrated her second birthday on June 26! We had her party at Heights Park just down the street from our house and as luck would have it - it was one of the hottest days of the year. I think it actually topped out around 103 degrees right in the middle of the party. A friend said it sounded like the perfect Jeff Foxworthy joke - you know you live in Texas if the birthday cake icing melts! Yes, the icing melted - but Savena didn't mind. She wolfed down more cake than anyone else - and still had room for dinner about 2 hours later. (I have to credit Tom Thumb here. The one at Coit and Campbell makes the absolute best cakes! Be sure to check them out if you live in Texas.) I swear that she must have a tapeworm: our girl can eat...and eat...and eat some more. So, it was hot - but fun. A bunch of her friends came, as did Mudge, Grandma Beth, Aunt Amy and Uncle Will.

What else is there to say?
I've decided that being pregnant in July is no fun. Should have planned this better, but too late now. Please don't remind me about August. I plan to spend the entire month in the pool. If only, right!?! I had my first sonogram about 3 weeks ago now and our great Dr. D said that everything looks great. It's too early to tell the sex (yes, we're going to find out this time) but the baby is very, very, very active. Dr. D actually had a hard time getting all the measurements because he/she was practically doing backflips. Mark thought it was awesome, but we're both a little worried about what's to come. You know the saying "If we'd had the second one first, we never would have had more?" Well, that may hold true....we'll just have to see. We're still more excited than anything. Savena doesn't really understand, yet, but we're trying to get the message across. She already points to my belly and says "baby." She points to Mark's and her own belly and says the same thing, but it's a start.

Back to the baby: The due date is still Dec. 21, but evidently we have neighbors taking bets that I won't last that long. I'm definitely getting bigger faster this time around, but I haven't gained much weight. And we're not having twins - we made Dr. D double-check that fact.

Ooops, I've rambled on too long and must get back to work. Lunch break's over. More to come...sooner this time.

News about the Three Bears

Mark and I are expecting another baby! Yes, I'm pregnant. I'm 12 weeks along, so we're wrapping up the first trimester. Besides feeling physicaly exhausted, things are going really well. We had our first doctor visit a few weeks ago and Dr. Dinh said the baby is due on Dec. 21, 2009 (my grandpa's birthday!!). The due date could change, but that's the current expected arrival. We don't yet know the sex, but many of you will be glad to know that we are leaning toward finding out this time. I have my first sonogram on June 16, so we may actually be able to find out then. We'll just have to see. Savena was turned in such a way that they really couldn't tell at that first sonogram, but maybe this one will be different. Who knows, right? It's a completely new adventure but one that we're thrilled about.
Love to all.

Another reason I love being a mom

The other day, I was dashing out the front door at 7 a.m. when I heard these little feet patter up behind me. Savena's normally still in bed at this time, but it was Friday, so she was up and getting ready for Mark to give her a bath. Anyway, I turned around to see the squid smiling up at me like she wanted to say goodbye. I kneeled down and was about to give her a hug when she planted a kiss right on my lips, turned and sped off across the living room. Awwww. (Cue the angels). Talk about making your day start on the right foot! It certainly made mine. :-)

Deciphering Savena

Kids say the darndest things, right! That's certainly true of Savena. Trying to figure out exactly what she's saying is another matter entirely. While she very clearly understands just about everything we say to her, she hasn't exactly busted out in song ... yet. For those of you unfamiliar with toddler vernacular, I offer this introduction to our world.

Mama mama mama mama - That's obviously me.

Dada dada dada - another easy one.

Daug or dawg - that's dog, with a sharp 'g'

Peas - Please, not peas, though she does enjoy them.

pupl - On the rare occasion that she says purple, it sounds more like puple. Maybe we should try violet.

Pi pi pi pi - If she tells us she has to go to the bathroom, this is her preferred verbage. She rarely does this until afterwards, but we're trying.

Bu or blu - Blue

Dor - Door

No - That's also with a sharp o. It usually goes something like "No, dawg."

More to tome.

The little exhibitionist

I always knew this day would come. The day when we'd open the bedroom door to find the squid traipsing around in her birthday suit. I'm not sure why I thought this would happen later in life, but I did.

Unfortunately, I missed the first event. It happened at our sitter's house. Evidently, Jeane heard Savena talking to herself in the nursery/crib room, so she went to get her up from her nap. When she opened the door, she came face to face - or should I say face to "cheek" -- with the squid standing straight up in bed wearing nothing but her socks. Somehow or other, she'd managed to get her shirt, undershirt, pants and diaper off and was just having a grand ol' time leaning up against the railing. She didn't have as much luck getting her diaper off the next day, but she has decided to practice her new skill as often as possible.

Now to the conundrum: I have absolutely no problem with her showing some skin (she's only 21 months old, after all) but I do wonder when and how to address the topic of when it's ok and when it's not ok to run around naked. Is this even something parents address with kids nowadays? The last thing I want to do is pass my own shortcomings on to her, so I'm tempted to just let things go for the time being, maybe bring it up in a year if she starts to make a habit of it. It is pretty cute, after all! My only goal is for her to love herself as she is and not feel ashamed or that she has to cover herself up.

Until next time, be sure to enjoy the sunshine, dance naked in your room, and take a toddler for a walk. :-)

P.S. The pic is of Savena applying her lipstick (lip gloss). She's such a girly girl!