The little man had his 4 month check up today. He is 15 pounds and 25 inches. And perfect. Love that face.
Friday, July 30, 2010
4 Months Old
The little man had his 4 month check up today. He is 15 pounds and 25 inches. And perfect. Love that face.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Rollin' on a River
Milestones are supposed to be a source of pride for parents, but right now at 4:17 in the morning all I can think of is "Holy crap Oliver why did you learn to roll over?"
Both my kids were early rollers, rolling from tummy to back before they were 4 weeks old. Go them! It's not going to get them into a better college, but it's still a small source of pride. Zoe followed a more traditional path of going back to tummy at 6 months, but Oliver took the plunge at 3 1/2 months. Now at 4 months he's stopped dabbling in the roll, and has taken it into the crib with him. There's just one small problem: He's not entirely sure how to sleep on his stomach. He's confused, he's scared, he's frustrated, he's having complex emotions thrust onto him by his tired mother, you get the idea. Essentially he can't figure it out. We flip him onto his back, he goes right back to his stomach and cries. Dr. Jena (shout out for Boulevard Pediatrics!) told me to let him cry it out because he has to figure it out for himself. I agree and that's what we've been doing, but it is so sad.
Zoe had an angry cry. Even at the depth of her crying she still just sounded pissed off. Oliver, whenever he cries, sounds as if his cat was just run over by the person who told him there was no Santa Claus on the day everyone forgot his birthday. Needless to say, it is a pitiful and heartbreaking cry. And it's even worse at 3 a.m.
I know with sleep training it gets a little better each night, and I'm crossing my fingers that tomorrow night is better for him, and for us.
Both my kids were early rollers, rolling from tummy to back before they were 4 weeks old. Go them! It's not going to get them into a better college, but it's still a small source of pride. Zoe followed a more traditional path of going back to tummy at 6 months, but Oliver took the plunge at 3 1/2 months. Now at 4 months he's stopped dabbling in the roll, and has taken it into the crib with him. There's just one small problem: He's not entirely sure how to sleep on his stomach. He's confused, he's scared, he's frustrated, he's having complex emotions thrust onto him by his tired mother, you get the idea. Essentially he can't figure it out. We flip him onto his back, he goes right back to his stomach and cries. Dr. Jena (shout out for Boulevard Pediatrics!) told me to let him cry it out because he has to figure it out for himself. I agree and that's what we've been doing, but it is so sad.
Zoe had an angry cry. Even at the depth of her crying she still just sounded pissed off. Oliver, whenever he cries, sounds as if his cat was just run over by the person who told him there was no Santa Claus on the day everyone forgot his birthday. Needless to say, it is a pitiful and heartbreaking cry. And it's even worse at 3 a.m.
I know with sleep training it gets a little better each night, and I'm crossing my fingers that tomorrow night is better for him, and for us.
Monday, July 26, 2010
On Testing
No one likes tests. We hated them in school, we hate them when we get a ticket and have to be tested in driving school, and as parents we hate it when our kids test us. Lately many of the conversations I've had with Zoe look like this:
"Zoe, please don't put your hands on the glass window."
"I'm not mommy, I'm only putting my fingers on the window."
"Please don't put any body part on the window, you are leaving fingerprints."
"Look Mommy, I can touch it gently and not put any fingerprints."
"Zoe, I'm not kidding, do not touch that window again."
"Okay Mommy, I'm not touching it." (With her hand hovering on top of the window"
Seriously?
I don't know whether to laugh, or to beat her (kidding, obviously). Part of me is secretly proud of her. Many of these conversations end with her outwitting me in some way that I didn't think of, and I have to either acquiesce or pull the mom card. The dreaded "because I said so." Now that I'm a parent I realize the "because I said so" is really just what you say when your kid outsmarts you and you are too tired or too irritated to come up with a better reason.
Another recent conversation went like this:
"Mommy, I want gummies for breakfast."
"No Zoe, we are having eggs for breakfast."
"You can have eggs for breakfast, I'm going to have gummies."
"No, I don't think you are."
"You can have eggs with Daddy and I can have gummies. Sit down Mommy, I can get them by myself."
At which point she drags her little stool over to the pantry and opens up the door. Luckily, I had previously moved her beloved Annie's gummies to a high shelf because she was becoming a little too preoccupied with them.
"Mommy, I can't reach my gummies. You can reach them. I will eat two bites of eggs and then I will get my gummies. Okay?"
"No, there will be no gummies. Gummies are not a breakfast food in this house."
"Is cake a breakfast food in this house?"
Well, at that point I simply walked away. Who has the energy for this at 7:30 in the morning?
"Zoe, please don't put your hands on the glass window."
"I'm not mommy, I'm only putting my fingers on the window."
"Please don't put any body part on the window, you are leaving fingerprints."
"Look Mommy, I can touch it gently and not put any fingerprints."
"Zoe, I'm not kidding, do not touch that window again."
"Okay Mommy, I'm not touching it." (With her hand hovering on top of the window"
Seriously?
I don't know whether to laugh, or to beat her (kidding, obviously). Part of me is secretly proud of her. Many of these conversations end with her outwitting me in some way that I didn't think of, and I have to either acquiesce or pull the mom card. The dreaded "because I said so." Now that I'm a parent I realize the "because I said so" is really just what you say when your kid outsmarts you and you are too tired or too irritated to come up with a better reason.
Another recent conversation went like this:
"Mommy, I want gummies for breakfast."
"No Zoe, we are having eggs for breakfast."
"You can have eggs for breakfast, I'm going to have gummies."
"No, I don't think you are."
"You can have eggs with Daddy and I can have gummies. Sit down Mommy, I can get them by myself."
At which point she drags her little stool over to the pantry and opens up the door. Luckily, I had previously moved her beloved Annie's gummies to a high shelf because she was becoming a little too preoccupied with them.
"Mommy, I can't reach my gummies. You can reach them. I will eat two bites of eggs and then I will get my gummies. Okay?"
"No, there will be no gummies. Gummies are not a breakfast food in this house."
"Is cake a breakfast food in this house?"
Well, at that point I simply walked away. Who has the energy for this at 7:30 in the morning?
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
What Type of Parent are You?
Zoe comes home from preschool looking as if she has taken a paintbrush and literally painted her body. Well, her preschool teacher sent some pictures home and I found out that she actually is painting her body in preschool. Apparently they are teaching them creative self-expression, and will be focusing on painting paper and canvas in the coming weeks. Ummm, okay, I guess.
So what type of parent am I? Am I the parent who is thrilled that my child is expressing herself through paint? Or am I the parent who is irritated that the adorable clothes that I've sent her to school in are ruined? I've decided that I'm both of those. I'm glad she's expressing herself, but I'm not sure she needed to do it for two weeks, particularly when I caught her trying to express herself at home, with dot paint, in my living room.
I went to Target and bought her some not so adorable plain t-shirts and shorts that I am happy to throw away once this paint expression is under control. Now when she comes home with a plastic bag full of painted clothing I can smile and ask her how her day was. "I painted myself Mommy! I used orange and red and white but not blue Mommy."
So what type of parent am I? Am I the parent who is thrilled that my child is expressing herself through paint? Or am I the parent who is irritated that the adorable clothes that I've sent her to school in are ruined? I've decided that I'm both of those. I'm glad she's expressing herself, but I'm not sure she needed to do it for two weeks, particularly when I caught her trying to express herself at home, with dot paint, in my living room.
I went to Target and bought her some not so adorable plain t-shirts and shorts that I am happy to throw away once this paint expression is under control. Now when she comes home with a plastic bag full of painted clothing I can smile and ask her how her day was. "I painted myself Mommy! I used orange and red and white but not blue Mommy."
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