Hare Today, Goon Tomorrow
Today I realized that I'm singing a lot of my old Girl Scout songs to Oliver. There you go, Terri and Melissa, I do have a memory. Although, admittedly, it's not the greatest. I start a song, realize I don't know a lot of the words and then make it up as I go along. For instance, when Little Bunny Foo Foo gets turned into a goon, all the field mice come out and stand around him pointing maliciously. I'm pretty sure that's not in the original script. A couple of other songs that I've butchered from my "On my honor I will try" days are "Silver and Gold" (I still remember singing this with Jessica around the swingset in the backyard next to JR's kennel) and "Baby Bumblebee." I have not included Paula Abdul's "Cold-Hearted Snake" although that was big when I was in green. We put on a show for our group leaders around the campfire with that one. Anyone remember any others? I'd love to test them out on the tyke.
Other happenings recently:
Doug (while staring at a sleeping Ollie): "What DO you put in that breastmilk?"
Blaine (not looking up): "Lunesta."
Oliver and I took our maiden voyage on the subway on Tuesday. Man, was that a little slice of hell. First off, I wasn't completely confident with my strength and skills taking the whole stroller up and down stairs, so I separated them (car seat and stroller) to travel down to the platform. There I am: having to put Oliver down on the dirty sidewalk outside of the entrance, struggling to fold up the "Snap N' Go" (FYI: It should be called "Snap N' Go, but only after you get the hang of it and have super-human strength to do it all with one hand, and truthfully you won't master that no matter how hard you try, but if you do even then the "go" aspect doesn't guarantee speed so good luck suckers"), and this d-bag comes up and asks me if the train goes to Manhattan. I just looked at him and said "Read the signs." What I wanted to say was "How about we read the signs together once you've helped me with this stroller, you stupid ignorant prick?" But Mama's trying to find patience with the outside world right now. I finally make it down the stairs - oh, PS, only through the melee of exiting passengers - and I realize, I have to purchase a Metrocard. MotherEFFF. I have to set Ollie down in the car seat again, balance the stroller on my knee and dig my wallet out of the giant diaper bag that I have strapped across my back. There are 3 machines, but of course mine is the only one working, so I have a line behind me. WAIT YOUR TURN, ASS-HATS. Got the card, have to figure out how I'm going to get through the turnstile. I wave down the booth attendant (the one time the attendant actually pays attention, thank goodness), put Oliver back down in the subway filth to swipe my card in the turnstile, turn the stile (oh, I get it), so she sees that my card works and she buzzes the door. I grab the door, fix the diaper bag that's falling precariously off my shoulder, pick up Ollie (oh you got heavier, love, fantastic), and the stroller that's fallen onto the floor off my hip and make it through as fast as I can before the iron door slams onto my baby. More stairs, but that's a piece of CAKE. Set O down once more to unhitch the stroller, snap him in and I'm ready to ride. All of this in 90 degree heat. I did use his burp cloth as my sweatband, I'm not going to lie. Thank the LAWD that there was a super nice man at my destination who carried the stroller up the stairs for me. God bless you, stranger.
However, we made it to the Breastfeeding Support Group in Park Slope with neither a bump nor a scratch between us. And old ladies LOVED Ollie on the train, which made me feel like a million. The BF Group, well, it wasn't a load of laughs but it wasn't terrible, so I'm going to go back until I graduate (when Ollie's 12 weeks old). It's nice to hear that other people are going through the same things that I am and I'm learning new things. Did you know that you're not supposed to shake breastmilk? You're supposed to swirl it, because shaking causes the enzymes to break up. So there you go, all you breastmilk handlers out there - that's free wisdom. It was funny, Oliver tooted thrice in the class and even with 15 babies (some screaming), 15 mothers and a lactation consultant and deafening construction directly outside, everyone heard my son break wind. I can't say I wasn't proud. After the class, Ollie and I hung out in Barnes and Noble's air conditioning while waiting for Doug to meet us for dinner.
What else happened recently? Oh, I got out of the house and saw the new Harry Potter flick in Bay Ridge's answer to the Niles Ready theatre. Filthy, stinky and white trashy, but strongly air conditioned, cheap and nearby. That was a nice break.
I baked! From a box, but I made Doug some Duncan Hines' brownies since I think he's been wanting some ever since Mom made them in February. 5 months later, not bad.
I perfected using my right big toe on the laptop while nursing. Fair warning, visitors.
We caved and got Netflix again. This time all through the Wii, however that works. We've spent the last few nights watching Cheers re-runs, turning me onto The League and starting Downton Abbey. It's been glorious for those few nights when Ollie's turned in early.
Speaking of Ollie turning in early, we're in the midst of sleep training. I brought this up at BF Group and I think it's fairly frowned upon in the hippie circles, or at least it seemed to be. I can't imagine why, except I've noticed some breastfeeding mothers are all about the baby-led activities. Let the baby breastfeed until he doesn't want to anymore, let the baby choose when to eat solids, let the baby sleep wherever and whenever he wants. I understand the idea behind it: empowering the child makes for a stronger individual, but I think it just makes for an "I'll get my way every time" individual. Not to mention - that baby doesn't know all the options and he's going to do whatever's comfortable for him if given the chance. That's my (albeit non-researched) opinion, but I can't figure out just how to put it into practice just yet. Right now everything is chosen by Ollie. Except his bed - we have successfully (maybe?) changed his bed from the Rock N' Play to the Pack N' Play. Does anyone else notice that everything is N' these days? Anyway, so far so good. We're keeping open minds, knowing that things will change dramatically from night to night and week to week.
Right now all the mothers out there are rolling their eyes at me.
And here's a fun picture. I put Ollie in his bouncy this morning so that I could shower and sitz. In order to make sure he knows I'm close, I sing along with the songs on the chair and talk to him about his friends, Pepe the Parrot, Misha the Monkey, Tarzan the Toucan and Fredo the Frog. This was my view from the sitz. I texted it to Doug, who was at HQ.
Blaine: "My view from the sitz."
Doug: "Let's imagine his view...and his future therapy needs."
Touche.
Other happenings recently:
Doug (while staring at a sleeping Ollie): "What DO you put in that breastmilk?"
Blaine (not looking up): "Lunesta."
Oliver and I took our maiden voyage on the subway on Tuesday. Man, was that a little slice of hell. First off, I wasn't completely confident with my strength and skills taking the whole stroller up and down stairs, so I separated them (car seat and stroller) to travel down to the platform. There I am: having to put Oliver down on the dirty sidewalk outside of the entrance, struggling to fold up the "Snap N' Go" (FYI: It should be called "Snap N' Go, but only after you get the hang of it and have super-human strength to do it all with one hand, and truthfully you won't master that no matter how hard you try, but if you do even then the "go" aspect doesn't guarantee speed so good luck suckers"), and this d-bag comes up and asks me if the train goes to Manhattan. I just looked at him and said "Read the signs." What I wanted to say was "How about we read the signs together once you've helped me with this stroller, you stupid ignorant prick?" But Mama's trying to find patience with the outside world right now. I finally make it down the stairs - oh, PS, only through the melee of exiting passengers - and I realize, I have to purchase a Metrocard. MotherEFFF. I have to set Ollie down in the car seat again, balance the stroller on my knee and dig my wallet out of the giant diaper bag that I have strapped across my back. There are 3 machines, but of course mine is the only one working, so I have a line behind me. WAIT YOUR TURN, ASS-HATS. Got the card, have to figure out how I'm going to get through the turnstile. I wave down the booth attendant (the one time the attendant actually pays attention, thank goodness), put Oliver back down in the subway filth to swipe my card in the turnstile, turn the stile (oh, I get it), so she sees that my card works and she buzzes the door. I grab the door, fix the diaper bag that's falling precariously off my shoulder, pick up Ollie (oh you got heavier, love, fantastic), and the stroller that's fallen onto the floor off my hip and make it through as fast as I can before the iron door slams onto my baby. More stairs, but that's a piece of CAKE. Set O down once more to unhitch the stroller, snap him in and I'm ready to ride. All of this in 90 degree heat. I did use his burp cloth as my sweatband, I'm not going to lie. Thank the LAWD that there was a super nice man at my destination who carried the stroller up the stairs for me. God bless you, stranger.
However, we made it to the Breastfeeding Support Group in Park Slope with neither a bump nor a scratch between us. And old ladies LOVED Ollie on the train, which made me feel like a million. The BF Group, well, it wasn't a load of laughs but it wasn't terrible, so I'm going to go back until I graduate (when Ollie's 12 weeks old). It's nice to hear that other people are going through the same things that I am and I'm learning new things. Did you know that you're not supposed to shake breastmilk? You're supposed to swirl it, because shaking causes the enzymes to break up. So there you go, all you breastmilk handlers out there - that's free wisdom. It was funny, Oliver tooted thrice in the class and even with 15 babies (some screaming), 15 mothers and a lactation consultant and deafening construction directly outside, everyone heard my son break wind. I can't say I wasn't proud. After the class, Ollie and I hung out in Barnes and Noble's air conditioning while waiting for Doug to meet us for dinner.
What else happened recently? Oh, I got out of the house and saw the new Harry Potter flick in Bay Ridge's answer to the Niles Ready theatre. Filthy, stinky and white trashy, but strongly air conditioned, cheap and nearby. That was a nice break.
I baked! From a box, but I made Doug some Duncan Hines' brownies since I think he's been wanting some ever since Mom made them in February. 5 months later, not bad.
I perfected using my right big toe on the laptop while nursing. Fair warning, visitors.
We caved and got Netflix again. This time all through the Wii, however that works. We've spent the last few nights watching Cheers re-runs, turning me onto The League and starting Downton Abbey. It's been glorious for those few nights when Ollie's turned in early.
Speaking of Ollie turning in early, we're in the midst of sleep training. I brought this up at BF Group and I think it's fairly frowned upon in the hippie circles, or at least it seemed to be. I can't imagine why, except I've noticed some breastfeeding mothers are all about the baby-led activities. Let the baby breastfeed until he doesn't want to anymore, let the baby choose when to eat solids, let the baby sleep wherever and whenever he wants. I understand the idea behind it: empowering the child makes for a stronger individual, but I think it just makes for an "I'll get my way every time" individual. Not to mention - that baby doesn't know all the options and he's going to do whatever's comfortable for him if given the chance. That's my (albeit non-researched) opinion, but I can't figure out just how to put it into practice just yet. Right now everything is chosen by Ollie. Except his bed - we have successfully (maybe?) changed his bed from the Rock N' Play to the Pack N' Play. Does anyone else notice that everything is N' these days? Anyway, so far so good. We're keeping open minds, knowing that things will change dramatically from night to night and week to week.
Right now all the mothers out there are rolling their eyes at me.
And here's a fun picture. I put Ollie in his bouncy this morning so that I could shower and sitz. In order to make sure he knows I'm close, I sing along with the songs on the chair and talk to him about his friends, Pepe the Parrot, Misha the Monkey, Tarzan the Toucan and Fredo the Frog. This was my view from the sitz. I texted it to Doug, who was at HQ.
Blaine: "My view from the sitz."
Doug: "Let's imagine his view...and his future therapy needs."
Touche.
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