It's nice to be 33

My day:
Michael made us tasty egg sandwiches.


Did some morning reading (he brings me a book, we read one page, repeat)


Andrew practiced his Top Model smizing with the vent air in his hair.


I got ready while these two plotted.



Happy commute


Work was good. My team took me to lunch and we got good news.


Got a new diaper


Dinner in Seattle then home for presents and cuddles.



Long time friends/readers may notice a lack of swimming-biking-running. I just don't think I'm into it. I've completed the b-fit b-day challenge for the past SEVEN years. But it just isn't where I am right now. I had plans to do it but got taken out for lunch and then was having too good a hair day to go swimming tonight. So I am going to roll with it. Cuddle with my hubby, still so so so very grateful for all I have and especially for my health. Insanely grateful for the life I've had and ready for another year.




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Solo

So much of this parenting thing has been watching the shifts and clicks. The moments where something shifts in his personality or something clicks for him and he gets it. These can be awesome (most stuff) or obnoxious (his new screech).

These happen all the time and seem to be coming even more rapid fire these days.

Right now I am marveling at how much fun he can have at solo play. He has been doing such a lovely job entertaining himself lately. He has always been decent at it but he needed our help with maneuvering a lot of things and didn't have the kind of abilities he has now.

I've been sitting on the couch reading while he's been playing for the past half an hour. Sometimes he'll bring me something to show me but mostly he is just focused on his own thing.

I know it is natural progression but it does still blow my mind that the same little helpless kitten is already so independent. I'll be honest that sometimes it's hard for us to let him and we will jump in, mostly cause we like him and have fun playing with him.



he built that stack of 5 blocks and was using the cat toy to knock it down

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I could just pin myself II

This may very well already be super duper Pinterest fodder. Truth be told that site has gotten to be all triple-Oreo-Nutella-ice cream-brownie-cupcakes and clean-eating-paleo recipes and it gives me whiplash so I am rarely there.

But I wanted to make an intricate snack box for Andrew for our flights. He loves opening and closing containers and doors and latches. And he loves snacks. Well, his parents are mean and never buy good snacks except for when traveling. He loves travel snacks.

I tried to figure out a good container for my little project. I thought about a pill divider but realized that sends a terrible message and would get some looks on the plane. After searching the amazon I narrowed in on a small tackle box. It was only a few bucks but when it arrived I was disappointed by the size- teeny tiny.

I didn't have time to order a new one and didn't see anything workable in stores so I went with it. I got mini rice crackers, freeze dried blueberries, freeze dried bananas, cheerios and gerber yogurt melts (toddler crack).

By weight the full container had one ounce of snacks in it.



With this in hand (and refills ready to go) we set out for austin.

It worked pretty well. Andrew liked picking which door to open and it slowed down his inhalation of food. He had obvious preferences and completely rejected his old pal cheerio.




It was even handy while on the trip. We set out a blanket in the hotel for snack time and he knew to sit on the blanket to pick out and eat his snack.




Removing those pesky cheerios

By the flight home no amount or type of snack was interesting enough but the tackle box still bought us a small distraction.



sunset on the horizon is interesting but I'm losing my mind

Going forward I want to look for a box that's a little bigger and with doors he can work himself. All in all though we were pretty glad to have this in our travel tool box.

Travel item failures: foam blocks and infant magic markers-- actually both of these wound up as snacks also.


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The Goober Channel

Michael and I have discussed a number of times our theory that back in the day people had lots of kids not as labor but as entertainment. The number of children you had was like how many channels of cable you have.

My sisters family is a great example.

Her oldest is the cable news. Opinionated, always full of information, many heartwarming feel good pieces. Always in the know.

The next one is a bit like HBO . You just aren't sure what is going to come on. It can be the most thoughtful documentary; well researched and thorough. But it could also be a marathon of idiotic movies or some sort of inappropriate programming. You really don't know and you're often a little scared when switch to that channel.

The next one is VH1. A dance party and silliness. Sometimes the programming gets a bit repetitive and folds in on itself. But usually fun to watch even if you have seen the same thing over and over again.

The youngest is animal planet. She is so full of sweet and adorable things to say and astute observations on life. But she can bite your head off and is often where you will see the feisty-est of the feisty.




In our home, we currently have a mix of the discovery channel and Comedy Central. Andrew is just figuring out so much and is so busy. When we get home he needs to find the cat, open the cabinets in the kitchen, check on the cat again, see about a snack, get picked up by mommy, see what's happening in the bathroom, etc. all within three minutes. His facial expressions as he puzzles problems out are priceless. And he just gets so darn proud of himself.

We will probably keep our cable but this goofball has some serious entertainment value.












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Revision

Make that 80% brave, 10% cautious and 10% nut job.





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I’m SUPER Excited For my Pelvic Exam

It is silly how excited I am to see my OB/Gyn next week for my one year post partum check-up. It is also strange coming from me because I’m not very easily won over by medical providers...usually they annoy the crap out of me.

But Dr. Pat Morell at Evergreen Women’s Center in Kirkland, WA (– I want that to be very searchable) was so fantastic. The whole office was. When I came into the practice they were very vocal that you might not see the same doc every time and you might deliver with any of the partners- but they tried hard to be with their patients throughout. And he really did. I knew he was a good fit for me when at my first appointment he did an exam with me in a gown and then stepped out of the room so that I could get dressed before we talked. He was always careful not to make me feel vulnerable or uncomfortable when we talked. His time was precious but I had access to it. He also took a very (to me) reasoned approach to some of the lore and superstition that pregnant women are subject to (don’t eat vending machine lunch meat but Jimmy John’s is probably OK, eat cooked sushi in places that you would feel certain care about food safety, etc.). He took care of Michael too and listened to his questions and never seemed to make him feel unwelcome or out of place.

The true tests were the bumps I had along the way. He was always positive but truthful and really tried to help us be reasonable about things. When my due date came and went and we started talking induction he had the confidence in the process that I lacked and trusting him was SO helpful. I was really scared but he and the nurses there were all so helpful. Pat was patient but knew when to push the process and always had my health and Andrew’s at the forefront. I give his patience a lot of credit (maybe unfounded) for how well I healed.

The bottom line that I just can’t shake is that even though, for him and everyone at Evergreen, a pregnancy and birth are VERY routine, they recognized and reflected that it was huge and scary and very high stake venture for us. I have never felt so well taken care of medically. Andrew, Michael and me. I feel such a wash of weepy gratitude when I think of the care everyone gave my family.

Even after he was born they took care of us. When Andrew had to stay and the rush of worry and hormones collided in me I remember I was crying so hard that snot was dripping on the baby. A sweet nurse sat with me and fed me flimsy hospital tissues until Michael came back in the room.

Pat managed to get Andrew in for his circumcision so he wouldn't have to wait until discharge.

When I (ill advised) took a mirror to my vagina too soon post partum they got me in right away and then calmly reassured me that it was supposed to look like that and it would look better soon.

I have thankfully never really had a condition as long or bizarre as pregnancy and birth so I've never really spent so much time with a provider before. I'm worried it will have spoiled me for the curt and impersonal treatment I'm likely to go back to.

Because he really set a high bar and came through for the most important people in my life AND me. And I just can’t wait to see him and attempt to tell him so.


After I wiped the snot off of him


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Impromptu Mother/Son Date

I had a really great treat late yesterday afternoon. I really and truly was trying to be a great employee. Experiments taken care of, documentation mostly UTD, I even practiced some new skills. But I was pretty much done by 3:45. Remembering that M had said he had a busy day (and likely couldn’t just go home early) I touched base with him and got the OK to take baby boy somewhere fun for a bit of momma/baby time.

I got over to pick him up just before 4:00 and they were still eating snack. He looked so cute and comfortable sitting there with his little crew eating tuna and crackers. It was nice to watch him in his environment and see how he hung with the other kids. He has learned much from his parents because he was the only one truly focused on his snack. He was also the only one who stayed seated so before long he was the only one at the table, munching away.

But we had to go if we were going to hit up my plan.

We jumped in the car and headed to the Pacific Science Center. They closed at 5:00 but Andrew is 13 months old so the 55 minutes or so seemed perfect. I stifled a little guilt that we weren’t going somewhere outdoors while it wasn’t rainy and light out (man, winter daylight makes me SAD already) but I wanted somewhere that I could say “yes” and “cool buddy” more often than “no” and “cool buddy, but not in your mouth” like I might at a park. We headed directly to the “"Just for Tots” area. When I worked at the PSC that area was always closed because the program I worked for was for bigger kids so I hadn’t really spent much time in there. WOW, we cannot forget what a great resource that will be when it is dark and rainy- except that they close at 5:00, sad.

He had so much fun. He is a great mix of 70% brave and 30% cautious which meant he was climbing up stairs and walking a little gang plank to a slide. He spent the most time playing in the water display and collecting the water wheel toys they had in it. When two other, maybe three year old, kids came in he did that adorable and sort of heartbreaking things babies do with older kids. He followed them at a short distance, smiling and marveling at their capabilities, being largely ignored or taken as a nuisance.

The hour was perfect. The museum closed and we went to pick up M and come home to breakfast for dinner.

I hope Andrew enjoyed it because it was wonderful for me. I feel so lucky that I have the flexibility to do stuff like this. I know not everyone can and I might not always be able to so I am extremely grateful.

I only got one picture when I realized Michael might want proof of our adventure.


Here he is earlier that day. Just because he is cute.


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