Sunday River, the conclusion 2010

This weekend was our last weekend at Sunday River. I know this because while skiing I saw grass, and it was green. We had a great time with the Kings! And, to tell you about how weird it was to be up there now - to go skiing in the morning, and then in the afternoon to go for a walk not wearing coats or anything, was crazy.
At least we took advantage of the place this year! And, we already got J his first ski pass. Sunday River had a $30 special for kids under 5, if you buy it before April 1. So, for $30 we thought we would start his ski pass collection. I am told he may be able to go up the magic carpet with some strap-on skis late next winter, after walking for a few months. He can even go in the chondola up the bunny slopes if he is really ready! No classes for him though until he is 3-1/2. Bummer.
J had not been a picture of health the week prior to our trip - but this weekend he was finally back to new. He had a bit of my stomach bug, a fever in and out, snot like a faucet and some sneezing. It finally went away last Wednesday - except for the snot. I took him to the Dr on Friday, and sure enough, ear infection. But, once on medicine he seems to be doing just fine. The poor guy though, with all of these ailments - two more bottom teeth look like they are also coming in. Really, four bottom teeth and no top yet?
Yesterday and today we have been taking some quiet time at home in preparation for our big getaway next week. We had a CPR class with some of the usual suspects at my house yesterday which was informative, fun, and calming. At least I know what I am supposed to do, in theory, if he is choking or unconscious... Some more preparation and packing tomorrow, then lots of fun this weekend, and a visit from Auntie Walsh next week!

Portland Museum of Art

Today we ventured north, to the Portland Museum of Art with Caroline and her Mommy. Portland is actually the same amount of time from our house as Boston, 1 hour. I need to use this proximity to my advantage! Of course it helped that today it was 65 and beautiful out - but walking around Old Port reminded me how much I LOVE Maine!

We met Caroline and her Mommy at the Museum. It is right in downtown Portland and there were plenty of on-street parking. The meters of course are a bit annoying, it took me about 45 minutes to pump mine with the nickels I had... And there is a two hour limit, but a little birdie told me that you are forgiven 1 Portland parking ticket every 6 months... Hmmm... Eh, a parking ticket there is still cheaper than parking in Boston for 30 minutes!

The Museum was nice. It is a small collection. The IM Pei addition from the 1980s is dark and loud, so your immediate first impression is not the best, but get beyond the main hall and you will discover a lot of gems. There is a refreshing sculpture room (pictured above) and lots of great paintings by New England, specifically Maine, artists. We missed the historic house part of the Museum. The guards are very friendly, and there were about 5 or 6 volunteers very excited to see the little kiddos in the Museum for the day. Mommy was just annoyed because her MFA "staff" (really volunteer, since I am on their young board) card did not get me admission. It gets me admission everywhere else!
They had a nice big elevator, perfect for the strollers. Both Caroline and J's favorite piece was a large sculpture of a sheep. There were shells in the sheep - very interesting. Unfortunately, no photographs or else you know I would have had a good one!

Afterwards we went to Gritty's for lunch. Delicious! Though, I think the first time I have been to a brewery and not had a beer. It was good to be good... Gritty's does not have high chairs, but these red chairs that hook onto the tables. We have this in Maine, and J loves it, so he was right at home. And, he must have really liked it there (or wanted to impress his girlfriend) because he ate his lunch up that Mommy brought. Baby Mum Mums continue to be a favorite, for both him and Caroline.

It was a great day with good friends! And, absolutely wonderful to get to walk around Old Port in the sun!

St. Patrick's Day

Today we are enjoying being somewhat back to normal (except for the snot bubble pictured above)... And, we are enjoying the sunshine. We had a good time at Gymboree, though sadly it was just us in class... We went shopping, and someone took a great 2 hour nap while Mom made a St. Patty's Day dinner. I even practiced making the green beer that goes with it...
I am not sure what percentage irish the little guy is, but as Joel and I are both "mutts," I know it is in there somewhere.
In his hand is a knitted shamrock I have worn every year since I was very little. An Aunt of some sort knitted it for me - (mom, little help here). As you can see, I thought about passing it down to him.
I have since decided that he may need a few years. I will pin it to my t-shirt to drink green beer tonight!
Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!

Peabody Essex Museum

Yesterday we visited Salem and the Peabody Essex Museum with Pat, Keri and Brit. We also had a lovely lunch with Pilar at Salem Beerworks. The day out was a much needed treat for Mommy and J. It was great to see friends, and just get out of the house. It was also gorgeous outside! I can't tell you how liberating it felt to park the car and walk the stroller through the streets of Salem. It only rained for 4 days, but boy was it a long 4 days!
J is starting to be at the end of his rope with Museums. He did generally well, but did have a few minor freak-outs. I hope he can hold it in for a few more weeks, because we have the Portland Museum of Art tomorrow, and I hope the Smithsonian on our ride home from HHI. It was very fun to hang out with Brit, though I made sure she was away from J. We are all recovered, but J still has snot (I anticipate the snot to remain for the next 3-4 weeks, if this is anything like the last colds he has had), so I did not want to get her sick. Pat touched J once and I immediately sprayed him down with disinfectant stuff, like crazy!
It was fun to see Brit out and about, though she slept most of the time. I can't even remember those days! I don't think I got out enough when he was that little, I was tied to the pump the whole time. I just went for walks around my neighborhood or stayed at the lake. Kudos to Pat and Keri for venturing out! I need to take notes for the next kiddo...if there is one...
The PEM was a great Museum to bring the kids, they were thrilled to see the little guy! It was very empty (sad for them, good for us!). And, I can't tell you enough about their collection. They are not just another art museum, they have an amazing collection of maritime art, and a wonderful history. A special thanks to my old buddy from Trustees' days, George Putnam, for his great wing there, beautiful! (I am sure he probably would not remember me, eh, who can forget my laugh?)... Parking in Salem is EXPENSIVE! But, the lot is just a short and beautiful walk to the Museum, with lots of fun shops on the way. The Museum has an excellent gift shop (not cheap though). Great restrooms, and offers elevators in good locations so you and your stroller can get around with ease. The best thing about PEM though is there "gathering spaces" - they have couches with books and coffee tables set up randomly in the galleries to encourage loitering and socializing. I love it! They had a cute little restaurant as well. If you want to see the Yin Tu Tang house, which is a big draw, but you need to plan ahead and get tickets ahead of time - now strollers allowed in there but otherwise strollers allowed everywhere else. The East India Trade Room is a no-miss. They also have a really cool wood statue from Hawaii which J was a big fan of!

To Maine tomorrow!

Calling in Sick

First of all, thank you guys for all your help with my last post! Thank you!

Secondly, we are a sick family. Literally. On Wednesday at 4 pm it hit me, and boy was I down for the count. Violently ill until I was finally able to get some rest about 6 hours later. All the way up until today I am still feeling like a mess. I thought this was a 24 hour bug, but a call to the Dr says that this lasts usually for 4-7 days! AHH!

Thursday morning I wake up hoping the kiddo will sleep in, no such luck, and he has the sniffles to boot. A slight fever, cough and sneezing. Awesome. Joel stays home from work, but that only means that Joel works from home. So, he still has phone calls to make, emails to be sent, reports to do. My whining does not seem as important as his job, I get it.

Friday I thought I was better, and Joel went to work. Over the course of the day I was worn down and by the time Joel got home, late, I was in tears. I went right to bed. This weekend I have tried to get as much rest as possible, but it has been a tough battle, and this little bug is winning.

I will have you know, I pride myself for having the stomach of steel. Yes, in college I talked to the big white phone... But not until my pregnancy had I gotten ill (without the help of alcohol) since I was a child. So, this really was a big deal for me. Add on fever and utter exhaustion and then try to take care of a fellow sick 8 month old. But, a wonderful note to his illness - he does not seem tired at all? huh?

So, enough with the whining and down to the basics. What do you guys do in this situation? We do not have local families, so there was no help there. Probably Joel staying home from work was not a good plan. If you had day care, would you send your kid and stay home to rest? But, you probably could not send him if he was sick like mine. Any strategies for me for next time, or for tomorrow if this thing is still with me?

Questions from a Mom of an 8 Month Old

Ok, all you Moms out there. Here are my questions this month:

• BATH TIME: When can you avoid using infant tubs/seats in the bath? We are going to Hilton Head, and I do not want to lug one down/buy one down there unless it is necessary. He can sit up on his own - if two of us are there to watch him in the bath, will that be enough? Would the Safer Bather still be good for a baby that sits up?
• TRAVEL: We will be flying down to Hilton Head, just the baby and me. I will have the car seat, and we bought the baby a seat. Any tips for us? Any learned lessons? We need to change planes in Charlotte... I am hoping if there is an issue with our layover someone might help us...
• TRAVEL Part 2: We are driving all the way back up from HHI to NH. 8 days! Lots of stop overs and rests, never more than 3 hours at once in the car. Any tips, tricks, thoughts? As you can imagine, I am a little worried.
• TOYS and BOOKS: Any recs on the best toys and books for varied age ranges? Nana and Pa might want to start a small library/shelf in HHI, but I want to make sure it is stuff that we can use again on our visit next year. Back to basics, blocks? Ideas, thoughts?
• SWING: How old is too old for use of the swing? He still loves it...
• MONITOR: What are your thoughts, video or regular?
• CRIB: When did you lower your mattress? Do we wait until he starts to pull himself up, or should we do it now in advance of that? When did you get rid of your mobile? I am assuming I am behind the curb on that one...
• BOUNCERS AND SUCH: When did your kids get tired of these? Just wondering what the expiration date for these items might be...
• LAUNDRY: Can we stop using Dreft already, or should we keep going?
• SLEEP: We went from swaddle to sleep sack. When should we end sleep sack? Now it is really just to keep him warm enough, but I assume in the summer weather he will not need anything but his pjs? When do you start to give them a blanket? Should I anticipate a problem when removing the sleep sack?
• BINKYS: Do your kids still use a binky? When did you stop it? We stopped the binky for sleeping, but still use it at various points during the day and in the car. Should I start to phase this out?
• BOREDOM: Any creative things to do with the kiddo? We just sit and play on the carpet a lot. Any tips or tricks for helping your kiddo with talking, crawling, developmental milestones, etc. I know, this is a really wide topic - but if you have anything like: "she loves it when..." let me know!

Any advice/thoughts you have would be much appreciated! I realize this is a pretty large list of things, so just a response to one or two at the most is even appreciated! Thank you, thank you!

Sunday River Fun

This weekend we went to Sunday River again! Both Daddy and I, and Aunt Jennie and Unkie Jerry as we have been calling him, could not tear ourselves away from the little guy, so we did not ski on Saturday. We instead visited a maple sugar shack, hung out around the place, and had a few bottles out on the porch in the sun!
It was a great day to hang out with the family. All but Otter had a good time, as it seems a stomach bug has hit her. It hit her all over the carpet. For the rest of the weekend I was a bit of a carpet-a-phob. I asked why this wasn't bothering anyone else and Aunt Jennie replied: "It only bothers me every time you bring it up." Nice one, Aunt Jennie!
He was a perfect angel, drank more from the bottle than in the past week (24-26 ounces a day), but continues to now throw a fit at mushed food. I am trying to hold off on moving to solids. What do I do? What kind of solids besides puffs can you give to a 7-1/2 month old?
Thank you all for all of your food support! I have a feeding specialist from Boston Children's in my Colby/Faceboook network - and she has been a great support too! Not to mention I cannot wait for her daughter and my son to meet up in a few weeks! I feel so much better and will be sure to let the Dr know about my unpleasant experience with the nurse.

Starving my Child

Yesterday I was told I was starving my child. I innocently called the Drs office to ask them for tips on how I could get J to eat from the bottle better. Hints, thoughts? No, I did not get any. I was instead basically yelled at for only giving my 7 month old child 20-24 ounces of formula a day. The nurse was like: "he needs 30 ounces! Is he growing? Is he soiling his diapers? Is he always sleepy? Is he always cranky?" I replied: "He is always happy, he is just about out of 9 month clothes, he poops like five times a day, his diapers are so heavy I think the kid pees like 15 pounds a day, he naps like usual, sleeps through the night, and he is a happy boy." She was in disbelief and continued to question me, as I must be doing something wrong. She got off the phone with me "to research the problem."
About 45 minutes later she calls back to tell me, yes, she is right, and he needs 30 ounces a day. Fabulous. Mind you, at his peak of eating he ate just 30 ounces. So, now that we have added some rice and veggies - shouldn't it naturally be going down? Fine, she wants me to give him 30 ounces a day. But, how?
So, I ask her, how do I do this? Do I stop giving him solids altogether and eventually he will get so hungry he will have to drink the bottle? (by the way, I would never do this, even if it was recommended). No, she says give the bottle first, then food. DUH! I do this all the time, but he still will not take the bottle, hence the reason for my call in the first place. The woman continues to blather on supremely unhelpful things. The kicker, "well, if he does not want to drink the formula, mix it with rice." And then, a minute later, "cut his rice intake in half." How does one cut rice in half yet feed him 6 more ounces of food with rice? Idiot.
I was so upset I hung up the phone and sat on the couch. My husband came home to find me in hysterics. From listening to this idiot for ten minutes tell me nothing helpful, I all of the sudden made myself into the worst Mom ever. It brought back all of my inabilities to boobiefeed. It made me feel like I was doing everything wrong. In ten minutes!
I have since gained some perspective. The kid is fine. I say, he is even better than fine! He is growing like crazy, did you see that belly? He is happy, he is sleeping, he is smiling. Maybe this is just what he needs. I refuse to force feed him as I worry that will mess him up on other levels (I have learned that cleaning your plate every time does not do wonders for your figure, or your relationship with food). So, I will push forward. I will try to get him to drink the bottle, but I will not stress if one day it is only 18-20 ounces. If it goes down to 16 maybe we will revisit. Thoughts? Did any of your kids experience the same thing? Do the nurses in your office seem to know nothing? I tried to also add different foods to his diet to at least cover things that way, but he does not like yogurt. Any other ideas?

Top Ten Things I Wish I Knew Before...

10. It does get easier.

9. Stages go by quickly. So, if you think you need 8,000 2 oz bottles for boobie juice, you do not. What do I do with them all now?

8. Having TWO dogs and a baby is way too much work. Especially when one of them is obsessed with the tennis ball, and another one eats his own poop. Don't get me wrong, I love the dogs, but it is a lot of work.

7. When the child is napping, take advantage of it. Do not say, "well, he might wake up at any minute so I will not do that now." Do it, he may nap for two more hours. And, if he does wake up in five minutes, at least you tried to get your stuff done/nap.

6. Should have gone out to eat a lot more when he would just sleep in his car seat! That was so nice!

5. They have their whole lives to eat food. I really wanted him to start, and it is nice that we did - but now the kid likes food so much he refuses to take the bottle! We have to practically hold the kid down to get 20 ounces in him a day now!

4. Loosing the weight is really, really, really tough. Perhaps I would have said no to that 600th cone of vanilla ice cream (I thought soft serve was not that bad), or had a different attitude than "hey, I am eating for two" whilst I was with child. Yes, I am a SAHM and have time, but I am not good at the eating right, drinking less and exercising thing, how I thought that would miraculously change once I had a child...

3. Always demand to speak to the Doctor on call, before going to the Emergency Room, as learned when J was 8 weeks old.

2. They have hard heads, as learned a few weeks ago... He smacked his head on the ground from a seated position and it was so loud, I could have sworn I broke him. But, alas he is just fine. I have since heard about every horror story known to man about kids falling off changing tables, off beds, out of car seats onto pavement - and being ok. (not that if this happens you or I should not be worried about our child, but just that a mere smack on the ground from seated is nothing to worry too much about).
1. And the number one thing I wish I knew before...husbands and daddies have their own way of doing things, and it is best not to comment and to just be thankful when they have their time with the little one!