Webster's Dictionary's definition of 'express' that suits this discussion: traveling at high speed.
This is what I understand 'express' to mean as well. Like 'Panda Express' - ghetto Chinese food lickety split.
So when you advertise a service as '...Express...,' I'm going to think that I can use this service and the transaction will occur quickly.
This brings me to the subject of this semi-rant: Chevy Chase Bank.
To do your banking at Chevy Chase (specifically the one near me), you have the following options:
1) Going in and speaking with a teller in person
2) Using the ATM
3) Using Teller Express
Up until now, I have been going in and using the in-person teller for my banking needs. That was because the previous Chevy Chase bank I used didn't have a drive-thru option. After seeing that this closer Chevy Chase had a service called 'Teller Express' where I just drive up and do my banking without ever having to leave my car, I knew this was the option for me...especially with two babies in the back seat.
I tried the Teller Express service two weeks ago...express, it was not. Not only was I waiting about 10 minutes behind two other cars trying to use Teller Express, when I finally got up to the bay to use the darn thing, I had to wait another five minutes for a teller to actually acknowledge the receipt of my stuff and help me. I became annoyed...I probably approached the bay annoyed at the long wait I had endured. When they acknowledge you in Teller Express, they have a two-way video screen that lets you see the teller helping you. But when they hang up the phone, it's just a screen with your face on it...or in my case, with my annoyed face on it. So I continue to scowl at myself.
After five minutes of submitting my paper work, I rang the 'Call' button. The teller got on the video screen and said, 'Ma'am, you're going to have to give me a minute.' I said, 'Fine.'
Three minutes after that, I rang the 'Call' button again and the teller, not so kindly, said, 'Ma'am there were other people in the bank ahead of you.'
'Oh okay - wha?!' Excuse me...I didn't know I was in a queue with the rest of the customers inside the bank. I didn't know we collectively formed one line.
I not-so-politely explained that I had two newborns in the car and used this service cause it was 'express.'
She said, 'I understand, Ma'am. I have kids of my own. Maybe next time you should try coming into the bank if you're in a rush.'
What?
WHAT?!
That just made no sense whatsoever. Did you not hear me when I said I had TWO newborns in the car? Do you not understand that I'm in Teller Express and expect to be waited on quickly and efficiently? (Seriously - I was only making a deposit)
Obviously Chevy Chase's definition and my definition of 'express' are not the same. So that we're clear, when I read 'Teller Express,' I was thinking that I could get faster service by driving up (there's only one Teller Express bay) rather than walking in...after all, it is 'express.' Am I wrong to assume this? Do I need to go back to school because I'm misinterpreting?
I made another visit to Chevy Chase today and used Teller Express to see if it was any better. It was not. And I got the same 'stupid' (for lack of a better word) teller I got last time. She tried to lecture me this time on how she needed to get a manager signature for me to make a deposit...blah blah blah. Funny, she didn't mention this last time. Excuses Excuses. I also think she recognized me and wanted little-to-no contact with me...which is fine by me.
I do offer up one suggestion to Chevy Chase - either re-evaulate what Teller Express means to you OR call it Teller Excuses because that's all I'm hearing when I use it.
Writer's Note: Chevy Chase is not and will never be my personal bank...the banking needs mentioned above were for a 'business transaction' and I did not choose Chevy Chase to be the bank of choice.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Breastfeeding Drop-Out
Hi Everyone...my name is Jennifer and I am a breastfeeding drop out. It's one of those things in my recent memory in which I still hold some guilt. I feel like I need to write about it in order to let the guilt go so here it goes.
While I was pregnant, I was not accosted by La Leche League members about breastfeeding. I had heard about all the benefits of breastfeeding and I'll admit that I went into it with some apprehension due to the fact that I was having twins and the thoughts of breastfeeding, prior to becoming pregnant, were never very 'attractive' to me. But honestly, after I became pregnant and as I was nearing the due date, I was actually looking forward to trying breastfeeding to see if I could provide these benefits to my little ones. So to say I went into it with a negative attitude would be untruthful....I'd like to say that I went into it with a semi-opened mind.
Fast forward to delivery day - right there in the operating room, while my tummy will still opened for all to see - they actually tried to latch the babies onto my breasts right there....WHOA WHOA WHOA. My arms were strapped down to the table, I was paralyzed from the chest down (thanks to the epidural) and here are the nurses, showing me my babies for the first time and then yanking back the covers of my chest and saying 'Hey, let's see if they'll latch.' It was like a science experiment that I didn't want to participate in. I don't recall allowing them to 'test the faucets' in this manner...is this normal? I mean, I'm a pretty modest person so for all these people to just whip out my boobs to try and get the boys to suck? I felt a bit violated, to say the least. (BTW - the science experiment didn't work)
The boys and I went on a break - they slept for pretty much the first day and I was recuperating from the c-section. On Day 2, the real work began...latching day. The breastfeeding coach that was assigned to me was very helpful. At first I didn't think I was going to like her because she didn't exactly come off as a people person. I admit that when she first arrived and was asking me what I wanted to get out of motherhood, I went on the defensive...I didn't know if she was part of La Leche League....so I wanted to respond to her with answers that she would approve of (what do you think is best for me? what would you like me to do?). I think she sensed my defensiveness because she came out and said, 'I'm not a breastfeeding nazi. I just want to understand what you want to do.'
That made me feel better. So I told her I wanted to try it but I was very afraid that I wouldn't be able to produce enough milk for both boys. She told me not to worry about that and to begin supplementing with formula and we did.
We were rock stars! The boys latched on very quickly and I didn't mind the breastfeeding at all. By the time we left the hospital, the breastfeeding coach was so impressed with how fast we learned everything. I felt confident that I was going to be able to breastfeed both boys (not at the same time...never at the same time). That confidence went away about two days after getting home.
I had help- I had my parents and my husband home with me the first two weeks. So breastfeeding wasn't too bad those first couple of weeks...we had some issues latching and positioning but it eventually worked itself out. We continued to supplement with formula and the boys were growing and gaining weight. After my parents left and my husband went back to work, that's when things started going downhill. I was now alone...alone with the boys. Me versus them. After trying, unsuccessfully, to breastfeed and supplement on my own, I decided that I would give them formula during the day and breastfeed through the night - but pump during the day so my husband could help with feeding overnight. After about a week of that, I couldn't do it anymore - I wasn't getting the time to pump during the day - I started to feel guilty because I started thinking about 'turning off the faucets.'
After discussing with a couple of other Moms (of singletons and twins), I realized that I didn't have to feel guilty. One mother put it this way - 'I found out that I was a better mother when I stopped breastfeeding.' I felt like she was reading my mind! I was so stressed out - I was so upset and sleep deprived....and I realized that I, too, would be a better mother if I stopped breastfeeding. The other thing was this - in the first couple of weeks of life, I was breastfeeding and supplementing with formula. Somewhere around week 3, it reversed and became formula feeding with breast milk supplements. That didn't make sense to me.
At one month, I turned off the faucets for good - and how long did it take to dry up? A day...seriously. And honestly, I feel like I've become a better mother. I was no longer stressed about feeding the boys, I could actually take naps to catch up on some much needed sleep, and I felt somewhat sane again.
Kudos to all the moms out there that breastfeed for months and months - at least I can say that I did it for a month but there's still some underlying guilt of whether or not I could have gone longer. What-if's. Oh well - what's done is done and my boys are growing healthier and stronger every day - they're above average in all their measurements and ahead of the game developmentally (according to the doctor) so that makes living with the guilt a little easier.
Thanks for letting me share my story. And much to my surprise, I haven't been ridiculed, stoned or judged (at least not to my face) for my decision. It was what was best for me and my family....besides, one of the doctors in my pediatric office put it best when a new mom asked him his take on breastfeeding - yaye or naye. His response: 'Harvard, Yale and Princeton didn't seem to have a problem with my formula-fed kids.'
While I was pregnant, I was not accosted by La Leche League members about breastfeeding. I had heard about all the benefits of breastfeeding and I'll admit that I went into it with some apprehension due to the fact that I was having twins and the thoughts of breastfeeding, prior to becoming pregnant, were never very 'attractive' to me. But honestly, after I became pregnant and as I was nearing the due date, I was actually looking forward to trying breastfeeding to see if I could provide these benefits to my little ones. So to say I went into it with a negative attitude would be untruthful....I'd like to say that I went into it with a semi-opened mind.
Fast forward to delivery day - right there in the operating room, while my tummy will still opened for all to see - they actually tried to latch the babies onto my breasts right there....WHOA WHOA WHOA. My arms were strapped down to the table, I was paralyzed from the chest down (thanks to the epidural) and here are the nurses, showing me my babies for the first time and then yanking back the covers of my chest and saying 'Hey, let's see if they'll latch.' It was like a science experiment that I didn't want to participate in. I don't recall allowing them to 'test the faucets' in this manner...is this normal? I mean, I'm a pretty modest person so for all these people to just whip out my boobs to try and get the boys to suck? I felt a bit violated, to say the least. (BTW - the science experiment didn't work)
The boys and I went on a break - they slept for pretty much the first day and I was recuperating from the c-section. On Day 2, the real work began...latching day. The breastfeeding coach that was assigned to me was very helpful. At first I didn't think I was going to like her because she didn't exactly come off as a people person. I admit that when she first arrived and was asking me what I wanted to get out of motherhood, I went on the defensive...I didn't know if she was part of La Leche League....so I wanted to respond to her with answers that she would approve of (what do you think is best for me? what would you like me to do?). I think she sensed my defensiveness because she came out and said, 'I'm not a breastfeeding nazi. I just want to understand what you want to do.'
That made me feel better. So I told her I wanted to try it but I was very afraid that I wouldn't be able to produce enough milk for both boys. She told me not to worry about that and to begin supplementing with formula and we did.
We were rock stars! The boys latched on very quickly and I didn't mind the breastfeeding at all. By the time we left the hospital, the breastfeeding coach was so impressed with how fast we learned everything. I felt confident that I was going to be able to breastfeed both boys (not at the same time...never at the same time). That confidence went away about two days after getting home.
I had help- I had my parents and my husband home with me the first two weeks. So breastfeeding wasn't too bad those first couple of weeks...we had some issues latching and positioning but it eventually worked itself out. We continued to supplement with formula and the boys were growing and gaining weight. After my parents left and my husband went back to work, that's when things started going downhill. I was now alone...alone with the boys. Me versus them. After trying, unsuccessfully, to breastfeed and supplement on my own, I decided that I would give them formula during the day and breastfeed through the night - but pump during the day so my husband could help with feeding overnight. After about a week of that, I couldn't do it anymore - I wasn't getting the time to pump during the day - I started to feel guilty because I started thinking about 'turning off the faucets.'
After discussing with a couple of other Moms (of singletons and twins), I realized that I didn't have to feel guilty. One mother put it this way - 'I found out that I was a better mother when I stopped breastfeeding.' I felt like she was reading my mind! I was so stressed out - I was so upset and sleep deprived....and I realized that I, too, would be a better mother if I stopped breastfeeding. The other thing was this - in the first couple of weeks of life, I was breastfeeding and supplementing with formula. Somewhere around week 3, it reversed and became formula feeding with breast milk supplements. That didn't make sense to me.
At one month, I turned off the faucets for good - and how long did it take to dry up? A day...seriously. And honestly, I feel like I've become a better mother. I was no longer stressed about feeding the boys, I could actually take naps to catch up on some much needed sleep, and I felt somewhat sane again.
Kudos to all the moms out there that breastfeed for months and months - at least I can say that I did it for a month but there's still some underlying guilt of whether or not I could have gone longer. What-if's. Oh well - what's done is done and my boys are growing healthier and stronger every day - they're above average in all their measurements and ahead of the game developmentally (according to the doctor) so that makes living with the guilt a little easier.
Thanks for letting me share my story. And much to my surprise, I haven't been ridiculed, stoned or judged (at least not to my face) for my decision. It was what was best for me and my family....besides, one of the doctors in my pediatric office put it best when a new mom asked him his take on breastfeeding - yaye or naye. His response: 'Harvard, Yale and Princeton didn't seem to have a problem with my formula-fed kids.'
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Childhood: Take Two!
Who knew that having kids would be like reliving your childhood. I always thought that having kids meant 'growing up' and being the authority and helping to guide and shape your child's life. Perhaps that is true but these first few years are like having a second childhood! Maybe not all of it but definitely a lot of it.
When I go to Target or am out shopping, I'm looking for toys and stuff that not only my boys will like but that I might like too...I'm always trying to find things that will stimulate their minds but be fun at the same time. I worry that I'm not doing enough to help their early development...should they really be licking and gnawing on their stuffed animals? That just seems gross to me (hello, cotton mouth!) but sometimes I have to remind myself to just let it go. There will probably be a lot more worst things heading into their mouths in the months and years to come.
These are all the 'grown up' things that run through my mind when it concerns my kids but the other part of raising my children has involved watching cartoons, playing their games and purchasing fun outfits for them. The boys watch a lot of Noggin during the day - they're starting to understand what's going on and even chuckle along sometimes. Among the shows they watch - 'Ni Hao Kai-Lan,' 'Max & Ruby,' 'Wow Wow Wubbzy' - okay - those are my favorites among the shows that they watch. I actually get excited when those shows come on. When I'm in my room, late at night, getting ready to hit the sack, I actually turn to Noggin to see what's on...part of me thinks this is force of habit...the other part is just enjoyment. I don't watch it, because it's usually just a repeat of what was on earlier.
My husband remarked the other night that he couldn't wait for the boys to get bigger and come into our room on a Saturday morning and watch Saturday morning cartoons with us in bed - too bad Saturday morning cartoons are just not what they use to be. And when we were playing with the boys while Ni Hao Kai-Lan was on the TV once, I said, 'Oh, I don't think I've seen this one.' He responded with a summary of the episode including the moral of the story and the song that they sing at the end. I couldn't help but look at him all funny and chuckle. You'd think he was telling you about an episode of Law & Order! But you know it's pretty sad when my husband and I are sitting in front of the TV, each holding a sleeping child, with Max & Ruby still on in the background....boy, I haven't watched Access Hollywood in MONTHS!
When I go to Target or am out shopping, I'm looking for toys and stuff that not only my boys will like but that I might like too...I'm always trying to find things that will stimulate their minds but be fun at the same time. I worry that I'm not doing enough to help their early development...should they really be licking and gnawing on their stuffed animals? That just seems gross to me (hello, cotton mouth!) but sometimes I have to remind myself to just let it go. There will probably be a lot more worst things heading into their mouths in the months and years to come.
These are all the 'grown up' things that run through my mind when it concerns my kids but the other part of raising my children has involved watching cartoons, playing their games and purchasing fun outfits for them. The boys watch a lot of Noggin during the day - they're starting to understand what's going on and even chuckle along sometimes. Among the shows they watch - 'Ni Hao Kai-Lan,' 'Max & Ruby,' 'Wow Wow Wubbzy' - okay - those are my favorites among the shows that they watch. I actually get excited when those shows come on. When I'm in my room, late at night, getting ready to hit the sack, I actually turn to Noggin to see what's on...part of me thinks this is force of habit...the other part is just enjoyment. I don't watch it, because it's usually just a repeat of what was on earlier.
My husband remarked the other night that he couldn't wait for the boys to get bigger and come into our room on a Saturday morning and watch Saturday morning cartoons with us in bed - too bad Saturday morning cartoons are just not what they use to be. And when we were playing with the boys while Ni Hao Kai-Lan was on the TV once, I said, 'Oh, I don't think I've seen this one.' He responded with a summary of the episode including the moral of the story and the song that they sing at the end. I couldn't help but look at him all funny and chuckle. You'd think he was telling you about an episode of Law & Order! But you know it's pretty sad when my husband and I are sitting in front of the TV, each holding a sleeping child, with Max & Ruby still on in the background....boy, I haven't watched Access Hollywood in MONTHS!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Reality Check: New Mommies
I think anyone that adopts a child deserves a gold star - my husband and I had thought about adopting before we had the twins but we really wanted to try and have kids of our own first before looking into adoption...but I was really happy that my husband was willing to even go the adoption route as there are many people out there that don't like the thought of adopting, especially overseas.
My Mom got to experience, a little bit, of what an overseas adoption was like on a trip to China...she happened to be staying at a hotel where a bunch of newly minted parents were staying with their newly adopted baby girls. She said that they all gathered in the lobby and were just filled with so much excitement and love because they've been given this gift to look after. I imagine that coming home with that new baby would be very much the same as if they had had that child naturally on their own....CHAOS!
Coming home with a new child, for any type of parent (natural and adoptive) is a whirlwind trip...first time parents, especially, are always filled with questions and precautions. Getting your child use to their new environment and surroundings. Trying to bring some order back into your life with a new baby. Trafficking guests that come through to coo at your brand new bundle - it's all overwhelming.
So I'm wondering, how is it that a celebrity, who recently adopted a baby a few short weeks ago has been able to have a celebratory dinner with her husband and her mom, sans new baby, after only a few short weeks of acquiring said baby? My boys are 17 weeks old and my husband and I haven't been able to go out to dinner on our own YET! I'm sure we could have if we wanted to, by now, but we actually like being with our boys - we like that they know who we are and give us big smiles when we get home from work. We've taken them out to dinner with us but we also like to be home for their last feeding before they go to bed.
Reality check lady - it's nice that you have all this money and can probably afford a nanny, no problem...but I know that when I became a new mommy, all I wanted to do is be with my kids. When I read and saw that this celebrity adopted a child, it made me think 'what a kind and decent human.' But a week later, when I read that she's out with her family (sans baby) having a celebratory dinner, it makes me think, 'Must be nice to not be hands on.'
For the record, we have a live-in nanny and even I don't take advantage of that by going out to dinner with my husband whenever....we are, however, going to have an early dinner, without our kids, for our anniversary this Sunday but I'm still going to make sure that I make it home for their last bottle before they go to bed.
My Mom got to experience, a little bit, of what an overseas adoption was like on a trip to China...she happened to be staying at a hotel where a bunch of newly minted parents were staying with their newly adopted baby girls. She said that they all gathered in the lobby and were just filled with so much excitement and love because they've been given this gift to look after. I imagine that coming home with that new baby would be very much the same as if they had had that child naturally on their own....CHAOS!
Coming home with a new child, for any type of parent (natural and adoptive) is a whirlwind trip...first time parents, especially, are always filled with questions and precautions. Getting your child use to their new environment and surroundings. Trying to bring some order back into your life with a new baby. Trafficking guests that come through to coo at your brand new bundle - it's all overwhelming.
So I'm wondering, how is it that a celebrity, who recently adopted a baby a few short weeks ago has been able to have a celebratory dinner with her husband and her mom, sans new baby, after only a few short weeks of acquiring said baby? My boys are 17 weeks old and my husband and I haven't been able to go out to dinner on our own YET! I'm sure we could have if we wanted to, by now, but we actually like being with our boys - we like that they know who we are and give us big smiles when we get home from work. We've taken them out to dinner with us but we also like to be home for their last feeding before they go to bed.
Reality check lady - it's nice that you have all this money and can probably afford a nanny, no problem...but I know that when I became a new mommy, all I wanted to do is be with my kids. When I read and saw that this celebrity adopted a child, it made me think 'what a kind and decent human.' But a week later, when I read that she's out with her family (sans baby) having a celebratory dinner, it makes me think, 'Must be nice to not be hands on.'
For the record, we have a live-in nanny and even I don't take advantage of that by going out to dinner with my husband whenever....we are, however, going to have an early dinner, without our kids, for our anniversary this Sunday but I'm still going to make sure that I make it home for their last bottle before they go to bed.
Shedding With a Vengeance
Prior to pregnancy, you would see hair on the bathroom floor on occassion (more often than not) that came from my head because I had long hair and women naturally shed a lot of hair. It would really drive me crazy when I would lay down on my carpet and I would see my hair within the carpet threads but it's just not something I can help.
When I got pregnant, it seemed like the shedding stopped momentarily. I could go a week, perhaps, without seeing hair on the bathroom floor. I didn't think twice about hair weaved within my carpet because I wasn't shedding as much while I was pregnant. I can really tell how much I shed after I wash my hair and brush it because that's when most of my hair will come out.
I was spoiled for about ten months because the shedding is back and it's come back with a vengeance. My husband remarked, the other week, after vacuuming up my hair, 'I could've made a sweater with what I picked up...' or 'You could've made another hair donation with the amount on the bathroom floor.' I just don't understand it - I seem to be shedding MORE hair than I ever have before. When I come out of the shower and brush my hair, after washing it, I can get CLUMPS of hair coming out onto my brush and in my hands. I feel like I have to wipe the bathroom floor every other day just to clear up the hair. I don't even want to think about the carpets because I'm so disgusted with how much is coming out onto floor I can actually see.
Is my head making up for lost time? Is this all hair that should've been out in the past ten months that is only make it's way out now? I don't get it.
Good thing I have a thick head of hair or I could've been rendered bald by now!
When I got pregnant, it seemed like the shedding stopped momentarily. I could go a week, perhaps, without seeing hair on the bathroom floor. I didn't think twice about hair weaved within my carpet because I wasn't shedding as much while I was pregnant. I can really tell how much I shed after I wash my hair and brush it because that's when most of my hair will come out.
I was spoiled for about ten months because the shedding is back and it's come back with a vengeance. My husband remarked, the other week, after vacuuming up my hair, 'I could've made a sweater with what I picked up...' or 'You could've made another hair donation with the amount on the bathroom floor.' I just don't understand it - I seem to be shedding MORE hair than I ever have before. When I come out of the shower and brush my hair, after washing it, I can get CLUMPS of hair coming out onto my brush and in my hands. I feel like I have to wipe the bathroom floor every other day just to clear up the hair. I don't even want to think about the carpets because I'm so disgusted with how much is coming out onto floor I can actually see.
Is my head making up for lost time? Is this all hair that should've been out in the past ten months that is only make it's way out now? I don't get it.
Good thing I have a thick head of hair or I could've been rendered bald by now!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
There's a Reason They're the Best
Since registering for baby items and about a month into their lives, I have been in the market for baby slings/carrier - the most popular one out there, being the Baby Bjorn. I registered for one thinking that that could be my husband's baby carrier. Of course I wanted a 'cooler' carrier, so I had registered for the 'Peanut Shell' sling and an Infantino sling.
While one of my boys was calm, I threw him in thePeanut Shell sling to see if he would like it. First of all, just from my perspective, he didn't look comfortable AT ALL. Secondly, he started crying which let me know he wasn't comfortable AT ALL. He looked 'squished.' This is when I gave up on the Peanut Shell and went with the Infantino - because it looked 'sturdier' and more comfortable. Again, after waiting for a calm moment, I threw one of the boys in the Infantino only to be met with more crying and more 'squishy.' This is when I gave up on the sling altogether and decided that maybe I need to just go with the upright carrier....but still wanted something cooler looking than the Baby Bjorn.
I have friends that have the cloth carriers that is basically like a six foot piece of fabric that you tie in all kinds of directions on your body in order to secure your baby to your frontside. There was no way I was ever going to be able to handle that....so I saw another Infantino upright carrier that looked comparable to the the Baby Bjorn at about half the cost. I purchased it and during a recent trip to Costco, I put my 'lighter' son into the carrier to see how he would like it. I ended up spending half the Costco trip adjusting my straps to get him tighter and closer to my body, having my husband pull down on the center 'circle' thing on the back to make sure it was in the center of my back. I have to say that it wasn't terribly comfortable for me and if my son could talk, he would probably give it one thumbs down, while the other stayed in his mouth.
On another excursion, I had taken out the Baby Bjorn for my husband so he could get use to it and start using it. After about ten minutes, he decided it was too hard to figure out and kind of put it to the side. In planning for a doctor's appointment tomorrow, I decided I was going to try on the Baby Bjorn and see if my son liked it any better than the Infantino.
Firstly, the Bjorn was SOOOOO much easier to 'assemble' than the Infantino - there are a lot of snaps and cloth pulls on the Infantino and it was pretty confusing where I was supposed to stick my head and arms...but with the Baby Bjorn, everything is pretty mapped out for you in shapes and colors. It was a lot more comfortable and the best part, my son didn't cry or fuss while in the Bjorn.
I guess there's a reason why they seem to be monopolizing the marketplace in Infant carriers - of the four slings and carriers I've tried, they are the best, simply put. And I like their range of products - from 'fancy' infant carriers (think sparkly and patent leather for nights on the town) to sporty ones with breathable mesh fabric.
I keep the Infantino carrier in the car for emergencies but I think I'm going to have to break down and purchase a Baby Bjorn for myself - maybe the sporty one...you can call me 'Sporty Bjorn.'
While one of my boys was calm, I threw him in thePeanut Shell sling to see if he would like it. First of all, just from my perspective, he didn't look comfortable AT ALL. Secondly, he started crying which let me know he wasn't comfortable AT ALL. He looked 'squished.' This is when I gave up on the Peanut Shell and went with the Infantino - because it looked 'sturdier' and more comfortable. Again, after waiting for a calm moment, I threw one of the boys in the Infantino only to be met with more crying and more 'squishy.' This is when I gave up on the sling altogether and decided that maybe I need to just go with the upright carrier....but still wanted something cooler looking than the Baby Bjorn.
I have friends that have the cloth carriers that is basically like a six foot piece of fabric that you tie in all kinds of directions on your body in order to secure your baby to your frontside. There was no way I was ever going to be able to handle that....so I saw another Infantino upright carrier that looked comparable to the the Baby Bjorn at about half the cost. I purchased it and during a recent trip to Costco, I put my 'lighter' son into the carrier to see how he would like it. I ended up spending half the Costco trip adjusting my straps to get him tighter and closer to my body, having my husband pull down on the center 'circle' thing on the back to make sure it was in the center of my back. I have to say that it wasn't terribly comfortable for me and if my son could talk, he would probably give it one thumbs down, while the other stayed in his mouth.
On another excursion, I had taken out the Baby Bjorn for my husband so he could get use to it and start using it. After about ten minutes, he decided it was too hard to figure out and kind of put it to the side. In planning for a doctor's appointment tomorrow, I decided I was going to try on the Baby Bjorn and see if my son liked it any better than the Infantino.
Firstly, the Bjorn was SOOOOO much easier to 'assemble' than the Infantino - there are a lot of snaps and cloth pulls on the Infantino and it was pretty confusing where I was supposed to stick my head and arms...but with the Baby Bjorn, everything is pretty mapped out for you in shapes and colors. It was a lot more comfortable and the best part, my son didn't cry or fuss while in the Bjorn.
I guess there's a reason why they seem to be monopolizing the marketplace in Infant carriers - of the four slings and carriers I've tried, they are the best, simply put. And I like their range of products - from 'fancy' infant carriers (think sparkly and patent leather for nights on the town) to sporty ones with breathable mesh fabric.
I keep the Infantino carrier in the car for emergencies but I think I'm going to have to break down and purchase a Baby Bjorn for myself - maybe the sporty one...you can call me 'Sporty Bjorn.'
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
New Mothers and Their Syndrome
I just got back from seeing an Orthoepedic. I had made an appointment because what started out as carpal tunnel in my hands in the last few weeks of pregnancy had turned into a sharp pain on the inside of my wrist. I was convinced that I no longer had carpal tunnel but something more serious. I tried to think what could have happened between delivery and nine weeks later...I didn't fall, I hadn't been at the gym lifting weights. I thought perhaps it was caused by the nurse putting the IV needle into my body and perhaps aggravating a bone/tendon?! All I knew was that this pain was getting more serious by the day.
It impacted just about everything I did from picking up the boys, to feeding them (the way I was cradling them, their little elbows would jab into my injured wrist), to something as simple as putting my hair in a ponytail or closing my bra hooks. I made an appointment with an orthoepedic to see what was going on. I was convinced that after taking x-rays, he would see a hairline fracture or even a bone spur, whatever that was.
Turns out I've got De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. I sat in the doctor's office for 30 minutes. The doctor saw me for three minutes and declared I had tenosynovitis, or in lamens terms, Nursing Mother's syndrome. One problem - I'm not nursing nor have I been nursing for five weeks. But Nursing Mother's syndrome was just the general term. It's a pain on the side of the wrist and base of the thumb due to inflammation of one or two tendon sheaths or a strain of these tendon sheaths, the extensor pollicis brevis (EPB) or abductor pollicis longus (APL). Again, lamens terms - pain in the inner wrist that goes up to the thumb that causes internal inflammation in your hand. For me, it was probably brought on by picking the boys up and doing it in a 'scooping' motion where my thumbs come out when I go pick them up.
It's treatable and should go away in about two weeks - I had the option of getting a shot for the pain or anti-inflammatory medication. I took the meds because the thought of another needle in my body wasn't too appealing. I also have to wear a splint on my hand/wrist for two weeks - I look like a left-handed professional bowler. It sure makes typing hard because of the limited movement I have in the wrist.
So just as an FYI - if you're experiencing the same irritation that I had, chances are you have Nursing Mother's Syndrome, which isn't exclusively reserved for nursing mothers.
It impacted just about everything I did from picking up the boys, to feeding them (the way I was cradling them, their little elbows would jab into my injured wrist), to something as simple as putting my hair in a ponytail or closing my bra hooks. I made an appointment with an orthoepedic to see what was going on. I was convinced that after taking x-rays, he would see a hairline fracture or even a bone spur, whatever that was.
Turns out I've got De Quervain's Tenosynovitis. I sat in the doctor's office for 30 minutes. The doctor saw me for three minutes and declared I had tenosynovitis, or in lamens terms, Nursing Mother's syndrome. One problem - I'm not nursing nor have I been nursing for five weeks. But Nursing Mother's syndrome was just the general term. It's a pain on the side of the wrist and base of the thumb due to inflammation of one or two tendon sheaths or a strain of these tendon sheaths, the extensor pollicis brevis (EPB) or abductor pollicis longus (APL). Again, lamens terms - pain in the inner wrist that goes up to the thumb that causes internal inflammation in your hand. For me, it was probably brought on by picking the boys up and doing it in a 'scooping' motion where my thumbs come out when I go pick them up.
It's treatable and should go away in about two weeks - I had the option of getting a shot for the pain or anti-inflammatory medication. I took the meds because the thought of another needle in my body wasn't too appealing. I also have to wear a splint on my hand/wrist for two weeks - I look like a left-handed professional bowler. It sure makes typing hard because of the limited movement I have in the wrist.
So just as an FYI - if you're experiencing the same irritation that I had, chances are you have Nursing Mother's Syndrome, which isn't exclusively reserved for nursing mothers.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Be Prepared...B-E- Prepared
One of the best things about preparing for the boys' arrival was getting their nursery ready. I loved thinking of the design - I had three in mind for all possible gender combination of twins - executing it and purchasing the furniture that would complete my vision. It was like getting married again when we got to go to Babies R Us to register for all the baby items we would need to welcome our little bundles of joy.
Even though I have two nephews, I was still a little overwhelmed by all the stuff I needed to register for. But I followed the guidelines given to us by the store and by various parenting magazines and basically went from there. We managed to get most everything on our registries, from the bath tub to socket blockers - we even got stuff we didn't register for that have come in handy like those clothing size tags that you hang in your closet that help you distinguish between 0-3 months, 3-6 months, etc. and cloth diapers; not for what you think they're for since we're not using cloth diapers.
Now that the boys are here and it's been almost two months, here is a list, based off of my personal observations, of things that I think are essentials to the nursery and general life with the babies:
1) Baby Wipes Warmer - I know I've blogged about this before and I can't say it enough...what a life saver...you'd think the warmer would be great for winter months but it's been plugged in and it comes in SO handy at night when you don't want to shock the babies with cold wipes.
2) Little terry cloth squares - these are not the same as the wash cloths that look like face towels - these are slivers of terry cloth about 4 inches x 4 inches. We received these from an aunt and have they come in SUPER handy. We use these to wash the boys because they're so thin, it's easy to get into the baby crevices (those face towels are a little big for newborns). We also have these on the changing table to wipe up any spit up if we're changing them before they're fully digested. If you can't get your hands on these little terry cloth squares, just manage to have something on the changing table (like a box of tissues) to have handy for quick wipe ups and something to grab when pee starts flying everywhere, unexpectedly (and yes, it will happen).
3) Suction bulbs and tweezers - I was silly enough to register for a suction bulb. Thankfully I didn't get it but we got the hospital-issued ones which have become both handy and addictive at the same time. Addictive? Yes, because we like 'digging for gold.' Babies naturally get rid of their boogies by sneezing it out. We've found that our boys sound congested not because they have colds but because they have large boogies blocking their nasal passageways. In comes the suction bulb - hopefully you have a cooperative baby or you'll have to try and do this while they're sleeping....it's good fun suctioning out those big boogies. The tweezers are handy for when you get the boogie far enough forward that you can just go in and grab them with the tweezers because their holes are too small for adult fingers. Be aware of what will come out with the tweezers - that boogie may look small up there in their nose but once you pull it out, you might feel like you're pulling out a caterpillar or something...I swear I pulled out the biggest boogie I've ever seen the other day.
4) Multiple pacifiers - of the SAME kind. We started the boys on MAM pacifiers which they love (not an addictive type of love). I had other pacifiers (Purdue ones) but they seem to be for the older kid set. So in one of my many trips back to Babies R Us and Target, I was looking for additional pacifiers, to have back ups. I ended up buying Born-Free pacifiers. The boys don't like them. I think they'll only suck them under duress...otherwise, they're just lying around as 'last resort' back ups. I managed to purchase two more packs of MAM pacifiers for 2+ months since it was already week 6 of their lives when I figured out that we needed to stick to the same brand. This allows you to have the multiple back ups and no worries from the baby of 'tasting/feeling' something they're not use to.
5) Sleepers with AND without feet - you're going to receive a lot of baby clothes from friends and shower events. Lots of the outfits will be body suits (no pants) which is great for the overly warm summer months. But I have found that the best outfits to have the babies in for the first couple of months of life are sleepers - basically PJs. We got a few hand-me-downs from family and friends and were gifted with hardly any. After a couple of weeks, I found myself at Target and Carters purchasing more because these are quite simply the easiest things to put the babies in. They're not going to be doing much in the first few months other than sleep, eat and poop so why torture yourself trying to dress them up all cutesie (there will be PLENTY of time for that later) - keep it simple. It's also good to have variety - long sleeves and short sleeves with and without footies because I am finding that I keep one in sleepers without footies because he's a HOT baby (seriously, like a heater) and the other doesn't have great circulation so his feet tend to be cold.
6) Cloth diapers - we received these as a gift at one of our showers, not because we're using cloth diapers (and thank goodness we're not; see blog post titled 'Burn Baby Burn') but because my friend was gifted with cloth diapers as well - to use as anywhere drool/burping cloths. They've come in super handy. I keep a pile in the nursery and whenever it's feeding time, I take one off the pile and use it to wipe up spit up and formula. I use one a day and they're so easy to launder.
7) Multiple changing stations - if you live in a multi-level home, it's best to have multiple changing stations; preferably one on each floor. I had them all set up before the boys arrived but in the beginning, I still found myself climbing the stairs to their nursery to change them - it just seemed more 'permanent' I guess. But after those couple of weeks and more trips up and down the stairs than I care to discuss, I've learned to use the main level changing station - just have a box of wipes, diapers and butt ointment at the ready for any situation.
8) Multi-use disposable pads - this was another item we received at a shower that we didn't register for...but boy have we stocked up since. These are just disposable paper mats that you can take with you and put down anywhere - like on top of a changing pad, over your shoulder for burping or over the baby during feedings. We have boxes of it in the nursery for the changing table. We have a changing pad cover but we also have these disposable mats on top of that because when you experience explosions or 'leakage of poo', it's so easy to just wrap the diaper and the disposable mat up and discard instead of having to remove the changing pad cover to wash it. I only have two changing pad covers - so far, I've only had to wash each once....
9) Good stroller(s) - this isn't necessarily in the nursery but my goals in finding a stroller were that it was reasonably priced, durable, light, and will last for the next 3-4 years, at least. I brought my goals to a baby super store and thank goodness the person manning the stroller section was EXTREMELY knowledgeable. He had been selling strollers himself for over 13 years and he was also a father of two. He told me about all the women that come into the store looking for their third, fourth, and sometimes fifth strollers because these women buy strollers in stages. I told him what my goals were in finding a stroller (especially since I have two babies) and he was with me in my goals....he brought out the big names for me to look at (MacLaren, Peg Perego, BOB, etc) and we finally settled on a stroller that has been beating out the likes of MacLaren and Peg Perego...it's the Baby Jogger City Stroller. I think what sold me the most was that I could fold it up with one hand...after purchasing it, I saw that Halle Berry has the same one...how chic! So the point is to talk to someone before investing in something as big as this item...knowledge is power.
10) Sheet Savers - so you're not constantly changing the crib sheet for spit up because let's face it, once you have the mattress, bumper, and mobile all done up on the crib, the LAST thing you want to do is undo all the bumper ties, take off the mobile, just to get to the mattress to remove the sheet. With the sheet saver, you just have to tie and untie for strings and replace....it's on top of the sheet saver that I have the baby's head for the occassional spit up while sleeping.
So those are my top 10 things that I'm finding are key to life with the babies. I'm sure there's a ton more but I think it's these little things that we don't always think about until the little ones are actually here.
Even though I have two nephews, I was still a little overwhelmed by all the stuff I needed to register for. But I followed the guidelines given to us by the store and by various parenting magazines and basically went from there. We managed to get most everything on our registries, from the bath tub to socket blockers - we even got stuff we didn't register for that have come in handy like those clothing size tags that you hang in your closet that help you distinguish between 0-3 months, 3-6 months, etc. and cloth diapers; not for what you think they're for since we're not using cloth diapers.
Now that the boys are here and it's been almost two months, here is a list, based off of my personal observations, of things that I think are essentials to the nursery and general life with the babies:
1) Baby Wipes Warmer - I know I've blogged about this before and I can't say it enough...what a life saver...you'd think the warmer would be great for winter months but it's been plugged in and it comes in SO handy at night when you don't want to shock the babies with cold wipes.
2) Little terry cloth squares - these are not the same as the wash cloths that look like face towels - these are slivers of terry cloth about 4 inches x 4 inches. We received these from an aunt and have they come in SUPER handy. We use these to wash the boys because they're so thin, it's easy to get into the baby crevices (those face towels are a little big for newborns). We also have these on the changing table to wipe up any spit up if we're changing them before they're fully digested. If you can't get your hands on these little terry cloth squares, just manage to have something on the changing table (like a box of tissues) to have handy for quick wipe ups and something to grab when pee starts flying everywhere, unexpectedly (and yes, it will happen).
3) Suction bulbs and tweezers - I was silly enough to register for a suction bulb. Thankfully I didn't get it but we got the hospital-issued ones which have become both handy and addictive at the same time. Addictive? Yes, because we like 'digging for gold.' Babies naturally get rid of their boogies by sneezing it out. We've found that our boys sound congested not because they have colds but because they have large boogies blocking their nasal passageways. In comes the suction bulb - hopefully you have a cooperative baby or you'll have to try and do this while they're sleeping....it's good fun suctioning out those big boogies. The tweezers are handy for when you get the boogie far enough forward that you can just go in and grab them with the tweezers because their holes are too small for adult fingers. Be aware of what will come out with the tweezers - that boogie may look small up there in their nose but once you pull it out, you might feel like you're pulling out a caterpillar or something...I swear I pulled out the biggest boogie I've ever seen the other day.
4) Multiple pacifiers - of the SAME kind. We started the boys on MAM pacifiers which they love (not an addictive type of love). I had other pacifiers (Purdue ones) but they seem to be for the older kid set. So in one of my many trips back to Babies R Us and Target, I was looking for additional pacifiers, to have back ups. I ended up buying Born-Free pacifiers. The boys don't like them. I think they'll only suck them under duress...otherwise, they're just lying around as 'last resort' back ups. I managed to purchase two more packs of MAM pacifiers for 2+ months since it was already week 6 of their lives when I figured out that we needed to stick to the same brand. This allows you to have the multiple back ups and no worries from the baby of 'tasting/feeling' something they're not use to.
5) Sleepers with AND without feet - you're going to receive a lot of baby clothes from friends and shower events. Lots of the outfits will be body suits (no pants) which is great for the overly warm summer months. But I have found that the best outfits to have the babies in for the first couple of months of life are sleepers - basically PJs. We got a few hand-me-downs from family and friends and were gifted with hardly any. After a couple of weeks, I found myself at Target and Carters purchasing more because these are quite simply the easiest things to put the babies in. They're not going to be doing much in the first few months other than sleep, eat and poop so why torture yourself trying to dress them up all cutesie (there will be PLENTY of time for that later) - keep it simple. It's also good to have variety - long sleeves and short sleeves with and without footies because I am finding that I keep one in sleepers without footies because he's a HOT baby (seriously, like a heater) and the other doesn't have great circulation so his feet tend to be cold.
6) Cloth diapers - we received these as a gift at one of our showers, not because we're using cloth diapers (and thank goodness we're not; see blog post titled 'Burn Baby Burn') but because my friend was gifted with cloth diapers as well - to use as anywhere drool/burping cloths. They've come in super handy. I keep a pile in the nursery and whenever it's feeding time, I take one off the pile and use it to wipe up spit up and formula. I use one a day and they're so easy to launder.
7) Multiple changing stations - if you live in a multi-level home, it's best to have multiple changing stations; preferably one on each floor. I had them all set up before the boys arrived but in the beginning, I still found myself climbing the stairs to their nursery to change them - it just seemed more 'permanent' I guess. But after those couple of weeks and more trips up and down the stairs than I care to discuss, I've learned to use the main level changing station - just have a box of wipes, diapers and butt ointment at the ready for any situation.
8) Multi-use disposable pads - this was another item we received at a shower that we didn't register for...but boy have we stocked up since. These are just disposable paper mats that you can take with you and put down anywhere - like on top of a changing pad, over your shoulder for burping or over the baby during feedings. We have boxes of it in the nursery for the changing table. We have a changing pad cover but we also have these disposable mats on top of that because when you experience explosions or 'leakage of poo', it's so easy to just wrap the diaper and the disposable mat up and discard instead of having to remove the changing pad cover to wash it. I only have two changing pad covers - so far, I've only had to wash each once....
9) Good stroller(s) - this isn't necessarily in the nursery but my goals in finding a stroller were that it was reasonably priced, durable, light, and will last for the next 3-4 years, at least. I brought my goals to a baby super store and thank goodness the person manning the stroller section was EXTREMELY knowledgeable. He had been selling strollers himself for over 13 years and he was also a father of two. He told me about all the women that come into the store looking for their third, fourth, and sometimes fifth strollers because these women buy strollers in stages. I told him what my goals were in finding a stroller (especially since I have two babies) and he was with me in my goals....he brought out the big names for me to look at (MacLaren, Peg Perego, BOB, etc) and we finally settled on a stroller that has been beating out the likes of MacLaren and Peg Perego...it's the Baby Jogger City Stroller. I think what sold me the most was that I could fold it up with one hand...after purchasing it, I saw that Halle Berry has the same one...how chic! So the point is to talk to someone before investing in something as big as this item...knowledge is power.
10) Sheet Savers - so you're not constantly changing the crib sheet for spit up because let's face it, once you have the mattress, bumper, and mobile all done up on the crib, the LAST thing you want to do is undo all the bumper ties, take off the mobile, just to get to the mattress to remove the sheet. With the sheet saver, you just have to tie and untie for strings and replace....it's on top of the sheet saver that I have the baby's head for the occassional spit up while sleeping.
So those are my top 10 things that I'm finding are key to life with the babies. I'm sure there's a ton more but I think it's these little things that we don't always think about until the little ones are actually here.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Cradle Cap OR....Baby Toupee
If your baby comes out pretty much bald, you can be sure that they will experience the dry, flakiness known as 'cradle cap.' No Head-N-Shoulders for this situation. We were taught in our child birthing class that for cradle cap, just softly scrub the top of the head with a wet sponge/cloth to scrub away the dry skin. The way the nurse demonstrated it to us was by holding the plastic baby in a football hold and scrubbing the head softly over the sink. How does this situation not resemble real life? The plastic baby isn't squirming or crying or fidgeting due to 1) the water, 2) the cloth, 3) being held in the football hold. But I digress...
My boys both came out with barely any hair but enough to let you know that one had blonde hair and one had light brown hair. After the first week, cradle cap became apparent and I did my best, for their first sponge bath, to softly scrub the top of their heads with a cloth while they rested on the changing table. Because they were on the changing table, the cloth I was using wasn't very wet - so needless to say, nothing much happened with the flakiness. It wasn't until we gave the boys their first bath did the washing of the cradle cap resemble washing off dead skin. What they DON'T tell you about 'treating' cradle cap is that the little hair that does exist on top of their head comes off along with the skin.
I discovered this while sitting with one of the boys - and while feeding him, I started peeling away some of the skin on top of his head, because it was BEGGING to be peeled (even though they say not to). I couldn't help myself - ask my sister...we are addicted to peeling things like skin off a sun burn. Anyways - while I was peeling off some of the skin, I noticed that little pieces of hair were coming off with it. THAT scared me. So naturally, I kept peeling. And more little hairs came off. I couldn't believe it. Was what they were born with nothing more than a temporary toupee?
By their second bath, I was determined to scrub off the cradle cap so I didn't have the urge to peel anymore. After their second bath, one child was bald on top - he looked like a mini version of Dr. Phil without the 'stache. It was too funny, yet sad all at the same time...here is my newborn, with nice, newborn hair all along the sides and back of his head but NADA on top - he really looked like a little, old man. The blonde baby's cradle cap was a little harder to get off. In fact, he still has flaky peels on top of his head despite the multiple baths he has had. But I no longer have the urge to peel his skin because their 'real' hair has started to grow in.
So be aware of cradle cap - TRY to resist the urge to peel - as it could lead to scabbing...thankfully, I wasn't ALL OVER the baby's cradle cap to cause scabbing. Their hair will eventually grow in - you'll start to see like a shadow of something on top of their head....and when you look closely, you'll see little hairs sprouting up like new grass...babies are amazing!
My boys both came out with barely any hair but enough to let you know that one had blonde hair and one had light brown hair. After the first week, cradle cap became apparent and I did my best, for their first sponge bath, to softly scrub the top of their heads with a cloth while they rested on the changing table. Because they were on the changing table, the cloth I was using wasn't very wet - so needless to say, nothing much happened with the flakiness. It wasn't until we gave the boys their first bath did the washing of the cradle cap resemble washing off dead skin. What they DON'T tell you about 'treating' cradle cap is that the little hair that does exist on top of their head comes off along with the skin.
I discovered this while sitting with one of the boys - and while feeding him, I started peeling away some of the skin on top of his head, because it was BEGGING to be peeled (even though they say not to). I couldn't help myself - ask my sister...we are addicted to peeling things like skin off a sun burn. Anyways - while I was peeling off some of the skin, I noticed that little pieces of hair were coming off with it. THAT scared me. So naturally, I kept peeling. And more little hairs came off. I couldn't believe it. Was what they were born with nothing more than a temporary toupee?
By their second bath, I was determined to scrub off the cradle cap so I didn't have the urge to peel anymore. After their second bath, one child was bald on top - he looked like a mini version of Dr. Phil without the 'stache. It was too funny, yet sad all at the same time...here is my newborn, with nice, newborn hair all along the sides and back of his head but NADA on top - he really looked like a little, old man. The blonde baby's cradle cap was a little harder to get off. In fact, he still has flaky peels on top of his head despite the multiple baths he has had. But I no longer have the urge to peel his skin because their 'real' hair has started to grow in.
So be aware of cradle cap - TRY to resist the urge to peel - as it could lead to scabbing...thankfully, I wasn't ALL OVER the baby's cradle cap to cause scabbing. Their hair will eventually grow in - you'll start to see like a shadow of something on top of their head....and when you look closely, you'll see little hairs sprouting up like new grass...babies are amazing!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Burn, Baby, Burn
Being a new mother, I have found that when I'm in the company of other mothers (the more experienced ones), one topic inevitably rears it's ugly head when you get around to discussing feedings, schedules and diaper changes. From diaper changes, we segue to gas and from gas we end up at 'explosive poops.' The question that usually comes up: 'Have you experienced the explosive diaper yet?'
No, the diaper doesn't explode...the baby's butt does. And yes, we have experienced the explosive diaper/poop. It's amazing what babies can do - they can poop in the back half of their diaper and up their back and totally miss the middle and front of the diaper altogether. In the beginning, one of my boys was a side pooper, meaning he was able to poop off center. That amazed me.
Back to the explosions. For one of our boys...we call him 'juicy toots,' seven times out of 10, his gas noises would lead you to believe that he has something extremely unpleasant waiting for you at the end of his feeding. But when we finally get onto the changing table to take a look, the damage is usually minimal. The bad ones are the ones that you can actually feel seeping onto YOUR clothes and when you go to lift them up to take a gander at the back side, you are welcomed by a nice, wet brown spot. How does this happen - this up the back thing? They're sitting up, pretty much, while eating. My guess is that since they're sitting on your lap, there really is no other way to go but up?
So far with Juicy Toots, we've had two explosive diapers...how do we classify the two as explosive, you ask? The fact that we consider 'burning' the outfit he was wearing. We already got rid of one sleeper because we did not think it was salvageable (sorry, Pearl...it was one of Izzy's old ones, I think) and we considered 'burning' the second one - until I decided to TRY and save it by hosing it down and letting it soak in the 'tub of shame.'
Tub of shame?! Yes, the tub of shame is where things that were once in good condition, have succumbed to baby badness and need a few days to soak. Who has visited the tub of shame? One towel that my husband, very wisely, decided to lay across his lap while feeding Juicy Toots because JT's tummy was making bad, Bad, BAD noises. (You know it's going to be bad when Mommy's tummy is competing with JT's tummy to see whose could grumble the loudest. Mommy's tummy was grumbling because it was 4:45 AM and she was hungry. JT's tummy was grumbling because...um....because....don't know why cause he just had a full bottle. Thank goodness the explosion didn't happen on Mommy's watch, but on Daddy's!) And then there was the second sleeper that was met with explosive poops. That happened on Mommy's watch - the one I'm trying to save.
So if you're a new mom (or dad), be ready...be ready for the explosions that lie ahead; be ready for Daddys to become drama queens when met with large to explosive size diapers (as overheard on the baby monitor a few times...'Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh crap!') and be ready to discuss it with others....
No, the diaper doesn't explode...the baby's butt does. And yes, we have experienced the explosive diaper/poop. It's amazing what babies can do - they can poop in the back half of their diaper and up their back and totally miss the middle and front of the diaper altogether. In the beginning, one of my boys was a side pooper, meaning he was able to poop off center. That amazed me.
Back to the explosions. For one of our boys...we call him 'juicy toots,' seven times out of 10, his gas noises would lead you to believe that he has something extremely unpleasant waiting for you at the end of his feeding. But when we finally get onto the changing table to take a look, the damage is usually minimal. The bad ones are the ones that you can actually feel seeping onto YOUR clothes and when you go to lift them up to take a gander at the back side, you are welcomed by a nice, wet brown spot. How does this happen - this up the back thing? They're sitting up, pretty much, while eating. My guess is that since they're sitting on your lap, there really is no other way to go but up?
So far with Juicy Toots, we've had two explosive diapers...how do we classify the two as explosive, you ask? The fact that we consider 'burning' the outfit he was wearing. We already got rid of one sleeper because we did not think it was salvageable (sorry, Pearl...it was one of Izzy's old ones, I think) and we considered 'burning' the second one - until I decided to TRY and save it by hosing it down and letting it soak in the 'tub of shame.'
Tub of shame?! Yes, the tub of shame is where things that were once in good condition, have succumbed to baby badness and need a few days to soak. Who has visited the tub of shame? One towel that my husband, very wisely, decided to lay across his lap while feeding Juicy Toots because JT's tummy was making bad, Bad, BAD noises. (You know it's going to be bad when Mommy's tummy is competing with JT's tummy to see whose could grumble the loudest. Mommy's tummy was grumbling because it was 4:45 AM and she was hungry. JT's tummy was grumbling because...um....because....don't know why cause he just had a full bottle. Thank goodness the explosion didn't happen on Mommy's watch, but on Daddy's!) And then there was the second sleeper that was met with explosive poops. That happened on Mommy's watch - the one I'm trying to save.
So if you're a new mom (or dad), be ready...be ready for the explosions that lie ahead; be ready for Daddys to become drama queens when met with large to explosive size diapers (as overheard on the baby monitor a few times...'Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh crap!') and be ready to discuss it with others....
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Pay It Forward - The Pregnancy Edition
I found that before I gave birth, I tried to read anything and everything about twins, how to handle them, how to take care of them, how to get them on schedules - basically, I needed to be prepared for what I was about to face. Life with twins!
I can happily say that no amount of reading or preparation prior to giving birth is ever going to prepare you for taking care of babies - you will undoubtedly come home from the hospital with your new bundle filled with anxiety and baby blues. It's normal and those that say they didn't have the baby blues or difficulties when they came home from the hospital are lying. I even had help during my c-section recovery and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, helpless and ill-prepared.
When I first got home, I was frantic. I felt out of control. I'm a complete control-freak. I like everything to be on a schedule...yet I felt like I had no schedule and no way to control it. I started looking for college nannies or doulas that could come in and help me. Another big part of my stress was breast feeding. Finding time to pump and having issues with one of the babies latching on just added to my overall feeling of helplessness. I was not in a good place.
It wasn't until I started hearing from mothers of other twins that went through what I was going through did I start to feel better. There was one friend of a friend, in particular, that really helped me through the first two weeks - she had just returned to work after having her twins in December and so it wasn't long ago that she was in the exact same place. She gave me advice, shared what she did to get through and it really helped...you could say it brought me off the ledge. I ended up not getting a doula because I created a schedule for me and the boys. We're still living by the schedule now and it's working out well, for the most part. I spoke to another friend of a friend with twins and she also helped me a lot with my stresses with breast feeding because she felt the same exact way and was dealing with the same issues.
It was so great to hear from these women and know that I wasn't the only one feeling the way I did. Their advice and experiences really helped me make decisions that would make me a better mother to my children and to cope better in these 'newborn weeks.'
There was one mother of twins (another friend of a friend) that sent me an email BEFORE I gave birth (four days prior to giving birth) that completely overwhelmed me. She was talking about night doulas and getting a mini-fridge for the nursery and just provided me with a wealth of information that pertained to her experiences that completely turned me off. I can't really say if it turned me off so much as it just completely scared me. I didn't correspond with that woman very much after giving birth - her experience was not one that I wanted to follow....it was certainly appreciated, but I think there's a line that needs to be watched where you don't want to completely overwhelm/scare your audience.
In closing, I have to say that if you get a chance to share your pregnancy experiences and stories with others, especially those that are becoming first time mothers and are completely scared, definitely share them - especially the good stories. But don't go overboard - cause you can't give back your baby!
I can happily say that no amount of reading or preparation prior to giving birth is ever going to prepare you for taking care of babies - you will undoubtedly come home from the hospital with your new bundle filled with anxiety and baby blues. It's normal and those that say they didn't have the baby blues or difficulties when they came home from the hospital are lying. I even had help during my c-section recovery and I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, helpless and ill-prepared.
When I first got home, I was frantic. I felt out of control. I'm a complete control-freak. I like everything to be on a schedule...yet I felt like I had no schedule and no way to control it. I started looking for college nannies or doulas that could come in and help me. Another big part of my stress was breast feeding. Finding time to pump and having issues with one of the babies latching on just added to my overall feeling of helplessness. I was not in a good place.
It wasn't until I started hearing from mothers of other twins that went through what I was going through did I start to feel better. There was one friend of a friend, in particular, that really helped me through the first two weeks - she had just returned to work after having her twins in December and so it wasn't long ago that she was in the exact same place. She gave me advice, shared what she did to get through and it really helped...you could say it brought me off the ledge. I ended up not getting a doula because I created a schedule for me and the boys. We're still living by the schedule now and it's working out well, for the most part. I spoke to another friend of a friend with twins and she also helped me a lot with my stresses with breast feeding because she felt the same exact way and was dealing with the same issues.
It was so great to hear from these women and know that I wasn't the only one feeling the way I did. Their advice and experiences really helped me make decisions that would make me a better mother to my children and to cope better in these 'newborn weeks.'
There was one mother of twins (another friend of a friend) that sent me an email BEFORE I gave birth (four days prior to giving birth) that completely overwhelmed me. She was talking about night doulas and getting a mini-fridge for the nursery and just provided me with a wealth of information that pertained to her experiences that completely turned me off. I can't really say if it turned me off so much as it just completely scared me. I didn't correspond with that woman very much after giving birth - her experience was not one that I wanted to follow....it was certainly appreciated, but I think there's a line that needs to be watched where you don't want to completely overwhelm/scare your audience.
In closing, I have to say that if you get a chance to share your pregnancy experiences and stories with others, especially those that are becoming first time mothers and are completely scared, definitely share them - especially the good stories. But don't go overboard - cause you can't give back your baby!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Warm Butt = A Happy Butt
This is going to be a product-promotion posting and it's all about keeping your baby's butt warm during those difficult moments known as diaper changes.
I will add this caveat - a warm butt is not a happy butt when that butt is being warmed by the baby's own pee or poo. Nosiree. Then we do not have a happy baby, nor do we have a happy butt.
But what I do mean about warm butts is having warm wipes while cleaning your baby off during diaper changes.
In the four short weeks we have known our boys, it has become apparent that they are not fans of diaper changes. Not only are they not fans but they view the changing table as a sort of 'axis of evil'. The crazy part is that they're totally fine and calm when taking off the diaper - it's when you're about to fasten the new one on and wrap things up do they start to get all crazy. But I digress.
One of the items I registered for was the wipes warmer - available at Babies R Us, and other fine retailers. Boy am I glad I registered and got it. When setting up the nursery, I had put the wipes warmer on their changing table. I didn't initially plug it in after we brought the babies home because I thought 'it's summer, it's warm - maybe the warmer would be better left for the fall/winter months.' I was wrong. That warmer needs to be on 24/7/365. Placing a cold wipe against their tush was a big no-no. Within 24 hours of bringing them home, the wipes warmer was plugged in and on and there has been no turning back. Now, the diaper change experience only seems to get bad during the wrap up portion rather than the WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS. And every little bit helps.
You definitely see the difference between having a warmer and not having a warmer. In the downstairs changing area, I don't have a wipes warmer so when I change them downstairs, it's an ordeal cause they don't like the cold dampness on their butt after having sat in their pee and poo. I also just googled wipes warmer and apparently they're not only available all over the place (Target, Wal-Mart, amazon, etc) but there's a travel warmer that I might have to invest in! HOT DOG!
So I'm giving two, enthusiastic thumbs up to the wipes warmer - the one I have is by 'Especially for Baby.' It's great - it even comes with a little window and 'oven light' so you can see when you're running low and need to refill.
I will add this caveat - a warm butt is not a happy butt when that butt is being warmed by the baby's own pee or poo. Nosiree. Then we do not have a happy baby, nor do we have a happy butt.
But what I do mean about warm butts is having warm wipes while cleaning your baby off during diaper changes.
In the four short weeks we have known our boys, it has become apparent that they are not fans of diaper changes. Not only are they not fans but they view the changing table as a sort of 'axis of evil'. The crazy part is that they're totally fine and calm when taking off the diaper - it's when you're about to fasten the new one on and wrap things up do they start to get all crazy. But I digress.
One of the items I registered for was the wipes warmer - available at Babies R Us, and other fine retailers. Boy am I glad I registered and got it. When setting up the nursery, I had put the wipes warmer on their changing table. I didn't initially plug it in after we brought the babies home because I thought 'it's summer, it's warm - maybe the warmer would be better left for the fall/winter months.' I was wrong. That warmer needs to be on 24/7/365. Placing a cold wipe against their tush was a big no-no. Within 24 hours of bringing them home, the wipes warmer was plugged in and on and there has been no turning back. Now, the diaper change experience only seems to get bad during the wrap up portion rather than the WHOLE ENTIRE PROCESS. And every little bit helps.You definitely see the difference between having a warmer and not having a warmer. In the downstairs changing area, I don't have a wipes warmer so when I change them downstairs, it's an ordeal cause they don't like the cold dampness on their butt after having sat in their pee and poo. I also just googled wipes warmer and apparently they're not only available all over the place (Target, Wal-Mart, amazon, etc) but there's a travel warmer that I might have to invest in! HOT DOG!
So I'm giving two, enthusiastic thumbs up to the wipes warmer - the one I have is by 'Especially for Baby.' It's great - it even comes with a little window and 'oven light' so you can see when you're running low and need to refill.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Screw You, AVENT
How many college-educated new moms does it take to screw on the top of an AVENT bottle? Only one but apparently it can take up to five tries before you actually get it on right.
I believe there is some 'secret' way to screw on the cap and nipple of an AVENT baby bottle - what exactly is that secret? I have yet to figure that out. All I know is that when I screw on the top and shake it, to mix the formula, droplets spray all over the place, leading me to have to uncap and recap the top and shake it again, just to make sure that no formula will leak out. I have come to 'test' each bottle to see if anything will leak out but even that's not guaranteed to work because I have found that I have done the topsy turvy test with no leakage but once I start to feed one of the boys their formula, it starts leaking while it's angled, onto their bib, causing me to lose about five mL of liquid.
It's a waste and it's frustrating. Formula is expensive AND sticky. I only went with AVENT bottles because it was the same brand my sister used. Little did I know what issues it would have.
I try to line up the grooves of the bottle and the cap. I try to make sure that the top turns at least twice (cause sometimes it only turns half way) but nothing is a guarantee to make it stop leaking. My husband has even taken to screwing the top on so tight that I have to get a grippy thing just to get it off - it's a struggle.
So if anyone out there knows the secret to getting the top onto an AVENT baby bottle without leakage, let me know - I'm dying to know and want to stop wasting formula.
I believe there is some 'secret' way to screw on the cap and nipple of an AVENT baby bottle - what exactly is that secret? I have yet to figure that out. All I know is that when I screw on the top and shake it, to mix the formula, droplets spray all over the place, leading me to have to uncap and recap the top and shake it again, just to make sure that no formula will leak out. I have come to 'test' each bottle to see if anything will leak out but even that's not guaranteed to work because I have found that I have done the topsy turvy test with no leakage but once I start to feed one of the boys their formula, it starts leaking while it's angled, onto their bib, causing me to lose about five mL of liquid.
It's a waste and it's frustrating. Formula is expensive AND sticky. I only went with AVENT bottles because it was the same brand my sister used. Little did I know what issues it would have.
I try to line up the grooves of the bottle and the cap. I try to make sure that the top turns at least twice (cause sometimes it only turns half way) but nothing is a guarantee to make it stop leaking. My husband has even taken to screwing the top on so tight that I have to get a grippy thing just to get it off - it's a struggle.
So if anyone out there knows the secret to getting the top onto an AVENT baby bottle without leakage, let me know - I'm dying to know and want to stop wasting formula.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Water Weight My Foot.....
I was one of the "lucky" ones that got to experience swollen feet towards the end of my pregnancy. It started out gradual in about the 30th week but as time drew closer to delivery, I had 'moon boot feet' with a side of 'sausage toes.' It was not pleasant. I actually went to work in flip flops because it was the only thing my feet could fit into that wasn't constricting. I was so horrified and fascinated by the swelling that I actually took phone pictures and sent them to family and friends - hey, look at these babies!
But I kept telling myself - 'Things will go back to normal after delivery....things will go back to normal after delivery.' What I forgot to append to that saying was 'Thing will go back to normal after delivery...days to weeks after.' I didn't think it was possible but yes, after delivering my babies, my feet and legs swelled up to twice what they were prior to delivery. We were beyond moon boots and sausage analogies. I imagined I had the legs and feet of an obese person. It hurt to slide my feet into flip flops. It hurt to walk. Any time a nurse would come in to check on me, I would ask, 'Is this normal?' And the response would always be 'yes.'
My OB finally told me to keep drinking water to help the swelling go down. This did not make sense to me as I thought the cause of the swelling was water. If I drink more, won't that make it worse? But I did what they told me because let's face it, I've never been pregnant before. So when I got home, I kept drinking water, kept sighing at my feet, and then drank some more water and refused to leave the house unless absolutely necessary. Walking was such a trial as I felt like I had blisters on my feet with each step I took.
After about 1.5 weeks at home, the swelling finally did go down. It seemed instantaneous. One day they were beyond recognition, the next, they're back to normal. I was so excited by it that I went immediately to my shoe closet to throw on some heels, also hoping that the swelling didn't mess with the sizing of my foot (as I stayed the same shoe size throughout the pregnancy). My heels were a tad tight but I coughed that up to left-over swelling. We're going to try it again later this week in hopes that my heels will fit a-okay.
Another symptom that I had after I got home from the hospital, that lasted for about a week...the sweats. Night sweats. I didn't experience it at the hospital and when I got home, I was talking to my sister and she happened to mention how she had the night sweats for a couple of nights after her c-section. Again, I ask, where is this information when you need it? Sure enough, two days later, I get the night sweats - for about 1.5 weeks. The first night, the sweats were accompanied by chills - I'm talking teeth chattering chills. On the second night, my cornflower blue PJ top turned into a dark navy blue due to all the sweating I was doing. That was pretty gross. And so it continued to the point where I had two hand towels with me during the night - one for my pillow and one to wipe myself with during the night. I found that most of the sweat accumulated between my boobs.
I was able to read that the night sweats were just a way for your body to rid itself of excess toxins and water from the trials of pregnancy. I'm just sayin' - it would've been nice to know ahead of time.
I will recommend the following book for those of you that have just had babies - 'What to Expect When You're Expecting - the First Year.' That book has answers to ALL QUESTIONS you have rummaging through your brain. I will be the first to tell you that I do not recommend the 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' book for pregnancy cause that will scare the bejezus out of any pregnant woman. But the 'First Year' book is quite helpful and informative and I keep it handy, next to the glider in the nursery.
But I kept telling myself - 'Things will go back to normal after delivery....things will go back to normal after delivery.' What I forgot to append to that saying was 'Thing will go back to normal after delivery...days to weeks after.' I didn't think it was possible but yes, after delivering my babies, my feet and legs swelled up to twice what they were prior to delivery. We were beyond moon boots and sausage analogies. I imagined I had the legs and feet of an obese person. It hurt to slide my feet into flip flops. It hurt to walk. Any time a nurse would come in to check on me, I would ask, 'Is this normal?' And the response would always be 'yes.'
My OB finally told me to keep drinking water to help the swelling go down. This did not make sense to me as I thought the cause of the swelling was water. If I drink more, won't that make it worse? But I did what they told me because let's face it, I've never been pregnant before. So when I got home, I kept drinking water, kept sighing at my feet, and then drank some more water and refused to leave the house unless absolutely necessary. Walking was such a trial as I felt like I had blisters on my feet with each step I took.
After about 1.5 weeks at home, the swelling finally did go down. It seemed instantaneous. One day they were beyond recognition, the next, they're back to normal. I was so excited by it that I went immediately to my shoe closet to throw on some heels, also hoping that the swelling didn't mess with the sizing of my foot (as I stayed the same shoe size throughout the pregnancy). My heels were a tad tight but I coughed that up to left-over swelling. We're going to try it again later this week in hopes that my heels will fit a-okay.
Another symptom that I had after I got home from the hospital, that lasted for about a week...the sweats. Night sweats. I didn't experience it at the hospital and when I got home, I was talking to my sister and she happened to mention how she had the night sweats for a couple of nights after her c-section. Again, I ask, where is this information when you need it? Sure enough, two days later, I get the night sweats - for about 1.5 weeks. The first night, the sweats were accompanied by chills - I'm talking teeth chattering chills. On the second night, my cornflower blue PJ top turned into a dark navy blue due to all the sweating I was doing. That was pretty gross. And so it continued to the point where I had two hand towels with me during the night - one for my pillow and one to wipe myself with during the night. I found that most of the sweat accumulated between my boobs.
I was able to read that the night sweats were just a way for your body to rid itself of excess toxins and water from the trials of pregnancy. I'm just sayin' - it would've been nice to know ahead of time.
I will recommend the following book for those of you that have just had babies - 'What to Expect When You're Expecting - the First Year.' That book has answers to ALL QUESTIONS you have rummaging through your brain. I will be the first to tell you that I do not recommend the 'What to Expect When You're Expecting' book for pregnancy cause that will scare the bejezus out of any pregnant woman. But the 'First Year' book is quite helpful and informative and I keep it handy, next to the glider in the nursery.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Phantom Baby
The struggles of being a new parent hits just about everyone. I don't know one person that says it wasn't hard at first and if there are people out there that says it's not, they're lying! (Just kidding)
The exhaustion, alone, is enough to do anyone in. For the first time since we've been together, I have never seen my husband so exhausted - how exhausted was he? He was so exhausted that in our first two days back from the hospital, he was sent into a fit of laughter. He couldn't stop laughing trying to get some shut eye. He said he it was all he could muster up - laughing. Hey, at least he wasn't crying.
The worst part of the exhaustion has to be when you're sleeping and you think you're holding a baby but you're not...I call this the 'Phantom Baby.' I don't know if it has happened to others but it happened to both me and my husband. We were both sleeping one night, last week, and I was getting ready to wake up for an overnight feeding. I was so careful getting out of bed, I think the whole time I had my arms in a 'cradle' position cause I thought I was holding a baby! When I got up and started walking around the bedroom, I WOKE UP and was like 'Holy cow, where's the baby?' Only to realize that the babies were safely in their cribs, in their rooms. I only thought I was holding a baby because I had been holding them so much lately and I guess it was so new to me.
Later, that same night, after getting back from an overnight feeding, my husband turned over in the bed when I settled myself back in and asked if the feedings went okay. I told him they did and not two minutes later did he kind of shoot up in bed and start patting himself on the chest saying, 'Where's the baby? Where did he go?' He thought he had been holding the baby against his chest and lost him. I told him, 'The babies are in their crib!' He sorta woke up and said, 'Okay, I believe you' and went back to sleep.
I was awoken ten minutes later to my husband lifting the sheets above me and looking underneath (in the dark) for something. I turned to him and said, 'What are you doing?' He replied, sleepily, 'Is the baby with you?' I said, 'No, he's in his crib.' Another 'phantom baby' moment.
So don't be surprised to feel like you've been holding a baby when you haven't...it happens. I don't know how often it happens to others but it happened to us on the same night.
The exhaustion, alone, is enough to do anyone in. For the first time since we've been together, I have never seen my husband so exhausted - how exhausted was he? He was so exhausted that in our first two days back from the hospital, he was sent into a fit of laughter. He couldn't stop laughing trying to get some shut eye. He said he it was all he could muster up - laughing. Hey, at least he wasn't crying.
The worst part of the exhaustion has to be when you're sleeping and you think you're holding a baby but you're not...I call this the 'Phantom Baby.' I don't know if it has happened to others but it happened to both me and my husband. We were both sleeping one night, last week, and I was getting ready to wake up for an overnight feeding. I was so careful getting out of bed, I think the whole time I had my arms in a 'cradle' position cause I thought I was holding a baby! When I got up and started walking around the bedroom, I WOKE UP and was like 'Holy cow, where's the baby?' Only to realize that the babies were safely in their cribs, in their rooms. I only thought I was holding a baby because I had been holding them so much lately and I guess it was so new to me.
Later, that same night, after getting back from an overnight feeding, my husband turned over in the bed when I settled myself back in and asked if the feedings went okay. I told him they did and not two minutes later did he kind of shoot up in bed and start patting himself on the chest saying, 'Where's the baby? Where did he go?' He thought he had been holding the baby against his chest and lost him. I told him, 'The babies are in their crib!' He sorta woke up and said, 'Okay, I believe you' and went back to sleep.
I was awoken ten minutes later to my husband lifting the sheets above me and looking underneath (in the dark) for something. I turned to him and said, 'What are you doing?' He replied, sleepily, 'Is the baby with you?' I said, 'No, he's in his crib.' Another 'phantom baby' moment.
So don't be surprised to feel like you've been holding a baby when you haven't...it happens. I don't know how often it happens to others but it happened to us on the same night.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Post C-Section Shockers
Okay - maybe not shockers, especially for those that have been through it but there are just so many things they don't tell you about c-sections (they, being authors, doctors, previous patients) that I think I would've liked to know ahead of time....
For instance, while I was being 'zipped up' after "delivering" my twins, I asked the crowd in the operating room, 'So, has anyone ever asked for liposuction directly after their c-section delivery?' The answer? "Yeah." I often joked about it prior to delivery - wouldn't it be nice to just get some of the fat out of the way right off the bat? Apparently, the hospital I delivered in does not do it - but I guess the more common procedure that is asked for after a c-section is a tummy tuck. Still not done in the hospital I delivered at.
No one told me I would have a 'foo-pah' after giving birth. Now I have no idea what I thought was supposed to happen to my ginormous belly after delivering two babies...I guess I was hoping most of it would go away. But after living with my big, hard belly for 3+ months and to all of a sudden go from something's there to a completely deflated pile of fat and skin was pretty shocking to me. I sat in my hospital bed poking at it (cause there's not much you can do when you can't feel your legs for 24 hours) wondering what happened. As the days wore on and I started breast feeding, the foo-pah has definitely gone down but it's still there. Granted it's been less than three weeks since I delivered - supposedly it should be gone (ie - pre-pregnancy state) in 4-6 weeks. We shall see about that.
There's a lot of bleeding....I guess those that deliver the v-way have way more bleeding than c-sectioners (I can't even imagine)....but I felt a little demoralized when the nurse had to come in to change my pad for the bleeding because I couldn't move in the first 24 hours. I guess that's what nurses are paid for - changing the pads and cleaning out your catheter output. But now that I'm back home, I'm still bleeding and again, this will go on for 4-6 weeks after delivery. I'm sensing a 4-6 week theme here....
Babies usually don't eat in the first 24 hours of delivery. I did not know this. Here we are (my hubby and I) freaking out because I'm not producing any breast milk yet and the nurses are asking us if we want them bottle fed, kept in the nursery (alongside other screaming babies), along with a barrage of questions on feeding the babies....it would've been nice if someone told us off the bat 'Hey, don't worry...babies come out with some 'fat supplies' that allow them to not eat very much in the first 24 hours...' We found that out like 1-2 days LATER.
They won't let you eat anything solid until you pass gas...down there. I was put on a liquid diet following the c-section (which really wasn't bad - broth, jello, juices) and told that I couldn't have anything solid to eat until I was able to pass gas. I, of course, needed clarification on what exactly they mean by pass gas - like was it just via the back way or could I simply toss up a burp and go from there? Unfortunately, it was via the back exit. Fortunately, I was able to pass gas in the middle of the night - I was so excited when a tiny toot came out that when the nurse came in to check on me at like 2am, I excitedly told her, 'Oh hey, I passed gas!' I got a nice pancake breakfast in the morning!
Those are just some of the lovely things that I found out about 'on the job.' Maybe I was so focused on having the babies and how to care of them after they arrived that I didn't pay attention to what exactly happens after a c-section....but I didn't come across any of this stuff and you would think I would....oh well. I hope my experience helps SOMEONE out there so they're better prepared.
For instance, while I was being 'zipped up' after "delivering" my twins, I asked the crowd in the operating room, 'So, has anyone ever asked for liposuction directly after their c-section delivery?' The answer? "Yeah." I often joked about it prior to delivery - wouldn't it be nice to just get some of the fat out of the way right off the bat? Apparently, the hospital I delivered in does not do it - but I guess the more common procedure that is asked for after a c-section is a tummy tuck. Still not done in the hospital I delivered at.
No one told me I would have a 'foo-pah' after giving birth. Now I have no idea what I thought was supposed to happen to my ginormous belly after delivering two babies...I guess I was hoping most of it would go away. But after living with my big, hard belly for 3+ months and to all of a sudden go from something's there to a completely deflated pile of fat and skin was pretty shocking to me. I sat in my hospital bed poking at it (cause there's not much you can do when you can't feel your legs for 24 hours) wondering what happened. As the days wore on and I started breast feeding, the foo-pah has definitely gone down but it's still there. Granted it's been less than three weeks since I delivered - supposedly it should be gone (ie - pre-pregnancy state) in 4-6 weeks. We shall see about that.
There's a lot of bleeding....I guess those that deliver the v-way have way more bleeding than c-sectioners (I can't even imagine)....but I felt a little demoralized when the nurse had to come in to change my pad for the bleeding because I couldn't move in the first 24 hours. I guess that's what nurses are paid for - changing the pads and cleaning out your catheter output. But now that I'm back home, I'm still bleeding and again, this will go on for 4-6 weeks after delivery. I'm sensing a 4-6 week theme here....
Babies usually don't eat in the first 24 hours of delivery. I did not know this. Here we are (my hubby and I) freaking out because I'm not producing any breast milk yet and the nurses are asking us if we want them bottle fed, kept in the nursery (alongside other screaming babies), along with a barrage of questions on feeding the babies....it would've been nice if someone told us off the bat 'Hey, don't worry...babies come out with some 'fat supplies' that allow them to not eat very much in the first 24 hours...' We found that out like 1-2 days LATER.
They won't let you eat anything solid until you pass gas...down there. I was put on a liquid diet following the c-section (which really wasn't bad - broth, jello, juices) and told that I couldn't have anything solid to eat until I was able to pass gas. I, of course, needed clarification on what exactly they mean by pass gas - like was it just via the back way or could I simply toss up a burp and go from there? Unfortunately, it was via the back exit. Fortunately, I was able to pass gas in the middle of the night - I was so excited when a tiny toot came out that when the nurse came in to check on me at like 2am, I excitedly told her, 'Oh hey, I passed gas!' I got a nice pancake breakfast in the morning!
Those are just some of the lovely things that I found out about 'on the job.' Maybe I was so focused on having the babies and how to care of them after they arrived that I didn't pay attention to what exactly happens after a c-section....but I didn't come across any of this stuff and you would think I would....oh well. I hope my experience helps SOMEONE out there so they're better prepared.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
You Down with PPP
I need to get back on the blogging train - it's been awhile - a LONG while. What has happened in that long while? I gave birth...to twins. But that's no excuse for the month or so I didn't blog prior to giving birth. I'll admit, I was uninspired...I was too busy conjuring ways to get the babies out of my belly cause I was so darn uncomfortable. My OB fell for none of my schemes. I gave birth on my scheduled c-section date - 37 weeks and 5 days for twins....yowza.
So as soon as I start getting some rest and getting down a schedule with my boys, I'm going to start blogging again - it's going to be more about post-pregnancy postings (PPP). Things that they don't tell you when you're giving birth, post birth, at the hospital. Things that happened; things that are happening. I'm just saying that with the time I have off for maternity leave, a lot of my observations are going to be surrounding the boys - cause what else can I observe? Twins are hard - but I knew that already.
Mark my words - I'll be back soon.
So as soon as I start getting some rest and getting down a schedule with my boys, I'm going to start blogging again - it's going to be more about post-pregnancy postings (PPP). Things that they don't tell you when you're giving birth, post birth, at the hospital. Things that happened; things that are happening. I'm just saying that with the time I have off for maternity leave, a lot of my observations are going to be surrounding the boys - cause what else can I observe? Twins are hard - but I knew that already.
Mark my words - I'll be back soon.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Up With People (Or Not)
In my iPod right now: "Falling Slowly" - performed by American Idol contestant Kris Allen (I know - sucker! (but seriously, it's awesome))
I'm sad to say that my knowledge of celebrity gossip is slipping considerably. I mean, sure, while I'm in the checkout line, I'm as fixated on the tabloids as anyone, but I no longer subscribe to US Weekly, and I'm not as good about checking all of those fantastic celebrity buzz blogs as I used to be. I gave myself a pass for awhile based on my brief stint as a paparazzo last summer (a story for another day -I helped contribute to the machine in a pretty insignificant way), but it's getting a little ridiculous. It took me way too long, for example, to learn that Lindsay Lohan and her girlfriend Sam were broken up. Unacceptable. Really. I'm embarrassed.
Well, I recently had a chance to get reacquainted with the old reliable celebrity source People Magazine. Or so I thought. I had a series of dentist appointments to tackle my unfortunate abscess tooth condition, and I was confident that the waiting room would offer a plethora of reading options, including the aforementioned People Magazine and perhaps a few issues of Highlights for Children. I mean, that's the only good thing about the dentist, right? The waiting room reading material. (Actually, that's not entirely true. I like the lead apron too, but that's only because I'm kind of a freak.)
When I am wrong, I am so wrong. This dentist office (while standard Del Rio super friendly) offered only "DTV" (which stands not for "Dance T.V." from the highly underrated "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" starring a young Sarah Jessica Parker, but rather, "Dental T.V.") and various dental industry magazines. Really? I kind of thought that the best way to help patients relax in "the chair" is to help them forget they're at the dentist. A feature on gingivitis isn't going to make that happen. I think I might mention this when I return for my cleaning in June. As I recall, my usually literary snob mom (and I mean that with the utmost admiration) experienced something similar many years ago. Unlike this case, however, the dentist had once offered all of the waiting room greats (People, Sports Illustrated, you name it) but one day decided to cancel them all and replace them with random promotional magazines that had obviously been sent to the office for free. My mom was furious that her People was not there waiting for her, and the poor receptionist got an earful. I'm pretty sure they ended up just sucking it up and forking over the negligible $400/year or whatever they previously spent and renewing their subscriptions.
Trust me. It's worth it.
I'm sad to say that my knowledge of celebrity gossip is slipping considerably. I mean, sure, while I'm in the checkout line, I'm as fixated on the tabloids as anyone, but I no longer subscribe to US Weekly, and I'm not as good about checking all of those fantastic celebrity buzz blogs as I used to be. I gave myself a pass for awhile based on my brief stint as a paparazzo last summer (a story for another day -I helped contribute to the machine in a pretty insignificant way), but it's getting a little ridiculous. It took me way too long, for example, to learn that Lindsay Lohan and her girlfriend Sam were broken up. Unacceptable. Really. I'm embarrassed.
Well, I recently had a chance to get reacquainted with the old reliable celebrity source People Magazine. Or so I thought. I had a series of dentist appointments to tackle my unfortunate abscess tooth condition, and I was confident that the waiting room would offer a plethora of reading options, including the aforementioned People Magazine and perhaps a few issues of Highlights for Children. I mean, that's the only good thing about the dentist, right? The waiting room reading material. (Actually, that's not entirely true. I like the lead apron too, but that's only because I'm kind of a freak.)
When I am wrong, I am so wrong. This dentist office (while standard Del Rio super friendly) offered only "DTV" (which stands not for "Dance T.V." from the highly underrated "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" starring a young Sarah Jessica Parker, but rather, "Dental T.V.") and various dental industry magazines. Really? I kind of thought that the best way to help patients relax in "the chair" is to help them forget they're at the dentist. A feature on gingivitis isn't going to make that happen. I think I might mention this when I return for my cleaning in June. As I recall, my usually literary snob mom (and I mean that with the utmost admiration) experienced something similar many years ago. Unlike this case, however, the dentist had once offered all of the waiting room greats (People, Sports Illustrated, you name it) but one day decided to cancel them all and replace them with random promotional magazines that had obviously been sent to the office for free. My mom was furious that her People was not there waiting for her, and the poor receptionist got an earful. I'm pretty sure they ended up just sucking it up and forking over the negligible $400/year or whatever they previously spent and renewing their subscriptions.
Trust me. It's worth it.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Washington DOES have a Fashion Week
I've only heard about it - never really attended a DC Fashion Week event - which is weird since I do love fashion. I think the DC Fashion Week has always been overshadowed by that of New York Fashion Week - and in the past, it's usually at this time that I'm desparately looking to see which Project Runway finalists have put out for their runway show in New York.
I heard that they did have a Project Runway finale - unfortunately, because the latest season hasn't been aired on either Bravo or Lifetime, the finalists and their talents are still unknown. But I digress.
My friend asked me if I wanted to attend a show for DC Fashion Week. Let me put things in perspective for those of you not familiar with the DC version of Fashion Week. From my understanding, it is put together by a local designer, Ean Williams. He brings together local designers to put together a two hour runway show two times a year (spring and fall). I don't expect you'll ever see DC Fashion Week advertised as the Mercedes-Benz DC Fashion Week - nor will you ever see a runway show featuring Anna Sui or Betsey Johnson. For this latest spring fashion week, there were only four events - Menswear Show, Fashion Industry Networking show, African Students Fashion Show and the Couture Collections. We signed up to attend the Couture Collections.
I really didn't know what to expect. Would there be celebrities? (No.) Would Michelle Obama be there considering she's the newest fashion sensation to hit DC? (No.) Would there be some relative unknown designer that would wow me with their creations? (No.)
Most of the designers have been designing for over 10+ years. They all have their own style but unfortunately, I was not really wowed by any of their works. I would say out of the 10 designers that showed, I would probably only consider purchasing something from two of the designers. The first half of the show left a lot to be desired - there were things being shown that I could've found at 'Frederick's of Hollywood' or 'Hot Topic.' There were colors being used that haven't been 'it' colors since 1987 (who said peach was coming back?!). There were dresses that I think you could find at sketchy Chinese massage parlors. Some of the foreign designers, who hailed from countries like Siberia, Mongolia and Pakistan (to name a few) were so distinctive in their designs that their outfits weren't very 'ready to wear.' But then again, you have to remember we were at the couture collection show....but I didn't see how any of the stuff that was shown could be designated as couture.
Let's move onto the models. These were not NY Fashion Week caliber models - I will put that out there right now. They were all skinny (I swear one was like a size negative two) and tall and apparently they all had to supply their own shoes. So here were some problems - you had models in their own shoes (usually black, platform-like, stripper shoes) wearing more ethnic looking outfits...it didn't look right. You had super-pale girls wearing all the sorbet-colored outfits which washed out the models and did nothing flattering to the outfits on display. I see how designers are very particular about the models that wear their clothes - I didn't understand why the designers here weren't as particular....there was a body of like 30-something models - so it's not like you couldn't find ONE that would make your outfit really stand out.
There were three models in particular that really caught my attention - in a not-so-good way. One model came out and at first I didn't think anything of her - but towards the middle of the show, she started reminding me of John Leguizamo, in drag, in 'To Wong Foo....' . There was a second model (the size negative two) that was basically marching up and down the runway - we're talking high steps and prancing - it started to remind me of a horse. And then the third model that irked me...let's just say that when she first came out, my friend asked if that was a man or woman and all I could say was ''All the Single Ladies' by Beyonce keeps playing in my head when I see her.'
During the show, even though the runway music was turned on loud, I could still hear such a ruckus going on behind the curtains, or backstage. I thought a fight broke out at one point. I heard someone calling something to attention cause every so often, you would hear two claps....but the noise backstage never died down. It was distracting and annoying - they should have thought about putting more of a separation between the stage and the changing/prep area.
All in all - as my first fashion runway experience - it was just that...an experience. I think I need a taste of NY Fashion Week to see what it's really suppose to be like.
DC Fashion Week - their motto is 'Establishing Washington as the Center of International Fashion.' I think it's still got a long way to go....before toppling the likes of Milan, Paris and London.
I heard that they did have a Project Runway finale - unfortunately, because the latest season hasn't been aired on either Bravo or Lifetime, the finalists and their talents are still unknown. But I digress.
My friend asked me if I wanted to attend a show for DC Fashion Week. Let me put things in perspective for those of you not familiar with the DC version of Fashion Week. From my understanding, it is put together by a local designer, Ean Williams. He brings together local designers to put together a two hour runway show two times a year (spring and fall). I don't expect you'll ever see DC Fashion Week advertised as the Mercedes-Benz DC Fashion Week - nor will you ever see a runway show featuring Anna Sui or Betsey Johnson. For this latest spring fashion week, there were only four events - Menswear Show, Fashion Industry Networking show, African Students Fashion Show and the Couture Collections. We signed up to attend the Couture Collections.
I really didn't know what to expect. Would there be celebrities? (No.) Would Michelle Obama be there considering she's the newest fashion sensation to hit DC? (No.) Would there be some relative unknown designer that would wow me with their creations? (No.)
Most of the designers have been designing for over 10+ years. They all have their own style but unfortunately, I was not really wowed by any of their works. I would say out of the 10 designers that showed, I would probably only consider purchasing something from two of the designers. The first half of the show left a lot to be desired - there were things being shown that I could've found at 'Frederick's of Hollywood' or 'Hot Topic.' There were colors being used that haven't been 'it' colors since 1987 (who said peach was coming back?!). There were dresses that I think you could find at sketchy Chinese massage parlors. Some of the foreign designers, who hailed from countries like Siberia, Mongolia and Pakistan (to name a few) were so distinctive in their designs that their outfits weren't very 'ready to wear.' But then again, you have to remember we were at the couture collection show....but I didn't see how any of the stuff that was shown could be designated as couture.
Let's move onto the models. These were not NY Fashion Week caliber models - I will put that out there right now. They were all skinny (I swear one was like a size negative two) and tall and apparently they all had to supply their own shoes. So here were some problems - you had models in their own shoes (usually black, platform-like, stripper shoes) wearing more ethnic looking outfits...it didn't look right. You had super-pale girls wearing all the sorbet-colored outfits which washed out the models and did nothing flattering to the outfits on display. I see how designers are very particular about the models that wear their clothes - I didn't understand why the designers here weren't as particular....there was a body of like 30-something models - so it's not like you couldn't find ONE that would make your outfit really stand out.
There were three models in particular that really caught my attention - in a not-so-good way. One model came out and at first I didn't think anything of her - but towards the middle of the show, she started reminding me of John Leguizamo, in drag, in 'To Wong Foo....' . There was a second model (the size negative two) that was basically marching up and down the runway - we're talking high steps and prancing - it started to remind me of a horse. And then the third model that irked me...let's just say that when she first came out, my friend asked if that was a man or woman and all I could say was ''All the Single Ladies' by Beyonce keeps playing in my head when I see her.'
During the show, even though the runway music was turned on loud, I could still hear such a ruckus going on behind the curtains, or backstage. I thought a fight broke out at one point. I heard someone calling something to attention cause every so often, you would hear two claps....but the noise backstage never died down. It was distracting and annoying - they should have thought about putting more of a separation between the stage and the changing/prep area.
All in all - as my first fashion runway experience - it was just that...an experience. I think I need a taste of NY Fashion Week to see what it's really suppose to be like.
DC Fashion Week - their motto is 'Establishing Washington as the Center of International Fashion.' I think it's still got a long way to go....before toppling the likes of Milan, Paris and London.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Why Are Handlers Out of Shape?!
Last night had me struggling to stay awake as I was watching the 'Herding Group' of the Westminster Dog Show. This is my favorite group because it has my favorite dog, the Old English Sheepdog. A friend of mine had one growing up and my Mother's best friend had one too. A few years ago, there was an Old English Sheepdog that was at the top of his game at all the dog shows, Yoshii! I thought he was just so adorable with his fluffed up hair and barely-to-non visible eyes. And now I continue to call all Old English Sheepdogs Yoshii.'Yoshii' did not disappoint last night - I liked watching him prance around the arena and constantly wondered if he really did have eyes! He ended up taking fourth place in the herding group...he lost to the 'rasta' dog (aka - the Puli) - the one that looks like a mop.
Anyway, as I was waiting patiently, and trying to keep my eyes open for 'Yoshii' to do his thing, I was looking at all the other dogs and how their handlers handle them and I had to wonder - why are there so many out of shape handlers? You would think because they have to train the dog, walk the dog, primp the dog and run up and down with the dog to show him off would have them in decent shape. I'm not saying all handlers are out of shape but some of them are. I wonder if it's bad that the handlers can't keep up with the dog while it's taking it's turn around the arena...does that hurt the chances of the dog winning, at all? Are the handlers sneaking snacks for the dogs and for themselves?
I just had to put that question out there - I asked my husband...he didn't know. I didn't pay attention to the handlers that actually won their breeding class but I'll have to take a look during best in show...how many 'out of shape' handlers actually make it to the 'big show.'
Friday, February 6, 2009
Closing Time
In my iPod right now: Fade Into You by Mazzy Star
A few weeks ago, the Waldenbooks in the Plaza Del Sol "Mall" in Del Rio, Texas shut its doors for good. In truth, it was a crummy bookstore that appeared to be run by a bunch of teenagers who felt it more important to gab and text on their cell phones than to ring up a customer's purchase. The place was in total disarray most of the time, clearly demonstrating where the workers' priorities were. It was really a sad leftover from the 80's, when B. Dalton's and Waldenbooks ruled the world (I know this because together they were responsible for enabling my severe "Sweet Valley High" habit.) It gave me none of those great feelings and imaginary conversations that bookstores seem to promote for me (such as "See how smart and interesting I am? I like to browse history books."). This Waldenbooks had no coffee shop, no music section, no greeting card/gift collection. But it did have one thing going for it: it was the only game in town. When I saw what was happening, why it was having a big "40% off everything sale," I was too sad to even peruse the great bargains. Instead, I went to my car and cried.
The thing is: seeing any store or restaurant going out of business has always made me melancholy. For some people, I guess it's nice to take advantage of the sales, but I can't see past the fact that someone's project, maybe even someone's dream, has died. It's why I have trouble watching "You've Got Mail." I'm the one who needs the tissues when Meg Ryan closes her mother's children's bookstore. It's positively heartbreaking. I guess we're supposed to be happy that Tom Hanks and the big Fox Books rescues her, but it's still hard to watch. I'm not even saying that I wouldn't have patronized Fox Books (I did, after all, pay $25 annually to be a Barnes and Noble "member"). But I still like to support the mom and pop shops if I can, even if they're more expensive. It's worth it; supporting the dream is worth it.
On a more personal level, I can't help but be disturbed that my little town can't keep a bookstore in business. I'm an aspiring novelist, after all. And my success depends on readers. I am all for being that sellout I talked about in my last post. I know times are tough, and almost every industry is suffering, but this is my plea to you:
Please Keep Supporting the Publishing Industry.
You know that feeling you get when you've read a really great book: that feeling that you've escaped to another world. It's a feeling that immerses you, that makes your imagination soar - much more than a two hour movie ever could.
Cherish it.
A few weeks ago, the Waldenbooks in the Plaza Del Sol "Mall" in Del Rio, Texas shut its doors for good. In truth, it was a crummy bookstore that appeared to be run by a bunch of teenagers who felt it more important to gab and text on their cell phones than to ring up a customer's purchase. The place was in total disarray most of the time, clearly demonstrating where the workers' priorities were. It was really a sad leftover from the 80's, when B. Dalton's and Waldenbooks ruled the world (I know this because together they were responsible for enabling my severe "Sweet Valley High" habit.) It gave me none of those great feelings and imaginary conversations that bookstores seem to promote for me (such as "See how smart and interesting I am? I like to browse history books."). This Waldenbooks had no coffee shop, no music section, no greeting card/gift collection. But it did have one thing going for it: it was the only game in town. When I saw what was happening, why it was having a big "40% off everything sale," I was too sad to even peruse the great bargains. Instead, I went to my car and cried.
The thing is: seeing any store or restaurant going out of business has always made me melancholy. For some people, I guess it's nice to take advantage of the sales, but I can't see past the fact that someone's project, maybe even someone's dream, has died. It's why I have trouble watching "You've Got Mail." I'm the one who needs the tissues when Meg Ryan closes her mother's children's bookstore. It's positively heartbreaking. I guess we're supposed to be happy that Tom Hanks and the big Fox Books rescues her, but it's still hard to watch. I'm not even saying that I wouldn't have patronized Fox Books (I did, after all, pay $25 annually to be a Barnes and Noble "member"). But I still like to support the mom and pop shops if I can, even if they're more expensive. It's worth it; supporting the dream is worth it.
On a more personal level, I can't help but be disturbed that my little town can't keep a bookstore in business. I'm an aspiring novelist, after all. And my success depends on readers. I am all for being that sellout I talked about in my last post. I know times are tough, and almost every industry is suffering, but this is my plea to you:
Please Keep Supporting the Publishing Industry.
You know that feeling you get when you've read a really great book: that feeling that you've escaped to another world. It's a feeling that immerses you, that makes your imagination soar - much more than a two hour movie ever could.
Cherish it.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Looking Back... with Regrets
Looking back through my life, I have a pocketful of little regrets - things that I wish I did when I had the chance or things that I wish I could have done differently at the time. I think everyone goes through these tiny regrets.
There are some instances in my mind that stick out where I think, 'Why did I do that?!' like the time I went to school (high school) in my Victoria's Secret Pajamas that looked like a nice, summery outfit. What possessed me to wear it to school and were other people wearing it? Weird. And I think I did it more than once so that was not good.
As I sit here and watch VH-1 Classic and Cher's 'If I Could Turn Back Time' plays in the background, where she's strutting around a Navy ship in her sheer bodysuit with satin strips of fabric covering all the right places, I wonder, does she ever look back at the video and think 'What was I thinking when I said 'yes' to that outfit?' I won't deny that she has a killer body in the video and she doesn't look bad in the outfit, but was it really necessary? Couldn't she have stuck with her super cut-up jeans and a skin-tight top and had the same effect? I mean I know we're talking about Cher here and our fashion tastes definitely do not run the same course, but aside from this video, do you think she ever looks back to the 'Sonny and Cher' era and gag at her Bob Mackie gowns?
There are some instances in my mind that stick out where I think, 'Why did I do that?!' like the time I went to school (high school) in my Victoria's Secret Pajamas that looked like a nice, summery outfit. What possessed me to wear it to school and were other people wearing it? Weird. And I think I did it more than once so that was not good.
As I sit here and watch VH-1 Classic and Cher's 'If I Could Turn Back Time' plays in the background, where she's strutting around a Navy ship in her sheer bodysuit with satin strips of fabric covering all the right places, I wonder, does she ever look back at the video and think 'What was I thinking when I said 'yes' to that outfit?' I won't deny that she has a killer body in the video and she doesn't look bad in the outfit, but was it really necessary? Couldn't she have stuck with her super cut-up jeans and a skin-tight top and had the same effect? I mean I know we're talking about Cher here and our fashion tastes definitely do not run the same course, but aside from this video, do you think she ever looks back to the 'Sonny and Cher' era and gag at her Bob Mackie gowns?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Nine Inch Nails - In or Out
Okay - Nine-inch nails are probably an exaggeration - I do heart the band (or one-man band), NIN, but this isn't what this posting is about. I'm talking about fake fingernails. Are they still in or are they on their way out?
Growing up, there was no shortage of women in New Jersey that had long, fake nails. I know when I was little, I did somewhat admire them for the way these women could handle everyday tasks with these "claws." My parents were SO not into the "fake" anything - hair color, nails, what have you...so it was a rare occasion that I was able to sneak some 'Lee Press On Nails' into the grocery carriage to 'experiment' with my own fingernails when I got home - and it wasn't successful by any means. I think part of it was because I was DYING to grow up and be an adult - with my tiny fingernails. So naturally, the adult Lee Press Ons didn't fit my child-fingers. I think I had to use the 'pinky' size press-ons just for my pointer fingers. But it was just so fascinating to me, after watching the commercials, how you could get these perfectly sized nails onto your finger, and they looked so natural...not so. I see, now, the work that goes into nail extensions at the spa and it looks like a chore.
You'll be happy to know that I was able to get customized fake nails for my senior prom. Of course I couldn't carry off the 'claws' that many other women could because I was pretty rough with my hands - so I had to get 'sports length.' The adhesive that was used to get these fakers onto my fingers - I think she used Crazy Glue - no joke. I remember when I first got them on (my first, and last, taste with fake nails), I kept tap, tap, click, clicking them on the table - I couldn't believe I finally had fake nails that fit my fingers. The only other thing I remember about them was getting home from the prom that night and trying to RIP those things off my fingers. I felt like they were taking over like the adhesive was sinking into my skin. I also knew my parents would blow a gasket if I ran around the house with fake nails so I had to get them off ASAP. And that was hard - my nails looked like crap for DAYS afterwards because nail polish remover wasn't as effective of a 'glue remover' as advertised.
Fast forward to today and I feel like fake nails are not as 'in' as they once were. I mean, DJ Kool use to give a shout out to girls with the fake hair, fake nails, fake tans (a la 'Let Me Clear My Throat') - but I feel like nowadays, people either don't pay attention to getting the fake nails or they're going more natural with painted, short nails. I have since abandoned my 'long nail' envy and much prefer the clean, nicely manicured short nails with polish. I think it looks just as nice and it's certainly more manageable. I mean, I still wonder how real nails grow under those 'fake nails' but not so much as say 10-15 years ago. I've let that thought go by the wayside.
Maybe the ladies in the DC metro area are just more into the 'au naturale' look and my fascination has kind of died. Maybe ladies all over the place are just looking for a quicker way to 'look nice' without spending the time or the money to get the fake nails. Who knows....I say claws are out. That's what my gut says.
Growing up, there was no shortage of women in New Jersey that had long, fake nails. I know when I was little, I did somewhat admire them for the way these women could handle everyday tasks with these "claws." My parents were SO not into the "fake" anything - hair color, nails, what have you...so it was a rare occasion that I was able to sneak some 'Lee Press On Nails' into the grocery carriage to 'experiment' with my own fingernails when I got home - and it wasn't successful by any means. I think part of it was because I was DYING to grow up and be an adult - with my tiny fingernails. So naturally, the adult Lee Press Ons didn't fit my child-fingers. I think I had to use the 'pinky' size press-ons just for my pointer fingers. But it was just so fascinating to me, after watching the commercials, how you could get these perfectly sized nails onto your finger, and they looked so natural...not so. I see, now, the work that goes into nail extensions at the spa and it looks like a chore.
You'll be happy to know that I was able to get customized fake nails for my senior prom. Of course I couldn't carry off the 'claws' that many other women could because I was pretty rough with my hands - so I had to get 'sports length.' The adhesive that was used to get these fakers onto my fingers - I think she used Crazy Glue - no joke. I remember when I first got them on (my first, and last, taste with fake nails), I kept tap, tap, click, clicking them on the table - I couldn't believe I finally had fake nails that fit my fingers. The only other thing I remember about them was getting home from the prom that night and trying to RIP those things off my fingers. I felt like they were taking over like the adhesive was sinking into my skin. I also knew my parents would blow a gasket if I ran around the house with fake nails so I had to get them off ASAP. And that was hard - my nails looked like crap for DAYS afterwards because nail polish remover wasn't as effective of a 'glue remover' as advertised.
Fast forward to today and I feel like fake nails are not as 'in' as they once were. I mean, DJ Kool use to give a shout out to girls with the fake hair, fake nails, fake tans (a la 'Let Me Clear My Throat') - but I feel like nowadays, people either don't pay attention to getting the fake nails or they're going more natural with painted, short nails. I have since abandoned my 'long nail' envy and much prefer the clean, nicely manicured short nails with polish. I think it looks just as nice and it's certainly more manageable. I mean, I still wonder how real nails grow under those 'fake nails' but not so much as say 10-15 years ago. I've let that thought go by the wayside.
Maybe the ladies in the DC metro area are just more into the 'au naturale' look and my fascination has kind of died. Maybe ladies all over the place are just looking for a quicker way to 'look nice' without spending the time or the money to get the fake nails. Who knows....I say claws are out. That's what my gut says.
Monday, January 19, 2009
It Was a Breeze
So this past weekend saw me going into Georgetown for a birthday lunch and running an errand at the Paper Source - I LOVE that store. When I told friends that I was heading into Georgetown on Saturday, I got a lot of 'Hmmms' and 'That's very ambitious.' From my previous post, you can tell I was very hesitant about the situation but I looked at is as an opportunity to experience something inaugural and maybe catch some celebs shopping around.
The results - I experienced nothing inaugural (except for some signs) and I saw no celebs. It wasn't busy at all. We got into Georgetown, parked with no incident, and got a table right away for lunch. We were able to get the 'fish bowl' table at J. Paul's to make for optimal celeb watching but instead we saw...not much. As our lunch was ending, to make ourselves feel better, anytime we saw an Escalade with tinted windows or the Rolls Royce with the tinted windows, we said, 'There's a celebrity.' That was the extent of our celeb watching.
After lunch, we were even able to walk freely, without crowds, down a few blocks to the Paper Source. The weather was freezing but the walking definitely helped and after I was done with my errand at the Paper Source, there was no hanging about in Georgetown, no matter how optimal the 'crowd' conditions were.
Overall - it was a breeze - it was actually a little bit disappointing. Oh well. At least I was able to have a great lunch with friends and get my errand completed. It just goes to show you never know what's going to happen - your initial inclinations might turn into nothing at all....
The results - I experienced nothing inaugural (except for some signs) and I saw no celebs. It wasn't busy at all. We got into Georgetown, parked with no incident, and got a table right away for lunch. We were able to get the 'fish bowl' table at J. Paul's to make for optimal celeb watching but instead we saw...not much. As our lunch was ending, to make ourselves feel better, anytime we saw an Escalade with tinted windows or the Rolls Royce with the tinted windows, we said, 'There's a celebrity.' That was the extent of our celeb watching.
After lunch, we were even able to walk freely, without crowds, down a few blocks to the Paper Source. The weather was freezing but the walking definitely helped and after I was done with my errand at the Paper Source, there was no hanging about in Georgetown, no matter how optimal the 'crowd' conditions were.
Overall - it was a breeze - it was actually a little bit disappointing. Oh well. At least I was able to have a great lunch with friends and get my errand completed. It just goes to show you never know what's going to happen - your initial inclinations might turn into nothing at all....
Friday, January 16, 2009
Ahead of Their Time
Swedish super-pop group...you know who I'm talking about. Everyone can name at least one of their songs. One has even practically made the list of songs that need to be played at weddings. Four letters - spelled the same forwards and backwards - comprised of the first initials of their names. Are you feeling me? Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid...ABBA.
I recently received SingStar: ABBA for my birthday and it is AWESOME! I spotted it over the holidays in a Target flyer and couldn't believe they could have a whole karaoke disc devoted to ABBA....but I knew I had to have it. For those not familiar with SingStar, it is the equivalent of Karaoke Revolution for Playstation and other gaming consoles. SingStar is the UK version of Karaoke Revolution basically. Except instead of displaying a video-game likeness of yourself singing in all different locales, Singstar actually plays the original videos and lets you sing over the music. And because I was a little young to actually be familiar with ABBA videos, I was more than excited to be singing while the original video played out before me.
As I listened to the ABBA music and watched the videos I realized that ABBA was so ahead of their time. I had to put myself back in the era (the 70s) and think about their sound. It wasn't disco and it wasn't rock - it was almost what we might qualify as synth-pop with some folksy thrown in there. They have songs that I believe could translate into today's era like 'Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)' Afterall, those are the backing tracks for Madonna's 'Hung Up.' Sure there are some operatic-pop anthems thrown in there that people might not be interested in now...think 'Fernando' or 'The Winner Takes it All'...but those are good songs nonetheless. All their stuff was quality work - 'Ring, Ring' and 'Voulez Vous' - you may not be a fan but you have to admit, you know their songs.
ABBA has since seen many revivals since their break-up in the 80s. There have been cover bands (A*Teens), movies (Muriel's Wedding) and even the ever-popular musical, Mamma Mia, to keep them in the mainstream. I have to admit that before I saw Mamma Mia, I was a casual fan - I owned ABBA Gold and had listened to some ABBA growing up thanks to my Dad (and Columbia Records) and listened to it every once in awhile - but I think after watching Mamma Mia on stage, I became a bonafide fan. When the mother in the play sang 'The Winner Takes It All,' I wanted to stand up, cry and applaud - her performance was breathtaking. Merryl Streep didn't exactly have that same effect on me in the movie version, but we'll touch on that later. But it was that performance that really opened my eyes up to things that I wasn't listening to on the ABBA Gold CD - 'Super Troupers' and 'Does Your Mamma Know.'
So you can imagine my excitement when I found out a movie was in the works. When the trailers started coming out and they announced the cast, I think I was 'ok' with everything. And then when my girlfriends and I went to go see the movie, my jaw dropped. Let's just say I DO NOT own the DVD. Pierce Brosnan - a fine looking man (I hope my husband magically looks like him at his age) - just didn't do it for me in this movie. Every time he opened his mouth to sing (and I'm sure I blogged about this already), I couldn't help but giggle. It was awful. Meryl actually pulled it off but Pierce...oh Pierce. When I heard that the movie 'Mamma Mia' had the highest box office in the UK for 2008, my first thoughts were, 'Are they tone deaf?' And then I wondered if they somehow dubbed over his voice with Robbie Williams' voice for the UK version of the movie. Who knows - I'll just leave it as the movie was a disappointment and is in no way a replacement for the stage show.
But I digress - back to the real ABBA - they were great - their fashion, although probably pretty awesome for their time, could probably use an update - but I think they would have no problem transitioning into the music of today, if they were ever to get back together. I have to give it to Benny and Bjorn - musical geniuses. Bravo!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
The Calm Before the Storm
This weekend begins what many DC natives anticipate as complete mayhem descending upon our nation's capital, that will last until the later part of next week - INAUGURATION WEEK! There are brunches, receptions, galas, parties all leading up to the actual inauguration day and then the actual inauguration day activities itself followed by more parties, galas and bars remaining open until 4 AM?!
Although politicos have cut their original estimates of how many people are expected to come into the DC area, the estimates are still quite large. And mixed in with those numbers....celebrities. Many celebs made it no secret who they were stomping for during the elections and now they want to be a part of history - be a part of the mayhem.
I don't disagree that this will be a historical inauguration. We'll say that this is the first 'minority' to ever hold the POTUS post, since I've seen reports and interviews where African-American and White groups will not "claim" Mr. Obama. Regardless, this is a huge stepping stone for the US of A. Still doesn't mean I want to take part in it. I've tried getting into DC when the Smithsonian was having their summer festivals or when the World Bank warrants street closures - ain't no way you're getting me in for the inauguration ceremonies. I DID try to get some Oprah tickets for her filming at the Kennedy Center to no avail (darn those stay-at-home moms that are on the internet all day!) and that was the only exception I was going to make for setting foot into DC next week - but perhaps luckily, I did not get on the ticket list and therefore have vowed to steer clear of DC.
Unfortunately, I find that I do need to drop into DC (Georgetown specifically) on Saturday, but I'm hoping my trip is an in and out type of thing. I know what I want, I know where to get it, and once I get it, I can leave and not look back until post January 24th some time. I'm figuring that since it's only the VERY beginning of inauguration week, that's probably around the time people will start flying in, get settled, visit some monuments and other what-have-yous. I *could* be safe. It would REALLY help if someone could give me some agendas/schedules to help me plan out my own personal schedule?! Can we make that happen? Maybe I'll walk past a celeb or two also doing some light shopping in the Georgetown area....you never know. That would just be a bonus.
I keep thinking about whether or not I should do it and all signs are pointing to 'yes.' The worst that can happen is that the Key Bridge is closed and I turn myself around and head home. No biggie. Of course, it could turn into a 30 minute stop-n-go situation on 'M' Street just to reach the parking garage...you never know. In that case, I would spend a little more time in Georgetown just to get my parking money's worth.
Either way - I think next week is going to be CRAZY - or 'off the chain' as one of my friends described. I tend to agree - but hopefully me and my little ones won't be part of it. Wish me luck!
Although politicos have cut their original estimates of how many people are expected to come into the DC area, the estimates are still quite large. And mixed in with those numbers....celebrities. Many celebs made it no secret who they were stomping for during the elections and now they want to be a part of history - be a part of the mayhem.
I don't disagree that this will be a historical inauguration. We'll say that this is the first 'minority' to ever hold the POTUS post, since I've seen reports and interviews where African-American and White groups will not "claim" Mr. Obama. Regardless, this is a huge stepping stone for the US of A. Still doesn't mean I want to take part in it. I've tried getting into DC when the Smithsonian was having their summer festivals or when the World Bank warrants street closures - ain't no way you're getting me in for the inauguration ceremonies. I DID try to get some Oprah tickets for her filming at the Kennedy Center to no avail (darn those stay-at-home moms that are on the internet all day!) and that was the only exception I was going to make for setting foot into DC next week - but perhaps luckily, I did not get on the ticket list and therefore have vowed to steer clear of DC.
Unfortunately, I find that I do need to drop into DC (Georgetown specifically) on Saturday, but I'm hoping my trip is an in and out type of thing. I know what I want, I know where to get it, and once I get it, I can leave and not look back until post January 24th some time. I'm figuring that since it's only the VERY beginning of inauguration week, that's probably around the time people will start flying in, get settled, visit some monuments and other what-have-yous. I *could* be safe. It would REALLY help if someone could give me some agendas/schedules to help me plan out my own personal schedule?! Can we make that happen? Maybe I'll walk past a celeb or two also doing some light shopping in the Georgetown area....you never know. That would just be a bonus.
I keep thinking about whether or not I should do it and all signs are pointing to 'yes.' The worst that can happen is that the Key Bridge is closed and I turn myself around and head home. No biggie. Of course, it could turn into a 30 minute stop-n-go situation on 'M' Street just to reach the parking garage...you never know. In that case, I would spend a little more time in Georgetown just to get my parking money's worth.
Either way - I think next week is going to be CRAZY - or 'off the chain' as one of my friends described. I tend to agree - but hopefully me and my little ones won't be part of it. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The Sellout
In my iPod right now: “Everyday is Like Sunday” by Morrissey
Is it just me, or does it suddenly seem like cupcakes are everywhere? Granted, cupcakes are no strangers to mainstream society. They were the perfect little treat for kids to bring in to elementary school on their birthdays. They were a staple of bake sales and cake walks. In my elementary school in Michigan, there were even random cupcake weeks, where we could purchase a homemade cupcake for a quarter to raise money for some cause (this was also a convenient way for my mom to dispense with some of that annoying Canadian change you must inevitably deal with as a Michigander). But cupcakes are now out of control! I saw no less than five bookstore displays this Christmas of cupcake-themed recipe books. I keep seeing cupcake designs on birthday cards and baby clothes.
Sure, it’s nice to know that cupcakes aren’t going anywhere, but I am a little bittersweet. I had this naive notion that cupcakes were kind of my special thing. Turns out they’re everyone’s.
I guess it’s kind of like music. In the early 90’s, I was a big fan of so-called “alternative” music. From Concrete Blonde, to Echo and the Bunnymen, to James. Whatever they were selling, I was buying. But then something happened: alternative became mainstream. Suddenly people were complaining about bands like Pearl Jam and R.E.M. “selling out.” How dare they expand their fan base? Shame on them for making money doing something they love!
Ridiculous, if you think about it. Why shouldn’t bands and cupcakes be successful? If I’m truly a fan, shouldn’t I want what’s best for them? And, of course, without mainstream success, we’d never get to have those bragging rights – those “I knew them way back when” stories.
Side note: The only person interested in these stories is the person telling them. The rest of us couldn’t care less about that person who saw Live at some general admission concert at Wabash College in the Spring of 1993, right before Throwing Copper hit it big. (Oh wait – that person was me.)
But I still can’t get used to hearing “Everyday is Like Sunday” in NFL commercials . . .
Is it just me, or does it suddenly seem like cupcakes are everywhere? Granted, cupcakes are no strangers to mainstream society. They were the perfect little treat for kids to bring in to elementary school on their birthdays. They were a staple of bake sales and cake walks. In my elementary school in Michigan, there were even random cupcake weeks, where we could purchase a homemade cupcake for a quarter to raise money for some cause (this was also a convenient way for my mom to dispense with some of that annoying Canadian change you must inevitably deal with as a Michigander). But cupcakes are now out of control! I saw no less than five bookstore displays this Christmas of cupcake-themed recipe books. I keep seeing cupcake designs on birthday cards and baby clothes.
Sure, it’s nice to know that cupcakes aren’t going anywhere, but I am a little bittersweet. I had this naive notion that cupcakes were kind of my special thing. Turns out they’re everyone’s.
I guess it’s kind of like music. In the early 90’s, I was a big fan of so-called “alternative” music. From Concrete Blonde, to Echo and the Bunnymen, to James. Whatever they were selling, I was buying. But then something happened: alternative became mainstream. Suddenly people were complaining about bands like Pearl Jam and R.E.M. “selling out.” How dare they expand their fan base? Shame on them for making money doing something they love!
Ridiculous, if you think about it. Why shouldn’t bands and cupcakes be successful? If I’m truly a fan, shouldn’t I want what’s best for them? And, of course, without mainstream success, we’d never get to have those bragging rights – those “I knew them way back when” stories.
Side note: The only person interested in these stories is the person telling them. The rest of us couldn’t care less about that person who saw Live at some general admission concert at Wabash College in the Spring of 1993, right before Throwing Copper hit it big. (Oh wait – that person was me.)
But I still can’t get used to hearing “Everyday is Like Sunday” in NFL commercials . . .
Monday, January 12, 2009
Judgement Day
I got to spend my Monday morning in court. Not for anything I did...I was actually there to help out a friend...testify on his behalf towards a misdemeanor charge of NOISE. Yes, folks...it was a noise violation. And this was his third continuance of the charge.
After my friend's second time at court, he had called me to gather my recollection of the events that night and being that I was the only STONE COLD sober person amongst his guests, I was pretty much like his 'ace in the hole.' Plus the fact that I showed up to court looking way pregnant and pretty respectable...if I do say so myself. He called me to testify on his behalf back in November. So I had TWO months to think about how this thing would go down.
What did I see? Law & Order - Arlington style. I pictured being questioned about all these different things, which I will proceed to answer since I DID NOT get to use all this material stored up in my head:
Relationship to Defendant: Friend for over five years
What was I doing prior to the BBQ: I was at the Bottom Line watching Purdue beat Central Michigan
Why wasn't I drinking: I was under a Dr's care and medication
What were you doing when the police arrived: I actually didn't know the police arrived. I was in my friend's house receiving my medication, which is always done at 10PM. When I returned to the backyard, the music was turned off and I was informed the Police were out front.
And so on and so forth.
When I got there, I thought perhaps the theme from People's Court would be playing as I entered the court room. I thought I would have to put my hand on the Bible and swear that I would tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...I even practiced my 'I wills' and 'I dos.' I settled on 'I will.'
Instead - what I got was NOTHING like what I imagined. Which means, I probably have an overactive imagination. But boy was this court UNORGANIZED. There were about 10-20 cases to be heard on the docket and as the barely audible judge started reading down the list of cases, I felt like I was sitting in one of my IT staff meetings. The attorney gave statuses on each case..."He's in traffic court right now, Your Honor" or "I believe we're still working on a plea for that, Your Honor." The first four cases went pretty much like this. If I were the Judge, I'd be miffed. I'd be like 'Get your shiot together people and don't waste my time.'
Finally my friend got called up and events leading up to the actual hearing, which took place outside of the court room when we arrived (a lot of wheeling and dealing) did not require my presence in the court room. It did not require my testimony and it did not require my swearing in. Very anti-climatic.
I knew I should have got him to subpoena me when he asked!
After my friend's second time at court, he had called me to gather my recollection of the events that night and being that I was the only STONE COLD sober person amongst his guests, I was pretty much like his 'ace in the hole.' Plus the fact that I showed up to court looking way pregnant and pretty respectable...if I do say so myself. He called me to testify on his behalf back in November. So I had TWO months to think about how this thing would go down.
What did I see? Law & Order - Arlington style. I pictured being questioned about all these different things, which I will proceed to answer since I DID NOT get to use all this material stored up in my head:
Relationship to Defendant: Friend for over five years
What was I doing prior to the BBQ: I was at the Bottom Line watching Purdue beat Central Michigan
Why wasn't I drinking: I was under a Dr's care and medication
What were you doing when the police arrived: I actually didn't know the police arrived. I was in my friend's house receiving my medication, which is always done at 10PM. When I returned to the backyard, the music was turned off and I was informed the Police were out front.
And so on and so forth.
When I got there, I thought perhaps the theme from People's Court would be playing as I entered the court room. I thought I would have to put my hand on the Bible and swear that I would tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth...I even practiced my 'I wills' and 'I dos.' I settled on 'I will.'
Instead - what I got was NOTHING like what I imagined. Which means, I probably have an overactive imagination. But boy was this court UNORGANIZED. There were about 10-20 cases to be heard on the docket and as the barely audible judge started reading down the list of cases, I felt like I was sitting in one of my IT staff meetings. The attorney gave statuses on each case..."He's in traffic court right now, Your Honor" or "I believe we're still working on a plea for that, Your Honor." The first four cases went pretty much like this. If I were the Judge, I'd be miffed. I'd be like 'Get your shiot together people and don't waste my time.'
Finally my friend got called up and events leading up to the actual hearing, which took place outside of the court room when we arrived (a lot of wheeling and dealing) did not require my presence in the court room. It did not require my testimony and it did not require my swearing in. Very anti-climatic.
I knew I should have got him to subpoena me when he asked!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Back in Blog
In my Ipod right now: "These Photographs" by Joshua Radin
Competing in my head: "Back in Black" by AC/DC (of course!)
It's New Year's Resolution time, right? Well, I'm not making any. Except that I will try to blog more. I think I said this last year too. Look how that turned out .... In any case, I've seen other blogs that list what the writer is listening to - and I love that idea. I love music. This way, I always get to share without a separate "I Recommend" post. And perhaps the music will give me blogging ideas. Perhaps??
My husband and I just got back from our holiday trip to Denver to visit his mom. And, as luck would have it, three of my sorority sisters (all from my class) live there - and they were ALL around to meet and catch up for awhile. It's always fun to rehash the college stories. My friend Betsy, in particular, reminded me of a poem I wrote in her honor - describing a beer goggled incident in which she stole some poor caterer's sandwich while he was innocently roasting a hog on a spit in the backyard of some fraternity house. Poor guy. But it was damn funny.
Well, I got home and managed to find my journal from the years 1992 - 1996 (yes, I recognize that this ages me - and no, I don't like it one bit). One hundred and twenty-six poems and "thoughts," folks! Most of them Smiths/Morrissey/Cure - inspired garbage (not that The Smiths or The Cure churn out garbage at all, but the sad outlook they seemed to bring out in me was not becoming). However, a few of them weren't bad, if I do say so myself. One entry, in particular, made me laugh. And since I have nothing else to blog about it, I am repeating it here, 16 years later (oh God, I'm old):
Untitled:
I think I know why my parents didn't spoil me when I was a child. I wanted all of these toys, and sometimes when I got them, they weren't as neat as the commercials said, and then I never played with them and wouldn't let my friends either. But I liked my Barbie a lot because I only had one - the other ones I had that kind of looked like Barbie were the hollow drugstore kind. But if I had been given as many Barbies as I'd wanted, I probably would have been careless with them, like how my one friend Christine was, because she had so many Barbies and threw them all in a big white bucket with no clothes on. I feel good, too, because deep down I know that my Barbie had it better. It's a good thing I wasn't spoiled like Christine, because if I had been, I'd probably treat people like she treated her Barbies.
Competing in my head: "Back in Black" by AC/DC (of course!)
It's New Year's Resolution time, right? Well, I'm not making any. Except that I will try to blog more. I think I said this last year too. Look how that turned out .... In any case, I've seen other blogs that list what the writer is listening to - and I love that idea. I love music. This way, I always get to share without a separate "I Recommend" post. And perhaps the music will give me blogging ideas. Perhaps??
My husband and I just got back from our holiday trip to Denver to visit his mom. And, as luck would have it, three of my sorority sisters (all from my class) live there - and they were ALL around to meet and catch up for awhile. It's always fun to rehash the college stories. My friend Betsy, in particular, reminded me of a poem I wrote in her honor - describing a beer goggled incident in which she stole some poor caterer's sandwich while he was innocently roasting a hog on a spit in the backyard of some fraternity house. Poor guy. But it was damn funny.
Well, I got home and managed to find my journal from the years 1992 - 1996 (yes, I recognize that this ages me - and no, I don't like it one bit). One hundred and twenty-six poems and "thoughts," folks! Most of them Smiths/Morrissey/Cure - inspired garbage (not that The Smiths or The Cure churn out garbage at all, but the sad outlook they seemed to bring out in me was not becoming). However, a few of them weren't bad, if I do say so myself. One entry, in particular, made me laugh. And since I have nothing else to blog about it, I am repeating it here, 16 years later (oh God, I'm old):
Untitled:
I think I know why my parents didn't spoil me when I was a child. I wanted all of these toys, and sometimes when I got them, they weren't as neat as the commercials said, and then I never played with them and wouldn't let my friends either. But I liked my Barbie a lot because I only had one - the other ones I had that kind of looked like Barbie were the hollow drugstore kind. But if I had been given as many Barbies as I'd wanted, I probably would have been careless with them, like how my one friend Christine was, because she had so many Barbies and threw them all in a big white bucket with no clothes on. I feel good, too, because deep down I know that my Barbie had it better. It's a good thing I wasn't spoiled like Christine, because if I had been, I'd probably treat people like she treated her Barbies.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
When You're Not a Parent at a Kids' Show
Over the weekend, my sister and I took my nephews (ages 7 and 4) to a kids' show at the Kennedy Center. It was a puppet group that presented the books 'Runaway Bunny' and 'Goodnight Moon' in life-size puppet format. You could see the puppet handlers and the props and characters were all sizable. It was definitely interesting although I'm not sure how kids or parents had a chance to enjoy any of it because it was a "non-shushing" show.
So first question here is how old/young do you have to be to attend one of these shows? I'm not as familiar with 'Runaway Bunny' but for 'Goodnight Moon,' I remember reading that to my nephews when they were around two. Two years old, in my opinion, is way to young to be in a large theatre to watch this show....they can't sit still, their attention span is minimal to non-existent, etc. That didn't stop some parents from being their two year olds to the show. But a couple of things to keep in mind when bringing a child that young to a stage show....is your child afraid of the dark? The second the lights went down, one girl had to be taken out for excessive screaming. Fortunately, her father knew immediately that she couldn't stay. Unfortunately, she was seated near the front so the whole audience had to hear her screaming and try to focus on the puppeteers for a good two minutes.
How do they make a short story into a drawn out puppet show? Lots of dead air. I guess it's supposed to be more visually stimulating but for me, it was complete torture. I think part of it was the fact that I'm not a parent yet so my patience hasn't grown to an infinite level to handle constant kid noises. Secondly, I know it only takes me less than five minutes to read 'Goodnight Moon' at a steady pace (maybe even less than that). The fact that I sat there for 30 minutes waiting for the story to get over with amazes me. 'Runaway Bunny' is a longer story but it still wouldn't take more than 10 minutes to read the story from cover to cover. By the end of both shows (no intermission, sadly), I thought I had been there for four hours. In reality, it had only been 60 minutes. Sigh.
So be careful if you're not a parent going to a kids' show. On the bright side, I did get to spend quality time with my nephews and they both enjoyed the show - they both got introduced to a new book 'Runaway Bunny,' and that's always good.
If you are a parent, I would recommend the show - but only if you know that your kids will be well-behaved (which for the most part, 75% of the kids were) and they're not afraid of the dark.
So first question here is how old/young do you have to be to attend one of these shows? I'm not as familiar with 'Runaway Bunny' but for 'Goodnight Moon,' I remember reading that to my nephews when they were around two. Two years old, in my opinion, is way to young to be in a large theatre to watch this show....they can't sit still, their attention span is minimal to non-existent, etc. That didn't stop some parents from being their two year olds to the show. But a couple of things to keep in mind when bringing a child that young to a stage show....is your child afraid of the dark? The second the lights went down, one girl had to be taken out for excessive screaming. Fortunately, her father knew immediately that she couldn't stay. Unfortunately, she was seated near the front so the whole audience had to hear her screaming and try to focus on the puppeteers for a good two minutes.
How do they make a short story into a drawn out puppet show? Lots of dead air. I guess it's supposed to be more visually stimulating but for me, it was complete torture. I think part of it was the fact that I'm not a parent yet so my patience hasn't grown to an infinite level to handle constant kid noises. Secondly, I know it only takes me less than five minutes to read 'Goodnight Moon' at a steady pace (maybe even less than that). The fact that I sat there for 30 minutes waiting for the story to get over with amazes me. 'Runaway Bunny' is a longer story but it still wouldn't take more than 10 minutes to read the story from cover to cover. By the end of both shows (no intermission, sadly), I thought I had been there for four hours. In reality, it had only been 60 minutes. Sigh.
So be careful if you're not a parent going to a kids' show. On the bright side, I did get to spend quality time with my nephews and they both enjoyed the show - they both got introduced to a new book 'Runaway Bunny,' and that's always good.
If you are a parent, I would recommend the show - but only if you know that your kids will be well-behaved (which for the most part, 75% of the kids were) and they're not afraid of the dark.
Friday, January 2, 2009
New Year's Resolutions: Broken Promises and Unfulfilled Goals
Happy New Year, Everyone!
I have learned long ago that there's really no point in having New Year's Resolutions. If I do have to talk about resolutions, it's usually in a joking manner and it's usually some short term goal - try and help out more around the house or tell my husband 'I love him' more often. Well I do the latter all the time already so not really a resolution.
Back in the day, I had the same lofty resolutions that many people in the world have - hit the gym more, lose weight, eat healthier, shop less, etc. I don't think I could eat any healthier now if I tried and although I know I do have to hit the gym again, it's not in an attempt to lose weight but keep myself in shape to deliver these little Niblets in about 4-5 months. When I did set those 'lose weight' goals for myself, back in the day, I did lose weight, only to gain some of it back later in the year or later the next year. I think after the fourth time of doing this, I figured, 'What's the point?!'
Therefore, for 2009, I do not have any resolutions to speak of. I do have personal goals I'd like to meet which is to deliver two healthy, happy babies and to get back to my pre-pregnancy body, and maybe even a BETTER body (like that of a Victoria's Secret model - lofty goals, remember?!).
I'm looking forward to the year ahead - we're doubling our family and it's something we've been waiting for for quite a long time - so I'm looking forward to the big change that is about to take place. I'm looking forward to finally meeting these kids that are 'baking' in my belly and being able to hold, touch and love them in person.
Hope you all have a wonderful 2009!
I have learned long ago that there's really no point in having New Year's Resolutions. If I do have to talk about resolutions, it's usually in a joking manner and it's usually some short term goal - try and help out more around the house or tell my husband 'I love him' more often. Well I do the latter all the time already so not really a resolution.
Back in the day, I had the same lofty resolutions that many people in the world have - hit the gym more, lose weight, eat healthier, shop less, etc. I don't think I could eat any healthier now if I tried and although I know I do have to hit the gym again, it's not in an attempt to lose weight but keep myself in shape to deliver these little Niblets in about 4-5 months. When I did set those 'lose weight' goals for myself, back in the day, I did lose weight, only to gain some of it back later in the year or later the next year. I think after the fourth time of doing this, I figured, 'What's the point?!'
Therefore, for 2009, I do not have any resolutions to speak of. I do have personal goals I'd like to meet which is to deliver two healthy, happy babies and to get back to my pre-pregnancy body, and maybe even a BETTER body (like that of a Victoria's Secret model - lofty goals, remember?!).
I'm looking forward to the year ahead - we're doubling our family and it's something we've been waiting for for quite a long time - so I'm looking forward to the big change that is about to take place. I'm looking forward to finally meeting these kids that are 'baking' in my belly and being able to hold, touch and love them in person.
Hope you all have a wonderful 2009!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
