The escape artist

I need a little advice from some of you mamas. Olivia has been swaddled since she was born, and she liked it! She enjoyed sleeping snug and cozy. I figured we would just keep doing that since her sleep was so much better swaddled, and just stop when she seemed to not like it anymore or got too big. We can still get a good burrito out of her muslin wraps and they don't get too hot. These past few days she breaks out of her swaddle in her sleep. That is not the problem, the problem is that last night she woke me up because she was completely flipped over in her crib. Instead of laying down along the length of the crib, she was laying across the width of it. She uses the bars to guide herself along. I was so paranoid she would get hurt that I could not sleep! Her crib is literally right next to our bed (co-sleeping we feel more comfortable with). I know swaddling is not working anymore and now I cannot have a blanket in her crib safely. Anyone have any tips/experiences/ suggestions on how I should put her to bed now? Sleep sacks? Half swaddle? Small blanket?
I do not have photos of her 3am antics, but here she is trying to escape her crib this morning. HELP!

Dreamer

When I saw this photo, I could not believe it! Olivia looks JUST LIKE TODD. I shouldn't be surprised though. I had a dream I was pregnant, and unbeknownst to me I was pregnant. Every night I would fall asleep thinking of her, hoping to meet her as I slept. Soon after, I kept having dreams of a little girl that looked so much like Todd, with large and inquisitive eyes. This little girl is the one of dreamed of.

Finally!!

Finally, we found a FANTASTIC pediatrician. I am thrilled. Today was Olivia's 4 month checkup and I was already setting myself up for disappointment and another fruitless opportunity to find a good doctor. After my previous experience, I was left with such a sour taste that I was sure I had to find a whole new insurance plan for Olivia and then find another physician. We started off on a high note because her nurse was so sweet and gentle and Olivia liked her right away. Then, the doctor came in and apologized for the tiny wait (usually we wait about 40 minutes and get no apology). She was young and outgoing, I felt comfortable talking to her and she was very honest with me. We discussed vaccines, why and why not to vaccinate, and the Pea's overall health. I told her my bit, and she told me hers. We came up with a great plan and she suggested a couple of vitamin supplements to consider that she deems important (Vitamin D is one of them). She never disregarded my concerns and was totally open-minded. I could not have been happier, I left the office with a skip in my step. If you live in the San Diego area, get in touch if you need a recommendation and want her info :)

The baby girl is 14.5 pounds and 25 inches. Higher on the height spectrum, lower on the weight. Not as chunky as other babies I saw today, but perfectly healthy. She has a big appetite though... high metabolism? Haha.


She's hilarious. Before we left I was fixing her car seat so I sat her on the seat next to it. She was so happy and did not want to be put in her constricting car seat. Four months going on five years!


Lastly, I would like to share an article from mothering.com. In the waiting room today, I did not see a single mother holding or wearing her baby. All of them were in their car seats. I always get funny looks when I wear Olivia. This article is worth a quick read, even though you already know Car Seats are for Cars.

I wish...

these cashmere longies would just find their way to my house...

Little Women

I was never overly hormonal during my pregnancy, I almost want to say I was not hormonal at all. Most likely, the highest surge of hormones I felt was actually postpartum. It did not last long, but the first two weeks I did have a bout of the baby blues. In retrospect, I handled it well. One of my few talents is keeping my emotions and thoughts in check. Some of this was derived from reading about meditation and Buddhism, I took what fit me from that literature and it has benefited me.

Now that I am a mother, I think I have become more laid back than I ever have been. I really do not sweat the small stuff. Sounds nuts, doesn't it? Sometimes when I hear someone complaining or stressing about something so unimportant, I almost want to yell IT IS NOT A BIG DEAL! I know I cannot be like that, because that unimportant thing is indeed important to them. I suppose I just learned that some things are trivial and we spend too much time and energy even thinking of them. Anything that will affect my daughter's future, or present, is crucial. Perhaps that is my division. No, it does not matter that I have not cut my hair but I wonder if Olivia will identify with me as she grows older. I happily shop at Target, Nordstrom is a distant memory, but I keep money in savings because we may someday have an emergency.

Maybe this is what is supposed to happen as life ebbs and flows, as we try to find purpose, and importance. Perhaps all those trivial pursuits just take up space and instead we could focus on bettering ourselves as people and respecting our world. I worked for a woman in San Francisco who I can almost come to idolize in a sense. She was smart, independent, an involved mother AND businesswoman. She told me how she once read a survey that more women would prefer to be a size 4 than win a Nobel Peace Prize. I was appalled. Then I concluded, maybe if we stop being so concerned with dieting, women could really rule the world. I do not worry if Olivia will be perfect and thin, but I do hope she is strong in her skin and confident.

Another part of my outlook is that daughters seem to inherit their mother's hang-ups. Sometimes they surpass them, and sometimes they seem to drown in them. I have great examples of this in my own family though I will leave it at that. I cannot expect anything from her if I do not strive for it myself. My conclusion? My consciousness is now distracted by the fundamental aspects of raising a great woman and ALSO trying to make sure I can be a fair example of one. There is no room left to worry about a pimple, or cellulite, or those jeans that do not fit.

Yum!

Techno Future & Hobbies Updated

I am not much of TV person so during my free moments I am on the computer. I write, I blog, I research, and I browse Facebook or BabyCenter. Usually Olivia insists on sitting with me so together we surf the web. Most of the time she faces me but sometimes I play music or show her images online and talk about them. She also sees Daddy on the computer so she is very familiar with the keyboard. It is so funny because now she leans over to touch the keys and sometimes "writes messages". It is very funny and also a little bit of a reality check: We are raising technological babies. So much of their lives is in some way influenced by technology, starting with 3D sonograms if the parents so choose to have one. We can view this as a negative or as a positive. I believe it is a little bit of both. Several aspects of creativity are hindered when we live so connected, so e-overdone. Technology is advancement, and advancement is good, but a lot of our intelligence can only be provoked in the good, old-fashioned primitive ways. That is why we take her to park instead, or show her books, play some Bach or Rachmaninoff, or surround her with interesting objects. Because this is how Todd and I learned and how we think she gets truly stimulated. Maybe an iPhone in kindergarten would be going too far. I hope she will more quickly recognize Olivia the pig in her books instead of Dora the Explorer on television.

Pea's hobbies now:
Playing with the keyboard (I want to get her a toy one)
"Singing" along with her Gloworm
NOT napping and instead exploring her crib
Sucking her fist, thumb, fingers, or anything near her mouth
Walks in the park, viewing trees and clouds
Chatting at fans, walls, and other inanimate objects
Using tummy time as a possible means of escape. No luck yet.
Listening to good music
Staring at strangers
Drooling
Making baths as splashy as possible and occasionally pooping in them

ETA: Olivia does catch glimpses of Rachel Maddow on occasion. Perhaps she will recognize her before Dora the Explorer.