Baby has a pattern. Yes, she actually follows a pattern - which is strange and interesting all at the same time. Every other day, she's fussy and needs more holding and doting; and every other day, she's feeling more independent and able to just hang out on her own without Mom picking her up every other second. This one, she's got a mind all her own - if she wants to fuss, she'll fuss, no matter if she's in the car or in my arms. And the binky - she picks if it works or not. What seemingly has worked for other babies, not working on this one - she's gone through this life before, and nothing's fooling her.
Least of all, her younger souled father. Hubby is convinced she throws him looks of "yeah right" sometimes. Me, I was, in my paranoiac state, thoroughly convinced that when she looked lethargic that there was something wrong with her mental state. Alas, it took me a month to realize that no, she's just tired. I'm sure I'll find something else to satisfy my outward hypochondriac that could possibly be wrong with her. I'm still amazed each day that I look at her - it's like we got a new product in our house, but damn, it's a little human. And it looks like us! I don't know that any person really could design something so interesting as a mini clone, and even then, to make each model unique and different from others.
Breakfast today, alas, my cravings continue. I finished off the last piece of lasagna, straight out of the fridge, no reheating or anything. Hubby stares at me in fear whenever I tell him about these kinds of happenings, as they are things that he may do - but I kindly remind him that, ahem, it's better that I do these kinds of crazy food craving things than look at him as a female black widow looks at her mate (hmmm... dinner...). He had that fear towards the end of my pregnancy: "Shit, I've done what I was supposed to do, and now, I'm just going to be the next meal for her and all her babies!", as I was eating comparable, and sometimes more, than what he ate. And he's got another 100 lb or so on me! Well, this breastfeeding thing, coupled with lack of sleep, it's got me hungry and craving all things possible. So alas, the spider continues eating, and doting on her little one.
Yesterday was a crazy day - Baby refused to be out of my arms, even for 5 minutes, so it made things like, oh, getting a glass of water or eating breakfast (at 2pm, no less) just about impossible. By the end of the day, having cried and screamed her last bit, she finally did fall asleep for a while, in my sling (of which I just purchased a gray one, since my black one, I fear, may pick up too much heat in the summer time), thus allowing me to throw together some semblance of dinner for Hubby and me. I thawed some small squid (body and tentacles), sea scallops, and shrimp, and tossed with a bit of salt and pepper. Threw the mixture into a heated grill pan with some butter and granulated garlic - voila, instant dinner. Quick, easy, and actually, fairly tasty. I served this with some blanched carrots and left over mixed rice, from Sunday night's dinner with Hubby's father - brown and white rice, cooked prior, chilled, then sauteed with bacon and Trader Joe's soycatash, seasoned with ground coriander, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Tasty, fast, 1/2 hour and the whole thing was done. Granted, having the rice already done was a fantastic shortcut, but the main part of the seafood, it was still really easy and fast.
Dinner tonight, alas, not even a fraction as elaborate, and much more low brow - Costco run, so we had a hot dog at their food stand. We made the mistake of going there without having eaten first - and now, female spider in tow, Hubby finds it is now his responsibility, as opposed to the other way around, to make sure that spouse does not pull every god damn thing off the shelf ("Ooooh, that looks good...."). What was most unfortunate after our quarter pound hot dog dinner, was the fact that I spied a family - a family, of all things! - digging into their pizza pie a couple of tables away, and I just thought it looked so damn tasty. I couldn't believe that I was still hungry. Hubby deflected successfully - he suggested that he make me a ham sandwich on croissant once we get home. And voila, we get home, and I'm not even hungry any more. Whew, Hubby lives to fight another day.
BTW, I can't celebrate enough this sling that I got - Baby feels very comfortable, like being back in the womb, and it allows me two free hands to do stuff around the house or when I'm out and about. And because it's black, it blends well with my clothes, and passersby often smile to see a little arm or a tuft of her hair sticking out past the edge of the opening. It's like seeing a little puppy in a handbag - this sling looks so much like a piece of clothing, and then when you suddenly realize that it's carrying a little human in it, well, that just tops off anyone's curious eye.
Until another day!
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Wow-wee, a whole month and a bit!
Wow. Where does all the time go? Baby is doing well, learning from us as we are learning from her. The lack of sleep has become the norm as opposed to the exception, though we are slowly catching back up and extending our night-time sleep schedules... so we are slowly getting more rest. Mood swings have been up and down over the past month, as Hubby will quite readily attest, though love for Baby really can not diminish.
However, she does seem to take to temper tantrums. Harumph! We're working on tempering this characteristic.
Food-wise - well, every night, I have been preparing dinner for Hubby and me. Yes, even in the midst of taking care of a new human life, I'm carving time to put dinner on the table. Unfortunately though, it seems some times that is the only meal I'm able to put on the table - 1pm breakfast, 4pm lunch, both usually on the go while tending to Baby. But dinner, I struggle, and I fight, to carve some level of time out for myself (albeit benefiting not just me, really), to do something that I enjoy and to exercise some level of creativity. Sometimes, it is something pre-made from my pre-baby days; other days, it is simple basics, of marinated cuts of meat with sides of steamed vegetables or wild rice. Most dishes, I am still sticking to as close to the original natural form as possible. What I've found to be the best thing for a myself, as an avid cook prior to baby are raw forms of the same things I enjoyed cooking before: readily washed vegetables, cut to ready-to-serve sizes, but now pre-bagged when I have more time during the weekend for the week; and cuts of meat sized for our individual portions, so I don't have to worry about defrosting whole packs and then cutting for individual portions the same night I'm trying to serve the dish. Otherwise, our dear friends have been wonderful in bringing us casseroles and food, so that, especially in the initial weeks as we were adjusting to all the changes, we can still have something to just stick into an oven and have a meal ready to go.
Convenient way of cooking vegetables, though much less reliable for consistent results than blanching - take said vegetables, and throw them into a bowl with a little bit of water and some chopped garlic, toss together with a touch of salt and pepper, and stick them into the microwave for 3 minutes - this can be done at the end of the cooking time, so that the veggies are hot and ready to go once the rest of the meal is ready. Meat-wise, I marinate earlier in the day, even if they're frozen, so no matter the cooking method, the flavor is already ready to go, and I can adjust my cooking method at the end of the day if Baby is finding that cooking time is a perfect time to take on all characteristics fussy. Outside of these two parts of a meal, I also find pre-cooked rice to be a god-send (either cooked in my rice cooker or left over from take-out), as I can saute chopped vegetables and add the rice to the saute for a quick side (butter and heavy cream for Frenchy style, olive oil if otherwise). The oven is also a huge help, as it allows slower cooking without continuous attention at the stove.
Last week, I made some marinated pork tenderloin, with a touch of rum, some tumeric, salt, pepper, soy sauce, sugar, and onions. Hubby threw this on our grill, along with some grilled tomatoes and zucchini (zucchini was coated in olive oil, and had a sprinkling of salt and pepper, tomatoes were plain), and we also grilled some russet potatoes. Instant dinner, not too complicated, and relatively healthy! Other nights, we had pre-made tortellini, which I mixed with some pre-made marinara sauce and mozzarella for a pasta bake; pork shoulder my father brought to us from our friends' restaurant in Wayne, PA; steak with a side of steamed vegetables; egg sandwiches (Dad's night to cook!); grilled salmon on bed of mache. Days and nights do run together - and I am surprised I even remember today's date!
Gearwise... things we've found to work great for us - my New Native sling is working great to keep the little bugger close to me while I need both hands free for housework, or to even just help calm her down. She fusses at first to being put into the sling, but shortly thereafter, she settles in to be happily cuddled up against Mom. Sisters in law got us these fantastic onesies, albeit short-sleeved, that have snaps at the neck - so you can open them wider to put them over baby's head, and then snap them shut to keep her looking nice and neat - they got them from Red Envelope, but they don't seem to carry them anymore. Our stroller from Uppababy rocks, though I wished they had a sun cover for the seat and for the bassinet. I've come to realize that bibs have different sizes - I had to run out to Buy Buy Baby to get some newborn bibs when I realized that some of the bibs we got were just too big around her neck - but not to worry, as she's quickly growing into them. Baby was 8 lb 10 oz when born, now nearing about 11 lb, and she started off her days with the 3-6 month sized clothing - the 0-3 months, we didn't even get to using them, she was just that large. We've done well with having her sleep in one of the footed sleepers, to which I snipped off the feet and re-hemmed - this allows her legs to grow without limitation.
What hasn't worked...BabyGap onesies are too big at the neck (they have those overlapping fabric at the shoulders), and invariably, granted we're outfitting Baby in the 3-6 month onesies and she's all of a month old, the head opening opens all the way to the shoulders. This is great for putting the onesie on her, but to keep it on her without having her look like she's in Flashdance is another matter all together. Target had some onesies which had the zipper that runs all the way from neck to part way down one of the legs, but I couldn't fathom how logical it was to have to unzip her whole outfit to change her diaper in the middle of the night - especially when it's cold and she's asleep. I know I'd be damn pissed off if someone basically took off my sleeping clothes when it's cold out, and I'd be raising hell if they did it while I was half asleep!
Accessorywise... Socks, Baby outgrew the newborn size in the first 2 weeks - same with her hats. I'm doing quite well with our stationwagon, despite everyone touting that baby=SUV (and I'm still hoping for $5 gasoline!), and I'm finding no trouble getting her in the Snugride car seat in and out of the car, though she is getting quite heavy - and SUV or not, she+car seat will still be heavy! My one big complaint about the Snugride - it's supposed to be the infant model, but the first couple of weeks when we had her in it, it snaps into the seat so vertically (think airplane seat) that her head would end up completely slumped forward by the end of a 5 minute car ride. Of this I was very surprised, as the Snugride sits on a level surface sans the car base relatively flat, so that Baby sits level and comfortable - but just not in the car. That's my biggest gripe.
As for the whole parenting thing...the lack of sleep, continuous sleep, is tough. People had generalizations for us that parenting would result in lack of sleep, but I found that the first month is the toughest, as we are each adjusting to each others' habits and patterns. Now that we are into month 2, I can't say that everything has gotten easier, but I'm learning more and more about my little human, and she us. The first month was primarily an adjustment time for all of us, and it seems that she is much more comfortable with everything now that she's been at home about 4+ weeks. Waking in the middle of the night to feed her is now just a little easier, but each day and night is different (some nights, she's up every other hour; other nights, she'll pull about 4 hours of continuous sleep). This weekend, Hubby and I just started trading off nights and days to feed her and take care of her - he's handling the middle-of-the-night feedings on weekends. Hey, it's a start!
We made our first ever trip to the local Farmers' Market yesterday, and she enjoyed her time out with Mom in the hood. I did find, however, as I walked along, that I am again *gripe* in the same place I was at the end of the pregnancy: my clothes really don't fit. My pre-preg clothes are still too small at the waist (though the butt has gone down, yay!); but my pregger clothes are too loose and doing everything but staying on and helping Mom look somewhat publicly acceptable. Um, muu-muu anyone?
However, she does seem to take to temper tantrums. Harumph! We're working on tempering this characteristic.
Food-wise - well, every night, I have been preparing dinner for Hubby and me. Yes, even in the midst of taking care of a new human life, I'm carving time to put dinner on the table. Unfortunately though, it seems some times that is the only meal I'm able to put on the table - 1pm breakfast, 4pm lunch, both usually on the go while tending to Baby. But dinner, I struggle, and I fight, to carve some level of time out for myself (albeit benefiting not just me, really), to do something that I enjoy and to exercise some level of creativity. Sometimes, it is something pre-made from my pre-baby days; other days, it is simple basics, of marinated cuts of meat with sides of steamed vegetables or wild rice. Most dishes, I am still sticking to as close to the original natural form as possible. What I've found to be the best thing for a myself, as an avid cook prior to baby are raw forms of the same things I enjoyed cooking before: readily washed vegetables, cut to ready-to-serve sizes, but now pre-bagged when I have more time during the weekend for the week; and cuts of meat sized for our individual portions, so I don't have to worry about defrosting whole packs and then cutting for individual portions the same night I'm trying to serve the dish. Otherwise, our dear friends have been wonderful in bringing us casseroles and food, so that, especially in the initial weeks as we were adjusting to all the changes, we can still have something to just stick into an oven and have a meal ready to go.
Convenient way of cooking vegetables, though much less reliable for consistent results than blanching - take said vegetables, and throw them into a bowl with a little bit of water and some chopped garlic, toss together with a touch of salt and pepper, and stick them into the microwave for 3 minutes - this can be done at the end of the cooking time, so that the veggies are hot and ready to go once the rest of the meal is ready. Meat-wise, I marinate earlier in the day, even if they're frozen, so no matter the cooking method, the flavor is already ready to go, and I can adjust my cooking method at the end of the day if Baby is finding that cooking time is a perfect time to take on all characteristics fussy. Outside of these two parts of a meal, I also find pre-cooked rice to be a god-send (either cooked in my rice cooker or left over from take-out), as I can saute chopped vegetables and add the rice to the saute for a quick side (butter and heavy cream for Frenchy style, olive oil if otherwise). The oven is also a huge help, as it allows slower cooking without continuous attention at the stove.
Last week, I made some marinated pork tenderloin, with a touch of rum, some tumeric, salt, pepper, soy sauce, sugar, and onions. Hubby threw this on our grill, along with some grilled tomatoes and zucchini (zucchini was coated in olive oil, and had a sprinkling of salt and pepper, tomatoes were plain), and we also grilled some russet potatoes. Instant dinner, not too complicated, and relatively healthy! Other nights, we had pre-made tortellini, which I mixed with some pre-made marinara sauce and mozzarella for a pasta bake; pork shoulder my father brought to us from our friends' restaurant in Wayne, PA; steak with a side of steamed vegetables; egg sandwiches (Dad's night to cook!); grilled salmon on bed of mache. Days and nights do run together - and I am surprised I even remember today's date!
Gearwise... things we've found to work great for us - my New Native sling is working great to keep the little bugger close to me while I need both hands free for housework, or to even just help calm her down. She fusses at first to being put into the sling, but shortly thereafter, she settles in to be happily cuddled up against Mom. Sisters in law got us these fantastic onesies, albeit short-sleeved, that have snaps at the neck - so you can open them wider to put them over baby's head, and then snap them shut to keep her looking nice and neat - they got them from Red Envelope, but they don't seem to carry them anymore. Our stroller from Uppababy rocks, though I wished they had a sun cover for the seat and for the bassinet. I've come to realize that bibs have different sizes - I had to run out to Buy Buy Baby to get some newborn bibs when I realized that some of the bibs we got were just too big around her neck - but not to worry, as she's quickly growing into them. Baby was 8 lb 10 oz when born, now nearing about 11 lb, and she started off her days with the 3-6 month sized clothing - the 0-3 months, we didn't even get to using them, she was just that large. We've done well with having her sleep in one of the footed sleepers, to which I snipped off the feet and re-hemmed - this allows her legs to grow without limitation.
What hasn't worked...BabyGap onesies are too big at the neck (they have those overlapping fabric at the shoulders), and invariably, granted we're outfitting Baby in the 3-6 month onesies and she's all of a month old, the head opening opens all the way to the shoulders. This is great for putting the onesie on her, but to keep it on her without having her look like she's in Flashdance is another matter all together. Target had some onesies which had the zipper that runs all the way from neck to part way down one of the legs, but I couldn't fathom how logical it was to have to unzip her whole outfit to change her diaper in the middle of the night - especially when it's cold and she's asleep. I know I'd be damn pissed off if someone basically took off my sleeping clothes when it's cold out, and I'd be raising hell if they did it while I was half asleep!
Accessorywise... Socks, Baby outgrew the newborn size in the first 2 weeks - same with her hats. I'm doing quite well with our stationwagon, despite everyone touting that baby=SUV (and I'm still hoping for $5 gasoline!), and I'm finding no trouble getting her in the Snugride car seat in and out of the car, though she is getting quite heavy - and SUV or not, she+car seat will still be heavy! My one big complaint about the Snugride - it's supposed to be the infant model, but the first couple of weeks when we had her in it, it snaps into the seat so vertically (think airplane seat) that her head would end up completely slumped forward by the end of a 5 minute car ride. Of this I was very surprised, as the Snugride sits on a level surface sans the car base relatively flat, so that Baby sits level and comfortable - but just not in the car. That's my biggest gripe.
As for the whole parenting thing...the lack of sleep, continuous sleep, is tough. People had generalizations for us that parenting would result in lack of sleep, but I found that the first month is the toughest, as we are each adjusting to each others' habits and patterns. Now that we are into month 2, I can't say that everything has gotten easier, but I'm learning more and more about my little human, and she us. The first month was primarily an adjustment time for all of us, and it seems that she is much more comfortable with everything now that she's been at home about 4+ weeks. Waking in the middle of the night to feed her is now just a little easier, but each day and night is different (some nights, she's up every other hour; other nights, she'll pull about 4 hours of continuous sleep). This weekend, Hubby and I just started trading off nights and days to feed her and take care of her - he's handling the middle-of-the-night feedings on weekends. Hey, it's a start!
We made our first ever trip to the local Farmers' Market yesterday, and she enjoyed her time out with Mom in the hood. I did find, however, as I walked along, that I am again *gripe* in the same place I was at the end of the pregnancy: my clothes really don't fit. My pre-preg clothes are still too small at the waist (though the butt has gone down, yay!); but my pregger clothes are too loose and doing everything but staying on and helping Mom look somewhat publicly acceptable. Um, muu-muu anyone?
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