Tai has 5 months to practice walking in a straight line, holding a small pillow. That's right, in early September Tai will play the role of ring bearer in a wedding. We're confident that if I "release" him at one end of the aisle, and Minh stands at the other end (perhaps with some delicious cheese in his hand) we can get Tai to transport the rings down the aisle.
He's already a fantastic walker, as long as he can wander around in the direction of his choosing. The other day we "took a walk" down to the end of our street (about 200 feet) and it only took 15 minutes.
But by September he'll be nearly two (!), so it'll be a whole different ballgame....
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The New Gig
I've been working at my new job for a few weeks now, so I figured I owe everyone an update on how it's going. The only tricky part is that my boss has been known to read this blog (before she was my boss!) So I'll start with the great things about my new job:
(1) My amazingly wonderful boss.
(2) Foam soap in the bathrooms.
(3) The view out my window.
(4) The fastest microwave ever. I swear, what would take 2 minutes to heat up in a normal microwave only takes 45 seconds in this one. I've been very productive with all that extra time on my hands.
(5) A wider selection of Post-It Notes.
But no job is perfect, and there are some drawbacks to this one:
(1) The long walk from the parking garage to my office. It takes 4 whole minutes! I could microwave a Thanksgiving turkey in that amount of time.
(2) No longer having lunch with Minh four days a week.
(3) No longer being able to pop into Target or Trader Joe's on my way home.
(4) Data files with 500+ variables (I don't want that much data on anyone!)
(1) My amazingly wonderful boss.
(2) Foam soap in the bathrooms.
(3) The view out my window.
(4) The fastest microwave ever. I swear, what would take 2 minutes to heat up in a normal microwave only takes 45 seconds in this one. I've been very productive with all that extra time on my hands.
(5) A wider selection of Post-It Notes.
But no job is perfect, and there are some drawbacks to this one:
(1) The long walk from the parking garage to my office. It takes 4 whole minutes! I could microwave a Thanksgiving turkey in that amount of time.
(2) No longer having lunch with Minh four days a week.
(3) No longer being able to pop into Target or Trader Joe's on my way home.
(4) Data files with 500+ variables (I don't want that much data on anyone!)
I'm certain I'll continue to discover more pros and cons to this new gig during the coming months (and years!). I'll be sure to keep everyone posted....
Monday, March 17, 2008
Let The Weaning Begin!
Tonight I officially began weaning Tai off the boobies. Yes, after almost 15 months, I am ready to be done nursing. [If you are someone I gave funny looks to when you nursed your baby for more than 8 or 9 months, insert smug comment here. I deserve it.]
After plotting and planning for a couple weeks, wondering how best to approach it, I found some useful advice in a book a friend gave me. Mind you, this was a La Leche League book, so the vast majority of the text is dedicated to why you should not "force" your baby to wean, but let it happen naturally, usually between the ages of 2 and 4. (Hey, extended nursing works for some folks, but I think I'm just about at my limit.) Finally, about 100 pages into the book, they give up on convincing you not to wean and give some pretty reasonable advice about how to approach weaning (if you must).
The book offers a couple different tactics and I've selected one called "don't ask, don't tell". Oh, wait. That's an entirely different issue. What I meant to say is "don't offer, don't refuse." The theory is that if Tai asks to nurse, I let him. But I don't offer unless he asks. He's been nursing just twice a day for a couple months now and it occurred to me that each night at bedtime I just automatically whip out the boob as part of our routine. So tonight I waited for him to ask for it.
And he didn't.
I rocked him and sang to him and he sucked on his pacifier, and he fell asleep on my arms. Now we'll see if he wakes up in a couple hours asking for milk. If he does, I'll oblige. And we'll go from there....
After plotting and planning for a couple weeks, wondering how best to approach it, I found some useful advice in a book a friend gave me. Mind you, this was a La Leche League book, so the vast majority of the text is dedicated to why you should not "force" your baby to wean, but let it happen naturally, usually between the ages of 2 and 4. (Hey, extended nursing works for some folks, but I think I'm just about at my limit.) Finally, about 100 pages into the book, they give up on convincing you not to wean and give some pretty reasonable advice about how to approach weaning (if you must).
The book offers a couple different tactics and I've selected one called "don't ask, don't tell". Oh, wait. That's an entirely different issue. What I meant to say is "don't offer, don't refuse." The theory is that if Tai asks to nurse, I let him. But I don't offer unless he asks. He's been nursing just twice a day for a couple months now and it occurred to me that each night at bedtime I just automatically whip out the boob as part of our routine. So tonight I waited for him to ask for it.
And he didn't.
I rocked him and sang to him and he sucked on his pacifier, and he fell asleep on my arms. Now we'll see if he wakes up in a couple hours asking for milk. If he does, I'll oblige. And we'll go from there....
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
The Slippery Slope
We took Tai to Friendly's for the first time last night. And it was awesome. I hadn't been inside a Friendly's in more than 10 years, and it's a whole new place when you have a kid.
Tai was thrilled to visit all the other people eating, sit in the high chair and eat greasy food, indulge in some ice cream, and even be given his very first balloon! We all had a wonderful time and dinner plus dessert for the three of us was only about $25. Amazing!
After dinner we went food shopping and Tai burned off his ice cream high by toddling around the store, with his balloon tied to his overalls. At one point, he was standing by the entrance, waving his balloon at everyone who came in. Maybe he is destined for a career as a Wal-Mart greeter?
The fear now is that we have begun the steady descent down the slippery slope toward all-too-frequent Friendly's dinners. It's easy, fun, and cheap, but our bodies can only take so many bacon cheeseburgers....
Tai was thrilled to visit all the other people eating, sit in the high chair and eat greasy food, indulge in some ice cream, and even be given his very first balloon! We all had a wonderful time and dinner plus dessert for the three of us was only about $25. Amazing!
After dinner we went food shopping and Tai burned off his ice cream high by toddling around the store, with his balloon tied to his overalls. At one point, he was standing by the entrance, waving his balloon at everyone who came in. Maybe he is destined for a career as a Wal-Mart greeter?
The fear now is that we have begun the steady descent down the slippery slope toward all-too-frequent Friendly's dinners. It's easy, fun, and cheap, but our bodies can only take so many bacon cheeseburgers....
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Dinner for Two (Just Two)
Yes, my husband sometimes requests Filet-o-Fish sandwiches for lunch, but he enjoys fine dining as well. Saturday night Minh surprised me with a babysitter and dinner reservations at a grown-up restaurant.
Amazingly, he actually kept the secret all week and pulled off the surprise. He only "blew it" about 90 minutes before the babysitter was due to arrive and I was thankful for the notice so I could vacuum the house and change out of my sweatpants.
Having only done this a few times before, we barraged the babysitter with way too much information about the house, the pets, the baby, etc., and contingency plans for at least 6 possible scenarios. I like to think our over-explanations are endearing. But she probably thought we were neurotic.
After convincing the sitter that we are certifiably nuts, we headed out and only briefly broke out singing a catchy children's song in the car before we caught ourselves. Dinner was amazingly delicious, the pace was leisurely, and the conversation was "grown-up". The real mark of a big night out? I had two glasses of wine with dinner. Livin' it up, baby. Livin' it up.
Amazingly, he actually kept the secret all week and pulled off the surprise. He only "blew it" about 90 minutes before the babysitter was due to arrive and I was thankful for the notice so I could vacuum the house and change out of my sweatpants.
Having only done this a few times before, we barraged the babysitter with way too much information about the house, the pets, the baby, etc., and contingency plans for at least 6 possible scenarios. I like to think our over-explanations are endearing. But she probably thought we were neurotic.
After convincing the sitter that we are certifiably nuts, we headed out and only briefly broke out singing a catchy children's song in the car before we caught ourselves. Dinner was amazingly delicious, the pace was leisurely, and the conversation was "grown-up". The real mark of a big night out? I had two glasses of wine with dinner. Livin' it up, baby. Livin' it up.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Love Nuggets
It's Valentine's Day. And that means McNuggets.
Minh and don't really celebrate Valentine's Day, but we have been going out to lunch on Thursdays. And this week he requested that we go to McDonalds so he can take advantage of their during-lent-sale on Filet-O-Fish Sandwiches (2 for $3).
I, myself, do not enjoy the Filet-O-Fish, but am loking forward to a feast of McNuggets. Can you smell the romance in the air? Or is that just the french fries?
Minh and don't really celebrate Valentine's Day, but we have been going out to lunch on Thursdays. And this week he requested that we go to McDonalds so he can take advantage of their during-lent-sale on Filet-O-Fish Sandwiches (2 for $3).
I, myself, do not enjoy the Filet-O-Fish, but am loking forward to a feast of McNuggets. Can you smell the romance in the air? Or is that just the french fries?
Friday, February 08, 2008
How Hillary Won Massachusetts
Minh and I did not vote in Super Tuesday's primary. A serires of unfortunate events precluded us from getting to the polls and casting our votes for Barack Obama. It's all Tai's fault.
After standing idly by as Tai got more and more sick all weekend, we finally took him to the doctor on Monday morning. We went to their "walk-in hours" and the sign on the door indicated that those hours are only for "acutely ill" patients. As we walked in I thought, "well, I don't know if he's acutely ill." Forty-five minutes later, we were escorted out those same doors and into an ambulance by paramedics.
OK, I guess he was acutely ill.
Tai has RSV, which caused bronchiolitis. The big rush to get to the hospital was because he was having trouble breathing and very dehydrated. After 3 treatments with a nebulizer, 6 hours in the ER, one overnight in the hospital, and an IV full of lots of good stuff, we were discharged. This got us home around 6pm Tuesday night. (OK, the polls don't technically close until 8pm, but come on!)
Minh has speculated that Tai was not actually as sick as they led us to believe, but that the doctors were all Hillary fans and they pegged us as Obama supporters when we walked in. So they "needed" to keep Tai overnight "for observation" just to ensure that Obama did not win Massachusetts. The worst part is, Obama only lost Massachusetts by 2 votes! (OK, not really but it was a close race.)
I myself have a couple alternative theories as to why all this happened (apart from the obvious one that Tai picked up the virus at daycare and his overly-laid-back parents did not get him to the doctor soon enough.)
(1) It was all just a ploy on Tai's part to be allowed to suck on his pacifier all day long and watch unlimited cartoons. If it was all an act, he had everyone fooled. And he did indeed get to "nuk" and watch TV to his little heart's content.
(2) Minh somehow caused the whole ruckus in order to replenish his stash of stolen medical supplies. We now have a decade's worth of medical tape in the house. (Side note: remember all those prenatal visits he went to, playing the role of supportive husband?...He really only came along to steal latex gloves. When that supply runs out, I'll know it's time to get pregnant again.)
Whatever the reason, we did indeed have a crazy week and Obama never got our two votes. But Tai is nearly back to his old self, as evidenced by his re-discovered love of chasing the cats around the house. Here's hoping for a relaxing weekend....
Thursday, January 31, 2008
I Have Sexy Underwear
Last night Minh went and played poker with Tai's friend's dad and a bunch of his friends (see if you can follow that!) Anyway, while he sitting in an unheated basement losing $40, Tai was asleep and I had the place to myself.
Naturally, I spent my time cleaning out my sock and underwear drawers.
What? Yeah, I don't know what came over me. It's not a task I particularly enjoy, nor one that I had on my mental "to do" list. I'm not even sure how it happened. Suddenly, there I was sorting through mountains of underwear, all of which is BT and some of which is from the previous millenium. Not kidding.
But, shoved behind the pile of "everyday wear" and underneath a jumble of maternity underwear, I actually found some nice stuff. You know, the kind of stuff you wear before you get pregnant.
So now the maternity underwear and nursing bras are all safely tucked away for "next time." And my underwear drawer now resembles the drawer of a younger, sexier, me. Now I just need to find occasion to wear some of it. :)
Naturally, I spent my time cleaning out my sock and underwear drawers.
What? Yeah, I don't know what came over me. It's not a task I particularly enjoy, nor one that I had on my mental "to do" list. I'm not even sure how it happened. Suddenly, there I was sorting through mountains of underwear, all of which is BT and some of which is from the previous millenium. Not kidding.
But, shoved behind the pile of "everyday wear" and underneath a jumble of maternity underwear, I actually found some nice stuff. You know, the kind of stuff you wear before you get pregnant.
So now the maternity underwear and nursing bras are all safely tucked away for "next time." And my underwear drawer now resembles the drawer of a younger, sexier, me. Now I just need to find occasion to wear some of it. :)
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
A Net Gain of 6 Words
Everyone knows that your salary is proportional to the number of words in your job title, right? That's why I've decided to trade in the pithy title of "Research Manager" for my new and improved identity of "Assistant Director of Institutional Research and Educational Assessment".
Yeah, that's right, eight words. Count 'em.
Unfortunately, my husband (who, by the way, thinks I have an unnatural propensity for abbreviating things) has taken to condensing my new title into the acronym ADIREA, which sounds kinda like "a diarrhea" when pronounced. Lovely.
So yes, in case you have not heard, I'm starting a new job in March. If my "here's my new email address" message somehow did not get to you, drop me a line and I'll let you know how to get in touch with me from now on.
Yeah, that's right, eight words. Count 'em.
Unfortunately, my husband (who, by the way, thinks I have an unnatural propensity for abbreviating things) has taken to condensing my new title into the acronym ADIREA, which sounds kinda like "a diarrhea" when pronounced. Lovely.
So yes, in case you have not heard, I'm starting a new job in March. If my "here's my new email address" message somehow did not get to you, drop me a line and I'll let you know how to get in touch with me from now on.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
The Nudist
Most of you know that our cat Nibbles is transgendered (post-op). But what you may not know...what we ourselves did not know until recently... is that Smudge identifies as a nudist.
We woke up one morning and he was naked. OK, that happens. Probably a by-product of some energetic wrestling with Nibbles overnight. So we put his collar back on and went about our business. Mere hours later he was naked again. "Hmmmph," I thought, as I examined the collar. "Is it broken? Is it bothering him -- too tight? too lose?" We put it back on him again. He took it off again.
This little dance continued for 2 or 3 days until we gave up. I think it's been about a week now that he's been prancing around the house absolutely naked. And I swear I detect a little more of a spring in his step.
I haven't completely given up yet though. I intend to buy him a shiny NEW collar and see if that does the trick. I wonder if he might just be sick of yellow (it's so last season) and craving a new look for himself. But if that doesn't work we may have to give in and accept his new lifestyle.
We woke up one morning and he was naked. OK, that happens. Probably a by-product of some energetic wrestling with Nibbles overnight. So we put his collar back on and went about our business. Mere hours later he was naked again. "Hmmmph," I thought, as I examined the collar. "Is it broken? Is it bothering him -- too tight? too lose?" We put it back on him again. He took it off again.
This little dance continued for 2 or 3 days until we gave up. I think it's been about a week now that he's been prancing around the house absolutely naked. And I swear I detect a little more of a spring in his step.
I haven't completely given up yet though. I intend to buy him a shiny NEW collar and see if that does the trick. I wonder if he might just be sick of yellow (it's so last season) and craving a new look for himself. But if that doesn't work we may have to give in and accept his new lifestyle.
Monday, January 07, 2008
The Power Mullet is Gone
Tai had his first haricut this past Saturday. The power mullet is no more (except for the lock we have stashed in his baby book).
He did really well sitting still for the haircut and, for the most part, it looks pretty good. The only thing we really take issue with is the lack of sideburns. The overzealous hairdresser buzzed them clean off with her clippers and now Minh says that Tai looks a bit like Billy Bob Thornton in Slingblade (see pictures below). Maybe we can enter him in a Look Alike contest and make some cash off of this situation?
He did really well sitting still for the haircut and, for the most part, it looks pretty good. The only thing we really take issue with is the lack of sideburns. The overzealous hairdresser buzzed them clean off with her clippers and now Minh says that Tai looks a bit like Billy Bob Thornton in Slingblade (see pictures below). Maybe we can enter him in a Look Alike contest and make some cash off of this situation?
Goodbye, Hogwarts
After about seven months of re-reading the entire Harry Potter series, I have finally finished the seventh and final book. I've been immersed in that little world for so long now that I'm a bit sad to have finished--especially knowing there are no future installments to look forward to. But there are still two more movies to anxiously await.
Impressively, I managed to survive all these months without hearing any spoilers, unless you count the graffiti on the Mount Holyoke sidewalks that said, "Voldemort Lives" and "Harry Dies". But I didn't put too much stock in the Sidewalk Literary Critic, as I've seen cartoon penises drawn on these same sidewalks.
I won't spoil the ending here, in case there could possibly be anyone out there further behind the rest of the world than me. I will say that I am proud to have correctly predicted two major pieces of the story and pleasantly surprised that JK Rowling had a couple tricks up her sleeve that I never would have seen coming.
The very end was a bit disappointing, but that's to be expected. It must have been very difficult to wrap up a seven book series, and I think she did pretty well.
Impressively, I managed to survive all these months without hearing any spoilers, unless you count the graffiti on the Mount Holyoke sidewalks that said, "Voldemort Lives" and "Harry Dies". But I didn't put too much stock in the Sidewalk Literary Critic, as I've seen cartoon penises drawn on these same sidewalks.
I won't spoil the ending here, in case there could possibly be anyone out there further behind the rest of the world than me. I will say that I am proud to have correctly predicted two major pieces of the story and pleasantly surprised that JK Rowling had a couple tricks up her sleeve that I never would have seen coming.
The very end was a bit disappointing, but that's to be expected. It must have been very difficult to wrap up a seven book series, and I think she did pretty well.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
I'm Getting Too Much Work Done
Tai is starting to wean. For right now, that means he's nursing in the morning and at bedtime, but not throughout the day. So I no longer have to tote my pump to work and sit in a back room three times a day to get him milk to bring to daycare. And I no longer get to sit in a back room three times a day and read magazines for 15 minutes at a stretch.
I miss those little breaks.
Without those 15-minute interruptions I'm getting far too much work done this week. Maybe I should pretend I still need to pump and just go take a little cat nap back there once in a while. Or maybe I should take up smoking so I can take cigarette breaks. Actually, since it's about 5 degrees out today, outdoor breaks have little appeal.
So, here I sit. No pending home-purchase to fret over. No wedding to plan. No baby on the way. And no pumping breaks. What am I supposed to do? Work all day? Maybe Minh is right -- it's time to renovate the house.
I miss those little breaks.
Without those 15-minute interruptions I'm getting far too much work done this week. Maybe I should pretend I still need to pump and just go take a little cat nap back there once in a while. Or maybe I should take up smoking so I can take cigarette breaks. Actually, since it's about 5 degrees out today, outdoor breaks have little appeal.
So, here I sit. No pending home-purchase to fret over. No wedding to plan. No baby on the way. And no pumping breaks. What am I supposed to do? Work all day? Maybe Minh is right -- it's time to renovate the house.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Happy Birthday, Tai
12-27-06: 5 lbs 10 oz
12-27-07: 20-something lbs
12-27-06: "waaaaaaahhhhh"
12-27-07: "mama," "dada," "uh-oh"
12-27-06: sleep, sleep, sleep
12-27-07: sleep, eat, walk, play, sign, talk
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Jingle Hell
Dashing down the Pike,
Headed to the 'rents.
Kathy said, "oh crap!"
We forgot all the presents!
So around we turned
And headed back home, west.
Snatched up all the gifts
Our moods were not the best!
Oh! Tai woke up! Tai woke up!
He fussed all the way east.
He was hungry and grumpy,
Not to say the least!
Oh! Tai woke up! Tai woke up!
Nothing calmed him down.
Then of course, he dozed off,
Just as we rolled into town.
Headed to the 'rents.
Kathy said, "oh crap!"
We forgot all the presents!
So around we turned
And headed back home, west.
Snatched up all the gifts
Our moods were not the best!
Oh! Tai woke up! Tai woke up!
He fussed all the way east.
He was hungry and grumpy,
Not to say the least!
Oh! Tai woke up! Tai woke up!
Nothing calmed him down.
Then of course, he dozed off,
Just as we rolled into town.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Tai's Weekend
As the calendar year comes to an end, so does the first year of Tai's life. We spent the weekend with friends and Tai managed to squeeze in several new "firsts" before turning one.
First eggplant pizza
First real trip into Boston (Logan doesn't count)
First Celtics game
***First time sitting in the LAST row, right under the luxury boxes
***First (and last?) time nursing near loud, drunk sports fans
***First time staying up WAY past bedtime
First blueberry blintzes
First time falling so hard he bit his tongue and bled
First time seeing, and being amazed by, a lit Christmas tree
Merry Christmas!
First eggplant pizza
First real trip into Boston (Logan doesn't count)
First Celtics game
***First time sitting in the LAST row, right under the luxury boxes
***First (and last?) time nursing near loud, drunk sports fans
***First time staying up WAY past bedtime
First blueberry blintzes
First time falling so hard he bit his tongue and bled
First time seeing, and being amazed by, a lit Christmas tree
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Bad Mom Story
Yesterday I desperately needed change for a $20 so that Tai and I could run a devious Christmas Errand on our way home from work/daycare. When no co-worker could change a $20 for me (doesn't anyone carry cash anymore?) someone suggested I pop by a local cafe and get myself a hot steamy treat, and the necessary change. I thought that sounded like an excellent plan.
After picking Tai up at "school" we headed straight to the cafe. Tai has been there a couple times for mommy-and-baby lunches (ah, maternity leave...the good old days) so he's familiar with the scene. With Tai on my hip I ordered my latte to go. As we waited by the counter for my coffee, Tai looked around the room at all the people enjoying lunch and made the sign for "eat. "
I pretended I did not see it.
Coming straight from work, I did not have the diaper bag with me, so I had no snacks for him. Not a single raisin or Cheerio. Nothing. And I was not about to buy him an $8 sandwich and make a big production out of sitting down and eating. (In my defense, he'd already had lunch at daycare). So I pretended not to notice that he was signing "eat" and staring hungrily at other people's plates.
When my latte was ready, I grabbed it and we headed out the door toward the car. Boy, did that piss him off! He doesn't speak English yet, so his protests were all in "baby" but I'm pretty sure they would have translated to something along the lines of, "What the hell? I thought you were taking me out to lunch?!"
Once we got back in the car, he settled down, but I think held a grudge for an hour or so.
After picking Tai up at "school" we headed straight to the cafe. Tai has been there a couple times for mommy-and-baby lunches (ah, maternity leave...the good old days) so he's familiar with the scene. With Tai on my hip I ordered my latte to go. As we waited by the counter for my coffee, Tai looked around the room at all the people enjoying lunch and made the sign for "eat. "
I pretended I did not see it.
Coming straight from work, I did not have the diaper bag with me, so I had no snacks for him. Not a single raisin or Cheerio. Nothing. And I was not about to buy him an $8 sandwich and make a big production out of sitting down and eating. (In my defense, he'd already had lunch at daycare). So I pretended not to notice that he was signing "eat" and staring hungrily at other people's plates.
When my latte was ready, I grabbed it and we headed out the door toward the car. Boy, did that piss him off! He doesn't speak English yet, so his protests were all in "baby" but I'm pretty sure they would have translated to something along the lines of, "What the hell? I thought you were taking me out to lunch?!"
Once we got back in the car, he settled down, but I think held a grudge for an hour or so.
Monday, December 17, 2007
I've Been Blocked
I just tried to email an elementary school, as part of my job, and their spam filter blocked my email and sent it back to me. The spam filter was, however, nice enough to tell me why I was being blocked. It was because my email contained the word "Cialis." In case you don't know, Cialis is a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction. If you don't know what erectile dysfunction is I'm not going to explain it here.
Yes, my email to an elementary school did indeed contain the string "cialis". Because the email started with "Dear Principals and Reading Specialists". Wow, that's a hard-core spam filter. They put me in my place.
Yes, my email to an elementary school did indeed contain the string "cialis". Because the email started with "Dear Principals and Reading Specialists". Wow, that's a hard-core spam filter. They put me in my place.
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