A Note To Myself

Friday, October 28th, 2011

Fun Bun on the Run

A Note To Myself:

Well, we’ve arrived.  We’re Californians. At least for now. Leaving my mom squad sucked, but for the time being, I’m so distracted and overwhelmed, I don’t have time to be sad. That will come in a few weeks.

The good stuff:

Our new house is amazing. The owner had the frig stocked as a moving in gift for us.

Fia loves the yard. She ran wild and free. Despite all the obstacles one encounters in a move, I feel in my heart of hearts this was the best decision for our family. I think we’re really going to be happy here.

The stressors:

Our movers delivered all our stuff today. We are living amid of sea of boxes with Fia and Wayne on the loose. I don’t know where to begin. I’ve also never lived in a house. At least as an adult. For the past 20 years it’s always been apartments. I have no clue how to organize a kitchen. I feel inept. Help is on the horizon though, as my in-laws fly here tomorrow. I’ll have hands on help with baby and boxes.

I have no routine right now. For me, that’s a stressor. Especially while pregnant. I have so many little things to do, but I’m also limited in how much I push myself. And I do feel like I’m overdoing it a bit. I know the worst thing that could happen is preterm labor, so I have to force myself to let things go…. to know it will all fall into place.

Besides cable, phone and all that jazz, I need to find a pediatrician, a new OB, a nursery school or part time nanny, a vet, an allergist, etc. I have leads on all these things, but I’m a “to-do” list person. I will only feel better when I can check these things off my list. Especially since I can’t drink. Or take xanax. That would be so helpful.

Okay, that’s it for now. More soon.

Milestone Monday: Potty Training and Pooping (in the Shower)

Tuesday, October 25th, 2011

Author’s Note: Join me every Monday as I share Fia’s ongoing milestone (mis)adventures–from potty training to talking to everything in between.  Mayhem and mischief guaranteed on Milestone Monday!

We have progressed on potty training. Fia has moved from pooping on the floor to pooping in the shower. It happened a few days ago.

We were showering and her training potty was right outside the shower door. She lifted her left heel up, as she so daintily does when she’s about to poop, and out came the turds. On our pristine tile.

I threw the door open and grabbed the potty, pulled it in, and was able to catch a few more turds as she proudly plopped them out of her and into the toilet. Is this progress? I’m not sure. But I cheered anyway.  So did the toilet. The music went off and Fia started to wave her arms in a dance. The Happy Poop Dance.

I then screamed for Phil, who came in and cheered too, then helped me clean her and our shower up.

We move next week so this poop party will be put on hold. In the meantime, I must share my friend’s potty training trauma. She may actually need therapy to recover. Here goes:

(more…)

Sesame Street TV Addiction Broken??

Thursday, October 20th, 2011

We haven’t had television for a week. Internet is about to be disconnected. I feel like Laura Ingalls. Or, since we have running water and electricity, perhaps a better analogy is a squatter. We’ve been camping out in a nearly empty apartment for days now.

The upside to this is without the televison, I think we are starting to break the Sesame Street Addiction. Usually we put her in her high chair to eat and she immediately says “Waatchhh” (heavy emphasis on the “ch”.) I point to the spot where the TV was and say, “Baby, there isn’t a TV there anymore.”  Now Fia runs a tough bargain. She knows I’m telling her the truth, but still doesn’t like it, so she starts to fake wail, as if I’m strangling Ernie before her very eyes. This is where my circus performance kicks in (just wrote about it). I’ll try anything to distract her and I’m finding usually it works. The price I pay is sheer exhaustion from it all. But I think this is good. She can’t always associate eating with Elmo, right?

There was a recent study just published about allowing children under 2 watch TV. The American Academy of Pediatricians has stated that no benefits have been found. Maybe that’s true. Maybe Fia would have learned to count to 12 (in English and Spanish) and recite the ABC song from us reading more books to her. But she has learned those things from her fuzzy furry friends like Elmo and Oscar. And I don’t begrudge them, or myself for it. Sometimes I need a break. Or the easy way out. Call me a weak mom. Or a realistic one.

This doesn’t mean I’m proud of her TV addiction, especially when it comes to mealtimes. But I don’t think I’m causing life long problems either.  Sometimes the path of least resistance makes sense. To a point.

We have to stay in a hotel for a few nights in LA while our house is getting ready. I know she’ll see the tv and try and hold out for Sesame. But I’m going to try my best to stick to my guns. And once we’re in the new house, I plan on feeding her as much as possible outside in her highchair. I am hoping all the scenery that nature provides will trump her favorite furry friends. Stay tuned!

NYC Is Kicking My Mommy Butt

Monday, October 17th, 2011

Strolling Fia and Wayne (in bottom basket) home. A mere 50-pounds in total. Good times.

No doubt about it: working moms have it tough. But I think I have solved the riddle as to why NYC is kicking my SAH-freelance mommy butt.

Now don’t get me wrong: most of my friends are working moms and they have their own unique set of challenges. However, I’ve noticed in telling them we’re moving to LA I get the same confused look. I explain that city living is really hard with a baby. They look a bit puzzled. Here’s why:

(more…)

Moving to LA–The Fun Part!

Monday, September 26th, 2011

We'll Have The Beach! And Warm Weather!

So big news on our end: We’re moving to LA. In a few weeks. I’ve known for a while but just haven’t wanted to deal. It’s not that I’m not excited about it. The idea of a HOUSE, a YARD, even maybe a POOL makes me giddy (though nothing is yet in place, which is nerve-wracking). But leaving my beloved Brooklyn is going to be tough. We decided to make the move for several reasons, with Little Leroy (working title) solidifying the deal.

When I got pregnant and found out my due date was the end of January, we groaned. Good god, not another winter cooped up in a Brooklyn apartment with a newborn. Not to mention our pad is a landmine. It’s a loft with 28-foot ceilings, which means upstairs Fia could climb over the ledge and drop at least 20 feet. Even with all the baby-proofing, it’s just not set up for a toddler, much less two of them.

Phil is always flying back and forth to LA with his career as a screenwriter. It drives us both crazy. For example, here is our latest scenario: he flew to LA today, takes a redeye home on Friday, then next Monday he flies back, has a 10:00 a.m. meeting on Tuesday and comes home that night.  It’s getting a tad absurd.

Our phone rings regularly at 10 pm, usually bringing some sort of drama. The 3-hour time change is a relaxation killer.

He works from home. In the open loft, we have completely blurred the boundaries between his working hours and playing hours. I walk in the door and Fia beelines to him, even if he’s on the phone (his office is in her eye line. Impossible to prevent). I dash after her as fast as I can, but once she sees him it’s all over. She is very attached to her Daddy and if he doesn’t come out and hold her/play with her, a crying fit ensues. Doesn’t make for a great business call. Then I get the glare. I in turn get pissy, and so it goes.

I actually think living in LA in a spacious house, with a separate office for him and a time zone that matches the industry he’s in is going to really simplify our lives. But here’s where I get sad… click here to continue reading.