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March 5th, 2013
 | 11:18 pm - Gil is 18 months!
Gil is 18 months today (holy crap!), so in the interests of record-keeping, what's he up to these days?
Well, about 26 pounds and 32", I think. Ha.
Still nurses a LOT. At least two or three times in the day - once for his nap - and then to fall asleep and go back to sleep, oh, three to four times in an average night. (I'm TIRED, y'all). Sleeps in a twin bed in the same room with Niv and Shai, and has done so since mid-January.
Spoken words:
Uh-oh (VERY eloquently, with different inflection for different situations)
More
Hello ("awow", into a phone) and Hi!, sometimes
Eyes (quite clearly, actually - also uses this to indicate that he notices letters - every letter is "eyes!")
Up ("Muh!")
Frog (when prompted, "wogaga")
Door
Button ("buh!")
This
That (both this and that generally in relation only to pointing to which YouTube video he wants, but I think he's starting to understand how these words work)
Signs:
Nurse (roughly the sign for "more", actually, usually with accompanying "uh uh uh")
Bye-bye/I want to leave (waves)
Night-night (also waves)
Water/drink (taps lips with index finger)
I want to wash my hands (raises hand into the air while miming pulling his sleeve down - he came up with this sign on his own)
I want to watch (something) - used to be exclusively Gangnam Style, but now it's more general (waves arms up and down like the Gangnam Style dance)
Shakes head No
Points very expressively, usually with accompanying "uh uh uh"
I can't think of any others. I feel like there's another one.
Understands a LOT. Follows directions like "go get your shoes" and "put that in the trash" without visual prompts. Likes to take inventory of my face, find his ears and belly button. Likes eyebrows for some reason. Claps, gives high fives.
Motor skills:
Been walking since 11.5 months. Starting to run a bit.
He throws things.
Feeds himself, sorta, with fork or spoon, definitely fingers, very messy
Can drink from a straw, open cup, or sippy. Often spills when using open cup, but understands the process
Starting to understand how to put together pieces of a wooden train track
Hobbies:
Likes to be read to. Favorite book is "One Duck Stuck". Also likes "26 Big Things Small Hands Do" (has the alphabet in it - likes to point to the letters)
Loves to watch "Gangnam Style" and certain Food Network videos on YouTube
Loves ketchup, french fries, pasta, some veggies. Likes to eat off my plate. Doesn't want to eat something different from what everyone else is eating.
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January 29th, 2013
| 08:11 pm
Niv just lost his second tooth. He said to me about 45 minutes ago, "I think my tooth that's very wiggly will fall out soon." I said, "Great. Go to sleep." About five minutes later, he shouts, "Mommy!!" "What?" "My tooth came out!" Haha. I'm relieved, because the permanent tooth is growing in behind that tooth, and it was almost all the way in. I have the feeling there are braces in our future with this one. Hopefully, the tooth will move forward. I was almost ready to call the dentist to have them pull the baby tooth. Also, his brown tooth on top is wiggly. I'll be so happy when he finally loses that tooth!
I was featured on BlogHer's front page again (that's the fourth time). It's quite validating, really. Now, if I could get them to pay me...
Tra la!
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January 22nd, 2013
 | 09:40 am - Sinus Infections, Breastfeeding, and Kudos to Kaiser Once Again
I have a sinus infection. It started Thursday. After we took turns having the flu a couple weeks ago, I guess it didn't quite all the way clear out. Fortunately, it's not too terrible, and I went to the doctor yesterday and got antibiotics, so I should be feeling better soon.
I just wanted to say kudos to Kaiser for their breastfeeding support. At the intake with the nurse, they noted that I was breastfeeding. When she asked how old my baby is and I said 16 months, she said Great! I mentioned it to the doctor as well before he told me which antibiotic he was giving me, and he said amoxicillin was fine for breastfeeding (which I knew), but that I should probably stay away from decongestants (which I also knew), but that Benadryl was fine if I wanted to dry up some of the mucus. He mentioned it might make the baby a little drowsy, so maybe just take it before bedtime anyway.
I was super-impressed. It's one thing to get good breastfeeding support from the OBs and pediatricians. That should be expected (but doesn't always happen, unfortunately). But the fact that the general practitioner was informed as well was really impressive.
I mention this because there was an article on Kveller a few weeks ago that pissed me off. (http://www.kveller.com/blog/parenting/i-had-to-stop-breast-feeding-and-im-relieved/) Basically, she had a sinus infection, and the ENT told her she couldn't breastfeed on the medication he prescribed. She admitted to being relieved to have an excuse to stop breastfeeding, because as she nursed each of her four children, it became "more difficult to work breastfeeding into my family’s increasingly complex interlocking schedules". Okay. The reason the article pissed me off is not that she stopped breastfeeding because of the medication. What pissed me off is that she felt the need to write an article justifying why she was relieved to stop breastfeeding. Also, it's entirely possible that sh didn' "have" to stop breastfeeding, or that there was some other medication that would have been compatible with breastfeeding that the ENT could have prescribed instead. The point is, she wanted to stop, she stopped, and now she's happy about it. If she hadn't gotten her "excuse," would she have kept going? Maybe. Or would she have found some other excuse to stop? I'm not sure how old the baby is, but I think about three or four months. Look, if you don't want to breastfeed, then don't. You don't need an excuse. You don't need to write a whole blog article about why you're happy to stop. You don't need to justify it to yourself or anyone else. But you do need to be honest with yourself about it and not spread misinformation. First of all, if she's nursing her fourth baby, she should know that those few months of it being "more difficult to work breastfeeding into my family's...schedules" are fleeting and will pass. She should know that breastfeeding becomes easier and more enjoyable and less burdensome as time goes on. She should know how beneficial breastfeeding is to both her and her child. And she should know that just because a doctor says she can't breastfeed on a medication doesn't mean it's true, and she should double check or ask for a breastfeeding-friendly alternative. There are plenty of antibiotics out there.
So I was tempted to facetiously post on Facebook that I have a sinus infection, and maybe the doctor will tell me to stop breastfeeding while I'm on the antibiotic! Haha. But I was very pleased that they took the breastfeeding into account and gave me correct information with regard to safety and suggestions for what medications I can take for relief. He also suggested using a sinus rinse, which I was already doing, but I liked that he proposed a non-medication option! He was also really nice.
Hm, I sense a blog post in the works.
Speaking of which, I want to write a blog post about an experience I had on Saturday, but I'm not sure exactly what I want to say. Also, some of the people involved read my blog, so I'm not sure how to express myself without offending them (they're friends). Basically, we went to shul Saturday morning, and I was coughing and a little stuffy - I'm still getting over the vestiges of the flu from a few weeks ago. A couple people had their young babies there, including my friend whose baby starred in my YouTube video about buckling a newborn into a car seat. I wanted to tell her that the video has over 90 views, so I sat down next to her. She promptly jumped up and said, "I'm sorry. I can't sit next to you when you're coughing." She felt that in order to protect her son from sickness, it was a good idea to stay away from me because I might cough on him, or something. Anyway, I said I'm not contagious, I'm just getting over stuff and it's just clearing out. She said, "But I don't know that for sure. He's only 3 months old. G-d forbid, I don't want him to get sick."
It's not that I don't understand wanting to protect yourself and your kids from illness. It's just that it made me feel like an outcast. If I thought I was really sick, I wouldn't have gone to shul. Two weeks prior, I stayed home because I and Niv were feeling pretty crummy, and I didn't want to subject anyone to my misery. But I also didn't want to be isolated all the time, and we'd finally come out of our little bubble of illness and were on the mend, and I wanted to socialize. Some people didn't seem to mind my obvious cough and were just as friendly and sympathetic and so on as they always are. Others ran away from me whenever I came near. I'm trying to be understanding, but it's hard not to be offended. I didn't ask to hold any babies, I didn't help prepare food, I tried not to touch anything communal, and I used lots of hand sanitizer. You're not going to get sick from sitting next to me. You get sick by transferring droplets to your mucus membranes and allowing the virus in. If there's no virus, there's no contagion. Just sitting next to me is not going to be dangerous.
So I want to write some kind of blog post about trying to protect yourself from sickness, your kids, and then the flip side, about trying to protect others from you when you're sick, and how to find the balance between isolating yourself and being impolite about exposing others. Also, where are you most likely to pick up germs, how are colds and flu transmitted, etc. And how impossible it gets when you have a kid in school! The mucus. Oh my, the mucus. Niv has 26 kids in his class, and one day last week, NINE of them were absent. It's just impossible! Niv missed two days the week before that.
Okay, I'm done rambling.
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November 7th, 2012
| 10:56 pm
I'm so tired. This election stuff was exhausting on so many levels, and even though the race is over, the arguments continue, and I just don't want to hear it any more. Here's a straw: suck it up.
Also, baby isn't sleeping at night. As if that's anything new.
Also, I think I have a cold.
There are dishes to wash and laundry to fold and I don't care.
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September 5th, 2012
| 04:24 pm - ...And, Just Like That, I No Longer Have An Infant
A year ago today, my dad called me to ask how I was feeling and schedule a visit. My response, "Well, I had a baby this morning!"
Don't miss my letter to my new one-year-old on my blog.
Happy birthday, Gil!
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September 4th, 2012
| 09:28 pm
Well, I know what I was doing a year ago! Can you believe Gil turns one tomorrow?!
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August 20th, 2012
| 09:19 am
I have a Facebook presence for my blog now, so you can get regular updates even if we aren't Facebook friends. (Not that I'd have a problem with being Facebook friends, if you want!) https://www.facebook.com/JessicaOnBabies Like me? Like my blog? Like my page!
I hate begging for people to read my stuff, because it feels like I'm begging people to like me. But I'm not. I just think you'd like it if you read it. So check out these recent posts, and then see how you feel about liking my page:
http://jessicaonbabies.blogspot.com/2012/08/its-time-to-take-back-birth.html - About the National Rally for Change happening Labor Day, 2012 (September 3). We're rallying to demand evidenced-based care in pregnancy and birth to help reduce the cesarean rate, unnecessary inductions, and improve outcomes for mothers and babies.
http://jessicaonbabies.blogspot.com/2012/08/breastfeed-just-once-and-then-decide.html - Can you really decide whether to breastfeed before you've given it a try? Breastfeed just once, right after giving birth (if possible!), and then decide if you want to continue.
http://jessicaonbabies.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-be-work-from-home-mom-as-if-i.html - My own working-from-home challenges and some tips for those who are taking the plunge as working moms.
Also, I don't want to alarm anyone, but Gil's birthday is in 16 days. I'm sure you are as stunned as I am.
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August 13th, 2012
 | 09:08 pm - You Mean I'm Actually Good At This?
I know I'm a good writer. I know that the people who do read what I write, like what I write. I know I have good things to say. But I often feel like I get little real validation beyond the three F's (friends, family, and fools - well, maybe two F's, then, in this case). My BLOG gets maybe 700 page views a month, and most hits are from friends who click through from Facebook (thank you!!) when I post a new article or random Google hits, sometimes not for search strings I want people finding me through. Although lately I've been getting hits on exactly the search strings I'd want to get hits from, so that's nice. I have no idea how many of those people stick around or keep coming back to read more, however.
I really don't know quite what I'm doing differently from other people who maybe aren't as good writers, don't have interesting things to say, and who annoy me but have thousands of page views, sponsored ads, and actually make a little money on their blogs.
So I decided to investigate BlogHer.com. I joined and made a member post, which isn't solicited or paid or reviewed but immediately becomes published in whatever category you want to put it in along with all the other thousands of bloggers they have. Sounds like a place ripe for getting buried and unnoticed, yes? Well, yes and no. Because they're just posted chronologically, so anyone who cares to browse might happen upon your article and, if the headline is interesting or the blurb catches their eye, read it. And, if you're lucky, they like it and comment or "sparkle" (which is the same as liking on Facebook, near as I can tell) it or share it on Facebook or Tweet it or Pin it (is that the right verb?) or +1 it or whatever. And, what I didn't know is that the section editor might decide she likes your post and promote it to the front page as an Editor's pick. And when that happens, more people see it, because it comes up first when they click through to that section. And, well, that happened, with my post "Birth is Just One Day -- Or Is It?" (they re-titled it for SEO. I had a better title, but whatevs). And since Wednesday, that post has had over 1200 views, 27 shares on Facebook, and a few Tweets.
I'm floored. And honored. (And I kinda wish I could get paid for it!) My post actually made it to the front page of BlogHer.com itself, not just the BlogHerMoms section. I don't know how a post gets featured there, but I was thrilled beyond belief. So exciting!
My time in the spotlight is already fading, as it's been pushed off the front page by newer posts, but I'm not sorry. I've been so inspired to keep writing now that I've gotten some validation, that complete strangers like my work and share it with others. Having sold over 170 copies of my book helps, too, but this is somehow more concrete to me, maybe because it happened so fast.
What would really help me out, then is for my friends to reshare my blog to their friends who might be interested. I feel like sometimes the power of social media doesn't work for me because I don't beg enough. So I'm begging. PLEASE, if we're FB friends (or even if we're not!), share this page: https://www.facebook.com/JessicaOnBabies, which is my FB presence for my blog. Share my blog directly, too: http://jessicaonbabies.blogspot.com, on LJ and on FB and Twitter and wherever else you are. I know I have a lot to say, and I know people like what I have to say, and I know people want to discuss what I have to say. But for that to happen, they need to see it! Oh, and I have a Twitter, too, @JessicaOnBabies.
I've also applied to be in the BlogHer Publishing Network, which lets me be paid per page view for featuring BlogHer advertisers on my blog.Since, if accepted, I'd be paid per view, I need more views! I don't blog to make money, but if I could make money because I blog, that would help us out so much. I mean, I will continue to blog whether I make money at it or not, but making money doing something I love would be awesome, you know? Money is tight right now, and I'm trying to find creative ways to bring in a little extra. I make $10 to $15 a month on my book through Amazon, which isn't much, but still more than some people ever see for their work, so it's something. If I had an overall increased web presence, I expect my book would sell faster, too.
Help a girl out? :) Oh, and read my post. It's pretty darn good.
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July 11th, 2012
| 09:41 pm - Gil! Let Mommy Get Some Sleep!
Ok, so sleep has been REALLY bad lately. I hate cosleeping. I'm always sore in the neck and ribs. I've reached a point where I dread the next night-time feeding. I want him out of my bed. I want him eating less often at night.
And yet...
I don't know how to do it, and I don't know if he and I are ready. I promised him a year. That's less than 2 months away, anyway.
I'm not talking about night-weaning, although frankly I think he could. He's a much better eater than Shai was. But I won't force it. I'm not talking about sleep-training. I don't do that until 16 months, if I need to at all. I'm just talking about me needing a good night's sleep, restful sleep, where my nipples aren't being chewed on by a baby with two bottom teeth and two top teeth coming in, where he doesn't wake up in the middle of the night and suddenly notice Daddy and get all excited and not want to go back to sleep, where I can roll over without waking him up, or roll over without dodging him, where I can sleep with my arms at my sides instead of above my head or bent awkwardly under the pillow, where I can bend my knees enough to properly support my body while lying on my side...I'm tired, people!
He's so amazing, though. When I say, "Where's your head?" he puts his hands on his head. He also puts his hands on his head when I say "Where's your nose?", but it's a start! And he claps when I say "Yay!" And he totally understands so much of what I say. "Do you want to nurse? Do you want to get down? Should we go upstairs?" So So SO COOL. Love it. Babies are awesome. They really are. Every new skill is a miracle, even with the third baby!
He almost took a step today. He's been experimenting with standing without support, getting more confident. He had pulled up on a toy and was standing without holding on. He spotted something on the coffee table, about two feet away, that he wanted. He ALMOST tried to take a step, realized he couldn't cruise to it, and got down and crawled over and pulled back up on the table. But it was so funny to see him go, "I'll just go get that now... Oh crap, I'm not holding on!"
For the record, at his nine-month visit a few weeks ago, he was 22 pounds, 7 ounces and 29.75". Big boy. :) Head circumference is off the charts, like all my boys. Otherwise, about 75th percentile. Still chunky-thighed, though! Too cute, this kid.
See, I started out complaining and then changed over to raving about how awesome my baby is. I guess I do love him. Haha. Such a cutie-pie.
( Here! Some nice pics! For those of you not on Facebook...Collapse )
See, the thing is, he DOES sleep, just not always as much as I'd like at night. Indeed, today he took a three-hour nap to make up for being awake half the night. So there was that. Of course, I chose to lay down with him and close my eyes 10 minutes before he woke up. Silly me.
Current Mood:  tired
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March 1st, 2012
| 08:52 pm
My blog is going to be 1 on Saturday! I've managed to keep a blog, to which I consistently post, going for a whole year. I'm very proud of myself. I'm thinking about running a giveaway contest to celebrate. See http://jessicaonbabies.blogspot.com/2012/03/more-on-babywearing-among-other-things.html for info.
I'm also toying with the idea of creating a tie-in/wrap-around business with my blog and my book. I've had the idea for a while of starting up a breastfeeding/new mom gift box/basket service. I don't know the first thing about starting a gift basket business, but I'm sure I could figure it out. I think it would be fun to put together a unique sort of breastfeeding support bag or box or basket or something. Hm, maybe bag, because then the bag itself could be useful. Hm. See, I'm still thinking! Anyways. Still chewing on that.
What else is going on? Gil will be six months old on Monday. Wow! He sits well, still falls backward, faceplants, or side-plants occasionally, but he's pretty stable and loves to sit. He figured out rolling back to front a while ago but still hasn't gotten it the other way. I think I haven't really given him much opportunity to try! He's amazing, this kid. So awesome. Different from Shai, different from Niv, but sort of a mix of them, too. He's already reaching for things, leaning as faaaaar forward as he can to grab something, then sitting up triumphantly to chew on whatever he's got. No teeth yet, but he's working on 'em. I can tell. And he wants to crawl SO badly.
Niv is absurdly smart. It's scary. He can think backwards. Like, one day, he just up and recited the months of the year in reverse order and the days of the week in reverse order. (I should point out that there are many five-year-olds who don't know either all 12 months or all 7 days FORWARD.) The other day, he spelled out S-T-O-P, sat and thought for a minute, then said P-O-T-S, "Stop backwards is pots!" he said. He was not looking at the word stop while he did this. Whoa boy.
Shai is as charming as ever but refuses to potty train. He says he will, but then he doesn't. Having gone through this with Niv, I know it will come eventually. I'm just sick of cleaning his poopy butt. It's a cute butt, though. I started him in speech therapy. The past two weeks, we've been working on ending "k", "p", and "t". He can say his practice words very nicely, and is proud of himself when he does, but I don't yet see it trickling down to when he's just talking and not actively practicing. I suppose it will come if we keep at it. I think we're going to start the "s" and "z" and stuff next week. Those he almost never says at all, and when he does he has a heavy lisp. I'm hoping that when his ending sounds and s's are in place, he'll be more intelligible. It's frustrating for everybody, because he's also absurdly smart and has lots of good things to say, if only we could understand him!
Money is tough right now. That's an ongoing stressor. I'm not making the hours I used to make, and it's not for lack of trying. I'm just not getting the work in. February, I finally billed 115 hours, which is the best month I've had in a while. I should be getting 110 to 130 hours every month, not just occasionally, and the only reason I did is because one particular client happened to send me lots of work this month. Otherwise, my billings would have been more in the 80-100 range. Sigh. The difference on a paycheck between 80 hours and 110 hours is HUGE. And because I don't have childcare, I can't take on a second job out of the house, like the tutoring I used to do. And I haven't found any freelance transcription work recently. Which is why I've been trying to think of other creative ways to make money. Since I've only made about $14 on my book so far. Heh.
I keep waiting, been waiting five years now, for Ronen's company to make it big. His boss keeps promising. How long do we wait?
Didn't mean to end on such a downer. Hm. Took the kids to the zoo yesterday. Three kids, by myself. I consider myself a bit of a supermom when I accomplish that! :)
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