So much for posting regularly . . . hopefully it will happen more often in the future.
We're about to start a new chapter in our family history this week; Cam will start staying home with me again. For a month or so, it will be 5 days a week until MDO starts back, then only 3. For me, this means I'm going to be a true stay-at-home mom and to some degree a home-schooling mom. Cam will definitely start public school once he can enter kindergarten because I whole-heartedly believe in public school, especially since those in our area are exceptional. In addition to knowing that I'm simply not qualified to teach my child everything he needs to know and recognizing that I couldn't be truly objective in evaluating his performance, I think public school provides important socialization for children. It is important that children learn to interact appropriately with other children and with adults, that they be able to read and respond well to as many social situations as possible, and that they truly grasp their relationship to the rest of the world. All of these things are provided for in a public education. I do not fault anyone for homeschooling; it just doesn't seem right for our family in our community. That said, we can't really afford the type of daycare/pre-school experience I would like my child to have, so our compromise is sending Cameron to a MDO program two days a week, for the public school experience of an externally determined schedule and playgroup and the socialization that I value. I will also be keeping him home the rest of the week, and I feel it's important to balance free play and educationally driven play/lessons. I've done lots of research on home schooling toddlers and pre-k curriculum for at-home and institutional programs, and I've found something I feel meets our needs. I'm sure some people would think it doesn't do enough to focus on education and others will think I don't allow enough play time. There is scheduled tv time, and I know some people won't appreciate that. All I can say is that I'm trying to find a balance that will both prepare Cam to be intellectually stimulated and advanced for his age and socially adept. I also hope that this program will incorporate technology and other cultural trends that define our society and age in order to prepare him for his future. Lastly, I hope to create an educational program that teaches Cam understanding, empathy, and humanism, because those are values we embrace as a family.
Our daily schedule for summer will look something like this (though every day I will strive to be flexible):
6:30-6:45am - Cam wakes up
6:45-7:00am - everyone eats breakfast
7:00am - M leaves for work
7:00-7:30am - we get ready for the day
7:30-8:30am - Cam plays outside in the yard (I play with him but also go over the plans for the day.)
8:30-9:00am - Cam self-play time or watch tv (Jake & the Neverland Pirates?) & I prepare for errands if needed
9:00-11:00am - out of the house time (errands, library, play dates, playground, pool, field trips, etc.)
11:00-11:30am - lunch
11:30-12:30pm - Sesame Street (This is a post-lunch/pre-nap chill period. We turn out the lights.)
12:30-2:30pm - nap for Cam (I will nap, answer email, clean, etc. during this time.)
2:30-3:00pm - Super Why & snack (This allows Cam to wake up slowly and get focused on his alphabet.)
3:00-5:00pm - school time (organized currently around alphabet)
5:00-5:15pm - snack time for Cam
5:15-6:00pm - self-play time for Cam while I prepare dinner/straighten up
6:00pm - M comes home
6:00-6:30pm - make dinner while Cam plays with M
6:30-7:00pm - eat dinner & watch Wheel of Fortune
7:00-7:30pm - family play time together, walks, etc.
7:30-7:45pm - Cam bath
7:45-8:00pm - bedtime routine (brush teeth, change to pjs, story, prayers, songs, asleep)
8:00-8:30pm - refocus time for me
8:30-9:00pm - end of day cleaning routine
9:00-10:30pm - tv, leftover business, hubby time
10:30pm - M&me bedtime
This week we'll be transitioning into this schedule and working on potty training! It's very exciting for us! Next week we'll actually start lessons.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Take Two
So we abandoned this effort last year after Munchkin started sleeping through the night. Most of our posting occurred during the night-time feedings, and once we started sleeping again this little project fell by the wayside. I have to say that I regret it, but I always have lofty plans of creative expressions that never see fruition so this is just another in a long list of great ideas that didn't make it. That said, I'm hoping to give it a go again.
Let me update on the status of things, if M has anything to add, he can do so:
Munchkin is now a few days away from being 17 months old, and he is amazing! I know that I'm biased, but really, if you know him you think he's amazing too.
He is a running, climbing machine. He's even showing interest in jumping, though he hasn't really figured out how we do it.
He has a vocab of a couple of dozen words if you count things we interpret. Oh, and he has 3-4 short sentences, which I hear is important.
He eats - a lot. Anything really, especially if he gets to use utensils.
He's in a toddler bed. We just ended rocking him to sleep, so he's officially a big boy now.
We've been making strides toward potty training since about 13 or 14 months, but since he's still in MDO/day care, we're not there yet. This is one of our goals for the summer!
I have a checklist of things kids should do by specific ages. He's met all of them up to 24 months.
And he is full-fledged into the toddler-asserting-independence stage, though typically he avoids the tantrums and just sticks with "no," "mine," and 'I do it."
So, yeah, he's awesome. I told you so.
Anyway, I'm going to work on being more consistent with the posting. I think I need it, and there are big, important things looming on the horizon for our family, so there will be lots on my brain. For the time being, this is going to be a space for me to clear my head of ideas, update family and friends on our goings-on, and speak to my child. I'm not going to spend much time worrying about researching topics or structuring my thoughts; I'm going to go on a free-flow basis. I might try to come up with some recurring themes, but really, I'm going to start just by making the effort to write daily. We'll see how that goes and go from there.
Until next time (tomorrow?),
C
Let me update on the status of things, if M has anything to add, he can do so:
Munchkin is now a few days away from being 17 months old, and he is amazing! I know that I'm biased, but really, if you know him you think he's amazing too.
He is a running, climbing machine. He's even showing interest in jumping, though he hasn't really figured out how we do it.
He has a vocab of a couple of dozen words if you count things we interpret. Oh, and he has 3-4 short sentences, which I hear is important.
He eats - a lot. Anything really, especially if he gets to use utensils.
He's in a toddler bed. We just ended rocking him to sleep, so he's officially a big boy now.
We've been making strides toward potty training since about 13 or 14 months, but since he's still in MDO/day care, we're not there yet. This is one of our goals for the summer!
I have a checklist of things kids should do by specific ages. He's met all of them up to 24 months.
And he is full-fledged into the toddler-asserting-independence stage, though typically he avoids the tantrums and just sticks with "no," "mine," and 'I do it."
So, yeah, he's awesome. I told you so.
Anyway, I'm going to work on being more consistent with the posting. I think I need it, and there are big, important things looming on the horizon for our family, so there will be lots on my brain. For the time being, this is going to be a space for me to clear my head of ideas, update family and friends on our goings-on, and speak to my child. I'm not going to spend much time worrying about researching topics or structuring my thoughts; I'm going to go on a free-flow basis. I might try to come up with some recurring themes, but really, I'm going to start just by making the effort to write daily. We'll see how that goes and go from there.
Until next time (tomorrow?),
C
Friday, March 4, 2011
I dropped a passy in the potty
It's been almost a month since I posted. There hasn't been a lot to report.
This morning I was carrying the munchkin around and trying to get mom some sleep. I had to pee something fierce and the little one was crying, so I took him to the bathroom with me. No big deal, I do it from time to time and things are normally fine. This time, it wasn't. He was fussing a little, and he had his pacifier. Everything looked alright at first. It was on his chest and looked pretty stable, but it didn't last.
Before I had the munchkin, I would have, depending on the size of the object, gone to get a glove or just flushed the item away. Now that I've had my hand in bodily function fluid for the last 2 months, I just reached in and grabbed it. I didn't give it back to him and I washed up real good, so I'm not a terrible parent.
I couldn't find another passy he likes, so I just grabbed one out of this passy ziplock bag we have in his room and he liked it enough to treat it like all of the others. He sucked on it until he realized it wasn't food, fussed for a minute, and then gave up and fell asleep.
This morning I was carrying the munchkin around and trying to get mom some sleep. I had to pee something fierce and the little one was crying, so I took him to the bathroom with me. No big deal, I do it from time to time and things are normally fine. This time, it wasn't. He was fussing a little, and he had his pacifier. Everything looked alright at first. It was on his chest and looked pretty stable, but it didn't last.
Before I had the munchkin, I would have, depending on the size of the object, gone to get a glove or just flushed the item away. Now that I've had my hand in bodily function fluid for the last 2 months, I just reached in and grabbed it. I didn't give it back to him and I washed up real good, so I'm not a terrible parent.
I couldn't find another passy he likes, so I just grabbed one out of this passy ziplock bag we have in his room and he liked it enough to treat it like all of the others. He sucked on it until he realized it wasn't food, fussed for a minute, and then gave up and fell asleep.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
My munchkin hates his crib
So we're doing this thing where we try to get the little man to sleep in his crib. It's not going well. People tell you that babies don't cry for more than thirty minutes, but they haven't met the most persistent baby in the universe. I go and check on him every so often, give him his pacifier, and try to soothe him. He likes it until about 5 minutes after I leave. Then it's back to time to wail. I'm trying to keep all of the lights off, but it doesn't seem to help. Every ten minutes or so, he'll calm down and I'll think he's out. After about a minute, that ship sailed. It's supposed to get easier after a few nights, but I don't know how long I can take it.
Oh, and this is my first shift. Christy handled last night, and I now feel even sorrier for her.
Oh, and this is my first shift. Christy handled last night, and I now feel even sorrier for her.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Don't forget the nipples
So Matt's last post was about taking the munchkin out into the world, and that is exactly what this post is about, but from my perspective. Today the munchkin and I ventured forth; I had a doctor's appointment, and we wanted to show him off at Matt's work. So, I got him dressed and ready. Hat - check. Socks - check. Blankets - check. And the much-needed pacifier, which we forgot the first time we took him out in public - check. Then I packed the diaper bag. Diapers - check. Wipes - check. Change of clothes for him - check. Extra shirt for me, in case of a major incident - check. Formula - check. Then I got myself ready. Wallet - check. Phone - check. Chapstick - check. Coat - check. And so we loaded into the car and headed out on our field trip . . .
On the road . . . Well, I forgot my drink, but I can survive. No big deal. I forgot the rattle, but he doesn't really respond to it anyway. No big deal.
I get to the doctor's office and get ready to feed the munchkin so he won't cry during my exam, only to find out that despite having packed a bottle of formula (the pre-mixed kind so I wouldn't have to worry about finding water or what temperature it was), I forgot a nipple to put on the bottle. Which meant I couldn't feed the munchkin. Big freakin' deal! So I deliberate . . . there's a Target nearby . . . should I leave the waiting room and go get some or risk the freak out that WILL occur when he wakes up hungry. Because, let me tell you, if he's hungry there is no consoling him; there's no distracting him; he will cry until he is fed.
I didn't have time to leave the doctor's office to go get a nipple, so I prayed that he would stay asleep until after my appointment. Luckily, he did. He slept like a champ. I picked up his carrier and moved it a dozen times; people took his blanket down to see his face; they stroked his cheeks and tickled his feet; they oohed and aahed over him; I put him in the car; I took him out of the car; I put him in a shopping basket once we got to the store; I took him out of the basket once I checked out at the store. And he slept! He also slept through our tour of Matt's work, where Matt carried him around like a rag doll and again people oohed and aahed and touched him.
So this is the awesomeness that was today . . . crisis averted. But it revealed two things: first, taking a munchkin out in public is stressful (I don't want to be that parent, the one who lets her child scream uncontrollably and disturb everyone else, nor do I want to be that other parent, who forgets to put a hat on her baby's head or shoes on his feet or who can't feed her obviously starving baby because she forgot a nipple!); second, there are just too many things to remember when bringing a munchkin out into the world! Alas, I know that I will be that second parent who forgets necessities. Maybe I should make a check-list for leaving the house. No, I'll just forget to check it! Thankfully, there are Targets and Walmarts every 5 miles or so, and I will just stop and buy those necessities, ideally before a munchkin melt down. And hopefully, I can avoid being the first that parent, because, well, I have manners, unlike a lot of people (that's another blog post altogether!) and I find it unacceptable to impose my screaming child on unsuspecting people just trying to go about their day.
So, thank you Munchkin for sleeping through Mommy's mistake. And to everyone else, when taking a baby out into the world, don't forget the nipples!
CM
On the road . . . Well, I forgot my drink, but I can survive. No big deal. I forgot the rattle, but he doesn't really respond to it anyway. No big deal.
I get to the doctor's office and get ready to feed the munchkin so he won't cry during my exam, only to find out that despite having packed a bottle of formula (the pre-mixed kind so I wouldn't have to worry about finding water or what temperature it was), I forgot a nipple to put on the bottle. Which meant I couldn't feed the munchkin. Big freakin' deal! So I deliberate . . . there's a Target nearby . . . should I leave the waiting room and go get some or risk the freak out that WILL occur when he wakes up hungry. Because, let me tell you, if he's hungry there is no consoling him; there's no distracting him; he will cry until he is fed.
I didn't have time to leave the doctor's office to go get a nipple, so I prayed that he would stay asleep until after my appointment. Luckily, he did. He slept like a champ. I picked up his carrier and moved it a dozen times; people took his blanket down to see his face; they stroked his cheeks and tickled his feet; they oohed and aahed over him; I put him in the car; I took him out of the car; I put him in a shopping basket once we got to the store; I took him out of the basket once I checked out at the store. And he slept! He also slept through our tour of Matt's work, where Matt carried him around like a rag doll and again people oohed and aahed and touched him.
So this is the awesomeness that was today . . . crisis averted. But it revealed two things: first, taking a munchkin out in public is stressful (I don't want to be that parent, the one who lets her child scream uncontrollably and disturb everyone else, nor do I want to be that other parent, who forgets to put a hat on her baby's head or shoes on his feet or who can't feed her obviously starving baby because she forgot a nipple!); second, there are just too many things to remember when bringing a munchkin out into the world! Alas, I know that I will be that second parent who forgets necessities. Maybe I should make a check-list for leaving the house. No, I'll just forget to check it! Thankfully, there are Targets and Walmarts every 5 miles or so, and I will just stop and buy those necessities, ideally before a munchkin melt down. And hopefully, I can avoid being the first that parent, because, well, I have manners, unlike a lot of people (that's another blog post altogether!) and I find it unacceptable to impose my screaming child on unsuspecting people just trying to go about their day.
So, thank you Munchkin for sleeping through Mommy's mistake. And to everyone else, when taking a baby out into the world, don't forget the nipples!
CM
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Out and About
We haven't really ventured out into the world with the tiny human much for a few reasons, but today we did, and it was a great success. Then again, it turned this evening into a night to forget.
There are a few reasons why we've mostly stayed in the house for the last 6 weeks. First off, it's winter, and babies get cold. I was informed by a good friend that I should make sure to put a hat on the munchkin when I take him outside, but getting baby advice from certain people is a whole other post I need to write. Anyhow, we're in Texas, and it doesn't really get that cold here normally, but this year has seemed different. As most have heard, the Super Bowl is here this week, and it's been snowing and sleeting and doing all kinds of unnatural Texas things. I can't quite make a 6 week old go build a snowman, so he's been inside most of the time. Other reasons include the fact that the flu has been running amok around here, and the fact that people are generally strange around infants.
So today my sister and her husband, one of two sets of people we actually hang out with, came over so that we could all go to lunch and then go grocery shopping. We got all packed up, into the car, and out of the driveway when I realized I had a flat tire. My brother-in-law, who will hence forth just be referred to as my brother, helped me put the spare on, and we put the car back in the garage. We took the car seat out of my car, installed it into theirs (way easier than people make it out to be), and went to eat. We sat down at my favorite local barbecue place and ate, which took us about 45 minutes. The munchkin slept the entire time. It was completely unexpected. There were other kids and babies crying in the restaurant, but my little person fought through and slept the whole time.
The next place we went was to walmart, which I knew would be an adventure. Because the weather's been pretty crappy here lately, we weren't the only ones to stay at home most of last week, and the crap was finally melting off today, so the entire town had to go to walmart. They didn't have eggs, and my sister said it felt like black Friday in there. With all that going on, the munchkin slept the entire time.
This evening, my cousin and his wife, the other people we hang out with, brought their kids over and we all played Settlers of Catan after we ate. The munchkin cried a little bit while they were all here, but he stayed asleep for most of the evening.
And that's what brings me to this. The little dude has been asleep all day, so I didn't really expect him to sleep much tonight. And I can't really complain, because I would trade a long night on a Saturday for my kid to be able to go out into world and not be "those people with the fussy baby" any time.
There are a few reasons why we've mostly stayed in the house for the last 6 weeks. First off, it's winter, and babies get cold. I was informed by a good friend that I should make sure to put a hat on the munchkin when I take him outside, but getting baby advice from certain people is a whole other post I need to write. Anyhow, we're in Texas, and it doesn't really get that cold here normally, but this year has seemed different. As most have heard, the Super Bowl is here this week, and it's been snowing and sleeting and doing all kinds of unnatural Texas things. I can't quite make a 6 week old go build a snowman, so he's been inside most of the time. Other reasons include the fact that the flu has been running amok around here, and the fact that people are generally strange around infants.
So today my sister and her husband, one of two sets of people we actually hang out with, came over so that we could all go to lunch and then go grocery shopping. We got all packed up, into the car, and out of the driveway when I realized I had a flat tire. My brother-in-law, who will hence forth just be referred to as my brother, helped me put the spare on, and we put the car back in the garage. We took the car seat out of my car, installed it into theirs (way easier than people make it out to be), and went to eat. We sat down at my favorite local barbecue place and ate, which took us about 45 minutes. The munchkin slept the entire time. It was completely unexpected. There were other kids and babies crying in the restaurant, but my little person fought through and slept the whole time.
The next place we went was to walmart, which I knew would be an adventure. Because the weather's been pretty crappy here lately, we weren't the only ones to stay at home most of last week, and the crap was finally melting off today, so the entire town had to go to walmart. They didn't have eggs, and my sister said it felt like black Friday in there. With all that going on, the munchkin slept the entire time.
This evening, my cousin and his wife, the other people we hang out with, brought their kids over and we all played Settlers of Catan after we ate. The munchkin cried a little bit while they were all here, but he stayed asleep for most of the evening.
And that's what brings me to this. The little dude has been asleep all day, so I didn't really expect him to sleep much tonight. And I can't really complain, because I would trade a long night on a Saturday for my kid to be able to go out into world and not be "those people with the fussy baby" any time.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
One Hungry Munchkin
At his one-week check-up we asked the pediatrician if it was normal and healthy that our little munchkin was eating every hour and a half; she assured us he was just a hungry little munchkin, and it would get easier after his growth spurt passed. Over the last few weeks his eating has spaced out, but he is still a hungry little munchkin. Sometimes I'm still surprised by how much he eats.
For those of you not experienced with breast feeding let me explain why this is an issue worth writing about. First we were concerned that he wasn't getting enough nutrition from my milk and the formula, but with that concern allayed by the pediatrician and his more than acceptable weight gain, it is an issue because breast feeding can consume one's life. Our tiny human is a wonderful but not particularly efficient nurser, so it typically takes (from start to finish) about an hour for each feeding. This means that I spend 8 or more hours a day feeding him, even when supplementing with formula when he's hungry less than an hour after nursing; if we add the additional 15 minutes it takes to feed him bottles (which he does about 4 times a day) and the 20-30 minutes it takes to burp him after every feeding, both bottle and boob, I spend about 14 hours of every day feeding the hungry munchkin. That is equal to nearly two full time jobs!
Let me be clear, I am not complaining. I enjoy this time. Not only is breastfeeding a gift - a gift of health, a gift of love and comfort. It is also a time when he is most at peace and happy. He makes his cutest faces during this time. He stares lovingly in my eyes, and I know that he knows I love him. It is a rewarding time for both of us! But it is a never-ending obligation; one that limits when I can go and how long I can be there; one that limits when we can have guests; one that makes me sleep deprived. When I do sleep, I dream of days when he can eat real food and sleep through the night. I dream of days when I can sleep. But I'm told not to hold my breath, that even once he is no longer breast feeding then teething we keep us all from sleeping.
So now I must wrap this up, because it is time to feed again, of course. Our cute, wonderful, amazingly strong, alert and curious little munchkin is hungry once again!
-- CM
For those of you not experienced with breast feeding let me explain why this is an issue worth writing about. First we were concerned that he wasn't getting enough nutrition from my milk and the formula, but with that concern allayed by the pediatrician and his more than acceptable weight gain, it is an issue because breast feeding can consume one's life. Our tiny human is a wonderful but not particularly efficient nurser, so it typically takes (from start to finish) about an hour for each feeding. This means that I spend 8 or more hours a day feeding him, even when supplementing with formula when he's hungry less than an hour after nursing; if we add the additional 15 minutes it takes to feed him bottles (which he does about 4 times a day) and the 20-30 minutes it takes to burp him after every feeding, both bottle and boob, I spend about 14 hours of every day feeding the hungry munchkin. That is equal to nearly two full time jobs!
Let me be clear, I am not complaining. I enjoy this time. Not only is breastfeeding a gift - a gift of health, a gift of love and comfort. It is also a time when he is most at peace and happy. He makes his cutest faces during this time. He stares lovingly in my eyes, and I know that he knows I love him. It is a rewarding time for both of us! But it is a never-ending obligation; one that limits when I can go and how long I can be there; one that limits when we can have guests; one that makes me sleep deprived. When I do sleep, I dream of days when he can eat real food and sleep through the night. I dream of days when I can sleep. But I'm told not to hold my breath, that even once he is no longer breast feeding then teething we keep us all from sleeping.
So now I must wrap this up, because it is time to feed again, of course. Our cute, wonderful, amazingly strong, alert and curious little munchkin is hungry once again!
-- CM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)