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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Mini-rant: On Weaning

So Button turns a year next month and as much as love nursing her it's starting to be the time to wean her for various reason. I looked to the internet for suggestions, most of which I already knew, and to see about giving whole milk. But EVEN THOUGH I've given of myself for a whole year not even counting the 9 months it took to incubate her, weaning is still apparently frowned on if it isn't HER idea. Look, I've done the whole year (almost but we will get there) like it is suggested but I don't have the milk or the strength or the ability to deal with those sharp sharp teeth it takes to go on after that. I really just want to belong to myself again. Sure I'll miss it but I don't need a hard time because I'm not going on for longer, Breastfeeding Websites. But thanks for making this a more guilt inducing situation. Because I don't have enough of those.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Goal #1

I've said since Bub was born that the GOAL was to keep him alive til he is 18 and then he is on his own. Until then I will do everything in my power to achieve that goal. Everything outside of the goal is just a bonus. It might sound caviler but let me tell you that babies and children have no self preservation skills and will try at every turn to thwart this goal. I've had new parents-to-be laugh in my face when I've described the goal. They don't understand and really can't until they actually have a baby trying her hardest to fall off the bed or choke to death on the smallest thing she can find or leap off the highest thing he can climb on and I'm sure one day try to make it the roof. Children, babies especially, are not helpful in achieving the goal and that's why I tend to subscribe to the Whatever Works style of parenting.

Because as I look at it if the following questions are met with a yes, then I can chalk the day up to being successful:
Have you had food today?
Have you been hydrated in some way?
Have you had the option of wearing clothes? (This one gets tricky at the toddler stage when they seem to feel clothing is optional.)

How another parents has decided to feed, hydrate and clothe their bundles of joy is really up to them.  I'm at my house doing my own thing trying to keep my two in a state of relative state of upkeep and trying not to give them too much to talk about in therapy later in life.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

ADHD?

We've always joked that Bub is ADD because BT and his brother are and so is their dad. And Bub has so many of the symptoms. But I was hoping it was just his age or his energy level or just being a boy and surely one day he would just grow out of it. But no.

Bub has been having a hard time at school. He can't sit still, always needing to move around or talk or do something and so always in trouble. Traditional school is really not for him but I don't have the money to put him a more active private school. It's becoming a problem. We have tried many many things to get him to "behave" but at this point I'm afraid his teacher and his school has written him off and I don't want that for my sweet boy. Yes, he is trouble sometimes and very high energy and he is too clever for his own good, but he is a sweet and loving boy. I've applied to some of the Schools of Choice in our area in the hopes that he can get in and maybe a more active learning style might help him. But he is so much sometimes that I really can't avoid it anymore. We are getting him tested for ADD/ADHD.

I never wanted to medicate him or change him. But his inability to sit down and focus is impending his learning and I don't want that. There is nothing wrong with him. He is just different. But it is the kind of different that most people can't handle. Hell sometimes I can't handle it. He is just constant. And he is not the kind of boy that school systems can handle. Schools and teachers need passivity. I understand why. 20 kids to teach and a limited time. One boy cannot disrupt others' learning all the time. It's not fair. But it's also not fair to Bub to make him feel like there is something wrong with him. Lately I've been noticing the language others (and myself. I am guilty too) use with him. Too much, something wrong, why can't you just. Because he can't. Literally. He just can't stop.

I have methods for getting him to stop, for getting him out of his "loops" as I call them. But not everyone can do that or will do that. And they certainly are not at school. His teacher asked what I do to get him to sit still like, for example, when doing homework. I don't make him sit still to do homework. I let him stand up and hop around. We have been practicing sitting still. But he is good for maybe 45 seconds, sometimes a minute.

So is he ADD/ADHD? I guess we will see what happens. I filled out the parent form and sent the teacher form to school. Then the doctor will review it and if he fits the criteria then he will call us in for an appointment. I don't know what I'm hoping for, just something to help my boy.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Disneycation

So we were on vacation at Walt Disney World last week with BT's parents. We had a good time but Disney is not a relaxing vacation. It is a lot of walking and people and heat. But it is fun. We stayed at the Beach Club Villas which were pretty awesome. It was a 2 bedroom suite with a small kitchen and living room. The bedrooms were big and a pack n play and high chair were provided though Button didn't sleep in the pack n play very much. It was a 5 minute walk to Epcot from our hotel and that was super nice. We had a 15 minute boat ride to Hollywood Studios but had to take the bus to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.

We ate at some great restaurants. My favorites were Be Our Guest, the Beauty and the Beast themed restaurant in New Fantasyland and The Yak and Yeti in Animal Kingdom. But I also liked Via Napoli and Teppan Edo. Bub especially like the hibachi the last night we were there.

We did a park a day and then the last day we used to wrap up the things we didn't get a chance to do like Bub's Jedi training and souvenir shopping. Bub and Button both got Micky ears though he picked out Buzz Lightyear ears and she got pink baby Minnie ears.

It was a long trip home but we made it and come to find out that my mom and sister had cleaned my house while we were away. Bless them for that.

Here are a few pictures from our trip.

Beach Club Villas were very pretty.
View from the hotel room.


Illuminations at Epcot.

Be Our Guest restaurant. The food was so good.
Bub got to do Jedi training at Hollywood Studios.
Cinderella's castle at night.


Friday, February 1, 2013

Remember to forget

Sometimes I write the greatest posts in my head when I'm feeding my daughter or taking a shower or driving or doing anything really that doesn't allow me to have access to a phone or other recording device. Sometimes I can remember what I wanted to say and sometimes I can't. I don't know what is going on with my memory lately but I forgot my address the other day so either I'm completely losing it or it's just baby brain. Probably the latter because I think I got like this after Bub. I was just recovering when Button was born. My head is too crowded trying to remember stuff for 4 people. So I can't always remember the things I wanted to say. Anyone who says that pregnancy or baby brain isn't real doesn't know what they are talking about. Hopefully I can recover soon. Maybe within the year..