Toys: Jackson vs. Tali

When we first had Tali, H and I were very concerned about Jackson taking Tali's toys. We put away most of Jackson's soft toys so he wouldn't confuse his with hers and gave him ropes and plastic toys. Jackson figured it out quickly and has his soft toys back. He stays away from Tali's toys unless she's spit up on them (he likes to lick it up - gross!). What's more difficult is keeping Tali away from Jackson's toys. She likes to roll around on the carpet and as she's rolling she'll get to his toys (intentionally?). Sometimes she'll play tug with him and other times she just wants to put his toys in her mouth. Today she landed near a plastic jack with a rope inside. Intrigued, she grabbed the toy and brought it to her mouth. When I took it away from her she screamed and screamed! It was not fun. Wonder if we could teach Jackson to put his toys away when he's not playing with them.

 

Jackson with the source of one of today's meltdowns.

I Slept Through The Night!!!

Well, H's method is working, for me at least. Last night I slept through the night and woke up feeling partially human again. I have no idea how long Tali woke up for but she did have a different pacifier in her mouth this morning (there are a few in her crib) so I know she was up. It's been three nights without the monitor so I have to believe she's getting the message. I feel like a bad mom not knowing how my daughter's night was, but she's alive in the morning and I am getting some sleep so I guess it's worth it. Sometimes Daddy knows best (I'm going to regret writing that, aren't I?). 

Little Miss Messy

Giving Tali a spoon to play with while she eats has definitely minimized her harness fixation but it hasn't decreased the mess. Yesterday's lunch of broccoli and carrots created a green-and-orange-speckled baby.

The Ants Go Marching

For the past four months Tali has had a favorite song. No matter what else I sing, The Ants Go Marching is the only song that can cheer her up when she's in a bad mood. It can actually turn tears into laughter. I'm not sure what it is about this song that's so magical. I don't make funny faces or voices when I sing it. I just go from one-by-one all the way up to ten-by-ten and she has a blast. Nothing else works like this song. The Wheels on the Bus might be okay for a verse or two. Old McDonald's farm animals don't even stop the tears (yes, I make the animal noises). And Alouette (one of my favorites) only works when she's really sleepy but I can never remember the word for neck in French so I make it up. So if you are planning on spending any time with Tali, I recommend you brush up on your ants. Click here for the lyrics and tune. 

Tali (with Anyu) bouncing and smiling to

The Ants Go Marching. Seconds before, there were tears.

First Bath From Daddy

When: Sunday night (July 26)

Where: In her bath (obviously)

Details: Seven months in, H finally gave Tali a bath! Unfortunately, Tali was quite tired so she was cranky for a lot of the bath. I finally caved and gave her a pacifier so that she could enjoy this time with her dad. Overall, it was a successful bath. Tali didn't drown. H didn't get pulled in. And we've all lived to talk about it. Hopefully there will be more baths from Daddy in her future.

First Concert

Before the concert

When: Saturday (July 25)

Where: Caramoor

Details: This past Saturday we took Tali to her first concert - Peter and the Wolf. Since she loves music and being outside, we thought this would be the perfect thing for her. Unfortunately, it was pretty much a bust. We decided to get there early and have a picnic before the concert. In order to work with Tali's schedule, we left right at her nap time so she could sleep in the car. Well, she cried for most of the drive and only slept for the last 20 minutes. As soon as the car stopped she was up (she's good at that now). Once we got there, we grabbed a quick snack (the lunch food wasn't out yet) and then walked around with her, hoping that she'd fall asleep. Unfortunately, she never fell asleep. Then it was time for everyone's lunch so we all ate (Dan and I had sandwiches, Tali got breast fed) and then put Tali on the picnic blanket so she could play before the concert began.

The concert was scheduled to begin at 4:00 and with only a 20 minute nap (usually it's 1 - 1 1/2 hours), Tali was a bit tired. Caramoor had broken up the audience into two areas - children under 6 and children over 6. Naturally, we went to the under 6 area but we should've snuck in to the older kids group. This wasn't really a concert but more of an interactive story telling for the kids. There were three musicians (violinist, pianist and flutist) and within the first half hour there was about two minutes of music. The rest of the time was interactive story telling. For example:

Violinist/narrator: What instrument is this?

Kids: Violin!

Violinist/narrator: How do you play the violin?

Kids: With the bow!

Violinist/narrator: How does the bow move?

Kids: With your arm!

Whenever a musician would actually play a few notes, Tali would stop whatever she was doing (bouncing on my lap, pulling my hair, grabbing H's glasses, etc.) and focus. But since there was so little playing and she was very tired, we left. We were very disappointed because Tali would've really liked an actual concert. Oh well. Guess we'll go back in three years when she can identify instruments and body parts.

I. Am. Exhausted.

The honeymoon is over. After sleeping through the night a few times (three, to be exact), Tali decided it was time to spice things up. So she's been waking up every night just to remind me that she's still there. I've been following the doctor's advice and only going in after she's cried (not fussed, but actually screamed) for 15-20 minutes. I give her the pacifier and only pick her up if I need to. Then, I wait again. The thing is that on many occasions, she stops after about 10-15 minutes and I think she's gone back to sleep. So I go back upstairs (I come downstairs with the monitor so as not to wake H) and lay down and she starts up again. Last night I was up with her for close to two hours but only went in once. It's exhausting. I was actually getting more sleep when I fed her at night! 

Tonight, we are going to try it H's way. He believes that, at this age, I am teaching her to keep crying until someone goes in. So we're basically going to let her cry. I'll turn off the monitor and just let her scream. To me this seems cruel but at this point I'm willing to try anything to get some sleep and feel like a human being again. I'm so tired that I can barely function. I just need some rest, please.

Two Spoons

Tali's favorite thing to do in the high chair (besides eat) is to suck on the straps and buckles of the harness. I didn't mind this at first but they've already begun to get moldy (gross!) and I've had to order replacement straps. So in an effort to break her of this habit I decided to distract her with something else she loves to put in her mouth - a spoon. At the beginning of last night's meal, I gave her a spoon to hold and play with. Luckily, she loved this and she barely went for the straps at all. But Tali couldn't be satisfied with just one spoon (nothing is that easy with this child) and she continued to help me feed her with her free hand. From time to time she didn't want to give that second spoon back.  So, she played with both spoons. It was very funny.

Note: The squeaking in the background is Jackson playing with a toy.

Routine

Tali and I have finally settled into a daily routine (which will probably change now that I'm writing about it). Here's the average day (this might be a bit boring, sorry):

7:00 - Wake-up. Give Jackson water. Feed Tali. I eat a granola bar.

7:15 - Tali plays quietly in Pack and Play while I put away dishes from previous night (that were left out to dry) and do other chores.

7:50 - H plays with Tali for a minute or two then leaves for work. (On the weekend, we skip this step since Dan sleeps in.)

8:00 - Walk Jackson and Tali.

8:30 - Tali takes a nap. I exercise (or nap, depending on how the previous night went), shower, vacuum the carpet, have some yogurt and get things done.

10:30/11:00 - Tali wakes up from her nap.

11:00 - Tali eats her mid-morning meal.

11:30 - 1:00 - Get Tali dressed for the day. Errands.

1:30/2:00 - Tali takes a nap. I eat lunch, get her next meal ready, groom Jackson and do other things around the house.

3:00 - Tali's afternoon meal and food time. This is when we try new foods - how fun!

4:00 - Playtime at home or a walk around the neighborhood.

5:00/5:30 - Tali takes a nap. I get Tali's cereal ready, prep for dinner, etc.

6:30 - Walk Jackson and Tali, take out trash, get mail.

7:00 - Tali eats dinner and then has her cereal.

8:00 - H gets home, says hi to Tali, takes a shower. I give Tali a bath and get her ready for bed.

8:30 - Goodnight Moon (sometimes I read it, sometimes H reads it) and Tali's bedtime. I feed Jackson and make dinner.

9:30 - I clean up from dinner, do dishes, groom Jackson (he has lots of hair so grooming twice a day is necessary).

10:30 - I pump to have milk for Tali's meals the next day.

10:45 - I wash Jackson's food and water bowls, my pump equipment and wipe down tables, etc.

11:30 - I'm in bed (finally!). Hopefully I can get 4 or 5 hours of sleep before Tali wakes up and needs to be comforted before falling back asleep. On a good day, I get back to sleep also (not the case today).

It's not glamorous, but at least I kind of know what to expect from day to day. Now I can be home for her naps - she sleeps so much better in her crib than in her car seat. The weekends throw us for a loop because we're often out doing something and she has to nap in the car and/or eat on the go. Then we end up with a not so happy baby. Oh well, five out of seven days isn't so bad.

She Knows What She Wants (Already)

Last night Dan decided to read Tali two short books (soft ones with about four pages each) before Goodnight Moon. After the first book, Tali decided she was ready for bed and leaned over to her night table and started grabbing Goodnight Moon! No second book for her. It was time for her to go to bed. She was so determined to get that book that she kept grabbing at it until Dan picked it up. It was so funny to watch. She's speaking her mind already. Wonder where that came from...

Avocado Update

That was fast. Tali's first food aversion is over. I gave her avocado again today and she ate a full serving without any banana. She did make a few faces and gags, mostly in the beginning, but she opened her mouth when I asked her if she wanted more and she swallowed it down. She didn't love it, but she tolerated it. One more day of avocado then on to broccoli. Yum!

First Food She Doesn't Like

Today Tali tried avocado for the first time and she didn't like it. I was afraid this might happen as all of the foods she's had until now have been sweet (banana, apple, pear, carrots, peach, yams) but I decided to try it anyway. Her first bite was typical of any new food - she let it sit in her mouth so that she could explore the flavor and then she swallowed. Her second bite, however, was not typical. Normally by the second bite she's loving her new food. This time, she coughed, made a face and spit some of it out. It was actually quite funny! I gave her a few more bites and she repeated that behavior each time. So I added a banana I had on hand and she tolerated the rest. Now I am giving her a new food every three days so Tali has two more days of avocado. If she doesn't like it after three days then I'll come back to it in a few weeks. My plan was to try papaya next but I think I'm going to give her broccoli so she can get used to savory foods.

Goodbye swing

Yesterday I brought Tali's swing to our storage unit. It's a big milestone for her. The swing is where Tali took all of her naps for the first five months of her life. It's also where she slept some nights when I just couldn't get her to stay asleep in her crib. It went through a lot of batteries and a lot of tears (mostly hers, sometimes mine). She's finally outgrown it (in age, not in size - she still fits into some 0-3 mo. clothes so the swing was definitely not too small) and it was time to put it away. In it's place is the Exersaucer. Now when I need to do something in kitchen, the rocking and lullabies of her swing are no longer there to soothe her. In its place are the bright lights and kiddie tunes of her new favorite toy.

Tali in her swing, 3 months old

New Photo

For those of you who requested a picture of Tali in the pool, I posted the closest thing to it - her crying after she gets out of the pool. It's pretty funny!

Click here.

A Bone To Pick

I have a bone to pick with Margaret Wise Brown. Ms. Brown is the author of everyone's favorite bedtime story, Goodnight Moon. We read this to Tali every night before she goes to bed. A few weeks ago, Dan pointed out an inconsistency in the book and I just can't seem to get past it. The beginning of the books says "In the great green room, there was a telephone and a red balloon..." and then continues to point out things in the room. After everything has been listed, the book says goodnight to them all. But, it doesn't say goodnight to the telephone! I've found numerous places that Ms. Brown could have said goodnight to the telephone. She even says goodnight to things not mentioned in the beginning (stars, air, noises everywhere), but no telephone. Now every time I read the book I wonder about the poor telephone. Does the telephone not deserve a proper goodnight? What did it do to be left off of the list? Why wasn't this corrected in one of the reprints? Anyone know the answer?

First Sleep Through The Night!!!!!

Last night Tali slept through the night for the first time! This was a real sleep through the night, not a five hour one, which is what the pediatricians call sleeping through the night. She went to bed at 8:45 (15 minutes later than normal) and I woke her up at 7:00. Her normal routine is to wake up between 2:30 and 3:30 for a feeding but last night she skipped it. Around 5:00 she started to rumble a bit and made some noises until 5:30. She didn't really cry and managed to get herself back to sleep without me going in. I, of course, woke up to her rumblings and had a hard time getting back to sleep. So I'm still tired. But now that I know she can make it through a full night without a feeding, we're done. Tali's "kitchen" will be closed until 7:00 a.m. from now on. If she wakes up at night, she will go back to sleep without eating. Sure, I'll help her get back to sleep if she needs it, but no food. Hopefully it will only take a week or two to get her fully sleeping through the night. Finally, some light at the end of the (sleepless) tunnel. I can't wait to get a full night's sleep!

Last (Wo)Man Standing

Out of all the moms I know with babies around Tali's age, I am the only one still exclusively breast feeding. All but one have switched completely to formula (that one is doing half and half). Some moms said they'd never do it and then just decided they wanted to make life easier for themselves. Others say their milk supply started to deplete and they didn't want to pump to bring it back. About two months ago, one mom told me she never wanted to give her baby formula because she thought it was gross. Now she says he loves the bottle. 

I am still holding out and hope to make it all the way to one year (what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends). I actually pump every evening before bed so that I have enough milk to use for Tali's cereal the next day. Unlike many moms, I don't find it a hassle or inconvenience. In fact, I think it is the easiest way to go. If we are out longer than expected, I never have to worry if I have enough formula for her. I can feed her anywhere, anytime. Plus, I feel good knowing that I am providing her with the best nutrition I can. Tali hasn't been sick yet and I'm going to take some credit for that. And I refuse to let anyone convince me formula is better or easier. For us, breast feeding is the way to go.

How Rude!

One of the three grocery stores I that I shop at (can never find everything at one store) has two parking spots near the entrance with a sign that says "Customer with Infant." There's even a picture of a baby in a cart for those too lazy to read. I regularly take to Tali to the grocery store with me and yesterday was the first time I was actually able to park in one of those spots. While I appreciate the store making the effort, their customers are just rude. I can't tell you the number of times I've seen infant-free shoppers pull in or out of those spaces. Yesterday, an infant-free couple in their 70's pulled out of one of the spots right as I was driving up. Then, as I was putting Tali's car seat on the cart a woman in her 50's pulled in to the other spot. She got out infant free. I was so annoyed and very tempted to  say something to her but I restrained myself. I've regularly seen people get in or out of those spots without babies. Meanwhile, I'm pushing Tali from the back of the lot. 

No, I'm not lazy. I actually like to get exercise whenever I can and use parking lots as a good place to get a bit of a walk in. But grocery shopping with a baby requires precise planning. While Tali enjoys all the colors and people at the store, she can only stay entertained for a particular amount of time. Those extra few minutes of walking from the back of the lot can be the difference between an easy shopping trip and a total meltdown in the dairy department. Yet these infant-free parking spot stealers just don't care. One day I'm going to snap and leave a note on their cars or perhaps even make a citizen's arrest. It's just not nice to make a new mom deal with a screaming baby when it could easily be avoided.  So rude.

Refusing to Sit

For whatever reason, Tali does not want to sit. Almost every time that I try to get her to sit, she stands. If she does actually sit, it's in the tripod pose and only for a few seconds. I'm not sure if it's because her back muscles aren't strong enough or she just simply prefers to stand, but it's so frustrating! I'm not worried (yet) that she's not sitting, but I just wish she would. She's the only one in her music class that isn't sitting on her own. I see how the sitting babies play and know she would have more fun if she sat. The only way I can get her to sit is on my lap or in the Bumbo but that's probably not helping strengthen the right muscles. Oh Tali, why won't you sit?

First Game of Tug with Jackson

When: This afternoon

Where: In our living room

Details: Tali was playing quietly on the carpet (rolling over, playing with her dress, etc.) when Jackson got his rope and sat down next to her to munch on his favorite toy. She reached out, grabbed his rope and began pulling. Jackson tugged back and they played tug for about 10 seconds. I went to grab my phone to record it, but by the time I got it set up they were finished. Tali played with his rope a few more times but neither would play tug again. So, I recorded what I could - mainly a game of "mine."  Tali is playing with Jackson's rope. He wants it back and figures out how to gently take it from her. She tries to crawl to get it back, realizes she can't do that yet and rolls over, defeated. Not quite as fun, but, hey, it's something.

PS - In case you are concerned, I don't normally let Tali grab Jackson's toys and I did clean her hands afterwards. 

Exersaucer

About two weekends ago, H put the Exersaucer together for Tali. This was by far the most complicated toy that he has put together to date and I was a little worried that she wouldn't like it. There's so much going on with this toy that I feared over stimulation and complete meltdown as soon as I put her inside. Luckily, I was wrong. She LOVES it! There's so much for her to do that she can stay entertained for quite some time. This thing plays music, has flashing lights, spins, bends and rattles. If only it could feed her, I'd be in heaven. Now she can finally have some independent play time in her room.  Thanks, Evenflo!

Naked Feedings, Part II

Success! Tali had a great time with her naked feedings yesterday, and so did I. I didn't flinch when she put her orange-covered hands on her legs. I let her play with the spoon and didn't worry where the food was being flung. And, I simply wiped her down when she was done. Most importantly, her dress stayed carrot free (wish I could say the same for her socks)... until she spit up 30 minutes later.

First Visit To A Farm

On July 4, we (me, H, Tali and Jackson) went to Stone Barns Farm for the afternoon. We had lunch in the outdoor cafe and then strolled the grounds to look at the animals and walk the trails. Tali and Jackson saw a lot of animals for the first time: sheep, baby turkeys, chickens, pigs, baby pigs, etc. Jackson enjoyed viewing the animals from a distance (he got a bit scared when a chicken tried to walk up to him) and Tali was more interested in Jackson. It was such a beautiful day and we had a great time just walking around. The farm offers lots of children's programs so I plan to make many return visits as Tali gets older. She can learn about the animals and even help the farmers pick vegetables and eggs. How fun!

Naked Feedings

I've had it. I'm done with the bibs and scrubbing Tali's clothes every time she eats "real" food. Today, she will start eating her meals in nothing but her diaper (and maybe socks, her feet get cold). I have three different bib sizes and none of them work. Yes, some of the food gets on the bib, but none of them go up high enough to cover the collar of her clothing. And, since Tali likes to help, the food gets on her hands which she then wipes on her clothes. After a few ruined outfits and many more days of scrubbing her clothing, I'm calling it quits. The straw that broke the camel's back? Carrots. We started carrots yesterday and nothing ruins a pretty blue dress like bright orange stains. So beginning today I will not worry about the mess. She can put those food-covered little hands wherever she pleases. Afterwards, she'll get a sponge bath.

Food Update

(If you know the tune, sing along)

I like to eat. I like to eat. I like to eat, eat apples and bananas...

Tali has now been introduced to two "real" foods and loves them both! First, she experienced bananas. Although she didn't enjoy her first bite, by day two she was gobbling it up. After five days of banana, I started her on applesauce (apples cooked with a bit of water). Yum! She loved it from the very first bite. Now she has one serving of applesauce each day and a serving of cereal (50% rice, 50% oatmeal) flavored with banana. Next up, carrots. I'm so glad she's enjoying trying new foods. Finally, something that makes her happy!

Left or Right Handed?

Although babies don't really develop a dominant hand until they are 2 or 3 years old, I am always curious as to if Tali will be right or left handed. Being a lefty, I wonder if she'll go through the same obstacles I did or if she'll be like her dad and favor her right. There are already early signs that she might favor her left hand. Whenever she has socks on her feet, she pulls off the left one (usually to put it in her mouth). Sometimes the right one comes off as well, but the left one always comes off, usually within minutes. When she is tired, she rubs her left eye first. And, she more often grabs for toys and her pacifier with her left hand. But there are also signs that she could be right handed. When feeding her, she grabs for the spoon with her right hand. (But this could simply be because I feed her with my left so the spoon is closer to her right.) She rolls over to the right, using that arm to push herself over. And, she prefers to stick her right toes/foot in her mouth.

Being a lefty does have its advantages. Five of the last seven presidents were left handed. As a southpaw, you have an advantage in almost every sport. And, she'll learn to adapt quickly - scissors, school desks, cars, etc. were all designed for right handed people. If she does turn out to be left handed, I will work hard to show her all of the advantages to being a lefty. I'll help her to embrace it. And, I'll encourage her to ask for left-handed scissors in art class.

First Time in the Pool

When: Yesterday afternoon

Where: Beth and Eric's house

Details: We were invited to an early July 4th party yesterday and decided it was time to put Tali in the pool for the first time. We all thought she would love the pool because she loves the bath and has a great time splashing around. Boy were we wrong. She HATED it. H took her into the pool and as soon as her feet touched the water, she screamed. He kept her in for a minute or two, getting her wet up to her waist, but she still wasn't happy. Correction. She was miserable. She was screaming bloody murder! Perhaps the water was too cold for her? Or maybe the pool was too big and she was overwhelmed? Who knows. I've toyed with the idea of putting her in a swim class because she loves the bath so much. In the end I decided against it. I'm glad I did. At least she looked adorable in her bright green bathing suit speckled with pink flamingos!

Tali crying after her first pool experience