I am now in my second week back at work. This week is definitely easier. I am beginning to adapt to the new routine, and I'm not so exhausted anymore. It's still hard not to be the one to go to her in the middle of the night. One morning when I left, she heard the door close and she started to cry. That was probably the worst thing that has happened. But, all the same, knowing that Greg is home with Becca makes a huge difference to me. Also, all my new projects are very interesting and keep me busy. I have photos in my cubicle in case I'm feeling blue, and there's always the phone. My bus ride is only about 12 minutes, and the bus comes fairly frequently, so that isn't too terrible. The truth is, I really like my job, and I work with some wonderful people on fascinating issues.
Rebecca got her MMR vaccine last week. Since she's walking now, the shots are in the arms, not the legs. I can only imagine how challenging it was for Greg and the nurse to hold her down. The doctor said her molar should be through soon (fingers crossed). The teething has been bad lately - no teethers really get that far back - so she has her fingers in there all the time.
Rebecca's new tricks - bending at the waist while standing, in order to pick something up (as opposed to just squatting). She has been walking backward since about the time she learned to walk, but apparently that's a little unusual. She is enamoured with hide and go seek type games, or chase-me games. Happily, she seems to eat books less, and will actually sit down by herself and go through a book, babbling away. Of course, she still rips pages, so most books are still off limit (I must repair a few, in fact). She really enjoys being read to - which is a joy for me. I can't imagine having a child that wasn't interested in books. Rebecca is doing a lot of independent play lately. The critical thing for her seems to be having one or both of us in the room, even if we aren't playing with her directly. As far as food goes, feeding success is directly related to how much of the food Rebecca is allowed to feed to herself. She wants the control. Big messes ensue. When she was a tiny baby, a day could have multiple outfits changes because of diaper-type accidents, now, it's usually due to her food redistribution efforts.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
First day back at work
Well, it finally happened. My baby turned one. We had a big party, with cupcakes, balloons and many friends. The very next morning, I donned my work clothes and ID badge and headed back to careerland.
Happily, Rebecca is going to be home with Daddy, so that makes the transition easier for all involved. She hardly seems to have noticed my absence at all. I hope this means she will be an emotionally resilient child.
It was weird to spend the day in an entirely different universe. The clothing is different, the activities are different, the people are different. Everything feels just a little bit off - people included, and I have the impression I am playing a dress-up game. I miss my Rebecca.
I have decided to work a "compressed" schedule. By working extra time every day, I eventually get a day off (usually every second Friday). A whole day to spend with Becca in the manner I became so accustomed to. Of course, that made today pretty long. Fortunately, with so much catching up to do and new projects to peruse, I was busy all day long, so I didn't spend too much time pining for the fjords (so to speak). That is how I feel today. It might be different by the end of the week.
The bus ride home is only 15 minutes, which is good because I detest the city bus experience. More incentive to walk home some nights.
Happily, Rebecca is going to be home with Daddy, so that makes the transition easier for all involved. She hardly seems to have noticed my absence at all. I hope this means she will be an emotionally resilient child.
It was weird to spend the day in an entirely different universe. The clothing is different, the activities are different, the people are different. Everything feels just a little bit off - people included, and I have the impression I am playing a dress-up game. I miss my Rebecca.
I have decided to work a "compressed" schedule. By working extra time every day, I eventually get a day off (usually every second Friday). A whole day to spend with Becca in the manner I became so accustomed to. Of course, that made today pretty long. Fortunately, with so much catching up to do and new projects to peruse, I was busy all day long, so I didn't spend too much time pining for the fjords (so to speak). That is how I feel today. It might be different by the end of the week.
The bus ride home is only 15 minutes, which is good because I detest the city bus experience. More incentive to walk home some nights.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Christmas has arrived in stores
It's true. And it started the day after Hallowe'en. It might seem crass and commercial to you, but for me, it's terrific. Rebecca is thrilled to see all the colourful decorations, the balloons, the videos, the bright lights, and the extra people shopping (already!). For example, our grocery store has been transformed - there is a t.v. display near the entrance, with one of those burning logs videos on - Rebecca likes this. There is a giant pyramid of water bottle crates decorated with festive cookie bags - Rebecca is astounded by this. There are red and green helium balloons near the cheese and meat section, Rebecca tries to steal them.
When I am feeling lazy and take her out shopping in the umbroller to a mall or store, I have to remember to keep her away from stuff she can reach - and boy, does that count for a lot. It can also be challenging to make my way into a store and fit past the displays. That bothers me because the umbroller isn't very large - how would someone in a wheel chair fit? Rebecca almost broke some bottles at the liquor store this week - but frankly, even if I had her in a cart or a large stroller, there would also have been stuff at her level (possibly pricier stuff too).
I have always known that stores do not arrange their merchandise at random. There is a lot of psychology involved (beyond what I presume is common sense choices). This was never so obvious to me as during my most recent grocery expedition. Rebecca was sitting in the cart, and we were waiting while the person ahead of us paid. The person behind us was loading items onto the conveyor belt, so we were essentially trapped. It was then that I heard a noise - the noise of Rebecca grabbing chocolate bars. Rebecca doesn't even eat chocolate bars! I realized that they had been position at the ideal height for a child in a cart to notice them and reach them. With their bright and shiny wrappers, they were an irresistible lure for my baby (wait until she understands what's inside). And what was positioned above them? Dora DVDs. Rebecca may only be 11 months of age, but I already know the power of Dora - why? Not because Becca has ever seen any Dora episodes or things, but because it is the name on the lips of so many children (and their parents). So, the grocery store is evil, if amusingly decked out for the holidays.
When I am feeling lazy and take her out shopping in the umbroller to a mall or store, I have to remember to keep her away from stuff she can reach - and boy, does that count for a lot. It can also be challenging to make my way into a store and fit past the displays. That bothers me because the umbroller isn't very large - how would someone in a wheel chair fit? Rebecca almost broke some bottles at the liquor store this week - but frankly, even if I had her in a cart or a large stroller, there would also have been stuff at her level (possibly pricier stuff too).
I have always known that stores do not arrange their merchandise at random. There is a lot of psychology involved (beyond what I presume is common sense choices). This was never so obvious to me as during my most recent grocery expedition. Rebecca was sitting in the cart, and we were waiting while the person ahead of us paid. The person behind us was loading items onto the conveyor belt, so we were essentially trapped. It was then that I heard a noise - the noise of Rebecca grabbing chocolate bars. Rebecca doesn't even eat chocolate bars! I realized that they had been position at the ideal height for a child in a cart to notice them and reach them. With their bright and shiny wrappers, they were an irresistible lure for my baby (wait until she understands what's inside). And what was positioned above them? Dora DVDs. Rebecca may only be 11 months of age, but I already know the power of Dora - why? Not because Becca has ever seen any Dora episodes or things, but because it is the name on the lips of so many children (and their parents). So, the grocery store is evil, if amusingly decked out for the holidays.
Rebecca update: 11 months
It's been awhile since the last post, so I thought I might give a broad update.
Eating - Rebecca continues to display a willingness to try new foods - including beans and flavoured rice. Unfortunately, she still despises my oh-so-healthy baby vegetable paella, and once it's in her mouth, she'll do her best to reverse the situation. This includes sticking her tongue out as far as possible (with food on it), or reaching into her mouth and removing the food with her fingers. As I was warned by my GP, Becca is somewhat disinterested in the eating process of late - unless some aspect of it is entertaining (i.e. unless she is feeding herself). In fact, barring instances where she feels unwell or frightened, she insists on holding bottles for herself (sometimes one-handed), and is now a sippy cup master. We have started introducing homo milk into her bottles along with the formula, so that when we do the switch over, it isn't too traumatic. I don't know if she's even noticed. Certainly, it does not bother her.
Skills - Greg has finally seen Rebecca walk - a whopping 6 steps too! I don't know what it was that happened, but suddenly, Becca has more confidence about her walking, and makes multiple attempts (successful), every day. She still crawls, does a lot of cruising along furniture, and by no means is exclusively walking, but she is somehow less afraid. We don't need to trick her into thinking she is holding on to something - she will go it alone. Rebecca has also acquired the following skills recently: sweeping things out of the way with her hands (specifically toys on the floor) and kicking a soccer ball (she really likes this). It is increasingly difficult to get her to sit in her car seat if she doesn't want to. She is too smart. And her hands are suddenly huge.
Teething - still working on the first molars. It comes in fits and starts, but the last few days have been bad. She is moody, shrieks or cries at random, shoves her fingers in her mouth, and had me up multiple times one night just for cuddles (I literally could not remember the last time she had gotten me up so often - which goes to show how much we take for granted).
Eating - Rebecca continues to display a willingness to try new foods - including beans and flavoured rice. Unfortunately, she still despises my oh-so-healthy baby vegetable paella, and once it's in her mouth, she'll do her best to reverse the situation. This includes sticking her tongue out as far as possible (with food on it), or reaching into her mouth and removing the food with her fingers. As I was warned by my GP, Becca is somewhat disinterested in the eating process of late - unless some aspect of it is entertaining (i.e. unless she is feeding herself). In fact, barring instances where she feels unwell or frightened, she insists on holding bottles for herself (sometimes one-handed), and is now a sippy cup master. We have started introducing homo milk into her bottles along with the formula, so that when we do the switch over, it isn't too traumatic. I don't know if she's even noticed. Certainly, it does not bother her.
Skills - Greg has finally seen Rebecca walk - a whopping 6 steps too! I don't know what it was that happened, but suddenly, Becca has more confidence about her walking, and makes multiple attempts (successful), every day. She still crawls, does a lot of cruising along furniture, and by no means is exclusively walking, but she is somehow less afraid. We don't need to trick her into thinking she is holding on to something - she will go it alone. Rebecca has also acquired the following skills recently: sweeping things out of the way with her hands (specifically toys on the floor) and kicking a soccer ball (she really likes this). It is increasingly difficult to get her to sit in her car seat if she doesn't want to. She is too smart. And her hands are suddenly huge.
Teething - still working on the first molars. It comes in fits and starts, but the last few days have been bad. She is moody, shrieks or cries at random, shoves her fingers in her mouth, and had me up multiple times one night just for cuddles (I literally could not remember the last time she had gotten me up so often - which goes to show how much we take for granted).
Sunday, November 12, 2006
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