1m2aSandbox

Madeleine turned four months old yesterday, and we celebrated with a fun round of shots for her.  That’s immunization, not alcohol, though I would have gratefully taken the alcohol.  Our doctor’s amazing with the needles, lining them up on the table, then jabbing Maddie in quick succession, finishing almost before Madeleine has a chance to start crying.  I honestly think it traumatizes us more than her.  She handled it like a pro, recovering quickly and heading to sleep during the return car ride.  And then last night, the fever struck.

Madeleine is officially in love.  We went shopping yesterday for a few odds and ends, and while we were out we picked up the Lamaze Multi-Sensory Clutch Cube  for Maddie; she’s nearing four months now and looking for stimulation for all her senses.  This cube was recommended to us, and I have to say, it’s a huge hit.  It’s made of several different fabrics, with a musical bell inside, crinkly paper, and hard plastic rings for her to chomp on.  She can’t keep her hands – or rather, her mouth - off it.  She’d shove the whole cube into her mouth if she could.  And she looks so proud of herself when she manages to pick it up and wave it around, crowing triumphantly!  I have to say, Lamaze seems to make great products.

I’m still thinking about Abby’s labor.  She and her husband Paul opted not to bank baby Joshua’s cord blood, and as I watched the nurse take a sample from the cord for testing, I looked at the umbilical cord lying on the tray, eventually destined for the trash, and thought, “What a waste.”

It’s a boy!  My girlfriend Abby gave birth to her second son yesterday.  As with her first labor, I was lucky enough to be there to support her during such an amazing time.  The birth was absolutely beautiful, and since it was her second, the labor went pretty quickly!  (Though she might argue it felt like an eternity).  Abby opted to go natural if at all possible, so I brought a few props to help out with the labor, and after seeing them in action, I think they helped so much I wanted to pass my favorites on to you.

Madeleine’s laughing now, and it’s music to my ears.  She’s mastered the single laugh – a short bark or scream being forced out of her tummy.  But she’s working hard on her running laugh, and it’s like a happy squeal tripping down the stairs.  I didn’t realize laughing was a skill that had to be developed, but I’m so happy she’s so very eager to learn.

I believe I can officially call myself a mommy now.  I managed to make an entire pot of Kraft Mac N Cheese one-handed, while never putting down my three month old.  As I stood there stirring, my left arm (and let’s be honest, some of my pants) dripping with pre-teething drool while Madeleine happily chomped on my shoulder, was I grossed out and unable to eat?  Was I embarrassed by the mess she made?  Heck, no.  I was simply grateful she was entertaining herself and not fussing.  And on a side note, I think I could hear my new Copper-core All-Clad pot (a recent family gift) sneering at me while I poured in the blue box.  Ah, how the mighty have fallen.

I’d like to talk about the country all parents dread; the place no one will admit to visiting but where all strangers seem to be from – the Land of Uninvited Opinions.

When I was pregnant, I felt as if the sign around my neck reading, “Please tell me your birth story” was dwarfed only by the one hanging over my expanded rear proclaiming, “Please comment on the way my body looks.”  Here’s a sampling of actual comments by actual acquaintances (though obviously, not good friends!):