1m2aSandbox

Every once in a while, I read something by another mom and think, “Yeah.  She gets it.”  Today was one of those days.

Babycenter has several different diaries of parents at various stages with their kids, and I often read the series entitled “Tending Violet.”  The author, Joyce Lollar, is raising her first child, Violet, born only a few weeks before Madeleine, so I enjoy “hearing from” another mom who’s in about the same spot I am.  Sometimes I’m right with her and sometimes I’m not, but this week she found me where I live.

Today’s the five month mark.  I’m starting to fear the racing passage of time.  I’ve got this straining eagerness to experience every milestone of hers – crawling, standing, walking, talking – as soon as possible, warring with my deep desire to freeze her exactly as she is right now and never let her grow up another centimeter, nor take one more step away from me.  Everyone speaks of how quickly babies change, and I only now understand what that means.

Today’s entry won’t captivate the entire country; I want to share my favorite mommy stuff that’s specific to New York.  Not trying to be exclusionary, it’s simply where I live and what I know.  While researching babyhood, I came across some great places and it’d be a shame if I didn’t pass them on. 

If you’re looking for the hottest spot to shop next to Sara Jessica, this ain’t it.  If you’re looking for things that will really help make your life easier (or even happier!), read on. Note- maternity stores not included.

We’ve experienced another first in Madeleine Land; the Extended Nap.

 Starting at three months, Madeleine began sleeping through the night with only the occasional spurt of mid-night wake ups, but ever since she sorted out her nights from her days at a very early age, she’s been a terrible napper.   
I began trying to introduce daily naps at roughly the same time when she was about four months old, and the longest I’ve ever gotten her to go is about 45 minutes; usually she’s out for 30 minutes then up and wide awake!  This leads to a need for more frequent naps, and a cranky baby more often during the day.  Everything I read tells me she should be napping about an hour in the morning and TWO TO THREE HOURS in the afternoon!  Do you know what I could get done with two free hours???  I spend her 30 minute cat-naps frantically getting everything done that I can!  I DREAM of multiple-hour naps!

So Brian gave me a t-shirt for my birthday that’s really cool; it looks like the A&W Root Beer logo, but it’s R&R and says “Rock and Roll” on it.  The best part, though, is that the logo actually smells like root beer!  Brian thought I’d love this, since I’ve had to give up all carbonated beverages while breast-feeding.  Why, you ask?

Is it wrong of me to want Madeleine to go a little slower in the development department?

 None of us ever think we’ll be one of those parents: the ones who push their kids developmentally, play language tapes while the baby sleeps, and brag to everyone that little Johnny put his toes in his mouth a full two weeks before the books predicted he would.  But I’ll confess, I read ahead in my parenting books on what to expect in the coming months, then I hover anxiously to see these miracles happen, maybe even verbally coax her to try to help her out.  Ok, maybe say things like, “Can you roll over for mommy?  All the other babies are doing it!”  I know that if she’s more than a couple weeks off of the experts’ estimates for any stage – binocular gazing, grasping, holding her head up, whatever – I’ll start to panic and pressure her.  And what baby needs that kind of pressure?