1m2aSandbox

Several weeks ago, Jen asked me if I would guest blog for her while she, Maddie and Brian went on vacation. Jen, I hope that you are all getting some much-needed rest. Maddie, that means you need to sleep, too.



It is a lovely, breezy day here, Jen, so you are missing out on one of the joys of New York in the fall. The entire city seems like an ambient, outdoor room. In a previous life, I would be people watching at an outdoor café, sipping some warm beverage and writing in my journal. The city seems empty today. Maybe it is just because it is the usual Sunday quiet that I savored on long walks years ago as a single woman living with roommates in the East Village. But it seems different. Somber. When I post this blog it will be September 11th, the 5th anniversary of the attack of The World Trade Center. Much will be said about it tomorrow, many will be remembered. I think about the families who ache with the emptiness of loss and especially the parents and children who have lost spouses and parents. I pray for the survivors. May you find redemption in unexpected places, may your lives be filled with grace.

Abby

We’re finally packed (almost) and ready for our big vacation. It’s our first real vacation as a family; our first trip that doesn’t involved visiting family somewhere, that is purely recreational. Almost two weeks of sun and sand.

I’m petrified.

How is this going to affect Maddie? How will she take the changes in her routine? Sleeping in a strange room?

Flying for seven hours?

We’ve got a mountain of luggage and I’ve resigned myself to the fact that we are officially “that family” – the ones everyone else in the airport rolls their eyes about as we pass. I’ve accepted the fact that Maddie probably won’t appreciate being strapped down for a dozen hours a day, and at some point over the next 24 hours she will have a very public meltdown. Doesn’t mean I’m looking forward to it.

So I’m looking forward to the family time; just not the time it’ll take getting to and from that point.

If you’re worried I’m abandoning you, don’t worry; the cyber-girlfriend wouldn’t let you down. My girlfriend Abby will be steering the 1M2A ship while I’m gone. So you’ll get a chance to hear from a more seasoned mom for a week or so. Got any questions? Fire away! Enjoy the fresh voice, and I’ll speak with y’all later!

Have I mentioned Maddie likes shoes?

My mom and I took Maddie for her first adventure in shoe shopping (no guys allowed, of course) and boy, is she a fast learner.

We’ve bought real shoes (as opposed to my beloved Robeez) before, but it was the “stand in Target and hold your kid’s foot to the bottom of a shoe to guess the size” method. This time, we went to a real children’s shoe store and had her foot measured and everything.

I’m glad I did, too; I was squeezing poor kiddo into a size 2 when she’s apparently now a size 4.

Sorry, baby girl.

Hey ladies -

As I wrestle with the fallout of a partial weaning (see today's entry below), I keep going back to Binkytown  and Amy's recent blog on turning the corner with her son's separation anxiety. Her post certainly rings true with me, so I thought I'd pass it on - please check it out. 

So all jokes about weaning plans aside, I did something “unscheduled” recently.

I weaned Maddie off of her nap nursing, cold turkey.

I’ve been wanting to let Maddie wean naturally – lose interest, transition to other rituals, etc. But with a vacation looming (read – no guarantee of ritual availability) it seemed prudent to make sure Maddie didn’t need to nurse to go down for a nap.

So last Monday, I went through everything up to the nursing, hugged her tightly, and put her in her crib.

She started wailing, of course, looking at me with confusion, betrayal, and hurt. At least, that’s what it looked like to my mommy eyes.

Whereas she used to be put in her crib still awake and go to sleep without a fuss, she rolled over, stood up, and ran screaming towards the door where Mommy was beating a cowardly retreat. I stood outside the door and began watching the clock.

This week’s poll is up and running, and it’s school days again!


Where do you stand on sending your child to preschool, or
pre-kindergarten? Do you get them into classes and out of the house as
soon as possible? Do you work full-time, and so already have them in a
school environment? Are you looking for planned socialization? Is it
all about building your child’s resume, so they get in the “right”
college? Or do you save your money, and hold out until kindergarten? I
want to know!

The poll will be up for a couple weeks (my vacation
and all that!); it’s on my home page on the right, under the Topic
buttons. As always, you don’t need to be a registered user to vote;
simply click and submit to have your voice heard! 

Last week’s poll asked how often you choose to travel with your baby. Does your baby have his own frequent flyer number? Do you prefer to drive over flying? Or do you stay home by choice if at all possible?

Almost half of you said your baby’s a seasoned pro by now, with quite a few trips under his belt. The rest of the mommies were pretty evenly divided between those who fly when necessary, those who try to drive if at all possible, and those who stay home by choice.

We first flew with Maddie when she was three months old. I knew the mommy trick of nursing Madeleine during takeoff and landing to help equalize her ears, and as promised, she didn’t cry at all during any of the flights. The airline we flew was (overall) helpful, allowing us to pre-board, gate-check our stroller, and carry-on a diaper bag for “free”. I remember when we returned home from the trip feeling as if we had dodged a bullet; no major meltdowns, no huge baggage catastrophes. Maddie’s car seat was part of her stroller so they transported it for us for free. In fact, I had a few mommy friends tell me enviously to “enjoy it while you can”, since apparently newborn is the easiest age to travel with for quite a while.