Demanding baby = funny video

Forgive me, but sometimes I think it's so funny when Piglet has these mini-meltdowns because I won't give him the salt shaker or whatever.  Jana inspired me to capture this moment on video and I think it's hilarious!  Might not be so funny in public at the end of a long day, but first thing in the morning it was pretty darn funny.  

Take note of how he throws everything on the floor in an act of defiance.  He has such a short fuse! Whenever I say "no no" he takes whatever's around and just pelts it to the ground.  I try not to laugh but sometimes I do anyway.  If you listen closely, I'm trying to stifle a giggle right before he throws himself backwards. ;)

What's even funnier is that I didn't give him what he wanted and at the end of this video, he forgot why he was mad and just started watching TV.  Classic.  And, he's a total faker.  There was not one single tear shed!

I love my back-arching, bellowing, terrible little child so much.  Total keeper.  I don't know what I'd do with a quiet, calm, undemanding baby!  I mean, who would I laugh at all day long? 

Heard around the house...

I am a slave to pop culture magazines.  I even subscribe to them. 

I know.

Most people buy them as a "vacation treat" but after I had Piglet I decided reading these trashy magazines was as close I might come to lounging by the pool for awhile, so I bit the bullet.  

Come on, you know you totally scan them as you're waiting in line at the grocery store...

Every Friday I anxiously await the mail because I know my US Weekly will be somewhere in the pile of envelopes and catalogs.  And it never disappoints.  

Sometimes I randomly read things aloud while flipping through my magazines.  Sometimes dh tries to interpret what I'm saying.  It gets pretty funny.  Here's our dialogue from yesterday. 

Me: Hm.  Winged eyeliner is out.  It apparently tries too hard which is not in line with the season.

Dh: Wind gliders?

Me: WI-NGED EYE-LI-NER. 

Dh: Winged gliders don't stand in line?

Me: Nicole Ritchie's winged eyeliner is out of style.

Dh: Nicole Ritchie has a wind glider?  Isn't she pregnant?

Bahahahahahahaha!

Piglet and Miss Cutie K share

They didn't really have much choice in the matter, but it's always nice when the kids share!  

Be gentle. Play nicely.

Sometimes I wish I didn't care so much.  Really.  I wish I could blow things off and just say "that's just they way she is" or "I don't care what they think."  But the reality is, I'm a pleaser.  It bothers me when I hear through the grapevine that someone said something crappy or unkind about me.  I lose sleep.  

And if I hear that they said something about Piglet, well forget it. Then I'm kind of pissed.  Actually, I'm really pissed.  And hurt.  I mean, bag on me, but leave my kid out of it.  I know he's not perfect and after all, I coined the term "Shrieker" but that's to be used at my discretion.  Piglet is challenging but he's also sweet, funny, full of personality, and most importantly, he's mine and I would not trade him for any other baby in the world.  

Not even one that SLEEPS THROUGH THE NIGHT.  

That's right. Even if your child possesses the Holy Grail of all baby qualities, I still would NOT trade your child for my Piglet.  

One thing I've learned from being a mother is you just cannot pass judgement on another mother until you have literally mothered the same child.  And by the same, I mean genetically identical.  My best friend gave me great advice before I had Piglet (she's so good that way).  She said "don't listen to anything that anyone else tells you.  You have to do what works for you."  So along that vein - maybe you don't agree with my parenting style or (gasp!) that I let him sleep with me -that's right, IN MY FREAKING BED Y'ALL, but it's really not for you to say. Don't judge me. 

DO. NOT. JUDGE.  

Unless I call you every day and night and complain about my child and sleep deprivation and how challenging he is, don't start with me. Don't go there.  And don't dish about it to anyone else either.  That's just plain uncalled for.  And God-willing if we are fortunate enough to have another baby, don't trash talk that kid either.  When it comes to kids, just leave them out of it. Please. 

Do what we're always asking our kids to do - be gentle, play nicely.

Please don't make me lose more sleep - I don't get much as it is.  

TA-DA!

Well, what do you all think?  I love it.  It brings a smile to my face and feels more like home.  Welcome to my new digs!!!

To be sure you recognize us...

I wanted to make sure you all know that the next time you check our blog, it will look migh-tee different!  Different is good!  Different is better!  Different is not a blog.ger template but unique to the Piglet blog!  We hired Megan at Knuckleheaders to do create our design and we're thrilled with the results.  Stay tuned!

What goes up, must come down!

WARNING - These videos are rated G as in it's likely that only Grandparents will find them endlessly amusing.

These videos weren't shot in the same afternoon, but still so fun to watch! Piglet and his best buddy Mr. R climbed up the stairs while Mr. R's mom played spotter and I captured it on video. If you listen, you'll hear Piglet let out a satisfied sigh and then sign Dada once he reaches the top of the stairs. Mr. R peeks around the corner to see what's in the guest room. He's so cute!

In the second video, I was finally able to catch Piglet as he made his way down the stairs. He is so fast and I'm not all that great at walking backwards. :)

Enjoy!

PS - Sorry my camera work is less than stellar!

Happy belated 100th...

I can't believe it because I'm usually very nerdy about these things, but I somehow missed the fact that my last post "The Sidewalk Studio" was my 100th blog post!!! Go me.  (taking a bow)

When I started this blog, Piglet had already arrived, so our rollercoaster ride to becoming parents didn't get the recognition it actually deserved.  So in honor of my 100th post, I am taking a trip down memory lane and I'm dragging you all there with me.  After all, in about six weeks we'll be revisiting this lovely street again and you all need to get hip to the lingo so you can know what the heck I'm talking about when I say "my follies are growing" or "we transfer today." Ready?  Here goes.

Back in '98 after I graduated from college, I had surgery to remove two extremely large ovarian cysts.  The OBGYN said it "probably" wouldn't affect my ability to have kids.  I didn't believe her. I was right not to.  Fast forward to early 2003 when Dh and I just started trying to have a baby.  I knew it wasn't going to happen fast and I somehow knew it wasn't going to be easy either.  After six months, some preliminary tests and a trip to Italy involving many bottles of wine and "not thinking about it" and still no pregnancy (I was not surprised), I decided to break up with my doctor and be aggressive (say it with me and wave those pompons- BE AGGRESSIVE!  BE, BE AGGRESSIVE!)  

Enter Dr. B.  I called a well-known local fertility practice to set-up a consult and was told after she did what I assume was akin to spinning the wheel thing on The Price is Right "Okay!  You get...Dr. B!"  Total jackpot.  Dr. B is dreamy.  There is no other way of putting it.  He's kind and funny, has very blue eyes and is a sharp dresser. Clearly all important qualities. The man is also a genius with degrees from Johns Hopkins, Cornell and Georgetown.  After our initial consult, I knew immediately that he was the right RE (reproductive endocrinologist) for me.  Dr. B.'s general philosophy about treatment (get 'er dun) combined with his overall dreaminess made our process the best that it could be, given that IF (infertility) basically SUCKS.  Oh and did I mention the blue eyes?  Just gravy, I tell you.

We set on the classic IF initial course of Clomid + IUI (intrauterine insemination, but you can forget that term as soon as you read it because as you know it didn't work for us, we needed the big guns).  I braced myself for the crazy that Clomid can bring but the crazy never came.  Snort.  That's because I was saving all the crazy for LATER, silly!  (slap forehead)  After my first round of Clomid showed that only my cyst grew - oh yes, it was back, did I already mention that?  Pesky little bugger.  Anyway, Dr. B decided to aspirate the cyst.  I'll spare you the details but here are the key players in any aspiration - 17 gauge needle, internal u/s (ultrasound) and me gripping dh's hand until he squealed like a schoolgirl.  Two rounds of Clomid/IUI, one aspiration and still no pregnancy meant only one thing - more surgery.  Damn.  

After surgery and a grueling recovery, Dr. B came to visit me in the hospital (he was dreamy, I was not.  I still cannot believe he saw me like that).  I remember so clearly him saying

"You know, your odds of getting pregnant with IVF (in-vitro fertilization) are close to 70%.  I say we skip the injectibles (another term you can throw away) and go straight to IVF." 

Dh and I agreed and two months later I greeted the FedEx man with a signature and he handed me a huge box filled with vials, shot pens and syringes.  I remember being so excited, rifling through the box like it had come from Banana Republic and not the fertility pharmacy.  My sister was there too and she said "Wow.  Those are big mother needles."  "Yes, to make me a big mother!" I replied happily.  

Six weeks later we got our first BFN (big fat negative). We had no embryos left to freeze, so that was it.  I was devastated.  I somehow knew we weren't going to be one of the lucky ones who had it work for them the first time around, but it still stung.  I remember one of my friends saying "well you said it would probably take three tries, so you still have two more to go."  Ouch. We bided our time and prepared for our next cycle.  As with the first IVF, I pulled out all the stops - acupuncture, meditation, prayer, guided imagery and I added hypnotherapy just for good measure.  Two months passed and once again I greeted the FedEx man with my signature and took possession of my big box of drugs.  I prepared my injection area in the guest room - alcohol swabs, gauze, band-aids, all the medications placed in labeled jewel-tone boxes from The Container Store (OCD in full swing there) and my IVF calendar taped to the wall.  Annie, get your gun.  I was ready.

I've always been the type of person who's done better once I know what to expect.  I am a visionary, so I visualize everything before it happens then I try to make reality happen as close to my vision as possible. (Sidenote: Piglet's first birthday party is a good example of this.  I visualized that sweets table as I gathered all the components - the table runner and glass jars, the Happy Birthday sign, etc.  It's just the way I work.)  

This held true for my second IVF cycle.  I knew what to expect.  I knew how it was supposed to go and I visualized that every step of the way.  When things veered a little off course, I just held tight to my ultimate vision which was to see two lines on that damn HPT (home pregnancy test).  I was in a very good place my second cycle.  A friend said "so you feel confident it's going to work?"  And I kept saying not so much confident as just content.  Content with the process.  I felt fortunate to have the two months of limbo behind me and be working toward my goal again.  Happy to feel productive.  

(One of these embryos eventually came home to roost and became our Piglet!)

And we finally got our happy ending. Eighteen grueling, emotional, expensive months after our journey began, I was finally pregnant!!!   All the shots, tears, days and nights of wondering were over.  And we were so, so, so lucky.  I remind myself of this every day.  We are so lucky it worked and we now have our darling boy.  Our darling boy who challenges us, forced me to buy eye cream for "dark circles" for the first time ever, our boy who fills our hearts with unparalleled joy.  

Now as we prepare for our third IVF cycle, I can honestly say that I'm excited.  Excited to have another consult with dreamy Dr. B, to greet the FedEx man with my signature, to see my friend and acupuncturist weekly again.  I can't wait to get started and see where the road takes us this time.  

Hm.  I just realized that because I condensed my IVF journeys, I didn't give you all the terminology that I said I would.  You still might not know what I'm talking about when I say "my follies are growing."  Oh well, you can join me on the journey and I'll teach you along the way.  Come on, it'll be F U N.  

The Sidewalk Studio

We recently had Piglet's one year photos taken by our favorite and very talented photographer Jill, from The Sidewalk Studio. Before Piglet was born, I agonized over selecting a photographer who would capture our as yet unborn child's growth spurts and milestones, helping us preserve those precious times forever. I had seen Jill's work before and ultimately decided that she and her studio were the right fit for our family. We bought "The Growth Chart" package which included four sittings over approximately one year and a bound photo book at the end. I have loved every session with Jill. She is so accommodating and easy going, often encouraging me to go and nurse Piglet or even let him have a little snooze to ensure the best possible outcome from our session. A mother of three herself, she really understands that kids won't always do what you ask of them, particularly on an empty stomach or when the Sandman calls.  People if you take one piece of advice from me, take this one.  Do no skimp on your child's photographs!  The mall photographers are great for a quick shot, but if you want photos of your child in their natural habitat, pictures that you can imagine passing down for generations, ones that make your heart full...hire someone like Jill from The Sidewalk Studio. You will not regret it.  

There are a few examples of our Fall '08 session on my sidebar and here are a few of my favorites (and there were many) from our most recent session capturing Piglet at one year-old. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Then again, I cried when I first saw some of these images of Piglet.
Jill.
She's THAT good.
If you're lucky enough to live in my neck of the woods, you should give her a call.
You can reach her and her charming studio here.

Piglet's 14 Month Update

Can it really be time already to update stats and party tricks?  Has another month passed us by?  This time I can say it really did go by faster than ever because February is the shortest month of the year!  Piglet's been busy this month.  His obsession with the stairs is now full-fledged and he can make his way down a looooong flight of stairs at lightening speed.  I tried to catch it on video, but I'm always too slow and he is at the bottom before I can get the camera on.  I'll have to keep on trying.  He's still not too hot on the walking business.  I just ordered him a walker toy on Amazon, so we'll see what that does for his interest in walking.  Everyone says I should enjoy this phase when he's not so mobile, but jeepers he sure seems pretty mobile to me!  

I am happy to report that he's branching out on his preferred list of menu items, though Tillamook Medium Cheddar is still the main staple of his diet.  That and mom's milk.  The latter is coming to an end and fast if I have anything to say about it!  

New Party Tricks: signs - bath, off, on, I love you and bear, opening cabinet doors and drawers, turning things off and on (like the radio or TV receiver), standing unassisted (see photo), talking on the phone - it's always dada on the phone btw, bellowing at you if you don't respond the first time e.g. "dadaaaaa..."(silence) then "DADAAAAAA!!!!!!!!" 

Piglet LOVES

• bellowing at you
• watching as you fill the tub and throwing toys in the water
• bath time
• books, books, books and MORE BOOKS!
• when you sing to him at bed time
• the song "I don't want to live on the moon."
• his mini basketball hoop
• Thomas the Train toys 
• Knudsen's Peach Nectar juice
• licking the butter off of toast
• rice crackers
• his dog
• his daily vitamins 
• playdates
• Ba (maternal grandmother)
• tickling your toes
• bacon (proving once more that he's my child)

Piglet is OVER

• baby gates
• playing quietly in the family room - he prefers the hazardous living and dining rooms
• mommy being out of his line of sight
• yogurt melts
• applesauce (sooo over this one)
• mommy trying over and over to "introduce" cow's milk
• being sick
• being distracted by simply "looking" outside

Blame your girl cousins

My mom watched my sister's two girls basically from birth until they went to school full-time.  As a result, there are many, many hair clips and bows strewn in drawers all over the house.  We spend a fair amount of time at my parents' house. Piglet has a lot of hair. You do the math.  

ASL - Teach your children well.

Piglet signs "all done."

Piglet signs "fan."

Piglet signs "please."  Just look at his earnest expression!

I'll admit, I was a skeptic about ASL (American Sign Language) and babies.  A couple of years ago when my bestfriend Jess would put her infant daughter's chubby little hands together to teach her the sign for "more" I was like "dude, you are crazy." She'd say "maybe, but I want to try" and we'd have a little laugh over it. Lo and behold a few months later our families were out to dinner and when Miss A wanted more of her mom's pasta, can you guess what she did? She tapped her fists together asking for more. Seriously. I was chagrined. So when it was my turn on the mom merry-go-round, I read tons of material on sign language and the great benefits of teaching it to your child at a very early age. And I mean EARLY. As in starting at two or three months. I have to say, I didn't see the point in "teaching" Piglet anything at that age, I mean, REALLY. The kid was just starting to poop consistently for Pete's sake. Did I really think he was going to tap his hand on his chin saying "momma?" COME ON PEOPLE. Be realistic! Still, I did see the benefits of being able to communicate effectively with Piglet before he could/would verbalize things to me.

So dh and I set on a course to teach our little spawn a little sign language. At first, he was much more diligent at it than I was, but then one day around eight months old, Piglet slapped his hand on his thigh when the dog mosied by. The next day he did the same thing when he saw a picture of a dog on the Cottonelle package.  It was amazing to me. Piglet not only knew the sign for dog, but remembered it. He wasn't just copying us, but signing of his own accord. He GOT IT. And I got it too.  So THAT was what all the fuss was about!

From then on he's been an unstoppable signing machine...from milk, to help, to book, to please, Piglet is quite the savvy little signer. The other day he signed "sleep" and "milk after his bath, so he's starting to put signs together and form very basic sentences. I am thrilled! Though we're not launching into any debates about the economic stimulus plan, Piglet can effectively communicate his needs to us and we can do our best to accommodate him and avoid most meltdowns.

We use this book and this book and we think they're great.

Piglet signs "book"

Piglet signs "car."

Piglet signs "dada."