Author Archive

Look, I can’t tell you people everything

Saturday, May 24th, 2008

But the thing is, I work. I work a lot. Like average 16 hours a day, a lot. And it has officially become uncool. 

So. I am looking into alternatives.

Firstly, I am attempting to get some help at work, so that I do NOT have to work quite so much…I have little hope that this will happen ’cause me getting help would pretty much rock the worlds of a bunch of other people who could care less that I saw Jack for the first time in 5 days, last night. 

So, we are also toying with me not working. Money would be tight, but my stress level, the panic attacks that I feel when I wake up at 4 in the morning wondering what the ‘eff I forgot to do the night before because I was so tired from all the working, yeah, all that shit would be gone. And I suspect I would be a better wife and mother because of it.

I’ve never NOT had a vocation, so the thought of falling into the abyss of stay at home mommydom is terrifying, but I am becoming more and more convinced that having it all is a complete and total myth, like the 50 calorie pinkberry and no pimples after 30.  So, if I HAVE to make a choice  (and we’re rapidly approaching that point) I happily choose Arch and Jack over my career. 

Stay tuned – because something has gotta give, and soon.

 

2

Sunday, May 18th, 2008

We spent part of our weekend in Brooklyn with Jen, Eddie, Mabel & Milo . We were there scoping out neighborhoods and in general just hanging out.

We went out to eat with them at the end of the day on Saturday and enjoyed the phenomon of babies in bars. Quite a lot of babies actually. Two per parent.

We’ve talked about having another baby, joked about, danced around the topic. Arch would love to have a little red headed girl, he says. I even went and talked to a new fancy high risk OB about our risks (this appointment involved me sitting in a waiting room with about 30 perfectly healthy pregnant women, I ended up in a corner metaphorically rocking back and forth.)  At the bar in Brooklyn, everyone had two children. There was Nora & Ferdinand, Gordon & Sadie, Mable & Milo, and then there was Jack.

Just Jack.

Part of me has no desire to have another baby. Health risks etc. don’t even factor into this feeling. Honestly, it’s the feeling that I have totally and completely short changed Jack, and Arch, and I need to focus on them 100% of my time (the WOHM ambivalence post is forthcoming).  How could I possibly deal with #2?

And then there is the practical part. The part where we know that I fall into that weird and wacky super-high risk pregnancy group. The special group where my OB sat me down and looked me in the eyes and said, “IF you decide to get pregnant again (emphasis hers), you and I will be seeing A LOT of each other.” And then she proceeded to tell me that our risk of a recurring placental abruption was about 10%.  Considering that our risk last time was 1% , those odds actually sound pretty shitty. Also? We will likely have the pleasure of hospital monitored bed rest, again.

I feel like I’ve let Arch and Jack down and this weekend really drove the feeling home. We’re three and everyone else is four, or even more (after all, 3 kids is the new 2).  WTF.

 

Time Out

Thursday, May 15th, 2008

Jack has been throwing. And hitting. But mainly throwing.  We’ll look right at him and say, “Jack don’t throw that (cup, cracker, car, book)” And he’ll look at us, and his expression clearly says,

“You. You parent beings. What is this that you ask? Are you crazy? Why would I not want to throw this item?Throwing is FUN. SEE?!”

And then he’ll throw whatever he has holding…he’s actually got quite an arm.

So we’ve implemented a time-out system. He sits in the foyer by the bookshelf for exactly one minute.

The first 5 times or so he just sat in stunned silence. The second 5 times or so he tried to move out of his spot and we’d have to move him back. Now that he’s clear that he is being punished he has started screaming.  Big ole’ fake screams designed to curdle our blood.

I looked at Arch tonight and thought to myself,  wow, only about 15 more years of this.  Shit.

Things about my husband

Sunday, May 11th, 2008

This format is blatently ripped from another blog, but for the life of me, I can’t remember whose – if you know, let ME know and I’ll give credit where credit is due.

Things that drive me absolutley ape-shit bonkers about the father of my child:

1) Dude. The dishwasher is RIGHT there. You know, under the spot where you just merrily placed your dirty dishes. I said UNDER, man UNDER!

2) Shaving residue.  Thank you for shaving. It means a lot to me. But the whiskers in the sink? With mouthwash residue daintly poured over them? I don’t have the words.

3) The regularity. At 10:30 AM, every morning, I can tell you EXACTLY where you will find the father of my child.

Things I like about my husband:

1) That he will always try to make sure I am well fed…just as my blood suger is plummeting he takes a deep breath, remembers not to take it personally, and hands me a cliff bar.

2) That on mother’s days Jack (read: Archie) got me a new bottle of my favorite scent. I didn’t even have to tell him I was out, he noticed, and took care of it. So thoughtful, so observant…Wolfie’s just fine dear.

3) That you can already see that Jack wants to be just like him. Jack follows him around with big moon eyes just drinking the man up.  Some little boys play with cars, other’s have tool sets. Not Jack. He has his own laptop and would love nothing better than to sit on Arch’s lap all day long, banging away on the keys and looking up at his dad for approval.

I am a lucky lady with various plumbing issues.

 

 

Marching Babies

Monday, April 28th, 2008

Did you know it was raining on Sunday in NYC? Specifically on 62nd and Columbus where we couldn’t find the stupid registration center, or even Nina’s parents? It was a sad day in volunteer land (damn that rain!) - but a big deal in saving baby land, because, with the help of all you lovely people we raised $1610 for team DandyJack. I think we get a t-shirt, but you? You all get the satisfaction of knowing you’ve helped someone else, and hopefully prevented a baby, or a family from heading down a very scary road.

Jack braved the March for Babies well. He put up with the wet ankles and the mobs of people who didn’t care that we were “pushing a baby here people!” But, he was fussy and oddly warm. By the time we got back home after walking about 3 blocks it became clear that he had contracted some kind of stomach flu. Don’t ask how we know, because Dudes? We just do.  He’s still on pedia-lite as I type. Pedia-lite and graham crackers, the sustenance of kings…

In closing, I would like to apologize to the family that I snorted at and referred to as wimps, for advertising their 4 pound “miracle” on their team t-shirts on Sunday (no, they didn’t hear me).  Just because my miracle was 2 pounds 4 ounces doesn’t mean yours was any less miraculous… so. I am sorry.