 | 2 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) |
Playing catch-up
Where to begin???
Colt's first birthday has passed us by. It was amazing! I've never been so happy, and yet want to curl into the fetal position and cry, all at the same time. We celebrated the **actual** day relatively low-key. I had been building his massive swingset all day (it took five total, his birthday being day two) so I just cooked us dinner. He did have a cake with a "#1" candle, however. I took a building break long enough to run to Walmart and pick up a small cake for him.
We had already planned a huge birthday bash for him, so just the cake at home was fine. We had the pleasure of over 40 guests at his party. That's what we get for having such a big family, I guess. There was lots of love and laughter to go around. Thanks to all who brought presents (even though no one knows my true identity)!
(Well, that's not entirely true. My mom and sis know. They're the only ones. And it better stay that way, too!)
I can't believe my baby isn't a baby anymore. That makes me so sad, and yet so excited at the same time. I'm nostalgic for the days when I could nurse him and he would let me snuggle him(mainly because he was too little to do anything about it) for hours on end. Now he doesn't want to snuggle except for when he first wakes up (if you're lucky to get him to snuggle then). Instead, he gives kisses now. All you have to do is ask him for some sugar. He'll come from across the living room to give me one of his sweet kisses. He's getting thisclose to walking, yet he's still hesitant to let go and take that first step But soon, he'll be running through the house.
And counting. It's so funny. Sawyer will tell him to do something, and then start the counting-to-three bit. As soon as Daddy tells him "One..." he smiles and replies, "Tee" (three). He can't say one or two yet, but he knows three is in there somewhere. Either that or he's a smart aleck like hismomma daddy, and he's finishing the count before daddy does.
He has 13 teeth now. With number 14 close. He has all of his incisors (central and lateral), all of his 1-year molars, and one canine tooth.
He can throw a ball. Or block. Or remote. Or shoe... Pretty much anything he can pick up, he throws. He caught me in the nose with his bottle Wednesday night. Bruised the bridge of my nose good for a couple of days. Tuesday night he busted my lip with the back of his head while sitting in my lap on the couch. Ah, the battle scars of parenthood!
He likes to swim. We have a pool from Wally World. A friend of ours down the road has an in-ground pool. He loves both. He hated the pool at first. I eventually (with the help of a baby pool and a really hot couple of days to warm the water) got him to love it. Now he'll swim as long as you will.
He loves his new swingset. He's only used his baby swing, but he usually falls asleep in it.
He got a three-wheeler (pedal operated, like a big plastic tricycle) from our friends for his birthday. He loves it. He can't pedal it yet, but he'll sit on it and scoot around using his feet to push himself.
He has added a few more words to his vocabulary. Now he can say Daddy, Brother, Bite-bite, Bye-bye, Horsie, Bottle, Titty (thanks to his Daddy), Three, and Thank you! All that along with his jibber-jabber that only he understands. He can also sign "I love you".
He loves for me to sing to him. Any song. Doesn't matter. As long as I'm singing.
He's slowly weaning off baby food of any kind. (He still occasionally gets fruit mixed with baby cereal for breakfast. I figure it can't hurt him. He usually gets the Third Foods level of lasagna, chicken and vegetables, or the like for lunch. Or the Toddler cups of soup Gerber makes. Dinner is whatever we have. I make sure to cook things helikes and can eat.)
He likes pizza, but I don't think it liked him. We had it for dinner the other night. We thought he'd never go to sleep that night. Then he wouldn't stay asleep for long at a time. I think maybe it gave him heartburn. So pizza is out for a while for him.
I just want to slow it all down, take it all in, memorize every smile and word and game of catch. I don't want to forget a single thing about this time in our lives. I want him to be this little for a little longer. Now, if only I knew how to make it happen.
Colt's first birthday has passed us by. It was amazing! I've never been so happy, and yet want to curl into the fetal position and cry, all at the same time. We celebrated the **actual** day relatively low-key. I had been building his massive swingset all day (it took five total, his birthday being day two) so I just cooked us dinner. He did have a cake with a "#1" candle, however. I took a building break long enough to run to Walmart and pick up a small cake for him.
We had already planned a huge birthday bash for him, so just the cake at home was fine. We had the pleasure of over 40 guests at his party. That's what we get for having such a big family, I guess. There was lots of love and laughter to go around. Thanks to all who brought presents (even though no one knows my true identity)!
(Well, that's not entirely true. My mom and sis know. They're the only ones. And it better stay that way, too!)
I can't believe my baby isn't a baby anymore. That makes me so sad, and yet so excited at the same time. I'm nostalgic for the days when I could nurse him and he would let me snuggle him
And counting. It's so funny. Sawyer will tell him to do something, and then start the counting-to-three bit. As soon as Daddy tells him "One..." he smiles and replies, "Tee" (three). He can't say one or two yet, but he knows three is in there somewhere. Either that or he's a smart aleck like his
He has 13 teeth now. With number 14 close. He has all of his incisors (central and lateral), all of his 1-year molars, and one canine tooth.
He can throw a ball. Or block. Or remote. Or shoe... Pretty much anything he can pick up, he throws. He caught me in the nose with his bottle Wednesday night. Bruised the bridge of my nose good for a couple of days. Tuesday night he busted my lip with the back of his head while sitting in my lap on the couch. Ah, the battle scars of parenthood!
He likes to swim. We have a pool from Wally World. A friend of ours down the road has an in-ground pool. He loves both. He hated the pool at first. I eventually (with the help of a baby pool and a really hot couple of days to warm the water) got him to love it. Now he'll swim as long as you will.
He loves his new swingset. He's only used his baby swing, but he usually falls asleep in it.
He got a three-wheeler (pedal operated, like a big plastic tricycle) from our friends for his birthday. He loves it. He can't pedal it yet, but he'll sit on it and scoot around using his feet to push himself.
He has added a few more words to his vocabulary. Now he can say Daddy, Brother, Bite-bite, Bye-bye, Horsie, Bottle, Titty (thanks to his Daddy), Three, and Thank you! All that along with his jibber-jabber that only he understands. He can also sign "I love you".
He loves for me to sing to him. Any song. Doesn't matter. As long as I'm singing.
He's slowly weaning off baby food of any kind. (He still occasionally gets fruit mixed with baby cereal for breakfast. I figure it can't hurt him. He usually gets the Third Foods level of lasagna, chicken and vegetables, or the like for lunch. Or the Toddler cups of soup Gerber makes. Dinner is whatever we have. I make sure to cook things helikes and can eat.)
He likes pizza, but I don't think it liked him. We had it for dinner the other night. We thought he'd never go to sleep that night. Then he wouldn't stay asleep for long at a time. I think maybe it gave him heartburn. So pizza is out for a while for him.
I just want to slow it all down, take it all in, memorize every smile and word and game of catch. I don't want to forget a single thing about this time in our lives. I want him to be this little for a little longer. Now, if only I knew how to make it happen.
A cool scrapbooking giveaway I wanna win!
Andrea over at Mommy Snacks has a cool scrapbooking giveaway on her blog. It's a chance to win one of two free online scrapbooking classes from Jessica of The Mom Creative. Check out Andrea's post on Mommy Snacks here.
Comment Moderation has been activated
I hate to do it, but I don't really blog anymore, and it's really annoying to visit my blogs to delete spam comments. All comments are now moderated. Hopefully in the future I can change it back to unmoderated. Probably when I start blogging again. One day, right??? :)
Lactation legislation included in the Healthcare Reform Bill
Before I begin my post, let me preface it with this disclaimer:
I care not if you breastfeed or chose formula for your child. Your child, your boobs, your decision. I made mine, and you are entitled to yours.
I care not your political beliefs, and I don't want to hear them. This is not a blog about politics. I am entitled to my own political beliefs (and also to keep them private if I so wish). You are entitled the same consideration. So is everyone else reading this.
I do not care if you like our Presidents, Congressmen, or Senators. I don't like some of them either. They were elected. Now deal with it until the next election. If you don't like a bill they are considering, write them. If you are against one political party and in favor of another, volunteer during the next campaign season.
I am posting this simply to enlighten lactating mothers of their rights, as included in the recently passed "Healthcare Reform Bill". I don't care if you supported passage of this bill or not. I don't care if you are a Tea-partyer or not. I don't care about your political, ethical, or moral beliefs in the least. We are all entitled to our own. I DO, however, care about MY rights, and as an extension, YOUR rights.
Any inappropriate comments left here, or elsewhere on my blog, will be removed. If you've linked to this post, please feel free to leave me a note saying so. Any comment along the lines of "Stupid Senate, Stupid Congress, Stupid Healthcare Reform," etc. will be deleted. So will comments arguing breast vs. bottle, Republican vs. Democrat, etc.
I just found out about this tiny little feature of the recently passed, much-debated Healthcare Reform Bill recently passed. I don't care whether you were for or against this piece of legislation. I couldn't care less if you like it or not. I just wanna get these fact out there so that those who need them have them. If this interests you or someone you know, please link to this. I didn't know about it. I'm sure there are other women out there who are lactating, working mothers who really could use this information.
The below passage comes from HR 3590 (AKA the Healthcare Reform Bill passed by the U.S. Senate on December 24, 2009 and the U.S. House of Representatives on March 21, 2010. President Obama signed this act into law on March 23, 2010. This is now Federal Public Law 111-148.) Section 4207. I have copied and pasted it from here.
SEC. 4207. REASONABLE BREAK TIME FOR NURSING MOTHERS. Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
(29 U.S.C. 207) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(r)(1) An employer shall provide— ‘‘(A) a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and ‘‘(B) a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk. ‘‘(2) An employer shall not be required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time under paragraph (1) for any work time spent for such purpose. ‘‘(3) An employer that employs less than 50 employees shall not be subject to the requirements of this subsection, if such requirements would impose an undue hardship by causing the employer significant difficulty or expense when considered in relation to the size, financial resources, nature, or structure of the employer’s business.
‘‘(4) Nothing in this subsection shall preempt a State law that provides greater protections to employees than the protections provided for under this subsection.’’.
This is great news for lactating women. You are now guaranteed under Federal law (as long as your employer has at least 50 employees) unpaid breaks and a private room for expressing breastmilk. You no longer have to pump in a dirty bathroom. Your lactation room must now be free from view AND intrusion from coworkers and the public. This means you are entitled to a door that locks, to maintain your privacy and dignity while expressing breastmilk.
This is a step up in recognizing the importance of breastfeeding our children. This is a step up in recognizing a mother's right to breastfeed even after returning to work. This is Federal Law recognizing our children's right to be comforted by breastmilk even after the first two or six or eight weeks of life. This is Federal Law recognizing that I chose to breastfeed my son until he is ready to wean, and I have the right to expect to not lose my milk supply after I return to work.
Please pass this news on. Feel free to pass on the link to this blog. Let's get the word out that a new Federal law is giving this to those mothers who choose to breastfeed their children.
Also, please know that I am posting this exact same entry on my other blog, also.
I care not if you breastfeed or chose formula for your child. Your child, your boobs, your decision. I made mine, and you are entitled to yours.
I care not your political beliefs, and I don't want to hear them. This is not a blog about politics. I am entitled to my own political beliefs (and also to keep them private if I so wish). You are entitled the same consideration. So is everyone else reading this.
I do not care if you like our Presidents, Congressmen, or Senators. I don't like some of them either. They were elected. Now deal with it until the next election. If you don't like a bill they are considering, write them. If you are against one political party and in favor of another, volunteer during the next campaign season.
I am posting this simply to enlighten lactating mothers of their rights, as included in the recently passed "Healthcare Reform Bill". I don't care if you supported passage of this bill or not. I don't care if you are a Tea-partyer or not. I don't care about your political, ethical, or moral beliefs in the least. We are all entitled to our own. I DO, however, care about MY rights, and as an extension, YOUR rights.
Any inappropriate comments left here, or elsewhere on my blog, will be removed. If you've linked to this post, please feel free to leave me a note saying so. Any comment along the lines of "Stupid Senate, Stupid Congress, Stupid Healthcare Reform," etc. will be deleted. So will comments arguing breast vs. bottle, Republican vs. Democrat, etc.
I just found out about this tiny little feature of the recently passed, much-debated Healthcare Reform Bill recently passed. I don't care whether you were for or against this piece of legislation. I couldn't care less if you like it or not. I just wanna get these fact out there so that those who need them have them. If this interests you or someone you know, please link to this. I didn't know about it. I'm sure there are other women out there who are lactating, working mothers who really could use this information.
The below passage comes from HR 3590 (AKA the Healthcare Reform Bill passed by the U.S. Senate on December 24, 2009 and the U.S. House of Representatives on March 21, 2010. President Obama signed this act into law on March 23, 2010. This is now Federal Public Law 111-148.) Section 4207. I have copied and pasted it from here.
SEC. 4207. REASONABLE BREAK TIME FOR NURSING MOTHERS. Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
(29 U.S.C. 207) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(r)(1) An employer shall provide— ‘‘(A) a reasonable break time for an employee to express breast milk for her nursing child for 1 year after the child’s birth each time such employee has need to express the milk; and ‘‘(B) a place, other than a bathroom, that is shielded from view and free from intrusion from coworkers and the public, which may be used by an employee to express breast milk. ‘‘(2) An employer shall not be required to compensate an employee receiving reasonable break time under paragraph (1) for any work time spent for such purpose. ‘‘(3) An employer that employs less than 50 employees shall not be subject to the requirements of this subsection, if such requirements would impose an undue hardship by causing the employer significant difficulty or expense when considered in relation to the size, financial resources, nature, or structure of the employer’s business.
‘‘(4) Nothing in this subsection shall preempt a State law that provides greater protections to employees than the protections provided for under this subsection.’’.
This is great news for lactating women. You are now guaranteed under Federal law (as long as your employer has at least 50 employees) unpaid breaks and a private room for expressing breastmilk. You no longer have to pump in a dirty bathroom. Your lactation room must now be free from view AND intrusion from coworkers and the public. This means you are entitled to a door that locks, to maintain your privacy and dignity while expressing breastmilk.
This is a step up in recognizing the importance of breastfeeding our children. This is a step up in recognizing a mother's right to breastfeed even after returning to work. This is Federal Law recognizing our children's right to be comforted by breastmilk even after the first two or six or eight weeks of life. This is Federal Law recognizing that I chose to breastfeed my son until he is ready to wean, and I have the right to expect to not lose my milk supply after I return to work.
Please pass this news on. Feel free to pass on the link to this blog. Let's get the word out that a new Federal law is giving this to those mothers who choose to breastfeed their children.
Also, please know that I am posting this exact same entry on my other blog, also.
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