Kind of Crawling…

Pumpkin has become pretty mobile these days but he’s not technically crawling. He scoots backwards for long distances and can move quite quickly, even though I believe his intent is to move forwards. He will end up stuck against a wall or a piece of furniture until I come to his rescue. He can turn in a 360 degree radius but he does not seem to be making any progress in learning how to move in a forward motion. At least he will stay on his hands and knees for a good period of time; quite an improvement for a child who always screamed as if we were torturing him on the rack every time we would try to give him “tummy time.”

With his new found mobility in mind, we have stepped up our efforts at baby-proofing. We have placed all of the major hazards up and out reach but we still need to install the cabinet latches in some areas and tie up loose electrical cords, etc.. There is a fine line between making your house safe for baby and starting to look at your house as if it was just a large death trap. I’m glad that they do not make giant baby sized hamster balls since knowing me, I’d probably be tempted to keep him in such a bubble.

Carnage and Near-Death Experience = Educational Fun

My mom recently bought a new book to add to my eight month old son’s library. He already has an extensive collection including the standards: Mother Goose, Winnie the Pooh, Dr. Seuss and some newer favorites: Sandra Boynton’s books, Bear Snores On, etc. However, now I guess my mom thought it was time to introduce some more dramatic stories to my son. She bought him a Pop-Up book, Ice Mountain. How can Horton with his egg compare to the spine-tingling drama of a car careening out of control on an icy road and becoming submerged in a pond?


Underwater rescue (note the driver still trapped in the car)…

Paramedics on the scene administering life saving care to the hypothermic driver?

Edge of your seat excitement with the added benefit of insuring your child will be terrified of driving long before he’s ready for his learner’s permit? Frazzled parents everywhere can now demand silence and good behavior on car trips with a reminder that a distracted driver could meet the same fate as those traveling ICE MOUNTAIN!!

How Early Can a F[...]tish Develop??

I think Pumpkin may have a foot f[...]tish. He’s obsessed with feet: bare feet, socked feet, whatever. All I have to do is wiggle my toes at him and he erupts into gales of giggles. Sometimes a simple tapping of the foot will suffice. Yesterday, I was sitting at the dining room table next to Pumpkin in his ExerSaucer and I noticed that he is leaning over the edge and peering excitedly down at my feet. Such expectation- what will she do now? Will she wiggle them? Will she, gasp, kick off her shoes? Who needs flashy musical baby toys when you have feet around??

I’ve also noticed that he may share my genetic predisposition to toe curling. Whenever I am sitting down, I find that I keep my toes curled underneath my feet. It used to freak out my husband when we first started dating since he said that it appeared that I had suffered some horrible ten toe amputation. One of my brothers also likes to keep his toes curled. Now I’ve noticed that Pumpkin also keeps his feet in this curled position. Nature or nurture??

[Edited because too many pervs were finding this post searching for f[...]tish info!]

Kid Nation

Ok, I have a shameful secret to admit. Yes, my husband and I watch Kid Nation. In general, we like to think we have decent taste in TV. We like history and nature documentaries, thought provoking shows such as Lost (ok, that has veered more towards the ridiculous and pointless, but it started out thought provoking and now we’re addicted), Jeopardy, etc. We shun most reality TV and soap-operary shenanigans (fine, I admit it, we do watch Grey’s Anatomy). The idea behind Kid Nation is somewhat horrifying: parents let their children (some as young as 8) leave to found a kid-only domain in an abandoned Old West town. The kids are divided into four districts which compete each week to obtain various class statuses (Upper Class, Merchant, Cooks and Laborers). I can’t believe that any parent would actually allow their child to participate in this but it does make for rather compelling TV. Some of the kids are typical, some are horrible, some are amazing. There is Taylor, the ten year old mini-pageant queen who has already decided that world should revolve around her and that she is above performing menial tasks like…well, actually she thinks she’s above doing any work at all. There is 9 year old Alex, who is brilliant, adorable and very self-possessed. There are some really sweet moments where kids are supporting each other and encouraging each other. Then there are other moments that are more reminiscent of Lord of the Flies or Children of the Corn. However, as horrified as I am about the idea of the show, I’m shamelessly addicted.

Day Care and MRSA

Since I work three days a week, Pumpkin is in day care part-time. Sadly, he seems to be there long enough each week to catch whatever the latest virus is that is going around. I would love to stay home with him full-time but my husband and I just do not think that we could swing it financially. On the one hand, the three days a week I spend in the office help to keep me connected to the adult world (and up-to-date skills-wise, of crucial importance in the IT world) but on the other hand, I hate that Pumpkin does not get the same personal attention in day care that I can give him at home and I really hate that he has been sick almost constantly since starting day care. Recently we were in the pediatrician’s office for our latest round of ear infections and I asked our doctor if I should be concerned about MRSA at day care. According to the media, MRSA is everywhere and is likely to kill you within days. Rationally, I know that it is not the epidemic that the news reports are making it out to be; however, the mother in me fears it is lurking on every unclean surface at my son’s day care facility. My pediatrician reassured me that, although it is something the medical community has been seeing for years, getting MRSA is not the automatic death sentence that the media is portraying it as being and that recent deaths from MRSA probably had other contributing factors. Apparently, a large percentage of the population already carries MRSA in their nasal passages (without any harm befalling them) so these massive sterilizing campaigns being conducted at schools when MRSA is found are just a waste of time. I was very relieved to hear that the SuperBug was not lurking on every surface ready to jump out and attack my innocent baby (though I am carrying an ointment of anti-biotic ointment in my diaper bag nonetheless!)

No More Excuses for Keeping the Baby Weight

Pumpkin has now made me lose my last excuse as to why I’m still clinging on to my remaining baby weight. For months I’ve been telling myself (and others) that I just do not have time to workout. No time at all between working three days a week and taking care of a baby who likes to have a constant entertainment source. However, now I know that I truly do not have an excuse since apparently I can exercise and entertain Pumpkin at the same time. We were playing on the floor together the other day when I decided to do some stomach crunches while I was on the floor anyway. Pumpkin started laughing hysterically as I did normal and reverse crunches next to him. Whether it was pure delight at the act itself or utter disbelief that Mama was actually doing some physical activity, Pumpkin acted as if it was the most entertaining event he had ever seen.