This first one is of me with my Granny Audrey who died of breast cancer many years ago:
This second one is of Uncle Mike, my Dad, Grandad and Mum. See how wonderfully young they all are. Grandad is now 96!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
The little me
My mother has been converting the family slides to digital images. It is a huge task. This morning I received two images of me as a baby around Wren's age, neither of which I had seen before. The black filaments on the image are mould. I am hoping we can find some way to clean them in photoshop.
This first one is of me with my Granny Audrey who died of breast cancer many years ago:
This second one is of Uncle Mike, my Dad, Grandad and Mum. See how wonderfully young they all are. Grandad is now 96!
This first one is of me with my Granny Audrey who died of breast cancer many years ago:
This second one is of Uncle Mike, my Dad, Grandad and Mum. See how wonderfully young they all are. Grandad is now 96!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Robins are flocking
Wren woke at his usual 5.30am after a very rough night. He was up for almost an hour between 11pm and 12pm (denying me my best sleep of the night) and was up again at 3am and 4.30am. I ignored 4.30am again but he woke within 45 minutes for the day. During the night Joshua and I decided he was definitely ill and perhaps had an ear infection. This morning it was clear he was fine. Later, it was clear he was irritable. Now I don't know. He has no fever, no sign of pain and is just sleeping worse than usual and being less self-sufficient during the day. He wants carrying and seems to be a bit more tired at naptime.
As a result of his whining and need for entertainment Wren is being allowed increasingly inappropriate toys to distract him. This morning I let him play with the large cowries and gave him a pen to hold. He promptly hit the cowrie on the floor repeatedly for the banging sound and drew on his face with pen. Bad mommy.
Because Wren continues to wake so early and be noisy AND I am so exhausted we head out every morning Foraging for pears. There is an old pear tree overhanging the road a block away and every morning a small harvest of pears has fallen into the street and parking strip. I collect them in a fleece hat and stuff them under the stroller. I have a great sense of satisfaction in foraging in this way. Pears are selling at $2.99 a lb at Wholefoods and these are sweeter and more plentiful. Sure, I have to cut out the bitten portions sometimes but I have frozen a week's supply of Wren's Pearfood and will have another couple of weeks when I cook up the next 8 pears tomorrow.
Interestingly, other people have the same idea. This morning was so beautiful (cool, quiet, the sun like butter) that I walked around Dahl Field with my gathered pears. While there I noticed a small man in a grey tracksuit climbing a tree and shaking it. He held a stick with a long rope on the end. When we came closer I saw that he was gathering pears and had heaped them in the grass.
I know its still summer but its becoming fall. The robins are flocking. Mornings are chill and at 6.30am I had to walk all the way up the ridge before we reached the sunlight that makes Wren squint and twist sideways in the stroller choking and spluttering because he ate the spike of lavendar I gave him to hold. When we came home Frost was up. He and Wren greeted each other with squeals and joy. Frost's joy turned quickly to concern:
Frost: "Wrennies hands are freezing! Feel Wrennies hands they're freezing! Feel them! Come, come. They are SO COLD"
On the way to the Morningstar Bakery I wondered whether Frost knew the names for jobs people do. I asked him what a baker was, a dentist, a doctor. Those, he had figured out. He even knew pediatrician: a doctor for kids. It was when we got to Software Engineer (what Josh is) that things became interesting:
Frost: A software engineer.... hrmmm... a Software Engineer comes and does the pipes and the paint inside a house when its been built.
This is kind of true in our house but not really in the job description.
"A meteorologist studies comets and the stars"
As a result of his whining and need for entertainment Wren is being allowed increasingly inappropriate toys to distract him. This morning I let him play with the large cowries and gave him a pen to hold. He promptly hit the cowrie on the floor repeatedly for the banging sound and drew on his face with pen. Bad mommy.
Because Wren continues to wake so early and be noisy AND I am so exhausted we head out every morning Foraging for pears. There is an old pear tree overhanging the road a block away and every morning a small harvest of pears has fallen into the street and parking strip. I collect them in a fleece hat and stuff them under the stroller. I have a great sense of satisfaction in foraging in this way. Pears are selling at $2.99 a lb at Wholefoods and these are sweeter and more plentiful. Sure, I have to cut out the bitten portions sometimes but I have frozen a week's supply of Wren's Pearfood and will have another couple of weeks when I cook up the next 8 pears tomorrow.
Interestingly, other people have the same idea. This morning was so beautiful (cool, quiet, the sun like butter) that I walked around Dahl Field with my gathered pears. While there I noticed a small man in a grey tracksuit climbing a tree and shaking it. He held a stick with a long rope on the end. When we came closer I saw that he was gathering pears and had heaped them in the grass.
I know its still summer but its becoming fall. The robins are flocking. Mornings are chill and at 6.30am I had to walk all the way up the ridge before we reached the sunlight that makes Wren squint and twist sideways in the stroller choking and spluttering because he ate the spike of lavendar I gave him to hold. When we came home Frost was up. He and Wren greeted each other with squeals and joy. Frost's joy turned quickly to concern:
Frost: "Wrennies hands are freezing! Feel Wrennies hands they're freezing! Feel them! Come, come. They are SO COLD"
On the way to the Morningstar Bakery I wondered whether Frost knew the names for jobs people do. I asked him what a baker was, a dentist, a doctor. Those, he had figured out. He even knew pediatrician: a doctor for kids. It was when we got to Software Engineer (what Josh is) that things became interesting:
Frost: A software engineer.... hrmmm... a Software Engineer comes and does the pipes and the paint inside a house when its been built.
This is kind of true in our house but not really in the job description.
"A meteorologist studies comets and the stars"
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Parents of six year olds, illuminate me. Why does Frost suddenly greet my every announcement with "NO."
Me: Frost, we are going out in a few minutes to buy a zester.
Frost [from bedroom]: NO
I shrug at Josh as if to say "see what I put up with all day"
Josh: I think he said "Oh"
Me [voice raised as I call to bedroom]: Pardon, what did you say Frost?
Frost: NO
Josh: He did that to me last night too. I said 'time to clean teeth' and he said "NO"
In the past he would have asked what a zester was. Why I wanted one. If he could get candy. Now its just a flat NO. Silence.
I need to check my parenting books between Wren's whines and thuds and fallings over.
Me: Frost, we are going out in a few minutes to buy a zester.
Frost [from bedroom]: NO
I shrug at Josh as if to say "see what I put up with all day"
Josh: I think he said "Oh"
Me [voice raised as I call to bedroom]: Pardon, what did you say Frost?
Frost: NO
Josh: He did that to me last night too. I said 'time to clean teeth' and he said "NO"
In the past he would have asked what a zester was. Why I wanted one. If he could get candy. Now its just a flat NO. Silence.
I need to check my parenting books between Wren's whines and thuds and fallings over.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Things that go "CLICK" in the night
This was another of those mornings that has me hugging my coffee mug before 6am. As September approaches, it is becoming increasingly dark for my morning stagger clutching the slightly soggy Wren in his oversize and overdamp diapers.
We think he is teething. I guess that is an overused excuse for an old-enough-to-know-better-baby waking all night (and getting fed for it) but he has been very whiney and not-put-downy during the day and is gnawing stuff more than usual. I gave him Tylenol and he slept 6.15pm-11.15pm and then yelled so much that Josh and later I went in to calm him. He had another Tylenol and nursed and slept till 3am, then 4.30am (ignored that one) and then 5am and napped in bed with me (in his room) till 5.30am and was up.
When he wakes up he crawls right off the bed unless grabbed so I have to lurch forward and grab his legs as soon as I feel him leave the warm blanket. Its hard. I am motivated though because a couple of days ago he fell off the bed with an almighty thud and it was the same day he fell into the table and hit his head on the bookcase while standing so I feel I have to prevent more bonks. He always crawls towards the nightlight and then to the guitar. He thwacks the guitar strings until they sound a discordant getup and go for me.
If I don't get up and go the guitar would fall over. Why do we have a guitar in his room. Gosh, at 5.57am I can't answer that.
Wren is crawling around at my feet and I swear I can hear milk sloshing in his belly. I see him as a vampiric hippo. You know? Vampires are always depicted as scrawny beasties but think how much a vampiric hippo would drink during the dark hours? That's Wren.
To top it all Frost had trouble going to sleep in his room because he could hear "a strange clicking sound. Its like this CLICK. It isn't "click click click" its just CLICK. It doesn't happen often, perhaps it won't happen again tonight"
Me: "Okay, goodnight"
Frost: (5 minutes later) "I heard it again. What is it?"
Me: Let me come and listen.
Frost: It probably won't happen again. I've only heard it about 3 times. ITs like CLICK.
Me: Where does it come from? The bed? BEds creak sometimes
Frost: No.. it doesn't come from anywhere. Its just THERE. Its like IN THE ROOF. [looking upwards]
Me: Shhhhh let me listen
Frost: What? What is it? What are you listening?
Me: I am listening for the click, I can't hear anything.
Frost: It probably won't come again.
[We sit in silence for about 20 seconds]
Me: I can't hear anything. Okay, goodnight.
Frost: But I hear this CLICK!
Me. There ARE noises in a house. Its nothing dangerous. You are quite safe.
Frost: Can I sleep in your room?
At least I noticed we were out of coffee yesterday and ground a whole lot of it. It is my company for this belated dawning.
We think he is teething. I guess that is an overused excuse for an old-enough-to-know-better-baby waking all night (and getting fed for it) but he has been very whiney and not-put-downy during the day and is gnawing stuff more than usual. I gave him Tylenol and he slept 6.15pm-11.15pm and then yelled so much that Josh and later I went in to calm him. He had another Tylenol and nursed and slept till 3am, then 4.30am (ignored that one) and then 5am and napped in bed with me (in his room) till 5.30am and was up.
When he wakes up he crawls right off the bed unless grabbed so I have to lurch forward and grab his legs as soon as I feel him leave the warm blanket. Its hard. I am motivated though because a couple of days ago he fell off the bed with an almighty thud and it was the same day he fell into the table and hit his head on the bookcase while standing so I feel I have to prevent more bonks. He always crawls towards the nightlight and then to the guitar. He thwacks the guitar strings until they sound a discordant getup and go for me.
If I don't get up and go the guitar would fall over. Why do we have a guitar in his room. Gosh, at 5.57am I can't answer that.
Wren is crawling around at my feet and I swear I can hear milk sloshing in his belly. I see him as a vampiric hippo. You know? Vampires are always depicted as scrawny beasties but think how much a vampiric hippo would drink during the dark hours? That's Wren.
To top it all Frost had trouble going to sleep in his room because he could hear "a strange clicking sound. Its like this CLICK. It isn't "click click click" its just CLICK. It doesn't happen often, perhaps it won't happen again tonight"
Me: "Okay, goodnight"
Frost: (5 minutes later) "I heard it again. What is it?"
Me: Let me come and listen.
Frost: It probably won't happen again. I've only heard it about 3 times. ITs like CLICK.
Me: Where does it come from? The bed? BEds creak sometimes
Frost: No.. it doesn't come from anywhere. Its just THERE. Its like IN THE ROOF. [looking upwards]
Me: Shhhhh let me listen
Frost: What? What is it? What are you listening?
Me: I am listening for the click, I can't hear anything.
Frost: It probably won't come again.
[We sit in silence for about 20 seconds]
Me: I can't hear anything. Okay, goodnight.
Frost: But I hear this CLICK!
Me. There ARE noises in a house. Its nothing dangerous. You are quite safe.
Frost: Can I sleep in your room?
At least I noticed we were out of coffee yesterday and ground a whole lot of it. It is my company for this belated dawning.
Diapers Out of Stock... still?
I am frustrated. Once again, Stage 3 Seventh Generation diapers are out of stock EVERYWHERE. Wren is having to use Stage 4 which are saggy round the leg and have caused some exciting moments of leakage. The most thrilling was the 'poop down my arm' incident at the library. I'd left the diaper bag at home since it was supposed to be a quick trip.
I tried Bartells, PCC, Wholefoods and no-one has Stage 3.
On a side-note, Natasha is very keen that I compost our diapers with worms. This disturbs me but she has a number of friends who do it in Australia. Hrmmm. This is still very much in the Under Consideration bucket, pile, whatever..
I tried Bartells, PCC, Wholefoods and no-one has Stage 3.
On a side-note, Natasha is very keen that I compost our diapers with worms. This disturbs me but she has a number of friends who do it in Australia. Hrmmm. This is still very much in the Under Consideration bucket, pile, whatever..
Sunday, August 26, 2007
About that poppyseed cake..
After all that, I forgot to mention the orange poppyseed cake in my last post. Yesterday Natasha and I held an Australian tea party. On offer was Harrods Tea, Orange Poppyseed Cake and Remarkable Lemonade Scones with homemade (2004) Raspberry Jam and cream.
It was delicious and we managed to polish off all but one slice of the cake and all but 3 scones. We had 5 guests to tea, which helped.
Wren had a fabulous night's sleep. He woke only once - at 3am. I nursed him and put him back in his crib and he woke again at 5.40am for the day. That is not bad considering he went to bed at 6pm.
Unfortunately, as is often the case with mothers whose babies wake all night - I woke all night even when he didn't. At 2am I was wide awake waiting for a shriek. When none came I got up and peaked in his room at his sleep snuffling form.
I was doze-waking at 4am but he didn't wake then either so I had my own little night-waking party all on my own. Thankfully, I had all that nice cake and spa relaxation to think about and got back to sleep fairly quickly each time.
It was delicious and we managed to polish off all but one slice of the cake and all but 3 scones. We had 5 guests to tea, which helped.
Wren had a fabulous night's sleep. He woke only once - at 3am. I nursed him and put him back in his crib and he woke again at 5.40am for the day. That is not bad considering he went to bed at 6pm.
Unfortunately, as is often the case with mothers whose babies wake all night - I woke all night even when he didn't. At 2am I was wide awake waiting for a shriek. When none came I got up and peaked in his room at his sleep snuffling form.
I was doze-waking at 4am but he didn't wake then either so I had my own little night-waking party all on my own. Thankfully, I had all that nice cake and spa relaxation to think about and got back to sleep fairly quickly each time.
Cranky, grumpy but lots of poppyseed cake
Wren was rather fractious today. He cried quickly and was not content to crawl around, eat and explore as usual. Instead he liked to be carried and seemed very drooly and perhaps a bit warm at times.
We have decided he is either a bit sick or teething. I put him to bed early (6pm) because he really could not keep his head up or stop crying. I gave him tylenol and he was out like a light. I hope the rest of the night is uneventful.
Tash and Douglas are leaving for Burning Man tomorrow morning and we are taking them to the airport early and going to a 7th birthday party in the afternoon.
I am going to have some tea and then sleep. I am very tired because I went to the Olympus Spa in Lynnwood this morning and am so very relaxed :)
We have decided he is either a bit sick or teething. I put him to bed early (6pm) because he really could not keep his head up or stop crying. I gave him tylenol and he was out like a light. I hope the rest of the night is uneventful.
Tash and Douglas are leaving for Burning Man tomorrow morning and we are taking them to the airport early and going to a 7th birthday party in the afternoon.
I am going to have some tea and then sleep. I am very tired because I went to the Olympus Spa in Lynnwood this morning and am so very relaxed :)
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Skin issues sidetrack
At our last pediatrician appointment I pointed out a few marks which have appeared on Wren's skin. The three smaller ones are tiny pale brown marks called cafe au lait spots. His are less than 3mm across but were not there before. The pediatrician said that was nothing to be alarmed by but if he had or grew many more they would watch for a neurological condition called neurofibromatosis. Ick.
The fourth marking was there from birth but has thickened slightly and reddens when he is hot or cold. The pediatrician said she suspected a mastocytoma and scratched it to see if it caused "hives". I have since read that this is called a Darier sign. She said that Wren's did not form a hive quickly but by the time we were home it had blistered and looked like a little weal so that is probably what it is.
Today Frost finished his last summer camp - a play of Roger the Jolly Pirate. Here are some pictures I took of the final performance in the park. Frost was "Man 1" - one of the Admiral's men. He had a single solo line to say "it is a ghost!" and said so with a flourish before running over to tell me he had seen an inch worm on a tree.
Frost and Wren on the grass at the Good shepherd center:
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Moving to own room
There have been a few changes and lots of moving about going on in our home this week. Natasha and Douglas are still visiting from Australia and its wonderful to have them around. I have company in the morning, people to offer me tea (made from loose leaf Harrods tea mum gave me a few visits ago) and lots of getting out and about to counter my rather repetitive and mundane habits. This evening Tash and Doug are dining at Wild Ginger (there is a bit of envy in my tone) and Doug spent some of the afternoon browsing at Elliot Bay Book company.
It is testimony to the monorail of my life that I mis-typed Elliot Baby Book company. Yeah, its all baby all of the time!
On the baby front (mis-typed as Frost) things are also afoot. Wren is pulling up on everything and just starting to take a single shuffling step along while standing up. If he wants to travel some distance along the couch or gate he sits down and crawls before standing up again. Still, the shuffling has begun and will no doubt evolve into cruising before too long.
I know I owe you pictures of this standing business but although Frost has been in camp all this week (its one about Pirates) I haven't manage to catch up on much of anything. I am more relaxed though and feel I am a much better mother. I guess my mothering know-how only extends to about 8 hours a day. If I have more than that I feel some depletion (decomposition seems a better word) and find myself tuning out and having to say "pardon?" when I have missed a conversation.
Yesterday, I moved Wren's crib into his own room (which was once Granny's room and more recently Frost's camp). Joshua moved from Frost's camp to our room and Frost moved to his new room. Wren is now sleeping in his crib in his room although I am still willing to move to the room in the wee hours until the Night Weaning plan takes effect. I have decided to give him a week in his new room before night weaning in case he has trouble adjusting.
Wren has lots of routines which he enjoys and some he doesn't. He does not like clothes changing or bathtime. He loves to stand at the base of the yellow slide in the garden with his diaper hanging low and covered in leaves and twigs, eating pebbles. Thankfully the pebbles are tiny but they keep me busy doing the mouth scoops.
Speaking of mouths - I noticed Wren had a few white spots in his mouth yesterday and fearing thrush I took him to our pediatrician. It is not thrush but he has mouth ulcers probably from a low grade virus. He had been fussy nursing which now makes sense. While there I mentioned my concerns about some skin markings Wren has. Three little brown patches less than 3mm across have emerged in the past month and he has an irregular reddish slightly raised and scaly patch to the left of his spine.
The doctor said that the brown patches are cafe au lait marks and up to 6 are okay. More than that and they can be a sign of some neurological issue I don't want to dwell on but have. She scratched the other mark and said she expected it to cause some hives if it was what she thought it was. It didn't cause hives but she still suspects its this thing which name I forget. It is benign. This didn't satisfy me either and I left more anxious than before. I will discuss this further at our 9 month checkup in a few weeks.
Okay, enough for today. I am going to eat dinner.
It is testimony to the monorail of my life that I mis-typed Elliot Baby Book company. Yeah, its all baby all of the time!
On the baby front (mis-typed as Frost) things are also afoot. Wren is pulling up on everything and just starting to take a single shuffling step along while standing up. If he wants to travel some distance along the couch or gate he sits down and crawls before standing up again. Still, the shuffling has begun and will no doubt evolve into cruising before too long.
I know I owe you pictures of this standing business but although Frost has been in camp all this week (its one about Pirates) I haven't manage to catch up on much of anything. I am more relaxed though and feel I am a much better mother. I guess my mothering know-how only extends to about 8 hours a day. If I have more than that I feel some depletion (decomposition seems a better word) and find myself tuning out and having to say "pardon?" when I have missed a conversation.
Yesterday, I moved Wren's crib into his own room (which was once Granny's room and more recently Frost's camp). Joshua moved from Frost's camp to our room and Frost moved to his new room. Wren is now sleeping in his crib in his room although I am still willing to move to the room in the wee hours until the Night Weaning plan takes effect. I have decided to give him a week in his new room before night weaning in case he has trouble adjusting.
Wren has lots of routines which he enjoys and some he doesn't. He does not like clothes changing or bathtime. He loves to stand at the base of the yellow slide in the garden with his diaper hanging low and covered in leaves and twigs, eating pebbles. Thankfully the pebbles are tiny but they keep me busy doing the mouth scoops.
Speaking of mouths - I noticed Wren had a few white spots in his mouth yesterday and fearing thrush I took him to our pediatrician. It is not thrush but he has mouth ulcers probably from a low grade virus. He had been fussy nursing which now makes sense. While there I mentioned my concerns about some skin markings Wren has. Three little brown patches less than 3mm across have emerged in the past month and he has an irregular reddish slightly raised and scaly patch to the left of his spine.
The doctor said that the brown patches are cafe au lait marks and up to 6 are okay. More than that and they can be a sign of some neurological issue I don't want to dwell on but have. She scratched the other mark and said she expected it to cause some hives if it was what she thought it was. It didn't cause hives but she still suspects its this thing which name I forget. It is benign. This didn't satisfy me either and I left more anxious than before. I will discuss this further at our 9 month checkup in a few weeks.
Okay, enough for today. I am going to eat dinner.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Birthday Party by the lake
Today we all went to one of Frost's school friends's birthday party. They have a cabin by a lake in Snohomish county. The water was warm and pleasant for swimming and Frost had a wonderful day swimming in the lake without a lifejacket, jumping off the jetty, climbing up onto a large inflatable lake trampoline and playing extended bouts of super squirter combat. He has a nasty graze on his knee from falling while running at the park yesterday but it didn't hurt him or slow him down until he returned to the car. Then he started groaning.
He said it was the best birthday party ever.
Wren also had a fine time crawling around on the large grassy lawn by the lake. He tried to eat hemlock cones and cracker jacks (caramel coated popcorn) but was denied. Instead he had avocado. He napped much of the drive home but revived to eat "dinner" when we arrived. He had some of the frozen sweet potato granny made him with some frozen spinach. He ate two cubes of food (frozen in an ice cube tray) and could have had more.
Josh and I also enjoyed ourselves. I had a margarita and a swim in the lake. Joshua had lots of time looking after Wren. He and Frost have just about finished watching the latest Pirates of the Carribean from netflix. I think Frost was too exhausted to do anything else and while he is enjoying it he keeps saying "wow, this movie is long".
I hope Wren sleeps well tonight.
He said it was the best birthday party ever.
Wren also had a fine time crawling around on the large grassy lawn by the lake. He tried to eat hemlock cones and cracker jacks (caramel coated popcorn) but was denied. Instead he had avocado. He napped much of the drive home but revived to eat "dinner" when we arrived. He had some of the frozen sweet potato granny made him with some frozen spinach. He ate two cubes of food (frozen in an ice cube tray) and could have had more.
Josh and I also enjoyed ourselves. I had a margarita and a swim in the lake. Joshua had lots of time looking after Wren. He and Frost have just about finished watching the latest Pirates of the Carribean from netflix. I think Frost was too exhausted to do anything else and while he is enjoying it he keeps saying "wow, this movie is long".
I hope Wren sleeps well tonight.
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