The Adventures of Cutie Pie

Happy Birthday Cutie Pie!

2009-11-10T06:49:00.001-05:00

Testing the limits of the carpet cleaner

2009-10-21T06:44:00.006-04:00

Cutie Pie has started a new battle of wills. It's anybodies guess when he will abruptly end a meal by throwing his tray across the room.

As you can see, Cutie Pie has discovered an interesting quirk of our otherwise perfect highchair. It has a clear plastic tray that nests on top of the pretty wooden tray. This way the baby eats off the plastic, washable part but the chair still looks nice and matches the dining room furniture. This feature was important to me when we bought the chair because our house is small and there was no where to store a high chair. The baby's chair was going to be right out there 24/7 and I wanted it to blend in with the rest of the decor. I have since given up on such illusions, as you can probably tell if you look back at the pictures of my living room covered with a garish baby mat and littered with toys.

I am open to suggestions on how to manage this messy dilemma. We bought one of those booster seats that pull right up to the table but he throws his little baby plates and bowls around the room with reckless abandon so I prefer to use the highchair where he can eat off the tray. At least the tray is big and easy to catch before it hits the floor.

This whole thing started as a protest by Cutie Pie when we didn't feed him fast enough. Cutie Pie prefers to scoop all his food up in one handful and shove it in his mouth, often choking in the process. To avoid having to use CPR at every meal, we had to be more careful about giving him small bites and pacing him through the meal. However, sometimes Cutie Pie eats those bites in a matter of seconds. If you mistakenly turn your attention to your own plate, you are in trouble. I've had to learn to eat with one hand holding down Cutie Pie's tray and the other hand cutting up Cutie Pie sized bites. If only I had three hands so I could feed myself!

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Another Abandoned Blog

2009-10-12T21:36:00.005-04:00

Blogging has fallen to the bottom of the priority list lately as I try to juggle being the mother of an active, walking, falling, whining, running, babbling, nose running, coughing, door opening toddler and managing the "busy season" at work. Life has become a never ending exercise in organization. That pile of paperwork never seems to get any smaller. And since they pay me to work, it must come before blogging.

I have really missed the creative outlet blogging gives me. Each day, when Cutie Pie does something unbelievably cute, I think to myself, "That would make a great blog."

For instance, when Cutie Pie and Da Da invented the "I'm going to get you!" game. I have never heard a sound so beautiful as the giggles and laughs coming from my husband and son playing together. It makes tears come to my eyes just thinking about it.

Cutie Pie has also been discovering new and exciting things around the house. No matter where he is and what he is doing, he keeps one eye on the bathroom door. And if someone should absent mindedly leave it open, Cutie Pie makes a beeline for the toilet, which he thinks is the Best Toy Ever! The best part is that Mommy immediately picks him up when he touches the toilet and washes his hands, another treat. Cutie Pie has begun to associate the toilet with water play. Lucky me!

The most exciting thing to happen lately was when Cutie Pie learned how to open the screen door to the backyard. He loves swinging that door wide open and walking out into the yard all by himself. He's such a big boy now. Unfortunately, he's not always sure on his feet and the other day he tumbled head first into a pile of dirt one of the dogs had just created. Cutie Pie was covered, he even had dirt in his eyes. I resisted the urge to immediately wash him off because it was the first time my baby boy had ever really gotten dirty! Not to worry though, he got a bath soon enough. Which of course, just made his day. Let's hope he doesn't realize that getting filthy gets him a trip to the bathtub or he'll be getting 8 baths a day!

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10 Months and Counting

2009-09-15T22:24:00.005-04:00

Cutie Pie reached the all-important milestone of double digits: 10 months. Since I have been breastfeeding him this whole time, I now consider myself an expert breastfeeder.

We had our share of problems in the beginning. I remember reading about different personality traits babies have that can contribute to difficulty feeding. Cutie Pie had all of them. Excited Ineffective: when he sees that it's time to eat, he gets so excited that he can't eat correctly. The Rester: likes to eat a little, then sleep a little, then eat a little more, then sleep a little more... The Gourmet: likes to taste the milk first and will not be rushed into eating. The Baracuda: digs right in and eats enthusiastically, sometimes painfully. And finally, The Procrastinator: gets upset if the milk is not there NOW!

Somehow we made it through those painful and emotional early days and got to the point where nursing part of our routine. We love to cuddle in our rocking chair at feeding time. Cutie Pie is just as much an expert as I am.

As Cutie Pie approaches his first birthday, I know my breastfeeding time is coming to a close. It really makes me sad that my baby is growing up so fast. The kid is eating solid food like a line backer. He's going to have no use for milk very soon. This next phase in our lives is going to be a hard one for Mommy.

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Is This How You Catch A Cold?

2009-09-10T07:00:00.002-04:00

Well, Cutie Pie did it again. He caught another cold.

This time Cutie Pie got his germs from me. I was absolutely miserable over the weekend. We were supposed to go meet a friend's new baby but the evil cold put a halt to our plans. We know all too well that new babies shouldn't be around sick people. When Cutie Pie was born, our Doctor all but drilled that into our heads. I had to do the responsible thing. I stayed home and sniffled. I was devastated that day, not because I felt sick, but because I couldn't stand to be trapped in the house for another day. I love spending more time at home with Cutie Pie but I also love going out. Unfortunately, there are only so many places I can take a nine month old. I get excited every time I get to leave the house.

I was quite proud of myself for keeping Cutie Pie germ free during my cold. I kept my hands washed and avoided sneezing and coughing when I held him. I did everything those Swine Flu people have been telling us to do. I guess I didn't do as good a job as I thought, Cutie Pie woke up this morning with a drippy nose and no appetite. It's amazing to me that Cutie Pie can be so sick but keep smiling. I wish I could be more like him.

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Ouch! Teething hurts everyone.

2009-09-09T07:00:00.000-04:00

More teeth! Cutie Pie thinks he is a dinosaur. His new favorite game is to screech, grab my neck in a bear hug and bite my shoulder as hard as he can.

It makes me so sad that he bites when he hugs me. I love hugging my baby boy. I don't love it when he sharpens his new chompers on my shoulder blade. Now, when he hugs me, I have to play defense. I can only relax when his mouth is already full.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to not scream and scare him to death. I have been passing out teething rings for so long now that I don't know where they are anymore. It doesn't matter anyway. He doesn't want to bite those boring, tasteless teething rings. He wants to bite Mommy. I've got black and blue spots on my shoulders as proof.

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These Shoes are Made for Walking

2009-09-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

We have a walker! Cutie Pie is getting to be quite good at walking. I am so excited that he is moving around. He is growing up so fast. He's pretty pleased with himself too. Now he can reach all kinds of new things. I even saw him standing on his tippy toes trying to reach the door handle. Who taught him how to open a door?

So after we finished jumping for joy at seeing Cutie Pie take his first steps, we got down to the very important business of buying Cutie Pie his first shoes. He had a couple of pairs in size five that I picked up a month ago. I figured he would grow into them. I crammed them onto his feet a couple of times over the past month. I had a hard time getting them on but I figured it was because Cutie Pie is always curling his toes. The shoe seemed a little big so I guessed that Cutie Pie was a size four. So I went out and bought my Cutie Pie the cutest little size four Reebok you ever did see. I couldn't even get them past his toes.

It became apparant to me that my baby was one of the unlucky children with extra wide feet. I was going to have to buy his shoes from a specialty store. And not just his first shoes. Every shoe I buy him. Forever. Great.

We made a trip to Stride Rite, where they quickly fitted Cutie Pie with size 5 1/2 Wide. After spending more money that I would on my own shoes, Cutie Pie walked out of the store officially a big boy. He cried a little on the way home because he didn't know what those giant things on his feet were. But Cutie Pie has gotten used to wearing shoes over the past few days and now they don't seem to slow him down one bit.

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Three Scary Words: Working From Home

2009-09-07T11:13:00.007-04:00

In this month's American Baby Magazine, there was an article about how hard it is to work from home. Yeah, no kidding. I work part time at the office and part time at home to keep my full time job. While I'm at the office, I feel overwhelmingly guilty about leaving my child with other people. He loves it. When I'm at home, I put Cutie Pie and playtime first but I'm always thinking in the back of my mind about what files I need to finish next. I can never snap out of my work mode. It's hard to relax and just enjoy being a Mommy when there's a soul-crushing pile of paperwork sitting in the next room.

The article gave tips for carving out time to work but it basically recommended that you find someone else to watch your kid because you can't work and be Mommy at the same time. Thanks for the tip. I make time for work when Cutie Pie is sleeping. The problem is that I bring home about 20 hours of work a week but Cutie Pie does not quite sleep enough for me to complete my work, housework and sleep myself. This is how I end up like I was last week: an exhausted mess, buried under mounds of paperwork. I might actually be happier if I worked from WORK!

But no matter how I look at it, I just can't give up my extra time with Cutie Pie. Working from home is hard but missing Cutie Pie all day is harder.

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Let's Play!

2009-09-06T11:59:00.002-04:00

"Yeah! Da! Ba! Da!" Cutie Pie loves to play.

It is so cool to watch him play and discover new things. Cutie Pie seems to learn something new every day. Yesterday he learned how to climb on top of a box and fall off. It's enough to make a mother beam with pride!

I've been trying to keep the house stocked with educational toys. This isn't exactly an easy thing to do. When you walk down the aisles at Target, everything has a sound chip in it. This is great for capturing Cutie Pie's attention for the first few seconds of play but he honestly prefers to discover new things without lights flashing and annoying nursery rhymes blaring. I am so glad because I enjoy every quiet moment I can get.

Recently, I noticed that Target is carrying a new line of Circo wooden toys. I picked up an inexpensive hammer and peg set for Cutie Pie to try. The hammer went straight to his mouth, of course. Within minutes, his new little teeth scraped the paint off the handle on the hammer. So much for that

Cutie Pie plays longer and more intently with wooden toys and just objects from around the house. Lately I have noticed that Cutie Pie seems to have a preference for round objects. He likes to put balls inside rings and fit cups together. It's absolutely fascinating to watch him. He looks at everything very closely and his breathing gets faster. He finally fits his circles together then tosses them aside and crawls away laughing. Next!

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A New 'Do

2009-08-27T07:00:00.004-04:00

My baby is a real boy.

Da Da took one look at Cutie Pie's wavy locks in his nine month pictures and said Cutie Pie is getting a hair cut. And he wasn't kidding. Before I knew what was going on, Da Da was checking the guard on his clippers and bribing Cutie Pie with Gerber Graduate lil' crunchies to keep him happy in his high chair.

I hid in the other room because I just couldn't stand to see the tears I knew would be coming. But, surprisingly Cutie Pie's haircut went fairly well. He was all smiles after a few reassuring kisses. He hardly noticed his missing hair. Even more surprising, I didn't cry one bit.

He looks like a real little boy now, without his little baby curls. I think his new 'do makes his teeth look bigger. How about you?

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Whine about Whining

2009-08-26T04:23:00.006-04:00

I can handle teething, gas, cold and flu, but separation anxiety drives me nuts.

Cutie Pie is going through another stage. He must be touching Mommy, or Da Da, but preferably Mommy, at all times. This means I can't go anywhere or do anything in the house if he is awake. Want to clean up Cutie Pie's highchair after breakfast? Cutie Pie clings to my leg and whines until I pick him up. Cutie Pie actually prefers to help do dishes instead of playing with his toys. I've got to remember to tell Cutie Pie this interesting fact in say, ten years.

I've gotten very good at multitasking with Cutie Pie balanced on my hip. My only problem is when Cutie Pie decides he wants to touch a dirty pan in the sink or a boiling pot of water on the stove and he unexpectedly throws all his body weight to the side. So far I've been very lucky to catch him.

Cutie Pie used to like to practice walking and play with his toys. Now he just wants to be held most of the time. He also prefers to be walked around the house or danced with, thank you very much.

The most difficult aspect of Cutie Pie's fear is that he cries every time he realizes that I am not with him. This means that his naps do not last long and nights last forever. As long as I'm holding him, he sleeps. But when I put him down, he screams the second he wakes up. Poor Cutie Pie gets lonely sleeping in his crib. Never fear, Mommy is here!

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Let's Eat!

2009-08-24T22:46:00.003-04:00

Yum Yum Yum! Cutie Pie loves to eat. He's making the transition from baby food to big boy food. Today he stole my sandwich right off the table. I'm not kidding. I put my plate in the middle of the coffee table thinking I could nibble on it in between building giant block towers for Cutie Pie to knock down. The next thing I knew, his little paws were pulling the bread up to his mouth. I laughed so loudly it made him jump. But it didn't slow him down from shoving the whole piece of bread into his mouth.

I think Cutie Pie might be part chipmunk. At mealtime, I hand him his little bite sized soft foods a few bites at a time. He puts them in his mouth and makes chewing motions. Everything appears normal. Next thing I know, he's coughing and choking, he opens his mouth and spits out a huge glob of food that he had been hoarding in his cheeks. Da Da is on to him. He started squeezing Cutie Pie's cheeks to make sure they were empty before dispensing Cutie Pie's next bite. That Da Da is so smart.

Meals have become adventures lately. Sometimes they are great. Sometimes they end in disaster. Cutie Pie is teaching us that he has difficulty eating chunky foods. No matter how thin the baby food is. If there is any type of solid mixed in, even if it's just rice, he will choke on it and make himself sick. Cutie Pie has been trying to teach us this lesson for several weeks now but Mommy has been very slow to catch on!

Sometimes, especially after a particularly horrifying coughing episode, I think that Cutie Pie is just not yet ready to eat big boy food. Then I go his school and see him eating chicken or green beans with no problem at all. Maybe Cutie Pie just chokes on MY food; already a critic.

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Big Baby

2009-08-21T12:37:00.006-04:00

Cutie Pie is a big baby. No, really. He is huge. He weighed in at 10 lbs 6 oz when he was born and he hasn't stopped growing. He is nine months old and today he is wearing 24 month clothes! We go through clothes faster than we go through baby wipes!

I liked having a big baby when he was first born. Big babies just seem less fragile. The risk of SIDS decreases. It made him special. He was the enormous baby that people talked about with amazement in their voice. Everywhere I went, I heard "Oh! You're the one with the big baby! I can't believe he was so big!" Then I could say, with pride in my voice "Yes, he was very big. He is amazing."

So here he is at nine months old. He outgrew his infant carrier months ago. Trying to change his diaper is like wrestling a real bear. He is trying to walk and has taken as many as four steps at a time. His teachers at school said he walked across the room but I don't believe it. He wouldn't dare do something so momentous at school where Mommy and Daddy couldn't videotape him so it doesn't count. My Cutie Pie is trying to walk but just hasn't mastered it yet. This means that anywhere we go, he gets carried. Have I mentioned that my baby is HUGE?

My left arm is becoming ridiculously muscular. I'm starting to resemble one of those crabs with one big claw and one tiny one. My lopsided arms are the least of my problems. Cutie Pie is a typical nine month old. He doesn't stay still while you hold him. Cutie Pie loves to wriggle around, challenging whoever is holding him to a battle of wills and balance.

We practice walking every chance we get. I just can't wait to put him down. Just for a minute.

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Cutie Pie Bites

2009-08-19T06:00:00.002-04:00

It's official, my child is a biter. Ever since he got his top teeth, he loves to bite everything he can put in his mouth. This includes Mommy's arms, face, fingers and just about anything he can get.

The mosquitos can get pretty bad in the summer so the other day, I was not surprised to find little red marks on my arm. I thought they were just mosquito bites but they didn't itch. They felt a little sore. Upon closer inspection, they were Cutie Pie Bites.

A few months ago, he started giving kisses. It was the sweetest thing when he'd wrap his little arms around my neck and put his open slobbery mouth on my cheek, covering my face with baby goo. When he gave me a kiss the other day, I thought nothing of it until "CHOMP!" his teeth closed in on my cheek.

He's still a little person and doesn't understand "No biting." His teacher at school told me to keep plenty of alternative teething rings nearby. She said that every time he bites someone, I should give him a teething toy to redirect his need to bite. Her instructions made perfect sense but have proven to be difficult to follow. When a child is biting you on the face and will not let go, you're just not thinking about where you left that darn teething ring. When you are trying to nurse your child to sleep and he bites you like he's sinking his teeth into a Big Mac, you don't care about any teething rings. When your arms are full of bags and you're trying to load up the car and you're worried about being late to an appointment and your little Vampire suddenly tries to suck the blood out of your arm, teething rings are the last thing you're going to think of. Just in case though, I've got an arsenal of teething rings hidden all over the house and the car.

I love my baby's new, shiny, little white teeth. I just wish Cutie Pie could keep them to himself.

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Taking It To A Whole New Level

2009-08-18T20:51:00.006-04:00

I am taking this motherhood thing to a whole new level... of exhaustion. Cutie Pie hasn't slept through the night in two weeks. Every night while I stumble around in the dark with my wiggly little nine month old, I reach for that silver lining and think about how grateful I am for the opportunity to spend extra time with my Cutie Pie.

I used to be one of those people who needed nine hours of sleep each night to function. Heaven help the person who kept me from my sleep! When I'm tired, I fall behind on my work and the Neverending To-Do List spirals out of control. For the past week, in between midnight visits from Mr. Crankypants, I have been in grown-up-time-out in front of my desk full of paperwork.

It's amazing though. No matter how much sleep I lose, when Cutie Pie wakes up in the morning, I am right there with him. Somehow I manage to find this amazing mothering energy that keeps me up and moving all day. My husband says there must be some sort of caffeinated Mom Hormone that is released when I see Cutie Pie that allows me to chase my wild, crawling little Cutie Pie despite a lack of sleep. I don't know where I find the energy, but I'm glad to have it. Heaven help ME if I were to doze off, leaving him unsupervised.

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The Party is Over

2009-08-13T09:12:00.007-04:00

"Ehh!" Cutie Pie rubs his eyes.

"Just try to keep him up another hour."

"Ehh! Ehh!" More eye rubbing.

Cutie Pie is giving us all the classic signs that he is exhausted. If we ignore him, he is sure to let us know his displeasure. He obviously needs to go to bed. The only problem is that this scene played out at a wedding, shortly after dinner was served. I never got to dance with my husband. I didn't even get to see the cake. My night was over. The boss said so.

Da Da and I had to leave our friends and family. While they celebrated, we slowly trudged back to our room with Cutie Pie. When people tell you having a baby is like being grounded 24/7, they aren't kidding.

Cutie Pie was asleep within minutes. The only high point of the evening was when Cutie Pie's Uncle took pity on us and delivered a slice of wedding cake.

I felt incredible guilt for leaving early with little Cutie Pie. I am one of those people who always stays to the end of the reception, sending off my loved ones in a shower of birdseed or rose petals or bubbles or whatever. I didn't want to be perceived as rude for leaving so early but I didn't want anyone to get upset with me for ruining the reception with my screaming baby. Cutie Pie didn't care if Mommy felt guilty, he was sleepy and making sure he got to bed was all that mattered. Being a responsible parent is no fun.

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Nine Months!?

2009-08-11T23:59:00.003-04:00

Cutie Pie reached another milestone yesterday. He is nine months old. I don't know how it is possible to love him any more than I did on the day he was born but I do.

Da Da and I are reminded all the time just how lucky we are to have such an easy baby. I like to hold my Cutie Pie and think about how "easy" he is at one in the morning when I am sitting in the rocking chair, pretending to be patient and trying not to fall asleep.

Happy 9 months Cutie Pie!

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RV to the Rescue!

2009-08-10T22:38:00.007-04:00

Last weekend, we traveled to a destination wedding in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. As we prepared for our trip, Cutie Pie tried to sabotage our plans by developing yet another nasty cold. The night before we were set to leave on our marathon car ride, Cutie was stayed up coughing and crying. It soon became apparent that traveling was not in the cards.

At eight months of age it is not developmentally appropriate to take an eight hour car trip. Any parent who disagrees with me is crazy. That's right, I said it. Cutie Pie is an active little guy. He wants to be crawling and practicing his walking skills at every waking moment. He can hardly sit still to eat! We knew that trying to strap him in a car seat for a long period of time was going to be hell on wheels. When Cutie Pie added the illness to the equation, we decided the trip just wasn't meant to be.

Then Cutie Pie's Papa offered to let us use his RV for the trip. Sure gas would be expensive, but seeing our friend get married in the mountains would be priceless. Taking the RV was the perfect solution. Cutie Pie was able to interact with everyone during the trip, which meant he stayed entertained and happy, mostly.

Cutie Pie seemed to enjoy his first big road trip. It was really neat to watch him stare out at the mountains for the first time and play in the creek where I once played as a child. The wedding was great and the bride was beautiful. What a great weekend!

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All Done!

2009-08-04T21:57:00.007-04:00

"Alright Cutie Pie are you ready to eat? "

"All Done!"

"What? You're all done?"

"All Done!"

"OK. If you say so." I put the spoon and bowl away.

"Aaah!" Cutie Pie reaches for the food. "All Done!"

I'm starting to think that Cutie Pie doesn't know what "All Done" means. We were so proud of him when he started signing. "All Done" isn't a real sign but the kids in our family are taught to put their arms in the air to express that they are through eating. It seemed like a good idea to me so we began teaching Cutie Pie this easy sign.

After just a few weeks, he seemed to show us his sign for "All Done" at the end of his meals. I was so proud when I told his Teachers at school about my super intelligent baby and I asked them to please reinforce his signing when he eats in the classroom. We really thought we were getting somewhere. But in the last few days, Cutie Pie has been signing "All Done" and saying "Ah Duh!" right away when he sits down to eat. Then when we stop feeding him, he gets upset! Oh well. At least he knows to say "All Done" at meals.

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Not so fast, Mommy!

2009-08-03T22:56:00.005-04:00

Every now and then I feel a glimmer of hope that I just might be OK at this whole Mom thing. Just when I start to gain a little confidence and walk a little straighter, Cutie Pie says "Not so fast, Mommy!" BAM! He reminds me who is really in charge of our household.

This morning, Cutie Pie woke up earlier than usual. No worries. That just gave me more time to spend with him before school. He played while I got ready for work and I enjoyed playing peek a boo in between brushing my teeth and looking for my shoes. It was so easy, I felt like I had conquered motherhood.

In my blissfully confident state, I left Cutie Pie to play with his toys in the living room while I quickly ran to the other room to pack my files into my bag. I heard some banging but I figured he was just playing with his favorite stacking toys again. I walked back into the living room after leaving him alone for maybe thirty seconds. In that short time, he had made a bee-line for the dog bowls. In my unrealistic and downright cocky state, I had neglected to remove them from reach. Cutie Pie had poured water all over the kitchen and was in the process of sprinkling dog food into the puddle he had created. I grabbed the broom and swept up the soggy dog food while Cutie Pie splashed on the kitchen floor. When he saw me pick up the food in the dust pan, he cried like I had ruined his day.

Cutie Pie became Mr. Crankypants when I changed him into dry clothes and I realized that my early riser was already in need of a nap. He fell asleep five minutes before it was time to walk out the door. I decided it was better to be a little late than to awaken the Master of the House so I let him rest for a bit while I enjoyed the great luxury of packing the car in peace.

Just when I thought I was getting control over my life again, Cutie Pie let me know who's boss.

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Avocados and Bananas?!

2009-07-31T23:59:00.001-04:00

I keep seeing articles that say babies love avocados. So when I saw them on sale, I bought one and gave it a try. It was hard to resist the urge to dump a bunch of garlic in there and eat it myself. A friend of mine told me she knew a baby that likes avocados and bananas mashed together. I had half a banana to use up, so I threw it in there too.

Sounds disgusting right? It was delicious and Cutie Pie loved it. I could totally see myself sitting next to the pool and dipping plantain chips into my baby's food. If you want to try Cutie Pie's new favorite food, it's simple:

Half an avocado, mashed
Quarter of a banana, mashed

Mix it all up and serve!

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Where are all these bugs coming from?

2009-07-30T20:12:00.003-04:00

Just when I thought my biggest problem was the swine flu vaccine. Cutie Pie caught the real flu and gave me something real to worry about. Well, I don't know if it's really the FLU, since it's July and all. But it's making him miserable and it has created a horrible mess in my house. Cutie Pie wore every shirt he owns today. I've also washed every crib sheet and blanket in the house. Sometimes it is such fun to be a Mom.

Da Da caught the bug too. I don't know how he manages to get everything Cutie Pie gets. I'm starting to wonder if the boys are purposely getting sick together to gang up on me and drive me crazy. I saw the dog outside eating grass and told her, "OH no you don't! I've got enough sickness to clean up without you too!"

Cutie Pie has been asleep for twenty minutes, which makes it officially his longest nap of the day. Finally, I have some time to tackle that laundry.

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More Pandemic

2009-07-29T21:50:00.005-04:00

Just when you thought it was safe to leave the house, the pandemic is back. The news seemed to forget all about the swine flu for a while there but this week H1N1 is all over the place. I heard that all children are going to be required to get the swine flu vaccines this year and as the mommy of a little person, I am very concerned.

Cutie Pie already has to get a million shots this year. When I go to read about the shots, I am bombarded with negative information. Many of the books I have read recommend finding a doctor who will let you pick and choose your shots. I can't imagine telling Cutie Pie's doctor, "Yes, I'd like a little more Hib, hold the MMR." Reading these books and articles makes me feel like I am being an irresponsible mother by vaccinating my child. But I really don't have a choice because Cutie Pie has to keep up with his shots or his doctor won't see him and he won't be able to go to school.

So now Cutie Pie has to get more shots. The only thing worse than getting more shots, is actually getting the swine flu. Thanks a lot, swine flu, for giving me a whole new reason to worry.

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A Snowball in July

2009-07-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

A new baby started at Cutie Pie's school yesterday. I watched as his Mommy dropped him off and gave her last minute instructions to the Teachers. It brought back all the memories of anxiety and panic that I felt on Cutie Pie's first day. I've grown up a lot since then and Cutie Pie has too.

Cutie Pie has changed so much. I keep one of those memory calendars where you write in all his milestones. Now that he is older, there is something to record every day. Just last week, Cutie Pie took his first steps, got his first black eye, learned to like peas, ate pancakes, hid his face behind a blanket to play peek a boo, made clicking sounds with his tongue, started signing for "more" and "all done" and said hi and waved to another little baby. He seemed to make one small advance and it just snowballed. It is so exciting to the the Mommy of an eight month old.

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The Danger Zone!

2009-07-27T15:52:00.004-04:00

Cutie Pie's house is a (mostly) baby-proof safe zone. We don't have bumpers on the furniture but he can pretty much go wherever he wants in the house without encountering anything too dangerous. Cutie Pie quickly taught us how to baby-proof and what areas of the house we should just make off-limits. We followed his instructions and the family has been very happy in our baby-proof home.

Unfortunately, the rest of the world is not baby-proof. On our recent whirlwind trip to visit relatives, I realized that my baby-proof house has given me a false sense of security. When put into a new environment, particularly one with lots of expensive knick knacks, Cutie Pie's curiosity cannot be stopped. Everything outside our door is the "danger zone." Low shelving, floor lamps and houseplants, OH MY!

I always thought I wouldn't have to worry about Cutie Pie discovering stairs because we live in a one story house. Wrong! Other people have two story houses. Cutie Pie saw the stairs and up he went! We put the safety latches on our cabinets to keep Cutie Pie from getting into them. He has learned that when he opens the cabinet the latch will stop him and he enjoys swinging on it. He was completely caught off guard at his Grandparent's house when he leaned into the cabinet and it swung all the way open, knocking him down in the process. But he was not phased. When he saw the treasures available to him inside that cabinet he made a bee-line right for it.

As a result of being in the danger zone this weekend, Cutie Pie spent a lot of time being held and cuddled, which is one of the great things about visiting family. Unfortunately, he didn't get his energy out the way he usually does and by the time I was able to sit down and play with him in a safe place, he was so wound up he couldn't play. He was like a hyperactive moose knocking into all his toys and trying to make up for lost time. I guess Mommy's next lesson is Cutie Pie needs his play time.

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One Small Step for Cutie Pie, One Giant Leap for Cutie Pie's Mom

2009-07-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

With all the drama surrounding Cutie Pie's eyes the last few days, a major milestone has been overlooked. Cutie Pie took his first step on Tuesday!

Cutie Pie was hanging out in the kitchen, doing his best to get in the way and distract Mommy from gathering her things to leave for work. He loves to hang on to the cabinet handles and swing his body weight back until the safety latch catches him. It's not the safest game for a baby to play but when you're just trying to open the freezer drawer without two baby hands rushing to grab the ice, a little cabinet swinging seems like no big deal. Once I had what I needed, I bent down to pick Cutie Pie up. I held out my arms for him, expecting him to grab one of my hands like he usually does. Instead, he let go of the cabinet and took a step toward me. I was in total shock. My first thought was Oh my gosh! Is this really happening? Then I thought: Oh no! Not on the tile floor! Don't fall! Don't fall! Don't fall! He caught his balance and tried to take another step when he fell. My heart leaped! I caught him in mid-air and scooped him up into a big hug! I couldn't believe it! Cutie Pie probably didn't even realize what had just happened.

When I dropped Cutie Pie off at school today, his teacher told me that yesterday he took two steps. She said he was standing and watching another baby when he suddenly let go and took two steps. She said he seemed to suddenly realize that he wasn't holding on and fell to the floor.

Her story made me feel a little sad that I had missed his second steps. I know I won't be there for every one of his milestones. While my back was turned at dinner today, he signed for "more" food. Thank goodness his dad saw it so we knew he was still hungry! Maybe I can set him up with a Twitter account so he can tell me each time he's about to do something new.

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Black Eye, Pink Eye

2009-07-23T04:39:00.005-04:00

In a THUD heard all the way on the other side of the house, Cutie Pie's head crashed against the side of the bathtub the other night. He ended up with a small bruise just under his eyebrow that makes him look like he's wearing dark eyeshadow.

When I saw what had happened, I quickly wrapped him in a towel and ran over to my husband, telling him to get Cutie Pie some clothes because we were going to the hospital. Luckily, Da Da was unruffled. He looked carefully at Cutie Pie's eye and told me all he needed was an ice pack. Unfortunately, Cutie Pie didn't like the ice pack. This led to a whole new set of worries for his over-anxious Mommy. If I let Cutie Pie push the ice pack away, am I being a good mother for letting him assert his independence or being a bad mother for not making sure the ice keeps down any swelling? What if his eye swells shut? What if the swelling damages the eye? Can you get a brain injury from a hit to the eye? Should I keep the ice on him when he falls asleep? What about those scary stories you hear about children that fall, seem fine and then a few hours later they have to be rushed to the hospital? I just couldn't stop myself. I checked with my favorite Baby-Bible, Baby 411. The author reassured me that Cutie Pie was fine. I must have checked on him a million times that night, though, just in case.

The next morning, Da Da woke up with pink eye. Positive that Cutie Pie gave it to his Dad, I braced myself for the worst; a baby with a black eye and pink eye! But when Cutie Pie woke up, his eyes were clear. Thank goodness! I can only take so much!

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Peas? No Thank You!

2009-07-21T06:10:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, Cutie Pie's Teacher informed me that he didn't eat his peas. I laughed and told her about the time I tried to give him peas and he rejected them. Cutie Pie likes babyfood peas. He eats them all the time. Peas have the most fiber of all the vegetables so anytime Cutie Pie gets stopped up, he gets a meal of peas. I thought he'd like to try the real thing so I put a few on his plate one day. He looked at me like I was crazy.

Apparantly she had been pretty surprised because she had never seen Cutie Pie turn down any kind of food. I've watched Cutie Pie eat lunch at school with his friends. The teachers have to feed Cutie Pie two spoonfulls of baby food then hurry and give all the other babies one spoonfull as fast as they can before Cutie Pie notices that he's not being fed. At home, Cutie Pie loudly complains if I dare to take a bite of my own dinner in between Cutie Pie's spoonfuls of baby food.

So last night, we just happened to have peas with dinner. What are the chances? I decided to try again to instill a love for green vegetables in my child. I picked a couple of peas out of my meal and put them on his tray. Cutie Pie just stared at me. I smashed one. Cutie Pie whined for more baby food. Then I had a genius idea. I put a pea on the spoon and fed it to Cutie Pie with a little bit of baby food. I thought that if Cutie Pie could just get used to eating peas, maybe he'd like them. No such luck. Cutie Pie ate the baby food, swallowed, then spit out a pea. I tried again but this time I smashed the pea first. Out came the smashed pea. After four or five tries, Cutie Pie finally ate a pea, I think.

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New and Exciting

2009-07-20T07:07:00.002-04:00

I love to watch Cutie Pie discover new things. He seems to be growing up so fast. Just a few short months ago, he was fascinated by the little toys that hung from his bouncer. Now, I'm lucky if anything captures his attention long enough for me to make the bed.

Unfortunately, not all of Cutie Pie's discoveries are good ones. Currently, Cutie Pie is discovering the blinds. No matter how many times I redirect his attention, he always crawls back to the window. The boy is fast! I've tried to block off the area with toys and furniture. He just regards this as his own personal obstacle course that must be conquered. Cutie Pie is determined to get those blinds no matter what!

Whenever I meet another Mommy, I always ask what toys their babies love to play with. I'm always looking for something that will entertain Cutie Pie for more than ten seconds. If the toys helps him develop motor skills or language that's a bonus!

So, I took Cutie Pie to our local consignment shop and let him play with the gently used toys to see what he went for. They frown on such things at Target, you know. Cutie Pie must have known I was watching. He didn't show particular interest in anything but the book shelves, which he used to stand up and cruise around the play area. Maybe I should stop worrying about toys and just buy a few more bookshelves!

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Over and Out

2009-07-17T06:24:00.006-04:00

It has been a long week. All that coughing and crying has finally worn Cutie Pie out. Last night he hit the wall. He passed out while still eating his dinner. Usually Cutie Pie is a huge fan of dinner. You can see him reaching for the food on his tray but he just couldn't stay awake long enough to eat it.

This cold has officially ended. Hooray for me! I finally got some sleep, too!

I've got to celebrate while I can. I know those two top teeth are just around the corner.

Here We Go Again

2009-07-15T22:17:00.007-04:00

The drama continues. Cutie Pie appeared to be better today. He woke up smiling from ear to ear. He played with his toys and chased the dogs. I took him to the park and he had a blast. Then he came home and took a blissfully long nap. We had the perfect morning. I dropped him off at school this afternoon a happy and well-rested baby. Then a few hours later, I got a call that Cutie Pie's nose was bleeding. The next thing I knew, I had an emergency appointment with the pediatrician and I was flying down the street to get my precious baby.

I arrived at the day care anxious to see my little one but was delayed by an accident report. Apparently, Cutie Pie fell down and bumped his head right after they called me. He added another bruise to the collection on his forehead. I scooped up my little Cutie Pie and whisked him off to the doctor.

I noticed right away that he must have stopped bleeding because I didn't see any evidence of a bloody nose. When we got to the doctor's office the nurse asked why we were there. I explained that Cutie Pie had a cold for the past few days and that today his nose started bleeding at school. She made a face and wrote it down.

Believe me lady, I didn't rush over here on a Wednesday afternoon because I had nothing better to do.

Then she made a comment about the bruises on Cutie Pie's forehead.

Well, I can't leave his helmet on all the time!

Then she said something about how Cutie Pie was trying to stand up on the exam table instead of sit passively while I changed him.

Would you prefer he lay here like a lump?

Feeling like the worst mother in the world, I sat with Cutie Pie in the exam room and waited for the doctor while trying to entertain my half-naked eight month old in a doctor's office with only the toys I could find in the back seat of my car. When the doctor finally arrived he said the bloody nose was caused by a scratch, probably from a bulb syringe and was no big deal. Once again, he pronounced my Cutie Pie perfect, except for a cold.

Hooray! This crisis is over! I could feel the weight lifting from my shoulders. But then he said something that scared me all over again. Those two top teeth are going to come out any day now.

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Cough, cough, SCREAM!

2009-07-14T23:06:00.004-04:00

Cutie Pie doesn't like coughing. He's caught another cold. Here we go again. I haven't slept since Sunday afternoon. This cold has been a bad one. He's perfectly happy when he's awake but once he's sleepy, watch out! Cutie Pie doesn't like waking up. He really doesn't like coughing himself awake. That's when the screaming starts.

I feel completely helpless and miserable for him. You would think that in the year 2009, we would have some kind of remedy for the common cold or at least something to relieve a baby's symptoms. But no, they are forced to suffer through their stuffy noses like it's the stone age. No grown up would put up with that kind of congestion without taking something. It is so sad that my baby has to sniffle and cough just because he's little.

I'm trying to do what I can to help the little guy. We propped up his mattress with a pillow to elevate his head. The humidifier is cranking out steam so fast it feels like the Bahamas in his nursery. Unfortunately, it's not so easy for me to do the other things I need to do to help Cutie Pie breathe. He hates those saline drops and the nose aspirator. He fights and squirms as soon as he sees them. I try to smile brightly and trick Cutie Pie into thinking he likes getting things shoved up his nose but he cannot be fooled. He cries and screams. Then I have to fight back my own tears. It would be so much easier to just give in and let him stay stuffy. But in the long run, he is better off getting that mucus out of his nose. Being a good parent is heartbreaking.

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Mommy says MOO!

2009-07-12T10:12:00.007-04:00

"That is a cow. What does a COW say?"

Silence

"A Cow says MOO!"

"This is a pig."

Cutie Pie crawls away.

"What does a Pig say? Hey Cutie Pie! What does a pig say?"

BANG BANG BANG! Cutie Pie plays with his blocks.

"Never mind."

Many of the Baby Instruction Manuals I have read stress the importance of teaching your child animal sounds at this age. They say it is a great game for mother and child. They describe an attentive baby gazing adoringly at his mother and answering all the mother's questions with precious baby animal noises that he learned on the first try. Yeah, right.

I've heard Cutie Pie make some animal sounds but I don't think he did it intentionally. I've heard him oink like a pig when he was laughing so hard he couldn't stop. I've heard him gobble like a turkey when he told me about his day. I even heard him bark like a dog once, while looking at the dog. It was probably an accident but it was still pretty cool!

I can understand how teaching your child letters, numbers and colors will benefit him in the future. Even if the kid isn't going to be an athlete, he needs to develop motor skills so it's important to play ball and climb all over the place. But for the life of me I can't figure out how learning animal sounds will benefit him at eight months of age. He likes it when we make funny sounds at him. But I'm worried that I've been saying MOO MOO MOO for so long that he thinks that it's a Mommy sound, not a cow sound!

Why on earth is it so important to teach your child animal sounds? Maybe if Cutie Pie lived on a farm and often came into contact with a variety of animals, learning their sounds would be helpful. Perhaps if Cutie Pie lived a long time ago when the world was a dangerous place full of predator animals, he would need to learn which animals to avoid. Cutie Pie lives in the suburbs. When is he really going to have a chance to have a conversation with a cow or a pig? Are animal sounds going to be on the SAT eighteen years from now? If so, I think we're all in trouble.

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It's A Boy!

2009-07-11T04:35:00.005-04:00

I couldn't wait to hear those three little words eight months ago. I painted my baby's nursery blue and stocked up on sports themed onesies. I was so excited to have a boy!

Yesterday was Cutie Pie's eight month birthday. Da Da and I took him to the Butterfly Museum. We arrived with cameras poised, anticipating that special shot of Cutie Pie looking at one of millions of butterflies or better yet, a butterfly actually landing on our Cutie Pie. Cutie Pie enjoyed flirting with the other children in the exhibit. He didn't seem to really notice the butterflies but I'm sure he saw some. Da Da and I weren't giving up. We held Cutie Pie and stood in the sunny spots where the butterflies seemed to congregate. Cutie Pie began to sweat. His head was actually wet from sweat. We moved him to the shade.

Cutie Pie wanted to get down and crawl. Walking around in Mommy and Da Da's arms is just not his idea of a good time anymore. He squirmed and wriggled around making it impossible for a butterfly to get close. I realized that my child is no delicate flower. No butterfly in their right mind was going to fly near him for fear of being accidentally whacked out of the air a la King Kong.

We managed to get some pictures of Cutie Pie then decided to call it a day. On the way home, Cutie Pie reached another special milestone. He learned how to spit. He's been blowing raspberries for a while now but today he took it a step further to full on spitting. He spit and spit and Da Da would turn his head from the driver's seat in the car and he'd make spit noises back at Cutie Pie then they would both laugh and laugh. I felt like a foreigner in my own family.

I guess this is what it means to be the mother of a boy. Cutie Pie is sweaty, active and loves to spit. It's a boy!

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Vacation!

2009-07-09T21:56:00.006-04:00

We took Cutie Pie out of town for the fourth. It's now the ninth, a full five days later, and I am just getting back into my routine.

Cutie Pie had a blast playing with his relatives. He loves an audience and is always happy to show off his latest achievements. This weekend he showed off his speed crawling and standing up skills. He even had a five-second-stand-alone moment. Happy Independence Day!

The best thing about visiting family is that everyone wants to take care of Cutie Pie. They want to feed him and play with him. Mommy and Daddy get a break from the daily routine. I should have used my new found free time to catch up on paperwork but instead I foolishly spent my luxurious freedom relaxing. It was a great. I had a real vacation.

The weird thing about visiting relatives is that everyone wants to take care of Cutie Pie. So, since I'm not his primary caregiver every moment of the day, I really start to miss him. My life is completely wrapped around my baby and I feel guilty giving myself a break. I know, I know, he's only eight months old. I'm sure I'll get over it.

Every trip out of town ultimately ends. You pull into the driveway and the Neverending To-Do List starts running through your mind. There's so much to do; unpacking and laundry and cleaning and paperwork that went neglected all weekend. It's taken me five days to get through my list but I can finally say I'm caught up. Just in time for another weekend!

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The Amazing Changes Motherhood Brings

2009-07-01T08:58:00.005-04:00

After I had my Cutie Pie people were always asking me what surprised me most about motherhood. I think they were expecting me to talk about the amazing feeling of love and joy that Cutie Pie gives me. I feel an incredible sense of love for my child but it didn't surprise me at all. I have always felt that kind of love from my own mother.

I feel like I was adequately warned about all the typical motherhood changes. You will never sleep again. Your house will be messy and you won't care. The baby will take over your entire world. You will change your mind about wanting to be a working mother. You will change a million diapers. You will do laundry every day. You will sing nursery rhymes until you lose your voice.

But there were a few things that I was not prepared for. There are three things that actually surprised me about motherhood.

1. I am a shameless booger picker. Cutie Pie has had a runny nose since January. Of course he does not know how to blow his nose or wipe his own nose. It is up to me to keep him booger free. I think it is so sad when I see a baby with snot running down his face. I don't want Cutie Pie to be one of those snotty little babies so I take my job as booger remover very seriously. It doesn't matter if we are at home or in public. No boogers left behind!

2. It turns out that I really can get ready in fifteen minutes. For years and years it took me hours to get ready to walk out the door. I never thought it was possible to shorten my leave-the-house-routine. But, as it turns out, not caring what you look like can make a world of difference. As long as the baby has not thrown up on me since the last time I changed my clothes, I am good to go! I usually try to throw on a little make up too. I haven't completely given up.

3. I can pop out of bed wide awake. I really can. For the longest time I thought I was just one of those people that has a hard time waking up. I thought I just needed a few hours to wake up and I couldn't be helped. It turns out that all those years I was hitting the snooze button I was using the wrong kind of alarm clock. The only way to wake me up is to the sound of Cutie Pie noises through a baby monitor. He just makes a peep and off and running across the house to investigate.

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Cutie Pie and Princess

2009-06-29T12:00:00.001-04:00

Cutie Pie's cousins came over to play this weekend and oh what fun he had! I learned a lot about my little Cutie Pie from this experience. Usually when we visit with other babies it is only for a short while. Cutie Pie plays with his classmates at school but Mommy does not get to observe their playtime for more than a few minutes when he is dropped off or picked up. It was so neat to see him play with another baby all day.

Cutie Pie's cousin is about two months older than him. We'll call her Princess. They crawled all over the place and patted the dogs together. It was really fun to watch them play with toys together. I heard that kids who go to day care are more aggressive, especially boys. So, I was expecting to have to play referee when I saw them go after the same toys. I was shocked though to see my tough day care boy share his toys easily with his stay at home cousin.

Princess is older and a little more aggressive. Cutie Pie showed Princess around his living room and picked up all the best toys. When Princess saw something she liked, she just held out her hand and Cutie Pie gave it to her. No tug of war, no tears. My baby is nice. I am so proud!

Cutie Pie was quiet most of the morning. He seemed to be taking it all in. I have noticed that when he plays with new people he is not quite himself. After about three hours though, he seemed to come to life. All of a sudden he felt comfortable and the babbling began! He told his Aunt and cousins all about his day. "Blah ba Hey!"

The cutest moment of the day was when we had to put one of our dogs in time out. He was banished to the porch where he barked his head off in protest. The babies were very concerned about their little buddy and crawled over to comfort him. I think they were surprised to find that they were not able to go through the glass on the door. They sat together, babbling at the dog. "Blah, la ba ba, hush doggie!"

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Haircut Fun

2009-06-28T22:15:00.006-04:00

Before: Cutie Pie is wondering why he has a towel in his highchair.

After: Cutie Pie announces the haircut is OVER!

As you can see, Cutie Pie does not look much different since having his hair cut. Daddy only removed a tiny bit of hair from around his ears. He still looks like he needs a hair cut! But, it will probably be a long time before he gets one again. That after picture breaks my heart everytime I see it.

Snip Snip: Cutie Pie's First Haircut!

2009-06-26T18:45:00.005-04:00

I am the proud owner of a lock of my baby's hair. Cutie Pie got his first hair cut today.

Daddy has been saying for a while that Cutie Pie's hair has been getting too long. It was starting to curl around the ears and down on his neck. We live in a rural area where plenty of kids sport mullets but we just couldn't let that happen to our precious baby. So rather than become a fashion victim, Cutie Pie had to be brave and face the haircut.

You might be wondering which barber would cut a seven month old child's hair. None. Daddy did it at home. Now you are laughing and wondering how much worse Cutie Pie's hair looks than before.

Actually, Daddy did a great job. He used the clippers and a high guard. Cutie Pie thought the buzzing sound of the clippers was interesting. He didn't get upset until Daddy had to hold his head still. He wanted to look at the clippers. He didn't want Daddy to keep them behind his head! Cutie Pie needed a nap after all that excitement!

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Happy at Home

2009-06-24T21:49:00.003-04:00

I had to spend two full days at work this week and it was like torture. I don't know how I used to work like that. Working all day means cramming my Cutie Pie quality time into just an hour in the morning and maybe two hours in the evening if he's not too sleepy.

I know that a lot of women work full time and they feel totally satisfied with their situation. I am very happy for them but working in an office full time is just not for me. I was a little excited to go to work on Monday after a long week with a sick baby. But the novelty soon wore off and I found myself thinking about what Cutie Pie was eating for lunch and wondering how long he would nap. These are not the most productive thoughts to have when one is trying to work.

Having a child has made me a much better employee. Anytime I think about slacking off I just imagine how great I will feel when all my tasks are accomplished and I can leave early to pick up my baby from his school. Suddenly, I am full of renewed energy. Cutie Pie is the ultimate carrot.

I'm so glad to be back on my short day schedule. Yes, it means I am much more busy trying to do paper work at home and take care of Cutie Pie. It also means I am exhausted from chasing my little crawler around the house, my skin is dry from excessive use of disinfectant wipes and I spend much of the day with baby food stuck in my hair. But, I love every bit of it.

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Hey, Da Da!

2009-06-23T20:41:00.004-04:00

Cutie Pie gave his Dad the best Father's Day gift ever! Sorry Grand dad! All you got was a shirt.

Father's Day seemed like it was going to be a bust. Cutie Pie's Daddy was sick. All he wanted to do was sit on the couch and watch Die Hard while he coughed and hid his throbbing head from the sunlight. Since it was Father's Day, he got his wish. I was disappointed though. I'd have liked to celebrate in a more traditional fashion.

So, Cutie Pie and I were just sitting around and trying to make the best of the situation when he looked at his father and said "Hey, Da Da!" It was amazing but surely this was a mistake. His usual babbling must have randomly put together this pattern of sounds. Cutie Pie didn't mean it. Then, as if to prove us wrong he said it again and again and again. "Hey Da Da!"

What a great way to remember an otherwise lousy Father's Day!

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Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T07:00:00.001-04:00

In honor of Father's Day, I wanted to share some pictures of Cutie Pie and his best friend, Daddy.

They are having some "Cheese" for dessert. HaHa!

Cutie Pie loves his Daddy. He is a great Dad. Happy first Father's Day!

Doggone Cute

2009-06-19T10:55:00.007-04:00

Uh Oh! Cutie Pie found the dog's bowls. He is a quick little crawler. He was playing quietly with his new stacking toy, so I snuck into the kitchen to get his breakfast ready. Next thing I knew, I heard splash, splash next to my feet. Cutie Pie was playing in the dog's water bowl. He must think I put a little baby pool in the house!

The dogs saw the whole thing and they were horrified! I quickly picked up the water and food and placed them on the counter where Cutie Pie couldn't reach. As I cleaned the dog water off Cutie Pie and the floor, the dogs barked at me like someone had stolen their food.

I'm sure they are thinking, "That rotten kid! First he moves in here and takes all the attention. Then he gets all these cool toys that we're not allowed to chew on. Now he's taking our food too!"

When I put the bowls back down for the dogs, they eyed their food suspiciously like Cutie Pie had ruined it or something. They quickly wolfed down a few bites, probably in case I took it away again. Then they went back to gazing forlornly at the baby.

A little later, I gave Cutie Pie one of those Earth's Best Teething Biscuits so he could chew on something other than my arm. If you've never seen one of these things, you should know they look just like a dog biscuit. When my dogs saw Cutie Pie holding and eating something that looked like a dog treat, they got angry all over again. One of them even tried to steal it from him. I let the other one play with one of Cutie Pie's toys just to keep him away.

I was getting worried that I was about to have a mutiny on my hands when Cutie Pie suddenly grew bored of gnawing and dropped the biscuit on the floor. The dogs quickly scooped it up and all was right with the world again. Cutie Pie was delighted to see the dogs run over to him. He laughed and gurgled, oblivious to the drama between him and the dogs. Cutie Pie loves his doggies and he is always willing to share with them.

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The Next Big Step

2009-06-18T23:59:00.001-04:00

Cutie Pie is pulling up and trying to stand. So far walking is not going so well for him but he's a fighter and he's not giving up! I can only imagine that he will take off in another couple of months. The kids he plays with at school seem to all walk around nine months so I'm preparing myself. I'm starting to look for baby shoes.

It is one thing to dress Cutie Pie in the cutest of clothes. Buying him shoes is a whole new ball game. I've looked at shoes online and tried to learn about sizes and the flexible soles that will allow him to still grip the floor with his feet. Of course, I don't want to buy him any old ugly shoe. I've got to find something cute that doesn't cost more than my own shoes.

I visited a few children's shoe stores last week. I didn't bring Cutie Pie because I was hoping to actually concentrate on choosing a shoe, rather than chasing a baby down the aisles of the store and trying to persuade him to not eat the store's merchandise. Unfortunately, it turned out that I needed Cutie Pie with me because I picked out all the wrong sizes. His feet seemed so much bigger in my mind!

I thought that buying shoes was my only big decision for this month. According to my research Mommies can't just write their child's name on their shoes with a Sharpie. Apparently, many Super Mommies also buy shoe labels so they don't get lost or mixed up with their friend's shoes. You can't just make and print your own labels because plain old labels won't last long on a child's shoe. You've got to get a special sticky label made especially for all the wear and tear a toddler can create. So I checked a few websites for labels.

Mabel's Labels is advertised in every parenting magazine I've ever read. They say I need to choose a picture to go with my child's name on the label to help my pre-reader identify his label. Good grief! There are princesses, sports, pirates, bugs, dinosaurs and just about anything you can imagine. But somehow I just can't decide how to label my child. It seems like such a big decision. This is the picture he will identify with himself! I'm leaning toward the dinosaur by the way.

I also checked out Oliver's Labels and Labels4kids.com. Who knew there could be so many choices for a simple name label? Oliver's Labels has more colorful labels and the shoe labels are shaped like feet. They are very cute. Labels4kids has special right foot labels that make a big picture when you put the shoes next to each other. This way, the child can tell which shoe goes on which foot, assuming that Mommy positioned the labels correctly in the first place. I can so see me doing that.

With all the decisions to be made, I'm hoping Cutie Pie takes his time learning to walk. He's getting around quite well crawling for now.

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Cutie Pie is Back!

2009-06-17T21:20:00.011-04:00

What a long week it has been! Last Thursday I went to pick up Cutie Pie from school and I heard two of the most horrifying words I have ever heard: Pink-eye. Cutie Pie had been exposed! Now at face value these words don't seem alarming. Pink is a pretty color. Eyes aren't scary. But I soon found out just how terrifying these words can be.

The next morning, I took my puffy, crusty-eyed baby to the doctor. Cutie Pie put on his usual show of flirting with the nurses and trying to snatch the stethoscope out of the doctor's ears. We were given a prescription for fancy eye drops and sent home with instructions to lay low until the illness passed.

Unfortunately for me, Cutie Pie's Daddy was out of town so I had to entertain a mobile seven month old by myself all weekend. Cutie Pie didn't like the eye drops. He cried like his world had ended each time he saw the drops come close to his face. No toy or song could distract him from that medicine bottle. Not even Old McDonald!

When Cutie Pie doesn't feel good, Cutie Pie doesn't sleep. My little boy becomes his alter ego, Mr. Crankypants. He stays up all night, loudly protesting everything Mommy tries to make him happy. No toys! No swing! No blanky! Poor Cutie Pie. Poor Mommy!

Cutie Pie got restless spending all that time at home with no one but a tired Mommy to play with. He grew bored of chasing the dogs and began working on his pulling up skills. He mastered the coffee table and the couch but the dining table is still a little tricky. He fell a few times and earned some new bumps and bruises.

Somehow we made it through the weekend. I was so excited to get back into our routine on Monday. I got all dressed up in grown up clothes and was walking out the door when Cutie Pie threw up all over both of us. Here we go again.

Cutie Pie went back to the doctor. He had a sore throat that caused him to cough each time something touches his throat, including drool and food. So he pretty much coughed all day and night. And when he coughed too hard, he threw up.

So my staycation continued with Cutie Pie. In between baths, I got a crash course in Pedialyte. I discovered that the clear stuff is way better than the flavored stuff. Why would you give a baby, who is already throwing up, a liquid with dye in it? That is just asking for trouble. As if it's not bad enough that you're going to have to do a million loads of laundry, you've got to scrub colorful dye out of all the bibs too!

Thank goodness for Cutie Pie's Grandma. She took pity on us and came to help out today. She spent the day with my coughing, grumpy Cutie Pie so I could take a break and go to the office. She must have the magic touch because he is feeling much better tonight and is actually sleeping! It's been a long week but Cutie Pie is back!

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Read To Me, Cutie Pie!

2009-06-10T18:45:00.002-04:00

I was watching the news this morning when I heard something very disturbing. It was a commercial for Your Baby Can Read. One mother said her eight month old child was already reading. I highly doubt the legitimacy of that claim. An eight month old doesn't even really talk. How can she tell the child is reading? If I gave Cutie Pie a book that said "blah la hey," I could brag to all my friends that he was reading too!

I've been reading to Cutie Pie every day since I brought him home from the hospital. He sometimes seems to listen. Sometimes he even looks at the book while I read. He's had ample opportunity to discover books and words. But to Cutie Pie, books are food. Every book he gets his hands on goes straight to his mouth. I tried to take him to the library but that was a big mistake!

That stupid commercial must've gotten to me because I found myself pointing out the letters and numbers on his Fisher Price learning table later that day. I used to just marvel at how he pulled himself up to the table and managed to balance while pushing the buttons. I loved to watch him laugh at the colorful lights as he learned how to make the toy sing and shine for him. Now that's not enough anymore. Now I've got to teach him stuff. He's already seven months old!

So I googled the company's website and checked it out. The sight looks nice and colorful. They have a video of a baby "reading." It all looks pretty cool. I guess it would be nice to have the amazing child who can read. I'm not interested in teaching him to read quite yet though. I think I want to enjoy his "babyhood" a little bit longer.

You know what would be really great? Some kind of amazing system that teaches your baby to feed himself with a spoon and change his own diaper. Now that's a DVD I'd buy!

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Crawling, Crawling Everywhere!

2009-06-09T06:33:00.006-04:00

It's official, Cutie Pie is a crawler! He can go just about anywhere he wants. If Mommy walks into another room, Cutie Pie follows her, laughing all the way. He seems very excited about his new found mobility. He has already discovered that he can fit his arm behind the entertainment center and grab the cable cords.

When he crawls, he gets really excited to be moving so he giggles and gurgles the whole time. If my visual attention is focused elsewhere I can usually tell that Cutie Pie is moving and in which direction he is going. I suspect though, as he gets more used to crawling, that he will soon enter stealth mode and I will have to keep my eyes on him at all times.

I wish Cutie Pie could have taken a little more time to break me in but it seems that crawling is only half of his newest accomplishments. Cutie Pie is pulling up on everything sturdy enough to grab onto. Unfortunately, once he gets up he doesn't yet know what to do next. So, he usually falls and often bumps his head on the way down.

Cutie Pie got a little bruise on his face from the leg of the dining room table. I was quite proud of myself. I didn't get upset or emotional. I didn't consult my baby books about head injuries or hematomas. I just hugged my baby until he felt better and moved along with my day. I guess Mommy is growing up too.

Splish Splash

2009-06-08T20:31:00.000-04:00

Bathtime with Cutie Pie has become downright dangerous. He no longer fits in the sweet little baby bath he used since he was born. Now he's a big boy and he sits in the big bath tub. Well, maybe I shouldn't say sit. It's more like wiggles/crawls/falls.

When Cutie Pie hears the bath water turn on he can't wait to jump in. I can tell he's excited because he seems to throw all this body weight against my arm closest to the bath tub as if he's trying to get me to drop him in the tub.

We tried the bath seat thingy that hooks to the side of the tub then keeps the baby in a sitting position. It didn't work for me. Wet babies are too slippery to maneuver in and out of a seat. Cutie Pie takes his bath without the aid of any safety devices. We had to put little frog decals on the bottom of the tub to minimize the slipping and sliding. Before we had help from the frogs, Cutie Pie would just float all over the tub like a little ice cube.

He loves to play with his little bath toys. They keep him occupied while Mommy tries to rub soap all over him. Washing Cutie Pie isn't easy because he doesn't stop moving. My first priority is to keep him from putting his face under the water. Any time spent not playing lifeguard is used for washing. Keeping Cutie Pie clean is not always easy. Who knew a baby could get so much gunk on him?

I read somewhere that I shouldn't drain the tub while Cutie Pie is still in it because it will make him afraid of the drain. But removing the water from the tub is the only way I can convince him to get out when bath time is over.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Whew! Just Another Day

2009-06-06T23:11:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was just another day, thank God! Danger and chaos loomed behind every corner. Yesterday almost became the day we lost the dogs. Then it almost became the day we had to rush Cutie Pie to the hospital for a head injury. Instead it was the most exciting and action packed boring day I've ever had.

I stayed home with Cutie Pie all day. Yep, that's right, I never left the house. Yet somehow, I managed to lose both of my dogs. The Roomba, aka best present ever, trapped itself in the bathroom. In the process of freeing it, one of the dogs must have gone into the bathroom and I shut him inside. I noticed that I hadn't seen him in a while. It wasn't until hours later when Cutie Pie was eating lunch/ playing the bongos on his highchair tray that I heard him bark. I felt bad for shutting the dog in a dark bathroom for hours. But at least he was in no real danger.

An hour later, my husband came home. The dogs, Cutie Pie and I all went outside to greet him. Then we all went back into the house, or so I thought. It turns out that my other dog did not come inside the house. We never noticed she was missing. Almost an hour later we heard frantic barking. I recognized the bark and yelled for the dog to be quiet. The barking wouldn't stop so I followed the sound to the front door. There was my dog sitting on the front stoop. Did I mention it was raining? Thank goodness she was OK. We are so lucky to have such a smart dog.

When I put Cutie Pie to bed that night, I remember thinking about the close call we had with the dogs and how grateful I was that everything turned out OK. Cutie Pie had a little extra energy but he seemed pretty happy so I put him in his crib and turned his soother on. Sometimes he'll lay there watching the pretty lights and just drift off by himself. I went about my evening, putting laundry away and when I came back in his room with a hand full of towels I saw something that made my heart stop. Cutie Pie was standing up in his crib, leaning over the side and reaching down like he was trying to touch something on the floor. If I had walked in just a minute later, I'm sure I would have seen him tumble head first out of his crib.

Cutie Pie's crib was immediately adjusted to accommodate his new found skills and the family made it through the day without having to rush to any hospitals. I'm so glad yesterday is over. I can only hope that tomorrow is boring.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

No! No! No!

2009-06-05T10:11:00.006-04:00

"Here we go Cutie Pie! It's a new food. No, you put it in your mouth. What's wrong? It's not yucky, it's good. Put it back in your mouth. You'll like it. No, leave it in your mouth. It's good. Yum yum yum! What's wrong? Are you choking? Why are you coughing? It's not even in your mouth! OK, smile and open wide. Here comes another bite!"

Cutie Pie is expanding his repertoire of food. Each day we try a new food or texture. He used to be very adventurous, willing to try anything new. Now he is becoming more cautious. He is careful when he puts new foods in his mouth and sometimes makes his I don't like it face before the food even touches his lips! He's never had an allergic reaction or a bad experience with food. So, I'm not sure where this new apprehension is coming from. Luckily once he tastes it, he usually likes it. He's even starting to like bananas.

Just a few weeks ago, I could name every food he'd ever had. But now that he's a solid food pro it is easier for me to name foods he hasn't had.

Cutie Pie is now only mildly interested in eating but he is fascinated by the mess he can make with his food. He actively tries to knock the food off the spoon. Once there is a splat of something on his high chair tray, he reaches for it enthusiastically and smears it as far as he can reach. Then Cutie Pie likes to grab his sippy cup and slam it on the table. He knows it won't spill if he tips it over but he can get water to fly out the spout if he bangs it. So this is what he does. He closes his eyes because he knows he will get splashed in the face.

Meal time has become great fun for Cutie Pie. He especially likes it when we have guests over so he can show off his new tricks to visitors. He loves to smile and flirt with Grandma in between bites.

Somehow he has learned to shake his head as if he is saying "No! No! No!" I have no idea how he learned this because as far as I can remember, Cutie Pie has never even heard the word no! Meal time is especially fun to say No. Cutie Pie likes to do it right as the spoon is entering his mouth, sending food flying every which way. It's part of his plan for turning meal time into play time. The kid is a genius.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Jon + Kate = Not So Great

2009-06-02T20:47:00.003-04:00

Everyone has been talking about this Jon and Kate show on TLC. My friends say they've been watching it for years. Last week when I was at the salon, another lady was getting the "Kate" hairdo. I don't get why anyone would want to copy that hair style but it did look good on her. On my last "Mom's Morning Out," aka grocery shopping trip, I noticed that they were on the cover of every tabloid in the check out line. I thought to myself "Wow! Jon and Kate must be great!"

When the show started five years ago, I had no interest in watching a reality show about raising kids. But now that I have my own child, I thought maybe I'd like it. I set my DVR and started recording. It's a reality show about a family who had twin daughters and then had sextuplets. There is constant chaos in their home as the two poor parents try to cope with raising eight young children.

I've watched a couple of episodes now and I'm shocked that Jon and Kate is so popular. Of course, I don't have a lot of time to watch TV but I turned the show on for background noise while I was busy with my Cutie Pie. This was a bad idea. The kids in the show are always whining and screaming while the parents are ignoring them or yelling at them to stop screaming. The last thing I want to hear is another child whine or scream. I certainly don't want my child to hear that. I would like him to think there is no such thing as whining for as long as possible!

People are especially excited about the show now because the parents are having trouble with their marriage and supposedly are splitting up. I do not understand why anyone would think this is exciting. I think it is very sad. I saw the recent episode where Kate cries while she talks about possibly taking their last family photo together. That's when I decided I didn't want to watch anymore.

I cancelled my recordings. Besides, I don't have time to watch TV anyway. Cutie Pie is starting to crawl!

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com

Mom Envy

2009-06-01T19:43:00.005-04:00

The other day, Cutie Pie and I ran into a family that I met in my hospital birthing class. They had a baby boy just a few weeks after Cutie Pie was born. The other Mommy was one of those people who always looked perfect and put together, even in her third trimester. I swear she wore designer maternity clothes to class, even though all we did there was roll around on mats on the floor, practicing how we might cope with labor pain if for some reason we did not get an epidural.

This day, the other Mommy was still dressed up and her hair done to perfection. She introduced me to her son, who had one of those weird trendy names. He wore a matching Ralph Lauren outfit with a collar so crisp it looked like it had come straight from the cleaners.

They looked like a picture of motherhood that you might see in a magazine. Her little doll gazed at me passively while his mother held him. He had the longest hair I'd ever seen on a baby and when I asked his mom about it, she said "Oh, he was born with that hair. Isn't it the cutest thing?"

Meanwhile, I was holding Cutie Pie. He was being his usual active self. Cutie Pie babbled and grabbed at the pen in my hand. He waved his arms around, smiled and gurgled at the other family. Cutie Pie was already on his second outfit of the day and in need of his third. My first choice had been covered in applesauce and never even made it out the door. The clothes he wore were collecting a puddle of drool down the front from the neverending stream coming from Cutie Pie's mouth that could rival Niagra Falls.

So why did this chance meeting stick in my head? I haven't thought about those people since we had our last hospital class. I'll probably never see them again. But for some reason, I can't stop thinking about how much I dislike that other mommy. She made it look so easy. Too easy!

I know that we, mommies should stick together. We shouldn't compare ourselves to one another. We should support each other. But, instead of feeling happy for her and her family, I just felt annoyed that she somehow found time to put on makeup.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com

Shots?!

2009-05-29T20:34:00.001-04:00

Cutie Pie recently went for his six month well-check appointment. The visit went well. The doctor checked him all over and declared him perfect. All except for a little cold. Then the doctor asked me, the most anxious new mother in the world, if I felt comfortable with Cutie Pie getting his shots today. "Uh.. I guess so? He only has a little cold. The worst of it passed days ago. I got plenty of sleep last night so that must mean he's not sick, right?" What I should have said was, "You're the doctor! Tell me if YOU feel comfortable with Cutie Pie getting his shots today!"

Well, as you may have guessed, Cutie Pie got his shots. This led to 24 hours of anxiety and nervousness for Mommy and crankiness for everyone involved. I had just finished reading Jenny McCarthy's book, "Mother Warriors." OK, you got me. I didn't actually read it. I listened to the audio version in the car whenever Cutie Pie wasn't there and I could safely turn off the never ending Wee Sing CD that haunts my brain all day. Her book was terrifying. Many of the parents she interviewed said their children were sick when they got their vaccinations. She explained that their teeny tiny immune systems couldn't fight off the germs and the shot at the same time. Those babies became autistic after they got their shots. One Mommy said that she gave her baby medicine to help with the pain of the shots and that the medicine likely contributed to her child getting autism.

So there I was, a nervous wreck. The nurses got out their syringes and I'm cringing and wondering if I will live to regret this day. They gave Cutie Pie his shots and he didn't even cry. He got a second shot and he whimpered but he stopped in the one second it took the nurse to pick him up and hand him to me. He smiled and laughed while I got him dressed and I took my Cutie Pie home.

Between jars of baby food and countless verses of Old McDonald, I watched my Cutie Pie for signs of a reaction. Nothing. Whew! He's been his usual self all week. I realize that I am very lucky to have a healthy child.

No more books for Mommy. I think I'm going to go back to listening to that baby CD. It may haunt me but at least it doesn't cause anxiety attacks.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Sleep Wars II: Mommy Strikes Back

2009-05-27T08:54:00.003-04:00

Cutie Pie usually wakes up happy. He lays in his bed cooing and playing with his feet until I come in and get him up. The morning after the Ferber experiment was horrible. He woke up screaming. He was agitated all morning. My Mommy guilt was unbearable. He seemed to be angry with me for letting him cry. The book promised that my child would "be happy to see [me] the next morning." The book was wrong.

I am always worried about doing things right for Cutie Pie. I use my baby books like assembly instructions. OK, if I just do this and then that, everything will turn out perfectly. But now I'm starting to question their authority. Just who is this Ferber guy and why does he hate babies so much?

Cutie Pie was back to his old self by yesterday afternoon. I put him to bed using the same old routine I always use. Only last night, Cutie Pie was sleepy. The dogs didn't bark. Everything went smoothly and Cutie Pie slept over 12 hours straight. I actually got to take a shower AND brush my teeth in the morning!

Take that, Ferber!

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com

Sleep Wars

2009-05-26T20:34:00.002-04:00

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there lived a perfect baby who slept through the night, only waking for legitimate reasons and he easily fell back asleep when his mother put him into his bed. Cutie Pie has never met this baby.

For the past few nights, Cutie Pie has been running the show. He hasn't been sleeping well because he's been getting over a cold. Each time he coughs he wakes himself up. Then he's miserable because he wants to be asleep but he's wide awake.

I realized tonight that Cutie Pie's cold is gone but he's still crying each time he wakes up. I also noticed that I am running into his room just like I said I never would do. I heard a wail or shriek and it was like I'm off to the races. I would arrive at his crib side panting. Cutie Pie would just smile. Sometimes he'd even laugh. This is how I knew that if I ever wanted to sleep again, it was time to do something about it.

My favorite baby-bible, "Baby 411" says that six month old babies often develop bad sleep habits and it's time for me to teach my Cutie Pie how to fall asleep properly. I read the chapter on Ferberizing Cutie Pie and the next time Cutie Pie woke up I tried it out.

It was horrible. It was torture. Cutie Pie screamed and wailed. He cried big crocodile tears. I cried too. The first five minutes seemed like five years. I kept reading the line in the book that says "Yes, the first night will be ugly." Yeah, no kidding. But I held strong because I felt like this was the right thing to do.

The phone rang and someone (you know who you are) told me he sounded like he was sick. Thanks for being supportive. Now my Mom-anxiety was running on overdrive. What if he is sick and I just don't know it? He wasn't. What if letting him cry will emotionally scar him for life? I'm pretty sure that won't happen in one night. What if Ferberizing means teaching Cutie Pie to just give up on his goals and I'm sending him down a path of failure? That one was a stretch.

As you can tell, I gave up. I picked up my baby boy. I cuddled and kissed him and he laughed and laughed. Boy is he good. Then we started our bedtime routine over. We rocked, read and nursed until he fell asleep. I laid him down in his crib and tip toed out of the room. I felt like a failure because I caved. But at least he was asleep.

Not two minutes later, the dog barked. I wanted to scream but Cutie Pie did it for me. Here we go again. I would try the technique again. I understood that it would be harder this time because I had already given in but I was prepared. Or so I thought. I don't know how many cycles of the technique I waited because it all seems like an emotional blur. But I caved again and failure never felt so good.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

My Shadow and Me

2009-05-24T13:58:00.000-04:00

"And everywhere that Mommy went, Mommy went, Mommy went, and everywhere that Mommy went, Cutie Pie was sure to go!" Cutie Pie has become my shadow. We are inseparable. If I need to get up to answer the phone, Cutie Pie's eyes follow me all the way there. If heaven forbid I leave the room, Cutie Pie announces my departure as loudly as he can. If I need to take a shower, Cutie Pie is in his exer-saucer happily playing right next to the tub.

I was warned that having children causes you to lose your privacy. I'm not so worried about that as much as I'm concerned that if Cutie Pie gets much bigger, I'm not going to be able to carry him with one arm while I cook dinner, take out the garbage and/or make the bed.

Nap time has become a very important time of day. Not only does taking a good nap ensure that Cutie Pie is well-rested and happy. It also means that Mommy gets a chance to do some quick cleaning, make some lunch or take a shower with the door closed. I don't like to run errands with Cutie Pie because he naps in the car and it's a waste of a perfectly good nap for Mommy.

I am enjoying the attention I get from my Cutie Pie. He likes me to sit by him while he pushes up on all fours and attempts to crawl. He's got the army crawl and the backward crawl down pat. He wants to crawl forward so badly. He pushes up with his arms, concentrates on something in front of him and cries. I try to help him crawl but not too much because I want him to figure it out. I want Cutie Pie to grow into an independent little boy.

He is on the verge of getting it. Pretty soon, having a shadow will be the least of my problems. Once he starts crawling, I won't have to rush back into the room where Cutie Pie plays because he'll just follow me. Or worse, he'll crawl the other way and get into mischief.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Mommy's Little Addiction

2009-05-22T12:47:00.004-04:00

My husband emailed me this article from CNN about mommies who are addicted to the internet. I'm pretty sure I'm not addicted because I rarely have time to go online. Many of my blog posts are created with Cutie Pie sitting in my lap. He's becoming a fast typist.

I can totally see how the internet can be addictive, especially for a Mommy. The internet replaces the neighbors with social networking. Everyone hates getting cornered by the Mommy-Know-It-All who who tells you how you are doing everything wrong. When you come across one online, you just close your browser window. Out of sight, out of mind.

Stay at home moms are truly stuck at home alone all day. Because so many moms work outside the home, the Moms who choose to stay home with their kids don't have the social network of SAHM that our mothers and grandmothers had. My neighbors are mostly elderly folk so me and my Cutie Pie won't be able to play with other kids in the neighborhood unless we move. The internet is the perfect replacement for a neighborhood of Mommies because any time you have a parenting question or concern, you just consult the University of Google for your answer. You can find a wide variety of opinions and choose the one you like best without feeling any pressure from your Know-It-All friends.

It's so easy to log on while baby is happily playing with its toys or napping like my Cutie Pie is doing right now. The internet has its time efficiency benefits too. When you are a busy Mom on the go, you can surf the net quickly to catch up on the news, celebrity gossip and latest baby research findings.

The article seems to have some pretty extreme examples of internet use. I think the internet, like most things, is OK in moderation. I'm not itching to go online while I play with Cutie Pie. But I have noticed that when he does something super cute or funny, I think to myself that is totally going in my blog. I don't think that makes me addicted. I think that makes me kind of a dork.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Green Baby

2009-05-20T22:07:00.001-04:00

What would I do without my plastic single serving water bottles? I know, I know, water bottles are evil. They are the enemy of our planet. They fill up the landfills and harm our environment. I am a horrible person for purchasing them but I just can't stop myself because they are so convenient.

Disposable diapers fill up landfills too but you don't see any big campaigns to get rid of them. I haven't seen any of the major diaper companies selling smaller diapers using less material. Why is that? Probably because no one would buy them! If people cared about the environment more than getting baby goop on the furniture they would switch to cloth!

Turn that frown upside down! My Cutie Pie loves to play with my so called evil water bottles. He thinks they are fascinating. He likes to crunch the plastic with his little hands and roll the bottle on the floor. And when he's done playing with it, we give it to the dogs. They carry the bottle around in their mouths like they won a prize.

Water bottles can easily be recycled into toys, using absolutely no energy. Cutie Pie is already saving the planet!

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com

Call me Super Mom

2009-05-19T21:55:00.001-04:00

Cutie Pie sat down in his baby pool and immediately began to wail. He did not like it and he wanted out NOW! I knew that once he spent time in the pool he would love it. After all, he loves bath time. But I also knew that he was never going to change his mind about the pool if he associated it with crying so I quickly scooped him up. He got hugs and kisses until he was happy again. Then being the sneaky Mommy I am, I sat with him in the pool. But Cutie Pie knew I was up to something and the second his little tushy got wet, the crying started all over again.

Daddy was devastated. He had been waiting patiently with the camera pointed at Cutie Pie this whole time. He was imagining all the great shots he would get of a laughing baby splashing in the sun. The pictures he did take, I later deleted. I don't particularly want to remember Cutie Pie's tears.

After Cutie Pie had taken his break for a respectable amount of time, I sat him down to play on the porch while I dragged the little baby pool over to him. Cutie Pie and I sat next to the pool for a while and he watched me play with the pool toys. When he showed some interest, I gave the toys to him. Then after a while I picked him up and put him in the pool with his toys. And... it... worked... He didn't cry. Then a few minutes later he started smiling and laughing. Out came the camera!

Later that evening, I reflected on my stroke of genius. I had faced an albeit small challenge of motherhood and won! I basked in my accomplishment. Then I began to think about this little incident from my Cutie Pie's point of view. Who knows why Cutie Pie didn't like the pool? Maybe he didn't like wearing clothes in the water or maybe it was too cold. Or perhaps the pool was something unfamiliar and he wasn't in the mood to try anything new.

If I could only figure out why Cutie Pie was upset, I could win more of these battles in the future. I could anticipate challenges and swat them down like flies. I could become a Super Mom.

I know, I know, I've gone too far. No one can be a perfect mother. My child is going to cry, get sick, fall down, have tantrums and drive me crazy. I understand that there is nothing I can do to prevent it. It's just nice to not feel like a failure for once. Let me have my moment in the sun.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Help! I'm Buried Under a Mountain of Baby Stuff!

2009-05-18T20:27:00.000-04:00

One of the things that has surprised me most about having a child is the mountain of stuff you have to take with you every time you leave the house. A simple trip to the ball field the other day required an hour of preparation. Now I know why people with small children don't like to leave the house. It's not worth the trouble.

We had a mat to lay on the ground so Cutie Pie can crawl. We had teething rings, toys, the mesh feeding thingy that he likes, ice, diapers, bibs and a change of clothes. Of course, no matter how much you plan and pack there is always something you forget. Cutie Pie could have used a fewer teething rings and more toys. Once again, Mommy failed to anticipate Cutie Pie's every need and want. Did you know that there are actually websites with packing checklists for baby? Apparently Mommies just don't have any excuse for forgetting anymore!

Cutie Pie seemed to enjoy himself. He loves to practice the fine art of flirting and the ball park gave him the perfect opportunity. Cutie Pie smiled and cooed at all the ladies and had them eating out of his hand. Then he got bored.

When Cutie Pie loses interest in something, Mommy's challenge begins! Here Cutie Pie, play with this teething ring. Cutie Pie drops it. Here try this toy. Cutie Pie looks away and starts making warning grunts. Would you like a piece of ice? Yum! Then I swear Cutie Pie repeated me. He said Yum, too. Except the tone was different and kind of unpleasant. I was in trouble and I knew it. The game was over. I thought fast. I had already gone through the whole mountain of baby stuff so I had to play the trump card. I scooped Cutie Pie up and took him to the car to nurse. I watched my husband win his company softball game through the back car window. By the time Cutie Pie drifted off to sleep, the game was over.

I wish that was the end of the story but it's not. Then I had to take my sleeping infant back over to my mountain of baby stuff and pack it up. By the time I got home, I was completely exhausted. It's not easy moving mountains.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com

Haunted

2009-05-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

"One elephant went out to play, something something something blah la la la." These are the kind of thoughts that run through my head constantly. Over the past month or so Cutie Pie and I have been listening to kids music. You know, nursery rhymes and "Ring-Around-the-Rosie," stuff like that. Cutie Pie seems to love it but my brain is turning to mush.

My inner monologue has been taken over by the evil geniuses at Wee Sing. If I'm not singing silly songs out loud I'm thinking them all day long. I'm being haunted by Little Bunny Foo Foo! It can be very distracting sometimes.

The worst part is that although I have these songs constantly running through my head, I do not seem to be retaining the lyrics. I completely lost my memory while I was pregnant with Cutie Pie and I self-diagnosed myself with pregnesia. However, I am not pregnant anymore. I guess my memory is lost forever.

I have noticed that there have been some changes to the old Nursery Rhymes in the past thirty years. For instance, "Ten Little Indians" has been replaced by "Ten Elephants." I also noticed that "Three Blind Mice" are suspiciously absent from my baby CDs. I guess the old versions had to be edited because they weren't politically correct. Perhaps if it were called "Three Visually Impaired Mice" it would have made the album. I understand that we don't want to hurt any ones feelings but I do think it's sad that our old fashioned nursery rhymes are disappearing.

I've also been thinking about the lyrics to many of the songs we sing to our children. There is a lot of violent and sad stuff out there! "The Little Old Woman Who Lives In a Shoe" is about a neglectful and abusive mother. The classic "Rock-a-Bye Baby" is about an infant whose cradle is placed in a tree for some unknown reason. Then a strong wind knocks the child to the ground. I can only assume that the child suffers the same fate any child might undergo after falling out of a tree.

When I was a child, I sang all the little songs and never gave one thought to what the nursery rhymes meant or if it might offend someone. I hope that my Cutie Pie is able to enjoy his childhood in the same way. I just wish that "Little Bunny Foo Foo" would take a break from hopping around my brain for awhile so I can get some work done.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Boo Boo

2009-05-14T21:06:00.008-04:00

Poor Cutie Pie has had a rough couple of days. Now that he is becoming more mobile, danger lurks in every corner (and flat surface). Cutie Pie woke up this morning with a little purple bruise on his forehead. It's hardly noticeable but it's officially his first boo boo.

We've had several sitting accidents recently. You know how it goes. Baby is sitting straight up happily playing, when out of nowhere he decides he doesn't want to sit up anymore. His back simply stops supporting him and his head crashes into the floor. This causes a lot of crying, of course. I would be quite upset if I hit my head on the floor too. You've gotta love how Boppy transforms into a baby bumper, perfect for preventing sitting injuries!

Yesterday, Cutie Pie was playing near the wall when BAM, he gave himself the bruise. You can hardly see it anymore. I didn't want to take a picture of it because it made me too sad. I have obviously failed as a mother to allow my child to be injured under my watch. Not only was I watching him when it happened, I was helping him stand next to the wall.

Cutie Pie's injuries upset him greatly but they upset me even more. Each time I kiss his little noggin to make it better I find myself fighting off that motherly anxiety once again. He hit pretty hard that time. Is he going to be OK? Should I call the doctor? If it's after hours then should I take him straight to the ER? How can you tell if a baby has a traumatic brain injury? Has his head always been shaped like that?!

Other moms have told me to get used to it. After all, he's a boy. Boys get boo boos, it's their job. Well my job is to worry and I take my job very seriously!

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Real Toys

2009-05-13T21:16:00.009-04:00

When I walk into my house, I am always amazed by its resemblance to a toy store. I used to walk across the room with ease. I decorated with baubles and trinkets from our travels. When one of the dogs played with a squeaky toy it was no big deal. We just kicked it to the corner of the room.

My once pristine living room is now cluttered with playthings. I never thought I would be one of those parents who turned the living room into a child's playroom but it's just so much easier to keep his toys out there. The living room is where the family socializes and spends time together. If we kept the toys hidden in Cutie Pie's room he would never get to play with them.

Cutie Pie has amassed quite a collection in his short six months. We have the Baby Gym on the floor right in the middle of the room. This little gym has provided Cutie Pie with hours of visually stimulating fun. When Cutie Pie began rolling over we bought a foam mat so he can play all he wants without ever having to touch the carpet. We've got teething toys, balls, stacking cups, books, a mini piano, toys that light up and toys that make noise. We even have the dog's toys, which we are constantly having to remove from the baby mat so they don't accidentally touch our precious Cutie Pie. However, my son wants nothing to do with any of his toys. All he wants to do today is play with the old tissue paper left over from Mother's Day.

It reminds me of when I was a kid. We used to turn old wrapping paper tubes into telescopes and microphones. We would make forts and turn sticks and leaves into a gourmet meal, fit to serve a princess. Cutie Pie isn't exactly using his imagination when crumbling up the tissue paper, but he sure is loving it!

I am sure that there are more toys out there that Cutie Pie is missing out on. I've had friends tell me that we need to get him a walker. We should also look at a jumperoo. He needs a baby lounge chair so he has a place to sit. If he doesn't watch Baby Einstein every day then he won't be as smart as his classmates and he'll never get into a good college. OK, I made the last one up. I want my son to have everything but I'm not quite sure where we need to draw the line. After all, he is only six months old. Surely we are depriving Cutie Pie because we have delayed our next run to the toy store. Poor Cutie Pie will just have to make due with that tissue paper.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Baby's Daddy

2009-05-12T15:07:00.005-04:00

"Oh Cutie Pie! What is that smell? Uh oh! That's horrible. Don't breathe Cutie Pie! Don't breathe! Ugh! Oh my gosh that's a lot! Wipes! I need wipes! Don't move! Gag! Ew! That's right Cutie Pie! Wave your hands in front of your face to push the fumes away! Fan, fan, fan! OK, almost done. Where is that hand sanizitzer? Here Cutie Pie, you need some too. We have got to sanitize!"

I was trying to take a nap the other day when I overheard Cutie Pie and his dad spending some quality time together. I started laughing so hard, I woke myself up. I was a little bothered because it caused me to miss out on one of those elusive naps I keep hearing about.

Cutie Pie and his Daddy are like two peas in a pod. They look alike, they dress alike and they both seem to think gas is funny. Cutie Pie's first smile was for Daddy, his first laugh too. I can't say that I wasn't bitterly jealous but I got over it when I saw how in love my husband is with our son.

I realize that I am incredibly lucky to have such an involved husband. Cutie Pie's Daddy loves to play with his baby. Their favorite game is peek a boo. Daddy takes this game so seriously that Cutie Pie seems to just about jump out of his skin when he hears Daddy say "BOO!" Then when he sees that it is just his best buddy Daddy, they both laugh and laugh. The best help that Daddy gives me is when he helps with chores around the house. Things can get chaotic with a baby around and cleaning up often falls at the bottom of the Neverending To-Do List.

Having a child has given me a new found respect for single mothers. Even with a helpful husband, caring for only one child is an enormous task. I can't imagine having more than one child and no other adult to help. It's like trying to play baseball with one hand tied behind your back. They all deserve their own "Single-Mother's Day." It should fall somewhere in between Mother's Day and Father's Day. Hallmark should make greeting cards.

I don't know how they do it and I'm glad I don't have to. I like to take a nap every now and then.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Balance

2009-05-11T22:27:00.009-04:00

Cutie Pie is learning to crawl. He is getting so close to figuring it out that I don't let him play on the floor unless he's got a video camera pointed at him. It is so amazing to watch him get up on all fours and try to balance and move at the same time. He seems to be terrified of pushing his body forward and whenever he tries, it makes him cry. Surprisingly, he has no trouble crawling backward! He doesn't seem to crawl deliberately and he obviously has no idea where he is going but he really truly is crawling backward. I can't wait to see him figure this crawling thing out and watch him take off. I realized that if he makes his first little move at school where I can't see him, I will be absolutely devastated.

After spending a week of luxuriousness with my Cutie Pie, I decided that I can no longer be a working mom. After mulling it over in my head for a few days and of course, discussing my life changing decision with my husband, I decided to make it official. I resigned from my job! It was the moment most people only dream about! I walked into my supervisor's office and I told her that I wanted to resign. At least that's what I tried to do. She wouldn't let me quit. My boss simply said "No."

What do you mean "No?" I was completely baffled. I can quit if I want to and you can't make me stay! My boss thought fast and told me I could work from home and schedule my office appointments in the evenings around my husband's schedule. I know that many women ask their employers for schedules like mine. I wish I could say that I hammered out a deal with my employer but I'm afraid that I am just too naive for such manipulation. I was just really, really lucky.

It was positively painful to even consider quitting my dream job. It was even harder to think about missing out on precious time with my Cutie Pie. There seems to be no right answer. You either choose to work and feel guilty at leaving your child to be raised by someone else or you choose to stay home and lose your professional identity in the process. It looks like I will be learning to balance too.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Butterfly Effect

2009-05-06T01:50:00.000-04:00

There's a reason they say "Let sleeping babes lie." Everyone knows that it is bad luck to wake a baby. When I picked Cutie Pie up from school today, he was passed out cold in his bed. I told his Teacher I had a dreadful feeling about waking him and boy was I right. He has not slept at all since.

He woke up immediately when I picked him up. By the time we got to the car, his eyes were wide open and he was ready to party. He could not be convinced to play by himself when he got home so I got to practice the art of multitasking by holding him with one hand while cooking, doing dishes and eating my own dinner. Although inconvenient, it's a great workout. My arms have never looked so nice.

Then as if to make matters worse, I interrupted Cutie Pie's evening routine so he could spend a little time with his Dad before he went to bed. Each night Cutie Pie gets his dinner of some pureed vegetable that he will probably never eat again once he is done with baby food. Then he takes his bath. Tonight he learned to splash the water and I never thought I would get him out of that bathtub. He had a blast! He didn't even care when he would splash the water so hard it would get in his eyes. After his bath, Cutie Pie gets dressed for bed. Then he usually says good night to Daddy and the doggies then nurses to sleep while Mommy reads him a story and says prayers. But tonight Daddy was running late so I let Cutie Pie play in his pajamas until he got home. Sounds like no big deal right?

It's like the butterfly effect. Who knew that two small interruptions in his day, could cause so much chaos for Cutie Pie? He has woken up every twenty minutes since I put him down. I think he's dreaming about splashing in the bath because he seems to be trying to splash his sheets. I wonder if they make water beds for babies? I have absolutely no chance of getting any sleep tonight so I might as well surrender now.

Schedule and routine has always been important to my Cutie Pie. Right from the beginning, I noticed that he became agitated when we kept him out late. Those darn baby books I'm always talking about say it's OK to deviate from the schedule every now and then but make sure you follow it most of the time. The baby will be happier following the schedule. It's important that the child know what to expect.

What lesson has Cutie Pie taught me from this experience? Make sure I always bring home a few files from work so I have something to do if I have to stay up all night.

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Back to Work

2009-05-05T21:32:00.016-04:00

Now that I am back at work, it's back to pumping breast milk for my Cutie Pie. Each day while I am at work I have to make Cutie Pie's lunch for the next day. It is not always easy.

Breastfeeding on the job is a tricky affair. First you need privacy. Luckily I have an office with no windows. Next you need an electrical outlet to plug in the pump. I have the hardest working outlet ever. It powers a computer, a lamp, the filter for my fish tank, my radio, my digital photo frame with pictures of Cutie Pie constantly playing on a loop all day and now my electric pump. Then you need something to cover up the woosh, woosh noise of the pump. Thank you, radio. A lock on the door is a must. Check! Finally, you need time to actually pump. This one can be a bit complicated.

Sometimes I think I have discreetly slipped into my office when I hear, "Bang, bang, bang! Are you in there? I need to talk to you!" I don't know about you but I just don't feel comfortable having a conversation through the door while I am pumping a bottle. I know you probably think that is strange but I don't like it when people talk to me in public bathrooms either. Boundaries, people! Anyway, my dilemma here is that my coworkers do not know what I am doing but they know I am in my office so they think that I am ignoring them. This has actually caused some conflicts for me in the office. Pumping takes up time that I really should be working. I have gotten quite good at holding my pump while typing and writing. The only thing I absolutely refuse to do is answer the phone.

I have to schedule pumping into my already very busy day and sometimes my schedule doesn't go as planned. Today was full of emergency appointments and surprises. I had to rush through appointments to get people out of my office to avoid having an accident. When you have to pee really bad, you can still hold it. But when it's time to make a bottle, it's time to make a bottle!

Breastfeeding also pays a physical toll on me. My hair is falling out in clumps. It's amazing that I haven't gone bald! I often feel exhausted because it takes so much of my energy. As if it weren't tiring enough to be the mother of an almost six month old baby who remembers that he is teething several times a night!

No matter how hard it gets, it is totally worth it to me to pump for my Cutie Pie. Even though I can't be with him all day, at least I am still feeding him and that helps assuage my crushing guilt at being a working mom. I realize that I am very lucky to have an understanding employer and my own office for privacy. We have noticed that Cutie Pie doesn't get sick as often as the other babies in his class. That fact alone makes it worth the sacrifice. As you know, I don't do well with sick babies!

Also on the bright side, I get to eat like a man twice my size and still lose weight! Best diet ever!

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Back to School

2009-05-04T22:16:00.009-04:00

My vacation ended today and the family was forced to return to the same old routine. Cutie Pie went back to school today and I went back to work. I was prepared for the worst when I dropped him off at school this morning. I put a tissue in my pocket in preparation for the flood of tears that was sure to come. I knew in my heart that Cutie Pie would take one look at his classroom and clutch my shirt, begging me to take him home. None of this happened. Instead, we were greeted at the door by his Teachers. Everyone was delighted to see my Cutie Pie after his week away from school. He was thrilled to be getting so much attention. He started smiling and flirting, using his special Cutie Pie powers to charm everyone in sight. The least he could have done is cry a little bit. Is that really asking too much? It turned out that I didn't even need the tissue. I was able to hold my tears back all the way to work.

I returned to my role as a working mother. I have two lives: Mommy and Professional. As Mommy I am often covered in baby food and drool. I sing Cutie Pie's favorite songs endlessly, I dance around and make funny faces. I try not to cry when Cutie Pie gets a big handful of my hair, which is already falling out in clumps and does not need any extra help from him, thank you very much.

As a professional, I dress up but sometimes still wear a little drool. I listen to whining all day and say things that other people want to hear. I still make funny faces but only when my office door is closed. I have a Neverending To-Do list that I never seem to put a dent in. No one tries to pull out my hair but I get the feeling that they would if they could. So my days at work are spent pretty much like they are at home. The only difference is that I get to interact with adults, make a difference in the lives of the people in my community and I miss my Cutie Pie.

Cutie Pie also seems to have two lives. At home he hates bananas. He has never eaten a spoonful of bananas in my presence. I tried to give him a taste of bananas over the weekend to see if he changed his mind. He gagged like I was choking him and spit it right out. Today at school, he ate all his bananas. That's my little monkey!

When I went to pick up Cutie Pie this afternoon, I heard three words I never wanted to hear: Boo-Boo Report. Cutie Pie is still an amateur sitter. He bumped his head on the floor, leaving a little pink mark on his bald spot. I myself have thought about wearing a catcher's glove when he's practicing his sitting to help me catch his little noggin. Under "treatment" on the report it said they gave him hugs and kisses until he felt better. He was fine when I got there to pick him up. It turns out Cutie Pie did cry today after all.

My head doesn't go on the floor, the floor goes on my head!

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Baby's Got Bite

2009-05-03T22:43:00.008-04:00

He's not even six months old and Cutie Pie is already wrestling alligators. Cutie Pie is a tough baby. About a month ago, he invented a game where he grabs your arm while you are doing your best to change his diaper and bites your elbow like a shark with his cute little gummy mouth. But, now that Cutie Pie is getting a tooth, I don't think I'll still have my "Aw, so cute" reaction.

Yep, you heard me. Cutie Pie is getting a tooth. It started poking through yesterday, leading to all sorts of unhappiness. Mr. Crankypants has moved in and taken over my usually mild-manned Cutie Pie. I feel so bad for him, but when he takes pictures this funny it's hard not to laugh.

Each time Cutie Pie reaches a childhood milestone, I am filled with pride but also fear. OK, mostly fear. So he's teething, now what? I think his gums are hurting. Does he need a teething ring? Is that the one I saw the dog pick up yesterday? Should I give him some of that Orajel stuff? Should you give babies that stuff before they eat? It says to give them a pea-sized amount but just how big is a pea? The gel didn't come out in pea form. How big is a smashed pea? What would happen if I gave him too much?

Now that he has a tooth, the books say that I'm supposed to brush it. I have a friend who had to take out a loan to cap her four year old's teeth so I am willing to do whatever I must do to insure Cutie Pie has good dental hygiene. I guess I'm going to be making another trip to the store this week to buy a toothbrush for a six month old. I can't get him to open his mouth to put teething medicine in there, what makes me think I'm going to get a toothbrush in his mouth? Maybe if I put sweet potatoes on the brush I can trick him into thinking I got him a new spoon. I think I read that you can wipe the baby's teeth with a cloth. What? He won't even let me wipe his nose!

The problem is that Cutie Pie is still a baby and falls asleep nursing. How am I going to brush his teeth after he eats if he falls asleep? The books say that brushing before bedtime is critical. Surely, Cutie Pie will have a mouth full of cavities if I let him fall asleep nursing. One book I read says he shouldn't nurse to fall asleep anymore, six months is too big for this babyish habit. Another book said that when he is weaned the bed time feeding should stop last. What am I supposed to do? Is there any way I can brush his teeth while he is sleeping? Perhaps I should let Cutie Pie gnaw on the books next time.

BTW- let me know if you can think of a better caption for the picture than "baby's got bite."

http://theadventuresofcutiepie.blogspot.com/

Don't Lick the Baby!

2009-05-02T17:18:00.000-04:00

Cutie Pie's Uncle brought over his puppies today. Cutie Pie seemed fascinated by the little creatures and put his hands out to touch them. The sweet dachshund puppies also seemed interested in Cutie Pie and enjoyed sniffing him and staring curiously at the drool streaming from his bottom lip to the "My Uncle Loves Me" bib around his neck. The little puppies did not seem excited about Cutie Pie's big dachshund dogs barking and growling at them.

Eight years ago, before Cutie Pie was even a thought in our minds, we got a sweet little dachshund puppy named Oakley. Little Oakley was our baby. We took him everywhere and spoiled him with treats. A few years later, we decided that Oakley needed a friend and we got a one year old dachshund named Minnie. The addition of the new dog was hard on Oakley but eventually he adjusted.

We were very worried about how the dogs, especially Oakley, would take to having a baby in the house. We asked around about how to get the dogs ready for the new baby. Someone suggested I carry a doll around so they will get used to seeing me holding a baby. It sounded like a good idea but not for me. Instead, when Cutie Pie was born, we sent Grandma to the house with Cutie Pie's hat to let the dogs sniff it and get used to his smell before he came home. We were relieved to hear that the dogs loved that hat. They sniffed it and licked it and carried it over to their bed so they could roll on it! We saved what was left of the hat for Cutie Pie's scrapbook so he can see it one day.

When Cutie Pie met his doggies, they were in love with him. I wouldn't be surprised if "Don't lick the baby!" are Cutie Pie's first words. But the novelty of having a baby in the house has worn off for Oakley and Minnie. They look enviously at Cutie Pie's toys. They stare forlornly as we play with Cutie Pie. They've realized that Cutie Pie is not leaving and they are going to have to share us with him. I'm sure when they saw those little puppies walk into the house that they were going to have to share us with them too!

I enjoyed having the little puppies visit our house too. Who can resist a rambunctious, cuddly ball of fur? Cutie Pie watched as I played with the puppies and I noticed the same look on his face that I often see in my dogs. "Hey, Mommy! Why are you playing with them like you play with me?" I quickly turned my attention to my Cutie Pie, just like I always do for my dogs when they get sad and I thought to myself with alarm, "What am I going to do if Cutie Pie becomes a big brother?"

Bye Bye Baby Seat

2009-05-01T15:34:00.000-04:00

Today marks a milestone for my Cutie Pie. He has officially outgrown his infant carrier carseat. We brought him home from the hospital in that seat. He's gone on long car trips, run errands, sat in restaurants and gone for long walks at the park in that seat. Now at almost six months old, he's too big to fit in the seat that was supposed to last a year. It felt bittersweet to see my baby boy's chair cast aside on the garage floor to make room for the giant big boy seat that we bought to replace it.

Choosing a new car seat was quite an undertaking. I read the baby books and consulted numerous web pages. I visited baby stores. I looked at charts comparing every aspect of dozens of seats. I read that I needed a convertible car seat but I wasn't sure why. Does it have a moon roof? I felt like I was cramming for a test on a foriegn language I had never heard before!

Do you want a seat with a cow or zebra pattern? Stylish parents might prefer a special couture fabric edition. Traveling parents might want a seat with wheels at the bottom so they can cart their kid around the airport like he's riding on a dolly. (Isn't this why they make strollers?) How about a snack tray? For only $400, your baby's seat can have it's own airbags! I was surprised I didn't find one with iPod attachments.

In my research, I found that Britax seats are considered the safest on the market. When I read a review from another parent about how a Britax seat saved their child's life I knew that was the one I wanted. They might not have all the cutest patterns but if my Cutie Pie was in an accident, I wouldn't want to regret not buying him a better seat.

You would think that would be the end. My decision is made, I will buy a Britax seat. Oh no! There are six different kinds of Britax seats available for babies like my Cutie Pie. Each seat is different and none of them are really better than the others. Every seat had something I wanted that the others didn't have. The seat with the airbags sounded intriguing but very expensive. I think my Cutie Pie should be comfortable in his seat so we should probably get one with the comfort pillows. I don't have a van or an SUV so I needed one that would fit in my normal sized car. I read a bunch of reviews that said some seats don't have adjustable crotch straps and their little boys were uncomfortable because their wee wees hurt. Well that was it! The deciding factor. I don't want to have to drive all over town with a baby crying because his wee wee hurts!

I finally decided on the Britax Decathlon and found a good deal shopping around on the internet. It fits perfectly in my mom-mobile and I can hardly wait to run errands with Cutie Pie so he can sit in it. I'm going to miss the seat that carried my sweet baby boy but I'm looking forward to countless car trips with the new seat. I just better not hear any complaints about that crotch strap!

King Kong

2009-04-30T15:01:00.000-04:00

Feeding my Cutie Pie has become quite an adventure. The airplane makes it's approach toward the mouth, complete with putputputput noises. The mouth opens and just when you think all is safe, King Kong comes out of nowhere and swats the airplane down sending peas in all directions!

I've noticed that King Kong only comes out to play when Mommy is doing the feeding. I've watched Daddy and Grandma and Cutie Pie's Teachers carefully. I've studied their technique and style. I've tried it all and to no avail. Feeding time is just dangerous when Mommy is at the other end of the spoon.

I invented my own technique of giving Cutie Pie his own spoon to play with. My rationale is that if he already has a spoon then surely he won't try to grab the one with the food on it. Right? Wrong, Mommy! Cutie Pie and I have tried this at least a dozen times and it hasn't worked yet. When will Mommy learn?

I guess Cutie Pie will just have to work harder to teach me to feed him neatly. Sometimes I'm not such a fast learner. We were just getting the hang of breastfeeding when the doctor sprung this solid food business on us! What do you mean we can start giving him cereal and baby food? He's still a baby!

We haven't stopped breastfeeding completely yet. I read that six month old babies begin to lose the immunities their bodies stored while in the womb. I think it is fabulous that my milk helps to protect him from germs.

The early days were very difficult. King Kong first made his appearance in the hospital. Cutie Pie would thrash and fight when it was time to eat. Each feeding session was like a wrestling match! Then somehow it got easier. Now feeding Cutie Pie is so relaxing that I sometimes fall asleep. I love breastfeeding. I love getting to stare into my Cutie Pie's eyes while he eats. I love cuddling and bonding with him.

Everyone has an opinion about breastfeeding. When I was pregnant, everyone was sure to share their breastfeeding opinion with me. I thought that most people would push me to breastfeed, after all, "breast is best." But I was surprised to learn that several of my friends thought the whole thing was disgusting. One of them actually told me it reminded her of watching monkeys at the zoo and she would never let her child suckle like an animal! My little monkey and I are doing just fine. It's King Kong I'm worried about!

Baby's First Pandemic

2009-04-29T22:23:00.000-04:00

At 3:00am this morning, I was awakened by a thunderous sound coming from the baby monitor. Before I knew I was awake, I had already run halfway across the house on my way to Cutie Pie. Still bleary eyed, I looked down at my Cutie Pie's crib to see a very unhappy baby coughing violently. Now I know I'm not supposed to pick up the baby every time he makes noise at night, at least that's what everyone says. So I stared at him for a moment trying to figure out what I am supposed to do. I gave him his pacifier, I put Baby Vicks on his chest and I rubbed his back when he rolled over on his stomach. He wasn't fully alert yet but the way he was coughing, I knew I didn't have long before I had a wide awake coughing baby. Sure enough, in a short time I saw my little Cutie Pie's eyes, looking up at me and heard the first of many cries. Cutie Pie told me it was time to stop doing what everyone says and pick him up NOW!

For the next two hours we rocked in the rocking chair, we nursed, we tried walking around the house, we tried sitting in the swing, we used the saline solution, we used the aspirator and when nothing could stop Cutie Pie's coughs, my mind naturally turned to the Swine Flu. Now that I'm a Mom, I have to worry about these things. Maybe I'm not worried enough. We've got a hurricane plan and we know what to do in case of a fire or a tornado. Some of my friends who watch too many horror movies even have an alien plan and a zombie plan! Should I have some kind of a Pandemic Plan for keeping my family safe? I started reviewing the symptoms in my head. Cough- check, body aches- well, he seems unhappy, lethargic- no, he seems pretty wide awake, fever- nope! Hooray! Cutie Pie is safe from the pandemic!

But what could be making him cough like this? I think I read in one of those books that sometimes babies cough a lot because they swallowed something and it got caught in their windpipe. I wonder if Cutie Pie will open his mouth and let me have a look back there. He was nursing right then so I decided to hold off on inspecting Cutie Pie's tonsils, when all of a sudden he let out a monstrous cough that I'm sure they heard in China. This was followed by projectile vomit, the kind I've only seen in movies. Hooray! I immediately decided Cutie Pie must not be choking. If he'd had something stuck in there it surely would have come flying out. I've never been so happy to see a baby throw up.

Around 5:30am, Daddy came in and immediately identified the problem: the humidifier wasn't working. He fixed it and Cutie Pie soon stopped coughing. He was out like a light by 6:00am and slept in until 9:00am. Lucky me!

There are two things I learned about being a Mom last night. One, apparently I tend to overreact when I don't have enough sleep. Two, next time Daddy should get up to check on the baby.

Cutie Pie Style

2009-04-28T11:35:00.000-04:00

Cutie Pie is no longer my sweet bald baby boy. He is growing up so fast I can hardly stand it! People warned me this would happen but I didn't believe them!

Cutie Pie's hair is getting long enough for a "do." I am not very interested in playing with Cutie Pie's hair. I have enough issues with my own! But, Daddy loves to make me laugh and every now and then I'll look at Cutie Pie and have to do a double take! Surprise, Cutie Pie's got a new "do!"

Daddy has been experimenting with Cutie Pie's Style. Here are some of Daddy's recent creations: the Dracula, the Faux Hawk, and the Little Rascal aka the "Butt Cut." Cutie Pie has no idea why we laugh and take pictures of him. He just loves getting his picture taken. Some day Cutie Pie is going to be very unhappy with us for taking these pictures. But not nearly as mad as he will be when he finds out his mom wrote a blog about him called Cutie Pie!

Have you ever actually seen a baby running around with a Mohawk? I have, and I have to say I was a little frightened! Cute as he may be, I don't think I like the idea of Cutie Pie sporting such a crazy "do." Hair style is important for making first impressions. It says something about who you are and what people may expect from you. People treat you the way they perceive you. When I became a parent, I knew that I'd have to feed him, clothe him and teach him things but I didn't realize I would have to make such a crucial decision. Personally, I like the Dracula, how about you?

The Neverending To-Do List

2009-04-27T10:10:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time and long, long ago, there lived a grown woman with a spotless house who made delicious and creative dinners. She dedicated time and energy toward her job. In her spare time, she planned exciting vacations, which she paid for with her extra money.

It all seems like a fairy tale about a far away dream land. I've only been a mother for five months and already my reality has been shocked into a world of sleeplessness, multi-tasking and guilt at not being able to do it all. Right now, as I type this with one hand, I am pumping breast milk, planning dinner in my head and feeling guilty that I'm not doing something more productive like cleaning the bathroom. Thank goodness I don't have one of those fancy breast pumps that lets you walk around hands free, or I'd be cleaning the bathroom right now!

In the old days, I would get up on Saturday morning and clean the house. A few hours later, the house would be "clean" and I would be free to do whatever I wanted for the remainder of the weekend. Yesterday, I announced to my husband that there is no longer a such thing as "clean." It's just a Neverending To-Do List that must be accomplished during those rare moments when Cutie Pie is sleeping or happily enjoying the attention of someone else. The very act of cleaning creates its own chaos which must also be cleaned! I wish we could afford a maid. But then I'd have to clean for that too.

Right now, on my Neverending To-Do List is Spring Cleaning. I've got a day of dusting, window washing and closet cleaning ahead of me. I've got those high plant shelves in my house. You know, the shelves that are way up next to the ceiling? I have absolutely no idea why builders think these are a good idea. You have to buy all kinds of junk to put up there so they look nice but it can't be stuff you might actually want to use because it's too high up. Then you have to get up on a ladder to put things up there. I used to ignore it because it we don't use any of the decorative junk up there. Besides, it's so high you can't even tell if there's a little dust. But after time, it must have built up because every now and then a ball of dust will come rolling off the shelf and into my otherwise clean house. It's particularly embarrassing when we have guests over. So today, I will be dragging the ladder around my house and pushing dust off the shelves and onto my floor. I've tried to use a vacuum to dust up there but it's too big and difficult to reach the ceiling. Since there will be dust balls flying about, I've had to take Cutie Pie to school today. He's already got a stuffy nose and I don't want him to have to breathe dust in the house.

It may seem like I am complaining about Spring Cleaning but really I am a little excited about working on a project at home alone. I just wish the house would stay clean when I am finished. Alas, each task I accomplish today will just fall back to the bottom of the Neverending To-Do List.

One of Those Moms

2009-04-26T21:28:00.000-04:00

Cutie Pie had his first "sick visit" to the doctor this week. He woke up sweaty and screaming. He had a fever of 101 on Friday morning. I immediately gave him Tylenol and called the doctor. Lucky us, we got an appointment just a few hours later! We sat down on the "sick side" of the doctor's waiting room and suddenly Cutie Pie was acting like his old self again. He smiled at everyone who walked by. He flirted with the other babies. He played with his toys and laughed out loud when he dropped them. When we finally got called back to the doctor's office, the nurse looked at me like I was "One of Those Moms." (You know who "Those Moms" are; the ones everyone rolls their eyes about at lunch time later.) Of course he didn't have a fever anymore, thanks to the Tylenol. The doctor could find no signs of infection so he sent us home, assuring me that there is no reason to worry until Cutie Pie gets a real fever of 103 or higher.

Fast forward to three hours later. Once again, Cutie Pie wakes up sweaty and screaming. And what do you know? 103.0! So I call the doctor AGAIN! Now they talk to me like I might have a sick baby. Ha! And they thought I was just "One of Those Moms!"

The irony is I spent all week talking myself out of calling the doctor. I spend way too much time worrying about being "One of Those Moms." He had a slight fever for a couple of days but everyone (you know everyone has an opinion!) told me he was probably just teething so I sat on my hands and didn't call. Of course, I can't just take care of a sick baby without opening up a book or two and searching the internet for his symptoms. Did you know that if a baby has purple spots, you should rush him to the doctor immediately because this could be a life or death situation? Did you know that freckles and indentations from tight clothes can sort of look like purple spots? Have you realized that I probably am "One of Those Moms?" I'm trying keep it to myself.