What Would You Have Done?

Jordan's sleeping schedule has been rather erratic for the last two nights in Salt Lake (we're here for two weeks for one of Andy's rotations at the University of Utah or the "U") with two feedings in the middle of the night. Though it seems normal, I much prefer when I get to make the call that it's time to eat. The bags under my eyes have not quite resurfaced, but I often struggle to stay awake during the day, hoping for a bit of shut eye here and there to catch up. And I wonder, how did I wake up every 2-3 hours when he was first born? Who knows.

So last night when Jordan woke up at 3 AM for his second feeding (the first was at 12 AM), I wondered if maybe he was crying because his diaper was uncomfortably wet. I took initiative to change his diaper (I normally wait until the AM and he usually has a very heavy wet diaper that has been on all night) because I wanted to be a good, nurturing mother who was well aware of her son's needs. Within two seconds of unwrapping his diaper, my groggy attempt to go above and beyond was thwarted with the swish of his pee which not only attacked me but our bedsheets (in the absence of a diaper changing station, I lay a towel on the bed to change him).

I had a few options at this point:

a) wake up husband and change sheets

b) use a wet nap to minimize the damage

c) murmur at self for stupid plan of action that led self to current predicament

d) go back to sleep and pretend nothing happened

e) all but A

I chose e) and I again went above and beyond by obtaining an unused pillow and laying it over the soiled area, creating a safe cushioned haven to return to sleep on. Hey, if there's one thing I've learned about parenthood, it's improvisation. And sleeping on pee. At least it wasn't poop right? Though I'm not sure if that would have changed the outcome much.

If Only I'd Taken a Photo

I like observing people at the airport. So while at the airport Thursday, I did a lot of people watching while Andy and I waited for an hour long layover in the Denver airport.

I had made fun of Andy earlier for wearing his running shoes as his regular patent Nikes were still drying from the downpour in Orlando on Wednesday afternoon but little did we know, his completed outfit - a baby blue polo, plaid khaki based shorts and running shoes (I thought it looked a bit funny) would replicate itself in the form of an older gentleman at the airport. Andy didn't notice him until I pointed him out, and as we walked away, Andy said, "Dang, I am getting old... at least I didn't have a gut like that guy." But who knows what time will bring?

If only I'd taken a photo. It was quite spectacular. And a little horrific. And a bit of a blow to Andy who probably thought he was young, hip and trendy.

Traveling With Child

I always wonder to myself what is worse when traveling in a plane... the crying baby, obesity, or static cling. Having the ability to selectively sleep through anything, the crying baby has never been an issue for me. Instead, I have thought the same thing every person thinks before they become parents ... my kids won't be like that to which I now can safely retort, JUST YOU WAIT! As for the obesity, it's one of those glaring issues that nobody wants to confront in case feelings are hurt, but everyone secretly crosses their fingers that what little room they already have on the plane is not taken by a larger stranger. And as for static cling, men are oblivious to it (or Andy was and is) and it creeps on you and then sticks up out of nowhere (literally).

I found myself pondering on all three as we flew with Jordan for the first time ever. I had done some premature research by glimpsing at some friends' blogs, skimming over some internet suggestions, and even spoken with some more seasoned traveling parents. Looking back, we missed some pretty obvious things.

I knew we were allowed to gate check a car seat and stroller - I did not know where exactly the "gate" was that we were to do so - neither did Andy as he carried the car seat up the plane's staircase. I know now - you get your tags for both at the gate and then leave it outside of the plane entrance - if there's a tunnel, you take it into the tunnel, if you board the plane by walking up stairs, you leave it at the base of the stairs. I felt beyond novice as I advised all the flight attendants that this was my child's first flight ever, hoping that tid bit of information would justify our ignorance.

I knew Jordan could fly free on one of our laps until he was 2 - I did not know I should bring documentation of such in the form of a birth certificate. I have since scoured the FAA website (it's not a friendly one) for exact regulations because one of the Southwest representatives told me the FAA fine is $10,000 if I do not have adequate documentation on a flight. I'm not sure whether to believe her since I can't easily navigate the FAA.gov website but I quickly obtained a copy of his immunization records from his pediatrician via fax (love technology at times like this) which suffice as evidence of his birth date for now. Being that the birth certificate does not have a photo of him, it seems like a rather useless regulation that can easily be manipulated but that's just the auditor in me thinking outloud.

I knew feeding him during take-off would help reduce the change in air pressure by distracting him - I did not know the sights all around him at 4 months would make it hard for him to focus or that the tiny seats make it hard to feed (if the elbow rest is on the right, it's hard to feed him on the left and vice versa and I always had one elbow rest up since Andy and I had two seats between us).

A full flight makes for very difficult feeding, especially since larger passengers tended to pick the empty seat next to Andy (maybe because he doesn't take up much space so there's room for them to overfill and because we have a baby in our aisle, so it's a mutual agreement that neither will be too irritated?.. not sure but we are 2 for 2) but it's smart to ask ahead of time, say while you're boarding to the ticket attendant or the flight attendant who greets you as you enter the plane.

One thing that never crossed my mind in preparing for Jordan's first flight was the possibility of a diaper change. I figured he has slept through 9 hours in a diaper, so what was 3.5 hours? He figured he'd poop while in the plane, not once or twice, but three times would do just fine. What I have since learned is there are usually diaper changing tables in front of the plane but lucky for me, we had our own pad and room on the flight he chose to poop multiple times. We went into super speed diaper changing mode but the airplane air mystified him as he marked his territory on the empty seat between us which we quickly cleaned with a wipe and hand sanitizer (but makes you think twice about how clean airplane seats are, eh?). Note - make sure your husband does not laugh and happily exclaim to your baby, "Marked your territory eh son?!" outloud on the plane for nearby passengers to hear. An announcement is not necessary and this is unlike the announcement that it is his first flight to score some empathy points.

As for the crying, it's inevitable - it will happen even if for a bit and I felt quite prepared as I planned for the worst and hoped for the best. I thought Jordan did quite well as he was easily calmed if we held him close and whispered his favorite song into his ear - The Wheels on the Bus go round and round.... round and round. I'm not sure why that's his favorite, but he absolutely loves it. Works every time! The other thing you can hope for (which I didn't but I may going forward now) is that someone else's child is worse than your own so yours will always seem great in comparison. We had a couple screamers on the flights that Jordan was not too happy on, but everyone near us seemed amused by his short spouts of crying while many concocted their faces into big goofy smiles in an attempt to get a smile out of him. Thus far, Jordan does not like to smile for strangers (except at Church). Stranger danger!

But all in all, traveling with Jordan was really not as bad as I anticipated. And, as I sat there yesterday with him asleep in my arms, a bit nauseous (you can't take Dramamine when you're nursing), munching on the in flight peanuts, lost in my gaze at his adorable sleeping face, I couldn't help but wonder, Is he enjoying this flight? He looks so peaceful and so--dang it, this freaking static is SO ANNOYING I wonder if Andy - nope, no static on that short hair. UGH!!!!!!!!!! Where's my hair tie? UGH!!!!

So there you have it. Static cling wins as the worst.

Yet Another Post-Partum Thing

With the unwelcome return of something in our restroom lately, it's become increasingly more evident that there is a distinct difference between male and female in our household. No, it's not that time of the month.

For the brief time that it disappeared, I remember the pure joy the absence of it brought me as I glanced around my restroom, noticing the clean floors, counter top, and shower. Noticing my clean towel on the sink after I used the blow drier. Free. Fresh. Clean. Clear. Not covered by it. Not mauled by it. Not contaminated by it. Such is my bathroom when my hair is not constantly falling out.

Apparently, one of the hormonal side effects of being pregnant is that your hair stops falling out. So while pregnant, for the first time in my existence, my hair stopped falling out when I washed it. If you are a male who grew up without sisters, the reality of how much hair a female can shed escapes you. Much like if you are a female growing up without brothers, the reality of how upfront males are about number two in the restroom also escapes you. The reality quickly disintegrated into a memory after getting pregnant, and though I knew it would come back a few months post partum, I secretly hoped I would be the exception. Unfortunately, I was and am not.

Sadly, the hair loss has returned only this time it has multiplied to make up for the lack of hair loss for thirty eight weeks. To prevent it from getting everywhere or from destroying our drains, I usually try to collect my hair and throw it away. On rare occasions, I loop it together and leave it on the shower walls, always intending to throw it away but sometimes forgetting. Well, this morning... my forgetful hair loss stayed on the bathroom walls as our brother-in-law, Jeff, went into our bathroom (we're all in one house on vacation) to retrieve the shampoo and conditioner for Andy's sister, Tammy and with that, my little secret was leaked.

Welcome to post-partum. It's just oodles of fun.

Are We Bad Parents?

When my high school friend heard I took Jordan, who just turned four months yesterday, to Disneyland, he told me not to spoil him which quite honestly, baffled me because ummm... yeah.... no. In fact, the poor child was so captivated by Disneyland's lights, sounds, smells, structures, rides, and people everywhere that he was unable to concentrate while eating all day (he wanted to see everything around him!) and refused to sleep all day (he did take a few short naps).

All day long, I didn't know if I should laugh or cry because he looked so cute as he fought to stay awake, slowly blinking and focusing on everything in front of him. He was absolutely captivated by the different art pieces on the wall and huge mirror behind our seat at Club 33 (for a detailed look inside the VIP private hidden secret of Disneyland, read my friend Paige's blog post), stupefied by the whirling lights, shooting lasers and blinking targets on Buzz Lightyear, mesmerized by Daddy and Mommy both pulling their slingshots for the Toy Story ride/game and enthralled with Ariel, Flounder, Scuttle, Sebastian and even Ursula in the Little Mermaid ride. As good parents, we might have thought it was time to leave after dinner, but we, along with our friends, the Camerons (who had a 5 month old baby Alex) and the Rasmussens, decided early in the AM that our departure would follow the 9 PM showing of the World of Colors, which was well worth it (yes, even at the expense of our very tired babies).

Though Jordan probably can't see color yet (the pupils develop the ability to discern color around 6 months), the thumping of the music all around us (carousel of color!!! the wonderful world of colorrrrrrrr... yeah, song's still in my head two days later) was enough that even in the dark as I tried to feed him on the floor, he was not having it and wanted in on the excitement. So he rode on his Daddy's shoulders (Andy supported him since he is not strong enough to sit up on his own yet), clinging onto Andy's ear and hair, and his eyes seemed to grow larger with each splash of water and flashing image and color. But the moment Andy got tired and I took over, his eyes blinked slowly and Andy told me to turn him away from the show and in that millisecond, he was out. Poor thing had been so tired. Unfortunately, his parents who had seen the show a year ago when he was still cooking inside my womb, knew how amazingly awesome it was and convinced everyone to stay for it!

The very next day, Jordan turned 4 months old!


His current statistics (as of last week) are:

Head: 75% 23 cm (I think....)

Weight: 75% 15 lbs and 13 oz

Height: 90% 26 inches

It's amazing to me that just four months ago, my baby was just a pooping, peeing, burping, spitting, sleeping machine with occasional glimpses of a smile. These days, his poops are less frequent, he only pees on me once every 3-4 days, he has fake cries and real cries, is trying so hard to roll over (he rolled from tummy to back fives times in a row one morning and I guess decided he was over it... has only happened once since then) from his stomach to back and back to front and gets frustrated when he gets stuck on his side, and will coo and try to talk, smiles so much when he's in a good mood, and is just so intent on observing everything around him.

I love him to pieces and I can't believe when we last went to Disneyland with our Voluntears passes around Halloween last year, he was still swimming around inside of my stomach - and making me sick btw, all we did was watch shows and I felt like fainting many times - ugh, at least the experience did not make me dread dole whips. We got our fix of dole whips and raved about it while the Camerons did the same with corn dogs and Jeff with his popcorn. I guess we all have separate preferences but one thing we had in common - we had a blast at Disneyland!

p.s. This is what you get when you ask a stranger to take your photograph - the castle is cut off! Booo!!!

p.p.s. At the end of the night, the babies were OUT and some daddies.

The "Can't Sleep" Syndrome of Going to Disneyland!

I'm not a die hard Disneyland fan (mostly because we can't afford it and I'm lazy even though I know it's less than an hour away without traffic!) but just like when I was a kid, I cannot go to sleep the night before a trip to Disneyland because I am so dang excited. If I were to retreat to bed right now, I would just toss and turn, imagining my day tomorrow and still wondering what I am going to wear (it's something I did as a teen and I guess some habits die hard).

I am thinking of all the rides I can go on! I am thinking of all the Mickey Mouse shaped food! I am thinking yo ho yo ho! I am thinking it's a small world! I am thinking I hope I see some pretty princesses (have you ever thought, hmmm they were much better looking when I was a kid). I am thinking of the popcorn popping, ice cream stands, and adorable themed uniforms the workers will greet me in. I am thinking of the smell of vanilla permeating the air as I walk down Main Street (yeah so they pump peppermint during the Christmas season and did you know the doors and windows on Main Street are proportioned to look big so you feel little when you're there?... clever!). I am thinking of the Dole-Whip that Andy introduced me to last time! I am thinking of the basketball court inside the Matterhorn that I won't get to see but the Abominable Snowman that will freak me out (even though I'm a grown woman). I am thinking I should go to sleep now. And most importantly, I am thinking how much better Disneyland will be when you're not nauseous and unable to go on any of the fun rides (when we went with our Voluntears passes I was two months pregnant and NOT a happy camper) and instead introducing the world of happiness that is Disneyland to your almost four month old who won't understand a thing and will be exhausted.

I truly never thought I would be one of those parents who brought their tiny not even speaking or walking yet kid to Disneyland because really, what can he go on and what torture for him, right? Say hello to your stroller babe, you will be in it for most of tomorrow. *sigh. Sad, right? Yet.... now that I'm a parent, I understand life must go on and your kid will just adapt and really, it will make him stronger, less difficult and make parenthood much happier! So, yes - we might not be the best parents but neither are our friends because we're all bringing our babies (four kids less than twelve months) to Disneyland tomorrow! Hey, they are free before 3 years of age and I personally think Jordan will enjoy the change of scenery. He will also be able to boast that he went to Club 33 before he was even 1 year old. Yes, we are going to Club 33, the super elite, VIP, magical and special restaurant inside Disneyland that one must be a member in order to be granted access in. Lucky for me, the Firm I work for has membership and one of the perks of working there is that I can go. Despite having been once for a company kick-off meeting, I'm thinking tomorrow will be much more memorable and fun.

I should go to sleep. Like a kid who's going to Disneyland tomorrow, I can't. And the funny thing is, it's not a figure of speech.

What I Learned Today...

Today I learned, if I am going to bring something to a picnic for others to partake of, it should be something I enjoy eating in case nobody eats it except for me and I come home with a big bowl of it.

No regrets - I am happily eating my own broccoli salad tonight, tomorrow... basically until it's gone!

I also learned to be very careful with what kind of underwear and work out pants you wear to a cardio kickboxing class held in a studio with large windows where everyone outside can see in because of a thing called melvilles (wedgies to simpletons).

No regrets - the class was well worth it!