June 2002 Archives

Things I wish I'd had the guts to say.

1. When in an eating establishment with only one high chair, do not keep possession of the high chair if you and your child are done eating and are just staring off into space doing nothing, and there are other children balanced precariously on laps or adult chairs trying to eat. Go on, clean off that high chair and offer it to your neighbor!

2. When in an eating establishment with a limited number of toys, don't hog all the toys when other children arrive. Offer to share with your neighbor!

3. While in a poorly ventilated play area, gabbing with your friends, if you continue to smell poop for more than a few minutes, please consider that it might be YOUR CHILD'S DIAPER that needs attention!

4. Watch your children while at the playground. At least glance over at them every few minutes or so. I'm busy watching my own child and can't guarantee that I'll be able to rescue yours when that other kid, whose parents aren't watching her either, hits/pushes/runs over your children.

5. If my child is over on the other side of the sandbox with his back toward your child, not showing the remotest bit of interest in what you are doing, please don't use him as a prop for teaching your child how to share. It just confuses everyone.

So I guess the idea of posting regular updates here about the remodel didn't exactly work out as planned. You didn't really want to hear all the gory details of this project anyway, did you?

Since our last update, there's been a ton of new activity: floors, doors, cabinets, trim, tile, brick, landscaping, and paint paint PAINT! We have a new water line and a new sewer line. The yard is starting to take shape and it finally feels like we're closing in on the finish. If we stay on schedule, we should be moving back in shortly after the first of August.

We've posted lots of new pictures in the gallery; the first of the new pictures is here.

Spotted at the Ballard Locks...

What else is there to write about? Henry's verbal skills are still expanding at a rapid rate. Sentences are the norm now: "Read books," "Mommy do it," "Wake up, Daddy," "Henry cooks. Pour flour. Pour sugar. Have pancakes." We've had pancakes a few times recently, and Henry has helped Brad with them by pouring some of the ingredients and mixing. The day after he first helped cook, Henry asked for pancakes to eat: "Have pancakes!" I told him they were all gone and he responded: "Make pancakes! Maple syrup!" He loves maple syrup.

I never really made a point in that last entry. My computer was dying and so I just posted it, unfinished. I'm not sure I really had a point, now. I think I was pissed off at the pro-induction doctors for making it sound like induction was a sure way to know what day your baby will arrive and which doctor will be able to deliver your baby; they give you these drugs and voila! A few hours pass and you have a baby. It doesn't always work that way.

Last night, I read an article in the New York Times special Women's Health section on inducing labor for non-medical reasons.

Yikes! People request inductions?!?! My experience with induction, which I agreed to under much medical pressure, was not good.

Today, Henry, Brad, and I rode the bus, first to the University District and then downtown. The destinations aren't important. The point is that we RODE THE BUS! And, we saw other buses, and taxis and police cars! And, we could see the Space Needle from the bus! And, we got to go through the bus tunnel! The doors on the bus opened and shut and people got on and off!

For the first part of the journey, Henry was very serious, looking around at everything, incorporating the whole bus thing into his world view, I think. We'd talked about riding the bus for a while so he was primed for the experience. After our stop in the UDistrict, his excitement subsided enough so that he was able to talk some as we rode downtown. He loudly pointed out the Space Needle for everyone in the back of the bus when he spotted it: "Smace Needle! Over here!" The bus tunnel floored him.

It's good to see the world through his eyes. As we walked home from the bus stop, carrying a thoroughly worn out and happy Henry, I commented to Brad that one could view our trip as unsuccessful and even kind of crappy: we had very bad coffee in the UDistrict, even worse lunch downtown, Brad's allergies were totally hammering him, we couldn't find what we were looking for downtown—the whole thing was "useless." But, I continued to say, what I really felt was glad we'd done something different, gotten out of a rut, spent time together. It was so fun.

Sometimes, that's how I feel. I stick out like a sore thumb among all the other moms. How is it that I am one of them? I'm too... clueless, disorganized, awkward, gruff, gloomy, serious, wishy washy... fill in the blank.

Henry has known his name for a long time. Long before he talked, he would respond to his name. More recently, he's started saying his name: "Henny," as he says it, though the "R" sometimes sneaks in, too. Last week, we thought we'd teach him his full name. If asked, he'll now respond quite confidently "Henry Clifford Mohr." Only, when he says it, it sounds more like "Hennykifftmoa." I couldn't possibly be more proud.

And yet, here we are. Henry is 20 months old and still nursing regularly. He eats all kinds of other food, too (recent favorites: blueberries, Veggie Booty, ham, Starbucks Cinnamon Twist—still), but still nurses several times a day.

Strange to think this might be at all controversial and unusual, but apparently it is. It seems normal. It's also recommended by the World Health Organization, which advocates exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months and continued breastfeeding along with other foods for 2 years or more.