Saturday, December 04, 2004


sisters Posted by Hello

Naomi in her nest Posted by Hello
Julia has a tooth. I can feel it where it has come through the gums. And yes, I can feel it while nursing too. Actually mostly towards the end when Julia starts to get distracted by what is going on around her and wants to look at it while eating.
She is absolutely too cute, playing with the music cube right now. She is really good at entertaining herself for sometime on the floor. I need to watch it when she starts to crawl because I have been letting myself feel secure in her immobility. She is not that immobile, but she is not very fast now. When she crawls that will all change.

Naomi has her first job taking care of the neighbors cats. Actually I put the food out, and she runs after the cats trying to pick them up and pet them. Mostly the cats are terrorized but Naomi is very gentle with animals. She is just a little overzealous. She plays hide and seek with the cats and I am not sure who is supposed to be hiding and seeking but the cats definitely hide. I count, and Naomi hides and then goes to look for the cats. Julia hangs out in the sling and cracks up every time she sees Naomi whizzing by.

Saturday, October 23, 2004

When I sneeze, Naomi sings me a little song which ends with Atchoo Atchoo Mammi. It is really sweet and funny that wherever she is in the house she will start to sing it. So much more charming than saying bless you anyway.
She played out in the rain for an hour today and it was really funny. She kept wanting me to come out too but it was cold and rainy. then she told me she was watering my plants with the water that had collected in the pool. Like they needed it! We also made cookies today. YUM!

Thursday, October 21, 2004


Julia found "Magenta" in her crib and she loves it. She reaches for her as soon as she wakes up. Posted by Hello

Dr. Naomi is helping Daddy get better after his knee surgery Posted by Hello

Naomi used her paints to make herself into a cat. Posted by Hello

Princess Naomi Posted by Hello

I don't know how Julia sleeps like this, but she does Posted by Hello

Orange Bear in the sling Posted by Hello

Friday, October 15, 2004

2:44 PM This just in: Julia can roll from her stomach to her back now. She just did it a couple of times. SHe has done it before but now she is clearly practicing it...
I've been reading operating instructions by Ann Lamott and it is really a very good book and very funny and validating at the same time. It makes me realize that it is really still OK to be tired and overwhelmed sometimes. The other day I said to Adam that I couldn't imagine why I was so tired since Naomi had been at school all day and I hadn't really done anything all day besides the general home upkeep. Then I realized that I was still doing all that with an infant in tow and plenty of people find that tiring enough.
Naomi's favorite thing lately is to tell our days. After lights out at bedtime we talk about our favorite part and our saddest part of our day. Sometimes she tells things from other days and sometimes she just tells me her favorite part is what just happened. "My favorite part is that you got Julia from her crib" or "My favorite part was turning out the light."
She was full of vim and vigor this morning and came to wake me up to tell me something which I have forgotten already and which may not have made sense to me at the time, but then she hopped out of our room and down the hall. It was so funny and happy at the same time that I actually felt like getting up at that point.

Here is another sentiment that helped me from the parents Tao Te Ching:

There are many ways to get children
to behave as you wish.
You can force, plead and bribe.
You can manipulate, trick and persuade.
You can use shame, guilt and reason.
These will all rebound upon you.
You will be in constant conflict.

Attend instead to your own actions.
Develop contentment within yourself.
Find peace and love in all you do.
This will keep you busy enough.
There is no need to control others.

Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Where have I been? Adam had surgery on his knee and is pretty well recovered right now. In the meantime my mom and Carol have been here to help me while I was driving Adam everywhere and while he was unable to help out with Naomi and Julia. That is where I have been.
Naomi is practicing conjunctions. She likes to use sentences with "and" and "but". It is actually pretty funny although it sometimes rubs me the wrong way. I have to keep reminding myself that she doesn't mean to contradict me and that she is just practicing language.
Julia still only rolls one way but she is getting used to having to be on her stomach.
I have been doing a lot of gardening. Here it is the season for planting and so plant I did. Naomi likes to help me though she can be quite rough on plants and it is not the quiet and serene activity that it would be if I were doing it alone. Tonight she was dragging the shovel around as well as the hoe and turning up soil. Luckily in a place where there are no plants. We also planted snow peas which I hope will encourage Naomi to eat some vegetables.

Thursday, September 16, 2004

Julia has had a fussy and not very sleepy day today. The past couple of nights she hasn't slept well either. I think it is her developmental overdrive to turn over. As soon as you put her down she arches her back and tries to get on her stomach. As soon as she is on her stomach she is unhappy about that too. But she can't help herself, she needs to perfect this turning over thing. What is interesting is that she turns differently than Naomi did. Naomi would get her legs in the air and let her momentum of them falling to the side turn her over. Julia arches her back till she is on her side and then reaches a leg over till she winds up on her stomach. But her arm gets in her way and frustrates her. Still, all this practice is bound to lead to perfection. Naomi tries to show her how it is done. A fine example of practice making perfect as far as turning over is concerned.
Another cute thing Julia does is she puts her feet together in a gesture that is kind of like putting your hands together in prayer pose. I guess using your feet for this thoughtful gesture leaves your hands free for grabbing things.
Naomi's latest thing is saying she can't do anything. Whatever she had mastered before, like putting on her shoes, climbing out of the bath, or drawing the letter H, she says she can't do anymore.

Thursday, September 09, 2004

Naomi is having a "work slowdown". I guess the United Union of Preschoolers would like more breakfast choices and better fringe benefits (bathtime bubbles?). So to get me to the negotiating table Naomi has not been listening to me and refusing to put her clothes on or go potty when it is time to go somewhere.
dangling

Saturday, September 04, 2004

Julia is 3 months old and I am feeling wistful for the tiny baby days already. For one thing, I can't nurse her to sleep in front of the TV anymore and then expect to put her to bed. Then again, I am not sad that she seems to be able to entertain herself for a few minutes now. She is trying to reach out for toys and things, and her hands remain the most fascinating objects around. I showed her her feet but she didn't seem impressed. Like, whatever, they don't do anything! Does she even realize that they are connected to her body. If I hold her up she is a pretty steady sitter too and she digs the vibrating rocking chair while I fix dinner.
Now I can get her on my back in the Moby wrap and she seems to tolerate that pretty well (See picture!). Not for too long though, she starts to squirm eventually. It feels pretty secure to have her up there on my back.
Naomi has been having a hard time getting motivated. She doesn't want to do anything lately. She doesn't want to go to the park, but once we're there she doesn't want to leave. She doesn't want to get in the bath, but once in she doesn't want to get out. She is also very interested in routines and lists the routines we have. For instance at the dinner table she will say, "after dinner we can do this, and then we take a bath and then we brush our teeth, etc"
Last week we went to a fabulous park that had a ton of play structures and a "water mountain". Naomi found a friend right away and shared her orange bear with her. It was really sweet. I think having sharing day at the daycare really helps with being able to share.

Sisters on the couch. This is what daddy does when mom leaves for a few minutes - poses his girls on the couch Posted by Hello

A ride on mama's back. Posted by Hello

Tuesday, August 31, 2004


tummy time Posted by Hello

bouncehouse fun Posted by Hello

Sunday, August 29, 2004

Oh the places you'll nurse

Yesterday we went to Natalie's birthday party in Santa Rosa which was the longest car ride Julia has been on. It went well on the way over because I timed it to overlap with a nap. The party was really fun and I will try to get some pictures up soon. Naomi had a fabulous time in the bounce house and playing at the play ground. It is amazing how far away from me I will let Naomi get now that she is getting older. She did a good job of not getting too far and staying in the playground so that is great.
We stopped in at Jack's afterwards and Naomi and Natalie had a bath together. So I loaded up my freshly washed girl and a sleepy baby. Well, Julia did not fall asleep and we got stuck in traffic. She was OK with a pacifier as long as I was holding it, but when we were about to get on the Richmond/San Rafael bridge, which had terrible traffic, she started to cry for real. It was about time for her to eat again since she eats rather frequently in the evening so I told Adam to take the next exit. It was the San Quentin exit, which is a prison (in case you didn't know), and we pulled over and I nursed. So, the strangest place I have ever nursed so far would have to be outside the gates of San Quentin. Well, we weren't in the search lights or anything... and I figure it must be the safest place in the world too.

Friday, August 27, 2004

Annoying questions and potty training.

The question is, who is potty trained at this point? I guess I am trained to take Naomi to the potty many times a day while she has not really learned to go there on her own accord. I can take her to the potty and she will sit on it and ten minutes later she will pee on the floor. She does not want to wear the all in one training pants so I am having to clean up a lot. I guess I felt under pressure to potty train her because after all she is 3, and lots of 3 YO's are potty trained.
In fact it seems that at every stage there is the annoying question: For babies "is she sleeping through the night yet?", for toddlers "is she potty trained yet?" But I have read it is perfectly normal for some children not to learn how to use the potty till they are older. Indeed everyone does learn at some point, but I felt that there must be something wrong with me if my incredibly smart and charming daughter didn't at THIS point. I wish in retrospect that I had had the courage to wait until I knew she was ready. I wanted her to be ready and I felt she should be but I think in my heart of hearts I knew she wasn't. Hopefully I will remember this when Julia's time comes.
I went on a play date with my AP mothers group on Wednesday and it was really fun. It was funny to be checking out other peoples slings -"wow, that is a really nice fabric"; "oh it's a zolowear"; "that looks really comfortable, but is it hot? What kind is it?" "it's my moby wrap, it is not too hot and very comfortable" LOL (laughing out loud). Only at an AP play group.
Naomi has been sleeping in her own bed regularly. Mainly because she wants to take her toys to bed with her and I don't want them in my bed. So four nights out of the last six she has slept in her own bed. The down side is that she wakes up earlier.
Come to think of it, luckily it is not widely known that the girls sleep in our bed so we don't get the "is she sleeping in her own bed yet?" question too much. Well, it is now, and don't ask me that question.

Thursday, August 26, 2004


Julia checking out her hands Posted by Hello

Sunday, August 22, 2004

Today was Naomi's birthday and I am feeling sort of emotional about it. I can't believe she's 3 and I can't believe how much of a little girl she is. She used to be my baby. Good thing I have a spare baby J. Yesterday was her birthday party and Emma and Nico came and Lizzie and Madeleine. First they played with the dress up clothes and had a tea party on the blanket in the back yard. It seemed like they had too much energy though so we set up the slip and slide. Nico was the only one who actually slipped and slided but they had fun anyway. Naomi was really interested in when they could have cake, so finally we had cake. She got upset because Lizzie "helped" her blow out the candles and she wanted to do it alone. I guess that is a big theme these days. That she wants to do certain things for herself. But then other things she does not and she just keeps saying "I can't!" That is actually beginning to annoy me.
Julia thankfully slept until the party started and then was content to hang out in the Moby wrap and watch the action. She really is such a happy little baby. I think she tried to reach out and touch a toy today. She was in the crib waiting for me to help Naomi in the bathroom and when I came back she was holding Magenta's star. Magenta is a little toy dog from a cartoon character and it had a star dangling from it that plays rock-a-bye baby when you pull on it. I used to have it over the changing table for Naomi because she would cry so when I changed her. I should put it there for Julia. Anyway, Julia was holding the star. I handed her other toys, but she really didn't reach out for them.
Today, Naomi got to open her presents from us before breakfast and proceeded to play with them instead of eating breakfast. Finally I told Adam to take her to the donut place around the corner. That is a perfectly reasonable birthday breakfast anyway. She got a set of "doctor things". Actually they are veterinarian things, but she can't read so it doesn't matter. We were all patients at some point today, even Julia.
When I see how Naomi just loves Julia it makes me all happy and weepy. I woke up this morning and I had one baby snuggling on either side of me which was pure joy. Naomi woke up and said to me as she looked over me "You know, I just love Julia" and I wanted to cry with happiness.

sisters in the bed Posted by Hello

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Julia was a lot more alert today. Very social while she was nursing, popping off every once in a while to chat with me and smile. It is so cute, but it does mean that the naps are going to get shorter, or at least she will be awake more. This morning on our walk she was checking everything out. Even at Target she couldn't tune out the environment while she was in the sling. Usually being in the sling knocks her out cold in no time flat. This is of course the end of errands any old time I want then. I will have to figure out if she falls into a schedule.

Monday, August 16, 2004

Julia talks to the Beatrix Potter characters on her crib bumber and it is sooo cute. She makes these breathy little sounds and squeals and I try to imagine what she is saying to them. "Hi, here I am again. Well, I had a nice afternoon in the sling, but it was pretty hot today. Well, that older girl that is around here likes to pat my head, and she does the most amazing things" And I wonder what Peter Rabbit says back?!

Saturday, August 14, 2004

This week has been really long with me alone with the two of them. I never seem to be able to complete a thought before someone needs something again. I have a long list of things that I want to do right now and I want to do them all alone. I would be happy to do laundry alone at this point. Of course blogging on the computer works in a way.
And now Naomi went to sleep in her own bed. I feel bad because she was in there reading and I found her and told her it was OK to be in her bed, but she had to turn the light off. I turned it off and Julia started to cry in the other room. Well I guess she was sitting in bed just pouting when Adam went to check on her, and she said that I had turned the light off. I feel bad that she was crying and that after a long week I couldn't comfort her, but she is slept in her own bed last night. Weird!
Today Naomi seems really tired and fussy though so it makes you think she didn't sleep well in her own bed. The Julia as heat seeking missile theory is confirmed though. She started out at the edge and this morning she was in the middle of the bed with Adam and I crowded to one side. I move over a little and then she follows me. Who says she isn't mobile!
Well, Naomi has kept her underpants dry all day today yah! I have to remind her to go to the potty, but we went for broke this week and shelved the diapers. We only have a few left and I put them away. At night we are using a cloth type diaper because if we have diapers, Naomi will ask for them. So there is no turning back. The first few days I was having to wash all the wet underpants every night so we would have some for the next day, but at the end of the week she seems to be getting it. Not that I think we are accident free by any means, but it is definitely going in the right direction.

Monday, August 09, 2004


the cousins Posted by Hello
Natalie and Naomi played together this weekend while Jack worked on the garage with Adam. Cheri and Drew came too so I was not alone with three kids suddenly. Natalie rejuvenated Naomi's interest in her own toys and of course whatever the other one was playing with was the toy of the moment. On the whole they did really great together though.


Here are the cousins. Sharing the car, but not the popsickles

Friday, August 06, 2004

Julia weighs 12 lbs 14 ounces now. And she is 23 inches. We had a well baby check and she is well. Growing a lot as she should. Julia loves the baby in the mirror at the end of the hall and greets her with a smile and a squeal. She is definitely more alert and responsive these days and that is fun. But on the other hand I want her to stay little for a little longer.
Naomi nursed her "baby" and I am particularly excited about this. I nursed Naomi for so long that I was disappointed when she fed her dolls bottles. But the other day I asked her if her doll was hungry and she nursed the doll. It was difficult because the doll did not latch on well (or at all really, they should make a better breastfeeding doll) and her breasts don't sag so she has to hold the doll up high.
After having too much milk, the supply is finally under control although it is difficult to let go of the extra milk emotionally. I liked having all the milk in a way I guess. Now it feels as if there is not enough, even though I know there is since Julia is fat and happy. If there weren't it would leave Julia with few options since she won't take the bottle. She sort of tolerated having the bottle nipple in her mouth today but did not actually drink any.

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

The potty train is leaving the station.

I got Naomi a seat that fits on our toilet. She was excited to try it out and sat on it, then she wanted to try to pee on the toilet in spite of the fact that she had just peed on her potty. OK, so she sits on the toilet again. Then she lifts her seat and tries to sit on the toilet without it. Well, I was slow and she fell through. It was really hard not to laugh, but I held that in and told her that it was OK and I wiped her off.
So next week we are not going to have any more diapers (and I mean it for real too) and I will expect to be cleaning up a lot. Naomi will be home all week because Kathy is going on vacation so we can roam around naked Hooray! Well, Naomi can, I will keep my clothes on.

Saturday, July 31, 2004

I fixed the blog so that it should be possible to post comments without being a member now. So feel free to comment on things.

Thursday, July 29, 2004

Julia's bottle strike.

Suddenly Julia won't take the bottle anymore. She drank it on Friday and Tuesday she started to refuse it. It is like she has figured out that I have the goods on tap so why settle for less. Why eat Hershey's when there is an unlimited supply of Belgian chocolate available?
Where are the bottle consultants? If you have trouble breastfeeding there are any number of places where you can get help. Lactation consultants or La Leche League... But there is no one to call about a bottle strike. I think if formula companies or bottle manufacturers set up a bottle feeding consultation hotline the breastfeeding community would get outraged.
So we are trying different times of day and also the bait and switch method. We will keep trying and trying. I think that the general advice is to let her go hungry till she takes the bottle but I don't want to really do that. It seems like it is needless crying. But the alternative is that I can't leave her alone for a very long time... Which means no Mommy's nights out for a long time.
My online advice community is split over wether to persist or to wait and see if she will take a bottle when she gets older and is interested in solid food. And several people have mentioned that their babies never took the bottle and were fine being left with daddies and sitters because they simply waited for the good stuff to come home.
Whenever I have a mothering challenge like this the world just looks bleak and I feel like none of this will ever work out and I forget to stay centered in my mind about these minor things. So I decided that it was time to take a Yoga class and so we went to mother baby yoga this morning. It was so loud it was funny. All the babies squealing and laughing and fussing. But for savasana it was quiet... Because everyone was nursing :D And now I feel centered and confident again that everything will work out.

Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Naomi's ideas

Kids Naomi's age (about 3) are full of their own ideas and it is really obvious in Naomi now. She loves to tell stories and to be involved in conversation. She really explores a theme in conversation too. For instance she talked moms ear off about cuts. Mom had a bad cut on her finger which clearly fascinated her and she talked and talked about cuts and all the cuts she had and the cut Grandma Carol had on her stomach too. She said that she had grown up and drove grandma Carol to the hospital because she had a cut on her stomach.
Then tonight she spent ages exploring cutting paper. They were kites I guess. It was just such an idea she locked onto and just played and played with it in her own mind, I love to see that kind of play. Funny that I love to just watch her instead of finally getting something done now that she is finally entertaining herself.

Monday, July 26, 2004

Our weekend

We had a busy weekend. Oma and Opa were here as well as Tante Sara. It was Oma's birthday and on Friday we met her in Menlo Park for lunch after her spa appointment. Then Saturday we went to the beach and had a picnic. The beach is pretty much the best place in the world as far as Naomi is concerned. She found a stick which was the toy du jour. Funny how she loves some simple thing like that and comes up with all sorts of games to play with it while the sack of toys brought from home were not interesting. In spite of the fact that the bulldozer could finally be used.
Julia was lulled to sleep by the ocean sounds I guess and napped most of the time. I was worried that Julia would get sunburned but I guess we managed to keep her in the shade.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Mermaid


Naomi in her swimclass, looking like she enjoys it but really thinking about cheese! Posted by Hello
Julia's sleeping (or not)

Last night Julia was squirming and punching and kicking in the middle of the night. I thought she wanted to eat so I offered her a nipple which was refused. I turned on a little night light and she gave me a big grin. She was ready to play. Needless to say I turned the light off and tried to get back to sleep which is hard to do if someone is practicing karate on your belly. Today she seems sort of tired and cranky... Or is that me?

Naomi's swim class is going well although we have been lax about practicing at Steve's pool with her. She does have new swim goggles because Adam got her some at Costco. She resists going to the swim class and I promised her that we would go to McDonalds afterwards. Once she is there it is hard to get her to wait to get into the water till the actual start of class though.

I offered to go to McDonalds not so much as a bribe but rather as a "I am too lazy to make lunch" moment. We get back so late from the swim class that it is always hard to get the lunch made before Naomi disintegrates with hunger so I think this may become a regular thing. McDonalds (or Old Macdonald's house as Naomi calls it) offers apple slices in their happy meals now but of course I had already told her she would be having fries. Oh well, maybe next week...

Friday, July 16, 2004

Brain Disconnect!

Yesterday I picked Naomi up from Kathy's house
with Julia in the car. Of course as I am trying to get Naomi into the
car, Julia starts crying and since she had been asleep for a while she
was probably hungry. So while Naomi has the task of getting herself
into her seat where she was to find a cookie I go to check on Julia to
see if I can give her the pacifier (she doesn't actually like it, but
hope springs eternal). The person who parked behind us is moving their
car so we can get out so I hop into the drivers seat and start backing
out. Naomi suddenly calls out "Mommy Mommy! you forgot to close the
door!" Indeed, her door was open and she was not strapped in either.
She had been so happy sitting in her seat, with her cookie, that I
assumed she was taken care of. This morning while Adam was taking her
to Kathy's house Naomi told him all about how I had made a big mistake
but that it was OK. I may never live this down.

Thursday, July 15, 2004

Julia smiles

I got a wonderful smile from Julia today. Finally. I think it took so
long because she really is just along for the ride most of the time.
Yesterday she napped in the sling all day while I was doing things with
Naomi and we went to the park. She seemed to have a hard time settling
down in the evening.
I got a yoga class in today and I feel good even though I didn't get to do much of the Yoga.

Wednesday, July 14, 2004

A day by ourselves

I spent the whole day with Naomi and Julia by myself. Quite a hurdle, but I made it. Naomi was a little testy today, but overall everything went well. First I gave Naomi a haircut and mopped the floor and then we delivered thank you notes to the neighbors. We played mailman and suddenly Naomi was very interested in the mailman when she saw him on our route.
I had scheduled a playdate at the park so that is where we went this afternoon. No other people showed up but Naomi likes Maddux park. She did want to know where Maddux was.
We did have a moment when we had to leave where Julia was screaming from being hot, overtired and overstimulated. Naomi did not want to go and then pooped in her diaper. I told her to wait by the car while I put Julia in her seat and she decided to take off down the street. We had a psycho mother moment...

Tuesday, July 13, 2004


Naomi and Julia are wearing their sister shirts Posted by Hello

Sunday, July 11, 2004


I don't like this carseat! But look how big I am getting Posted by Hello

Friday, July 02, 2004

bye bye alligator

Quote of the week: Bye bye alligator

Betty, from across the street, said "see you later alligator" to Naomi. First she was upset saying she is not an alligator. I explained that it is just an expressing and nobody is calling her an alligator, but she still didn't like it She really hates it when she thinks you are calling her names even if they are complimentary. Later Steve and Gretchen and Mark and Mia were over and when Steve was leaving she told him: bye bye alligator!