Snowed in… and other adventures

Yesterday, as we left to go visit a friend up the street, I ran into the plow guy who was clearing more of the driveway, which was no easy task. We’ve had this huge mound of snow living on our front lawn that just keeps on growing. After it grew up as far as it could, it began to grow outward, like a pregnant belly. Not long after, it began eating up our parking spot. So much, that half of the spot was snow and the other half was inhabited by the car. Neighbors complained about the lack of space in the driveway (which is used by all 14 units) so the plow guy came and over a couple of days has been piling the snow high up on the retaining wall. What he was doing yesterday was clearing off the roofs as we’re expecting another 10-12 inches of snow on Sunday and too much snow on the roof can cause damage. Plus, some of what was on the roof was ice. You can imagine (or maybe not) that it took a lot of time and effort on their part. Good thing he came with two other guys.

On our way back home after our visit, the plow guy asked me if I was planning on leaving that afternoon as they were going to do the roofs (our roof in particular was next on their list). I said no.

I didn’t know what I was in for! I saw the ladder. I heard them up on the roof. I heard the snow coming down in big icy chunks. Then I opened the front door and the plow guy’s question made much more sense. I didn’t think I’d be snowed in! The picture up top shows what I saw when I opened the door. I knew they’d clean it up but I didn’t think of what would happen next.

Today when I went out for a walk with bilingual baby, I realized that the valley I had dug out for the gas guy was completely filled up. There was no pathway. And as I mentioned before, what came off the roof was snow and ice. I tried to chip away at it but it was just too thick. Then, bilingual baby was getting tired but since she’s teething she didn’t want to lie down on the bed to nap so I put her on my back and had at it. I did make a dent in it but soon realized that bilingual baby was asleep. So, I quit but felt this surge of energy. It felt great to put that much effort into something. I think it felt great because it had to get done. With another storm looming ahead, knowing that I am working Saturday and won’t be able to shovel then, I needed to know that the gas guy would be able to come and get to our tank to fill it. No gas. No heat.

I’ll get back to it when bilingual baby wakes up. It also blew off some of my negative nursing energy. wohoo!

Cravings = Baking

This weekend I made my first batch of bagels. I was pretty excited. I used the recipe I found the other day and have to say bilingual papi and I were both impressed that bagels my bagels came out looking and tasting like good bagels on the first try. One of the things I didn’t know about bagel making is that you boil them first and then bake them at high temperature. That’s what gives them the soft inside and the crunchy outside. Right out of the oven they were delicious and while they were still good after cooling I can see myself making fresh bagels often now and eating them while they’re still warm.

In the last couple of days I’ve also made oatmeal banana cookies, scones and vegan coconut cream pie. Bilingual papi made tofu sticks which have got to be one of my favorite finger foods (though they’re labor intensive). The coco pie came out too sweet for my taste. If I make it again I’ll have to half the sugar. Here are some pictures to get you to salivate.

What’s in store for me next? More bagel making tomorrow with a friend… and then? Stay tuned.

Bath Time

Last couple of weeks I’ve been doctoring bilingual baby’s bath water. Up until then I had left the bath water with no soaps, no shampoos, but I was wanting to add chamomile or jasmine to the water. Well, it works beautifully. The aroma is just wonderful for both of us.

Gear for baby 2.0

The gear we need to get for baby 2.0 is a little different than the gear we needed for bilingual baby. Of course, we’ll need another car seat- though we may just move on up to a booster. As with the car, our move on up to another kind of high chair for bilingual baby might be a better choice. We took the high chair apart so that she could have more of a booster feel and strapped it to one of the dinning room chairs- which she loves. She can even hang out there and do her thing.

The thing we do have to consider is our sleeping situation. Currently, we all share a bed. A full bed. Yeah. It gets tight sometimes but we also love to snuggle. With another addition to our clan, we’re trying to figure out our options. Some of the options are made harder by the fact that we have a long electric heater stuck to the baseboard, making our redecorating a bit of a challenge. As far as products, since we may not have a wall to use, I’m going to try to find a bed rail like this or this for my side with baby 2.0- and either a bigger bed or another full bed to push against our existing one.

What else could we need? Suggestions are welcome.

El esfuerzo de uno mama al otro

Uno jura y rejura de que no va a hacerle las mismas bestialidades a los hijos que los papas le han hecho a uno, pero es eso posible? Sera que uno puede evitar la repeticion de ciertas normas de suegros y abuelos? En estos dias tengo ya una lista bien hechecita de cosas que me he prometido no hacer/decirle a mi hija cuando tenga hijos. Lo unico malo con eso es que uno no sabe si los hijos van a ver los esfuerzos de uno como perceptible o si los van a ver como mamones. De seguro los papas y los suegros de uno tratan ciertas cosas y otras no porque ellos tambien tienen sus listas de cosas que juraron nunca hacerle a sus hijos/yernos.

Entonces uno que hace? Se queda uno con la cabeza abajo, se pone a ver television cuando llegan sus hijos de visita o trata uno de ser el que se supone tiene mas experiencia en la vida y deja que las miradas de joven y las ideas de la mama moderna sean nada mas que sentimientos inequivocos de irritacion normal? Ni idea que hare yo. Por ahora, esta mama moderna va a seguir leyendo para armarse con la defensa de sus acciones.

1 am

We’ve been staying up till 1 am with bilingual baby who hasn’t been tired until then. I have to say that I’m really feeling the seduction of sleep training and crying it out methods. It’s only been two nights so far so I think I really have to give it some more time. But here I am, it’s not even 9pm and I’m totally wiped. It isn’t helping that I feel a cold coming on. It started in my throat and has now morphed into a neck ache.

It’s hard to let your baby know, that late in the day, that you are still happy to see them. It’s tempting to say, “Okay, it’s time to go to bed now” with that tone of “I’m really serious this time”. I know bilingual papi is feeling the burn and the potential of having a night like one of these and then having to go to work the next morning. I don’t have that concern, so perhaps that’s why I’m still questioning the sleep control techniques.

I don’t want to try to control her sleep patterns. I can’t say what I’ll do when she’s older because I just don’t know what’ll happen then and I’d rather cross that bridge when I get to it. We checked the Dr. Sears Baby book last night and I’m truly disappointed.

We agree with the majority of the stuff the Sears clan has to say about raising children but we don’t agree with some of the tactics they suggest using when your baby won’t fall asleep. For the most part, the Sears bunch seem so thoughtful in their parenting choices. One of the suggestions they gave for a child that wanted to play in the middle of the night was to “play dead” and to ignore the child. They’re sure that the child will lose interest. They talk about asserting yourself as the adult in charge.

My gut instinct says I can’t bring myself to do that, even if it means that I’m wiped the next day. I know that I’ll be taking bilingual baby downstairs to be with her if she can’t fall asleep when her papi has to work early the next day and that doesn’t bother me. See, when she’d look ready to fall asleep or I thought it might be a good time to try to encourage sleep, I’d put her in the Ergo but she’d just start wailing. Very unlike her. (So, I figure it’s teeth and her learning to walk.) Eventually, after reading books and walking around with her (around 1 am) she gets that look in her eye (but doesn’t yawn- weird) and I put her in the Ergo and she’s out in a couple of minutes while nursing.

It’s just so frustrating to feel the pressure to get her to bed by people that aren’t even in the room! I feel like I’ll get people telling me that she’s manipulating me and that I’ve got to put my foot down to set a precedent.

We’re going to try a warm bath at 9:30 pm, read some books and see what happens. However, if she doesn’t want to fall asleep until 1 am than I’d rather live with that than ignore her and give off the message that I don’t love her when she’s up late. Tricky but I think it’ll pay off in the long run.

A promise is a promise

I said I’d blog about Johnny Depp… and I will, but I can’t promise that you’ll like it or that it’ll tap into some greater meaning in life. I guess I’m stumbling onto a disclaimer. Don’t get your hopes up that I’ll have much to say at all. I don’t know Depp personally and can’t say anything about his character.

I was watching What’s eating Gilbert Grape the other night and realized that I had a different memory of the movie. I thought, somehow, that Johnny Depp was wonderful in his role as Gilbert. Now, I don’t know if he was told by the director to play the character the same in the beginning as in the end and have no character arc… and to rely on the heavy hand of the lighting designer… But he was cute! How can you pass up Johnny when he’s got that long hair and that cool “I don’t care about how I look” attitude. But he was so awful in the movie! How did I forget that?

Now, I remember Depp back when he was doing 21 Jump Street and Nightmare on Elm Street and Edward Scissorhands. Those were some roles. Those were the days.

Vote for my cousin

My (second) cousin Luis wants to be a torchbearer for the 2008 Olympics. The last day to vote is near. If you have already voted once, another vote would be most appreciated.

Click on this link to go to the page where you can vote for him. You’ll also get to read a bit about him there. If you’d like you can also leave him a comment telling him how you found out about him. He’ll get a kick out of it.

Thanks in advance!

On the day you were born

Before my daughter was born, my husband got home one day with a book in hand called, On the day you were born by Debra Frasier. When I sat down to read it, far into my pregnancy, I got teary on the third page in where she writes

While you waited in darkness, tiny knees curled to chin, the Earth and her creatures with the Sun and the Moon all moved in their places, each ready to greet you the very first moment of the very first day you arrived.

And then, three pages from the end, containing my eagerness to meet our baby and pulled by the wave of mother nature preparing me to be a mother, I read the lines that today, on a difficult teething day for my seven month old daughter, bring me back into the moment. Even though she cries, tears making a tiny pool in her eyes, I am softened by the sweet person I see in front of me, her pseudo tender touches, and her eagerness to learn.

On the day you were born the Earth turned, the Moon pulled, the Sun flared, and, then, with a push, you slipped out of the dark quiet where suddenly you could hear…

… a circle of people singing with voices familiar and clear.