HA! I bet that title reeled you in! In actuality, it's based off of the show Rescue Me, starring Denis Leary. If you've never seen it, you should really invest in an hour to check it out....an amazing allotment of television each week.
Anyway, that's the intro to my newest blog. I've realized that it's all been about Lil Lu (which it should be because she so damn cute) but everyone's got autonomy and I'll be damned if I'm denied mine. What does that mean, you ask? Pay attention and I'll lay it out for you.
Two Tuesdays ago, on Rescue Me, Tommy and Janet attended their daughter's play at a boarding school. The girl, a subject of continual parental abuse (of the mental capacity), presented her life to her schoolmates and their parents falsely. Suffering from probable embarrassment, she lied to everyone about who she was, who her parents were, and how much money they made. The episode made me laugh, especially when Janet got drunk and proclaimed to a jealous mother (don't quote this because I'm not sure how accurate it is) "I may not be a fashion designer but here's a tip: Don't wear yellow because the kids might want to ride you to school". However, the actual message that I pulled from watching was this: Even as adults, there's a whole shit-ton of pretenses that people put on, especially when it comes to their children.
After watching this eppie, I also realized something else. LuLu may not look like me but I hope she inherits something very important from me. I hope she gets my attitude. I hope she stands up for what she believes in, I hope she gets in people's faces, I hope she bends all the rules (even if they're mine) and I hope that she questions everything. I hope that she's clever enough to realize that idiotic folk deserve to be treated like idiots. I hope that she is smart enough to laugh at the boys (or girls) that are trying to get in her hammer pants. And I hope that she smiles at me over scrambled eggs one morning and says, "Don't worry, Mom, I kicked all their asses."
And guess what? I'll believe it.
But that's not the point of my entry here today. Every now and then, you have to remember yourself, even if you are caring for a child. So I have to ask, what do I expect of myself (sans all of the obvious like career, success, riches and selfishness)?
Just like I expect Luca to step out of the box and be different and be proud and be imaginative and excited, I need to expect the same for myself. Look out PTA because Momma ain't made from your straight-up regular peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Don't worry, Lu, because Momma is about to kick all their asses.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
A Weekend of Friends and Memories
We had a great weekend, complete with a whole slew of friends who came to visit Luca. Let's be honest, it's no longer about Scott and I.... Lu tends to draw small crowds now! I was excited to see everyone, especially Karolina and her man Shawn who were in town for a few days. Thanks to everyone for a great time: Nick & Diane, Sara & TJ, Kay & Shawn.
Luca has been doing a great job of acclimating to the world. She finally noticed her reflection in the mirror and just sort of smiled at it ruefully. Oh, and she's given up playing with the bathtub and has become enthralled with the toilet which sits directly across from the tub. She'll stare at it with a confused look on her face and she gets really bothered when I flush it. She can't figure it out, but it's funny to see her try. I've started introducing formula to her diet but there's no real way to tell yet if it bothers her. She cried a lot yesterday but she did that prior to getting the formula too so I wonder if she's just not getting enough chow.
Here are some pics of her having a blast over the last couple of days. I wanted to put her in the clothes that Grandma bought her because she'll outgrow them soon and here is one where she was about to take a nasty baby poop:
And her laughing:
And playing kissy-face with the new toy that Kay bought her....she's funny with toys. She kind of notices them and then kind of doesn't notice them.
That's all for now, folks. Check in soon for the newest installment of This Is Your Life, Luca! LOL
Friday, May 22, 2009
2 Months!
Holy crap, where has the time gone? You blink and WHAMMO, your kid is suddenly smiling and kicking and cooing instead of eating, sleeping, shitting and crying. She still does those things too but hey, she's adding on to her repertoire of talents.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Well Check
Today, Luca had her 2-month well check visit. She's doing well....no worries about her belly button. She's almost 23 inches long and now weighs 10 lbs 2 oz. She's gaining weight like a champ! She cried for most of the visit but that was because she was hungry so I fed her while we waited for the nurse to come in to give her her immunizations. She was so cute getting her shots. There was a delay until she noticed that it hurt and then she cried for 10 seconds and then stopped. I was so proud of her.
I was prepared to cry along with her and thankfully, that didn't have to happen. Because we all know how much I hate to cry.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
I'm Owed Some Nappy Time
Luca was a little cherub for most of yesterday, until it hit about 8 pm or so. It was very strange because she spent most of the day alert, laughing, staring off into space, kicking, talking to her animals...I suppose I was too happy to even think that it could all go wrong. I also suppose that I hate the illogical unpredictability of babies.
For the past six weeks, the only thing that I've really been able to depend on is Luca's bedtime. She goes to bed by 10:30 pm every night (not kidding, people) and sleeps almost the full night through. She usually wakes up once or twice to eat, but it's a kind of auto-chow thing. She latches on and falls back asleep, usually next to Momma who has fallen asleep only moments after making sure she's in a safe position and within easy access of the breast.
Please keep in mind that Luca does NOT nap during the day. I may get one or two 20-minute nappies but that's it...so when she sleeps at night, she sleeps all the way through to the morning, eats and then goes back down until about 10 am. Yesterday, she did not nap. Yesterday, she was so dead on her feet tired by 9 pm that I foolishly thought that if I tossed her in the sling and watched the Lost season finale all while pacing in front of the big screen, she would catch some zzzz's. Not happening. By the time 10:30 rolled around, I was ecstatic to give her a bottle (I'd imbibed a little so it was necessary but she drinks just fine off of the bottle and has fallen asleep many nights after having one) and have her drift off into sandman-land. Did that happen? Hell no, it didn't happen. That girl was wide awake and FUSSY. Nothing seemed to please her. Not rocking. Not changing her. Not feeding her. Not dancing with her. Not the bouncy animals. Not the soothie pacifier. Unbelievable.
I finally got her down at 12:30 in the morning (again, please keep in mind that she did not nap at all during the day!) and I was so exhausted that I didn't even get my allotted two hours to myself. Grrrrrr.
Currently, she's still asleep but that's the norm for her. She's due to wake up in another half hour but that little girl owes me some nappy time. So she best be a good girl today and sleep to make up for the time lost last night. All I have to say is thank goodness for TiVo because I know I missed a really good finale and it was hard to focus while trying to entertain a 7 week old.
Hey, she even had little bags under her eyes because she was so exhausted. Have you ever seen a baby with sleep bags?
For the past six weeks, the only thing that I've really been able to depend on is Luca's bedtime. She goes to bed by 10:30 pm every night (not kidding, people) and sleeps almost the full night through. She usually wakes up once or twice to eat, but it's a kind of auto-chow thing. She latches on and falls back asleep, usually next to Momma who has fallen asleep only moments after making sure she's in a safe position and within easy access of the breast.
Please keep in mind that Luca does NOT nap during the day. I may get one or two 20-minute nappies but that's it...so when she sleeps at night, she sleeps all the way through to the morning, eats and then goes back down until about 10 am. Yesterday, she did not nap. Yesterday, she was so dead on her feet tired by 9 pm that I foolishly thought that if I tossed her in the sling and watched the Lost season finale all while pacing in front of the big screen, she would catch some zzzz's. Not happening. By the time 10:30 rolled around, I was ecstatic to give her a bottle (I'd imbibed a little so it was necessary but she drinks just fine off of the bottle and has fallen asleep many nights after having one) and have her drift off into sandman-land. Did that happen? Hell no, it didn't happen. That girl was wide awake and FUSSY. Nothing seemed to please her. Not rocking. Not changing her. Not feeding her. Not dancing with her. Not the bouncy animals. Not the soothie pacifier. Unbelievable.
I finally got her down at 12:30 in the morning (again, please keep in mind that she did not nap at all during the day!) and I was so exhausted that I didn't even get my allotted two hours to myself. Grrrrrr.
Currently, she's still asleep but that's the norm for her. She's due to wake up in another half hour but that little girl owes me some nappy time. So she best be a good girl today and sleep to make up for the time lost last night. All I have to say is thank goodness for TiVo because I know I missed a really good finale and it was hard to focus while trying to entertain a 7 week old.
Hey, she even had little bags under her eyes because she was so exhausted. Have you ever seen a baby with sleep bags?
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Adjustments
Oh, man, do I love to snap photos of Luca in the morning. It's when she's at her best! She wakes up smiling and kicking and ready to take on the world...I roll over and this is what I look at:
Even though I've been complaining about Lil LuLu's crying during the day, she has been crying less than in those first 4-5 weeks (when she cried constantly). She does still cry, but it doesn't last as long and it doesn't grate on my emotions as much as it did. Perhaps my hormones are finally leveling out? Or perhaps Luca is getting used to the world? Whatever it may be, I think adjustments are finally happening on both sides!
In anticipation of the Big Visit from Papa and Critty, here's the girl rooting for her favorite team! Oh, and when she was chatting with her bouncy seat animals today, I could've sworn I heard her say "I can't wait to meet Papa and my illegal godmommy" but I can't be sure.
Even though I've been complaining about Lil LuLu's crying during the day, she has been crying less than in those first 4-5 weeks (when she cried constantly). She does still cry, but it doesn't last as long and it doesn't grate on my emotions as much as it did. Perhaps my hormones are finally leveling out? Or perhaps Luca is getting used to the world? Whatever it may be, I think adjustments are finally happening on both sides!
In anticipation of the Big Visit from Papa and Critty, here's the girl rooting for her favorite team! Oh, and when she was chatting with her bouncy seat animals today, I could've sworn I heard her say "I can't wait to meet Papa and my illegal godmommy" but I can't be sure.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A Tale of Two Lucas
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times....
LOL. That's the opening line from a little old classic novel called A Tale of Two Cities, in case you didn't know. How clever am I?
This blog is entitled appropriately because there are really two Lucas. There's the happy, smiley, giggly Luca who shows up for most of the world but tends to hide herself from me sometimes and then there's the everyday Luca who can go from laughing her butt off to a grouch in less than 2.5 seconds. She is becoming so much more alert to her surroundings and it is really fun to watch her take in the world. She can hold her head up when you put her up to your shoulder and when you lay her flat...and now her newest fun thing is that she uses her legs to "stand". She doesn't really stand but if I hold her feet, she'll push herself upward and keep her butt suspended in the air for a few seconds before plopping back down. She can also launch herself over my arm (something I learned the hard way) when I do this....so one must be aware of her physical strength as well as her erudite ways.
She is now nine and a half pounds. Still a peanut but getting heavier for mom who has to cart her around, dance with her, bounce her, pick her up, put her down....I'm going to have the buffest arms on the block, that's for sure! Not complaining though because it provides me with a workout. I'm only 6 pounds off of my pre-baby weight! YAY! I'm really wanting to fit into my old favorite jeans. Not quite there yet but I'm looking forward to it sometime soon. Hopefully by the time Dad and Critty are out here!
We took her to the pediatrician (how humorous is it that I almost wrote "vet" there...like she's a little kitty cat or something) last week because she'd been crying and her belly button looked like a grape. She does have a herniated umbilical cord but they assured us that was not why she was crying. They said it could be colic, it could be acid reflux. Gee, thanks. Either way, she had a fantastic few days following the doctor's visit but now she's back to fussing. Scott has been amazing at calming her down when she gets good and riled up....and I'm learning to just put her down and walk away (something the doctor suggested after I tried the whole "feeding/changing/temperature" thing). In fact, she's screeching right now. But hey, she did have 15 minutes of happiness a little bit ago so I'm just trying to enjoy her when she has her good moments.
On a regular basis, LuLu goes from this:
To this:
She has an interesting personality! She doesn't seem to recognize her own reflection in a mirror and my theory is this: she just thinks that the reflection is another person, so she's not really all that interested in it. Yet if I lay her down on a towel in front of the bathtub, she can see shadows of a reflection and she has a freaking blast playing around, kicking, laughing...so I caught it on camera for you all:
LOL. That's the opening line from a little old classic novel called A Tale of Two Cities, in case you didn't know. How clever am I?
This blog is entitled appropriately because there are really two Lucas. There's the happy, smiley, giggly Luca who shows up for most of the world but tends to hide herself from me sometimes and then there's the everyday Luca who can go from laughing her butt off to a grouch in less than 2.5 seconds. She is becoming so much more alert to her surroundings and it is really fun to watch her take in the world. She can hold her head up when you put her up to your shoulder and when you lay her flat...and now her newest fun thing is that she uses her legs to "stand". She doesn't really stand but if I hold her feet, she'll push herself upward and keep her butt suspended in the air for a few seconds before plopping back down. She can also launch herself over my arm (something I learned the hard way) when I do this....so one must be aware of her physical strength as well as her erudite ways.
She is now nine and a half pounds. Still a peanut but getting heavier for mom who has to cart her around, dance with her, bounce her, pick her up, put her down....I'm going to have the buffest arms on the block, that's for sure! Not complaining though because it provides me with a workout. I'm only 6 pounds off of my pre-baby weight! YAY! I'm really wanting to fit into my old favorite jeans. Not quite there yet but I'm looking forward to it sometime soon. Hopefully by the time Dad and Critty are out here!
We took her to the pediatrician (how humorous is it that I almost wrote "vet" there...like she's a little kitty cat or something) last week because she'd been crying and her belly button looked like a grape. She does have a herniated umbilical cord but they assured us that was not why she was crying. They said it could be colic, it could be acid reflux. Gee, thanks. Either way, she had a fantastic few days following the doctor's visit but now she's back to fussing. Scott has been amazing at calming her down when she gets good and riled up....and I'm learning to just put her down and walk away (something the doctor suggested after I tried the whole "feeding/changing/temperature" thing). In fact, she's screeching right now. But hey, she did have 15 minutes of happiness a little bit ago so I'm just trying to enjoy her when she has her good moments.
On a regular basis, LuLu goes from this:
To this:
She has an interesting personality! She doesn't seem to recognize her own reflection in a mirror and my theory is this: she just thinks that the reflection is another person, so she's not really all that interested in it. Yet if I lay her down on a towel in front of the bathtub, she can see shadows of a reflection and she has a freaking blast playing around, kicking, laughing...so I caught it on camera for you all:
Monday, May 11, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Angels and Demons
Hi All! For some reason, my photos won't download and I need Scott's technological know-how in order to get them posted. However, Luca is on her SECOND angelic day in a row (holy shit, who knew?) and I'm just trying to enjoy it.
I finally get something to go right and something ELSE happens. WHY WON'T MY CAMERA DOWNLOAD MY PICTURES? Demonic freaking computer. Anyway, look for a new post soon.
MUAH!
I finally get something to go right and something ELSE happens. WHY WON'T MY CAMERA DOWNLOAD MY PICTURES? Demonic freaking computer. Anyway, look for a new post soon.
MUAH!
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