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Bottle strike

Is that the right term?

Whatever it is, it’s not good.

What to do with an evening alone

Katie and H went out for supper and errands by themselves. I stayed home to give them some one-on-one time. C was going to stay home with me, but she missed her mama too much.

I tried keeping the baby, but she’d been with me all day long, drinking out of a bottle. She had a little bit of mama time before they left for supper. And as soon as they left, she let me know in no uncertain terms (read: she cried nonstop for twenty minutes) that she would put up with the bottle no longer.

So what to do with an evening alone? Watch a horror movie no one else could stand, or listen to some loud music?

Or neither. I think I just heard them pulling in the driveway. I guess I spent too much time planning and too little time doing.

Poor timing

C just fell asleep. I’ve gotten her to sleep here and there all day, but I haven’t had any luck with “real” sleep, where she falls asleep on her own and is out for a few hours (thereby letting me work).

Now it’s an hour till quitting time and I’m tired. The sun is shining in the window at an awkward angle, and I can hardly see my desk. And it’ll take twenty minutes of feeding her before she’s sated enough to endure the forty minute ride home. I guess I can always hope she’ll stay asleep as I put her in the car seat, but I’m not too hopeful.

Our timing has been off today.

Baby Shar

My 2 1/2 year old niece, A, calls C “Baby Shah.”

My dad has now taken that up but inexplicably added an R, so it’s “Baby Shar.” For some reason, that really irritates me, and I’m trying to let it go.

There were many names I outright vetoed because I couldn’t stand the nicknames I knew would arise. I feel even more justified now in my actions, because it’s simply impossible to guarantee what my little girl will be called. Baby Shah and Baby Char are but two nicknames the child has, and she’s only four months old.

Personally, I’m a big fan of Charley (hat tip to Newscoma) if a nickname must be had. Not Charlie, but Charley. I’ll take a pass on every other nickname I’ve heard.

I’m not even sure about Catfish. And while I’m on the subject, Katie, I don’t think J gets to come up with her own nickname. It just doesn’t work that way. And we can do better than Indigo.

Note to self:

When you put the baby’s vibratey seat on your desk, your whole desk will vibrate.

Why do holidays have to be so lame?

I don’t want to come off as a grump. Perhaps I’m just a bit of a curmudgeon. I just don’t understand why holidays have to be so lame.

Actually, I’m not talking about holidays at all. I’m talking about holiday get-togethers. I’m talking about Thanksgiving dinner with the family. I’m talking about sitting and chatting in the living room.

In life, you are good at some things and not so good at others. I’m not good at planned gift giving. I’m not good at planned meals. I’m better at impromptu. I prefer the spontaneous “hey, whatcha doing this evening? Wanna come over and have some drinks?”

I try to squelch it. I try to ignore it and pretend it’s not there. But a part of me lives in fear of Thanksgiving dinner. I can see it now: way too many people I don’t know too well crowded in a room designed for a few. The kids will be fun to talk to and play with, but the furniture will be uncomfortable to sit in. And there’s a complete lack of relaxed conversation.

Or maybe it’s not the lack of spontaneity. Maybe it’s just someone else’s tradition. Maybe I’m just ready to start my own. I’m ready to have a big fire going during the holiday meal. I want music playing and cats running around (my parents are anti-pet). I want to have comfortable chairs and alcohol (they’re also anti-booze). In holidays past, the food has always been great, but there’s more to it than food.

Oh but the food….

Quote of the day

from Cathy:

“Band-aids peel off anything easily.  They are colorful and come in a  variety of characters and sizes.  They are sturdy and don’t crumble in your pocket.  Band-aids cure all boo-boo’s.  Band-aids make it all better.  Hospitals should give new parents packets of band-aids instead of formula samples.”

There’s not enough money in the world

There’s not enough money in the world for all the music I want to buy. And I blame you.

Any music industry person who wants to drive internet radio off the, um, internet is a fool. They should be kissing the feet of whoever created Pandora.

One nice thing about babies

You can wrap their presents right in front of them and they won’t be any wiser.

Also, you can give them things for baby proofing and they won’t care.

Currently listening to

Super baby!

You can’t quite tell in these pictures, but C is the super baby. When you hold her up parallel to the ground, she stretches out her legs and arms and lifts her head up. It’s beyond adorable.