Tree Lights
Originally uploaded by gretchen04401

Ahh, christmas.

It’s a tighter christmas than in years past, where, honestly, everyone that’s getting a gift is just getting one, and I’m definitely more excited about giving than getting this year.

My sister and I got my mom an ipod touch, and I just know her mind is going to be BLOWN by the concept of checking her email from an ipod, since she thinks the shuffle is the Coolest Thing Ever. For my dad, we got him the used PS2 and games (and I packaged it up with a big note that says “REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE RECOVER”) and for Ingrid, the table and chairs, which she will LOVE, and cardboard blocks, some play doh and a babydoll. Dave is getting a shirt. And almost only that, except I decided to pull the trigger on the geocaching thing — an activity I think we’d all really enjoy, and I was going to get him one for father’s day (a GPS receiver) but didn’t, and then his birthday, eh, it felt too late in the year, so I was thinking this father’s day, but then, that’s June. So, I got it now. We can learn how to use it, and be ready for when those first spring days hit, and everyone is jonesing to get outside in the melty fresh air. I spent more than i wanted (and really, not that much) but I’ll be addressing it to all of us, form Santa, since it really is a fam gift. For my sister, I got her an ipod kit (she is getting an 80gb classic from my folks) with an FM transmitter and chargers (and tucked in the gift receipt, just in case.)

Anyway, I am truly most excited for everyone else. My mom and Ingrid, mostly. My mom has been dropping hints about wanting a bigger ipod (she got the shuffle as a gift this summer, and wants more space and to be able to see ‘pics of ingrid’ and says it ALL THE TIME and how my dad never picked up on that, i have no idea) and she doesn’t even know that they CAN view YouTube videos and check her email and all of that… and Ingrid is so mesmerized by the tree, and the stockings — hell, she jkeeps going over and looking IN the stockings! — and she loves loves loves kid-sized furniture. I can just see her now, coming down and saying “WOW!” and scrambling to sit at a kid-sized table. So fun.

Either way, it will be a good day. I can’t believe it’s in a WEEK.

New and Old
Originally uploaded by gretchen04401

We have two new windows! This is HUGE. HUGE! We’ve been whining about windows since we bought this house in 2004, and every time we came close to getting some, something else took precedence. We got these for our anniversary gift to each other.

SO great. We lost some glass area, but we gained CLEAN! CLEAR! WINDOWS! That slide! and tilt open! I washed them (inside) today, and the only reason I didn’t do the outside is because we’re in the midst of a Nor’easter.

We also pulled out Dave’s indoor/outdoor wireless thermometer, and have been running tests all evening. The thermometer has a base that is a thermometer, and displays the readout from it, and a secondary thermometer than you place wherever. So, with the receiving therm in the window of Ingrid’s room, and the wireless one in the window of the guest room (same place in house, same wall, same size room) Ingrid’s room was TEN DEGREES WARMER. TEN! Hot damn. We then tried it onthe floor and got the same temps, but also remembered that the heat vent in the guest room was pointing at the thermometer, and Ingrid’s vent is behind her door, up near the ceiling.

Either way. Whoa! Oh, and Ingrid got the first windows because she doesn’t sleep with a blanket, so we wanted her to be warmest first, even though it’s the second to least used rooms in the house. Our next set are going to the pair on the front of the house, in the living room, through which cold air just seeps through. I can feel it right now, even. Brr. But, yay! windows!

We survived our trip, Ingrid did better than anyone, and it was great to see grandma even though it was freezing and rainy the entire time we were there. Feh.

Totally unrelated, my coworker is due at the end of the month, and I’m putting together a baby gift of my favorite things, a la Oprah.

So far:

* Nosefrida — the swedish snot sucker. LOVE. IT. And I know she’s going to be horrified, but when your kid is suffering with snot (and/or has a foreign object in their nose) the Nosefrida kicks ass.

* Babylegs — she’s having a boy, so I got the ones with flames. I love me some Babylegs, and use them mostly as buttless longjohns for Ingrid, as well as tights.

* Everywhere Babies — board book, I love it for it’s all-encompassing photos, gay dads, two mommies, nursing, babywearing, etc, but also bottlefeeding and strollers, it just covers all the bases.

* MotherLove Nipple Cream — kicked Lansinoh’s ass six ways from Sunday. Not sticky like lansinoh, great for pumping, all around good stuff.

* DIY Stretchy Wrap — a handed down one from an internet friend, that I still need to trim to size for my coworker. I’ll print off the instructions from the Moby website.

* “the milk memos” — a book about working and parenting, heavy emphasis on nursing/pumping etc, which she plans to do.

* Chux/Underpads — I have some leftover (UNUSED, of course) that I’m going to pass on, as I liked it better than a waterproof mattress cover, and they were great to put under my torso for milk leaks and such.

* Lansinoh breast pads — they worked best for me, and came with great samples of either babywipes or storage bags. I kept the babywipe samples in the car for emergencies, etc.

* Nipple Shield — I bought it for emergencies, because we don’t have a 24 hr store here, and I plan on handing it off to her for the same reasons. In case of emergency, break glass.

* Package of cloth diapers — from Target, not the high-end stuff — for all the purposes aside from diapering.

* Soothies — (I think, have to see if I can find them) great for sore nipples, which can happen in the early days, of course.

* DIY witch hazel pads — great for perineal care on me, and I’ve used them as wipes on Ingrid when she’s had a sore bum, and I used them on my face during that postpartum sweat-fest.

I’m so excited for her! Can you tell?

Looking Down
Originally uploaded by gretchen04401

It’s hard to tell from this photo, I think, but we are in a raised parking lot, looking down about a full story, and then some.

Really. Good. Day. I was all kind of apprehensive about today, Dave is working from 7am-midnight or so, so it was all me, all day long. We had baby swim class this am, which I’ve never attempted totally solo, and I realllllly didn’t want to go, but I did, and it was great. Came home, played a bit, Ing took a nap and I took a shower. I’d made plans the day before to have lunch with Andy, so once Ingrid was up, we were off.

We met up with Josh at the thai place, and Ingrid was a freaking gem. Both Andy and Josh are Not So About The Kids — by virtue of a combination of personality, prior work experience (servers) and general dislike of the procreation arena. Andy, however, has always been a great Uncle Andy to Ingrid, and he genuinely LIKES her. Josh, I don’t think, had ever met her until today, and I think his fears of toddler lunching went unproven. Ingrid ate some curry, some soup, some stuff I brought for her… and she played peekaboo and danced to the music and watched people going by and smiled and was crazy cheerful until about the 1.5 hour mark, when she got a little antsy while waiting for the check. So, she and I walked around the restaurant and looked out the windows at the cars and at the fishtank and at other people, and she was totally cool. This picture was taken after we walked up to my car, but before we got in (obv.).

After lunch, we went to Andy’s house in hopes we’d see his mom, who enjoys Ingrid as well, but she wasn’t there. We played with the dog a bit, and then headed out to get supplies for our flight. So glad I had the stroller. I used it at the craft store (total bust) and at Target, but not at Borders. Basically, the city is absolutely swamped with Canadian tour busses right now, there was one at literally every place I went, including Dunkin Donuts on the way home, and I didn’t need a CART but I did need Ingrid contained, and the stroller was great for that. I got her some triangular crayons (won’t roll off the tray on the plane!) and a book with pieces that lift out. I wish I’d known about thembefore, because I’d have Amazonned them, and gotten a variety, but I ended up with one with four shapes that are a little more complex than Ing can handle as far as puzzles go, but she thought it was neat. Anyway, there were literally about 4 carts left at Target when we went, so I loooooved having the Techno for that trip, especially since I didn’t need diapers or other Big Things.

We came home and played and read and Skyped with Aunt Kate, and now she’s asleep in her bed. It was such a great day! It has given me hope that we will survive our traveling on Monday. I hope.

Up close
Originally uploaded by gretchen04401

I love this picture. She’s just so great.

Anyway. So, we’re doing our benefits stuff this week, and I’m considering switching from a PPO to an HRA (health reimbursement account) which is basically a high-deductible plan, but with less OOP expenses. Has anyone done that? It’s about 1k less than the PPO, and this last year just seemed like we were always paying a copay for insurance we were already paying a lot for. (Disclaimer: I know, I know, we’re the lucky ones.) The year before, we had a plan switch mid pregnancy, but we hit the deductible or whatever really quickly, so I wasn’t paying much OOP, I don’t think. Also, we now have an FSA available, as well as a DCRA, neither which we’ve done before. I need to research of the DCRA is better than, in addition to, or worse than the child care tax credit. And also calculate what we should put in an FSA.

I am such a grownup. (But seriously, if you have any experience in any of this, I’d love to hear about how you figured it all out.)

Figuring out the puzzle
Originally uploaded by gretchen04401

Yeah, I fell behind on my grand NaBloPoMo plans. Oh well. I was at the lake, with Ingrid, where this picture was taken. She’s sitting at my old kids’ table, playing with my old puzzle. Wild.

She’s getting so BIG now, and I miss my little baby. I feel like motherhood has given me so many new things to miss and be wistful for — pregnancy, labor & delivery (yes, seriously) those first hazy days in the hospital and at home, the first smiles the first everythings. And while she’s still growing and learning like mad (kisses! She mastered real kisses this week, and has been sneak-attacking, and the sensation is indescribably joyful) each evolution, something gets left behind. Foot clapping, not in ages. Forehead-kisses are a rarity now. Nursing. (I still miss nursing, in such a big way.) Even babywearing — I last wrapped her for a nap at a friend’s house, back in September. It had been months before then, too. I plan on taking it to Texas, but still. My days of almost daily wrapping are over.)

I love Ingrid in the present, don’t get me wrong! But I’m wondering what from this stage will be gone too quickly, over and done, and when will I notice? Even now — the last time we were at the lake, she was newly mobile, it was SO stressful, she wanted IN to everything, none of it babysafe. This time, she’s walking, playing with toys, more easily entertained and self-sufficient.

I just want one more. One. I dreamed that I was pregnant this weekend, that I was saying “No, Dave, I mean just one more for 2 kids, this one is that one, not one more after that for three!” But I am definitely NOT pregnant (I swear, half the reason I have an IUD is to prevent ME from having any ‘accidents’) and I was so sad to wake up and realize it was a dream. Even if we have another, it won’t be until 2010, anyway, because we simply cannot afford two in childcare. Period. And we really couldn’t afford for me to stay home without a job waiting, either.

Several of my online friends, who have babies born right around Ingrid’s birthday, are expecting again, or have had their second, and the envy is big. Or, another online friend, who’s had her second recently, in a spacing/employment scenario that I envision if we DO have two.

Which is the thing — I’m totally for two. Dave feels that we struck gold, why push our luck? There are differences — Dave didn’t grow up with his sisters, so while he has (half) sisters, he doesn’t have the sibling experience that I have, of growing up with someone. I just don’t feel done. I want one more. Just one. I wish it were an easier decision.

Self portrait
Originally uploaded by gretchen04401

My friend Amity takes a lot of sel-portraits, and so in between taking pics of Ingrid tonight, I turned the camera on myself. I’m so 32.

I guest lectured in the tech in ed course today, and busted a girl texting. Busted isn’t a fair word, it was a dark room, she was directly across from me and holding her cell up at eye level. But, listen up, when I’m talking, you put the damn phone away. Well, what I said was “Excuse me, please put the phone away, thanks. I love technology, too, but I’m talking right now.” She was both mortified and pissed, but, whatever, dude! I’m talking!

Funny how even though I haven’t been in front of a middle school classroom in two years, I still have it. Sadder still that undergrads aren’t far flung from middle schoolers.