6 posts tagged “baby”
My mom and I finally started off the baby registry at Babies R Us on Saturday. Registering for stuff is so retarded. Babies R Us will basically give you a list of all this crap -- half of which most moms probably don't need. But if you're a new parent, you want to be sure you're fully prepared for everything your baby might need so you just take the store's word for it. And they'll give you quick-and-easy lists with a bunch of barcodes, but they don't really give you any reference about the quality or parent-approved status of anything. My mom had a vague recollection of stuff she needed as a new mom, but we were so lost about brands and safety standards that we really didn't know what else to do but get trigger happy with the scanner, just to have somewhere to start on the list.
By Lissa's recommendation, I picked up this book at Borders yesterday cause I knew I would have to clean up my baby registry big time. And I have to say, THANK YOU LISSA, THIS BOOK WAS A MASSIVE HELP! This book, along with the BabiesRUs online reviews, helped me a lot in figuring out what was worth registering for, what I could leave out of the list completely, and what were the safest and best products for the money. I remember having to go to a wedding once when I was really young and my mom and aunt were pretty miffed because the couple's registry only had items that were around $300, totally inconsiderate for guests who were on a budget, so that was a big worry for me (plus, given our ages and how we ourselves aren't exactly ballin, AJ and I really don't want our friends spending too much money). And I know that safety standards have come a long way since all of us were born, but there are some products out there that will straight up kill your kid. And given the klutzy nature my daughter will inevitably inherit from me, I don't need any more risks.
Uhh, I don't want to jump to conclusions but I think I just SAW my baby kick!
I think I started feeling the baby moving at about fifteen or sixteen weeks, relatively early in the pregnancy -- at least, this is what most people tell me compared to their own pregnancies. I don't really know what this means, if it means I'm just skinny or my baby is really big or both. At my seventeen-week doctor's appointment, the doctor confirmed that he was hearing a lot of kicks through the doppler. And when I went for my ultrasound at nineteen weeks (when I learned I was having a girl), the ultrasound tech and doctor also told me that my baby was really active.
I'm at 21 weeks now, and I've been feeling the kicks regularly -- usually in the afternoon and when I'm in bed at night, which ironically are the times during the day when I'm most tired. Since I started my new job, I've been feeling movements much higher in my belly. I have no idea if this is normal because I don't know where the fundus (the top of the uterus) is supposed to be located at this time in pregnancy, but I know I've been feeling strong movements above my belly button.
This afternoon I lifted my shirt just for shits and giggles, just to see if I could actually see it like this, and I actually saw a poke coming out of my belly!
What decision changed the course of your life?
Submitted by Ally.
Nothing has changed my life more than my decision to have my baby.
My baby girl has changed everything; not just the course of my life, but my goals, my heart, the way I take care of my body, the way I treat people I love, my entire outlook on life.
And she's changed it all for the better.
Is Junie B. Jones Talking Trash?
...more than a few parents have taken issue with Junie B., as she is called. Their disagreement is a pint-size version of the lingering education battle between advocates of phonics, who believe children should be taught proper spelling and grammar from the outset, and those who favor whole language, a literacy method that accepts misspellings and other errors as long as children are engaged in reading and writing.
Given that I'm an English major and Boyfriend is an MC, I can already tell that language and communication skills will be taken very seriously in our household.
That said, is the debate about this series really that serious?
I think I take more issue with how annoying the main character sounds than I do with the language used in the book. I remember reading books back then with little kids who spoke in little kid vernacular (granted, none of these books were written entirely in little kid vernacular), and I turned out just fine. Furthermore, I obviously have my own style of writing and speaking and I don't always use perfect grammar (and I do that knowingly), but I've gotten A's on every essay I've written throughout college.
I just wonder and worry about this for two reasons. First, if my child happens to find a series that makes him or her passionate about reading, then the last thing I want to do is take that away because of either language or morals or whatever (see: the Fundies making a big stink about Harry Potter books). Also, even though I'm starting to think the hip hop I listen to in the car is what's making my baby kick so wildly (hopefully we have a natural b-boy/b-girl on our hands), I don't plan on overhauling my entire music catalog for stuff that's more age appropriate, and I know AJ is going to be serious about the baby's music education. (Don't worry! I'm already equipped with just-for-the-sake-of-putting-Baby-to-sleep type music!)
So is it fair to hope that as long as we expose the baby to the world outside little kid vernacular and not-so-conscious hip hop, then our baby will be smart enough to know the difference between right and wrong, even if he or she happens to like little kid vernacular and not-so-conscious hip hop?
So, a few days ago I was griping about how corny children's music usually is. Lili then pointed me to the Rockabye Baby series and I immediately fell in love. By pure dumb luck, my friend M (a crate digger for the digital age) found a bunch of these albums on a single site for free. These are my favorites so far. I can't wait to fall asleep to these with the little one, I swear.
THEY HAD THE CURE!!!
The Bjork stuff is kind of weird, like it doesn't translate as well to lullaby form as the others. This one is my favorite though.
Now I'm getting all excited about making baby playlists. I'm waiting for stupid RapidShare so I can download the Coldplay, Smashing Pumpkins, and U2 ones. Whoever invented these is GENIUS.
I'm officially in my second trimester so this pregnancy feels more real than ever. These past couple of days I've been acting really corny, looking for cute graphics and tickers to put on my MySpace. I know that these are not really in vogue anymore, but I found a site that makes cute pregnant dolls.
Here is mine, LOL:
