Archive for March, 2010

I was getting a mani today (had to drop that in there because it was super exciting – a big day for mommy!) and some ladies were talking about a chic New York restaurant that is serving a cheese appetizer made from human milk. The response from the ladies at the spa was along the lines of “Gross!” “Terrible!” “Wrong!”

But my initial reaction wasn’t any of those things – which automatically made me think “Am I weird? Gross? Terrible? Wrong?!” I started thinking – internally, of course – why are we okay with cheese made from a cow or goat but not a human? Why is their milk okay for us to consume but not our own?

Now I’m not going to pretend to be all salt-of-the-earth because I was barely able to taste Tessa’s oatmeal made with my breast milk because . . . um, GROSS! But then my curiosity got the better of me and it was . . . well, uneventful. The anticipation was much greater than the taste (but let’s be real, the taste was small).

This whole conversation reminded me of my sorority sister/former colleague/friend Sarah’s blog on a placenta hair mask she used. It totally rocked her hair. And if breast is best – would our cheese rock our world?

Hmmmm . . . I think I’ll stick with blue cheese for now. Yum yum.

Sleep is such a huge topic when taking care of a newborn. The least helpful advice being the ‘ol “get your sleep now” – now being when you’re pregnant and enormous and dying of heartburn and just not sleeping.

Then once you have a baby, the conversation quickly moves to “is the baby sleeping through the night?” Everyone wants to talk about sleep. Sleep. Sleep! SLEEEEP!

I’ve never thought of it as that interesting of a topic and now it’s the most commonly asked question I get. And I’ve read a 500+ page book on the subject. SLEEP! Ahhh!

But what’s been interesting to me is that there was a lot of focus on my return to work from my maternity leave. How would I do? Would I be okay? How would Tessa adjust? Rob and I talked a little about how he would fair knowing that he would have to take on more caretaking responsibilities. But I don’t really think we fully acknowledged the transition that would take place for him also.

Rob started putting Tessa to sleep on the nights he was home since he gets less time with her (so about 4 nights a week). Plain and simple – it was disastrous. It would take him hours to put her to sleep. Finally, one night he was stressed to a point of being in a comatose state and was just babbling incoherently. Babababababababa.

Yet she would go down in less than 20 minutes for me on the nights I put her to sleep. It’s like I was a sleeping aid for the angel. And that baby llama went to sleep!

About a month ago, we transitioned back to me putting Tessa down to sleep (with the one exception when I had food poisoning) and we’ve all been happier.

A couple lessons learned: My going back to work was a transition for all of us – and each of us as parents has our strengths and weaknesses (I’m terrible at giving Tessa her antibiotics!) – and, most importantly, reading “Llama Llama Red Pajama” puts Tessa right to sleep . . .zzzzzzz

We have received so many nice gifts from people since Tessa has been born and it’s amazing the thoughtfulness and generosity people bestow for the birth of a little witty baby. [Insert baby babble noises]. With those generous gifts comes the obligatory thank you note in response. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t use the word “obligatory” because I dislike thank you notes. I completely appreciate the art of a good thank you note. A good handwritten thank you note. I guess I’m a traditional gal.

My husband, on the other hand, is not really an artist in general. We have received a few gifts from people I hadn’t even heard of. Never heard of them, let alone met them. Turns out they are friends of my in-laws. So I sat Rob down, addressed and stamped the thank you cards, gave him the cards and a pen and told them who sent us what. He writes to one of his family friends “Thanks for the outfit. Tessa looks cute in it. – Rob and Lynsi.” Have I mentioned that Rob is a man of few words? Not only was his message short, he signed it in the card upside down so when the recipient opens the envelope they will have to flip it around to read it. For me, this was hysterical. I was literally in tears I was laughing so hard.

Thanks for the outfit. Tessa looks cute in it? I repeat.

What’s wrong with it? He asks.

A) Obvie she’s cute in it. She’s f-ing adorable.

B) When I write thank you notes, I express our gratitude and say something like “Thank you for thinking of us during this special times in our lives” or “We are so in love with our little angel.”

Silence

Hello? Rob?

Sorry. I was thinking about “Lost.” Isn’t it crazy that the island if a portal to hell????

Yup. Crazy.

Well, recently when my in-laws were visiting they brought with them a present from yet another couple I haven’t met. Very nice and – again – very thoughtful. However, I now am taking all responsibility off of me because I don’t even have their address (since it wasn’t mailed) to facilitate the thank you card process. And to be honest, getting mailing addresses out of Rob is exhausting. So I told him. THIS thank you card is all you. All you. NOT ME.

Oh I don’t think we need to write a thank you note, is his reply.

Oh, we have to write a thank you note. If we don’t, we will hear about it.

Noooo. [Eyes rolling] It’s not a big deal. Seriously. No need for a thank you note.

Okay, but it’s not me. I am not being held responsible.

Okay [hands in air, sarcastically]

I think you know where this is going. Fast forward a few weeks and I get a call from Rob.

Oh, my mom is sending the Smith’s [changing name to protect the innocent] address so we can write a thank you note.

Oh really? Why?

Well, I guess they asked if we got the present because they didn’t receive a thank you note.

The ‘ol “did you get the gift?” when really you mean “where the hell is my thank you note?!”

I’m not writing a thank you note. [I was standing my ground, damnit!]

I know. I’ll write it.

Okay. But if you don’t, it will reflect badly on me because everyone will expect me to write it.

Nobody is expecting it.

Obvie, they are – it’s not going to surprise them!

Okay, okay. I’ll write the thank you note.

Part of me feels badly for this poor innocent couple who is experiencing such social rudeness due to our battle over the thank you note. But I am holding my ground – as God as my witness! It’s the principle. I mean he can do one, right?

Anyone willing to wager if that note will be written?

I am itching for a tattoo. My BFF Megsie and I almost got tattoos last year during our cross-country visits to one another but our husbands “didn’t want to be responsible” for such behavior and convinced us otherwise. WTH?!

The itch is getting stronger and stronger. I really want Tessa tattooed on my heart! Okay, maybe not on my boob. But I’d like something permanently on my body that represents my little family of Rob and Tessa.

And then I saw on babycenter that there are growing pictures of such. Ideas? Suggestions?