Saturday, April 28, 2012

WORK? Childcare or Homecare?

Arielle at 2 months old
When I found out I was expecting my first child, I was ecstatic as you may imagine but as things settled in I began to think of the consequences of returning to work after baby. This is an issue that is extremely complex and certainly varies widely depending on your position in your field and income but in general, I think after 40weeks of worrying about the well being of your baby within your body, the baby is born and precious and then the worrying continues but just in another way. 

Once you emerge from the initial fog of new motherhood, reality sets in and you realize you may have made a decision (determined parental leave) which seemed like the right one many months before actually meeting your little one but may actually be harder to fulfill than you ever expected. Sure there are the logical issues like money but then there are heavier issues like mentally returning to normal (mommy brain is real you'all!)  and the biggest, hardest part (for me..at least) was parting with this little thing you love so much and handing him/ her over to a person you may have met a few times. Not everyone has this 'problem', some people are fortunate to have family members to help out or have the ability to work from home etc. but for many women, the idea of having to return to work is hard to deal with moreover, is there anyone who you feel is suited to take care of your newborn?

I am an assistant professor and have taught for several years so for me the situation was a bit complicated because of the higher education structure, basically  the Fall semester begins in August and Spring semester begins in January and I remember looking into the faculty handbook and realizing that although the benefits were absolutely fantastic, they suggested that we try to align our paternal leave with the semester scheduling. My daughter was due at the end of September so I could take the Fall semester off (with full pay) and return in January which at the time seemed like I couldn't have planned it better but in fact, she was born in October and the months between that and January flew by, and suddenly there I was leaving my home to a perfect stranger and handing my 3 month old baby over to a woman I had found through an ad we placed, I was a mess, I cried every morning in private. I thought it would be easier to at least have someone with the baby in our home with our things and the baby in her own crib where she could be fully attended to..it wasnt. Arielle eventually began attending a daycare center when she was 10 months old and could walk..this was still hard.

This time around, my timing is actually worse if thats even possible; my semester ends in a few weeks, I'll be about 34 weeks and the baby is due July 1st which basically means I have 7 or 8 weeks before the Fall semester! I have to decide by Monday if I intend to return for Fall 2012 or not which means I need to have some idea of who will watch the baby and how much this will cost. Arielle's current daycare/preschool also takes babies at 8 weeks but I feel really apprehensive about leaving such a young baby in a group scenario especially if I am trying to nurse. I feel strongly about mothering, being present and instilling certain things early on so in my mind the benefits of staying with my baby far outweigh the monetary gain I would get from returning to work after 7 weeks but if I don'd do so then I am out from June until January which may be a bit too long to stay home I think as well as keep Arielle home from play/preschool. Anyway, I had decided last year to try to just do what feels right and everything will fall into place, its a very vulnerable place to be but it may just be the spirit of this time. 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Week 31


This is a bit late for week 31 but anyway, on with it. A few things could have happened in the past week and a half,
1. Either the baby grew ALOT
2. This dress makes my stomach look much larger than it is..Or
3. I am in denial about how much my stomach has grown large my belly actually is! 
I have tried not to eat any dessert this week, no cake, ice cream..candy..just grapes. I have been eating little bits for dinner because its tough to breath if I eat too much. I have been tremendously thirsty which makes it even harder to eat much because I fill up on water before I can get to eat. The baby definitely feels heavy, theres still a lot of movement and but they feel like pushing and prodding moreso than a fish in a bowl. I wonder what she's doing in there but I will soon have a inside look because I have another ultrasound in a few days ( maybe even 4D), I have to have a look at what her positioning is, how big she is and if she's getting ready to make a debut because the doc had a few concerns about it but wanted to wait until I was in the single digits of my time left to check. I am looking forward to it. I haven't seen the baby since the 23 week ultra scan so it'll be fun to get another look, maybe the last. 
I have started puting together a list of things we need to get, we are set with all big things, nursery furniture is in, car set is in the basement, monitor, moses basket, bassinet etc but what we don't have is all the little things like diapers, towels, washcloths, bathtub etc..so I guess I'll a t least make a list and have it ready if I find myself in Target in the next few weeks I will pick some stuff up. 

At this point, its really real right, it could happen anytime (in the next 9 weeks) but technically the baby is considered to be full term at 37 weeks so thats in 6 weeks and they way she's been moving around and weighing me down make me really feel like she'll be an early one. I kind of want a really dramatic birth, water breaks on the train or something..I don't know.. and I hope its on a weekend..but preferably before 4th of July so I can really celebrate my independence!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Baby's Nursery-Part I

On Friday, we came home from work to a big box on the doorstep and it was the crib we ordered! Can I just say that Amazon.com is quite a place, they shipped it to us in 3 days and because the dresser was out of stock they went to great lengths to get me one of the two dressers left in stock from Giggle.com, with a tax and shipping discount as well. That hasn't shipped but it says it will arrive this week which is still very quick for an item I was told would not be here until June 4th, so needless to say, I am very pleased.


I had mixed feelings about the crib but my sweet girl was extremely excited to set it up so we did. We cleared out the room (we had a futon in there for guests) and began the set up. Last week, I had already started sorting, washing and folding clothes from the basement so we had purchased a wardrobe to start which was already set up.

The crib was fairly easy to set up, it came in a few pieces with graphically illustrated instructions (ikea style) but the entire hardware package came affixed to one piece and that did scratch the paint off a bit, luckily it was off the piece which hold the mattress so you cant see it..but we know its there.

The details are quite nice, the cross bars have metal trimmings and the ends are almost solid except for one little slit on either side. The design is simple with clean lines; I think I may just hold off on buying the crib sheet set and use a minimal fitted sheet and neutral blanket without a bumper of course.
My father in law bought us the necessary items for the nursery as well and they arrived last week. So the crib mounted changing table by Ouef is set up as well, we also received the baby monitor, organic mattress and car seat (unopened in garage). All of a sudden I feel completely relaxed about the baby coming and I still have 9.5 weeks to go. This is not to say I am not anxious about the actual delivery part but at least she has a place to sleep (a pretty nice one!)

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Week 30

B. The bump
A. Trying to look normal
(even though I feel like 'large Marge')
With 10 weeks to go before I experience the most nerve racking and POTENTIALLY painful yet amazing experience a woman could go through in life, I feel calm but a bit emotional. The books say the hormonal effects from the first trimester return making you feel strange shifts in mood very quickly, I feel sensitive and scared, yet confident and excited to meet a baby girl who I've fallen in love with over the last 30 weeks. I have hopes for her, I hope she comes out to be as beautiful inside as my sweet girl, I hope I am able to love her and that her sister loves her even more. I hope Arielle is able to understand that the baby isn't taking her place in my heart or more important than her but that she will require more attention initially. I hope I do not become overwhelmed by the experience and I am able to sit back and experience my new baby with as much appreciation as I have tried to have through these weeks of pregnancy. I am so looking forward to the sound of that first cry, the feeling of a small warm body new to the world with no other intuition but to find comfort in the most recognizable scent, mine..voice, mine, heartbeat, mine.

I've heard that the arrival of a second baby isn't as full on as the first because you have some idea of what to expect but I am not sure I totally agree, there are so many unknowns before I will actually meet her and take her home. Will she come early, on time or late like her sister? (and her mommy always is..I'm working on that!). Will she be a bigger baby, as they say second babies are always bigger? Will I be in labor for 24 hours and be able to bare the pain as she makes her way out? Will she be a good sleeper? Colicky?  I keep having this vision of dropping her..I know its just a manifestation of my fear for handling such delicate little things especially since Arielle's been out of that stage for a while..now when she falls we still ask if she ok but its not as dramatic as it used to be..she a rough and tumble kind of girl.

I finally ordered a crib and dresser for her room, I have a 'take home outfit' and bunting suit just incase its cold or whatever..I know its going to be July but its cute anyway. So for now, I continue to expand hopefully at a normal, slow pace..and savor silence while (when) I have it.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Baby Showers for NO.2

A. Gifts from a friend 
Is it okay to have a party for the second baby? (Start rant) YES..it is people! Its a NEW human being, DIFFERENT from the first, took just as long to prepare (with all the pains and pricks) and will take just as long to nurture through life so whats the deal with people either thinking its inappropriate to have one or treating it like its not important? The same things happens with birthday parties beyond the first birthday party right..at least for me its seems so!  I hate parties..you put all this time and effort into planning and invite people over to have a great time (hopefully) and celebrate something with you and they decide they're washing their hair that day and can't come! ...I'm not saying things don't come up and people don't get busy but being the procrastinator that I am, I know one when I see one and I can call it from a hundred yards away! If I want to attend something I'm invited to and think its important, I make the effort, I find the time and it doesn't  matter how long the drive is..even if I only can stay for a few hours and I know it means something to the celebrant, I will be there..why is this no longer the case in society..or is it and I'm just not that important? (end rant).

Anyway, here in pregnant world, its becoming harder to digest anything..food?..Yes, but thats not what I'm referring to..everything makes me upset now..I feel like the woman who plays the understudy for Bette Middler from the Seinfeld episode who cried when her hotdog fell in the sand but was completely unfazed when she receives a telegram letting her know her grandmother had died (you had to be there!). So, I found out I am having a shower being hosted by my sister in a few weeks from my Father-in law of course..and then asked my husband about it and sure enough he's knee deep in the planning, even sent out the E-vite so now I'm getting constant updates of people who aren't coming daily and its driving me crazy! I love the fact that he wants me to be happy so he is trying to wrap it all into this great party but unfortunately the guests aren't cooperating and it just makes a gal feel less than important.

Anyway, so I guess the baby shower party is my "hotdog in the sand" and the fact that I have to move an 8lb human being from the inside to the outside in 10 weeks is feeling like "my telegram" right about now.

Blame it on the goose
Got you feeling loose
Blame it on Patron
Got you in the zone
Blame it on the ho ho ho ho hormones..
Blame it on the ho ho ho ho hormones..

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Walkway Over The Hudson

It was beautiful this weekend and after the cold winter (even as mild as it was here in NYC) everyone looks forward to longer days and warmer weather. We didn't set or break any records temperature-wise but I thought we had the perfect weather, flowers are starting to sprout..birds and bugs are out and the combination of some sun and nice breezes can be really uplifting to anyones spirits. So instead of sitting home we went for a long walk..across the Hudson River. Hope you had a great weekend.

A. Mid Hudson bridge (viewed from Walkway over Hudson)



Friday, April 13, 2012

Week 29


I have surprised myself, I don't feel self conscious, I haven't been micro monitoring my weight, I am not completely melting down over my growing stomach and stretch marks, these are all surprising to me since I had weighed myself almost everyday for many years and keep pretty close tabs on how much I gain and immediately formulate a plan to get rid of it. Its a strange time because although I haven't gained too much, I also know the third trimester is the time that most women put on quite a bit of weight.

I haven't been as active in the gym as I would have liked but I am certainly not sitting around, I walk quite a bit to and from the train to get to work, somedays I drive but unlike the first time around where I was on vacation from 4 months pregnant until birth, this time I am up and running and it feels pretty good. The headaches are back and I'm pretty sleepy most times but in the last few days I have been experiencing some insomnia as well. So I sit up watching anything on tv or reading other blogs. I am breaking out a bit here and there but that may because of my carelessness with washing my face and also touching my face. I have been experiencing some breathlessness but not as bad as I had it with Arielle.

Anyway, now that I am properly into the third trimester, this baby (small cabbage sized) should be about 15 inches long and almost three pounds. I am getting excited to meet her.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Jews and Gentiles..?

Its a complicated little life we've created here for our children, everything we do as parents and as individuals have effects both large and small on our children. The manner in which we speak and the things we say to them and others might teach them tolerance, patience, kindness..the way we treat our environment might teach them about responsibility and longevity, the way we feel about ourselves when we look in the mirror might teach them about confidence and acceptance.  We all imagine our children's lives in the most positive light, we go to great lengths to protect them from things that might hurt them or taint their innocence but sometimes even that is not enough to shield them from the pressures of life.

Since I wasn't born in this country and spent a fair amount of my life living in my home country before moving to the US,  in some ways my attitude towards issues of race and religion aren't in line with some of the philosophical debates or always in the forefront of my thinking or even clearly defined, I try not to see people by the color of their skin but realize that there are a lot of very strong opinions and stereotypes built into the social structure of this country so I realize I am often seen by others as a color, whether that color is black, brown, chocolate or considered to positive or negative. Certainly, it makes things easy for me to wake up every morning and walk out into the world expecting to treated with fairness and respect but this isn't always the case, so how do we prepare our children to face this almost inevitable form of prejudgement? I thought a lot about this before getting married to a "white Jew from brooklyn"(with all its grand connotations..") and felt it wasn't enough of a reason to now go out and make an effort to find a man who was considered a 'match' for my color, religion, upbringing, social class etc. Again, when my daughter was born and had to decide if she would be exposed to Catholicism, Judaism or nothing, we decided to just go with nothing, we didn't Baptize her until last summer and she was almost three. 

I have recently begun thinking about these issues of race and religion again when she asked me one night if the baby was going to be "my color or her and her daddy's color.." and I had no good answer to this, I just laughed and said we would find out when she was born, but this indicated two things to me, firstly she now sees me as different than her daddy and she identifies with his 'color'. I asked her what color I was, to which she responded "brown" and her dad "white" and herself.."white" and then her cousin (pictured above).."black"! So that completely went out the window.

Th next scenario was a few nights ago when she chose a book to read before bed and it happened to be the children's bible she received as a gift at her Baptism! She asked my husband who is a non practicing Jew and is very skeptical of all religions to read it her. He went along with it until she asked him who 'God' was because he was the only character not shown in any of the illustrations on the pages, he hesitated and provided no answer because he has no belief in this but also didn't want to say that to her. After she asked a few more times he pointed to a giraffe and she was satisfied.


This past weekend, we celebrated both Passover (Seder with her great grandmother) and Easter (egg hunt at home) and although she didn't really acknowledge what the meaning of the days were she eventually will and if anything, she will inevitably chose and  identify with one tradition or the other right?
As a parent, I feel like I must be prepared to tackle these questions with confidence and in detail because at almost 4 years old, her questions are getting quite sophisticated and she senses a lot from being around us as well, I would hate for her to learn intolerance as a result of our carelessness but also she needs to be able to identify herself within the context of recognized races in the US which is technically defined as 'mixed race' or 'bi-racial'. We all know how complicated this can be, in almost 4 years, the race and citizenship of our own president is still in question, you'd be surprised how many people think he's black (technically, the first African- American president of the US) and non-american till this day (he's actually mixed-race born in Honolulu, Hawaii) but why does he never get referred to as white (his mother was properly white, from Kansas)?

I had heard of a project by another blogger called The Mixed Race Project which quotes that according to the 2010 census, more than 9 million Americans identified themselves as multi racial-a jump of 32% in 10 years. I wasn't sure why I was drawn to being featured on it but now I realize that at least its a small step towards placing us, our family, within a group of others who also struggle to define themselves and be defined.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Happy Easter



Happy Easter to all. We had a little hunt for just the three of us and my sweet girl still had a great time!




Friday, April 6, 2012

Easter Traditions



So Easter is just around the corner and as much as I like to think I'm someone sentimental, I can also be sort of a procrastinator, I say "I have good intentions in the morning but after the day gets going I lose my energy". So this morning, my sweet girl and I were getting ready to run some errands when the Today show hosts did one their many cooking segments, this one was with Daniel Baloud cooking up a roast leg of lamb and spring vegetable fricassee! So she says to me "mommy, if you could make that, I would eat it"..this immediately caught my attention because finding things she will eat is a daily quest for me. Then she says "mommy they said their making it for Easter, is it Easter yet?" I respond, "Easter is this weekend..", she says "So what do we do for Easter, do we decorate or eat candy or have a party..?" Anyway, I realized once again that just like at Christmas, I haven't gotten her a nice dress or really planned anything for the day which is fine but when you think about it, these are the things that children remember and cherish. As one has children and creates a family, you also must consider the special moments or traditions which inevitably shape the way the see the world...even its through colored hard boiled eggs!

Last year she was 21/2 and we did some dyeing but that was it, luckily, my sister (who has two daughters, 5 and 8 respectively) invited us over to a friends house who was having an Easter egg hunt for the kids and I was astounded at how much fun my girl had looking for little plastic eggs partially because there were other little ones running around and also because she hadn't really ever been exposed to this before i suppose. This Sunday, I hope to plan a little hunt with our neighbors little girls maybe but if not I'll have to make up for it somehow. I remember being younger and really looking forward to the days where we had cousins over for some occasion and it was an all day funday..

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Week 28.

I have a human being in my body! I know..obviously I do, I've known this for a fact since November last year when I saw and heard the heart beat of what looked a tiny gummybear but it still takes some getting used to especially since I didn't really appear to be expecting until late in January (Week 19) and didn't really feel the constant baby movements until early March (Week 23). Its now April and I am in my third trimester, the realization that in a few weeks (10-12) I could have a little baby has set in, I have seen her many times by ultrasound and even in 4D, she never lets me forget that she's in there, she's constantly moving and readjusting in there. I guess if the first few weeks are filled with excitement and fear at once, the middle belt feels more like a scenic ride dotted with some new discoveries, bumps moments of anticipation and fear, then the last trimester, seems to me like crossing the bridge before taking the exit to your destination but as you look out into the landscape its such a tranquil view, it make you want to pull over and just gaze. Taking in the beauty, being thankful for the life you have, dreaming about what this new landscape will look like and wishing for the confidence ( and patience) needed to appreciate it. I think everyday as I drive/ride the train to work about these things; I don't question my ability to love another little girl because I already do love her so much even though I have never met her, I feel like i know her so well but at the same time I have no idea who she is. I know my sweet girl very well, we've been fortunate to have spent a lot of time together over the last 3.5 years, although she does surprise me everyday, her personality has been very well known to us since my former nanny offered me a book to read on how to raise a strong willed child when she was only 3 months old!.

A. My baby girl at 23 weeks 3 days
The view from the bridge right now is peaceful enough, in that moment the noise from the surrounding isnt distracting, it provides a welcomed playlist to the rhythmic movements that only I can truly experience, in conversation with my little girl, I say I love you and hang in there a few more weeks, she responds with a graceful tap which lets me know she's okay.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Art of Delivering Babies

Anyone who is in this club i.e. the 'Birth Club' (have given birth, been in the room for a birth, actually executed the birth..etc) knows already how touchy the issues surrounding this process are but even so, the actual act of delivering the baby is only a small part of it. In the months prior- starting at about 8 weeks, most women begin to see an obstetrician once a month, the events of these appointments vary depending on the mom and the pregnancy but usually consists of the a weighing in, testing of all kinds of fluids.. etc. but mainly, I feel like these visits also give the woman an opportunity to get comfortable with the doctor who you essentially will be putting in charge of not only your life but the life of a baby you've been carrying around for 40 weeks or so as well. Some women prepare for this their entire lives and KNOW who they want this person to be before even finding that their expecting but for people like me, having moved so many times in my life, I don't have any deep rooted relationship with doctors or anyone really...Anyway, I have lived here since 2007 and have rarely needed to see a doctor (I'm not one to go if I don't need to..I'm terrified of needles..and dentists most especially).

A. "Knock up"
For the birth of my first daughter I went to a practice in which one of its doctors had delivered my younger sister and both my nieces, I felt that since I hadn't had much experience with anyone else, it would be best and it was except that in practices they discourage you from seeking a single point person and make you see all the doctors in the practice a few times so any one of them is familiar enough to deal with your case as it arises..babies arrive on their schedule which does not always match that of the doctors. 

Side bar- Have you ever seen "Knocked Up"? One of my favorite scenes from the movie "Knocked Up" is when Katherine Heigl goes into labor and finds out the doctor who assured her he never took vacations was in fact on vacation and so she ends up with Ken Jeong as her doctor...(had to be there

Anyway, it all worked out in the end but the problem was, I lived one hour away so the weekly and daily appointments became quite involved towards the end. I also wasn't to fond of the other doctors and when delivery day arrived I ended up being checked on by the male doctor who I really had barely spoken to in nine months but at the last minute my they switched shifts and the doctor I wanted arrived to deliver my baby. Also the hospital they were affiliated with had only a few private recovery rooms on a 'first come first serve' basis so even though I was there early, there were 4 C-sections done before my baby actually was delivered and I ended up with a shared room so my husband had to leave me, tired and terrified with a baby only a few hours old.

Now, almost 4 years later, I have been a bit more proactive and have researched hospitals and doctors within 25 miles radius. After weighing the pros and cons, I visited one hospital and decided to go with a medical practice affiliated with the hospital whose office is 3 minutes away form my house. I initially wanted to deliver at the new, larger hospital with has 19 private rooms and encourage dads to room in but they have over 30 OB affilates all under a single umbrella and confirmed that I would have to see whoever was available on any given day which had the potential become even more impersonal. No way!

The practice I selected has 4 doctors-3 female and one male, over the last few months I have seen each one at least once and really only felt genuine care from only one of them, she actually spent more than 3 minutes talking to me at my appointment, she looked at me directly and gave some thought to my questions rather than generalizing or postponing until a later date. she also referred me to a specialist to monitor a potential complication found through the detailed ultrasound and he is great but unfortunately he doesn't deliver. Similar to the previous office there is no way around seeing any and all of them and I have no idea who will spend what could be hours of unexpected events when I go into labor..so I am a bit terrified.

So now I am caught between a conveniently located practice whose care is a bit lacking (9 out of ten time if you call their office you get an answering machine, which is crazy in my opinion) and switching back to my previous OB located an hour away. Its really about more than the distance or the accommodations but the fact that the fetal specialist has expressed concern and mentioned the possibility of a C-section to me while the doctors at the practice have had to shuffle through my files in front of me both times times I've asked about this issue before attempting to answer me, often with a very general, non informative answer. I don't want a C-section at all and I feel like they have thrown that word out there too many times already that its making me feel like its just something they do rather try hard to avoid.

It seems to me that all this is really unacceptable and makes me uncomfortable because its impersonal..I'm reduced to just a folder with papers attached to it...I'm not trying to make a commentary on the entire medical practice but I do think the extra effort it takes to make an expectant mother feel comfortable when they are in one the most vulnerable positions ever (literally and figuratively) is well worth it and becoming harder and harder to find these days.

Anyway, I suppose the best approach to this is to educate and prepare myself as best as I can and in the end I can only hope that whichever doctor I get is at least focused and engaged for the time we're in labor/delivery and then its all my responsibility afterwards.  

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Beige.

Four years ago when I was expecting my first daughter, I spent a lot of time planning and designing her nursery/room. I am an architect so of course I had drawings and photorealistic renderings of the room before we bought anything and everything that we selected had been researched and deliberated on. The process is no different this time around maybe except for my timing- I will probably order the crib and dresser this weekend but theres a 6-8 week shipping delay so I wont be setting it up until mid-May. What is different is my taste in decor and clothing, my daughters room is orange and cream (which we painted several times before we settled on a the shade) and filled with very colorful stuffed animals and modern decor. The entire room was designed around this Litto Silly Owl Crib Set which is orange ad brown. This time around, I am planning a nursery which will remain the color it currently is (taupe) and be filled with antique white mid century inspired furniture, frilly white curtains, chandelier, neutral colored piillows and crib set. I also purchased some newborn clothing all in off white and neutrals, of course a few things are pink because its almost impossible to avoid when shopping for girls but even still, I am not only staying away from color this time, I am also staying away from pattern.
The funny part is that my daughter's silly and colorful personality fits with her room so well that I cant help but feel like the baby I am carrying must have something to do with my new design sensibility..is that strange or what? Is she telling me she's going to be an extremely easy going, quiet baby with a sort of 'beige' personality? or even better have I become 'beige'? I like to think I'm pretty funny and outgoing..ok who am I kidding, no I'm not. I hate talking on the phone, it can be hard to get me to attend social events, I rarely order any other flavor ice cream other than vanilla, I wear black and grey most days...maybe I am really beige..My husbands calls me a 'Plain Jane' sometimes. This is something I need to give a little more thought but in the meantime, heres my design palette for the babys nursery. Too beige?
A. Baby Nursery Design
List of Items