7 wks

Stats

Last week brought our 2 month well visit with the pediatrician. Our lil’ one is flourishing–she’s nearly 11 lbs. & 22.25 inches. She also received 4 immunizations (I will not entertain discussions regarding immunizations & their benefits/harms;that is one topic that gives me an instant headache when mentioned) which brought us 6 hours of intense fussing. Her wails were painfully loud, but nothing was more painful than knowing there was little we could do to make her feel better. I’m not keen on giving her medicine, like infant acetaminophen, if the situation isn’t dire, so lots of rocking and “shhh”-ing occurred. We learned that our peach may have asymmetrical hips, so she has an appointment for an ultrasound this week. One remedy, per our doc: wear her like the eskimos wear their children. I’ll fill you in on what that really entails if that’s suggested.

All that progress for a lil' one who began life like this

Let’s see if we can survive without…

We all have our quirks. One of mine: abolishing something from my life (i.e. a food group). Yeah, I get how this bewilders some because they wonder why I make a proclamation to forego something when it seems to be complicating, but I think most people have had a moment (for whatever reason) where they decided to nix something from their life with reason. Whether it stuck or fizzled–we’ve all been there.

The major item I have given up is meat of the furry or winged variety. Long story as to why, but I attribute my primary influences to mold on an Easter ham in 2003 & my Sociology of Minority Rights course during undergrad. I was pretty fierce about staying true to this in the first 2-3 years (ask my college roommates about my contribution to “taco bar night”). I found myself straying when I reconnected with a childhood friend: the hotdog. Since then, spring’s arrival and the aroma of a hot grill + my pregnancy made me yearn for meat. Hamburgers, chicken wings…I ate them with a heavy heart & a happy tummy. However, spending all my time with an individual who sometimes coos has left me with a lot of time to think & my thoughts concluded that reinstating vegetarianism (pescatarianism, really) into my life was going to be my new mantra for 2011.

Add some veggie dogs to that grill, honey!

And then, I decided that dairy should be omitted from my plate, bowl, and cup. Although not confirmed, I think Lu’s exposure to it via me has led to some discomfort for her. Plus, I gag at the concept of humans drinking another mammal’s milk. So, it seems like moving myself one step closer to veganism (still trying to reduce my intake of fish) could work…if cheese was never invented. Darn you, cheese. Craving cheese is a new thing & I have an obvious love/hate relationship with it. This led me to apply these two common ideologies: everything in moderation & there is no need to define yourself with labels. I am consuming what I think my body needs & anything that I really want, but typically avoid, will be mine in a very small amount. I will not leave myself to mull over this action and I will be done with it.

Oh, yeah–there is one more thing on the chopping block: cable. We reduced to the basic channels (i.e. ABC, NBC) & kept Showtime (we are minorly obsessed with “Dexter”, “Californication,” & “Weeds”). Now, we’ve concluded these will be a thing of the past. We felt zombie-like upon recognizing that the tube was on for most of the day & we would stare aimlessly at it if anything was on. Adios, cable–we’ll spend our time reading, playing with Lu, being (more) active, & sometimes including a show or movie from Netflix/Hulu into our evening.

Go, Pack, Go

Thank you, karma, for hitting Ben Roethlisberger in the nose & delivering a victory to the Packers! Having roots in WI (where my dad’s family is based), cheering for the cheeseheads comes naturally. Plus, I once thought Brett Favre was dreamy at the ripe age of 11 (so gross in retrospect) & partly took to rooting GB on just to irk my step-father in a home that avidly cheers on the Cowboys (I owned the 1996 Superbowl champion shirt and collected Favre’s figurines). Lucy asserted her allegiance to the Pack (though a Bills fan at heart) this weekend by wearing her green diaper.

Even Stella supports the green + yellow

Next week

Hmm, well, our plates don’t seem full this week, which is ok by me considering my return to work is looming in the very near future. You’ll just have to stop by then to see what adventures we encountered. One fun thing: Ry’s official 28th birthday!

Our party animal is gearing up for Dad's big day!