First Birthday Party - How Much is Too Much?

Shubu turns one next week, and we are having a small birthday party this weekend. At least, I thought it was going to be small. As of now, about 15 adults and 5 babies will be there. I think that blow-out parties for people who can't even walk is a little silly. However, the more people that RSVP "yes", the stronger the pressure to have A Real Party.

The plan for now is to meet at a local park (well, local to ME) for snacks and cupcakes. For the babies, we will have mylar balloons (floating! shiny! bouncy!), a little bubble machine, and sippy cups. For the adults, I'm thinking cupcakes, fruit salad, cheese and crackers, and chips and salsa. It's a public park and playground (situated in an amazing spot) so I don't want to be too obtrusive or obnoxious to other patrons. I'll be bringing a couple of blankets and tablecloths so that we can sprawl on the lawn.

The thing is, that seems kind of boring for the childless adult guests. The last first-birthday party I attended was a-ma-zing. The theme was "Romero Britto", complete with 8 foot tall, Britto-inspired sculpture of the birthday girl's name. There were probably 50 people there, and at least half were related to the birthday girl. They grilled, had tons of drinks, and the mama baked 250 cupcakes! Kids played on the playground, bounce house, and attacked a piñata. It was perfectly suited for that family; yet our family is much more low-key. Will people be disappointed by just hanging out in the park, watching babies do their thing? I guess we will see. And if it's a bust, we get another first birthday next year!

Spreading the News

We broke the news about little UB (Urban Banjo) to our families on Christmas morning. Each person got a calendar with a different picture of Shubu on each month. Most were themed (an orange-and-black striped outfit in October, for example), but July's was of Shubu wearing a "Big Sister" onesie and holding the sonogram. I had filled in each family member's birthday and anniversary, and on July 13, "Baby H 2.0 Due Date!" It was fun to see each person slowly "get it". My favorite was my mother-in-law, who was so touched at the calendar concept (her late mother used to do the birthday calendars) that she never made it to July. Everyone else had already seen it and shrieked, and we had to convince her to sit down and look at it more carefully.

With my Facebook friends, I had to be a little more cheeky. I posted an album with pictures of a "bump" road sign, a jar of Prego sauce, a pea pod, a hamburger bun in an oven, and finally the Big Sister/sonogram photo. I can't wait to see little UB again next week!

Excuses, Excuses

WELL, I took an almost three-week sabbatical here, but for a moderately good reason. All I could think about was pregnancy and it wasn't time to announce it online! I am 12 weeks along with baby number two.

In mid-October, I dreamt I had a new baby boy and named him Urban Banjo.

The first week of November, I had a friend and her two boys over in the morning. I made a couple of jokes about being forgetful, so I must be pregnant. Then I started counting. And thinking about how my breasts had gone up two cup sizes. And how tired I was. And how I had pimples on my forehead. And freaking. Out.

Two more friends and their babies showed up to make Christmas ornaments as the first friend left. I couldn't wait for them to leave so that I could go buy a pregnancy test. DJ was sleeping after a night shift, and hadn't gotten good rest for days, so after dashing to the drugstore and getting a big, fat PREGNANT on the digital test, I didn't want to wake him. I stayed up, panicking, all night long. I re-did our budget. I figured out what we would have to buy (a double stroller and diapers). I realized that as long as this baby did not also have allergies, we would be okay financially.

DJ took the news beautifully for having just woken up and it being a complete surprise. We took a long family walk and saw the sun rise, and later I made an appointment with a new OBGYN. We were going to become a family of four in the new year. Oh, and that dream? Was probably the night the embryo implanted.

Murphy's Laws of Childbirth

In the last few years, there has been a lot of talk about women being allowed to eat and drink during labor. Babycenter and Babble frequently mention it. Homebirthers talk about how nice it is to eat their own food in their own homes while they labor. Yet I was told immediately upon entering the L&D unit that I couldn't have anything PO. "Um... I'm not getting induced for 11 hours?" Didn't matter.

I begged DJ to bring me a snack. He refused. I cited studies that showed that it was safe to eat and drink during labor (I had recently read this article). I went about 20 hours without food or drink until my OB came in to check me. I was manipulative in how I phrased my desires.
"Dr. S, what would you recommend I eat right now?"
"I... what? Nothing. You're not supposed to eat."
"Come on. You know, and I know, that I would do better with a few calories in my system. So if I am going to drink something, what should it be?"
"Uh... iced tea?"
DONE! DJ, get me a Brisk iced tea! He reluctantly got it for me, and allowed only small sips. This was just enough to mentally get me through the rest of labor. However...
About thirty minutes after delivering, I felt a sharp, throbbing pain in the scene of the crime. A nurse came in, widened her eyes, and said "Let me get the doctor." The doctor came in and said "Ehh... I've never seen that before." Shortly afterward, I vomited, straight Brisk iced tea, as I was wheeled to emergency surgery. I was so confident that I would not need emergency surgery, that those precautions would not apply to me, and lo and behold! Since I had opted for an epidural, I did not need general anesthesia, but if I hadn't, I would have been the textbook case for not allowing eating or drinking during labor.
Everything about this experience makes me question my crunchier inclinations regarding childbirth. I love the idea of a home birth, but if I had attempted it with Shubu, I would have died. I was certain it was safe for me to eat and drink, but if I hadn't gotten the epidural (and I nearly didn't), it could have further endangered my life during surgery. With my next baby, I am torn between thinking that lightning can't strike twice, and the idea that whatever can happen, will happen to me. Just something else to think about!

Must-have Baby Items

I have a feeling that this is going to be a series post, as I can never make a comprehensive list in one try, but I have several pregnant or new-mom friends, and I keep referring them to the same products. I might as well compile them! Prerequisite every baby and every mom is different, blah blah blah, but these were my favorite or life-saving items with Shubu.

Fisher Price Rock and Play Sleeper
Shubu slept in this every night until she was almost six months old. I think the angle prevented reflux, plus the mesh sides made it almost like a snug little hammock. The only thing that I disliked about this was that I could not turn her head to one side or the other, and she naturally wanted to turn her head to the right. This led to the beginnings of plagiocephaly, but we carefully positioned her at other times and gave her lots of tummy time and baby-wearing time, and her little coconut is as round as can be today. I loved that this could easily be brought into the living room, so I could sleep on the couch with her if my husband needed more sleep.

Ergo Baby Carrier
I. Love. My. Ergo. I am very "into" wearing my baby. Although I somewhat agree with the philosophies behind attachment parenting, I really do it because I enjoy it. I love to bend my head and kiss her soft hair, or look into her eyes when we pass something exciting on the street. I'd rather have her stuck to my belly or back while I walk the dog or do errands than in another seat. That said, I have tried the BabyBjorn Air (gave me back pain), the Moby (jeez, not enough time in the day to get it wrapped- though nice for new newborns), and a Hotsling (loved it, till I lost 30 pounds and mine was too big). The Ergo is the most comfortable, even with a 20 pounder! The only drawback in my opinion, is that it is too bulky to be very portable. I can't just stuff it in my diaper bag like a sling.

My Little Dr. Johnson

It has occurred to me that I am not being nearly obnoxious enough about my child's precocious vocabulary skills. At ten months, of course she says "Mama" (of course). But she is also spouting out many other gems, and she's quite the polyglot! Here's the current list:

English
Bah - short for "Bah, humbug"; she's quite the little curmudgeon
Pff - also indicates she is unimpressed by your offering
Fa - a long, long way to run
Oh - a noncommittal acknowledgement that you have spoken

Ew - a term of disgust

Oaf - she really doesn't worry about your feelings, does she?

French
Maman - Mama
Bas - low, like in "bas relief"
Eau - water

Oeuf - egg

I mean, honestly, have you ever encountered such a bright child in all of your days? She's a walking dictionary!

Board Game Covers

This might be on the anal-retentive side, but I did not like looking at the hodge podge of board game boxes on my living room shelf (ok, it is definitely on the anal-retentive side).

So I decided to cover the boxes with plain craft paper and put coordinating labels and ribbon wrapping on them. We also had some plain white boxes from Ikea that fit in our Expedit shelving system. The boxes were a bit boring, and frankly, too shiny for my taste. I covered the front facet with fabric and Mod Podge, and then attached the metal hardware. It was tough to pry off the metal that wrapped the handle-holes, but not too difficult to hammer them back on. I think the shelf looks much better with the navy and green accents. Sadly, I didn't take any "during" photos, but both of these projects are pretty easy to figure out without them.