A belated Thanksgiving post

So, yes, obviously I am thankful for my beautiful child. And lots of cheesy little things about him – his smile is as bright as the sun, his laughter is like the song of a million hummingbirds, and so on and so forth.

But I’m not super into being cheesy (even when it’s totally genuine) so here are five non cheesy baby things I am thankful for.

1. Baby carriers

I don’t know how mom’s who don’t use these get by – I use mine for hours every day. I wear my baby when he’s fussy or sleepy or when I’m shopping or need to get things done. They are fabulous and when I discovered them my life was changed.

2. Signing time DVDs

Man, Finn loves these. It buys me time in the car and during the day if I need it. And I don’t feel too guilty about him watching them because I think baby signing is a good thing.

3. Balls!

Any way I write this it sounds dirty, but my son is obsessed with balls! We will see if this leads to some sports prowess down the road.

4. Easy cloth diapers

I like cloth diapering because it makes me feel like I’m saving money and helping the environment. I like even better that I live in a time when cloth diapering is easy and doesn’t involve pins and stuff.

5. Happy Baby frozen baby food

Finn is not a baby food fan, but he does like this fresh frozen baby food. And I don’t blame him – it’s tasty! If they made some for adults, I would eat it.

So, thanks to the inventors of all of these products (especially the ball…good one). You make motherhood a little easier.

Some early giving thanks

I often struggle as a mother.  The whole being a mom thing hasn't come easy to me and while I love Finn he's not always the world's easiest baby (I think...I'll admit I don't really have many babies to compare him to).

But then there are days like today that are just...magical.

Finn (who is not a morning baby) was so easy this morning and let me clean up our totally trashed house.

Then he took a two hour morning nap!  And then more baby easyness!  And then another long nap!

I don't know where it's cominng from, but even it's just an early Thanksgiving miracle, I will take it.

Confession #3 - I have realized I have no control over anything

This is my new realization.

Nothing I do matters or makes any difference in terms of Finn's behavior, and especially with his sleep.

It's a little disheartening, although potentially freeing, if I can just really make myself believe it.

Some nights (a lot of nights) he is up every 45 minutes.  Pretty much all night.

Yeah, it's a good time.

Other nights he sleeps great (for him, which means he's only up every few hours - it's all relative people).

I have read every book every written on baby sleep.  I have talked to other moms.  I have posted on message boards.  I have changed and changed again: what I eat, what he eats, vitamins I take, what he drinks, when he sleeps, where he sleeps, how I put him to sleep, and on and on and on.

And, in the end, the good and bad nights just seem totally random.

After he has a good night I go over and over the day that led up to it.  But I can recreate it exactly and he still will not sleep the next night.

So, I am giving up.  He will sleep eventually, right?

Confession #2: My baby has emo hair

Finn's hair is getting out of control.


It just gets longer and longer, and I am powerless to do anything to stop it.


He's developing a distinct resemblance to Donald Trump.



Except after his nap, when he looks like Trump caught in a windtunnel.

He needs a haircut, I know. But I can't bring myself to pay someone else to do it (plus that just seems like something that's going to end with baby screaming) and I am worried if I do it myself he's going to look either sad or funny, since I can't really cut hair.

So I just let it keep growing, and hope this is somehow a problem that resolves itself. You know, as some things do.

Perhaps in a few months I will be able to do these pictures with some 80s hairband members. He just needs a tiny sweatband to keep it out of his eyes.

This is why we can't have nice stuff, kitten

Toddlers are...(so many possible fill in the blanks, but I'm going somewhere with this)...remarkably destructive.

The only way I can really notice Finn increase in height and/or dexterity are the new things he can reach to pull down/smash/inexplicably make disappear or the new drawers/cabinets/boxes he manages to open/completely destroy.

It is a really remarkable and frightening ability. He can't say anything, but he can dismantle the kitchen in five minutes. He has a single mindedness about him that I admire, I just wish it could be put towards things like sleeping...or cleaning up.

Today's masterpiece was opening the toilet and depositing portable phone in the bowl.

Goodbye phone. At least he didn't flush you.

Hmmm...and I'm back

Telling, perhaps, that it's been two months since I posted.

Such good intentions, but you know what they say.

But it will be different this time! Different I say!

Why? Blind hopefulness, really. And my son is now old enough to enjoy a Baby Einstein video, which is what he is doing now, thus miraculously giving my two hands to type (as I typed that he walked over and tried to crawl into my lap...it's like he doesn't respect my need to express myself....silly baby).

Also, because I am now obsessed with the blog of another woman I vaguely know. It's so fun and interesting and makes me what to get back to my own blogging. Because I give good blog.

And I'm going through (yet another) phase of trying to convince myself that I can be a mom and have myself somewhat together (despite evidence to the contrary) so now I have a new haircut and visions of myself as someone who wears something other than sweatpants and has a clean house and blogs (and has hobbies, and exercises, and goes on dates with her husband, and good friends, and cooks...oh the list goes on).

So here we are. Small steps.