Tuesday, September 25, 2007

What were They Thinking?

Today, as I was bustling to an appointment -- with baby in tow in the baby carrier --in a part of Paris we've never been to, we passed in front of a kindergarten just as school was letting out.

One little guy, who must have been not much older than three, scrunched up his cute round face under a brown mop of hair and whined his displeasure to a woman I presume was his mother.

She turned towards him and said:

If you don't be quiet, I'm going to give you a spanking as big as a house.

He instantly stopped whining...and started crying.

I would have too, if I were in his shoes.

How about you?

Friday, September 21, 2007

Listen to the Silence

Baby was playing with two yellow plastic funnels that he had dug out of the bottom drawer I left open for him in the kitchen. He was so happy, he toddled over to me, gave me a slobbery kiss and cooed as he chewed on the plastic.

Suddenly, we heard the garbage trucks coming down the street, as they do every day at around this time. I was busy amusing myself by looking at The Sartorialist's blog, when underneath the clatter of the garbage being dumped into the truck, there was silence.

The Chinese put little bracelets with bells on them on their babies' ankles, so they know where their children are; I have one that was given to us as a gift. But I don't need it. I know that when the Babe is silent, that I need to pay attention.

So even though I was totally submerged in what I was doing, I heard the quiet underneath the noise. I knew that I had to check to see where baby was.

For a moment, I couldn't find him. Then, through the white curtain, I saw the cute bug. He had climbed up the one step and was looking out the window, checking out what was going on in the street.



I guess he takes after his mother!

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Feeling Better

I think what was so difficult for me last week when I had my meltdown -- along with lack of sleep -- was that I felt alone. There is no reason for me to feel that way because I have a wonderful husband and terrific friends; but I did.

And then I posted on the blog, sent out some e-mails, and I was so supported by friends from all around the world. Thank you all for your kindness and thoughtfulness, and most importantly, for reminding me what kind of mother I am and want to be. Along the way, I had forgotten. I had forgotten to use sense of humor when the Babe was upset, as well as when I was upset. I had also forgotten to go into that deep place of love in my heart.

And all of this while the Babe was sick for the first time in his life.

I'm still a sleepless mom, but I'm back to my center, and so grateful for this beautiful child in our lives.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Sleepless Nights

It's 2:48 a.m. and in a four hour span, the Babe has woken up, cried and/or nursed three times in that time.

It's during these times that I am close to losing my mind. And I wonder, am I doing something wrong? All my friends who nurse and have their babies sleeping in the same room seem to wake up many times during the night. I hear them say things like, I wish I could have four consecutive hours of sleep or If she wakes up only four times in the night, then it's a good night.

Dr. Sears says that it's normal for a baby to wake up once or twice a night until the age of one. That would be heaven. Mine wakes up anywhere between five and ten times.

Sometimes it's hunger, sometimes it's the need for comfort, sometimes it's a street noise, then it's a nightmare, then it's the urine in the diaper. And on a bad night, it's my sanity.

Some people look at me with accusing eyes because for them it's simple: put the baby in another room and let him cry. He'll get over it in two days.

Is that really the only way?

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Walking Alone

My friend, Jai Hari from Los Angeles, wrote this comment and I find it so interesting that, with her permission, I am posting it in the main part of the blog:

I was once in a room where [healer] Guru Dev Singh said that learning to walk is one of the hardest things we will ever do in the human experience & that parents should never put their child into a "walker" or any type of training-wheels-for-learning-to-walk type vehicle during this critical developmental phase.

He said a child who learns to walk on his own without the aid of one of these gadgets is left with immense self esteem & the experience of serious self accomplishment which will serve & motivate him all of his life.

Monday, September 3, 2007

Lessons learned From the Babe



Sleep isn't always easy to come by when you have a baby; not for the little one and not for the Mommy one. And when we are tired and cranky, life just seems harder and more bleak.

But as soon as we are rested, what was challenging when we were tired, is now easy as peachy pie.