Mac's First Report Card

Mac has been going to school 2 days a week since September. Although we have to fight to get her to go in the morning, I think she likes it. There are many days that I go to get her when she doesn't want to leave. But even when she wants to stay at school, she usually runs up to me and yells "Mommy!" It's really the best feeling. She started out in the "twos" class, but moved up to "pre-K" in January. Her days consist of songs, circle time, religion, puzzles, story, play-dough, and the dreaded nap (from which she usually abstains -- big surprise). It's a great chance for her to socialize, although she has informed us that these kids don't share and have bad manners.

Today was her first parent teacher conference. I couldn't wait. I've been looking forward to it for two weeks. I got to meet with her teacher and hear about how she is doing in class, as well as look at her report card. I was happy to learn that she is progressing satisfactorally in all of the important skills. Yay! Although in the "I accept and respond to my teacher's authority" column, the teacher did add the word "eventually."

Mac really is an amazing little person. She is in the process of testing her boundaries something fierce right now. When I'm in the moment, it is really frustrating. But when I have time to reflect, I really am amazed by all that she can process and think and reason. She is so much of a little girl now that I have to remind myself constantly that she is still a baby, too.

Mac also hit another milestone this weekend - she threw up for the first time since she was a very little baby. It was super-gross. It started right after she went to bed on Saturday. We heard her crying so Tim went in to check on her. He called me in for help and it was all over her pillow. So my question was "What do we do?" Unforutunately, the answer was to clean it up. Three sets of sheets later, she was finally asleep. The next day she seemed fine for a while, but has been really tired ever since.

Tim started throwing up today.

I guess I know what I have to look forward to tomorrow.

Pass the Prunes, Please

As a parent, I've become obsessed with all bodily functions and fluids. Runny nose? I head right for the nasal aspirator and suck those boogies out! Poopy diaper? What does it look like? Too hard, too soft? Ear wax? Better get it out before it turns into an ear infection!

Okay, so that's kind of gross. But shamefully true. So when Oliver stopped pooping for a couple of days, I definitely noticed. We went through two cycles of no poop for a couple of days when I decided to call the doctor. Add two more days of waiting for the doctor to call back (until I realized I left my old phone number on the message) and the poor little man had some issues.

It turns out that constipation is a common condition with spina bifida. I felt so bad for not knowing! The SB nurse at CHOP told me to give him some prune juice, or maybe to even start him on baby food that could loosen him up. You didn't have to tell me twice -- I've been so anxious to start Oliver on baby food, but was waiting until 6 months. So I went right out to the store and got some baby prunes. Mac's firstfood was bananas. Delicious! Prunes? Um -- okay, I guess not so bad. Too bad that the story of his first food has to be linked with constipation. But he really seemed to enjoy them, and they've started to do their job. Going forward, I guess this is something he will have to have on a daily basis. I really do learn something new every day.

Sleeping Like a Baby

Sleeping in his "big boy" bed

Much to my dismay, we've moved Oliver out of the bassinet and into his crib. Once I read the weight limit and saw that he was 2.5 lbs. over it, it was a pretty simple decision. Mac didn't like the bassinet, so she was in the crib basically from the beginning. But Oliver loved his bassinet, and I loved having him near me. Now I can't lean over and check on him 100 times a night -- I actually have to get out of bed if I want to see him. And I have to get up to feed him instead of just reaching over. And now when he cries in the middle of the night, he is that much closer to Mac, thus increasing the odds of waking her up.

However, there is something satisfying about having him in his own room. His room had sort of turned into a big, messy "holding room" for all sorts of stuff. Now it is clean and orderly. It's also sort of neat that he has something of his own -- his own bed, in his own room, with his own toys in his own toybox (although, as Mac will confirm, nothing really belongs to him -- it is all hers). What is perhaps most satisfying is when I do my final walk down the hall before bed each night. I usually check in on Mac and then head to bed. But now I check Mac, then Oliver -- sort of like accounting for all my little ones. It makes me feel like a mother hen settling her chicks in for the night. It's hard to explain, but it's one of those intangible things that makes me feel like a mom.

Updates and Status Quo

So after driving down to CHOP on Wednesday and waiting for 2 hours, the doctor came in and told me that there is nothing that they can do about Oliver's braces -- we just have to wait until his feet get a little bigger and then everything will fit better. Until then I can just keep stretching so that they stay in their new position. While I never mind driving down, it is something that I feel they could have told me over the phone. On the plus side, I did get to finish my book on CD.

Life is otherwise pretty normal. My new schedule is pretty hectic, but I'm enjoying the teaching. I had my first class at Rutgers yesterday, and my second class at Kean. Both went well. Mac continues to test her boundaries in every way possible. Tim is starting the preparations for the tournament he is hosting in April -- he gets to co-host one once every two years, so this is a big deal. It takes a lot of work, but when it is done correctly, it also brings a lot of prestige.

Since I don't have much exciting news, I will at least share some cute pictures:

Spring Semester Begins

It had to happen sometime. My hiatus from teaching has come to an end. I've been spoiled by having the fall semester off. And now I'm teaching more than ever -- a class at Rutgers and at Kean. Today was my first day of class -- I only taught at Kean today. I took this job as an adjunct back in the fall in the hopes of securing a tenure-track position there should one open up. Now that I have a tenure-track position at Penn State, I don't really feel like hauling my butt all the way up to Kean two days a week. But the commute wasn't bad -- I got to listen to my book on CD the whole way up and back (a new David Baldacci, so the ride went really quickly). The most exciting part of the experience was learning that there is a coffee stand in the building that sells -- you guessed it -- Starbucks! It could have only been better if they took my Starbucks gift card. But it's nice to know that if I should get a craving, all I have to do is pop downstairs.

I was pleased to note that it wasn't too bad getting up in front of the class today. Dare I say that I am actually getting comfortable teaching? And getting everything ready over the last few days has me almost excited to start my Rutgers class on Thursday.

But enough about me. The kids are doing well. Oliver had a quick trip to the doctor today -- he had a swollen eye that turned out to be no big deal. Tomorrow we head down to CHOP (I knew we'd never make it all the way to 2/20 without going back) so that the doctor can look at his feet and tell me why the braces are rubbing. I've had him wearing them for only a few hours a day, and so far the redness hasn't come back. Hopefully the doctor can give me some answers so that Oliver can start wearing the braces all the time. Mac is, as always, a crazy little monkey.