Birthmark

I don't know if I've mentioned it here, probably not because it is not on my mind much, but the Critter Girl has a birthmark on her back. It is about dime-nickel sized, a cafe au lait mark with 3 small freckles inside it. It has not changed since she was born, which I know because every time she has a bath, I check it and say, "Looks the same!"

Her pediatrician sent us to see a pediatric dermatologist 6 months ago, because I guess there can be a higher rate of malignancy in these kind of birthmarks. Maybe. So the derm she said she wanted to see us in 6 months to re-evaluate. Which happened this week.

The Critter (who now weighs in at 17 lbs 3 oz!!) was all smiles for everyone, so charming that girl. The derm looked at the mark, and said she really didn't think it was the kind that will become cancerous, but for cosmetic reasons she recommended we remove it. She said that it will likely grow with the Critter, so it will be in the same proportion on her back as it is now, as opposed to staying its current size as her back gets bigger. She said it will likely get more freckles, and could become "velvety" and possibly sprout hairs. She said it is best to do this kind of surgery between 6-12 months, when the babies are still somewhat immobile and their skin is very pliable and heals well. It would be done under general anesthesia, although she would not be intubated, it sounds more like the twilight sedation, like in an egg retrieval.

She left it up to us to make the decision of removal or not. She, of course, wanted us to do it.

I should also note that I have a birthmark, a prominent one. I have a port wine stain on my forehead, above my right eye, into my hairline. There was no treatment for post wine stains when I was growing up, so my mom kept me in bangs my entire childhood, but also told me it was no big deal. Which I still fully believe to this day. I don't wear bangs anymore, and frequently wear my hair back in a tight ponytail, birthtmark in plain sight. I honestly forget it is there most of the time. Sure, I could have it lasered off now, but my response to that is "Why?" I sort of like it, it makes me me.

The day after the derm appointment, Mr. P and I talked about what to do. We are both leaning towards not removing the Critter's mark. We are both scared to put her under sedation of general anesthesia for basically a cosmetic procedure. And as Mr. P said, "We can raise her to be a confident girl, and let her make her own decision about it when she gets older." I agreed. But kids can be cruel, and I don't want her being teased or feeling bad about something we could have removed.

Do you think we made the right choice? What say you, oh wise interwebbies?

Good weather is good

We have had a nice stretch of good weather around here this week. It has been so nice to be outside, and outside we've been.

The Critter now likes the swings, and the playground is now a favorite place. Watching big kids AND swinging on the swing? Done and done, says the Critter Girl. Her two favorite things to do.

So not much to report here - we've just been enjoying the last days of summer.

I have met another mom and her daughter, who is about 7 weeks younger than Critter girl. We have a playdate for today, and I'm happy to have found someone close by to do things with. It will be even better when the weather turns cold, and we can easily get to each other's homes to break the monotony of the indoor winters. I met her through an online "Meetup" group. Good resource for those of you looking to meet other moms. I also did a New Moms coffee at a local bakery, which was nice, but didn't result in any real connections. Oh well, it was nice to get out of the house. So we are doing a bit better on the meeting-moms front. Still not an easy thing, and it takes effort (at least for somewhat introverted me), but worth it I think.

I am also planning a weekend away in November, to visit a friend on the West Coast. Almost 3 whole days on my own, no Critter, no Mr. P (who will stay home with the Critter). I have to say, I'm looking forward to a little independence, a little me time. It gives me something to look forward to, as the days grow darker and the weather gets colder this fall.

Hope everyone has a good weekend, and you East Coasters survive Irene unscathed, if not a bit wet.

#2?

I've begun thinking about number 2. No, not poo. Although that is always a popular topic around here, the Critter's bowel functioning. No, I mean making the Critter Girl a big sister.

Honestly, it has been on my mind since AF showed up again, although we all know that she has nothing at all to do with getting a number 2. Harharhar.

As you may recall (what? you don't know all my reproductive stats off the top of your head? shame...) we have 3 more frozen euploid embabies waiting for us at the far away clinic. I know we want at least 2...so that's as far as we've thought about the remaining three. First things first, right?

So...when to transfer again? I waiver back and forth on this. And let me preface this whole thought process by saying I am in complete denial of the possibility that a FET won't work. It will work. On the first try. Yeah, yeah, I know. Just humor me.

In some ways I want to transfer around the Critter's first birthday, so they'd be 18-ish months apart. But then I think why rush? Wouldn't it be better for the Critter to be a bit older? Able to talk better, to go to preschool? More like 24-28 months apart?

It's like this - do I just suck it up now and get this whole thing (injections, transfer, pregnancy) over with sooner than later? Does it matter that much anymore that I'm getting older? I turn 39 in Feb 2012...does this matter anymore? Those blasts were made with 36 year old eggs, that's not changing. I guess it matters to my energy level, but will 6 or 9 months make a real difference?

And if we do want more than 2...should I go quicker now? Should that matter in planning number 2, thinking about a maybe number 3?

So many questions...a lot of uncertainty. What say you, wise interwebbies? I'd love to hear your thoughts on spacing, on planning number 2.

Corn and Cantaloupe

We are getting back on our routine, and it feels good. No doubt about it, I like my routines. And so does the Critter Girl. We are back on middle-of-the-country time, and sleep returned to normal last night. First night sleeping through the night in over a week, for all of us. I feel great! (I'm sure I just jinxed myself, what with the teething stuff going on, but hey, celebrate the sleep when it comes, right?)

Over the weekend Back East, the Critter had corn for the first time. Yummy, sweet, in-season-perfection corn. It was just boiled up - leftovers from our dinner - and wizzed in the food processor with some unsalted butter. I didn't even bother to strain it, she is getting better with chunkier textures so why bother? Fiber is good for her too.

Anyway, she LOVED it. Gobbled that up like nobody's business.

And then she pooped. Lots of poop, clean-out-the-innards sort of poop. Corn does its job with gusto.

Today she is going to try cantaloupe for the first time. It is also super-sweet in-season yummy, so I'm sure it will go over well. Just a chunky puree in the processor. Dessert after her oatmeal this morning.

Success!

We're back!

We had a successful trip Back East, and a successful first plane trip for the Critter. She did surprising well, especially the first leg. She was all smiles for everyone she saw, and happily drank her bottle for takeoff, played a bit then fell asleep til after we landed. Perfect. A flight attendant remarked as we got off the plane, "I didn't even realize there was a baby on this flight!" Best compliment ever.

The way back was a bit more dicey, because the Critter was not very well rested going into it. My dad only has a port-a-crib for her, which I don't think is very comfy and is not large enough for quality rolling around (as the Critter is wont to do these days), so she did not sleep very well there. She was still pretty good on the flight, ate her bottle and played a bit, but was fussy for the last 30 minutes. Of course the second we hit the tarmac, she fell asleep for the whole baggage claim, ride home part of the trip.

I was exhausted by the whole logistical feat that is traveling with a baby. The infrastructure is just huge, and it was a lot to keep track of. Bottles, bottle washing stuff, spoons, food, cereal, chew toys, regular toys, books, clothes, sleep sacks, white noise machine, ipod and travel speakers, diapers and all that comes with butt care, pacifiers...it is a lot. Whew.

But we survived. And my family behaved themselves pretty well, so at least I had minimal stress from them. Mr. P totally rose to the challenge of traveling with Critter, he was really awesome. We felt like a tag-team, ready to jump in when the other needed it. It really felt good to be on top of things like we were.

So all in all, successful first plane trip. Not that we are eager to jump back on a plane, but it is nice to know we could if we had to. Just not too soon, ok? I need a nap (or 20) first.

7 months

***We leave very early in the AM tomorrow to head Back East to see my family. Wish us luck, but know if you leave a comment (and I really hope you do! I love comments!!) I might not get chance to approve them until we are back next week.***


Wow Critter Girl, you are already 7 months old. And today, on your 7-month birthday, you will take your first plane ride. I hope you like it!

This month you got your first teeth! Finally! I feel like every month for the past several I've written about these teeth-to-be, and now they are here! You have 2 little bottom middle teeth poking out of your gums. They are slow-growing (it seems that way to Mommy at least) but fully broken through. They came as a pair, which sort of surprised me, I thought they would come one at a time. They are super-cute on you in your less-gummy smile.

And you can sit up by yourself now. You love to sit and grab on to every toy you can reach. Then throw it down to pick up another one. Or put it in your mouth, then throw it down to get another. I think you like the new, higher vantage point, you can survey your domain, your kingdom (aka your playmat). You can now take a bath in the regular tub, sitting up like a big girl.

You found the volume switch on your voice this month, and ooooh boy! You love to be loud. You will scream/yell then laugh. You think it is so funny to be loud and watch people's expressions when you split their eardrums. Secretly, Mommy thinks its funny too. You've also begun the first babbles, ya-ya-ya-ya and ha-ha-ha-ha (which is priceless, you sound like you've just hatched an evil plan and it amuses you) are the ones now. You've also said pa but not strung together in babble form. soon, I'm sure.

You can grab onto me now, so when we are walking you are like a little monkey, straddling my waist and grabbing my arms and shoulders. It is very sweet. And the hugs and slobbery open-mouthed kisses, well we all know how much I love those.

Happy 7-month birthday, my sweet Critter Girl. I love you more than these words can say.

The stomach

The Critter Girl has a love-hate relationship with her stomach. Not her internal, digestive stomach, but her outside, lying-on-it, tummy-time stomach.

While she started out loving tummy time, she grew to hate it at about 4-ish months. Right around the time she rolled over for the first few times. You'd think, great, she can now roll over, so problem of hating being on your stomach is solved, right?

Wrong. So very very wrong.

Critter, after maybe 5-6 successful flipping over from her tummy episodes, went on strike. She would no longer turn over, preferring to lying there and cry bloody murder. She would wait it out crying until someone (read: me) would flip her over. No fun for anyone.

At 6-ish months, she just started rolling both ways, as if we had not just lived through the last 2 months of tummy torture. I swear she said to me, "It soooo not a big deal, Mom. Geez, let it go!" when I stared in amazement at her rolling off her tummy without tears. She may have rolled her eyes at me too.

Which brings us to now. Her latest thing is rolling in her crib. But when she ends up on her tummy, she will often start the crying thing again. Like she is stuck, like she can't roll over, like she did not put herself in that position herself (we always put her on her back to sleep, like the Sleep Sack tells me to do). This can happen in the middle of the night sometimes, which sucks.

But now, sometimes, after the crying, or after I go in there and turn her over, now she will turn herself right back on her tummy and fall asleep. WTF, Critter? Is it torture or is it cozy?

Apparently to her, her stomach is both. See, love-hate. Sigh...is this just a preview of the teenage years? We may be in trouble.

Travels and zucchini

I'm still in swoon-over-Critter mode over here. She is just super-cute and fun these days. She has two small bottom teeth, and I think she is chewing away to get one of those top ones moving. I can't be sure though, as the Critter does not let me see her top gum line willingly. I catch glimpses when she laughs or smiles, but she is coy with that upper gumline. And her other new thing is she loves to scream/screech as loud as she can - it is like she discovered she can control the volume of her voice. And loud is fun.

I think the ear-piercingly-loud screeching practice is in preparation for her first plane ride, which will be next week. We are going Back East to see my family for 5 days. The Critter's first plane ride...I have to admit, I'm a bit scared. Mr. P says it will be karmic payback for him - as he is well known to get very aggravated and annoyed by travelling families. He is one of those business travelers that are all business, and get annoyed when others slow him down.

All I can say is, "Welcome to your new life, buddy!" He is preparing to buy drinks for everyone on the plane.

Anyone have any words of wisdom they've heard/done/read about travelling with young kids? I'll take anything I can get. We did buy her her own seat (ouch, in the wallet) so she'll be travelling in her carseat.

And on other topics - Zucchini! I sauteed up some zucchini coins in butter til they got GBD (golden, brown, delicious) and soft, then into the processor. I did them a little more chunky this time, just to see how she'd fare. She liked the zucchini, but the larger chunks she did not like. Which is ok, I'll stick to the more pureed stuff for a while longer. I never did those green beans from last week, we ended up eating them ourselves in a stir-fry. Sorry, Critter. Maybe next time.