Archives for November 2011

mama’s new look

November 11, 2011

I’m not sure many people hope for their vision to change significantly enough that they require new glasses, but I had my fingers crossed for a new prescription at my recent eye doctor appointment. Why? I’ve been wearing my wire-rimmed Kate Spade “Dara” eyeglasses for almost three years, and I was ready for a change. Specifically, I wanted a pair of “nerd” glasses — you know, plastic-rimmed, slightly oversized, hipster-esque eyewear.

Just so my parents don’t freak, I should clarify that I still have 20-20 vision, but I wear glasses with slight magnification to make it easier to stare at the computer for eight hours at a time. And lucky for me — my doc made my Rx stronger! I raced home from his office and quickly logged on to Warby Parker‘s website to sign up for their free home try-on program. They have a fab set-up that allows to you “date” five pairs of glasses (according to Bows & Sparrows – love the analogy!) for five days before making a commitment. This is perfect scenario for someone like me who is chronically indecisive.

To assist me in my decision-making, I submit to you photos of me trying on my test glasses — Miles, Langston, Zagg, Finn and Colton. I think I have a fave, but I’m not ready to commit. Which do you like best? Cast your vote in the comments section below!

And so we’re all on the same page, I’m not being compensated in any way by Warby Parker. I’m just a regular ol’ groupie. They offer stylish and affordable Rx glasses, only $95 a pair. Considering my insurance does not cover prescription glasses, this is a big deal.

Ready, set, vote!

thumb-sucking gangsta

November 10, 2011

Look how gangsta my baby guy is–sucking his thumb while flashing his allegiance to the West Coast. Considering I grew up a commuter train-ride away from New York City, I would’ve pegged Levi for an East Coast kiddo. Guess he really enjoyed all that California sunshine two weeks ago!

Oh, and we’re sucking our thumbs now. Well, Levi is. Actually, he’s sucking his whole hand and anything else that comes close to his mouth. It’s pretty cute watching him try to find his fingers after he loses his pacifier. The other day he looped his thumb around the pacifier’s handle and then stuck it — not the pacifier! — back into his mouth. So silly!

Before he was born, JB and I debated the pros and cons of letting him use a pacifier vs. sucking his thumb. We didn’t want him to become dependent on a pacifier, but we knew we could eventually take it away from him. Breaking the thumb-sucking habit is apparently more challenging. Eventually we let him have a pacifier because it satisfied his desire to suck, and it did its job of helping to pacify him. As for the thumb-sucking, he found his fingers on his own, so I’m not really sure how to prevent it from happening!

What are your thoughts on pacifiers vs. thumb-sucking?

i don’t know how she does it

November 8, 2011

If you’ve been wondering why posting has been sporadic these past couple of weeks, it’s because I’ve had a limited amount of free time to blog (or do anything else). I hadn’t mentioned it when he left, but JB deployed in the beginning of October, temporarily leaving me a single mom. With a full-time job. And a 3-month-old. And three weekends in a row of previously arranged travel.

This deployment came as a surprise to us. Whereas we usually have months to plan for his departure, this time JB was only given two weeks notice…and I think I was in denial from the time we found out until the day he left. Every day without him here to help with Levi, the dog and the house or to offer moral and emotional support was exhausting. My days were busy, and I had virtually no time for myself.

Here’s what my schedule looked like: Baby woke up to eat around 1-2am and 4-5am and started his day between 6-7am. The nanny watched Levi while I worked from 8am-5pm. After she left, I played with him, tried to get him to take a brief nap, fed him and bathed him. My goal was to put him to bed by 7:30-8pm. After he fell asleep, I made myself dinner (usually something that required very minimal effort in the kitchen) and curled up on the sofa around 8:30pm to zone out in front of the TV. By 9:30-10pm I was a zombie and would crawl into bed without even washing my face.

However, we received a second surprise a few weeks into the deployment when we learned that JB would be coming home early–a full month early!– and our little family was reunited last Wednesday night. As challenging and frustrating and tiring as it was for me to take care of Levi alone, I feel guilty complaining because so many military moms are without their husbands for much, much longer. I could barely make it four weeks on my own; it felt as though we had been separated for three times as long. I honestly don’t know how other milspouses act as a single parent for months or even a year at a time.

{photos of JB and Levi taken this past week}

a very special halloween treat

November 1, 2011

In the spirit of Halloween, Levi treated me to extra sleep last night! He ate at 8pm before going to bed and didn’t wake to eat until 2am. He began fussing again around 6:20am, but I put his pacifier back in his mouth and patted his side until he calmed down. Then I crept back into bed thinking I’d have about 10 minutes of quiet time before I was forced to start my day. The next thing I knew, it was 7:30am, and Levi was officially ready to wake up!

Here’s hoping this is the start of new and improved sleeping habits and not just a one-time trick.