A Girl Named PJ

Toddler teething: Round 2

October 3, 2012

Four months after getting his bottom two teeth, Levi is finally, finally teething again.

The top two middle ones are breaking through his swollen gums, and while we’re thrilled that he’s cutting more teeth (more teeth = easier to chew), it pains me to know that he’s hurting. Infant ibuprofen seems to temporarily take the edge off, but Levi has been acting irritable and fussy for most of the past several days.

At least he’s starting to regain his appetite. Last week he was on a hunger strike, and there are few things more frustrating to a (Jewish) mom than her child not eating.

To placate my sad teething toddler, I’ve been letting Levi suck on his pacifier throughout the day instead of only at naps and bedtime. Snacking on crunchy Fiddlesticks also seems to help, but I’m not sure if it’s because they are massaging his gums or just distracting him. In a moment of desperation yesterday I bought a teether feeder like this one at Babies R Us that came with a soft terry cloth bag instead of a mesh one. I’ll let you know if it helps ease Levi’s teething pain.

Levi is somewhat of a late bloomer; most of his same-age friends already have a small mouthful of teeth. Tell me, what was your baby’s teething timeline?

Thank you, Steve Jobs

October 2, 2012

After Levi went to bed Saturday night, JB and I spent spent an hour chatting and laughing with my parents, sister and brother-in-law. Only we were on the couch in our house in Omaha, and they were sitting around the kitchen table in New Jersey. Using FaceTime to connect, it really felt like we were all hanging out in the same room.

Thank you, Apple, for inventing FaceTime.

Do you FaceTime with faraway friends and family? How about Skype? I’m really trying to make an effort to video chat more frequently. It’s such an easy way to feel connected to the people you love when you live thousand of miles apart.

I still remember visiting Epcot in the late 80s and being mesmerized by the idea that in the future there will be “picturephones” and “videophones” that let you see the person on the other end of the line. I think that was part of the Spaceship Earth attraction. Isn’t it crazy that that future is now?

PS: Here’s a short clip from a 1955 documentary about technology in the future:

The Future is Now (1955) by donaldtheduckie

{advertisement via Paleofuture}

Don’t let your toddler play with an empty tissue box before doing this first…

October 1, 2012

Levi loves playing with empty tissue boxes. He enjoys stashing his toys and pacifiers inside of the boxes and gets a thrill out of retrieving them.

Yesterday I sat Levi in his crib with an empty tissue box, some plush blocks and a few books while I got dressed. When I went back into his room, I found him with a piece of saliva-covered plastic hanging out of his mouth, and there were other bits strewn across his mattress.

I quickly realized that I had neglected to remove the plastic lining from underneath the top of the tissue box, so, naturally, Levi discovered it, tore it off and tried to eat it. Now here’s the honest truth: I hadn’t even thought to remove the plastic film from inside the tissue box. I feel so foolish admitting that to you.

Before anybody panics (I’m talking to you, grandparents), I want to stress that Levi was not coughing or choking on the plastic film. I had the monitor on and would have heard him gagging. But he could have choked on the plastic pieces, which is why I’m suffering from an extreme case of mommy guilt–and why I want to share my stupid mistake with you.

So consider this a Bunny & Dolly PSA…

If you let your toddler play with empty tissues boxes, don’t forget to remove every last piece of plastic lining from it first.

{my Instagram photos taken in September 2012}

Mixed up on a Monday

September 24, 2012

This post is a pretty accurate representation of how I’ve been feeling lately — mixed up and kind of all over the place. My mind races with ideas, none of which I think are any good. I’m so caught up in my head that I feel uninspired, and this lack of inspiration or creativity has been making blogging a challenge.

Confession: I’m kind of getting bored writing all the time about motherhood.

To make matters worse, I’ve also been feeling uninspired as a mom. Levi has been taking fewer and shorter naps, which means I need to find more ways to entertain him during the day. (We can only browse Target or run to Costco so many times in a week.) If I were more creative I would come up with art projects and games to occupy our time, but I’m feeling totally clueless about what to do with a 14-month-old boy. And anyway, he’s not walking yet, so our options seem a bit limited.

I believe they call this the doldrums.

Despite experiencing the doldrums, there have been moments of sweet happiness and joy. Like this weekend, when we popped by the Henry Doorly Zoo for an hour and checked out the aquarium for the first time. Levi loved watching the penguins swimming and goofing around. Or when my little guy messily spread refried beans all over his place mat at Rivera’s, our favorite Mexican restaurant, and then put his face on the table to lick them up. Serious cuteness.

I was going to end this post with a list on links to other interesting articles, but I think I’ll just share an assortment of photos from my iPhone instead. Randomness.

PS: I welcome your advice, opinions or words of encouragement on how to beat the doldrum and on what I should be doing with my life. (No biggie.)

Mom uniform: colored skinny jeans

September 20, 2012

Chasing after a toddler all day, I’m most comfortable wearing a pair of jeans, but I still like my “mom uniform” to look current and stylish. That’s why I’m loving the colored skinny jean trend this fall. In an unexpected hue like teal or plum, they can add a bit of whimsy to an otherwise simple (ahem, boring) outfit, and their slim silhouette is effortlessly chic.

I recently tried on a pair of great-fitting colored jeans at one of my favorite stores but couldn’t justify spending way over $100 on them. What if they’re no longer in style next year? Heck, what if they’re not in style next season?

Luckily, there are affordable options out there, including Old Navy Rockstar Jeans. I was actually slightly overwhelmed when I first saw Old Navy’s in-store display of their Rockstar skinny jeans. They must have had at least twenty colors from which to choose, and some were even offered as cords.

Here’s how I’d wear colored skinny jeans:

During the day, I’d pair them with a short-sleeved or long-sleeved t-shirt in a stripe or polka dot print, my two favorite patterns. (Since I spend my waking hours with a messy 14 month old, my only requirement is that my top must be machine washable.) I’ve been into ankle-length jeans lately; I love how they look with ballet flats or loafers.

At night, if JB and I could ever find a babysitter and have a proper date, I’d swap my cotton shirt for something a bit more flowy and drapey. I don’t ever wear super high heels because I’m already 5′ 8″ tall, but I’d trade in my flats for something a little bit sexier.

So what do you think? Will you try colored skinny jeans this fall?

PS: And if you think only certain body types can wear skinny jeans, check out this video.

{top image: Old Navy, bottom images: 1, 2}

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.