A Girl Named PJ

snapshots from the weekend

June 18, 2012

I hope all the dads out there had a wonderful Father’s Day–especially all of the first-time daddies like JB! My family had an extra reason to celebrate this weekend because Saturday was my mom’s birthday, and my parents flew out to Omaha for a visit.

Friday evening, my mom, dad and I went to see “Rock of Ages” (JB stayed home to babysit and work on a paper for his Master’s degree). I was equally excited to try the theater’s Coca-Cola Freestyle machine and electronic Willy Wonka candy dispenser as I was to watch the movie. Here’s my quick review: Fun movie but a bit too long. Julianne Hough annoyed me, but the male lead (whoever he is) had a really nice voice. Not sure why Mary J. Blige was even in the movie (her character was not developed at all), and I could have gone without seeing Tom Cruise’s nipples every time he was on screen. But perhaps the highlight of the whole film for me was spotting Debbie Gibson in a cameo role towards the end!

Saturday, I attended a lovely baby shower packed with Pinterest-inspired details that I’ll share later this week. While I was out, my parents and JB took Levi to Gymboree. That evening we went to Mark’s in Dundee for my mom’s birthday dinner. Since I couldn’t find a babysitter (three people were unavailable!), we brought Levi with us, knowing that we’d be keeping him up an hour or so past his bedtime but hoping that he’d be cooperative.

He wasn’t.

I was sure we were going to have to leave even before our appetizers arrived because he just would stop screaming. Not crying, just screeching. The only thing that quieted him was feeding him, so he ate his Cheerios and Mum Mum crackers and then some of our bread. Finally we identified the cause of his frustration: A tiny white tooth was breaking through the surface! This bad mommy didn’t have any teething tablets or medication (again!), so we bought a shot of whiskey and tried rubbing it on his gums out of desperation.

Didn’t work.

The only way we were able to get through our meal was by taking turns walking around outside with Levi. Out of the restaurant, he was perfectly quiet! But when whoever was holding him returned, he was a noisy baby, once again. I felt so terrible for the diners trying to enjoy their meals at the surrounding tales, but our kind waiter told us that Levi wasn’t bothering anybody.

“What about all the people around us?” I asked.

“They’re not important,” he reassured me with a smile.

We arrived home nearly 1.5 hours past Levi’s bedtime, but it took him almost another 1.5 hours to fall asleep. He was overtired and just wouldn’t stop crying (real tears, this time), so the four of us took turns trying to rock him to sleep. But as soon as we attempted to transfer him to his crib, he would wake up and practically jump back into our arms. My poor baby just wanted to be held. JB wins “Daddy of the Year” for being the one to finally get him asleep.

Father’s Day started off a bit rocky but got better as the day went on. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Bailey’s before Levi’s (long) morning nap and spent some times walking around Village Pointe before his afternoon one (although he never actually fell asleep). In the evening, JB and my mom prepared a delicious Father’s Day feast for the four of us that included baby lamb chops, orzo and broccoli slaw. We polished off a bottle of wine as we chatted and laughed–the perfect way to end to a long but fun weekend with family.

Now, tell me about your weekend!

PS: Last chance to enter our Junior Jam giveaway! A winner will be chosen by random this afternoon.

a really difficult thursday + friday links

June 15, 2012

Yesterday was rough.

When Levi woke from his morning nap, we went on a lunch date to Whole Foods. Although he was being particularly noisy, he seemed to enjoy his macaroni and cheese and being out with mommy. Afterwards, we played at home until it was time for his afternoon nap. Because we had a cleaning lady working upstairs (our first time hiring a cleaning lady!) and I was afraid the vacuuming would wake up a sleeping baby, I moved Levi’s pack-n-play to the basement and tried to put him down in it.

Tried.

He started shrieking as soon as I turned off the lights. A panicked, bloodcurdling scream-cry. I left him alone for a few minutes to try to work it out himself, but he wasn’t showing signs of calming down. So I went in to check on him and he stopped crying as soon as picked him up…and then started up again when I put him back down. This happened several times before I decided to bring him upstairs to his room. Screw the vacuum. I thought being in his own crib would alleviate whatever was causing him such angst.

Nope.

We played the shrieking/pick-me-up game several more times before I just gave up. I couldn’t bear to listen to him scream any longer, and it was obvious that he didn’t want to nap. The ibuprofen I had given him to relieve his teething pain didn’t seem to be working, but it wasn’t medicine he wanted–it was me. As long as I was holding him, he was quiet.

Exhausted and feeling defeated, I cuddled Levi on my lap and turned on “Sesame Street.” Although I try to not be a “TV mom,” desperate times call for desperate measures. After 20 minutes of watching Elmo, Telly and some other blue monster turn themselves into shapes, Levi had calmed down enough that I could put him on the floor to play. He played bare-bottomed for a bit because he wouldn’t stay still for a diaper change, and I just couldn’t fight him any longer.

I handed Levi over to JB as soon as he walked through the door. Mama needed a break. The baby screamed and cried again when put him in his crib for night-night, but I was eventually able to rock him to sleep. And then it was my turn to cry.

It had been a long, long afternoon.

Here are some interesting links to take you into the weekend:

Colorful totes featuring Josef Frank patterns

Have you ever had a frozen cappuccino? It looks so interesting!

What a clever idea for a book

36 fun facts about the wardrobe from this season of “Mad Men”

A $12 (!) letterpress family tree print makes a lovely new baby gift

Reminder! Win a collection of kid-friendly CDs from an award-winning musical group.

I also write for Lifetime Moms:

10 Stylish One-Piece Swimsuits for the Pool

Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads out there, including JB and my own daddy!

7 Summer Shoes for Baby Boys

June 14, 2012

During the winter, Levi practically lived in his Robeez. Although they were slip-on shoes, he couldn’t pull them off like he did his socks. Now that we’re having 90-degree weather, Levi often goes barefoot, which is fine since he isn’t standing or walking yet.

If I remember to grab them from his drawer, I’ll slip on his Carter’s velcro fisherman sandals, which have received a surprising amount of compliments for being such inexpensive shoes. We have a pair of Boumy moccasins in his closet that are still too big, and I’ve got my eyes on a pair of Native sneakers that I hear are the next big thing in kids’ shoes.

Here are my summer shoe picks for infant boys (from top to bottom): Crocs Kids ‘Crocband II’ in Sea Blue/Lime; Vans Kids ‘Checkerboard’ Classic Slip-On; Native Kids Shoes ‘Miller’; Carter’s Fisherman Sandals Pre-Walker; Tiny TOMS Classics; Robeez ‘Touch & Feel’ Chameleon Slip-On; Boumy Moccasin in Sand.

Which do you like best?

giveaway: junior jam CD collection

June 13, 2012

A couple of months before Levi was born, my father flew out to keep me company for a week while JB was deployed. Over dinner one night, we chatted about what it might be like to raise a little boy. Our conversation ranged from sports to music, and I assuredly stated that no child of mine would grow up listening to Raffi. My son would listen to the same music as his parents, specifically, whatever played on the SiriusXM stations programmed in our cars. (For those of you who are curious, that would be On Broadway, AltNation and The Spectrum, among others.)

Naturally, my dad laughed in my face.

In the beginning, when Levi slept all day, it was easy to get away with playing the Jack Johnson station on Pandora, but as Levi became more alert and engaged, I realized that it was pretty hard to sing along to my favorite adult songs. Reluctantly, I popped in CDs gifted to me from moms who apparently knew better. Levi and I listened to musicians like the Laurie Berkner Band and Junior Jam, and I quickly understood why there is a kids music genre. These tunes were short, catchy and fun, and I could quickly memorize the lyrics and act out the songs to entertain Levi.

To celebrate Bunny & Dolly’s redesign, Junior Jam, one of Levi’s favorite bands, would like to offer one lucky reader their 4-CD collection! Even if you are hesitant like I was about kids’ music, I encourage you to enter anyway. I promise that you will enjoy their award-winning melodies!

How to enter:

Visit Junior Jam and leave a comment below!
For a second entry, “like” Bunny & Dolly on Facebook and leave a second comment.
For a third entry, “like” Junior Jam on Facebook and leave a third comment.

One winner will be chosen at random and announced on Monday, June 18th. Good luck!

postpartum hair loss + a new style

June 12, 2012

No matter how many pregnancy and parenting books you read, there are many things about being pregnant and becoming a mother that you can’t fully understand until they happen to you. You expect to gain weight over the course of nine months but are surprised by how frustrating it can feel as your clothing stretches tighter and tighter across your expanding belly. You acknowledge that it could take months or even years to get your pre-baby body back but are angry that your pooch hasn’t deflated yet. You know that some women experience postpartum hair loss but are devastated when it happens to you.

In the weeks following Levi’s birth, I started losing more and more hair in the shower. My long locks were falling out by the handful, and my post-shower hairballs were the size of small rodents. Although it was annoying and a bit disgusting (strands of wet hair gross me out), I was expecting some postpartum hair loss to happen. Friends had warned me about clogged shower drains. But what they hadn’t prepared me for were visible bald patches.

I can’t remember exactly when I first noticed that my hairline was no longer symmetrical, but it might have been when I was getting my hair teased into an updo for a friend’s wedding last October. I recall complaining to the stylist about how lately I had been losing larger clumps of hair than I did before I gave birth to Levi. He explained that hair loss near the hairline was very common in new mothers and pointed out that many celeb moms get bangs after having babies to conceal these unflattering bald patches.

Because I only had time to wash my hair every couple of days, I frequently wore oversize buns and ponytails. It wasn’t until I looked at photos of myself, including ones taken at that wedding in October, that I realized the severity of my postpartum hair loss. My awkwardly receding hairline was quite the eyesore, and I became very self-conscious of it.

My hair is naturally wavy and frizzy, so when tiny baby hairs began growing back in they were curly and kinky. If I used the flat iron on them they stuck straight out. I hated how I looked with my hair pulled back, but I didn’t have time to style it straight every day. You know how having a bad hair day can just ruin your whole day? Well, imagine how you’d feel after having a bad hair month…or year. I was embarrassed of my reflection in the mirror. Call me vain, but I felt ugly, and my self-esteem took a beating.

Taking a cue from celebrity moms, I finally booked an appointment to get bangs. And to make those bangs easier to style, I also decided to get a Brazilian Blowout. I had a Brazilian Blowout almost two years ago and wrote the experience on my old blog, Somewhere in Middle America. Looking back at that post, I had almost forgotten how much healthier and shinier my hair appeared after the treatment.

Above is the inspiration photo I brought to the salon this past Saturday. It was from an InStyle photo shoot of an actress named Bella Heathcote, and I was immediately drawn to her thick fringe and blunt ends. Although I wasn’t ready to lose a lot of length, I was over my long layers, which were originally cut so I could style my hair curly. My hair won’t air dry completely straight now that I’ve had the treatment, but it will be a lot smoother and require less effort to straighten.

Have a Brazilian Blowout and blunt bangs fixed all my problems? Of course not, but they did address my primary concern: the bald patches at my hairline. Now when I pull my hair back, they remain concealed under my new fringe. As a bonus, JB remarked on Sunday that I appeared to be standing taller and even seemed more confident. I haven’t styled my hair wavy yet (maybe today), and I’m eager to see how it turns out. I also have to get used to having bangs again; it’s been several years since I’ve last had fringe, and I keep wanting to push them aside rather than let them hang straight down. They also get greasier quicker than the rest of my hair, so I imagine I’ll need to wash them over the sink on the days I don’t shampoo and condition my whole head. But that’s a small annoyance to deal with for a hairstyle that not only looks good but also makes you feel better about yourself.

Have you had a similar experience with postpartum hair loss?

{Top photo taken in February; middle two photos taken in May; bottom photo taken on July 9, 2012}

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