A Girl Named PJ

teething’s a bitch

May 29, 2012

As a mom (or dad), is there anything worse than seeing your child in pain but not being able to fix the problem?

Levi is teething, and hearing him scream for two hours at bedtime last night because he was so uncomfortable made my heart ache. Short of rubbing alcohol on his gums, JB and I tried everything we could think of to relieve his discomfort, but Levi was just inconsolable. We gave him ibuprofen, Hyland’s homeopathic oral gel, an ice cube wrapped up in a baby washcloth…nothing seemed to alleviate his pain. We were eventually able to rock him to sleep at 9pm (or perhaps all that screaming finally wore him out).

Levi has been showing signs of teething for the past two weeks, but last night’s crying episode was the worst so far (although today doesn’t seem to be shaping up to be much better). His screaming and extreme fussiness, plus my frustration and sadness over it, put a slight damper on the wonderful long weekend we spent as a family. We shopped, saw friends, swam at the pool and had a BBQ. But I hate, hate, hate not being able to make Levi feel better when he is hurting, and I have a feeling that what happened at bedtime will not be an isolated incident.

Tell me: How have you dealt with a teething infant?

{photo taken on Sunday, May 27th}

our fourth wedding anniversary + friday favorites

May 25, 2012

Today is our 4th wedding anniversary!

I remember the day we got married so vividly, yet so much has happened since 2008: We adopted Briscoe, our beloved pup. We bought a house on almost 1/2 acre of land. We made it through several deployments (including one that kept us apart for our third anniversary). And, of course, we had a baby!

The photograph above was taken during our first dance, one of my favorite moments of the entire evening. JB and I had taken a couple of private dance lessons in a girl’s living room, and she helped us choreograph a little routine to our song, “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol. The best part was when we twirled across the dance floor just as the music swelled. It was like something out of movie, and I just remember feeling so happy and energized as the band played our song.

Tonight we’ll be celebrating our special day in the Old Market. After enjoying a pre-dinner cocktail or two at one of the many bars, we’ll walk over to The Boiler Room to eat–yum! The Boiler Room is one of our go-to restaurants for special occasions (although we don’t head downtown very often anymore). I’m saving up my appetite so I can savor and enjoy tonight’s big meal. Hopefully we’ll remember to ask a waiter to take our photo!

Here are some of my favorite posts from around the web:

Sycamore Street Press has some new letterpress art prints for sale

Courtney’s must-have books for new moms (Happy 1st birthday, Lorelei!)

This survey says that SAHMs are less happy than employed moms

Is there a connection between Facebook and psychological disorders?

I feel the same way about most fashion blogs that Kim France feels about street style photography

The most thorough review of iPhone photography apps–I’ve bookmarked this page!

I also write for Lifetime Moms:

Is “Fifty Shades of Grey” Making You Depressed About Your Sex Life?

Enjoy the long weekend, friends!

{photo by Heather Waraksa}

the return of aunt flo

May 24, 2012

After 15 months of not seeing Flo, I recently got a visit from everybody’s “favorite” aunt. As an extra bonus, she brought with her wicked cramps. For the almost 20 years that Flo and I have been meeting, I’ve never had cramps before. Um, so painful!

Interestingly, when I mentioned this to a friend, she said that she also started getting cramps when her period returned after having a baby. Has this happen to anybody else? Do I need to start stocking my medicine cabinet with Midol?

PS: Although I wasn’t expecting to see Aunt Flo while I was still nursing Levi, I learned that it is completely normal to start menstruating while breastfeeding. Are you willing to share how long it took until you got your first period after having a baby?

{cabinet print by Edholm Ullenius}

planning levi’s first birthday party

May 23, 2012

Levi’s first birthday party will be held on July 22nd, two months from yesterday–so save the date and pass me some Xanax, please.

In addition to freaking out about my baby becoming a toddler, I’m starting to panic about the bash itself. Being active in the world of blogging, I come across a lot of at-home gatherings worthy of a Martha Stewart magazine spread. I’m equally inspired and intimidated by the over-saturation of creatively-themed birthday parties that I see online. From balloons, bunting and photo booths with props to Amy Atlas-inspired dessert tables, parents seem to be going all out for first birthday parties. The key is that these birthday bashes, however, is that they must appear low-key despite being packed with carefully thought out details.

Of course, there are plenty of children’s parties showcased on various blogs that don’t even pretend to be small affairs. I mean, is this 1960s Manhattan themed party not the most over-the-top kid’s party you ever seen? Even this cardboard box first birthday party is elaborately designed and decorated.

So I’m dealing with some ambivalence: On one hand, I find these picture-perfect parties to be excessive. Really, will a one year old remember that all of his buddies dressed up like circus animals or drank from mustache-embellished straws? Of course not. Most of these details are for the parents of the invited children to enjoy. On the other hand, I want to prove to myself (and my family and friends, I suppose) that I am capable of planning and hosting such an awe-inspiring bash. I want to look back at photos of Levi’s big day and think, “Wow, now that was quite a party!”

Deep down I know that it’s not the decorations or the food or the goodie bags that make a party a success. It’s being surrounded by the important people in your life that makes an event special. But, admittedly, I can be a little bit superficial (can’t we all?), and the perfectionist in me still wants it to be a magazine-worthy birthday bash.

Tell me, how big a bash was your little one’s first birthday party? Did you feel pressure to plan it a certain way?

{image sources: Hello! Lucky, On To Baby, Bower Power Blog}

father and child reunion

May 21, 2012

This past weekend was the best Levi and I have had in eight weeks. What made it so special? Levi’s daddy came home after being away for two months!

It was an emotional reunion, especially for JB. Although he’s seen recent photos and videos of Levi, he really wasn’t prepared for how much our little guy has grown in the time he was gone. Now, it’s hard for me to see the small changes since I spent every single day with him, but I do acknowledge that he feels heavier and has been quickly outgrowing clothing.

Levi has also mastered several skills since his daddy had last seen him (he was only 8 months old then!). JB is amazed at how well Levi crawls, sits up and feeds himself. He also can’t believe that Levi will have teeth and be able to pull himself up into a standing position any day now. Seriously. Where did our little baby go??

Saturday night we celebrated JB’s return home and the speedy sale of our friends’ house by going on a double date in Benson. We started with cocktails at Lot 2, a restaurant and wine bar. If you go, be sure to order an Onomoro — yes, that’s a scallion in my drink!

Then we feasted on tapas, paella and lots of delicious sangria at Espana. I can’t believe we’ve lived in Omaha for five years and had never been to Espana before. We definitely need to get out more often…

Sunday morning we walked through the Aksarben Farmer’s Market (Aksarben is Nebraska spelled backwards – clever, no?) and grabbed a quick lunch at Ponzu Sushi & Grill. In the photo above, I’m holding a package of Mum Mums in one hand and maneuvering chopsticks in the other. Am I a multitasking mom or what? After enjoying his jar of baby food, Levi tasted miso soup. He even ate the little tofu pieces that I don’t particularly care for and seemed to like them.

We capped off our reunion weekend with a homemade dinner (I prepared my new favorite recipe) and some Mad Men. Watching TV is so much more fun when you can cuddle up on the couch with somebody you love, isn’t it?

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, too! Can you believe that it’s almost Memorial Day weekend — and my 4th wedding anniversary!?