on turning 30

It was my 30th birthday on the 25th, last Saturday. I meant to post this entry that day, but as you can tell, time flies with a baby. I also meant to write a post after our weekend in Wisconsin at the Grandparents house - in case you are curious, Marty and the other dogs took to Eddie just fine. They smelled him and licked him and were very respectful, especially when I was breastfeeding. It was funny, Marty actually sniffed my chest and after that it was as if she understood. And we had a lovely party at the Duchelle's house, which was essentially my second home growing up. They lived three houses down from our house and we spent many hours letting our imaginations blossom as we created worlds to explore in their basement.

Anyway, my birthday started out with my husband bringing me breakfast from our favorite coffee shop, Julius Meinhl. A croissant and the best yogurt parfait. Then he showered me with gifts and I was off to get a facial. In the afternoon we intended to go to Hot Doug's, a gourmet hot dog stand, since I haven't eaten a hot dog since before I was pregnant since its one of the things they steer you from because of the nitrites they contain - wait, I stand corrected, I did eat a hot dog last December when we were in Maine. I had to - it was Bolly's and they make the best hot dogs - can't wait to take little Eddie there next summer. But Hot Doug's was closed so we went for BBQ instead. And then Eddie gave me a cake signed "love, Eddie III and Eddie IV!" Celebrating a birthday with your baby is so much more meaningful than those days of partying and doing shots. You grow up watching your parents buy those cards for special occasions that say "from your son" or "from your daughter" and now it is your turn to do the same. Yes, I got two cards...one from each of my Eddies...so cool.

I know of many people whom have struggled with the implications of turning the big 30. Of the end of their 20's and a sense of youthful freedom. But I feel so fortunate today to be 30 and to truly have it all...because what is greater in life than creating life, creating a family? I have done and seen many things. I have jumped from an airplane at 13,000 feet. I have met famous people - President Clinton and Bono top the list. I have tasted victory - in the form of a dog-pile - and defeat. I have been to multiple continents. Mi ho trovato bene in un'altro paese. I have worked with and for inspiring individuals. I drank a Cheval Blanc at Cheval Blanc. And so I feel fulfilled, satiated with my first 30 years...but even more excited for the next.

Note, the above photo is a painting that Grandma Bonnie Clark did of me from a photograph my sister took of me while in my third trimester. To have inspired art makes me blush...I am honored.

officially chumbly

"Chumbly:" a term of endearment used to describe a baby who is chubby; used by Charlie and Eddie Washuk for their younger brother Joey. And now, yes, we use this word to describe Eddie IV. We have used it since his birth but the trip to the doctor on Monday confirmed that he is a big boy: 13 lbs. 1 oz., 23.5 inches long, which put him in the 90th percentile for weight and 75th for height. We were sort of surprised by him being only in the 75th percentile for height since he seems fairly long. Even breastfeeding is getting more challenging because his body stretches longer than the width of the chairs' seats so I have to angle him appropriately. Although we have been quite proud of Eddie's growth and size (and it is right on par with Daddy Eddie's - thanks Bonnie for keeping such good records!), the doctor seemed to indicate a slight concern in the comment she made to me following our review of his charts. She said, "have you used the bottle much?" and I responded that we had a couple times, and he takes it, but no, not much. And so she suggested that we use it more often. I was in a sort of frenzy, trying to soothe Eddie, keep him warm in his nakedness and trying to remember all the questions I had, which I did have written down but the notebook was in my purse across the room. Anyway, I was in a stupor and forgot to ask the simple question of "why?" So as I was driving home I was recapping the visit in my head and was perplexed at why she would have pushed the bottle on us...was it because she knows how tough it is for a woman to leave the house and get some free time when she is breastfeeding? doubtful. I think it was her way of indicating that we should somehow be regulating Eddie's consumption. But it pissed me off that she didn't just say that...that she didn't explain why she was telling me to use the bottle more. It is the only thing I can think of since it followed our discussion that he is in the 90th percentile for weight. I am very aware, because of my prior job with Organic School Project, of the growing obesity epidemic. The medical profession is monitoring and educating against obesity as early as the toddler years because they are seeing such a rapid increase of BMIs (body mass indexes) and its association with diseases like diabetes, heart attacks and even asthma. And I know that our doctor is heavily involved in Chicago in obesity research and prevention - that is one of the reasons I chose her. Regardless of her intentions of the bottle comment, what upsets me more (other than my own stupidity for not asking why) is that she did not explain to me in an educated way why she was recommending what she was...that she thinks it's okay to just prescribe or recommend something at face value and not explain why, is a major turn off to me, and enough to get me thinking about switching pediatricians.

The doctor's visit also marked Eddie's first set of vaccinations. I have opted, like many of my educated peers, to not follow the recommended CDC schedule which groups many of the vaccines together, and instead am following Dr. Sears alternate approach which means less shots at once but ultimately more visits to the doctor. You still get all the recommended immunizations, just not lumped together. So instead of going every two months to the doctor for shots, we have to go every month. But after talking to people and reading the materials I decided to do this for two reasons: 1) to accurately measure any adverse reactions that he may have; if you get the versions of the vaccines that are combined, and/or get multiple vaccinations at once, and your baby has a reaction, you have no idea which vaccine he reacted to; and 2) aluminium content. Aluminium is present in all vaccines as a preservative but has not been effectively studied to measure the levels of toxicity in infants; what has been studied, and what many parents are familiar with is mercury, and all of the vaccines we are getting are mercury-free. Also there was a now famous UK study on the association of the MMR vaccine and autism, related to the mercury levels. Aluminium present in the vaccines at the levels that it is has the potential to be just as toxic and harmful to the brain, and yet it has not been researched because if it was determined that there were any harmful effects, the pharmaceutical companies would have to re-manufacture their drugs yet again and that would cost millions of dollars...hence, it hasn't been researched...if you get my drift. Again the only draw back is it means more visits to the doctor, more co-pays and more pricks of the skin for little Eddie. But he handled the first one fine - he got the DTaP and an oral dose of the Rotavirus - and he did not have any reactions whatsoever.

I am a supporter of immunizations, I want to communicate that forthright. I recognize that they have led to the abomination of deadly illnesses like polio and smallpox. And I want to use this platform to also indicate my support of one of the newest vaccines they are providing to youth, the meningococcal vaccine (given around the age of 12). One of my closest friends in college, Jenica, died of meningococcal meningitis...she literally went from being a healthy college student drinking beers with her friends to critically ill in the O.R. in less than 24 hours by this bacteria that inflicts largely congregated areas (university campuses and military communes). In some carriers it appears like a minor cold, and in others, like Jenica, it takes over the entire bloodstream and limbic system thereby affecting a thin layer of fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It can be treated with heavy doses of antibiotics, but in Jenica's case they could not diagnose quick enough to save her. Jenica was a vivacious, social person who took very good care of herself and in many ways epitomized health and beauty. That a bacteria like this could take the life of someone like her, made me realize that these diseases are real and it can happen to anyone. So, I would encourage any parents with young kids to get this vaccine - I know Jenica's Mom would too.

2 months, peak of fussiness

Tomorrow marks your two month birthday! I am writing this entry a day early because we are going to Wisconsin tomorrow to spend the weekend with Nanny, Gramps and the dogs. We have been anxiously awaiting this weekend for awhile because we cannot wait for you to meet Marty (Mara), one of the 5 Springer Spaniels that my parents own, the one which will become ours as soon as we get you sleeping in your own bed. And so of course this week has not been the smoothest and countless things have emerged testing our ability as parents. A few days ago I noticed that you had what I would call an eye booger in your right eye, so I wiped it away. Within the next hour another one appeared and I noticed that your eyelashes were goopey. I read that it is common for infants to get blocked tear ducts and after talking to a couple friends and the ped. nurse it seems like this is what it is. So we are now massaging your tear ducts using warm compresses and wiping away the gunk with wash cloths. The eye got better within 12 hours, thankfully, and is not infected.

Then last night you had the worst night of sleeping ever. We put you down for an evening nap around 6 p.m., lasting just long enough for us to eat dinner together - note, this never happens because evenings is when little Eddie is fussiest so we take turns eating and holding him. Then we went to bed at 9 p.m. and you woke up at 10 p.m. not happy. Our usual methods of soothing you didn't work and Daddy Eddie was awakened from his slumber to help me try to console you, taking turns holding you and walking you throughout the house. At one point you were so wide awake starring at the shadows in our living room and getting so excited, kicking and wheelbarrowing your arms around. The rest of the time you just cried and cried. We didn't fall back asleep until around 2 a.m. I read in various books that colic and fussiness in the evenings peaks at 8 weeks and then tapers off after 12...looks like we have 4 more weeks of this.

Anyway, that being said, we are enjoying you more and more each day with your new skills and personality. Here is a quick monthly breakdown of developments:

physical: as stated in the last blog entry, you have tremendous gross motor skills - your legs are so strong that your position of choice now is assisted standing. When we assist you to sit up, you pull your head forward, though it sort of bobs into a downward facing position and so you stare at your feet in wonderment and drool all over yourself. Yes, your other major change is blowing bubbles and drooling.

language: your noises have officially turned into language. The "errs" and "ooohs" are mostly present in the mornings and while getting changed. You also get excited when we sing certain songs and seem to attempt to sing with us. We recently watched E.T. (they've been showing it on HBO lately) and we realized that sometimes you make "E.T." noises.

expressions: you are smiling more and more...too many times a day to count...every time you wake up from sleep and when we sing songs. It is hard to get good photos of it though because you smile mostly when we make eye contact and when the camera is in front of our faces you don't smile as easily.

personality: you have pulled a 180 on a changing table in terms of your temperament - used to abhor it, now love it and it is where we are sure to see your beautiful smile. The bath is still something you are tentative about, but that too is getting better and last time you hardly whimpered at all. You like commotion, whether it is the busy streets with trucks and fast cars, or rooms filled with people...it seems to intrigue and calm you in a way. But there is a very fine line as you can get overstimulated and uncomfortable - usually you will spit up, then cry. I have discovered this because you rarely spit up on Mom, only other people and it usually proceeds some fussiness. You are a Mama's boy, that's for sure.

books we've read: Giraffes Can't Dance (from our friend Emily and daughter Mia) and Green Eggs and Ham

toys we play with: still not into toys but recently have re-introduced what we call "Red Dog" which is a black and red dog that duels as a soft book filled with cute pictures of types of dogs. And introduced a hand puppet of a monkey/bear from Nanny. Yesterday we also introduced the blocks with the alphabet.

songs we sing: still the favorites are "Old McDonald" and "Wheels on the Bus." Daddy sings and plays music from Roger Miller - you like "Dang me" and "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Heard." On the changing table, Mommy sings "Hole in the Bucket" and you seem to like it. Daddy sings "Yes, we have no Bananas." Also just started singing "Ears Hang Low" and the "Alphabet Song"

8 weeks

Sorry it's been awhile since we've updated the blog. Lately Little Eddie has been developing his motor skills and it has seemed to interfere with his sleeping patterns, causing us to sleep less at night and play catch up during the day. Some nights he seems to awaken every two hours just to play - he kicks his legs hard and swings his arms about, almost punching his Dad in the face. His neck is definitely getting stronger as we can now hold him outward and he enjoys seeing familiar sights at new angles. His eye sight has improved tremendously - when I hand him off to someone else he follows me with his eyes for the next couple minutes until he is captivated by something else. His new favorite activity is standing - we hold him under his armpits and lift him up so that his legs are straight and feet are planted. He pushes hard with his legs and seems very comfortable on his two feet. He also is really lifting his head during tummy time, which is fun because he kicks his legs and moves his hands in a way that looks as if he is about to crawl away. Suddenly, within the last couple of days, he has been drooling excessively. I read that drooling is a sign of teething...but at 2 months old? It is a tad early. We go to the doctor next Monday, so I will ask.

This weekend was his first big social encounter - we went to Bryce and Hilary's house and there were probably 12 or 15 people there, of course all wanting to hold little Eddie. We were there from 1 to 7 p.m. and Eddie did not cry once. He was an angel. And then we went to bed at 8 and he slept until noon...obviously the day of partying tired him out.

pro photos

We got some professional photos taken a couple weeks ago. Check out the proofs at:
http://www.jookiephoto.com/Galleries/WASHUKJOED091908eddie/
Note that this link will only work for 1 week, ending Sunday Oct. 12th.

who does he look like?

A lot of people have asked us this question, so I decided to upload some photos of Eddie III and me as babies...you be the judge!

sweater weather

My favorite season is upon us: fall. As we walked the farmer's market last weekend it was evident: the summer berries have been replaced by autumn squashes. And when we took little Eddie for a walk on Sunday, he wore his first sweater. Other developments and "firsts" are happening too. Just like the weather, little Eddie is changing fast. He started smiling right around his 1 month birthday and now the smiles are becoming even more frequent - the biggest ones, which are accompanied often by an attempt to laugh, come in the morning after a good night's sleep or wildly enough, on the changing table - that which he used to abhor. His eyes are wide open now, taking in the world. Of course he loves to stare at faces but also out the window and at certain walls, in particular where there is contrast between the wall color and the white moldings. The other day he even smiled at the wall which made me think he is already conjuring up imaginary friends. He has discovered his hands more and is opening them from the previously constant clenched fist position. He is trying to suck his thumb and/or whole hand, and we hope he figures it out soon because it will help his ability to self-soothe especially when we try to get him to sleep on his own. Yes, he is still sleeping in our bed with us...he is a good cuddlier and keeps us warm through these cool days and nights. I sort of dread having to graduate him to his own crib in a couple months because it will be during the onset of winter and I could use the extra body heat to stay warm.

The other big first that occurred this week, actually last night to be exact, was his first time with a babysitter, and Eddie III's and my first night out, per se. We attended the fundraiser for Organic School Project, the non-profit I recently worked for. Aunt Evie babysat. I was sorta nervous only because the 6 to 8 p.m. time is little Eddie's fussiest time block of the day - which, by the way, is common for most babies because it is their way of decompressing after a day's worth of stimuli in order to ready them for a night's sleep (I'm now reading Dr. T. Berry Brazelton's "Touchpoints"). But for some reason he was sleepy as we left the house and my sister said he was in and out of sleep for the first hour and then she fed him the bottle and walked him...all went well and I don't think he deterred her from wanting to have kids. I have to admit that it is a very cool feeling to come home to your baby...to reunite and realize that he is your life and not going anywhere. Memories of being a young child and waiting for my parents to come home from going out flooded over me...how my sister and I used to sleep in my parent's bed and wait for them to come home, scratching backs and playing Pac-man with flashlights, and watching my mom put on her make-up and marveling at how beautiful she looked and then noticing that she still had her eye makeup on in the morning...curious to see down the line what memories little Eddie will have...