Ozmo Blogzmo

Calvin Snacks with Bop-Bop

2010-11-08T21:06:00.000-08:00

So Calvin has been very aware of photos and pictures around the house lately, which is pretty fun. The other day, I set him up with a little entourage to provide some company while snacking on some goldfish.

Among other things, I really dig the way he says, "Niiiiiiice."

2010-02-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

Calvin and Michaela are in the middle of a trip to Tucson, where Coco and Skipper are very patiently helping us get this "walking" thing down....

Also, there are some photos available for viewing at Snapfish.

Seriously? For a one-year-old?

2010-01-19T12:00:00.000-08:00

There is a birthday party in the works. A birthday party! For Calvin! Who is turning one and, as such, will have no memory whatsoever of the festivities. And yet, we march onward, locating a Chicago Park District space, ordering cake, procuring a Wiggleworms teacher to lead a class. It all seems rather ridiculous, on the surface.

And yet... if it will make him as happy as his first Christmas and Hanukkah did, I kind of don't really give a damn if he remembers it or not. (More photos at Snapfish.)

Firsts

2009-12-09T11:02:00.000-08:00

There is much ado made, and rightly so, about a child's firsts - first tooth, first step, first word, all that good stuff. And while I totally respect that, I think people don't talk enough about the negative firsts. There is a palpable sense of relief that comes with living through them - first illness, first head bonk, first fall - and knowing that you can deal with whatever they dish up.

So today? First choking. Calvin is super into eating, and finding new and exciting finger foods for him has been something of a challenge. While I make most of his food myself, I recently decided to branch out into the pre-made stuff to make the quest for finger food a little easier, which is why I picked up the Wagon Wheels.

I wasn't sure about them. They're definitely a little big... but given how much he seems to enjoy biting Cheerios in half, crunching down those tiny top teeth against those tiny bottom teeth, I figured it was worth a try - maybe he'd be able to do some good biting with them.

And then - the typical story - I turned my attention away for a few seconds to talk to Marc as he came out of the bedroom. And when I turned back, Calvin's eyes were big and filling with tears, his mouth wide open.

The infant CPR class we took certainly flashed through my mind, but the thought of pulling off the high chair tray, unclipping him, pulling him out of the chair, turning him over on my knee, and then smacking his back to remove the offending Wagon Wheel? That was all dismissed in a split second as I grabbed his cheeks with my left hand and went digging with my right index finger, reaching in and pulling all the food out of his mouth and throat.

It was silent for a second, and then Calvin started to scream. Marc pulled him out of the chair, I went to wash my hands, and five minutes later, all was right with the world again as Calvin resumed his lunch (sans Wagon Wheels, clearly). And now I've been through that first. And I know I can handle it.

So. That said, I know we're also well overdue for an update. On the list of good firsts? First road trip, which Calvin experienced over three weeks in October-November. Photos, as always, at Snapfish.

Calvin, Prankster

2009-09-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

He may have figured out that if he drops things, we catch them. Or try to. Or say "whoa!" However it works, it gets a laugh.

6-month Pediatrician Visit

2009-08-13T07:54:00.001-07:00

Not having internet at home makes things difficult. Amazing to think that, just six years ago, I lived my online life using the U of C dial-up connection. It was slow, but I just dealt with it. Can't even fathom that now.

Anyway, there's my excuse for the lack of updates. Many photos are overdue, including the fabulous ones that Ethan shared from Calvin's baptism. Will have to wait, though, as we are off to the Wisconsin wilderness for several days.

In the short term, though - as the post title implies, Calvin had his 6-month pediatrician visit last week, where we were assured that he is, in all ways, normal. And told that yes, he may well spit up more than other babies... but no, there is nothing to be done about it. He'll probably get over it by the time he's a year old. So continuing to dress in old t-shirts it is!

Length: 26-3/4 inches (50th-75th percentile)
Weight: 16 pounds 12 ounces (25th-50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 43 centimeters (25th percentile)

Got His Mom's Appetite, Apparently

2009-06-24T15:11:00.000-07:00

Our baby books say infants can start on solids any time between 4 and 6 months, but that the American Association of Pediatrics recommends waiting til 6 months, and if you start at 4, it's really not going to add anything to baby's diet because he/she will just spit it all out and not have the control necessary to swallow, yadda yadda yadda.

Then we went to the pediatrician who said, among other things, that if Calvin seemed interested in the food we were eating, he's probably ready to start solids.

Whenever he watches us eat a meal, it's like he's staring into our souls, he watches so intently. So we figured it was time.

Here he is getting ready to eat his first rice cereal meal:

And here he is after:

Anyway, we have since moved on to bananas and sweet potatoes, and he has loved both, to the extent that he cried angrily when there were no sweet potatoes left. Tomorrow: zucchini!

Many more photos available at Snapfish, documenting other firsts, including meeting the senior Murphys and taking a trip to Hyde Park.

Big Day!

2009-05-31T09:55:00.000-07:00

We have attained rolling! The baby has successfully rolled from his tummy to his back THREE TIMES. And then promptly looked at us, each time, in confusion as he seemingly tried to figure out what we were so excited about.

Good job, Calvin!

Pediatrician Report

2009-05-28T17:37:00.000-07:00

The little sir is healthy, hale, and hearty, and seems to be sleeping, eating, and leveraging tummy time like a 4-month-old should. He once again handled vaccinations (two shots this time) with aplomb. Also, the doctor commented on both his eyelashes and calm demeanor. But who wouldn't be impressed by such things?

Length: 25.5 inches (75th percentile)
Weight: 15 pounds 3 ounces (just above 50th percentile)
Head Circumference: 42 centimeters (50th percentile)

Almost 4 Months

2009-05-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

There's so much to say, and yet so little. Every day is a challenge, an adventure, and yet objectively, it all seems so banal - things that have been occurring since the beginning of time. But they haven't been occurring to Calvin since the beginning of time.

Of late, his favorite thing is the monkey that came with his activity gym. We have named him Gallopin, and we like to make him speak to Calvin in a French accent (all monkeys are French, you didn't know that?). His eyes light up when he sees it, and he will reach up to pull it down from its perch, and hang onto it for several minutes, turning it over and over, feeling it with his tiny little hands. It still amazes me every day.

4-month pediatrician appointment on Thursday, will report back then! In the meantime, fun with photos... these and more at Snapfish.

One Photo!

2009-04-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

I just really like this one...

New Photos!

2009-04-23T09:23:00.001-07:00

Not much time to share anything else - but new photos are at Snapfish....

Progress!

2009-04-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

Floyd has been, thus far, not entirely pleased with having this tiny interloper in his house. Not that I can blame him - he's pretty much been the crown prince around here for five years.

Thankfully, of course, he is a gentle soul, and his displeasure has not been expressed with hostility towards Calvin - rather, he's pretty much chosen to refuse to acknowledge his existence, actively removing himself from situations in which Calvin interrupts whatever activity he's partaking in (sleeping, for the most part). He lets us know that he's upset by demanding playtime or cuddle time at irritatingly inopportune moments (generally when we're feeding Calvin or trying to coax him to sleep).

However! Progress! Marc and Calvin were hanging out in the living room a day or two ago when Floyd, all on his own, decided to grace them with his presence. Woo-hoo! Some photos below... as always, these and more are at Snapfish.

Two Months!

2009-03-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Calvin had his two-month visit to the pediatrician yesterday. I have to say, the administration of shots was not quite as traumatizing as I'd feared - primarily because he was easily distracted pretty quickly, so we only had to endure about 30 seconds of crying and screaming.

The worst part, though, was definitely the moment right after the nurse administered that first shot - he was cooing and smiling and flirting, and then the needle went into his chubby little thigh. There was another second of flirting - and then a moment when you could see the pain register on his little face - and then a red-faced scream the likes of which we hadn't seen since he was first born. Poor little man!

As I said, though, we managed to get him calmed down pretty quickly, and he doesn't seem to be having any reactions after the fact... apparently some babies are extra fussy for 24 hours afterwards. Given that he was being extra fussy for the 48 hours prior to the appointment, though, we probably wouldn't have known the difference.

As for his two month vital stats:
Length: 23.75 inches, 75th percentile
Weight: 11 pounds 9 ounces, 50th percentile
Head circumference: 39.6 centimeters, 50th percentile

Happy two months, Calvin!

Random Thoughts

2009-03-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

It's amazing watching Calvin take everything in - as his little eyes focus on new and different objects, I can't even imagine what it is like to experience all these things for the first time.

I find myself wondering what it will be like for him when he starts becoming more self-aware. My first thought was that he might be surprised not to have glasses - after all, the two big people he sees every day both have plastic lenses over their eyes, why shouldn't he?

But then it occurred to me that there's no reason he should necessarily identify with us - after all, we are many, many times larger than he is, and there's someone else here who's just his size.

So now I think he's going to be surprised when he doesn't turn out to be orange and furry.

Calvin at 1 Day Old

2009-03-02T13:09:00.000-08:00

So a very clever photography studio, Bella Baby, entered into an agreement with Prentice to have roving photographers take photos of newborns. And then suckers like me and Marc purchase photo packages - in our case, a package that allows us to reproduce said photos in any way we see fit. Woo! Full set at Snapfish.

Monstro Hands!

Obligatory Family Portrait

Four Weeks Old

2009-02-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

The time, it flies. It feels both incredibly recent and incredibly long ago that we were in the hospital preparing to induce labor.

Of course, the good news is, he gets a one-month birthday on Saturday. Had he been born a day later, we'd have been forced to forgo it.

Anyway, recently got around to uploading a bunch of shots from, well, four weeks ago, among others. As before, go to Snapfish for more.

That's what I get for thinking

2009-02-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

So I had just settled back into bed after the 4am feeding. Over the monitor, I could hear Calvin quietly cooing to himself, and I was contentedly sandwiched in between a deeply breathing husband and a happily purring cat as I drifted back to sleep. Life is good, I thought.

And then, of course, within 30 seconds, Marc started snoring, Calvin started crying, and Floyd started poking me in the face with his paw. At least I had the presence of mind to be amused at my own audacity, and to recognize that this is what I should expect for the foreseeable future (like, say, 18 years... at least).

Language

2009-02-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

When we were married, it took quite a while to get used to using the words "husband" and "wife" (and, before that, "fiance"). Why does it seem that "Mom" and "Dad" do not require the same transition period?...

The First Two Weeks

2009-02-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

It's such a cliche... and yet, don't some cliches exist for a reason? It is extraordinary how much he has changed in 14 short days, and how much we change with him. I don't have the mental capacity to write much more now (really, Calvin? eating every three hours? man, babies have it good), but a few photos are below... these and others are also online at Snapfish.

Welcome.

2009-01-31T08:05:00.000-08:00

To Calvin Murphy Elzweig.

Born January 28, 2009, 3:34 pm, Chicago, IL, weighing 8 lb, 9 oz and 22 inches long.

(Photo: Waking up, January 29, checking out dad)

1 in a Series of N

2009-01-07T10:21:00.000-08:00

Where N will, I assume, approach infinity. Theorizing that the likelihood of me being six months pregnant just in time for Halloween was unlikely to happen again, Marc and I decided that a theme costume was clearly in order. And, as such, I present the first photo which we have no doubt we will enjoy using to embarrass Ozmo during his or her adolescent years:

And for those who are wondering, that dress is not from a costume shop, but from a website that purports to sell actual maternity clothes. What you can't tell from the photo, sadly, is that it came down to the mid-thigh area, if that. And that the neckline was, um, deep. It was fascinating. And led to many jokes about how women who dress like that after becoming pregnant? Well, it's not hard to guess how they got that way (ruining my feminist cred a little here, but come on! it's just so easy!). Sadly, though, the sequins scratched my arms up so badly that the dress ended up in the dumpster the next morning, so I'm afraid you'll never get the chance to see it yourself.

What I Learned Today

2008-10-27T12:49:00.000-07:00

It may not be the wisest decision in the world to send the pregnant woman shopping for the Halloween candy.

Neither H, nor N-E....

2008-09-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

When the husband and I were married, we were committed, first and foremost, to each other. We wanted to celebrate each other, and our life together, to the fullest before we even considered having children.

And when I say "considered," please know that that word is chosen very carefully. We went into our marriage knowing that nothing was a foregone conclusion. Frankly, it bothers me that so many people assume that having children is simply "what you do" after committing your life to another person (the same way it bothers me when women don't, for even a moment, stop and question whether they should take their husband's name upon marriage... but that's another discussion for another day).

It is a HUGE decision, not one to be entered into lightly. And it's certainly not a task that everyone is up for. Some people recognize that, and choose to opt out of parenthood, and are inevitably told that they will regret their decision some day. Other people go ahead and have kids, having had it drilled into them that it is the "right" thing to do, and never stop to question whether it's the right thing for them, for their marriage, for their life plans, or for the children in question. We didn't want to be those people - we wanted to make decisions on our terms and, if we did choose to have children, wait until we felt we were ready.

And we told people that - "don't assume we're going to have children." That phrase came out of both of our mouths several times, particularly in the first year or two of our marriage.

Many people took that to mean "we aren't going to have children." It makes me sad that we live in a society where people really do equate "I'm not chomping at the bit to reproduce right now, please don't make any assumptions about our future plans" with "I have no intention of having children, ever." One family member recently said to me, "You were so adamant about not having children!" Frankly, I got defensive upon hearing that, and responded, "No, that was never true. We were adamant that no one should make assumptions one way or the other."

We've talked about what the right choice is for us for quite a while. And we began referring to a future with HNEC... our Hypothetical, Non-Existent Child. Potential career changes? "Well, if you got a new job, maybe it would make sense for me to work part-time and spend some of my time with HNEC." The possibility of another pet? "I don't know, Floyd might have to get used to HNEC at some point, too." Moving? "Well, there's the chance we'd need another room for HNEC."

HNEC became a topic of conversation more and more often. Until the revelation that we probably shouldn't refer to it as HNEC any longer when it became neither hypothetical nor non-existent.

So now, five months in, we're calling it Ozmodiar. Ozmo for short.

My Ordering Tactics Give Me Away

2008-06-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

Out for dinner at Green Zebra when I was, say, six weeks pregnant, a dish featuring camembert beignets was tempting me entirely too much. Knowing that the soft-cheese prohibition generally has to do with the fact that such cheeses are often made with unpasteurized milk (thus increasing the risk of listeria) I figured why not just ask the question? After the waitress confirmed that the camembert was, in fact, pasteurized, I happily ordered the beignets and a pink peppercorn thyme soda. At which point Marc observed, "Wow, we pretty much let wait staff know everything, don't we?"

Confirmation!

2008-06-15T17:27:00.000-07:00

The thing is, I didn't really feel much those first few weeks. I finally took a second home test a week later - what if I had peed on the stick wrong??? - and it returned the same result. My body's lack of response worried me.

Jo and I, in the past, have discussed whether we, as highly educated feminists, might just be too in-the-know about what all of this entails. Too aware of the risks, of the potential downside, of the stress, of the medical complications.

Of course, if I remember correctly, that was in the context of the question, "Can we imagine EVER having children???" (This was also back when most obstetricians were counseling that pregnant women give up caffeine entirely which, for those of us in love with our morning cup of coffee, would have been a serious blow. Research now indicates that up to 300 mg of caffeine/day should be fine, which is a huge relief - although I have had to learn about the world of half-caf.)

Anyway, clearly I moved past that query. But now that I was, in fact, pregnant, at an age not-quite-at-but-not-far-from that black-magic number of 35, I second-guessed every step. And every lack of symptom.

Marc pointed out that I have often joked that I am, in fact, built like a fertility goddess, my body clearly rooted in sturdy peasant stock and made to bear children. And this is true. And logically, I know all of this to be true, and I know that nothing I say or do or don't do is likely to affect how my body reacts at this stage. Still, though, it was nerve-wracking, not going through what so many of my friends had - the distaste for chicken, the nausea, the claim that "I knew I was pregnant the moment it happened!"

I didn't know I was pregnant the moment it happened. I mostly just hung out feeling ticked off at the lack of beer and sushi in my life, convincing myself that my sacrifice was for NOTHING. (Oh, beer and sushi, how I miss you.)

I tried to play it cool, but I was definitely stressed leading up to my first appointment last Friday.

All I can say is, seeing a very tiny heartbeat on an ultrasound provided a wave of relief like nothing I have ever experienced. And being reassured that I seemed to be doing everything right was a close second.

And so it begins

2008-06-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

As per usual, I was awake about an hour before Marc. I had every intention of waiting until his alarm went off to talk to him. I knew that waiting that extra few minutes didn't make a difference in the grand scheme of things. I went about my usual business of getting the cat's breakfast, getting my breakfast, getting ready for my day. It was all well and good until about five minutes before his alarm went off, when I found myself at a standstill next to the bed. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Hey. Marc. Hey. Wake up."

Very little response (not surprising).

"Marc. Dude. Come on. I have to show you something."

That got his attention. His eyes flickered. He looked up at me suspiciously. "What?" He sort of started fumbling for his glasses, but I knew that wasn't necessary for this task. I shoved the stick in his hand.

His nearsighted eyes registered the two pink lines. Not one pink line, two pink lines. Two pink lines meaning he's going to be a dad.

"Really? Wait, REALLY???"

Hugs, tears, a confused cat abounded. Of all the adventures we have shared together, this is sure to be the most intense.