Crazy Prices

So, I’m currently looking into getting a new travel system. I love the one we have now, don’t get me wrong, but it was used, and it would be best to buy a new one ASAP.

Currently, Babies “R” Us is having a trade-in sale that I’m hoping to get in on, but it’s impossible to find something at a decent price, even with the 25% off.

Now, I understand that part of what you’re paying for is the materials of the product. So, I would not just be paying for the product, but the plastic, cloth, and the production cost.

However, I also personally believe that items that are needed and not just wanted should not be so expensive. If you have a young child, you need a car seat. It’s not some optional item should you decide that it would just be easier if you had one; it’s required.

I’m currently stuck between a few different travel systems. I originally thought it would be better to just get a car seat, but some of the car seats alone are worth about as much as a travel system. I thought I was going to stick with the plan, but now I’m not so sure again.

The price issue is the same with formula and diapers. I don’t understand why it should cost 20+ dollars to buy a large can of formula. Again, if you’re not breastfeeding, it’s not an option. With diapers, honestly, it depends on brand. If you look, you can find good deals. Same with formula, of course, but even those brands seem overpriced.

Truth is, you will always need items for baby, overpriced or not. I suppose it just comes down to the lesser of two evils. I’d rather spend extra money for a good product than less money on a bad product. I guess I made my choice.

How People View Me Now

There’s an amazing phenomenon that happens after a woman has a child. Within hours of sharing the news, I found multiple people branding me with a new nickname. “Mommy”, “mama” and countless other words that mean likewise suddenly became branded as part of a new identity.


Personally, I despise being called this. It’s mostly the idea that I was only a mother; that was my identity. Yes, I am a mother, but I am not only a mother. I’ve said this before.

Well, aside from the whole ‘mommy’ nickname, I also had other changes happening in my life. People would walk by and compliment on how cute Yuuki is or her chubby cheeks which she’s quickly becoming known for having. Everyone seems to think they have a right to make comments, no matter where we are. I was just at the library yesterday, and a man asked if she was reading already (or something like that). While I just laughed, I was really thinking ‘awkward’, you know in the way that everyone says it when something strange just happened. Thankfully, nobody has asked to hold her.

My husband and I have also gotten some strange looks, because he usually pushes the stroller. Honestly, he just can control it a lot better than I can, but I guess people think pushing the stroller is the mother’s job.

I’m also fairly sure that someone has probably glared at us because of how old my husband and I look. We are both 23, young to be starting a family to some, but I’ve been mistaken for a teenager my entire life, and my husband looks younger as well. I distinctly remember being glared at when I was pregnant, one of those ‘how dare you’ looks, if that makes any sense.

The plus side is that people do smile at me more. Nobody, so far, has gotten on my case for bottle feeding her, which is probably because she rarely ever eats in public. It could be because I look fairly unapproachable though. I never had strangers rub my stomach when I was pregnant either. Plenty of people asked when I was due but never to feel.

Being a mother is both good and bad for public life. I feel awkward if Yuuki starts crying in the middle of a restaurant, though we try to figure out what she needs as fast as we can. I don’t much care for the extra attention when someone sees me pushing the stroller and wants to come take a look. And what am I honestly supposed to do when somebody compliments her except smile or say ‘thank you’?

Being a mother certainly is a new world.

Who Comes First?

Sorry for the brief hiatus. I’ve been trying to figure out my next topic, and I finally decided on one.

One thing that I’ve taken a lot of consideration into is the issue of who comes first, the spouse (or boyfriend, girlfriend, etc.) or the child. It is my personal opinion that the spouse should come first.

Now, before anyone jumps to conclusions, let me explain what it means to me. It does not mean that I would buy a big screen television for my husband over a can of formula or a package of diapers. It does not even mean that I would buy myself clothes when my daughter needs them more. My husband and I have both agreed that we would both starve before she would. I still consider this decision putting my husband first, because it shows Yuuki that any relationship requires sacrifice.

Let me make it clear that to me, putting my husband first means that I put my marriage with him first. The most important thing that we can give our daughter is a good example of what a marriage should be. I want her to grow up knowing what to look for in a spouse. I will not make a decision concerning my daughter without consulting my husband on it. If she is 16 and wants a later curfew, I won’t answer her without talking to him first.

And take any hypothetical questions about who would I save if both my husband and daughter were drowning out of the running. One, because what is the chance that would ever happen? Two, how dare anyone ask me to choose between the two most important people in my life.

I love them for two completely different reasons. I love my husband, because he’s the man I choose to spend the rest of my life with. He supports me in all the decisions I make and is the person I can go to for anything. He never makes me feel stupid for feeling a certain way, but he also tells it to me straight. If I’m being rude, he’ll tell me, because sometimes you just need someone to say it out loud to realize how ridiculous you’re being. Also, without him, Yuuki would not exist, and how would I have come to love her if she was never born?

I love my daughter because she is my flesh and blood. I see both myself and my husband in her, whether it’s the fact that she’s a deep sleeper or her facial expressions. How could I not love someone that is the perfect mix of both my husband and me?

The one thing that I will not give up for either though, is myself. By that, I mean that I am more than just a mother and wife, I am also a person. I take time out of everyday for myself. I go on Facebook. I write. I read a good, or sometimes not-so-good, book. I listen to music. I watch television. I am still my own person.

You can feel free to disagree with me. We’re all entitled to our feelings.

My Delivery Story

June 16, 2010 was the day that I decided to be induced. Let me make a few things clear first though. I made this decision for a number of reasons.

1. I was 40 weeks 4 days pregnant when I gave birth. The hospital doesn’t allow you to go beyond a week.

2. Yuuki was not engaged, though she was facing the right direction.

3. I was 3 cm and 75% effaced by this time.

4. I was GBS positive, and I wanted to be sure I would get the medicine for it on time.

I would not advise going the inducing route unless it’s necessary, and it doesn’t seem like it is going to happen on its own.

We arrived at the hospital at 9:45, and after I filled out the required paperwork, were shown to my room. They had me set up on Pitocin to start contractions and another medication for my GBS. I was put on a portable IV so I could walk around as needed. They also attached a device that monitored Yuuki’s heartbeat to my stomach in case of emergency. About every hour or so, the nurses would return to up my dose of Pitocin so my labor would progress naturally.

At 1:30, they came in to check my progress. At that time, I was about 4 centimeters. However, what I was not expecting was that they were going to break my water at the time. It was completely without warning, and was easily one of the most uncomfortable parts of the process. They break the water with a thick stick with a hook at the end. Afterwards, they push on your stomach to get everything out.

After my water was broken, I must have gone into some form of shock, because I was shaking uncontrollably after that. The nurses had to bring blankets in so I could warm up. I was fine after a while, but I wish I would have had some idea of what was going to happen.

At 4:00, I asked for an epidural. I had hoped to deliver without medication, but at this point I knew that I probably would not be able to deliver the way I had wanted. Personally, it did not hurt that much. I had to sit on the edge of my hospital bed, feet hanging over the edge, and kind of bend over and tuck my head down while the anesthesiologist administered the epidural. There was, of course, pressure from the needle, but once it was done, I was not in any pain.

After receiving the epidural, I progressed pretty quickly. The next time they came into the room, I was 10 centimeters. They inclined me for an hour in order to allow Yuuki to descend and engage, which she still had not done at this point.

Now for the last part of the adventure. At 9:22, when things were not progressing as they had liked, they told me to start pushing. I had to push the top part of my body forward, tuck my chin into my chest, and push. Yuuki was born at 9:49 pm at 7 pounds 10 ounces, 20 inches long.

This is where I’ll stop for now. I’ll have a later post on my feelings after the delivery. Feel free to ask questions.

Introducing...

So, I thought it was about time to introduce the reason why this blog exists in the first place.

Introducing…Yuuki!

Originally born at 7 pounds 10 ounces, this now two-month old beauty is currently weighing in at 11 pounds 8 ounces. She measures just two inches shorter than two feet.

Her nicknames include:
• Squishy (think ‘Finding Nemo’) – Dory: I shall call him Squishy and he shall be mine and he shall be my Squishy.
• Blue Eyes (only I’ve used this so far) – Can you guess why?
• Baby Girl – Self-explanatory
• Girly – Also self-explanatory

Her favorite activities include not smiling for photos (literally, it’s gone the second she hears the camera start up), staring at her mobile (now that she can see it), sleeping as often as she can, snuggling, looking at books, and sucking on her hands. She loves when you mess with her nose (don’t ask me why) and make funny faces at her. She is an extremely happy baby.

She can lift her head when she is on her stomach, and has rolled over on her own a total of one time, though she often rolls onto her side without any issues. She has been sleeping through the night since she was about 7 weeks old, save one night before she had to go in to get her immunizations.

She adores her bouncer and swing, which often are the only ways that she will calm down and take a nap. She also loves baths, though she hates both the before and after processes. She often finishes an entire bottle at each feeding time.

She hates being changed and does not like having clothes either being taken off or put on her. She does not like cold formula, having her position changed when she is comfortable (especially when sleeping on our chests), and her pacifier falling out.

Well, that is all I can think of for now. In summary, she is a healthy, growing baby who makes it exceptionally clear when she does and does not like something.

Random: Scooby Doo, New and True?

Just a note: If you ever see the word 'random' in front of the title, it is not a parenting post.

Okay, so since the newest Scooby Doo series, “Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated”, started a few weeks ago, I’ve made it a point to set aside time every Monday to watch it. The animation is different, but a few voiceovers will sound familiar to longtime fans.

Frank Welker reprises his role as Fred Jones. In fact, he’s voiced Fred since the original series “Scooby Doo, Where Are You!” aired back in 1969. The only series where he did not contribute the voice of Fred was “A Pup Named Scooby Doo” (1988-1991), in which he played Fred’s uncle. His first role as Scooby, which he continues here, was started with “Scooby Doo! And the Legend of the Vampire” (2003).

Mindy Cohn, who has voiced Velma since “Scooby Doo! Christmas” (2004), returns to bring new life into an old favorite.

Grey DeLisle returns as Daphne Blake once again, a role she has voiced since “Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase” in 2001.

Many might recall Matthew Lillard from the first two live action Scooby Doo movies. Well, he is now the new voice of Shaggy Rogers, his second voiceover as the loveable character, his first being in “Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo” (the newest animated movie as of now, August 2010).

Another favorite would be Casey Kasem, the original voice of Shaggy since “Scooby Doo, Where Are You!” He is now the voice of Colton Rogers, Shaggy’s father. A second celebrity voice is Patrick Warburton as Sheriff Stone, who openly opposes Mystery Incorporated (this series shows the origin of the name).

Now, the characters that we all know and love have been revamped. Some, I love as much as I did in the original series. Some, I wish they had just left alone.

First of all, the true and blue Scooby Doo. He’s the same as ever, loving food more than anything else, running from ghosts at the drop of a hat and Shaggy’s best friend. However, there is a new dynamic there, which is shown when Shaggy has to make a decision on whether or not to let Scooby in on a little secret.

Shaggy is as loveable as ever. He’s long since been my favorite character. His love for food as always is present, but his love for his best friend, Scooby Doo, rivals that for his secret girlfriend, Velma Dinkley. Yes, that’s right. My jaw dropped the second I saw it as well. When Shaggy snuck away from Scooby in order to attend prom with Velma, tension was high because of Shaggy’s supposed betrayal for girls instead of Vincent Van Ghoul marathons. Scooby Doo and Shaggy made up at the end of the last episode, but being that the season has only a few episodes left, it’s anyone’s guess whether Shaggy and Velma are going to make it past the final episode of season one.

Velma is the character who has changed the most. She is noticeably slimmer and fashionable, in her own Velma way of course, but her clothes are about the only thing about Velma that have stayed the same. She wants her relationship with Shaggy to be out in the open, but she doesn’t seem happy with Shaggy himself. She has made efforts to change everything possible about him, from his every present use of the word ‘like’, to his famous baggy pants, and even to his eating habits. She has shown a liking for being disrespectful and rude. Her parents own the local museum for Crystal Cove (another rant for another time), the “Hauntedest Place on Earth”, and she has no problem telling tourists how stupid she finds it. This is not the Velma I liked as a child. The creators of this show should have left her alone.

Fred is different as well, but I find this new him endearing rather than annoying. Fred is absorbed in solving mysteries, but even more than that, creating the perfect traps. So much so, in fact, that he never notices anything but traps, much to the dismay of one Daphne Blake. However, once he is made aware of this phenomenon known as “feelings”, he is more confused than ever. Though I found it funny, Fred’s idea that feelings make him an “un-guy” bothered me a bit. He openly says that he wished he didn’t care about Daphne, which she takes completely out of context. He’s deeply confused at the time. However, he seemed to get his head on straight at the end of last week’s episode, and it appears that Daphne is no longer mad at him.

Now, Daphne is the same in terms of being a girly girl. She is the youngest of I don’t even know how many sisters. I believe there are six or so. The main difference is that her affections for Fred are all too well-known. She swoons over him, and acts disappointed when he never picks up on her hints, even when she told him she always imagined prom with him there. She still gets in trouble a lot, and both times that she disappeared, Fred had breakdowns. Though I don’t care for her live-action strong-willed, can do everything character, I do hate that she won’t just be straightforward with Fred. He finally understood, but we’ll see if his change of heart leads to a new relationship.

All in all, I can’t really complain about this new show. Yes, there are things that I think would have been best left alone, but they captured the heart of the original: solving mysteries.

Prepare, Don't Compare

When it comes to motherhood, much too often women find themselves in mommy wars. This is the war where mothers compare themselves to others in the thought that the way they raise their children is not just the best way, but the only way.

Examples of these are:

Breastfeeding vs. Bottle Feeding – Honestly, whatever you do here is completely up to you. As long as your child is growing and healthy, what is there to fight about? I’ll be honest. I tried breastfeeding for a few weeks, with a mixture of bottle feeding as well. I have no trouble outright saying that I hated breastfeeding. It’s time consuming and exhausting, and though one time your baby’s latch is perfect, the next might be a fight to get baby to open her mouth enough or even stay awake through the process. It was frustrating for both us, usually ending up with Yuuki crying and me wanting to give up. Now, I’m exclusively bottle feeding, and it’s so much easier. I’m all for breastfeeding (it’s good for the baby), but ultimately, it just wasn’t for me, and that’s okay. And don’t worry, if you don’t breastfeed (either at all or not anymore), and you bought a boppy, they’re great for helping baby to sit up and provide baby some tummy time as well.

Disposable vs. Cloth Diapers – Again, there are advantages to both. Disposables are just that, disposable. There is the downside of cost however, especially if baby grows out of one size and you still have some left over. Cloth diapers help the environment, because they don’t get thrown away. Some also double as burp cloths too. However, they look time consuming (I haven’t used mine yet), and they can be expensive (with good reason, too).

Working Mom vs. Stay-at-Home-Mom – Right now, I’m a SAHM, but that could soon change. I see the advantages: being there for your child all day, getting to see all the milestones firsthand, you save money on day care, etc. However, it’s also a full-time job. You’ll be dealing with diapers and feeding all day when the children are infants. They demand constant attention and it can often get overwhelming. You don’t get much alone time, and often, you’re trying to juggle household work as well, though don’t worry if you don’t get it all done in one day.

Working moms (I’m including Work-at-Home-Moms too) usually mean that day care or a babysitter is involved. I would love to be able to contribute financially to our household, but at the same time, it just gives another source of stress with work (This is not to say that SAHMs don’t work. If anything, they’re overworked like anyone else). There’s dividing your time between work and your children. There are good points too, such as having extra money, getting out of the house on your own, and having another outlet to focus on outside of children.

Also, think of it this way. Maybe that working mom wishes that she could stay at home with her children. Maybe that stay at home mom wishes she could work. Or maybe, just maybe, they’re perfectly happy where they are.