Single Ladies

Nick left for a three day business trip Wednesday. I tried to remain optimistic; Kaye always says, “All right, Lauren, a girls’ night!”

Day one was pretty good! Lauren learned how to use a hairbrush. And I’ve been working with her on feeding herself with a spoon, but for kicks I gave her Gerber Graduate carrot ravioli and a fork. First try – speared a piece of pasta and put it in her mouth. My kid is a genius. Where’s the picture? Well, Mommy can’t find the camera right now… I should have known something was out of the ordinary when Lauren found a pacifier on the floor at 7:30, pulled up next to me and, pulling the blanket over her head, fell asleep.

Day two: made it to daycare and work in record time. Boss is in town from D.C. so we hit a cafe for lunch. Then, 1:30 p.m., Kaye calls. Lauren threw up during her nap, and she has to go home. I scoop up some take-home work, let people know my whereabouts, and bolt. Lauren projectile vomits in my car. I clean kid, clean car. We rock and read books, Lauren appears calm. A client is waiting on some electronic data from me, so Lauren plays with blocks and sleeps in my lap for the rest of the afternoon as I use the mouse with one hand. I am a genius.

Daddy, we will see you tomorrow!

Cousin is Coming Soon!

Lauren, at Aunt L’s baby shower.

When I was younger, I was cousinless on my mother’s side of the family. My father was the second-youngest of nine children, which meant most of my cousins were a decade older than me. My aunt had one son, who was three years younger than me, therefore a perfect match for my brother, B. Nick, by contrast, had seven cousins living in the same town with him growing up, to go with five siblings.

Lauren’s already blessed: she has a cousin three months younger than her, along with three others that are 6, 4 and 4 respectively. Now we are awaiting her Aunt L and Uncle J’s child, who will be 14 months younger. We are happy she’ll have playmates as she gets older.

We organized a baby shower for Aunt L two weeks ago in a banquet room here in town. It was good to see relatives and L’s friends, one of which is expecting twins this summer! I was so busy planning and setting up, but Lauren was entertained by toys and people. Grandma C really helped out by letting Lauren nap on her, making the mashed potatoes for the mashed potato bar (soups were also served) and making supper that night. (Thanks, Grandma C – this mommy was really worn out!) L got a lot of great stuff, and hopefully she and Uncle J are ready for the big day!

Why I (Might) Be a Better Mom if I Were British

Lauren with Aunt C at Aunt L’s baby shower. My politically conservative friends – hear me out! Nick and I saw an eye-opening documentary last week. Say what you will about Michael Moore (it seemed everyone has an opinion of him whether it be good or bad) but his latest offering, “Sicko”, presented thorough research on the problems of health care in America. Moore interviews Americans with health insurance problems, then visits Canada, Great Britain, France and even Cuba to interview residents. The information that hits closest to home: I knew maternity leave stank in the US (a scant 12 weeks under the FMLA Act, UNPAID). But did you know the British get ONE YEAR of maternity leave? And Canadian women also get one year, and it’s unlawful for them to fire you during that time? (A temp may be provided to help out when you are gone). And women of both countries can go into ANY hospital and not worry so much about an insurance card? France, too. Of course, Moore glosses over how much taxpayers pay for universal health care in these countries, but American society has become so profit-driven that we are alienating much of the population with our health care! The couple interviewed in France in the film had two children, and yet their biggest expense was their apartment mortgage. Quality subsidized childcare in Great Britain cost the equivelent of $1 an hour, according to one mother. Neither family had to worry about saving for college, because it’s free.

Hypothetical questions arise. What could I do with my life if I’d had a year with Lauren, knowing I could go back to work when I was ready, and not be pressured to take only 8 weeks maternity leave? Knowing she’d have health care as a necessity, and not luxury? The pressure sure would be off for college if I knew she could go on her mind, not our bank account. Whatever you may think of Michael Moore, these are the questions we should ask in America.

5 New Things About Lauren

Sleepy, but still smiling!

1. She loves the sound of windchimes, and was introduced to them at Grandma C’s. We have a wooden one in our kitchen and she likes to watch us ring it, but this week she took control and rang it on her own.

2. Nick discovered last month if you count like the Count in Sesame Street (One, two, ah, ah, ah) she will go “Ah, ah, ah!” after you.

3. Frozen vegetable packages, her own mittens, and seasoning packets work very well as impromptu grocery store toys.

4. The aforementioned mittens are a welcome part of her wardrobe. Nick does a much better job putting them on every day than me, and she’s stopped resisting. They came home from the store last night and they were actually still on her.

5. Despite her lack of teeth, Kaye thinks Lauren is ready to eat what her other kids eat at daycare, eliminating the morning rush to get a balanced lunch together for us. Sample menu: meatloaf, green beans, mashed potatoes. And the kids really love doing a “breakfast lunch” once a week.

My uncle Dick passed away, so Bro A and I made the trek upstate for the wake. It was a military Catholic funeral, neither of which I’d ever attended before, and I saw people on my father’s side of the family I hadn’t seen in years. My father and his siblings worked hard for the last four years as Dick declined, and other then my father’s stories about how Dick would light up at a chocolate milkshake, my memories were limited. Foreman at Briggs & Stratton, Marine. He had a brilliant sense of humor, I knew. Cousin T came to the rescue:

“Do you remember going down to his apartment in Milwaukee as a kid and it was awesome because he had a pool table and vibrating heated chairs and a waterbed? It was a real bachelor pad.” I did. We laughed. God bless you Dick.

Happy New Year!

Picture #1: Our family at Christmas. This is the first picture we took; Lauren wouldn’t sit still this year. Picture #2: Sledding for the first time. Fortunately she loves it! Picture #3: We went to US Bank New Year’s Eve and met Bucky Badger!

Back into the routine after the holiday. Lauren got some very nice books, clothes and toys for Christmas, went sledding, palled around with Aunt L’s dogs, visited with grandparents. Last night we went to US Bank New Year’s Eve, where several downtown businesses do indoor stuff for children like crafts, bouncy houses, music and magic shows. The weather was cold, about 13 degrees, so we walked quickly from place to place. Lauren was too little for some things but I think she enjoyed watching the other kids. It’s nice to know there’s someplace to go when she becomes a toddler.

About 9 p.m., we headed home to put a sleepy Lauren in bed. She fussed in the car because her winter hat slides down over her eyes, and she protests when Nick puts on her gloves. Nick and I jockeyed between Anderson Cooper, Carson Daly and Ryan Seacrest hosting the ball drop. Bill and Hillary Clinton pressed the button, but the Jonas Brothers got the most fanfare. (Lauren, when you read this someday, you WILL know who the Clintons are, but Mommy’s not sure how to explain the Jonas Brothers.) I have many resolutions, as I always do, but I thought about Nick and me playing with Lauren the other night and making her giggle, and I vow to have many more moments to goof off with her. Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2009!