A Day at the Park

Last Saturday, to get out of The Husband's hair (or what's left of it) while he prepared for his Job Interview, I took Xave to a park that was down the street. Armed with my new lens, and some fairly good sunshine, I took some fairly nice portraits (although, by this time it was around 4pm, so shadows were abound!).

He's actually doing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" here.

Probably my favorite photo from the afternoon, but I need to do some post processing and take the large chain shadow off of his face...

We call this the "burgermaid" since it's half hamburger, half mermaid...no less disturbing, but he doesn't seem to mind.

If you notice his shirt, it says "Kimchee Delivery, Seoul, South Korea" on it. It was from Tea Collection's Destination: Korea line. He has a few shirts from them, but this is one of my favorites.

The general ignorance of individuals.

Charleston, in truth, hasn't been a complete bust. There are some genuinely nice things about the city, such as FestivALL in the summer, and the Clay Center (which, due to financial and time constraints, we have unfortunately never been able to take advantage of). The mall, especially compared to Morgantown, is fantastic.

However, for everything I find positive here, there are ten more things that convinced us to move. One, is genuinely, the people. Now, I have been no stranger in my life, to snide off handed remarks, but here, it has been what I would consider genuine ignorance. While I grew up in a very small town (that was racially UNdiverse), most things said to me had the purpose of being rude, or to provoke a rise out of me (which isn't that hard). However, allow me to give you an example of the strange occurances down here:

Xave and I were at the local Kroger together, looking at salad greens, when an elderly woman approaches me and asks if I can help her find an item. I assist her, she is grateful, and apparently wanting to repay in kindness says, "You know young lady, there is a grocery store a few miles here, where people who look like you and your son shop...". It was hardly malicious, but I was quite taken by the remark.

Last weekend, The Husband took Xavier to Chuck E. Cheese's. Out of the blue, he explained, someone came to him and asked, "Is that boy from China, or somethin'?". My Husband, better able at handling these situations than I, responded with, "No, he's from Morgantown,". The kicker to this story, was one of the individuals I work with (whom I have nicknamed "Country Bumpkin" when discussing him with my husband). After I laughed at the story Country Bumpkin said, "Well, that's a legitimate question. He has your eyes after all." Unlike my dear husband, I was unable to think of any response.

While these last two examples were directed at our family, there are other strange and other worldy remarks as well. For example, the aforementioned Country Bumpkin has quite...interesting feelings regarding the recent tragedy in Japan. When I walked into work Friday morning, and remarked at how awful it was, Country Bumpkin went on a 30 minute rant about how each news story about Japan made dollar signs show up in his eyes since it would drive up the price of gasoline. No concern for the human lives lost or the grand extent of the destruction...just that this was going to make his (5 minute) commute that much more expensive. (I quietly wondered if he even realized how cheap gas is in the United States compared to the rest of the world.)

More stroller discourse.

A recent Facebook status of mine was:

"Still figuring out what kind of (double) jogging stroller is best for us...there are SO MANY choices! Feedback would be awesome."

I found the following responses both helpful and interesting, so I thought I'd post a transcription.

• • 

    J Check out the forums on Baby Bargains web site. They have a whole part just for strollers and it's pretty informative. Plus it never hurts to cruise on by the sales/deals forum and get a heads up awesome sales!

    20 hours ago ·
  • 

    Thanks for that! I have been wavering between the Tike Tech X3 and the Bob Dualie...and the forums really pushed me towards the BOB...now, the question begs to be asked, where does the money come from for a $600 stroller?

    19 hours ago ·
  • 

    C

    Does Xave use the stroller a lot? I haven't used one for B since we went to the mall together, he just does better walking on his own. We'll use our jogging stroller when we go to DC, because we'll be out during his naptime and he'll need a place to sleep. But honestly, I just used a carrier or let him walk. We have three strollers and I used them combined less than 10 times. Maybe you can wear new baby and push Xave until new baby gets heavy, then Xave can walk?
    
    Just a thought, that seems like a lot of money :) Even though I'm sure you'll have future babies that will be able to use it, then my ideas are useless.

    17 hours ago ·
  • 

    Legitimately, we have not used our jogging stroller much recently - but that is due to the lack of places to walk more so than the lack of wanting to use it. When we were in Morgantown, I would have died without it, and even when we lived on West Side, I used it extensively walking to and fro the mall.
    
    As much as Tom and I walk, having Xave walk or carrying him isn't really too much of an option for us, and a traditional dual style stroller isn't going to cut it either (especially in Morgantown where it's uphill both ways and the sidewalks are less than pristine). In these conditions, I do not see Xave walking this distance/terrain, nor do I see myself being able to carry him while I push a stroller (should I be alone).
    
    I agree, it is a lot of money, but judging from the reviews, the BOB holds up very nicely (unlike the Tike Tech X3), and should be useful for future children (after all, by the time the third one gets here, Xavier SHOULD be able to handle walking...).
    
    Sorry for the discourse...but I didn't want you to think I was just...throwing money around on this. It really isn't a LIGHT purchase, but it does comfort me that it's the only BIG purchase for this kiddo that we're going to have to make.

    16 hours ago ·
  • 

    J

    Just a thought about Xave later on... They do make 'boogie boards' that hook on to your stroller axle and allow an older child to stand behind and be pulled along. Then you can have #2 and #3 in the stroller and Xave would still be able to catch a ride if he needs. Check out the "Hitch Hiker" on this page:
    http://valcobaby.com/accessorize-your-stroller.html

    15 hours ago ·
  • 

    C Don't be sorry! You are the picture of responsible consumerism, I know you wouldn't make a purchase you didn't need :) I know I buy some things, thinking we'll use them, (cribs, strollers, changing tables) and they sit basically unused. Though, we probably would've used the travel system stroller more if I could get the silly thing folded and in the trunk of my civic. Hmm, that might be a blog idea:)

    15 hours ago ·
  • 

    J - the boogie board has definitely been tossed around in my mind already! :)
    

    
    C - I appreciate that a lot. You know, I really tried hard to make responsible purchases with Xave. For example, his changing table is a dresser style, so we are still able to use it for storing his clothes. I hear what you're saying though, and the sheer amount of "YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS" thrown at you during pregnancy is sheer marketing genius/madness. Probably, if I were to say I was overboard or excessive in anything, it was Xaviers wardrobe...but 95% of it was bought at deep discount, and I also felt that Gaps quality was tremendous...and therefore would hold up as hand me downs well.
    
    In regards to stroller size when dealing with a trunk...our jogger BARELY fits in the back of our tiny 99 corolla...but with a new baby we are going to have to invest in a new car anyway...but I do hear you regarding that sentiment.

    13 hours ago ·
  • 

    P.s. please disregard errant capitalization and punctuation...the deviation from my use of proper English is highly correlated to if I'm at a keyboard or a touch screen...

    13 hours ago ·

Especially having been the first one of my friends very close to me at the time to have a baby, the sheer amount of "things" to buy is completely overwhelming. Magazines, television, blogs, parenting forums all tell you that you need (or don't need) every item on the market...and there is no consistency. This, of course, makes sense, giving the wide range of variables such as parenting style, your baby's personality, and space/income.

I feel very lucky, that now not only do I have friends who have children of their own (who are in close age to Xavier), but I also have 18 months of experience under my belt. I know what worked for me, and what didn't. For example, the Boppy pillow, touted as the MUST BUY for any breastfeeding mother, was a complete waste for me...I used it a hand full of times early on, and later it became a place for Xavier to sit in.

I feel much more secure this go around, which I suppose should be expected. That is not to say that I am not a little nervous with the idea of juggling a newborn and a toddler, and cautious in knowing that this new baby will most likely not have the same personality as Xavier, but a lot of the "unknowns" have been taken out.

I know I love my Arm's Reach Co-sleeper.

I know not to fuss with the Boppy pillow.

I know that feeding my baby when he's hungry, not trying to track with the ItzBeen timer is easier.

I know I like the Playtex Drop-Ins system when he gets a bottle (of breastmilk).

I know what it's like to breastfeed.

I know how to change a diaper.

I know what it feels like to cry emotionally for no good reason due to postpartum hormone changes.

I know that I can survive being up every other hour (or more).

I could go on, and on. But all of these things add a sense of security and reassurance to me in knowing that I can make the best decisions for my children on my own.

Found the stroller. :)

BOB 2011 Sport Utility Duallie Stroller - Orange - BOB Trailers - Babies "R" Us

More changes to come (and a discussion on strollers).

The Husband and I have made the decision to move back to Morgantown this August.

This was not a spontaneous whim, nor a choice we decided upon without much deliberation. However, our current situation is less than ideal, and although it may be difficult for a while, we have reasoned that moving back into our home is the best course of action for our family fiscally, emotionally, and spiritually.

So...that as some pretty big news, now on to more trivial matters...such as shopping for a double stroller.

...this seems like an easy task right? Well, considering how much Tom and I walk, not just any ol'Graco-style stroller is going to fit the bill. We want a jogging stroller, with air filled tires (rubber bicycle style tires)...which we had for Xavier (thanks to my Mom and Grandma for footing the bill on that one).

And then there is the issue of weight and infant seat compatibility since this will be for a toddler and an infant, not twins. That knocks out about half of the options out the window due to either A) max weight being 50 lbs. (for both seats) or B) not being infant seat compatible.

Then comes the issue of budget...do I really want to spend $800 (+cost of the infant seat adapter)? Not particularly....

The best option I can come up with is the BOB Revolution Dualie...and coming in at somewhere between $500-$650 (depending on if it was last years model, or the current 2011 one) it's still not what I'd consider a bargain...but considering anything else that fits the above criteria clocks in around $700+, it is the cheapest (albeit far from cheap) road to go.

I did manage to find the 2010 model on Amazon.com for the "bargain" price of $500 (http://www.amazon.com/BOB-Stroller-Strides-Fitness-Duallie/dp/B000MSYVPU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1299269764&sr=8-3#replacementWidget)...but after you tack on the infant car seat adapter (http://www.amazon.com/BOB-Infant-Adapter-Duallie-Strollers/dp/B000RH7FUY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1299269764&sr=8-1), you're looking at closer to $600...but I guess that's not as bad as it could be?

Let's try this one more time...

Alright, so I have thought about reentering the blogsphere for quite some time now, and have always come up with one reason, or another, to put it off, or avoid it entirely. It's been a little over half a year now since my last post, and the last one before that was three months prior! Thus, it's almost been a year since I had a post of any substantial substance...and there is a very large part of me that regrets not tracking the new things that Xavier has learned, and the many trials and triumphs of our daily life. However, regret does nothing to change what was in the past, so the only thing to do now is move forward. It is my goal to post at minimum once a week. Surely, that won't be so hard?

I guess I should, at least attempt, to catch everyone up to speed.

...

I just deleted the majority of the post I spent time writing...I might put it up later when things aren't so crazy...but as I read it now, it just sounds like one big long whiiiiiiiine.

To summarize:

I am back in the working world.

We moved into a townhome.

My husband is a wonderful man, whom you couldn't ask more from.

Xavier is getting to be a full on toddler...complete with a budding vocabulary, half-nelson hugs, and temper tantrums.

I'm going to be having a baby in late September.

There, that wasn't so hard, nor dramatic, was it?

Long time, no blog!

Well, it's been such a long time since I've posted a blog post, I hardly know where to begin.

Let's see here...

We moved, and put our house up for sale. Still no serious bites, but it's not been up too long so I'm not concerned yet. We're currently renting an enormous house, which is considerably better than being stuffed into an apartment building.

Xavier continues to grow and develop - in fact, today I was thinking about how it used to amaze me that I could motion for him to come towards me, and he would. However, now when I do it, sometimes he has other things he wants to do more, and he can process his own wants and desires. It's very fascinating - I'm watching a human psyche develop right in front of my eyes, and I'm a pivotal influence on it. It's a little overwhelming when you dwell on the concept too long!

He is almost a professional at not only climbing, but descending stairs (which is mind numbingly cute), and will pound you with the same book fifty times, demanding you read it over, and over, and over, and...well, you get the idea.

It's hard to believe, that 364 days ago, he was still a part in me...and now, he's working his way into becoming an individual.

Birthday celebrations are to be abound, starting with tonight (a vigil to his birthday, I suppose!).