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January 11, 2003
We now return you to our regularly scheduled program 1/12/03
JAIDA LEARNS TO RIDE A BIKE
When Jaida was about Jarod’s age my MIL bought her first little trike. It had a handle for parents to push from behind and I thought she would love riding it. She showed no interest in it even when I put her on it and pushed her around the back yard. After that, I steered her to it but I didn’t force her to get on it. Fast-forward to early 2002. We moved into this house and inherited lots of things from my in-laws. One of which was a bike that my niece used when she visited years ago. It was the perfect size for Jaida. There was also a classic Radio Flyer tricycle that Jarod can use in a year or so when his legs are longer.
We found the training wheels for the bike and Steve put them on. One steamy evening this past summer, we went outside to let Jaida try it out. She was so excited and we couldn’t wait to see her pedaling away. The bike is the kind that you push the pedals backwards to stop. To our dismay and Jaida’s confusion, she would push one foot forward and then the other backward. She never got farther than six inches at a time. Steve tried to help her by using an old golf club to restrain the foot that was going the wrong way. He worked with her until it was almost dark and the mosquitoes drove us in. Jaida was frustrated and tired. I told him to give her a break but I think he was in a little denial about the real problem. My feelings about her needing occupational therapy were confirmed. Jaida never asked to ride her bike again.
A few days before Christmas, we had nice weather. I took the kids outside and got their bikes out for a little practice. Jarod only wanted to be pushed like always. I made him use his feet to push the pedals but he could only push one foot forward. He inched along until he got stuck and then he whined for someone to back him up. Jaida was struggling and I put her feet squarely on the pedals. I even got on her bike and demonstrated which tickled her and Jarod to no end. I’m sure I looked like a clown. I physically helped her pedal both feet in the right direction and after pinching the stuffing out of my fingers several times, she caught on a little. Steve was running over the leaves in the yard with the mower’s mulch blade and the noise was scaring Jarod so we went inside. We had been out for nearly an hour anyway. I asked Jaida if she wanted to practice again another day and she smiled and said yes.
During our time off, Steve and I finished several projects that were being neglected. Steve worked on our garage for three days building new shelves and cleaning it until it was spotless. We had boxes of stuff from our other house that never got opened and boxes that belonged to my MIL which she didn’t have room for when they moved into the new house that was only partially completed. Then he went out and bought an upright freezer to hold all the food three adults and a child on a special diet require. One afternoon while he was putting up some bi-fold doors to hide the storage area, Jaida got on her bike and pedaled right out of the garage! She had trouble steering and she almost ran into the mailbox. I was inside with Jarod when Steve came to tell me. Since my car was outside while he was working, he had turned on the heat in the garage and closed the door so Jaida could keep practicing. He laid some wood in a square on the floor to make a guide. I watched with my mouth open as she turned the corners and rode in a perfect circle over and over. Steve turned to me and said, “It’s amazing how she does stuff when she gets ready isn’t it?” I just nodded my head in agreement. I couldn’t believe it.
What’s up with Jarod?
Well, let me see. His words are taking off faster than we can count them. He loves to say ‘fall’ when he sees people stumble on TV or here at home. At Beth’s last visit, she told us to start making him ask for what he wants. Hopefully, more words will come this way. Normally, he leads us by the hand, occasionally in circles, until we figure it out. Sometimes, I don’t even think he knows what he wants. With all these colds, he has been one cranky child. There has been whining, clinginess and endless tantrums for no apparent reason. I had to take him back to the doctor on Wednesday for a stronger antibiotic. The horrible cough is gone, but he still wakes up and wants to be held. I think it may be a habit now and I plan to break it soon.
Jarod’s latest food obsession is black-eyed peas. I know it sounds odd, but hey whatever works, right? He still loves corn chips but they are a close second now. We had our traditional New Year’s meal of black-eyed peas (for good luck), corn bread and fried chicken. We should have had collard greens too for prosperity but that was too much work. Jarod saw the plates and started begging. We forgot he had eaten them before for a short time. We knew he liked cornbread though. I gave him some of my peas and he helped himself to my cornbread. Soon my plate was empty and he was still saying, “Mo, mo.” We gave him his own plate and he ate them all. Mom continued to feed them to him over the next few days whenever he asked for them and that was often. I’ve never seen a child his age like peas so much.
As a result of coaxing him to ask for what he wants, he has become pretty good at it. Lately, he taps us while calling our names to make his requests known. I’ll be sitting on the sofa and he’ll walk up to me, “Ma-maw?” I say, “Yes, Jarod?” Then he says, “Ont peas!” We fix him some and then we put him in the booster chair. We still have to help him get them on the spoon but he likes to try himself. Jennifer wants us to correct his grasp on the spoon. He likes to hold the spoon the proper way, but the shovel grasp will give him more control. He’s getting pretty good at scooping up peas on his own. On a funny side note, Mom was trying to make him go to sleep the other day. As he lay across her lap, he looked up and said, “Na-na?” Mom said, “Yes, Jarod?” “Ont peas,” he said. Mom couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
THIS LISTERINE SURE IS TASTY
Since Jarod’s communication is limited to dragging us around the house by the hand and pointing for what he wants, he often gets turned down. Steve has a habit of gargling with a little Listerine several times throughout the day and Jarod watches him. When we go into my bathroom, he always points up to the counter and asks for the bottle. Since my bathroom sink is adjacent to my tub deck, and its steps, I often have to distract Jarod while I’m in there to keep him from destroying everything on my side of the counter. One day there was a bottle of Listerine that had only a tap in the bottom. To stop the military maneuvers he was performing to get back next to my sink as fast I put him on the floor, I gave it to him.
When the child-proof cap proved to be just that, he whined and gave it back to me saying, “Off, off.” I took the cap off and emptied out all the remaining mouthwash that I could just to stop the whining. He turned up the bottle and got a tiny sip. I was expecting him to frown, but he smacked his lips and said, “Ahhh.” Jennifer said he would respond to strong tastes. Now he points to the stuff every time we go into the bathroom. I’ve created a monster.
MY LITTLE LAMBCHOP
After I got the positive test, lots of things began to make sense all of a sudden. I had been eating and craving things I normally don’t like. When we went to Sam’s, I got a giant bag of frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Steve looked at me like, “Okay.” I had to have some that night and Mom came into the kitchen as it was steaming. She lifted the lid and looked in the pot, “Who’s eating this?” “Me,” I answered. She raised her eyebrows and looked at me funny. I think she was wondering what was up. I stopped at Chick-Fil-A the other day because I had to have some nuggets. Normally I only like barbecue sauce and occasionally a little honey mustard. For some reason I asked for Polynesian (their version of sweet and sour) and I nearly licked the inside of the container. It was delicious and I remember thinking to myself, this never tasted so good before. That was when I began to wonder myself.
Several of my friends have suggested that the timing of this pregnancy means lambchop was destined to be here. I think they’re right. I am completely at peace about the baby and I am not worried at all. Everything will work itself out and I will do the best I can in the meantime. I broke down and told Mom on Saturday and she was more shocked than I was. She kept sighing and shaking her head. I kept doing what I was doing like I’d just told her it was raining or something. She worries about everything and even asked if we wanted her to move out. I told her to stop being ridiculous. The baby will be in our room at first and then we’ll cross the other bridges as they come. She asked, “What about your breast surgery?” I said, “I guess we’ll be buying a lot of formula again.”
As far as feeding the baby goes, I toyed with the idea of using a supplemental nursing system to get the closeness associated with breastfeeding. Ultimately, I decided that wasn’t a good idea. In spite of radical surgery to reduce the size of my breasts, I was still leaking a tiny bit of milk until I got pregnant. Lately it has been off and on. I weaned Jarod last February but my body just kept on. I wonder if I’ll produce any colostrum. If I do, then I may nurse the baby the first few days to pass on whatever antibodies I can. Their appetite doesn’t fully kick in until the end of the first week anyway.
I went to the La Leche League web site and did some research. I learned that in some cases, milk ducts can regenerate and a supply can be established. I think I may order a book by an LLL leader named Diana West that had reduction surgery and went on to nurse her two sons. Obviously, my definition of a successful nursing relationship will have to be modified. If I am able to provide a quarter of my baby’s feedings that is plenty for me. The fact that I nursed before surgery and my nipples were not completely removed will stack the deck in my favor. The human body is truly amazing.
I am really looking forward to meeting this determined little being and September seems so far away. I hope time will fly once summer comes and I’m big and hot. Our lives have settled down some and we are back to normal. Steve is over the shock and he makes jokes about my pg brain starting earlier each time, sad but true. This morning as Jarod and I trudged to the kitchen at 5:45 for corn chips, he bid the ‘three’ of us good morning. Deep down, he’s happy even if he is worried about the future. We’ve gotten positive affirmation from almost everyone about our news. I have great friends online that are offering their support and their unneeded baby supplies. I am grateful beyond words. We are all blessed and I know we will be fine.
Until next time,
Kim, Jaida, Jarod & lambchop
PS~ I now have a digital camera and I take pictures more than ever. We finished Jaida's room makeover and put her old furniture in Jarod's room. I still need to add her before picture, but the change is amazing! I've updated our web site if you care to see how it turned out. Enjoy!
http://babiesonline.com/babies/n/nowucme
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