Post-Baby Body

I consider myself pretty lucky with the post-childbirth body. I had no nasty tears; everything "down there" pretty much returned to normal. I'm actually about 10lb thinner post-baby, which seems to be the case with a lot of mothers who, like me, breastfeed until their child is eleventy-hundred years old. Speaking of which, saggy breastfeeding boobs? Not here! They look as good as ever, maybe better. Being an A-cup to start probably helped. (Mind you, I suppose this could change when breastfeeding stops completely.) And while my stomach isn't as flat as it once was, it's nothing to complain about. I have no shame sporting a bikini when I'm at the beach.

But every once in a while I get a reminder that pushing a baby out does have a lasting effect. Tonight it was the trampoline that did me in. Hopped up on it at a party, started bouncing, and promptly peed myself. And I didn't even have to go! Thank God I was wearing dark jeans.

Down the Hatch

Too much works = really bad blogger.

One thing I did do recently was order a couple of parenting books. I kept hearing the words "No! Stop! Don't Do That!" come out of my mouth and it was getting depressing. One of the books is the Harvey Karp book about "Happiest Toddler on the Block." The other is "Talking So Your Kids Will Listen, and Listen So Your Kids Will Talk" or something like that. I haven't had much of a chance to get past the first chapters for the reasons above, but I am getting some good info.

Both books emphasis the importance of letting your child know you understand what they want. Tell them what they are wanting - and then deny! Seems kind of cruel, doesn't it? But the weird thing is it seems to work.

Sample conversation a week ago:
Me: Time to go inside.
LM: No.
Me: Yes, it's dinner time.
LM: NO!!
Me: One more minute, then time to go eat yummy dinner!
Me: Okay, time to go. Don't you want some pasta? You love pasta?
LM: (Squeaking) NOOOOOOOO!!!!! OUSSSIDE! OUSSIDE! (Tears, flailing etc.)

New method:
Me: Time to go inside.
LM: No.
Me: Yes, it's dinner time.
LM: NO!!
Me: You want to stay outside don't you? You love playing outside? You'd really like to be outside all night wouldn't you?
LM: Yeah!
Me: I know you love to play outside but we have to go in for dinner. Do you want some dinner?
LM: ... (Comes inside without too much protest)

I have no idea why it works, but it does! Who knew a 21 month old craved validation? I will admit, it feels kinda dorky at times. ("You love the bubble bath don't you? You love pouring Mummy's $30 bubble bath straight into the sink? Isn't it fun to see all those bubbles go down the drain? But baby, there's no Sephora in this 'hood, so we've got to save that stuff!") But I've defused a dozen tantrums, at least.

One of the Karp methods failed though - he suggests growling and clapping to get a child to stop doing something as opposed to yelling "NO!" which never seems to work. He claims it is extremely effective. But the growl didn't work for me - just made LM laugh devilishly and keep on shovelling rocks in his mouth. I'm pretty sure at least one of them went straight down the hatch too. I've been watching for its exit.

He Won

So after the past several weeks of consistently getting LM to sleep in his crib, I am done. Last night he woke up as per usual; I comforted as per usual; I sat in the chair in his room shushing from just out of view, and I thought, this just is not working. I am sooooo sick of repeating "sleepytime" and waiting for him to fall asleep, and hearing him cry "mummy?????" I have been up for an hour and a half every night for the past month, except for two or three times where I was only up 20 minutes. So I got the Pack and Play and set it up in my room and threw him in it. (Aside, why do we call them Pack and Plays? Why can't we just admit they're playpens?) He howled for 20 minutes.)

Anyway, at 1 a.m. he was back in the bed and my weeks of consistency (aside from one slip up in late May) were out the window. He's got more stamina than me. He threw his skinny arms around me and buried his face in my neck and was sound asleep in minutes. And so was I, so much so that I slept for 35 minutes after the alarm went off at 6:30.

We'll try again in a few months. But for right now, we're done. Guess he wasn't ready yet after all.