... as promised, here is the footage of Nora rolling over! I could tell she was going to do it today, so I set up my flipcam and tried to coax her into rolling over without touching her. She wasn't having it, but when I got up to make a sandwich, she rolled over on her own as I watched from the kitchen! Throughout the course of the day she did it about 6 or 7 more times before tiring herself out. She doesn't do it very quickly, but it's fun to watch her slow attempts to balance her body in different ways to complete the motion. She's shown so much progress in the past week or two that I'm sure it will turn into a completely automatic motion in no time! Without further ado--
Patti gave us the "Baby's First Year" calendar she used to keep track of Billy's milestones, so it is fun to be able to compare his progress to Nora's. He was placed on his belly to sleep, so he rolled the other direction first. He rolled from his tummy to his back at almost 4 months old, but didn't roll from his back onto his tummy until almost 6 months old. It also says he "found his feet" at almost 5 months old, so Nora was several weeks ahead of him on that one!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Choose your words wisely: there's a mother in the room
There is a job opening in our department this year for a "20th Century Americanist," a position which I someday hope to be qualified to fill. This means that after sifting through hundreds of applications and conducting preliminary interviews, our department is hosting visits from the top three candidates. During their visits, each candidate has to present a lecture on his/her current scholarship, and those of us in the department are supposed to attend so we can share our opinions of each applicant. Those of us who are graduate students can also benefit from seeing how the candidates handle the job talk since we should be giving our own job talks when we go on the market.
Attending today's talk meant I had to renegotiate my entire Monday schedule in order to drop Nora off early, fight traffic, and arrive on campus before 10am. Just getting there felt like an accomplishment. But before the the candidate's introduction was even finished, I was already thinking "Well. If this is the type of person I am going to have to compete against, I am never going to get a job in this field." The longer the candidate talked, the more I realized I am many light years away from being prepared to perform the role of "job candidate for a tenure-track professorship."
But there was one flicker of hope midway through her talk. She referred to something as the "emblem of an aborted dream." I haven't read the book she was discussing, but unless I misunderstood her explanation of the novel's events, she should have said it was the "emblem of a miscarried dream." This is a significant difference, not only on the level of language. And at this moment, a lightbulb went off in my head. I remembered: "I think you will find that this enhances your scholarship," my mentor professor told me when I told him I was expecting a baby. Love, work, and having a baby mutually inform one another, argues Mary Austin in "The Walking Woman."
When this woman said "aborted" instead of "miscarried," and I began thinking about what a significant difference that is, it occurred to me that maybe Mary Austin and my professor are right-- maybe being a mother is the thing that will make it possible for me to contribute something unique to the academic conversation. I looked around the room and could only find one other mother in attendance. This might be the only thing that sets me apart, actually, in a room where every single person has degrees from more prestigious institutions than I do. (Valpo is many good things, but a literary studies powerhouse it is not.)
Being a mom could actually be an explicit advantage, given my research interests. For years I have been trying to figure out why I am so fascinated by American women's writing of the First World War. I have known they had something to say which still doesn't register in public consciousness because male narratives of the war have always been privileged. What unique thing(s) are expressed in these women's works, I still don't know. Sometime in the past two years I began to think it has something to do with how knowledge of conception and reproduction help us to make sense of the war differently. Male and female writers alike refer to the war in terms of conception and birth all the time. They suggest that the war was a difficult period, like pregnancy or labor, but it was necessary and noble to endure because they believed it would deliver new ideas into the world. When the events of the war destroyed this optimistic view, and writers started mourning the loss of the idea the war was supposed to represent, they began comparing the war to miscarriage and stillbirth. Maybe, now that I've conceived, carried, and delivered a baby, I'll eventually be able to make sense of these comparisons in a way I wouldn't have been able to do if I wasn't a mother. I guess time will tell.
But for right now, I am trying to be encouraged by the fact that my reaction to a single comment during today's talk helped me to realize that, at the very least, being a mother has given me a new, more interesting academic perspective than I had before. This is the second time this has happened to me, actually, so now it's a trend. (I won't go into it here, but if you're curious, ask me sometime about the epiphany I had regarding Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath after I learned how breastfeeding really works.)
I had a good day as a mom today, too. Nora was thisclose to rolling over for me and Billy! I've been trying to help her with this for a while. At first, when I'd roll her, she'd push back against the motion. The other day she started rolling into it. Today, I was putting a little ring in her hand and she was using it to pull herself over. While practicing this back-to-tummy roll with my help, she flopped from her tummy onto her back all by herself a few times. The video of her rolling over all on her own cannot be far off!
Attending today's talk meant I had to renegotiate my entire Monday schedule in order to drop Nora off early, fight traffic, and arrive on campus before 10am. Just getting there felt like an accomplishment. But before the the candidate's introduction was even finished, I was already thinking "Well. If this is the type of person I am going to have to compete against, I am never going to get a job in this field." The longer the candidate talked, the more I realized I am many light years away from being prepared to perform the role of "job candidate for a tenure-track professorship."
But there was one flicker of hope midway through her talk. She referred to something as the "emblem of an aborted dream." I haven't read the book she was discussing, but unless I misunderstood her explanation of the novel's events, she should have said it was the "emblem of a miscarried dream." This is a significant difference, not only on the level of language. And at this moment, a lightbulb went off in my head. I remembered: "I think you will find that this enhances your scholarship," my mentor professor told me when I told him I was expecting a baby. Love, work, and having a baby mutually inform one another, argues Mary Austin in "The Walking Woman."
When this woman said "aborted" instead of "miscarried," and I began thinking about what a significant difference that is, it occurred to me that maybe Mary Austin and my professor are right-- maybe being a mother is the thing that will make it possible for me to contribute something unique to the academic conversation. I looked around the room and could only find one other mother in attendance. This might be the only thing that sets me apart, actually, in a room where every single person has degrees from more prestigious institutions than I do. (Valpo is many good things, but a literary studies powerhouse it is not.)
Being a mom could actually be an explicit advantage, given my research interests. For years I have been trying to figure out why I am so fascinated by American women's writing of the First World War. I have known they had something to say which still doesn't register in public consciousness because male narratives of the war have always been privileged. What unique thing(s) are expressed in these women's works, I still don't know. Sometime in the past two years I began to think it has something to do with how knowledge of conception and reproduction help us to make sense of the war differently. Male and female writers alike refer to the war in terms of conception and birth all the time. They suggest that the war was a difficult period, like pregnancy or labor, but it was necessary and noble to endure because they believed it would deliver new ideas into the world. When the events of the war destroyed this optimistic view, and writers started mourning the loss of the idea the war was supposed to represent, they began comparing the war to miscarriage and stillbirth. Maybe, now that I've conceived, carried, and delivered a baby, I'll eventually be able to make sense of these comparisons in a way I wouldn't have been able to do if I wasn't a mother. I guess time will tell.
But for right now, I am trying to be encouraged by the fact that my reaction to a single comment during today's talk helped me to realize that, at the very least, being a mother has given me a new, more interesting academic perspective than I had before. This is the second time this has happened to me, actually, so now it's a trend. (I won't go into it here, but if you're curious, ask me sometime about the epiphany I had regarding Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath after I learned how breastfeeding really works.)
I had a good day as a mom today, too. Nora was thisclose to rolling over for me and Billy! I've been trying to help her with this for a while. At first, when I'd roll her, she'd push back against the motion. The other day she started rolling into it. Today, I was putting a little ring in her hand and she was using it to pull herself over. While practicing this back-to-tummy roll with my help, she flopped from her tummy onto her back all by herself a few times. The video of her rolling over all on her own cannot be far off!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Another Week Older and Wiser!
Things are a little hectic for me now that I'm trying to manage diaper changes and doctoral studies simultaneously. But Nora continues to improve on her skills every day and each week she seems to have a new talent! This week she has been very vocal. In addition to her regular peeps, happy squeals, and rare giggles, she has started doing this low pitched murmur that we have started to think of as her "thinking voice."
She is also grabbing her legs and her feet like crazy, especially when she's getting her diaper changed. Periodically she even manages to get her toes in her mouth!
The weather this week has been nice and mild, so we have been taking Nora and Oscar for a walk every evening before she goes to bed. She loves riding in her carrier with me or Billy and looking all around, and Oscar certainly enjoys getting out of the house. The fresh air seems to put her in a nice mellow mood which makes an easy transition to bedtime. We were taking regular family walks toward the end of my pregnancy, so our walks this week helped me stop and think for a few minutes about how far we've come these past few months and how much we are enjoying our growing little family.
The most exciting news of the week, though, is that Nora is now sleeping in her crib like a big girl! Last time we tried putting her in her crib without the swaddle blanket, she wouldn't sleep for more than a couple of hours, so we decided to wait a month or so before trying again. This time, she slept 10 straight hours after we set her down! Now I think she may even like it better than being all snuggled up in her little bed. She moves all around inside the crib, she's learning to suck her hand to soothe herself, and she is now able to lay alone in her crib in the dark without screaming. Her naps have shortened a bit since the change, but we're hoping she'll get the hang of napping flat on her back soon, too.
Also, her mom got some new glasses. Hope all is well for everyone else, too!
She is also grabbing her legs and her feet like crazy, especially when she's getting her diaper changed. Periodically she even manages to get her toes in her mouth!
The weather this week has been nice and mild, so we have been taking Nora and Oscar for a walk every evening before she goes to bed. She loves riding in her carrier with me or Billy and looking all around, and Oscar certainly enjoys getting out of the house. The fresh air seems to put her in a nice mellow mood which makes an easy transition to bedtime. We were taking regular family walks toward the end of my pregnancy, so our walks this week helped me stop and think for a few minutes about how far we've come these past few months and how much we are enjoying our growing little family.
The most exciting news of the week, though, is that Nora is now sleeping in her crib like a big girl! Last time we tried putting her in her crib without the swaddle blanket, she wouldn't sleep for more than a couple of hours, so we decided to wait a month or so before trying again. This time, she slept 10 straight hours after we set her down! Now I think she may even like it better than being all snuggled up in her little bed. She moves all around inside the crib, she's learning to suck her hand to soothe herself, and she is now able to lay alone in her crib in the dark without screaming. Her naps have shortened a bit since the change, but we're hoping she'll get the hang of napping flat on her back soon, too.
Also, her mom got some new glasses. Hope all is well for everyone else, too!
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Nora's 4 Month Visit
Nora got a great report from our pediatrician today! She weighs 13 pounds, 2 ounces and she is 23.5 inches long. Our pediatrician says she looks great, and her measurements and percentiles today confirm our suspicions over the past two months that her proportions are evening out. When I explained that nursing is still going very well, he recommended waiting until 6 months to start solids, which is what we had been hoping to hear. We were able to check off quite a few more developmental milestones, and she is getting close to accomplishing the next few. She screamed briefly after getting her shots but calmed down quickly once I picked her up.
A late afternoon appointment meant she got to go to bed shortly after arriving home, and we're hoping she can sleep off the thigh soreness that bothered her after her first round of shots. Here's a photo I took this morning of her sitting up in her Bumbo seat like a big girl!
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A late afternoon appointment meant she got to go to bed shortly after arriving home, and we're hoping she can sleep off the thigh soreness that bothered her after her first round of shots. Here's a photo I took this morning of her sitting up in her Bumbo seat like a big girl!
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Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Happy Valentine's Monthday!
Nora is now four months old! Today has been a nice sunny day, so we had enough nice natural light to capture her actual coloring this time around.
We can't wait to find out how big she is getting at the pediatrician on Thursday. According to the development charts I've seen, she is moving right along at a great pace. Since her third monthday, she has really started reaching for and holding her toys, she is a lot more vocal, and over the past few days she has even started holding onto her feet. She is twisting and rotating so much and tolerating tummy time so much better that we think she'll be rolling over soon. With the exception of one week during which her teeth seemed to really be bothering her, she continues to sleep well, and her naps are starting to get a little longer.
Billy and I agree that parenting an infant is a lot more fun than parenting a newborn. We used to feel overwhelmed by how quickly she was changing, but now we are learning to embrace and enjoy it. During those first few months, I told a few people that I didn't need childbirth amnesia in order to embrace the idea of having another child someday-- I needed newborn amnesia. In retrospect, that difficult period was really over as quickly as everyone said it would be, though some of those days felt reallllly long. I've also been working on developing more confidence in my abilities as a mom. Rather than worrying about creating bad habits, I've been trying to direct my energy toward creating good habits and keeping Nora as happy and healthy as I can on any given day. Now that she is getting more social and responsive, it is a lot easier to reassure myself that I'm doing my best.
After a quick outfit change, I also took some photos to celebrate Nora's first official Valentine's Day. We've never been particularly big Valentine's day people in our house, but last year the day was special because we had just found out Nora was on the way. It's pretty crazy to stop and think about the fact that in one year, Nora grew from a bundle of cells into the happy, healthy, curious baby these images capture.
We hope you're all enjoying your Valentine's Day in whichever ways you choose to celebrate, and we'll be back in a few days to update you on Nora's growth!
We can't wait to find out how big she is getting at the pediatrician on Thursday. According to the development charts I've seen, she is moving right along at a great pace. Since her third monthday, she has really started reaching for and holding her toys, she is a lot more vocal, and over the past few days she has even started holding onto her feet. She is twisting and rotating so much and tolerating tummy time so much better that we think she'll be rolling over soon. With the exception of one week during which her teeth seemed to really be bothering her, she continues to sleep well, and her naps are starting to get a little longer.
Billy and I agree that parenting an infant is a lot more fun than parenting a newborn. We used to feel overwhelmed by how quickly she was changing, but now we are learning to embrace and enjoy it. During those first few months, I told a few people that I didn't need childbirth amnesia in order to embrace the idea of having another child someday-- I needed newborn amnesia. In retrospect, that difficult period was really over as quickly as everyone said it would be, though some of those days felt reallllly long. I've also been working on developing more confidence in my abilities as a mom. Rather than worrying about creating bad habits, I've been trying to direct my energy toward creating good habits and keeping Nora as happy and healthy as I can on any given day. Now that she is getting more social and responsive, it is a lot easier to reassure myself that I'm doing my best.
After a quick outfit change, I also took some photos to celebrate Nora's first official Valentine's Day. We've never been particularly big Valentine's day people in our house, but last year the day was special because we had just found out Nora was on the way. It's pretty crazy to stop and think about the fact that in one year, Nora grew from a bundle of cells into the happy, healthy, curious baby these images capture.
Valentine's dress courtesy of Aunt Vickie; Valentine bear courtesy of Great Grandparents Mimi and Papa
We hope you're all enjoying your Valentine's Day in whichever ways you choose to celebrate, and we'll be back in a few days to update you on Nora's growth!
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Return to Teaching
Though I've been back at school for a few weeks now, yesterday was my first day of teaching. Since this is the first time I've taught as a "teaching assistant" rather than as a sole instructor, I was both nervous and excited to meet my students. I was pleased with how many of them attended discussion, and they seemed like a generally interested bunch of kids. I think the strangest thing for me will be how little time I actually spend with these kids; as a high school teacher, I saw my students for 45 minutes a day, but as a TA, I only spend 50 minutes with them a week. I've made myself flashcards and am hoping to have learned most of their names by next week.
While I was at school, Nora was enjoying her longest day yet at her grandparents'. Patti took some pictures while she was there, so I wanted to share those. When I showed them to Nora, I told her she should take notice of how happy people are to be holding her because not all babies are lucky enough to be welcomed so warmly by every single relative.
Patti also sent along this photo of me holding Nora during the Ravens' last playoff game. The year Billy was born, the Orioles won the World Series, so we were hoping Nora might bring the same kind of luck to one of Baltimore's teams... but a trip to the Super Bowl was not in the cards, apparently. She looks skeptical, so maybe she knew things wouldn't turn out too well.
I'm almost always behind the camera at our house, so it's fun for me to see pictures of Nora taken from another person's perspective! And it's nice to see that she's surrounded by so much love and affection when I have to be away from her. I had a hard time being apart from her for so long yesterday, but she was well rested and in such a good mood when I got home that we were able to play for a while before she was ready for bed.
While I was at school, Nora was enjoying her longest day yet at her grandparents'. Patti took some pictures while she was there, so I wanted to share those. When I showed them to Nora, I told her she should take notice of how happy people are to be holding her because not all babies are lucky enough to be welcomed so warmly by every single relative.
Patti also sent along this photo of me holding Nora during the Ravens' last playoff game. The year Billy was born, the Orioles won the World Series, so we were hoping Nora might bring the same kind of luck to one of Baltimore's teams... but a trip to the Super Bowl was not in the cards, apparently. She looks skeptical, so maybe she knew things wouldn't turn out too well.
I'm almost always behind the camera at our house, so it's fun for me to see pictures of Nora taken from another person's perspective! And it's nice to see that she's surrounded by so much love and affection when I have to be away from her. I had a hard time being apart from her for so long yesterday, but she was well rested and in such a good mood when I got home that we were able to play for a while before she was ready for bed.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Keep Your Mama at Home Days
I'm starting to get used to my schedule, and one perk of being back at school is that I enjoy my days at home with Nora even more. Today she has napped well enough to allow me some time to prepare for tomorrow's teaching, begin next week's reading assignment, and share a few pictures.
Love my lovey! Thanks, Clara and Evie!
Ballet inspired footwear
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Focusing on the Positive
Our developing little sleeper has experienced some setbacks in the past week-- both in regards to napping and night sleep. This complicates the already tough questions we've been facing-- when should we stop swaddling her? When should we move her into the crib? Her increasingly weary parents are working on developing a plan in hopes that we can implement it before we get too exhausted.
In the meantime, though, I thought I'd share a couple of short clips that show her developing skills. She's only been content laying on the floor by herself for a month, but she's already reaching for and grabbing toys and holding her head up much higher when she's on her belly! As you'll see, she works hardest at developing new skills in the morning. : )
Update: Our pediatrician thinks she's teething!
In the meantime, though, I thought I'd share a couple of short clips that show her developing skills. She's only been content laying on the floor by herself for a month, but she's already reaching for and grabbing toys and holding her head up much higher when she's on her belly! As you'll see, she works hardest at developing new skills in the morning. : )
Update: Our pediatrician thinks she's teething!
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