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Blogger hasn't caught up with the ease of mobile posting, so I am moving the Gravid Herpetologist over to tumblr. I am going to try to maintain both, but I doubt it will happen.

Check it out: The Gravid Herpetologist

The Magic Drawer

So, we have a chest of drawers in the bedroom. Just a normal piece of furniture housing normal items of clothing: socks, underwear, t-shirts for Husband and me. That’s all. Just clothes. But from the way the Lizard Baby obsesses over the bottom drawer of this chest, one would think it had wish granting gnomes in there.

But, I promise. It is only filled with Husband’s socks. I tell the Lizard Baby this, but he doesn’t listen. Any time we’re in the bedroom, he runs straight to this drawer. And proceeds to throw the socks throughout the room with great glee.

This is of course, a problem. I dutifully pick the Lizard Baby up, say “No” firmly, and place him somewhere else on the floor or in the playard while he wails that I am a cruel mother. Then I pick up the damn socks. Again. And so our days have gone by for the last week. Until he realized something. There is another drawer. One that might really have gnomes! Or better yet-light sabers!

So he sneakily sidled up to said drawer. Not drawing any attention to himself. Looking oh so innocent. Somehow he manages to construct a glowing halo over his head to make him look more legit.

He then attacks! Not hindered by the pesky T-shirts in the way, he will find the magic hidden at the bottom of this drawer.

It never fails. He will continue to try to find something interesting in the bottom drawers. And I will walk over to him, ready to be mad. And he looks up at me with those big innocently evil eyes as he sits in the bottom drawer. And I realize....I need some duck tape.

For the dresser of course.

Ultrasound

We had the 20 week anatomy scan yesterday and it went awesome. Little dude was wiggling so crazy, making it difficult to get measurements. His heart rate was in the high 130s and he has an anterior placenta-which is funny because I still feel him kicking. He must be really active!

Mine looked pink and tasted like that nasty big red soda.

They also sprung the 1 hour glucose test on me (tests for gestational diabetes). I passed, but damn, that is the nastiest drink ever. I would rather have been given straight up sugar to drink.

Aengus and Kara's Big Adventure: AKA in Praise of my Ergo

Today, driving to the grocery, I heard a big "pop!" and thought a tire had burst for a second. But then I saw smoke coming out of the hood, then out of the back, and then everywhere around me. But as soon as it came, it was gone. I was freaking out, but there was nowhere to turn around, so I pull into the grocery parking lot and call Will. He says he's pretty sure the radiator hose popped (had some air trouble with it yesterday) and to stay close to home and not drive much. So, I grab my OJ and almond milk, some mangos (2/$1!!), bananas and crackers and head home.

Stupid intersection next to the worst restaurant possible.

I was at this intersection (pic above), in the middle lane, when without so much as a huff or rev, the dear Hyundai turned off. And would not turn back on--wouldn't turn over at all. Of course, the light turns green at this point and I flip on my hazard lights, but I still get many angry honks from the lovely drivers of this city, despite having an empty left lane and space to go around me.

I call Will immediately because I wasn't sure what to do as cars kept going by. He asked his maintenance guy to drive the shuttle over to get me and help get the car out of the road. Unfortunately, I couldn't really wait to move the car since I was holding up traffic. And despite my hopes, no one stopped to help. There may have been crying...

Yes, that is a no parking zone, but there were cars blocking any other spot.

I get myself together and push the car onto this bus stop sidewalk stop. Now, one would think if you saw a small, pregnant woman pushing a crossover SUV by herself, you would help. Not Lafayette drivers. Or at least stop and let her go by. Nope, Lafayette drivers edge around you. But for the love of Darwin, you will not HONK at her?! Well, Lafayette drivers do. And you know what, you can all kiss my ass! (At least, that's what I yelled while using my she-hulk-like pregnant strength to haul that car.

To be fair, once I was pushing it over the hump, one man ran over from the parking lot across the street to help me get it over the curb and make sure I had help and a ride coming. Thank you, mystery person. You restored my faith in humanity.

Then again, 3 police cruisers drove by without so much as a slow down, so I'm a bit raw on the local boys in blue.

I wait until the hotel shuttle and tow truck show up at the same time. (Fast for the tow truck! Like 15 minutes from when Will called!) And the two nice guys loaded up the car for me, helped me with my 2 bags of groceries, and made me relax over all. I was worried about leaving the car by itself.

I wasn't really paying attention, and realized the hotel shuttle took me back to...the hotel. Crap. Well, at least Will could keep the groceries in the tiny fridge. So, I decided to walk home. To be fair, it's only about a mile on wide sidewalks to the house. And, thank science, I thought to grab the ergo out of the car before I got in the shuttle. And since it had rained last night, the weather was very cool.

Snuggled up in the back carry during Festival International last weekend.

So, I strapped Aengus to my back (see above for example) and began the trek home. I was a little worried I'd get tired with my 23lb toddler attached to me, but it really wasn't bad. My feet didn't even hurt by the time I got home though my ballet slippers have no arch support.

Finally, we're on our street. "Oh, I bet the mail came." I thought. And then I realized the tow truck guy had taken my keys to the dealer. Shit. Of course, we have no hide a key. But, we do leave the door to the back patio unlocked. Unfortunately, there is a fence preventing my way. Now, there is 1 loose board, but not enough space for my pregnant ass to pass through. If only Aengus could open and unlock doors I could've passed him in and waited for him to open the front door. Alas, he is an average baby, not a locksmith prodigy.

What happens to your credit card if you try to open a door with it.

Then I think, we only locked the knob, not the dead bolt. Perhaps I can use an old credit card and jimmy the lock open. I find an old Belk's gift card with a grand total of $0.34 left on it and try and shake and beg and yell. Nope. Doesn't work.

I go back around to the back to try to loosen a second board. Kicks, pulls, whatever. The wood is old, wet, and slightly dry-rotted so I know I should be able to get another loose. Meanwhile, Aengus has fallen asleep on my back and I'm standing in a mud puddle.

That's when I see it. The house whose driveway backs up to our patio fence (in which I am standing) has a shovel propped up against it. A large, metal shovel. I figured the nice old couple who live there wouldn't be terribly offended if I borrowed it for a few minutes.

It took 4 good hits at the weak spots, but I knocked that bitch right off the fence. I undo the ergo and get Aengus down so I can put him in the patio first. He is traumatized that I woke him. But, we made it inside! Hoorah!

My handiwork in the backyard. Cute new banana trees, no?

And now we're enjoying a snack of feta cheese and townhouse crackers. Will called and said the dealership had a guy stay late and diagnose the car issue and they'll fix it first in the morning. I'm glad, because we have an appointment tomorrow and an ultrasound Thursday.

Hopefully this is all of the adventure I'll have this week.

A List of Words...

At 14 months, Aengus didn't seem to be saying many words. I mean, he said the obligatory mama and dada, and had lots of "words" for things, but it's not like he said "My milk please, mother." So, I assumed he wasn't talking. So I became concerned when hearing that other children had words. That is until I discovered that 14 month olds are not expected to pronounce things perfectly. It seems a "word" is anything I recognize as a word. So, here is a list of "words" Aengus says with a pronunciation of the word in parentheses. This is in order of appearance, approximately.

Dada (dada)

Daddy (daddy): He says this perfectly and quite well. I am impressed.

Mama (mama)

Hi (hiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!): accompanied by a wave

Baxter (Basher or Dasher): this is the dog. He says it more than mama....

Shoe (shuh)

Cup (kuh)

Boat (bo)

Ball (bob): this may be the word for all toys now?

See (see): this means "can I see?" or "do you want to see?" which we ask him often. Or maybe please...

Thank you (thisshew): anytime he gives us something, accompanied by a proud smile

Baby (babum): this is very hit and miss, however. For his baby doll.

"Uh!!!" seems to serve every other linguistic purpose currently.

12 weeks & the announcement

We had the 12 week appointment with the OB yesterday. Heart rate was 167-170, so maybe a girl this time? We also announced to the families, which has gone well.

I also finally found our camera, just in time for Mardi Gras, so enjoy the cuteness:

The Missing Camera

Many interesting things have happened this week, but sadly, I cannot document them visually. My camera, which I love oh so much, has disappeared. It happened in a 10 minute period in the living room, and my dear son has placed it somewhere magical. We have torn the house apart. I'm sure it will turn up, but I'm going crazy every time a picture-worthy moment passes.

So, a quick run-down:

~We had our ultrasound last week, and saw a tiny heartbeat on the tadpole. (Which, coincidentally, looks very much like a tadpole.)

~Aengus is walking all over the house like a tiny adult.

~The first birthday is quickly approaching, and I MUST FIND MY CAMERA!

Bleh

I'm sick. I don't remember being this nauseous with Aengus, but perhaps I am remembering his pregnancy with rose-colored glasses. I wake up at 3am every night feeling like death warmed over. Eating makes it worse. Not eating makes it worse. I am miserable. And, that is my bitch for the day. I'm off to be more positive now.

Women Deserve Better...

The 38th anniversary of Roe v. Wade is tomorrow. As a pro-choice, pro-woman, pro-child mother of one (and one growing) I am thankful for this court case. To best explain my reasoning, please enjoy the below video of Sonya Renee's spoken word "What Women Deserve". It may be the pregnancy hormones talking, but I cried watching this. Then again, I almost always cry when I watch it.

Decisions Made

Well, I made an appointment with an OB for next week. I should be 6.5 weeks-ish at that point. Will and I have pretty much decided on a hospital birth with this pregnancy, and although I was not thrilled at first, I'm coming to peace with the decision. I have a weird feeling about this pregnancy and have dreamed about being in the hospital twice, so I'm just going with it.

Now to get excited about an OB/GYN appointment...hmmm...

Birth Plans for Tadpole?

I gave birth to my son at home with a wonderful midwife last year. Every memory I have of his birth makes me happy-even the more difficult parts. Will and I still speak of certain parts and laugh or smile.

With this pregnancy, I'm unsure of what to do. We were planning on moving in May, with me working a job and Will staying home, but I can't work for 4 months and then take maternity leave. Well, I guess I could, but I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that. So, I guess we'll wait until September or October to move and have the tadpole here. I would love to use our midwife again, but we have to pay out of pocket, and with the move and me not working past May, I'm not sure if we can do it. I mean, we could, but I don't know how financially strapped I want to be.

The other option is to give birth in the hospital (which freaks me out, but I hear one is not bad) with a doula or 2 for support and have the whole thing covered by insurance. I just have to find an OB that I like. I have 2 or so recommendations, so that shouldn't be difficult. I just hate the idea of not remembering tadpole's birth as fondly as Aengus's.

Of course, I have this weird feeling that I'm having twins because I'm still breastfeeding, and if so, I can't give birth at home anyhow.

Cravings

They have begun. And, of course it isn't anything normal. I want vinegar. Apple cider vinegar, to be exact. I want to drink it. I want to get a bowl of apple cider vinegar and dip french bread into it. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water. This is going to be a strange pregnancy.

It's official

I'm gravid again. Looks like we're starting this journey all over again.

Sometime in mid-September, 2011 the tadpole will arrive.

Infant/Toddler Creativity

Cottonbabies (makers of bumgenius diapers) ask:

How do you encourage a creative, artistic spirit in your baby, toddler or young child?

We have a 7 month old, so getting his creativity flowing might seem to be a bigger challenge than for a toddler or older child, but not necessarily. We just try to appeal to all his senses. See examples below of how to get your baby to explore his or her creative side:

Taste: We practice baby-led solids, so we try to get lots of different flavors and textures of food. Just this week Aengus has tried onion, hummus, sushi (cooked-not raw), cheese, BBQ, and ravioli for the first time.

Smell: different foods, letting him smell unlit candles or air fresheners while shopping, coffee beans or vanilla

Sound: Aengus loves music-so we try to vary the types. Anything from AC/DC (obviously), to Pavarotti, to They Might Be Giants!

Sight: Babies' developing brains love patterns and colors, depending on age. We love books, pictures, and even an occasional video.

Touch: This is the fun one in my opinion. Having a time to touch textures-sand, water, fur (from our dog), silk, wood, wool, etc.

War

Shakesville: Stay Classy, Catholic Church

"You just can't make this stuff up:

The Vatican today made the "attempted ordination" of women one of the gravest crimes under church law, putting it in the same category as clerical sex abuse of minors, heresy and schism.

So, just to be clear: According to the Catholic Church, ordaining a woman is just as bad as raping a child. Or, if you prefer, raping a child is only as a bad as attempting to ordain a woman.

You got your virulent misogyny in my diminishment of sexual assault!

All I can do is laugh bitterly at this point."

Does that mean that just like in the case of child abuse, priests ordaining women will just get reassigned and have it covered up?

Looks like everyone who criticized Sinead O'Connor in 1992 over her SNL appearance owes her a big apology.

Reading Day

Yes, I am a terrible blogger. I feel terrible, other than the fact that no one reads this but my hubby anyway.

So, we've reached the stage where Aengus likes to have a book read to him. We only have a few books, but his favorite so far is the Lorax.

Although, I have the sneaking suspicion he prefers eating books to reading them.

Gardening

Will and I had moderate success growing tomatoes and peppers in a potted garden on our patio last year. We continued the tradition Monday with what we learned about this crazy bayou climate. It was pretty mosquito-ridden, but Aengus didn't get any bites. I was covered and had to coat my legs in castor oil--fun stuff...

Aengus enjoyed playing in the bouncer while we planted. He was so proud that he could hit the little dangling animals.

Baxter wanted to be in the picture. Hopefully we'll get a better yield this time. The Thai peppers are already budding.

Tuckered out after a big day of playing. We all slept pretty well that night.

Recipe: Chana Masala

From VegWeb.com

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large clove of garlic, minced

1 tbsp curry paste (can substitute 1 tbsp curry + 1 tbsp tomato paste)

15 oz can chick peas, drained, reserving 3 tablespoon liquid

1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

fresh black pepper

crushed red pepper, optional to taste

1 tbsp vegan margarine

Directions:

Heat oil on medium high heat. Fry onions until slightly browned. Reduce heat to medium. Add garlic and curry paste. Stir and simmer about 2 minutes. Add chick peas, liquid, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Simmer 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add red pepper to taste. Add margarine, stirring through to melt it. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes more or until peas are softened and dish is hot. Serve over rice.

This was so delicious! Not to mention simple to make. I recommend some delicious organic jasmine rice.

The Family Bed

Will, Aengus, and I (and sometimes, despite my best efforts, the dog) have a Family Bed. This was natural for us, and has worked brilliantly for the past 2 months. In fact, it has worked for millions of years for us mammals. Sleeping with your children is an evolutionary imperative.

I love this comic. It is almost exactly how our bed looks, minus Will wearing a mask.

If you love cloth diapers as much as I do and want to support mom-owned business, check out the Happy Baby Company, aka Pittsburgh Cloth Diapers. On Facebook, enter the discussion contest!

Spare the rod?

Time magazine just released an article on a study showing how spanking leads to more aggression in children.

Duh.

There are more scientific studies showing a correlation between childhood corporal punishment and violence than I could read (and I am adept at reading journal articles by now). But, what bothers me more about this Time article is the comment section. With people becoming so angry over the idea of NOT hitting a child, is it any wonder that our nation has so much violence?

"Children are the only people in this society anybody is allowed to hit. All the rest of us are legally protected."**from the article "Physical Punishment in the Home" by Penelope Leach.
If questioned, I could go on and on about why hitting should not be used as a form of discipline for anyone (it doesn't work, it leads to resentment and mistrust of parents, aggression, it's not logical) but I don't want to be questioned. Because all those questions are really asking is "why don't you make the right decision and hit your kid?" Anecdotal evidence stating "I was spanked and I turned out fine" does not convince me that hitting is an effective form of discipline. I could just as easily say "John Smith was spanked and he is a serial killer, or Susie Q wasn't spanked and now she runs a fortune 500 company". Anecdotal evidence is nothing. Not to mention, I like to include in my anecdotal response "I was spanked and turned out amazing despite the hitting. And I still work through it emotionally every day".Really, what I find interesting is that people assume that spanking is the only discipline. Umm...no. Hitting is easy discipline; discipline for those who did not have time to build skills in conflict resolution, who don't believe children are beings with whom you can be rational or reasonable, or who are exhausted and don't have enough support. Or maybe they feel their religion compels them to spank.***
Well, I am not raising a dog here, I want Aengus to be his own person. I'm just here to help him along the way, not to be Augusto Pinochet. If sometimes he disagrees with me, so what? I disagree with Will sometimes--does that mean I have disrespected him? Not necessarily. It's all about respecting each other. Which led us to: Gentle Discipline.
"Parents who choose "gentle discipline" or "positive discipline", do not spank, but instead will use things like distraction (for toddlers) and natural and logical consequences (for older children). If they do use "time-outs", they tend to use them in a nonpunitive way--a break, away from a situation where the child has lost control of themselves and need to take a couple minutes to get control again. Generally the parent will participate in this "positive time-out" with the child, as opposed to sending them away to "think about what they did" or to punish them."
***By the way, if you are part of a certain mainstream U.S. religion (evangelicals, I'm looking at you) and you feel hitting is wrong, please check out this website for other parents from your religion who will support you in parenting gently. (They can also provide you with resources including verses from the bible and other religious texts to help with explaining to family members, etc).