Bean at six months old. I still get this look quite frequently.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wordless Wednesday - Whadja say, Mom? (Way Back When)
Bean at six months old. I still get this look quite frequently.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Toy Bucket
In Bean's room there is a toy bucket that we throw a ton of her stuffed animals in. Beside the toy bucket is my grandmother's wooden chest that normally has more stuffed animals sitting on top of it along with a baby quilt one of my aunt's made. It's normally all very nice and neat. Normally.
This only took her five minutes to do, too.
This only took her five minutes to do, too.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Wednesday Ponderings
I just wanted to tell you all that I am still around. In my real life, I am a legal secretary and we have been preparing for a trial so I've been unable to do much posting. But after all our hard work, the trial has been postponed. That's just the way it goes sometimes.
I didn't get anything done on my weekend to-do list. I must have jinxed myself. We did look at some backsplash options and I think I have found what I want but it will probably be put off for awhile now due to unforeseen circumstances in the financial department. I cracked my back molar and now am looking at a crown in my future and not even the pretty sparkly kind either. I pray that Bean has better teeth than I do.
Hopefully, this weekend will be more productive. Hopefully.
I didn't get anything done on my weekend to-do list. I must have jinxed myself. We did look at some backsplash options and I think I have found what I want but it will probably be put off for awhile now due to unforeseen circumstances in the financial department. I cracked my back molar and now am looking at a crown in my future and not even the pretty sparkly kind either. I pray that Bean has better teeth than I do.
Hopefully, this weekend will be more productive. Hopefully.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Customer Service
I thought I would share a customer service chat I just had with a gal named Holly who happens to work at my bank. Bless her heart.
Holly: Hi! Thank you for being a valued Bank of the Disillusion customer My name is Holly. May I know your full name and last four digits of your account number?
You: Pinkie Pinkster...****
Holly: Pinkie, A very warm welcome to our online chat service!
[Don’t try to distract me, Holly! I know the game you’re runnin’.]
Holly: How are you doing today?
You: Fine and you.
[Notice how I just stated this. Thus the use of a period and not a question mark. Holly did not notice.]
Holly: Good to know that you are fine
.
Holly: I am doing fantastic!!!
[Well, you are now...Holly...give it a few minutes...]
Holly: Thank you.
Holly: How may I assist you with your checking and saving accounts?
You: I just called the 800 # for your bank to dispute a debit card charge. It is for a debit made on 02-03-10. The agent told me she wasn't sure if I could go back that far to make a dispute and gave me a telephone number of a department to call to find out. The number I wrote down was 800-336-1121 but I get Budget Rent A Car when I call that number.
You: I wondered if anyone there could help me with this instead.
Holly: Yes, that is the incorrect number.
[See...this is where I thought we were both on the same page. That’s what I get for thinking.]
Holly: In order to file a dispute I recommend you call us on 1.800.432.1000. We are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Local Time.
Holly: Just press "0" you will get connected to the specialist
You: I did call that number. That is who told me to call this other number.
[Silly me, I must have been unclear before. I should really try harder.]
Holly: Thank you for waiting. I'll be with you in just a moment.
[At this point, I’m having to “hold” online for Holly. I don’t know what Holly was doing while I was waiting on her. Maybe praying to the Good Witch Glenda...maybe ordering something with Amazon...maybe texting her BFF...I don’t know but it took about 5 minutes for her to come back.]
Holly: That is the correct number.
You: Which number is correct?
[Really, give me a clue here, Holly, cause a minute ago you said a number was incorrect. I’m just trying to follow the bouncing ball here.]
Holly: 1.800.432.1000
You: Okay, let's try this again.
[Can you see the steam coming out of my ears yet? Now’s probably a bad time to check my blood pressure.]
Holly: Okay.
Holly: Is there anything else I may assist you with today?
[Hold the phone!!!! Did I not just say “let’s try this again?” I type for a living but I’ve got a lot to say so could you please give me a chance to “try it again”????]
You: I called 800-432-1000. I spoke with Diane. I told Diane what my issue was. Diane at 800-432-1000 told me she was not sure BOA could allow me to dispute a debit made on 02-03-2010 since it was over a month ago. She told me to call 800-336-1121 to ask if this department could process a dispute over a month old. I called that number but it is a number for Budget Rent A Car.
Holly: You will be able to file a dispute within 60 days of the transaction posting to your account.
[Well, Holly, that’s news to Diane!!!]
You: Diane at 800-432-1000 told me she was not sure I could. That is why she told me to call the dispute department directly but the number she gave me was incorrect. Can you give me the dispute department direct dial number?
[I thought at this point maybe I should try smaller sentences.]
Holly: I really apologize for the inconvenience which has caused to you over the phone,
[I can tell. Really. I can tell. I bet you spent that five minutes I was “on hold” telling all your cube mates how bad you felt for my inconvenience. ]
Holly: That must be very upsetting. I can understand.
[Evidently Holly thought it was time to try shorter sentences, too.]
You: So I have to call back the people that told me to call someone else?
[Makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I think of this earlier???]
You: I'm sorry but this is very frustrating in dealing with your company. It always takes two or three calls, emails or live chats to get something fixed or answered.
[I thought I would explain to Holly why they are not on our Christmas Card list.]
Holly: I understand how frustrating this must be.
Holly: I'm sorry about this.
Holly: I apologize if there’s been a misunderstanding.
Holly: I can see why you feel that way.
[I think Robot Holly’s batteries are running down...]
You: So you can't help me with this. You can only tell me to call the number I've already called and try again?
[I really tried not to go to my snarky place. I really tried.]
Holly: I do apologize for the inconvenience, I do not have the system access to assist with a transaction dispute.
You: Okay. Thank you very much. I will try again. Wish me luck.
[Snark. Snark. Snark.]
Holly: I really appreciate your understanding and co-operation with me in this regard.
Holly: Pleasure is all mine, as it is always nice to serve a great customer like you.
[Save the butter for the next person. I’m on a diet.]
Holly: Is there anything else I may assist you with today?
Holly: I am sure it will be resolved for you this time.
You: That is all. Thank you.
[Evidently, Holly does not read blogs and does not understand the dismissal value of “That is all.”]
Holly: You are a very friendly customer!!!
Holly: Thank you for being such a nice customer!!!
[I am now starting to get scared. I think I should log on and make sure my money is still all there.]
Holly: Co-operative customers like you make our work a lot easier.
[I’ve seen 24. I now decide to move away from any windows just in case Holly has a direct line to a sniper service.]
Holly: I would like to personally thank you for banking with Bank of Disillusion, where your business is greatly appreciated.
[O.M.G. I just threw up in my mouth a little.]
Holly: Hi! Thank you for being a valued Bank of the Disillusion customer My name is Holly. May I know your full name and last four digits of your account number?
You: Pinkie Pinkster...****
Holly: Pinkie, A very warm welcome to our online chat service!
[Don’t try to distract me, Holly! I know the game you’re runnin’.]
Holly: How are you doing today?
You: Fine and you.
[Notice how I just stated this. Thus the use of a period and not a question mark. Holly did not notice.]
Holly: Good to know that you are fine
.
Holly: I am doing fantastic!!!
[Well, you are now...Holly...give it a few minutes...]
Holly: Thank you.
Holly: How may I assist you with your checking and saving accounts?
You: I just called the 800 # for your bank to dispute a debit card charge. It is for a debit made on 02-03-10. The agent told me she wasn't sure if I could go back that far to make a dispute and gave me a telephone number of a department to call to find out. The number I wrote down was 800-336-1121 but I get Budget Rent A Car when I call that number.
You: I wondered if anyone there could help me with this instead.
Holly: Yes, that is the incorrect number.
[See...this is where I thought we were both on the same page. That’s what I get for thinking.]
Holly: In order to file a dispute I recommend you call us on 1.800.432.1000. We are available from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Local Time.
Holly: Just press "0" you will get connected to the specialist
You: I did call that number. That is who told me to call this other number.
[Silly me, I must have been unclear before. I should really try harder.]
Holly: Thank you for waiting. I'll be with you in just a moment.
[At this point, I’m having to “hold” online for Holly. I don’t know what Holly was doing while I was waiting on her. Maybe praying to the Good Witch Glenda...maybe ordering something with Amazon...maybe texting her BFF...I don’t know but it took about 5 minutes for her to come back.]
Holly: That is the correct number.
You: Which number is correct?
[Really, give me a clue here, Holly, cause a minute ago you said a number was incorrect. I’m just trying to follow the bouncing ball here.]
Holly: 1.800.432.1000
You: Okay, let's try this again.
[Can you see the steam coming out of my ears yet? Now’s probably a bad time to check my blood pressure.]
Holly: Okay.
Holly: Is there anything else I may assist you with today?
[Hold the phone!!!! Did I not just say “let’s try this again?” I type for a living but I’ve got a lot to say so could you please give me a chance to “try it again”????]
You: I called 800-432-1000. I spoke with Diane. I told Diane what my issue was. Diane at 800-432-1000 told me she was not sure BOA could allow me to dispute a debit made on 02-03-2010 since it was over a month ago. She told me to call 800-336-1121 to ask if this department could process a dispute over a month old. I called that number but it is a number for Budget Rent A Car.
Holly: You will be able to file a dispute within 60 days of the transaction posting to your account.
[Well, Holly, that’s news to Diane!!!]
You: Diane at 800-432-1000 told me she was not sure I could. That is why she told me to call the dispute department directly but the number she gave me was incorrect. Can you give me the dispute department direct dial number?
[I thought at this point maybe I should try smaller sentences.]
Holly: I really apologize for the inconvenience which has caused to you over the phone,
[I can tell. Really. I can tell. I bet you spent that five minutes I was “on hold” telling all your cube mates how bad you felt for my inconvenience. ]
Holly: That must be very upsetting. I can understand.
[Evidently Holly thought it was time to try shorter sentences, too.]
You: So I have to call back the people that told me to call someone else?
[Makes perfect sense. Why didn’t I think of this earlier???]
You: I'm sorry but this is very frustrating in dealing with your company. It always takes two or three calls, emails or live chats to get something fixed or answered.
[I thought I would explain to Holly why they are not on our Christmas Card list.]
Holly: I understand how frustrating this must be.
Holly: I'm sorry about this.
Holly: I apologize if there’s been a misunderstanding.
Holly: I can see why you feel that way.
[I think Robot Holly’s batteries are running down...]
You: So you can't help me with this. You can only tell me to call the number I've already called and try again?
[I really tried not to go to my snarky place. I really tried.]
Holly: I do apologize for the inconvenience, I do not have the system access to assist with a transaction dispute.
You: Okay. Thank you very much. I will try again. Wish me luck.
[Snark. Snark. Snark.]
Holly: I really appreciate your understanding and co-operation with me in this regard.
Holly: Pleasure is all mine, as it is always nice to serve a great customer like you.
[Save the butter for the next person. I’m on a diet.]
Holly: Is there anything else I may assist you with today?
Holly: I am sure it will be resolved for you this time.
You: That is all. Thank you.
[Evidently, Holly does not read blogs and does not understand the dismissal value of “That is all.”]
Holly: You are a very friendly customer!!!
Holly: Thank you for being such a nice customer!!!
[I am now starting to get scared. I think I should log on and make sure my money is still all there.]
Holly: Co-operative customers like you make our work a lot easier.
[I’ve seen 24. I now decide to move away from any windows just in case Holly has a direct line to a sniper service.]
Holly: I would like to personally thank you for banking with Bank of Disillusion, where your business is greatly appreciated.
[O.M.G. I just threw up in my mouth a little.]
Weekend Plans
This weekend I have a list of things I'd like to get done.
1. Pick out some type of material at Home Depot or Lowe's to use as a kitchen backsplash.
2. Buy some chalkboard paint.
3. Paint Bean's table and chairs.
4. Make an Easter/Spring wreath.
5. Learn how to use my new Stampin' Up My Digital Software program.
6. Enjoy some of the warmer weather.
7. Start my online Craigslist yard sale.
8. Bake some bread.
9. Catch up on all our laundry.
10. Enjoy time with my daughter.
Now, that's my weekend list. How many things on there do you think I'll really do? As long as I complete #10, it will be a great weekend in my opinion.
What kind of weekend plans do you all have? Please feel free to share them in the comments. You might inspire me or someone else.
1. Pick out some type of material at Home Depot or Lowe's to use as a kitchen backsplash.
2. Buy some chalkboard paint.
3. Paint Bean's table and chairs.
4. Make an Easter/Spring wreath.
5. Learn how to use my new Stampin' Up My Digital Software program.
6. Enjoy some of the warmer weather.
7. Start my online Craigslist yard sale.
8. Bake some bread.
9. Catch up on all our laundry.
10. Enjoy time with my daughter.
Now, that's my weekend list. How many things on there do you think I'll really do? As long as I complete #10, it will be a great weekend in my opinion.
What kind of weekend plans do you all have? Please feel free to share them in the comments. You might inspire me or someone else.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Random Beanisms
Here are some random Beanisms I thought I'd share.
1. Bean loves to eat...crayons and chapstick. If someone would invent a crayon based on the food pyramid, we'd have all our food worries solved. Get on it, Crayola!
2. Tonight I was told by Bean for the first time "Be nice", "I'm gonna get mad at you", and "whatever". The "whatever" had me reeling. Hubz said "now you know what it feels like". Shush it, Hubz.
3. She has learned to count.
"9", "10", "7", "8" is the new "1", "2", "3".
4. I love it when she says "Mommy, I want to hold you".
5. She can tear apart quicker than I can put together.
6. She is brave. She will lay down all the way in the tub with the water around her ears. Mommy doesn't like this bravery.
7. She's sneaky. She said to me yesterday "Mommy, say oh crap". I just looked at her and she started laughing and said "you not 'posed to say dat".
8. Thanks to Hubz and his Family Guy obsession, Bean will now run around the house screaming "tiny penis, tiny penis, tiny penis". I pray to God this never happens in a store.
9. She still has not forgotten her old friend "Ba Ba".
10. She's still the greatest thing I ever did.
1. Bean loves to eat...crayons and chapstick. If someone would invent a crayon based on the food pyramid, we'd have all our food worries solved. Get on it, Crayola!
2. Tonight I was told by Bean for the first time "Be nice", "I'm gonna get mad at you", and "whatever". The "whatever" had me reeling. Hubz said "now you know what it feels like". Shush it, Hubz.
3. She has learned to count.
"9", "10", "7", "8" is the new "1", "2", "3".
4. I love it when she says "Mommy, I want to hold you".
5. She can tear apart quicker than I can put together.
6. She is brave. She will lay down all the way in the tub with the water around her ears. Mommy doesn't like this bravery.
7. She's sneaky. She said to me yesterday "Mommy, say oh crap". I just looked at her and she started laughing and said "you not 'posed to say dat".
8. Thanks to Hubz and his Family Guy obsession, Bean will now run around the house screaming "tiny penis, tiny penis, tiny penis". I pray to God this never happens in a store.
9. She still has not forgotten her old friend "Ba Ba".
10. She's still the greatest thing I ever did.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sick again and gettin' dissed.
I am sick AGAIN. Bean started getting sick on Saturday. Well, she started sneezing a lot on Saturday and I happen to say to Hubz “Gee, she sure is sneezing quite a bit today. I hope she’s not getting sick.” A day late and a dollar short, I guess. But it wasn’t enough for her to get sick, she had to bring me along for the ride. This was my birthday weekend so I grounded her for getting me sick on my birthday. How old am I? Don’t make me ground you, too.
So because I’ve been feeling puny, I haven’t felt like talking to you all. I do apologize and hope that you can forgive me. Frankly, I’m tired of getting sick every time Bean does. I guess I need to up our Vitamin C or something.
Saturday Hubz, Bean, and I went to a Princess Diana exhibit. I was/am a huge Princess Diana fan. I have so many books, magazines, and various memorabilia about her. Hubz’ thinks it’s crazy but that’s what I think about his 15 fishing poles, too. To each his own.
Bean made it halfway through the exhibit before beginning her meltdown. To be fair, it was close to her nap time, she’s been bottle/best friend-free for almost two weeks, and she wasn’t allowed to run all over the place. I would probably be grumpy, too. I kept trying to tell her that she was gonna get to see a Princess dress. She wasn’t really sold on the idea.
For some reason she has an aversion to her daddy. I don’t know why. They like to play together. But when it is time for comforting, she’s a Mommy’s girl. All I and the hundred other people around kept hearing was “Mommy, I want to hold you.” Over and over and over. Towards the end of the exhibit, I finally got her to fall asleep. I was holding her when a woman came up to me and said “So, you finally got her down, huh?”.
Was that a diss? Was that a “why the heck did you bring a two-year old to something like this?” Was that a “God, Woman! Didn’t you bring any duct tape with you?” Maybe she meant it in a “I know how you feel, girl” kinda way. I don’t know. But I was at an exhibit honoring a woman who tried to be an ambassador to millions of people so I decided in the sprit of Princess Diana to not go looney bin crazy on the woman. I just smiled at her and shook my head.
Have you ever been on the receiving end of a comment that you didn’t quite know how to take? Did you keep calm or did you go looney bin crazy?
So because I’ve been feeling puny, I haven’t felt like talking to you all. I do apologize and hope that you can forgive me. Frankly, I’m tired of getting sick every time Bean does. I guess I need to up our Vitamin C or something.
Saturday Hubz, Bean, and I went to a Princess Diana exhibit. I was/am a huge Princess Diana fan. I have so many books, magazines, and various memorabilia about her. Hubz’ thinks it’s crazy but that’s what I think about his 15 fishing poles, too. To each his own.
Bean made it halfway through the exhibit before beginning her meltdown. To be fair, it was close to her nap time, she’s been bottle/best friend-free for almost two weeks, and she wasn’t allowed to run all over the place. I would probably be grumpy, too. I kept trying to tell her that she was gonna get to see a Princess dress. She wasn’t really sold on the idea.
For some reason she has an aversion to her daddy. I don’t know why. They like to play together. But when it is time for comforting, she’s a Mommy’s girl. All I and the hundred other people around kept hearing was “Mommy, I want to hold you.” Over and over and over. Towards the end of the exhibit, I finally got her to fall asleep. I was holding her when a woman came up to me and said “So, you finally got her down, huh?”.
Was that a diss? Was that a “why the heck did you bring a two-year old to something like this?” Was that a “God, Woman! Didn’t you bring any duct tape with you?” Maybe she meant it in a “I know how you feel, girl” kinda way. I don’t know. But I was at an exhibit honoring a woman who tried to be an ambassador to millions of people so I decided in the sprit of Princess Diana to not go looney bin crazy on the woman. I just smiled at her and shook my head.
Have you ever been on the receiving end of a comment that you didn’t quite know how to take? Did you keep calm or did you go looney bin crazy?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Operation Bye-Bye BaBa - Part III
And now, the conclusion of Update on Operation Bye-Bye BaBa.
So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were hard on Bean. And I’ll admit, they were hard on me, too.
Friday morning when Bean and I were getting ready to go to Giggles’ house, I told Bean to grab a toy or doll, whatever she wanted to take with her to her nannies that day. She started into the living room and then turned back to me and said, “But no BaBas.”
I stopped in my tracks and looked at her. Her little face. Those sweet, sweet eyes looking at me.
I said to her, “No, honey, no BaBas.”
She said, “Cause I a big girl.”
THUD. My heart fell out on the floor right there. I stepped over it and grabbed her up in my arms. I kissed her little face all over and hugged her close to me. I sat on the couch holding her and just bawled my eyes out.
I said, “That’s right, baby. You are a big girl now and you don’t need any BaBas. You need to start drinking out of a cuppie like other big girls.” I told her how big she was getting and that even though Mommy thinks of her as an itty, bitty baby, she isn’t really. She is growing and learning so much. I told her how proud we were of her and how much Mommy and Daddy loved her. I told her I knew it was hard for her to learn to be without her BaBa and that she hadn’t done anything wrong, she just needed to move onto big girl cuppies.
I went on and on and on. She just looked up at me and giggled. I cried because both she and I had realized that she isn’t a baby any more. She realized it was time to do some big girl things and I realized it was time I let her.
She still asks for a BaBa at night but there is no crying any more, hers or mine. When we tell her no, she might pout or ask a couple more times but then she lets it go.
Did we do the right thing? Yeah, I think so.
Did it break my heart to do it? Most definitely. But I know that this is just the beginning to many hard parenting decisions we are going to have to make for Bean if we’re lucky.
Now I guess we have to start working on Operation Hello Potty. Ugh.
So Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were hard on Bean. And I’ll admit, they were hard on me, too.
Friday morning when Bean and I were getting ready to go to Giggles’ house, I told Bean to grab a toy or doll, whatever she wanted to take with her to her nannies that day. She started into the living room and then turned back to me and said, “But no BaBas.”
I stopped in my tracks and looked at her. Her little face. Those sweet, sweet eyes looking at me.
I said to her, “No, honey, no BaBas.”
She said, “Cause I a big girl.”
THUD. My heart fell out on the floor right there. I stepped over it and grabbed her up in my arms. I kissed her little face all over and hugged her close to me. I sat on the couch holding her and just bawled my eyes out.
I said, “That’s right, baby. You are a big girl now and you don’t need any BaBas. You need to start drinking out of a cuppie like other big girls.” I told her how big she was getting and that even though Mommy thinks of her as an itty, bitty baby, she isn’t really. She is growing and learning so much. I told her how proud we were of her and how much Mommy and Daddy loved her. I told her I knew it was hard for her to learn to be without her BaBa and that she hadn’t done anything wrong, she just needed to move onto big girl cuppies.
I went on and on and on. She just looked up at me and giggled. I cried because both she and I had realized that she isn’t a baby any more. She realized it was time to do some big girl things and I realized it was time I let her.
She still asks for a BaBa at night but there is no crying any more, hers or mine. When we tell her no, she might pout or ask a couple more times but then she lets it go.
Did we do the right thing? Yeah, I think so.
Did it break my heart to do it? Most definitely. But I know that this is just the beginning to many hard parenting decisions we are going to have to make for Bean if we’re lucky.
Now I guess we have to start working on Operation Hello Potty. Ugh.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Operation Bye-Bye BaBa - Part II
And now...the continuation of Operation Bye-Bye BaBa.
Having realized that switching bottle types on the Bean was not getting us any closer to BaBa independence, on Tuesday night I bit the bullet and we began our journey into the “BaBa No-Fly Zone”.
Once Bean got her bath and her PJs on, she started asking for her BaBa. I gathered up all my courage and looked my toddler square in the eye and said “we don’t have any BaBas tonight, Puddin’.” Gasp! Shock! Horror! (Insert screaming here.)
This is the moment my sweet, loving baby girl turned into Beanzilla.
Crying ensued, toys flew, Mommy started to shake. “BaBa! BaBa! BABA!!!!”
“I WANT MY BABA!!!!”
The crying and begging continued for about 30 minutes and finally Bean crawled up in my lap and fell asleep. I’m sure she dreamt of her BaBa all night.
Wednesday night was much the same way with less time spent crying and begging. Hey! We might be getting somewhere here.
Thursday...well, evidently Bean had forgotten all about Tuesday and Wednesday nights because when she was told that there were no BaBas, she wigged out again and the crying lasted longer than it had the previous night.
At this point, I started really beating myself up over this whole idea. I knew the reasons for getting her off the bottle were sound. I knew it would help her in the long run. She would hopefully start to eat more and by eating more, she would increase her iron levels and gain some weight. I knew this.
But I started thinking that I had kicked off behavior that would cause Bean many counseling sessions later on in life. “I’m all screwed up because my mom took away the only thing that ever gave me any comfort when I was 2.” I can hear it all now. The BaBa is really her only security item. It’s the only thing she consistently asks for. And I’m not easing her into saying good bye. I’m just snatching it away from her. I started to think I was doing it the wrong way, that I should have just let her grow out of it. And of course the old thought I had had before crept in. The BaBa is the last link (other than diapers and I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around potty training right now), but it’s the last link in Bean being a baby.
I know all kids grow up. That’s their job and hopefully they do it well. But I wanted a baby for so long and it seems as though babyhood came and went so very fast. And yes, I do understand that all of these feelings are mine and not really helping my child in any way. That doesn’t change the fact that they are very real feelings and that they definitely did a number of my confidence and emotional state last week. I beat myself up over this whole situation.
But I felt that she and I had come so far that I would just be doing more harm if I gave up and gave her back the bottle. I just kept telling myself to be still and wait to see what happened next.
And I’ll tell you what did happen next...TOMORROW!!!! Stay tuned. (Again.)
Having realized that switching bottle types on the Bean was not getting us any closer to BaBa independence, on Tuesday night I bit the bullet and we began our journey into the “BaBa No-Fly Zone”.
Once Bean got her bath and her PJs on, she started asking for her BaBa. I gathered up all my courage and looked my toddler square in the eye and said “we don’t have any BaBas tonight, Puddin’.” Gasp! Shock! Horror! (Insert screaming here.)
This is the moment my sweet, loving baby girl turned into Beanzilla.
Crying ensued, toys flew, Mommy started to shake. “BaBa! BaBa! BABA!!!!”
“I WANT MY BABA!!!!”
The crying and begging continued for about 30 minutes and finally Bean crawled up in my lap and fell asleep. I’m sure she dreamt of her BaBa all night.
Wednesday night was much the same way with less time spent crying and begging. Hey! We might be getting somewhere here.
Thursday...well, evidently Bean had forgotten all about Tuesday and Wednesday nights because when she was told that there were no BaBas, she wigged out again and the crying lasted longer than it had the previous night.
At this point, I started really beating myself up over this whole idea. I knew the reasons for getting her off the bottle were sound. I knew it would help her in the long run. She would hopefully start to eat more and by eating more, she would increase her iron levels and gain some weight. I knew this.
But I started thinking that I had kicked off behavior that would cause Bean many counseling sessions later on in life. “I’m all screwed up because my mom took away the only thing that ever gave me any comfort when I was 2.” I can hear it all now. The BaBa is really her only security item. It’s the only thing she consistently asks for. And I’m not easing her into saying good bye. I’m just snatching it away from her. I started to think I was doing it the wrong way, that I should have just let her grow out of it. And of course the old thought I had had before crept in. The BaBa is the last link (other than diapers and I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around potty training right now), but it’s the last link in Bean being a baby.
I know all kids grow up. That’s their job and hopefully they do it well. But I wanted a baby for so long and it seems as though babyhood came and went so very fast. And yes, I do understand that all of these feelings are mine and not really helping my child in any way. That doesn’t change the fact that they are very real feelings and that they definitely did a number of my confidence and emotional state last week. I beat myself up over this whole situation.
But I felt that she and I had come so far that I would just be doing more harm if I gave up and gave her back the bottle. I just kept telling myself to be still and wait to see what happened next.
And I’ll tell you what did happen next...TOMORROW!!!! Stay tuned. (Again.)
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Update on Operation Bye-Bye BaBa
I've mentioned Operation Bye-Bye BaBa here and here. I'm back today with an update.
Brief recap - "BaBa" is Bean's baby bottle and her bestie. She can not take a nap, go to bed, or even walk around the house without BaBa. It is her security item.
We tried in December to break up Bean and BaBa. That failed miserably. She couldn't stop crying. I couldn't stop crying. Hubz caved and gave it back to her.
In January, after her check up, she was only 21 pounds and anemic/borderline anemic. Bean always picked at her food, preferring instead to drink from her bottle. Food was fun, but BaBa was best! I knew that probably the best way to get some weight on her and to try and up her iron levels was to get her off the bottle.
So my next new idea was to give her a bottle that was shaped differently than the ones she's always used. I thought maybe this would cause her to lose interest since it didn't feel the same. So last Monday night, I handed over the new bottle when Bean started asking for BaBa after her bath and the placement of the PJs.
She looked at this new fangled contraption and said "No! BaBa!!!" I explained to her that this was her new BaBa and that the old ones were in the dishwasher getting a bath. If she wanted a BaBa, then this was what she was gonna use. Then the crying started. Luckily, it was just Bean performing that night. I made myself stay calm. I kept telling myself "There's no crying in Operation Bye-Bye BaBa!"
The crying continued for an hour until I finally asked Bean what would make her feel better. I figured she would say "Duh, dummy!" but she said "T.B." That's "t.v." to you toddler-speak rookies out there.
So I let her lead me in to the living room and she and I laid down on the couch. She handed me the remote and we started watching ice dancing. Within ten minutes, Bean was asleep with tears drying on her little cheeks. At first, she fell asleep with the new bottle next to her. After I checked on her again later, she had made friends with the new one, and it had made its way to her mouth. She woke up about 3 a.m. and when I checked on her, she asked for BaBa. I handed her the new one and she spent the next five minutes crying some more but finally went back to sleep.
Since she did make friends with the new bottle, I knew that this plan wasn't going to work. She was just gonna start wanting the new type bottle all the time. I only bought one. I didn't want to spend more money on bottles. So the next night...
Tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story.
Brief recap - "BaBa" is Bean's baby bottle and her bestie. She can not take a nap, go to bed, or even walk around the house without BaBa. It is her security item.
We tried in December to break up Bean and BaBa. That failed miserably. She couldn't stop crying. I couldn't stop crying. Hubz caved and gave it back to her.
In January, after her check up, she was only 21 pounds and anemic/borderline anemic. Bean always picked at her food, preferring instead to drink from her bottle. Food was fun, but BaBa was best! I knew that probably the best way to get some weight on her and to try and up her iron levels was to get her off the bottle.
So my next new idea was to give her a bottle that was shaped differently than the ones she's always used. I thought maybe this would cause her to lose interest since it didn't feel the same. So last Monday night, I handed over the new bottle when Bean started asking for BaBa after her bath and the placement of the PJs.
She looked at this new fangled contraption and said "No! BaBa!!!" I explained to her that this was her new BaBa and that the old ones were in the dishwasher getting a bath. If she wanted a BaBa, then this was what she was gonna use. Then the crying started. Luckily, it was just Bean performing that night. I made myself stay calm. I kept telling myself "There's no crying in Operation Bye-Bye BaBa!"
The crying continued for an hour until I finally asked Bean what would make her feel better. I figured she would say "Duh, dummy!" but she said "T.B." That's "t.v." to you toddler-speak rookies out there.
So I let her lead me in to the living room and she and I laid down on the couch. She handed me the remote and we started watching ice dancing. Within ten minutes, Bean was asleep with tears drying on her little cheeks. At first, she fell asleep with the new bottle next to her. After I checked on her again later, she had made friends with the new one, and it had made its way to her mouth. She woke up about 3 a.m. and when I checked on her, she asked for BaBa. I handed her the new one and she spent the next five minutes crying some more but finally went back to sleep.
Since she did make friends with the new bottle, I knew that this plan wasn't going to work. She was just gonna start wanting the new type bottle all the time. I only bought one. I didn't want to spend more money on bottles. So the next night...
Tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story.
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