The Caldera Chronicles

Once again, another month has just zoomed by. How in the world did we get to 10 months already? There have been some major growth spurts around here. We’ve had to clear out the drawers and move in the bigger sizes. Our girl who at 6 months could still easily wear her 3 month sized onesies is now fitting easily and sometimes snugly into 12 month sized shirts and pants. She’s still fairly lean (with just the perfect amount of chunk for kissing and tickling) but her height has skyrocketed. Whereas she had been in the 25th% range for height since birth, she jumped to the 57th% by her 9 month check up.

Those four new teeth up top this month are really making our baby look so much more like a toddler. Speaking of toddling, the free standing happens with abundance these days and the last few days have brought a desire to try walking more holding Mama’s hands. I tried to get her to walk with her little wooden cart this morning but it gets away from her too quickly still.

Signs are exploding and we’re loving the increased communication.  Just the other day she started panting like a dog and now spends large parts of her days doing so.

We’ve noticed that although she is a social butterfly like her Mama, she can easily get overwhelmed by crowds of people or lots of commotion like her Mum. This means she’s been spending a lot more time being worn again these days. Although she’s heavy, we enjoy the hugs and kisses we get now.

She’s still loving and obsessed with flowers. So much so that Mama has decided to loosely have them be the theme for her first birthday.

I’m sure there’s so much more I’m forgetting but that’s what happens, I suppose!

At this point, I’m sure many of you have heard of or better yet seen the Time magazine cover that ran last month with the headline “Are You Mom Enough?”. The instant I saw the image in question, my heart sank. Great. Another sensationalized image of a woman breastfeeding linked to “attachment parenting”. Has anyone ever seen a child of any age nursing in this manor? Was a toddler snuggled up with his Mama on the couch (the way most kids nurse) just not likely to sell enough issues, Time?

As if this cover was not ridiculous and misleading enough, NPR soon followed with many shows discussing Attachment Parenting in perhaps the most uninformed manor I have ever experienced. Most liked to couple it with “helicopter parenting” which forced me to laugh and yell at the radio simultaneously. I strongly consider myself to be an “attachment parent” (or, you know, a parent just as I like to call breastmilk “milk” as that other stuff everyone drinks was designed for baby cows). Helicopter parenting on the other hand is absurd and the furthest thing from what I consider the tenents of attachment style. While helicopter parents hover, I prefer to allow kids as much space as is safely possible. Where helicopter parents like to meddle with teachers about why their children aren’t getting A’s, you can bet I’m going to hold my daughter accountable for her work and what grade that work merits.

In addition to selling myriad copies of a magazine issue, Time has set back a movement that is finally helping American children. Attachment parenting is parenting plain and simple. There are talks of the “mommy wars” and how this is just another way to pit women against each other when we should all just be supporting one another regardless of parenting style. This is a war I want to wage. Since when did it become best for children for us to listen to men like Ferber and Spock tell women how to raise their babies?! As with abortion, men are telling women what is best for them and their children. I’m tired of it. Any time that a new Mama ignores that voice in her head and feeling in her gut that tells her how to care for her infant, we are moving away from children who are raised in the way that every other mammal raises their young. When we think that putting children in seats instead of in arms is better for their development or because it’s easier for us, we’re giving up. When we let children cry out from behind a closed door ignoring their need to be fed, held, cuddled, talked to, we are depriving them of the secure attachment that they so desperately need.

One of these discussions that took place on NPR had a professor stating that most American women couldn’t parent in an attachment style because they either couldn’t afford it or had to work. Really? Regardless of how much money or time you have with your kids, you can prioritize them. Otherwise, get a dog. Babies are hard work. Parenting is a challenge. Our kids deserve for us to forgo reading about how to raise them and start following our instincts. For that I will not apologize to anyone.

What fun we’re having these days (minus Sunday when Mama had a bit of a meltdown). So many great adventures and changes making each day more fun than the last! Arlo and Mama finally made it over to the Kennedy School soaking pool on Sunday and not surprisingly, Arlo was a little fish. Smiling, kicking, splashing and playing motorboat with Mama even though it was raining the whole time. I’m hoping to get a lot more time in there before the weather gets too hot!

Even though Arlo recognizes and understands more than a dozen signs, for a couple months now she has reverted to signing “more” for everything. I think we’ve finally turned a corner! Two days ago she started re-signing “nurse” in the funniest little way that looks like she’s playing the worlds smallest violin. Love it.

The final top tooth finally broke through yesterday morning and now our baby has quite the toothy grin. Four on top, two on the bottom.

She has also let us know her preference for being naked. Though she is often naked on the bottom half when we’re at home to make pottying easier, when wearing a shirt she has started pulling her arm out to indicate that she wants it off! When asked if she wants to be “nakey” she gets super excited. It’s gonna be a fun summer sans clothing!

Alright, she’s awake. Back to play time!

My oh my this baby is growing up fast! The last few days have brought a couple big new changes in miss Arlo. Although she has been scrambling up things and then letting go into a “free stand” for a few weeks now, she had yet to be able to get herself to standing without anything to grab onto. Well, no longer. We were sitting in the backyard yesterday. One second she was sitting, I turned away, looked back and she was standing in the middle of the yard as sturdy as could be. Interest in crawling up the stairs has been re-sparked as well which leads me to believe that those first steps are not too far off.

Another big development is sadness when Mum leaves. The other morning Arlo had slept later than normal (due to her being awake for an hour in the middle of the night!) and Steph came upstairs to kiss us goodbye (instead of our normal downstairs waving routine). Arlo, who was nursing peacefully trying to decide whether or not she was ready to wake up suddenly bolted upright and started screaming when Steph tried to leave. We thought that perhaps she just wanted another kiss and goodbye but again when Steph tried to leave, more crocodile tears. I asked her if she wanted to go say goodbye which got an enthusiastic response. We raced downstairs to see Mum leave and finally Arlo was content. Again when Steph tried to kiss her goodnight last night, more tears upon leaving. Mama is hopeful this means that we are getting closer to Arlo having more desire and willingness to be held by Mum and other people!

Three new teeth up top and the fourth is on its way. We are having more fun than ever these days and Arlo and I are often in stitches from something silly that one of us has done. Gotta love this kiddo.