Ok, so Fats Domino may have walked there but my mom, Gusi and I drove. PapaGus had a business trip and instead of enduring the pouty-faced boy who misses his father terribly I decided to distract him. Well, the fact that the Jazz Festival was going on this past weekend also helped me make my decision of when to go.
Gusi had sooooo much fun and so did mom and I. We dropped PapaGus off at the airport and kept driving until we got to New Orleans. We stayed at a nice hotel close to Lake Pontchartrain in Metairie, one of the suburbs, and our room had a partial view of the lake. I thought that he might like being in a hotel but he totally loved it. He opened and closed all the cabinet and drawer doors at leisure, he ran down the hall, he ate his morning yogurt in a big chair in front of the big window, he had a blast. The night we got in there was some confusion over the rooms so we switched rooms and then switched again. When we finally got back to the original room he was already in his PJs. He had obviously loved walking down the halls and going in the elevators because he looked at me, waved bye-bye and walked out the door that was being held open by the bell-hop. If it hadn't been for the quick bell-hop Gusi might have just made it to the elevator! Thank goodness he got him. Gusi even loved taking a bath which is usually something that scares him when we're away from home.
Friday we spent most of the day at the Jazz Fest. We ate awesome food, saw Amazones: Women drummers of Guinea (African women usually dance and rarely play drums so it was neat to see African women starting to break the mold), ran into a friend from childhood who was there with her family, danced and spent a lot of time at the Kids' Tent. Mom had never been to Jazz Fest in her 30+ years of living in New Orleans so she also had a great first Jazz Fest. I had been a number of times during high school and it was just as I had remembered only with more food and more music. We had some real good food, lots of spicy things like alligator pie and crawfish etoufee. Gusi was too distracted with all the people-watching to eat but he did slurp down his fair share of snow-balls to keep hydrated. We were able to cool down in the (covered) Kids' Tent where we saw a great elementary school marching band and dance group. Gusi would bounce up and down to the beat of the drums and clap when the songs were over. Then when Monsieur No, sponsored by the French consulate, came on we had a blast. I felt bad for the group because no one in the audience really understood their songs but Gusi and I participated as much as my memory would let me. I took 7 years of the language and consider myself pretty proficient but when it comes to lyrics even songs in English can seem confusing. In any case, we did pretty well and sang along with the group to "Cool Raoul" and learned some very useful expressions in French such as "relax Max!" Gusi danced and applauded and wore himself out.
On Saturday we made the rounds. We started the morning by visiting my uncle and aunt. They hadn't yet met Gusi but they won him over BIG TIME when they let him play with their dog. Gusi is all about dogs lately though he calls them guau-guaus (in Spanish dogs say guau-guau which would be pronounced wow-wow in English). He laughed and played and then found the DVD player (and the buttons that go along with it) by the television and life was good. Many people have said that Gusi looks like my uncle and now he got to see it for himself. It was a nice time spent with them. Then we went to see some old family friends who are working on their house still. They're in a trailer a year and a half after the storm but they're determined to stay in New Orleans, rebuild and start anew; it was incredibly inspiring to see them and how much progress they had made on their house.
We then made our way over to the Children's Museum where we met up with Shokufeh who was doing quite well even though she was without MrMan. I was almost jealous that she had an entire weekend to herself. Not since I was pregnant have I been alone for more than a few hours. It would be so new to me but I already know what I would do: read books. I miss reading so much. Perhaps a novel or two? Ahh... And at least she could rest easy that MrMan was with his father who is the best person for him to be with when he's away from his mom. Maybe PapaGus and Gusi can also take a father-son trip one day?
And wouldn't you know it at the museum we ran into my cousin's best friend, Erin. And in a total New Orleans moment it turned out that Shokufeh's mom had worked with Erin. If you're from New Orleans, you just can't get away from running into people you know and this was a prime example.
Then after a nice lunch with Shokufeh we went to a birthday party where I saw friends I hadn't seen in ages. Gusi had a blast with all the kids and toys there. He wasn't into the cup cakes or food but he did play a lot. Afterwards we went across the lake to see another cousin (lots of family ties what can I say?) and her family. Gusi totally loved being with his extended cousins who were 7, 5 and 4 years old. The 5 year old especially liked playing with the baby. My cousin is married to a Cajun so dinner consisted of boudin, steak and Cajun rice. Gusi ate some rice but he was so distracted by their playful guau-guau he didn't eat much else. I think we're going to have to get this boy a dog soon, he just loves them so much.
When we finally got back to the hotel he fell asleep fast. He was so worn out. The following morning we had breakfast with some other friends who hadn't met Gusi. They just couldn't get over the fact that I had a child. It's probably because their kids are just a tad bit younger than me and we all grew up together. But Gusi took to them immediately and gave them a sweet taste of what being a grandparent would be like. Afterwards we drove to meet a dear childhood friend of mine, also named Erin. She, her boyfriend and mother got to see how Gusi rearranged the furniture in the coffee shop.
What makes me nostalgic is that New Orleans is a place where friends and family are always close by. You run into people you know everywhere and you don't need to schedule play dates to see someone--all you need to do is go to the grocery store. I know that Gusi loves it there, I can tell by the look on his face. He feels the love people have for him and he returns it and that is not something I see happen every day; he is normally much more cautious and reserved with people. Here we have our schedule, our classes, our play dates, our life, but there life just seems to happen without as much effort. Perhaps I'm idealizing it a bit but I know that he and I are happy when we're there. Maybe we'll convince PapaGus to go one more time before the end of the summer. Everyone kept telling us that this visit didn't count since PapaGus wasn't with us. I think they're right.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Milk Update
As it turns out, Gusi is now really enjoying his soy milk and I am no longer getting light headed when I change his diaper.
He drinks about 8 to 12 oz. a day which is just what his pediatrician said he would do. And he loves it! He would drink more if I let him. He squeezes his little fist open and shut when he wants milk, it's really very cute. He'll drink water with his meals but milk is a drink best served chilled and at snack time.
On another note, he's also given up my milk. It wasn't all that traumatic, he just stopped getting excited about nursing when I offered it so the day after he turned 13 months I stopped offering. He hasn't even noticed. We still cuddle a lot and he's now started giving me kisses--ok, more like open mouthed, wet slobbers, but still they are kisses to him. We've entered a new phase of our relationship. I will miss the nursing more than I thought I would but I'm so happy I did it because it's given me a very healthy and active little boy. Special thanks goes to PapaGus and my mom for all their support in helping me achieve this goal.
He drinks about 8 to 12 oz. a day which is just what his pediatrician said he would do. And he loves it! He would drink more if I let him. He squeezes his little fist open and shut when he wants milk, it's really very cute. He'll drink water with his meals but milk is a drink best served chilled and at snack time.
On another note, he's also given up my milk. It wasn't all that traumatic, he just stopped getting excited about nursing when I offered it so the day after he turned 13 months I stopped offering. He hasn't even noticed. We still cuddle a lot and he's now started giving me kisses--ok, more like open mouthed, wet slobbers, but still they are kisses to him. We've entered a new phase of our relationship. I will miss the nursing more than I thought I would but I'm so happy I did it because it's given me a very healthy and active little boy. Special thanks goes to PapaGus and my mom for all their support in helping me achieve this goal.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
"Et tu, Brute?"
--From Julius Caesar (III, i, 77)
Yesterday my mom stopped by in the morning before going to work to see Gusi. She often does this and it has become a great time for the two of them to play and for PapaGus and I to get a few things done. But, the problem is when she leaves. Usually we can say bye-bye, walk her to the door and watch her get into her car and drive away--that is enough. Yesterday it wasn't. She left and he was in tears. He cried for a bit and then we had to distract him.
To make matters worse, PapaGus also left later that morning for work. It was terrible for Gusi; he was devastated. He cried quite a bit and wanted to be held and cuddled. Two of the people he loves most in this world had left and he wasn't going to let me out of his site.
I had other plans. I've been going to the gym in the evenings over the last few months. I have to wait until someone can come to the house to relieve me of my parenting duties, but it's just not so practical considering it leaves very little time to spend with PapaGus and Gusi as a family and practically no time to prepare healthy meals for anyone except Gusi. So I told my mom and PapaGus that I would be taking Gusi to the zoo that day. They didn't ask but I already knew that I would have to do that in order to wash the guilt away from what I was about to do.
The gym we go to has a nursery. It's small but has plenty of toys and is clean. It was time to try it out. I figured that it wouldn't be too busy on a Friday morning and it would just be a short workout anyway. When I got there I was met by a young, but nice woman. I explained that he was my only child, my first born, that he had never been to any kind of sitter before, that he was always watched by me, my mom or his father because I believe it is my duty to provide the most loving environment for him to grow up in. She smiled and tried to put me at ease. Apparently she had had another mother like me the week before and she reassured me that she was a nanny to a 10 month old two days a week. I was almost in tears, choking up. I showed her his bag. He could have a banana, there was some water in case he got thirsty and if he made the sign for milk, there was a little box of soy milk in there. Also, he probably wouldn't need it but there were diapers and wipes. She again reassured me that all would be well. I put Gusi down and he ran off to play with the toys. I was astounded. Was this not the same child who cried most of the morning because his grandmother and father left for work? Was I so expendable? As I walked out the door I noticed that the television was on and explained that Gusi wasn't allowed to watch television. The two other children that were there were older and only one was watching. She said that she'd keep Gusi busy in another part of the room and that if the other kids weren't watching she'd turn it off. Gusi was busy playing with one of the toys and didn't even notice when I left.
Still, I felt terrible. I was apart from him for all of 46 minutes. The 30 seconds it took me to walk to the elliptical machines, the 45 minutes of workout and the 30 seconds it took me to walk back to the nursery. I didn't stretch, I didn't warm up, I didn't do the abdominal exercises that I usually do after a workout, and I cut my workout by 15 minutes on top of that. Not only was I in the workout room two doors down from the nursery but I was running scenarios through my head the entire time. What if there's a fire, is there an emergency exit close to the nursery? I noticed a lot of moms walking down the hall and bringing their kids to the nursery, will this young woman be able to take care of so many? What if one of them is sick and plays with Gusi? What if one of them is a bully? What if he's crying right now? What if he manages to open the door and walk out the nursery? What if the young woman is epileptic and has a seizure and no one notices and the children get hurt? What if he hurts himself on one of the big kid toys? It was the longest 46 minutes of my life--honestly. It seemed to go by slower than when I was in labor--that's how eternal it was.
When I finished my workout I went to the nursery with the intention of peeking in to see how things were going. I saw the young woman carrying Gusi as he snuggled up to her watching the other kids play. I gave her a thumbs up or thumbs down from the door and she gave a thumbs up right back. Phew. But then...then...Gusi saw me and it was all over. He started crying. My knees buckled and I went in to calm him down. The young woman told me that he had been fine, playing with this toy and that, then he wanted to be held so she had held him and he was fine. No crying at all apparently, just a bit sullen. I then held him and he stopped crying. I asked him if he wanted some milk and he made the sign for milk. We opened it up and he slurped away. The young woman said that I could go take a shower if I wanted and he'd be ok. I tried to give him back but he started crying like I've never heard before. A mother knows the different cries of her child and this was not one I was willing to tolerate. I took him with me, thanked the young woman and walked to the locker room. He was better.
When we got home he was exhausted but when I put him in his crib he bounced back up like a jack-in-the-box. I told him it was time to sleep but he screamed that same cry again. I took a quick shower hoping he would cry himself to sleep. No dice. When I got out I couldn't take it so I took him to our bed and snuggled with him. He slept for two hours and I read The Economist.
When he awoke we had lunch and were off to the zoo. Gusi was very hesitant about going anywhere and when I pointed to the monkeys on his shoes and told him that we'd see some real monkeys he just gave me this look like yeah, right.
Needless to say we saw some animals, but we also shared a slushy and rode the train two times and the carousel three. We rode the rides until they closed them down for the day but I am still feeling a few twinges of guilt. Perhaps another slushy today?
Yesterday my mom stopped by in the morning before going to work to see Gusi. She often does this and it has become a great time for the two of them to play and for PapaGus and I to get a few things done. But, the problem is when she leaves. Usually we can say bye-bye, walk her to the door and watch her get into her car and drive away--that is enough. Yesterday it wasn't. She left and he was in tears. He cried for a bit and then we had to distract him.
To make matters worse, PapaGus also left later that morning for work. It was terrible for Gusi; he was devastated. He cried quite a bit and wanted to be held and cuddled. Two of the people he loves most in this world had left and he wasn't going to let me out of his site.
I had other plans. I've been going to the gym in the evenings over the last few months. I have to wait until someone can come to the house to relieve me of my parenting duties, but it's just not so practical considering it leaves very little time to spend with PapaGus and Gusi as a family and practically no time to prepare healthy meals for anyone except Gusi. So I told my mom and PapaGus that I would be taking Gusi to the zoo that day. They didn't ask but I already knew that I would have to do that in order to wash the guilt away from what I was about to do.
The gym we go to has a nursery. It's small but has plenty of toys and is clean. It was time to try it out. I figured that it wouldn't be too busy on a Friday morning and it would just be a short workout anyway. When I got there I was met by a young, but nice woman. I explained that he was my only child, my first born, that he had never been to any kind of sitter before, that he was always watched by me, my mom or his father because I believe it is my duty to provide the most loving environment for him to grow up in. She smiled and tried to put me at ease. Apparently she had had another mother like me the week before and she reassured me that she was a nanny to a 10 month old two days a week. I was almost in tears, choking up. I showed her his bag. He could have a banana, there was some water in case he got thirsty and if he made the sign for milk, there was a little box of soy milk in there. Also, he probably wouldn't need it but there were diapers and wipes. She again reassured me that all would be well. I put Gusi down and he ran off to play with the toys. I was astounded. Was this not the same child who cried most of the morning because his grandmother and father left for work? Was I so expendable? As I walked out the door I noticed that the television was on and explained that Gusi wasn't allowed to watch television. The two other children that were there were older and only one was watching. She said that she'd keep Gusi busy in another part of the room and that if the other kids weren't watching she'd turn it off. Gusi was busy playing with one of the toys and didn't even notice when I left.
Still, I felt terrible. I was apart from him for all of 46 minutes. The 30 seconds it took me to walk to the elliptical machines, the 45 minutes of workout and the 30 seconds it took me to walk back to the nursery. I didn't stretch, I didn't warm up, I didn't do the abdominal exercises that I usually do after a workout, and I cut my workout by 15 minutes on top of that. Not only was I in the workout room two doors down from the nursery but I was running scenarios through my head the entire time. What if there's a fire, is there an emergency exit close to the nursery? I noticed a lot of moms walking down the hall and bringing their kids to the nursery, will this young woman be able to take care of so many? What if one of them is sick and plays with Gusi? What if one of them is a bully? What if he's crying right now? What if he manages to open the door and walk out the nursery? What if the young woman is epileptic and has a seizure and no one notices and the children get hurt? What if he hurts himself on one of the big kid toys? It was the longest 46 minutes of my life--honestly. It seemed to go by slower than when I was in labor--that's how eternal it was.
When I finished my workout I went to the nursery with the intention of peeking in to see how things were going. I saw the young woman carrying Gusi as he snuggled up to her watching the other kids play. I gave her a thumbs up or thumbs down from the door and she gave a thumbs up right back. Phew. But then...then...Gusi saw me and it was all over. He started crying. My knees buckled and I went in to calm him down. The young woman told me that he had been fine, playing with this toy and that, then he wanted to be held so she had held him and he was fine. No crying at all apparently, just a bit sullen. I then held him and he stopped crying. I asked him if he wanted some milk and he made the sign for milk. We opened it up and he slurped away. The young woman said that I could go take a shower if I wanted and he'd be ok. I tried to give him back but he started crying like I've never heard before. A mother knows the different cries of her child and this was not one I was willing to tolerate. I took him with me, thanked the young woman and walked to the locker room. He was better.
When we got home he was exhausted but when I put him in his crib he bounced back up like a jack-in-the-box. I told him it was time to sleep but he screamed that same cry again. I took a quick shower hoping he would cry himself to sleep. No dice. When I got out I couldn't take it so I took him to our bed and snuggled with him. He slept for two hours and I read The Economist.
When he awoke we had lunch and were off to the zoo. Gusi was very hesitant about going anywhere and when I pointed to the monkeys on his shoes and told him that we'd see some real monkeys he just gave me this look like yeah, right.
Needless to say we saw some animals, but we also shared a slushy and rode the train two times and the carousel three. We rode the rides until they closed them down for the day but I am still feeling a few twinges of guilt. Perhaps another slushy today?
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Gusi Had Roast Beef, Mama Had None
Gusi is a happy boy these days. His Papa is back from a business trip and life couldn't be better. He laughs all the time, he's dancing when he hears music, he's splashing in the tub--he's another little boy all together.
He is even eating better now that his Papa's home. He's pretty much a good eater but when PapaGus is gone his sleeping and eating patterns change drastically, so it's great when the whole family is together.
Today when Gusi woke up from his nap he made it quite clear that he wanted to go out (*more* bye-bye) so off we went to a local bakery/sandwich shop. It's one of these white bread sandwich shops, no ciabatta or honey-wheat-olive loaves here, but I do think they offer wheat and rye bread if you ask for it. In any case, I got a roast beef sandwich (on white), some Zapp's Mesquite BBQ potato chips and a carrot salad to share with Gusi. I tried giving him the carrot salad first but that was a no-go. It came right out and even though I tried throughout the course of the meal, it just wasn't happening. Then he had a bite of what I thought was my sandwich and he loved it. He ended up eating 3/4 of it and I only got the other quarter because he was distracted watching some little girls in their ballet outfits twirl around the table next to us. When the last crumb of the bread was gone I folded up the wrapping and got ready to throw it away at which point Gusi let out a loud scream indicating that he wanted more. I had already finished the Zapp's and the salad so aside from the crackers in the diaper bag there was nothing else to offer--unless I wanted to wait in a super-long line and lose our table. Luckily he munched away on the crackers and all was well.
Perhaps next time PapaGus goes on a business trip I'll remember to stock up on roast beef so Gusi is tempted to eat more than just a few strands of pasta.
He is even eating better now that his Papa's home. He's pretty much a good eater but when PapaGus is gone his sleeping and eating patterns change drastically, so it's great when the whole family is together.
Today when Gusi woke up from his nap he made it quite clear that he wanted to go out (*more* bye-bye) so off we went to a local bakery/sandwich shop. It's one of these white bread sandwich shops, no ciabatta or honey-wheat-olive loaves here, but I do think they offer wheat and rye bread if you ask for it. In any case, I got a roast beef sandwich (on white), some Zapp's Mesquite BBQ potato chips and a carrot salad to share with Gusi. I tried giving him the carrot salad first but that was a no-go. It came right out and even though I tried throughout the course of the meal, it just wasn't happening. Then he had a bite of what I thought was my sandwich and he loved it. He ended up eating 3/4 of it and I only got the other quarter because he was distracted watching some little girls in their ballet outfits twirl around the table next to us. When the last crumb of the bread was gone I folded up the wrapping and got ready to throw it away at which point Gusi let out a loud scream indicating that he wanted more. I had already finished the Zapp's and the salad so aside from the crackers in the diaper bag there was nothing else to offer--unless I wanted to wait in a super-long line and lose our table. Luckily he munched away on the crackers and all was well.
Perhaps next time PapaGus goes on a business trip I'll remember to stock up on roast beef so Gusi is tempted to eat more than just a few strands of pasta.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Tinkle Tinkle Very Far
This is the kind of post that Gusi will cringe at if he ever sees it as a young man, but I have to write it because it's just too cute.
The other day I was preparing Gusi for his bath. No one was home except he and I and since he was wearing just as much food as he had eaten, I couldn't really wait to bathe him. I marched him over to the big tub, took off his clothes and ran the water. I usually take off his diaper on the changing table and then we walk over to the bathroom together but not this time.
As the water was almost ready, I took off his diaper. And wouldn't you know it, I reached over to turn the water off and Gusi started to tinkle before even getting into the tub. He looked down to see what was going on then he pushed his hips forward and saw his tinkle go even further. When it was all over he cried (because the show was over) and I laughed.
At least I can be fairly certain he didn't bathe in yellow water that night.
The other day I was preparing Gusi for his bath. No one was home except he and I and since he was wearing just as much food as he had eaten, I couldn't really wait to bathe him. I marched him over to the big tub, took off his clothes and ran the water. I usually take off his diaper on the changing table and then we walk over to the bathroom together but not this time.
As the water was almost ready, I took off his diaper. And wouldn't you know it, I reached over to turn the water off and Gusi started to tinkle before even getting into the tub. He looked down to see what was going on then he pushed his hips forward and saw his tinkle go even further. When it was all over he cried (because the show was over) and I laughed.
At least I can be fairly certain he didn't bathe in yellow water that night.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Not Soy Good After All
I had to call Gusi's doctor yesterday. He's stuffed up, watery-eyed, runny-nosed, irritable and miserable. And on top of all that his poops are not, well, like they are supposed to be.
I spoke to the nurse and told her what's going on. I suppose I just wanted to hear a third-party professional reconfirm my own instinct. And she did. He's got allergies, he's teething and the soy milk is making his poops the kind that could make a strong man fall to the ground and ask for mercy.
I thought milk was such a grand idea--more calcium, vitamin D, etc, etc. I thought he might have this reaction to cow's milk but not soy. So, we're laying off the soy for a few days to see how things go, then he'll have a little bit each day and I'll water it down so we can take things slow. I had forgotten that every time a new food is added to Gusi's diet, the GI tract needs time to adjust. It has been duly noted.
For the allergies we're doing an over the counter children's allergy medicine. Gusi's usually pretty good about taking his medicine but this stuff tastes yucky and it's not so easy to get him to take it. "Coax" is the vocabulary word for the day.
And finally, the molars...ah, the molars. Lots of drool, lots of irritability and lots of fingers in the mouth. Apparently the poor child is just going to have painful teething. I just wish there was some way I could take away the pain. I'm trying to keep him as busy as possible so he forgets about it and it usually works--until we get home and sit down to play in his room.
So, I feel good about talking to the nurse and I feel even better that my mother's instinct is on target. I think we'll see what a soy-free, milk-free diet does for a few days and then try again.
I spoke to the nurse and told her what's going on. I suppose I just wanted to hear a third-party professional reconfirm my own instinct. And she did. He's got allergies, he's teething and the soy milk is making his poops the kind that could make a strong man fall to the ground and ask for mercy.
I thought milk was such a grand idea--more calcium, vitamin D, etc, etc. I thought he might have this reaction to cow's milk but not soy. So, we're laying off the soy for a few days to see how things go, then he'll have a little bit each day and I'll water it down so we can take things slow. I had forgotten that every time a new food is added to Gusi's diet, the GI tract needs time to adjust. It has been duly noted.
For the allergies we're doing an over the counter children's allergy medicine. Gusi's usually pretty good about taking his medicine but this stuff tastes yucky and it's not so easy to get him to take it. "Coax" is the vocabulary word for the day.
And finally, the molars...ah, the molars. Lots of drool, lots of irritability and lots of fingers in the mouth. Apparently the poor child is just going to have painful teething. I just wish there was some way I could take away the pain. I'm trying to keep him as busy as possible so he forgets about it and it usually works--until we get home and sit down to play in his room.
So, I feel good about talking to the nurse and I feel even better that my mother's instinct is on target. I think we'll see what a soy-free, milk-free diet does for a few days and then try again.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Gusi Likes It Hot
Today Gusi had one of the best naps he's had in a long time. After almost a week of 60 minutes or less of nap time--and yes, I count each minute--today was record breaking at 3 whole hours. The great nap may have something to do with Divine Intervention now that I think about it. Today being Palm Sunday, we went to church to see the procession before the service and Gusi got to see a real, live donkey. He also got to see a real, live archbishop who gave him his blessing. Perhaps the archbishop got wind of my week long prayers? In any case, I am thankful for the long nap.
Given the procession and the mass, the entire service ended up being a bit longer than Gusi could take so he fell asleep. We left a bit early so I could get him home and in his crib before he got too comfortable in my arms or the car seat. I was able to put him in his crib hassle free and then enjoyed something I haven't had the opportunity to enjoy since I was pregnant--reading almost the entire Sunday New York Times in one sitting.
I didn't know how long Gusi would nap but I did know that he'd be hungry when he would wake so I made him some tortellini with pesto. It sat on the counter for almost an hour before he woke up. I didn't think much of it until he was in his (new) high chair* grunting the sort of grunt that indicates a complaint. When I asked what was wrong he repeatedly waved his hand and blew on his food (like I do when his food is too hot) and pointed to the microwave. He was complaining that the food was too cold! This is incredible. I mean, this child who just weeks ago couldn't walk is now telling me that the cuisine is best served warm, not at room temperature. So I warmed it up and he gobbled it up. This episode has left me quite impressed with the child.
*I've had a hook-on chair for Gusi up until now but after so many washes it has come near the end of its useful days. I picked up the Tripp Trapp by Stokke which looked great and even felt great when Gusi tried it out at the store. There are two main problems with it though: the shoulder straps are not Gusi-friendly, he wiggles out of them in a flash no matter how tight I make them; and it's an actual chair (which Gusi has figured out) so he uses it to push himself away from the table when he's bored or tired of eating. This makes meal times a bit more challenging.
Given the procession and the mass, the entire service ended up being a bit longer than Gusi could take so he fell asleep. We left a bit early so I could get him home and in his crib before he got too comfortable in my arms or the car seat. I was able to put him in his crib hassle free and then enjoyed something I haven't had the opportunity to enjoy since I was pregnant--reading almost the entire Sunday New York Times in one sitting.
I didn't know how long Gusi would nap but I did know that he'd be hungry when he would wake so I made him some tortellini with pesto. It sat on the counter for almost an hour before he woke up. I didn't think much of it until he was in his (new) high chair* grunting the sort of grunt that indicates a complaint. When I asked what was wrong he repeatedly waved his hand and blew on his food (like I do when his food is too hot) and pointed to the microwave. He was complaining that the food was too cold! This is incredible. I mean, this child who just weeks ago couldn't walk is now telling me that the cuisine is best served warm, not at room temperature. So I warmed it up and he gobbled it up. This episode has left me quite impressed with the child.
*I've had a hook-on chair for Gusi up until now but after so many washes it has come near the end of its useful days. I picked up the Tripp Trapp by Stokke which looked great and even felt great when Gusi tried it out at the store. There are two main problems with it though: the shoulder straps are not Gusi-friendly, he wiggles out of them in a flash no matter how tight I make them; and it's an actual chair (which Gusi has figured out) so he uses it to push himself away from the table when he's bored or tired of eating. This makes meal times a bit more challenging.
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