About a week and a half ago, one of Gabe's teeth started chipping. I thought, oh great. It was right after his December 1 dental visit to treat his teeth.
So, I was wondering, did he chip his tooth from hitting it or biting on something? Or is it from the decay? So, I called Dr. Pike's office last Thursday and they said, "Well, if he's not in any pain, wait until his February appointment and we'll look at it then". But I just couldn't get the feeling out of my head that the tooth needed to be looked at. Unfortunately, Friday, they were closed and it forced us to reevaluate if we needed to try a new dentist. Why? Well, they are really nice and try very hard not to psychologically damage children as far as the dentist goes. But they are too passive in Gabe's case. After five or ten minutes of them being all slow, he's done. His window for semi-cooperation is closed.
So, we got a appointment that was today to see a dentist that's, um, right across the street, LOL. Shoebox Dentistry, Dr. Hsu. Anyhoo, we liked this dude much, much better. Their play area is bigger, Gabe got to play with some trains, and I got to watch the first 15 minutes of The Little Mermaid while I filled out paper work. Plus, the doctor went to University of Pennsylvania. Nice.
Dr. Hsu got a good look at all of Gabe's teeth, which Dr. Pike was somehow not able to do. Yes, he cried, but it was for like less than 60 seconds. And yes, Gabe gave Dr. Hsu somewhat of a dirty look afterwards, but he recovered. I guess the good news is that only two teeth have "mild to moderate" decay and Dr. Hsu didn't feel like he needed to do x-rays to see more (thank goodness). He wants to continue the treatments so we can keep things from not getting worse and closely monitor his teeth.
As far as diet goes, he said to continue diluting juice and we actually found out that our water does have fluoride in it (I thought it did not; but we weren't giving him tap water anyway). He said we can continue with the fluoride drops or give him 12-16 ounces of tap water daily, flavored with juice, if we want.
As far as foods, he said with kids his age you just have to do your best to make sure they getting nutrient dense foods. Gabe eats table foods fine now (it's amazing, as soon as his molars came in, he got interested chewing, just like his pediatrician said), but he is still extremely picky. So his favorite foods that are good for him include cheese, yogurt, apple sauce, mandarin oranges and garlic hummus. I'm cutting down on the crackers, cheerios and bread.
Since his diet is so weird, I've also started giving him a teaspoon of cod liver oil and wheat germ once a day. He actually takes the cod liver oil straight (it has peach flavor, but I was still shocked) and I sprinkle the wheat germ on apple sauce.
So I think his teeth will get better. Fortunately, the chip is in one of the teeth that will fall out sooner.
Hope everyone is having a good holiday!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Happy Thanksgiving!
I meant to post this earlier in the week, since most of you probably won't check your emails today. I started coming down with something on Sunday and boy was I perturbed because I am cooking most of the food for the holiday! It turned out to be a mild cold (I was certainly praying that it was not a flu), but one day there I felt pretty wicked.
I am still a little congested, but getting better. I didn't take any medication, but I drank tons of tea with cayenne pepper in it. I am telling you, that stuff really helps tremendously with sinus issues!
We have a small group for dinner today; Craig, Gabe, Grandma Deb and myself. Deb is bringing some side dishes and dessert, I am doing the rest. This is the first time ever that I am cooking a turkey. I'll report back on how it goes.
The following are some really funny pics of Gabe I meant to post maybe a week ago. In the first one, he looks like he is dancing, and in the second one he looks like he is really getting down or possibly terribly upset. LOL. Enjoy!
I am still a little congested, but getting better. I didn't take any medication, but I drank tons of tea with cayenne pepper in it. I am telling you, that stuff really helps tremendously with sinus issues!
We have a small group for dinner today; Craig, Gabe, Grandma Deb and myself. Deb is bringing some side dishes and dessert, I am doing the rest. This is the first time ever that I am cooking a turkey. I'll report back on how it goes.
The following are some really funny pics of Gabe I meant to post maybe a week ago. In the first one, he looks like he is dancing, and in the second one he looks like he is really getting down or possibly terribly upset. LOL. Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Costume Party
One of Craig's former co-workers, Angie, invited Gabe to a costume party that took place this past Saturday. Her son Kaleb is 10 days younger than Gabe (in fact, he was born June 6, 2 days before Gabe's due date, which was June 8).
Gabe dressed up as a doctor and I dressed up as Lt. Uhura from Star Trek. I was teasing Craig, saying he dressed up as himself, :). On the way to the party, he said he wished he'd wore a costume, lol.
It was a lot of fun. Gabe and Kaleb were the youngest, there was one three year old and the rest were between 5 and 7 years old. There were three games before it was time to eat snacks and one game after that. Of course, many of the children barely cared about eating, only playing! And Gabe and Kaleb didn't eat anything at all; typical toddler behavior, right?
Gabe was mostly interested in playing with a large orange balloon, which I watched him with in case it popped. In fact, he was super into anything round. There was also a wooden train set that he and the three year old were totally engrossed in.
I find it hard to socialize at kids parties when one of the kids is my kid. LOL. And I specifically parties where I don't know anyone. So, it's hard to talk to people when you have to watch your 17 month old playing with a balloon and what not.
Here are some pics from party; one is a pic that Angie took that she sent us.
Pin the nose on the pumpkin.
Pic Angie took of us (Gabe was trying to take my cookie).
Balloon love.
The most interesting train set in the world!
Gabe dressed up as a doctor and I dressed up as Lt. Uhura from Star Trek. I was teasing Craig, saying he dressed up as himself, :). On the way to the party, he said he wished he'd wore a costume, lol.
It was a lot of fun. Gabe and Kaleb were the youngest, there was one three year old and the rest were between 5 and 7 years old. There were three games before it was time to eat snacks and one game after that. Of course, many of the children barely cared about eating, only playing! And Gabe and Kaleb didn't eat anything at all; typical toddler behavior, right?
Gabe was mostly interested in playing with a large orange balloon, which I watched him with in case it popped. In fact, he was super into anything round. There was also a wooden train set that he and the three year old were totally engrossed in.
I find it hard to socialize at kids parties when one of the kids is my kid. LOL. And I specifically parties where I don't know anyone. So, it's hard to talk to people when you have to watch your 17 month old playing with a balloon and what not.
Here are some pics from party; one is a pic that Angie took that she sent us.
Pin the nose on the pumpkin.
Pic Angie took of us (Gabe was trying to take my cookie).
Balloon love.
The most interesting train set in the world!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Laugh Out Loud
Read the ignorant comment I got from my examiner post on the LA judge denying an interracial couple a marriage license!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
More on the move, teething and costume shopping
Gabe is starting to walk a lot more now. He started walking several weeks ago and then stopped. I guess he needed the time to get better at it, because he is much more stable on his feet; he can start and stop pretty well. I didn't feel as nervous as before!
We went costume shopping this weekend. On Saturday, we went to one of those mega Halloween stores that are only open for the month of October. Wasn't impressed with the selection for his age; the only thing we found was a pirate costume, but I am not really feeling the pirate thing. I found a "Lt. Uhura" costume (from Star Trek) there, so I am seriously considering that. I'd have to get a wig, black boots and black leggings to go with it. Craig and I thought it would be funny for him to just get a normal looking wig to wear.
We ended up getting a doctor's costume for Gabe from Target. It's basically scrubs (pants, shirt and cap) with a little stethoscope. We'll be taking pics of course. I looked to see if there was anything there for us. I saw a Cleopatra costume, but that might be too high maintenance for me with all the intense make-up. Craig considered this Miami Ink outfit that consists of sheer long sleeved shirt with tattoos on it.
Gabe is teething a LOT today, as I am typing. He's got some incisors coming in on the top and bottom and who knows if some molars are moving their way up. Some extra loving care in order today!
We went costume shopping this weekend. On Saturday, we went to one of those mega Halloween stores that are only open for the month of October. Wasn't impressed with the selection for his age; the only thing we found was a pirate costume, but I am not really feeling the pirate thing. I found a "Lt. Uhura" costume (from Star Trek) there, so I am seriously considering that. I'd have to get a wig, black boots and black leggings to go with it. Craig and I thought it would be funny for him to just get a normal looking wig to wear.
We ended up getting a doctor's costume for Gabe from Target. It's basically scrubs (pants, shirt and cap) with a little stethoscope. We'll be taking pics of course. I looked to see if there was anything there for us. I saw a Cleopatra costume, but that might be too high maintenance for me with all the intense make-up. Craig considered this Miami Ink outfit that consists of sheer long sleeved shirt with tattoos on it.
Gabe is teething a LOT today, as I am typing. He's got some incisors coming in on the top and bottom and who knows if some molars are moving their way up. Some extra loving care in order today!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Gabe gets first party invite
One of Craig's former co-workers has a son the same age as Gabe and invited him to a Halloween/costume party on October 24. We're going to go shopping for a costume this weekend. We're thinking maybe a pumpkin outfit or something. Adults are probably free to wear costumes, too. I'm open to dressing up, but Craig is not so much, lol. If I see a costume that would be a total blast to wear and I can't pass it up, then I'll consider buying it.
I actually really like dressing up and have always loved playing pretend games when I was a kid. We used to have "Harvest Parties" at my church while growing up. We could dress as Bible characters or anything that wasn't devilish, like a vampire (I think this is the case, someone correct me if I am wrong). Anyway, the Harvest Parties stopped because a member of the church complained about it still being a celebration of Halloween.
Meh.
I don't have hangups about that anymore. It's cool and fun to dress up, end of story. Christmas and Thanksgiving have their roots in pagan holidays and churches don't have a problem with those. Ah, but that is another story.
I wrote a new post on my Café au lait blog about Obama getting the Nobel Prize today. If you haven't already subscribed to it, just click the orange button at the top of page.
I actually really like dressing up and have always loved playing pretend games when I was a kid. We used to have "Harvest Parties" at my church while growing up. We could dress as Bible characters or anything that wasn't devilish, like a vampire (I think this is the case, someone correct me if I am wrong). Anyway, the Harvest Parties stopped because a member of the church complained about it still being a celebration of Halloween.
Meh.
I don't have hangups about that anymore. It's cool and fun to dress up, end of story. Christmas and Thanksgiving have their roots in pagan holidays and churches don't have a problem with those. Ah, but that is another story.
I wrote a new post on my Café au lait blog about Obama getting the Nobel Prize today. If you haven't already subscribed to it, just click the orange button at the top of page.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
At the dentist
Gabe had his dental appointment today. Unfortunately, he had to get a treatment done to his teeth because the enamel is just starting to erode.
Lovely.
In our part of Oregon, there isn't any fluoride in the water. So, during the last several years doctors started prescribing fluoride drops to babies aged 6 months and older. Our first pediatrician gave us a multi-vitamin with fluoride, but Gabe's teeth started turning grayish. Fluoride, in large doses, can cause fluorosis. And naturally, there is all this dramatic information online about the dangers of fluoride. So we stopped it, got another vitamin to take and decided we would take him to the dentist at 1 year and ask them about it.
Of course now in retrospect, I wished we'd have just gotten a separate fluoride supplement right away instead of waiting. Oh, well.
The up side is that the staff is really great and Gabe did well. The doctor showed us around the office and gave us information on teeth health, etc. The treatment itself is not invasive; just two coatings of substances that I cannot remember the names of. He sat still for it all, amazingly.
The doctor said it's completely treatable and that a lot of children his age come up against enamel problems and cavities (this didn't make me feel better, though) primarily because of diet. Drinking juices (apple, especially), canned fruit, and shockingly things like granola and honey can cause tooth decay. Even foods and drinks without added sugar can be problematic. So even with fluoride, he might have still had problems, but the likelihood would have decreased, I suppose.
One thing that surprised me was that the dentist said it's okay to brush his teeth with kiddie toothpaste (the ones with fluoride) using a rice grain-sized amount. He said the amount he'd swallow would not hurt him and this could take the place of fluoride drops. He does this for his own daughter, who is not much older than Gabe. Wow. We've been brushing his teeth with a fluoride-free paste from Whole Foods.
So, he has to get these treatments every two months, but I can't remember for how long (my mind has been sifty this morning). For now, all the fluids he'll be getting are water, plain cow's milk and breast milk.
As far as foods, I think I will rinse all canned fruit with water to get rid of that extra syrup, but try to stick with mostly fresh fruit, veggies, Gerber 3 meat meals, breads, cheese and plain whole yogurt.
Here are some photos from today:
With Craig before we left home.
At the dental office.
Lovely.
In our part of Oregon, there isn't any fluoride in the water. So, during the last several years doctors started prescribing fluoride drops to babies aged 6 months and older. Our first pediatrician gave us a multi-vitamin with fluoride, but Gabe's teeth started turning grayish. Fluoride, in large doses, can cause fluorosis. And naturally, there is all this dramatic information online about the dangers of fluoride. So we stopped it, got another vitamin to take and decided we would take him to the dentist at 1 year and ask them about it.
Of course now in retrospect, I wished we'd have just gotten a separate fluoride supplement right away instead of waiting. Oh, well.
The up side is that the staff is really great and Gabe did well. The doctor showed us around the office and gave us information on teeth health, etc. The treatment itself is not invasive; just two coatings of substances that I cannot remember the names of. He sat still for it all, amazingly.
The doctor said it's completely treatable and that a lot of children his age come up against enamel problems and cavities (this didn't make me feel better, though) primarily because of diet. Drinking juices (apple, especially), canned fruit, and shockingly things like granola and honey can cause tooth decay. Even foods and drinks without added sugar can be problematic. So even with fluoride, he might have still had problems, but the likelihood would have decreased, I suppose.
One thing that surprised me was that the dentist said it's okay to brush his teeth with kiddie toothpaste (the ones with fluoride) using a rice grain-sized amount. He said the amount he'd swallow would not hurt him and this could take the place of fluoride drops. He does this for his own daughter, who is not much older than Gabe. Wow. We've been brushing his teeth with a fluoride-free paste from Whole Foods.
So, he has to get these treatments every two months, but I can't remember for how long (my mind has been sifty this morning). For now, all the fluids he'll be getting are water, plain cow's milk and breast milk.
As far as foods, I think I will rinse all canned fruit with water to get rid of that extra syrup, but try to stick with mostly fresh fruit, veggies, Gerber 3 meat meals, breads, cheese and plain whole yogurt.
Here are some photos from today:
With Craig before we left home.
At the dental office.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Teething, Cosby Show, and hot days
It's almost fall and it still feels like summer here in Portland! The temps this week might hit 90! Crazy. Since moving to Portland, I've found that the summers here are way more dry and sunny than people like to admit. The rain and overcast skies mostly occur during the winter and spring, which I don't mind at all. I love waking up to all the spooky fog and dampness.
Well, it looks like this week Gabe has some teeth coming in that I can see. His upper incisors are breaking through the gums. He is a bit cranky today; or at least has a shorter threshold for things. I have some homeopathic teething drops that work quite well; I would tell you all the name of it, but frankly I don't feel like getting up at the moment. Okay, fine. Gentle Naturals. I haven't given him Tylenol yet for pain. But we'll see when those start molars come in (!!!).
Speaking of teething, Gabe has his first dental appointment next week at Dr. Pike's office. Now, we're not getting the old Dr. Pike, but his son. I was assured that son of Pike is just as dedicated to the dental health and psychological well-being of children as father Pike. We'll be the judge of that!
I just posted an Examiner story about the 25th anniversary of The Cosby Show. It's one of my favorite sitcoms. I could watch those episodes over and over. Hope you like the story!
Well, it looks like this week Gabe has some teeth coming in that I can see. His upper incisors are breaking through the gums. He is a bit cranky today; or at least has a shorter threshold for things. I have some homeopathic teething drops that work quite well; I would tell you all the name of it, but frankly I don't feel like getting up at the moment. Okay, fine. Gentle Naturals. I haven't given him Tylenol yet for pain. But we'll see when those start molars come in (!!!).
Speaking of teething, Gabe has his first dental appointment next week at Dr. Pike's office. Now, we're not getting the old Dr. Pike, but his son. I was assured that son of Pike is just as dedicated to the dental health and psychological well-being of children as father Pike. We'll be the judge of that!
I just posted an Examiner story about the 25th anniversary of The Cosby Show. It's one of my favorite sitcoms. I could watch those episodes over and over. Hope you like the story!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Walking more, eating better
Gabe is getting more comfortable with putting finger foods into his mouth, so much that I worry he is going to choke! I keep an eye on him, but I guess I'm being a worry wart mom. What he does, is puts pieces into his mouth and immediately spits it out. If he likes the taste, he'll eat some of it.
He's doing great on eating stage 3 foods. His favorites are anything with chicken or turkey in it. He doesn't gag at all on these, but will occasionally spit out a little soft carrot. He is not a fan of the ones with pasta and tomato sauce.
Gabe likes walking, though he is still holding onto our fingers when he does it. He has times during the day when that's all he wants to do. Last week, he did a few rounds of solo walking again. I think his confidence is building well and he is getting more comfortable.
He's doing great on eating stage 3 foods. His favorites are anything with chicken or turkey in it. He doesn't gag at all on these, but will occasionally spit out a little soft carrot. He is not a fan of the ones with pasta and tomato sauce.
Gabe likes walking, though he is still holding onto our fingers when he does it. He has times during the day when that's all he wants to do. Last week, he did a few rounds of solo walking again. I think his confidence is building well and he is getting more comfortable.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Gabe's tongue and the reincarnation of "News Junkie"
Gabe's tongue is healing quite nicely. I have a friend that assured me the tongue can take a beating; she pierced her's twice and was amazed at how quickly the hole closed up! So, he is doing good. He caught some beach volleyball on TV briefly on Sunday afternoon with Craig and didn't you know, he started pretending he was serving with his soccer ball! Man, those baby brains are sponges, lol.
He still likes to walk around, holding on to one of our fingers, and can stand well alone, but hasn't taken any more independent steps like he did a week ago. I know he is making progress and will walk when he is ready.
The eating situation is improving. The gagging has lessened a lot. Ironically, after biting his tongue, his appetite increased. Yogurt is probably his favorite food right now, but he ate a whole container of YoBaby yogurts in one sitting last week; he's never done that before. He will now eat what I give him, IF he likes it. We started giving him mostly Stage 3 Gerber stuff, and he has started getting used to the chunks! He will eat some, and then start spitting some out. Vast improvement over not knowing what to do with it and gagging, right? What I do sometimes, is mix some applesauce with a chunky meat food and he really likes that. Sweet and savory can go good together, yum.
Still pretty cautious on finger foods, but he will lick and suck on stuff if he likes the taste.
In other news, I've changed the name, focus and location of my other blog, "Chronicle of a News Junkie". It is now "The Cafe au lait Chronicles", located here, and the new post there explains the reason for the change.
That's all for now!
He still likes to walk around, holding on to one of our fingers, and can stand well alone, but hasn't taken any more independent steps like he did a week ago. I know he is making progress and will walk when he is ready.
The eating situation is improving. The gagging has lessened a lot. Ironically, after biting his tongue, his appetite increased. Yogurt is probably his favorite food right now, but he ate a whole container of YoBaby yogurts in one sitting last week; he's never done that before. He will now eat what I give him, IF he likes it. We started giving him mostly Stage 3 Gerber stuff, and he has started getting used to the chunks! He will eat some, and then start spitting some out. Vast improvement over not knowing what to do with it and gagging, right? What I do sometimes, is mix some applesauce with a chunky meat food and he really likes that. Sweet and savory can go good together, yum.
Still pretty cautious on finger foods, but he will lick and suck on stuff if he likes the taste.
In other news, I've changed the name, focus and location of my other blog, "Chronicle of a News Junkie". It is now "The Cafe au lait Chronicles", located here, and the new post there explains the reason for the change.
That's all for now!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Gabe bites his tongue (literally!)
Monday, while I was filling his juice/water bottle, Gabe was crawling towards the living room on the hardwoods. I guess he tripped or something because he landed on his chin somehow and bit into his tongue very badly. I glanced at him and heard him start to cry at about the same time and knew that it was not a normal cry. I picked him up and there was blood that seemed to gush out of his mouth (and probably a good amount of drool, but still). At first, I thought he busted his teeth out, but after not seeing any teeth on the floor, I realized he must have bitten his tongue.
Anyway, functionally, outwardly, I was trying to stop the bleeding and comfort him. Inside my head, I am like, "Aaaaack!!!" The bleeding stopped in less than 2 minutes, after 10 minutes, he forgot about it and was wanting to play. However, I had to a) check to see if he bit through his tongue and b) check the wound to see how bad it was.
Meanwhile, I called his Dr. and they told me (his own Dr. had left for the day, I talked to another) that if the bleeding stopped and he had not bitten through his tongue, to leave it be and skip the ER. After getting a good look at it, I determined that it was bad, but it was not an emergency since he indeed did not bite through his tongue and was not bleeding like it was when it first happened.
After things settled down, I told Craig at work. When he got home, he got worried, especially when he saw some spot bleeding still. So both of us were trying to determine if we needed to take him to the ER anyway. The problem was that the wound was trying to clot and heal, but through various means, he kept re-opening it, i.e., putting his hands in his mouth, gnawing on toys, etc., totally oblivious. We figured that after he went to sleep, and let it clot over during the night without interruptions, the wound would be closed enough by the morning to not be reopened as easily.
So that was the case. By Tuesday morning, it already started turning white (wounds in the mouth turn white as they heal). Here is a pic:
After reading online about the many children and adults that bite their tongues, I found that mouth wounds heal pretty quickly and rarely get infected because of the rich blood supply and saliva is apparently antiseptic, antibacterial or something to that nature. I will still watch him, but even today, Wednesday, it is looking even better.
Stressful start to the week!
Anyway, functionally, outwardly, I was trying to stop the bleeding and comfort him. Inside my head, I am like, "Aaaaack!!!" The bleeding stopped in less than 2 minutes, after 10 minutes, he forgot about it and was wanting to play. However, I had to a) check to see if he bit through his tongue and b) check the wound to see how bad it was.
Meanwhile, I called his Dr. and they told me (his own Dr. had left for the day, I talked to another) that if the bleeding stopped and he had not bitten through his tongue, to leave it be and skip the ER. After getting a good look at it, I determined that it was bad, but it was not an emergency since he indeed did not bite through his tongue and was not bleeding like it was when it first happened.
After things settled down, I told Craig at work. When he got home, he got worried, especially when he saw some spot bleeding still. So both of us were trying to determine if we needed to take him to the ER anyway. The problem was that the wound was trying to clot and heal, but through various means, he kept re-opening it, i.e., putting his hands in his mouth, gnawing on toys, etc., totally oblivious. We figured that after he went to sleep, and let it clot over during the night without interruptions, the wound would be closed enough by the morning to not be reopened as easily.
So that was the case. By Tuesday morning, it already started turning white (wounds in the mouth turn white as they heal). Here is a pic:
After reading online about the many children and adults that bite their tongues, I found that mouth wounds heal pretty quickly and rarely get infected because of the rich blood supply and saliva is apparently antiseptic, antibacterial or something to that nature. I will still watch him, but even today, Wednesday, it is looking even better.
Stressful start to the week!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Gabriel's Check-up
We're trying out a naturopath for Gabe's pediatritian and this is our second visit. So far, she is great.
We asked her of she could check to see if he had a ear infection because within the last few weeks he's been touching his ear and head a lot. Not everyday, but often enough to warrant addressing. His ears were clear, so we're thinking that teething is the culprit. We got confirmation when she felt his gums and his molars are making their way down, with one almost trying to break through on top. His gums have been very swollen for weeks, so this is no surprise.
His molars might also be part of the reason why his appetite for solids have been nil. He has his favorites which are any flavor of yogurt, Whole Foods 365 applesauce, banana, strawberry combo, and any type of smoothie. Once he ate up several bites of guacomole. All other foods, including finger foods, he either licks or plays with. Or he tries to feed it to us!
I was getting concerned about him handling chunkier foods because he gags a little whenever they make their way into his mouth. Now, he gagged a LOT worse when he was between 9-12 months old. So he has actually improved. But he is not super into chunky or finger foods. Now, I am not so concerned because I think once he starts eating more of those kinds of foods, he should be fine. But right now, he's just not interested and the Dr. said once his 1 yr. molars come in, there is a good chance his appetite and interest in chunky/finger foods will increase. She said while some kids are happy to gum their foods, others may not feel comfortable chewing their foods before their first molars come in.
And of course, we know that after 1 year, most kids slow down on the growth and just don't require as much food as we think.
Gabe is starting to really want to feed himself, too, so I just set him up with a bowl of food, 2 utensils and try to get a few bites in myself. He does show interest in our food, but only to play with it. This of course ends up being pretty messy, and I end up spending a good part of the day cleaning up and bathing him if he has gotten irredeemably messy.
Gabe is not walking alone yet, but he can walk assisted with one arm free and one hand holding on to your finger. And he can cruise along furniture and the wall just fine. I hope he will be walking by the end of the year, we'll see.
So, that's the update!
We asked her of she could check to see if he had a ear infection because within the last few weeks he's been touching his ear and head a lot. Not everyday, but often enough to warrant addressing. His ears were clear, so we're thinking that teething is the culprit. We got confirmation when she felt his gums and his molars are making their way down, with one almost trying to break through on top. His gums have been very swollen for weeks, so this is no surprise.
His molars might also be part of the reason why his appetite for solids have been nil. He has his favorites which are any flavor of yogurt, Whole Foods 365 applesauce, banana, strawberry combo, and any type of smoothie. Once he ate up several bites of guacomole. All other foods, including finger foods, he either licks or plays with. Or he tries to feed it to us!
I was getting concerned about him handling chunkier foods because he gags a little whenever they make their way into his mouth. Now, he gagged a LOT worse when he was between 9-12 months old. So he has actually improved. But he is not super into chunky or finger foods. Now, I am not so concerned because I think once he starts eating more of those kinds of foods, he should be fine. But right now, he's just not interested and the Dr. said once his 1 yr. molars come in, there is a good chance his appetite and interest in chunky/finger foods will increase. She said while some kids are happy to gum their foods, others may not feel comfortable chewing their foods before their first molars come in.
And of course, we know that after 1 year, most kids slow down on the growth and just don't require as much food as we think.
Gabe is starting to really want to feed himself, too, so I just set him up with a bowl of food, 2 utensils and try to get a few bites in myself. He does show interest in our food, but only to play with it. This of course ends up being pretty messy, and I end up spending a good part of the day cleaning up and bathing him if he has gotten irredeemably messy.
Gabe is not walking alone yet, but he can walk assisted with one arm free and one hand holding on to your finger. And he can cruise along furniture and the wall just fine. I hope he will be walking by the end of the year, we'll see.
So, that's the update!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Mom's Birthday
I took my mom to the Lavender Tea Room for her birthday today. It's located in Sherwood, Oregon and I said yesterday that the ride was about 30 minutes, it ended up being a little over 40. We got there just in time for our appointment.
We were by ourselves for most of the time (two other women came in about 15 minutes before we left). We had the "Lavender Tea" that included scones with clotted cream and jam, fruit, and tea sandwiches (two cucumber with cream cheese and two mozzarella with tomato and basil). Dessert was (and these were all very small) lemon bar, brownie tart, cream puff and white chocolate dipped strawberry with almonds. The tea we had was good; but I cannot remember the name. I only remember some of what was in it: lavender, cinnamon, spearmint and some other stuff.
Well, my mom loves tea houses so it was the perfect gift for her.
And my new favorite food: clotted cream. Very popular in the UK, very hard to get here commercially. So I think I may try to make some myself!
We were by ourselves for most of the time (two other women came in about 15 minutes before we left). We had the "Lavender Tea" that included scones with clotted cream and jam, fruit, and tea sandwiches (two cucumber with cream cheese and two mozzarella with tomato and basil). Dessert was (and these were all very small) lemon bar, brownie tart, cream puff and white chocolate dipped strawberry with almonds. The tea we had was good; but I cannot remember the name. I only remember some of what was in it: lavender, cinnamon, spearmint and some other stuff.
Well, my mom loves tea houses so it was the perfect gift for her.
And my new favorite food: clotted cream. Very popular in the UK, very hard to get here commercially. So I think I may try to make some myself!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
The Big Chop
My mom cut my dreadlocks late Sunday. This was about as short as my hair was when I first cut the relaxed part off 9 years ago.
I don't miss them at all! This will simplify my life considerably and I won't have to spend 3-4 hours doing my hair once a month. In fact, I can wash it everyday if I want to (although I will co-wash if I do that and shampoo every few weeks).
So, here is my pic! FYI, I am not keeping it this short. I'm letting it grow out. And of course, the longer it gets, the more work it will take to maintain. But, my hair won't be that long for a few years (especially considering it shrinks up like 50 percent of its length when it dries!). As short as my hair was after the cut, it amazes me how much tangled hair came out during my shampoo. My hair is so dense and thick.
In other news, my mom and brother are here visiting from Philadelphia for two weeks. They haven't been here very long, just two days, so we haven't done much yet. We might drive to the beach for the day (will have to rent a car, if Craig's mom comes along), go to the rose garden (though the roses are probably burned up from all this crazy heat), go to Powell's Books, etc. And of course, relaxing, too.
My mom's birthday is Friday and I am taking her to a tea house in Sherwood, Oregon (just a 30 min. drive from where we are now). My mom really liked this tea house I took her to when we lived in Walla Walla, so I thought I would find one here to take her to. I'll let you know how it was!
I don't miss them at all! This will simplify my life considerably and I won't have to spend 3-4 hours doing my hair once a month. In fact, I can wash it everyday if I want to (although I will co-wash if I do that and shampoo every few weeks).
So, here is my pic! FYI, I am not keeping it this short. I'm letting it grow out. And of course, the longer it gets, the more work it will take to maintain. But, my hair won't be that long for a few years (especially considering it shrinks up like 50 percent of its length when it dries!). As short as my hair was after the cut, it amazes me how much tangled hair came out during my shampoo. My hair is so dense and thick.
In other news, my mom and brother are here visiting from Philadelphia for two weeks. They haven't been here very long, just two days, so we haven't done much yet. We might drive to the beach for the day (will have to rent a car, if Craig's mom comes along), go to the rose garden (though the roses are probably burned up from all this crazy heat), go to Powell's Books, etc. And of course, relaxing, too.
My mom's birthday is Friday and I am taking her to a tea house in Sherwood, Oregon (just a 30 min. drive from where we are now). My mom really liked this tea house I took her to when we lived in Walla Walla, so I thought I would find one here to take her to. I'll let you know how it was!
Monday, July 27, 2009
I'm 32 years old today!
Today is my birthday and I haven't really got anything planned. There is a heat advisory in Portland with 100 temps set for the next three days. We broke down and purchased an air conditioner unit for the window in our kitchen to keep the downstairs cooler. If Gabe were older and in school and I was at work all day, we probably would just ride it through. Or if he were in school and it were just me, I'd just go spend the day at the mall to keep cool.
But I think he's too young to be lugged around town to stay cool, so that's why we got the unit. It's small and works well so far; keeps the kitchen/dining area cold and the living room cool. Haven't hatched a plan for upstairs. During the day it will get very hot, but at night it cools off OK.
Anyway, back to the birthday. No plans. All I am doing, is getting a cheesecake and maybe some take-out Thai food, not sure yet. But not going out anywhere, no major plans; really concentrating on keeping Gabe and myself cool these next few days.
But I think he's too young to be lugged around town to stay cool, so that's why we got the unit. It's small and works well so far; keeps the kitchen/dining area cold and the living room cool. Haven't hatched a plan for upstairs. During the day it will get very hot, but at night it cools off OK.
Anyway, back to the birthday. No plans. All I am doing, is getting a cheesecake and maybe some take-out Thai food, not sure yet. But not going out anywhere, no major plans; really concentrating on keeping Gabe and myself cool these next few days.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Oregon Zoo Trip
This past Monday, after getting back in town from visiting friends in Washington State, we took Gabe to the Oregon Zoo, courtesy of Grandma Deb (was part of his birthday gift). One of Craig's friends, Tina, and her daughter Mary-Ellen, was in town from Salt Lake City, and they joined us, too. Fortunately, Monday was nice and cool (versus the rest of this week which was very hot).
It was really fun. Gabe was totally fascinated with things like "Exit" signs, lights and other children. Oh yeah, and the animals were okay, too, lol. What I like about the Oregon Zoo is that there is not a lot of concrete; you feel like you are hiking in the woods, looking at animals. Or at least they do a pretty good job of making it seem that way. Many of the exhibits feel very open (except for the elephants, big cats, bears, etc.)
At one point, I had to go nurse him and then I put him in the carrier. He fell asleep for probably a half hour. We made our way to the stage area, where they were having a show of owls and music was playing. They just so happened to be playing "Thriller" by MJ and I felt Gabe dancing in his carrier before he even fully woke! The boy LOVES music.
Here are some pics:
Mom and Gabe looking at Polar Bears.
Meri-Elen, her mom Tina and Gabe.
Seals.
Zebra. Doesn't it feel like we were practically
in the enclosure?
Meerkat
Right before naptime.
It was really fun. Gabe was totally fascinated with things like "Exit" signs, lights and other children. Oh yeah, and the animals were okay, too, lol. What I like about the Oregon Zoo is that there is not a lot of concrete; you feel like you are hiking in the woods, looking at animals. Or at least they do a pretty good job of making it seem that way. Many of the exhibits feel very open (except for the elephants, big cats, bears, etc.)
At one point, I had to go nurse him and then I put him in the carrier. He fell asleep for probably a half hour. We made our way to the stage area, where they were having a show of owls and music was playing. They just so happened to be playing "Thriller" by MJ and I felt Gabe dancing in his carrier before he even fully woke! The boy LOVES music.
Here are some pics:
Mom and Gabe looking at Polar Bears.
Meri-Elen, her mom Tina and Gabe.
Seals.
Zebra. Doesn't it feel like we were practically
in the enclosure?
Meerkat
Right before naptime.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday Play Date
Yesterday, another couple from our childbirth class, Amy and Steve, brought their son, Silas, over for a playdate and much needed catching up between the adults. It was great fun!
I made artichoke and sun-dried tomato quiche, Craig made a fruit salad, and we bought poppyseed and almond muffins. Gabe and Silas played together well. Silas is about 2 weeks younger than Gabe, but he is already walking. They both seemed to drift between being tired and getting bursts of energy. We were kind of worried about Gabe, because he seemed to getting really cranky and tired right when they arrived! But after some cuddlings and holding him, he got a second wind. During lunch, he sucked on a lot of fruit; he was quite taken with the watermelon and cantelope. Silas is not as picky with foods and ate some of the quiche (in fact, Amy joked that she think he may be eating too much, lol).
It was great to compare notes on parenting with another couple that are first time parents. I took a few pics:
Gabe looking at Silas over near his parents.
Tried to get Silas to smile big. I think there was a
little smile there.
I made artichoke and sun-dried tomato quiche, Craig made a fruit salad, and we bought poppyseed and almond muffins. Gabe and Silas played together well. Silas is about 2 weeks younger than Gabe, but he is already walking. They both seemed to drift between being tired and getting bursts of energy. We were kind of worried about Gabe, because he seemed to getting really cranky and tired right when they arrived! But after some cuddlings and holding him, he got a second wind. During lunch, he sucked on a lot of fruit; he was quite taken with the watermelon and cantelope. Silas is not as picky with foods and ate some of the quiche (in fact, Amy joked that she think he may be eating too much, lol).
It was great to compare notes on parenting with another couple that are first time parents. I took a few pics:
Gabe looking at Silas over near his parents.
Tried to get Silas to smile big. I think there was a
little smile there.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Father's Day
Craig's first Father's Day started out interesting.
On Saturday afternoon, Gabe came down with a temperature of 101. Now I am freaking out because he had showed no signs of illness before this. He just woke up from a nap warm. And while this is not the first time he has been sick, this was the first time he has ever had a temp. Yikes! So, I forgot how much Tylenol to give him, so we call the on-call nurse. Meanwhile, I give him half a dropper of Tylenol, knowing we're going to be told to give him at least that much. The nurse calls back, tells us a whole dropper is ok, so I give him another half-dropper. Temp drops by evening, he sleeps ok through the night.
He wakes up with a temp again, but it is 100. At this point, he's acting sickly, but not totally lethargic. Still smiles, etc. So it seemed like in the afternoon, he was totally fine. Temp went back down, he was playing like normal. I put him down for a nap. Then he wakes up crying. Ok, not totally unusual, sometimes they wake up cranky. But this time, he was like inconsolable! I'm like, is he in pain or something? Freaking out again, I am. We take his temp again, and its like 96 something, seemed a bit low. At the time, Craig had it in his head that it was too low, like ER low, but later I realized we were not thinking very clearly because he just woke up and your temp goes down during sleep.
Anyway, I was more concerned about out of control crying. So we called the nurse again, and she said that if his temp was too low, he'd be shivering, etc. So, she just said that he is probably coming down with a cold virus or perhaps teething. His nose started running a bit, so I am inclined to believe that there was a cold virus in him.
Eventually, Gabe was fine and nursed and calmed down. And he has been fine ever since; fever stayed down and his nose stopped running.
Whew! So Father's Day didn't start off very well, but it ended well. Craig wanted to go to Five Guys Burgers and Fries for dinner (he really wanted to go to Red Robin, but since Gabe was getting over sickness, we didn't want to push our luck; We did take-out for 5 Guys). Their burgers are pretty good and you get a nice helping of fries for two people from one serving.
On Saturday afternoon, Gabe came down with a temperature of 101. Now I am freaking out because he had showed no signs of illness before this. He just woke up from a nap warm. And while this is not the first time he has been sick, this was the first time he has ever had a temp. Yikes! So, I forgot how much Tylenol to give him, so we call the on-call nurse. Meanwhile, I give him half a dropper of Tylenol, knowing we're going to be told to give him at least that much. The nurse calls back, tells us a whole dropper is ok, so I give him another half-dropper. Temp drops by evening, he sleeps ok through the night.
He wakes up with a temp again, but it is 100. At this point, he's acting sickly, but not totally lethargic. Still smiles, etc. So it seemed like in the afternoon, he was totally fine. Temp went back down, he was playing like normal. I put him down for a nap. Then he wakes up crying. Ok, not totally unusual, sometimes they wake up cranky. But this time, he was like inconsolable! I'm like, is he in pain or something? Freaking out again, I am. We take his temp again, and its like 96 something, seemed a bit low. At the time, Craig had it in his head that it was too low, like ER low, but later I realized we were not thinking very clearly because he just woke up and your temp goes down during sleep.
Anyway, I was more concerned about out of control crying. So we called the nurse again, and she said that if his temp was too low, he'd be shivering, etc. So, she just said that he is probably coming down with a cold virus or perhaps teething. His nose started running a bit, so I am inclined to believe that there was a cold virus in him.
Eventually, Gabe was fine and nursed and calmed down. And he has been fine ever since; fever stayed down and his nose stopped running.
Whew! So Father's Day didn't start off very well, but it ended well. Craig wanted to go to Five Guys Burgers and Fries for dinner (he really wanted to go to Red Robin, but since Gabe was getting over sickness, we didn't want to push our luck; We did take-out for 5 Guys). Their burgers are pretty good and you get a nice helping of fries for two people from one serving.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Gabe's 12 month appt.
Yesterday, Gabe went in for his 12 month appointment with his new doctor, Dr. Gibbons. We were not satisfied with the doctor we had, so we decided to try another one, who happens to be an ND.
Gabe is 30 inches! He is 19.5 pounds, so he gained 2 pounds since his 9 month appt. He seems to be tall and lean, like my brother.
We asked about his eating habits, which have been all over the place lately. He just started, within the last day or so, eating a lot of yogurt. Dr. Gibbons suggested offering him more complex flavors. She said yogurt was a good one, and any meat, bean, veggie mixture. He has improved some with his gagging on lumpy foods. If it's lumpy and soft, he's okay with it. I know some kids gum stuff, but with others, I think they don't get super comfortable with lumpy foods until the molars come in.
Anyway, that's the update!
Gabe is 30 inches! He is 19.5 pounds, so he gained 2 pounds since his 9 month appt. He seems to be tall and lean, like my brother.
We asked about his eating habits, which have been all over the place lately. He just started, within the last day or so, eating a lot of yogurt. Dr. Gibbons suggested offering him more complex flavors. She said yogurt was a good one, and any meat, bean, veggie mixture. He has improved some with his gagging on lumpy foods. If it's lumpy and soft, he's okay with it. I know some kids gum stuff, but with others, I think they don't get super comfortable with lumpy foods until the molars come in.
Anyway, that's the update!
Our Cannon Beach Trip
Our trip to Cannon Beach was really fun. And the weather? Way better than we expected! It was sunny and warm much of the time.
The Sandcastle Contest was fun to watch. They started around 8am and the judges started judging around mid-afternoon. The skill-level ran the gamut; from super complicated, to just a some kids doing a simplistic giant turtle. Here are some photos:
We ate at our favorite brekkie place, Pig n Pancake. THE best pancakes I have ever had, love them. We ate at a couple of places where Gabe did well and didn't start getting antsy until the end of the meals.
We didn't do much playing on the beach. While the weather was nice, once you actually get on the beach near the water, it gets rather cold and very breezy. We didn't want sand flying into Gabe's eyes, so we just walked around on the beach. Gabe also sat in a toddler swing for the first time. He really enjoyed that. To the point where when it was time to go, he did not like that one bit! Here are some photos:
The drive there and back was lovely. Gabe slept during both drives, and it helped that the distance was only an hour and 20 minutes.
Here is a pic of Haystack Rock:
My allergies have been acting up BIG time since I got back from Cannon. I thought I was coming down with something, but it seems to be that my sinuses are being irritated by something. Uhg. I hope that I feel better soon.
The Sandcastle Contest was fun to watch. They started around 8am and the judges started judging around mid-afternoon. The skill-level ran the gamut; from super complicated, to just a some kids doing a simplistic giant turtle. Here are some photos:
We ate at our favorite brekkie place, Pig n Pancake. THE best pancakes I have ever had, love them. We ate at a couple of places where Gabe did well and didn't start getting antsy until the end of the meals.
We didn't do much playing on the beach. While the weather was nice, once you actually get on the beach near the water, it gets rather cold and very breezy. We didn't want sand flying into Gabe's eyes, so we just walked around on the beach. Gabe also sat in a toddler swing for the first time. He really enjoyed that. To the point where when it was time to go, he did not like that one bit! Here are some photos:
The drive there and back was lovely. Gabe slept during both drives, and it helped that the distance was only an hour and 20 minutes.
Here is a pic of Haystack Rock:
My allergies have been acting up BIG time since I got back from Cannon. I thought I was coming down with something, but it seems to be that my sinuses are being irritated by something. Uhg. I hope that I feel better soon.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Cannon Beach, Straws and Hair Obsessions
We are preparing to go to Cannon Beach, Or this weekend. The last time we went there was last year, in April, several weeks before Gabe was born. We called it our "babymoon". CB is only an hour and a half from where we live, so it will be a shorter drive than when we went to Yachats.
Primarily, we are going to the beach to observe the annual Sandcastle Contest that is held there every June. Should be fun. Not sure how the weather is going to be. I checked and it's supposed to be in the high 60s. Hope there is no rain! We'll take lots of pics and post them here.
Also, I taught Gabriel how to drink from a straw. When we first got this sippy cup several weeks ago, he didn't seem to know what to do with it! But yesterday, I offered it to him again with some juice/water mix and he just did it. So I guess I didn't really teach him, per se, I guess it was good timing!
For the last several weeks, I have been totally obsessed with my hair. I do my hair myself and I'm down to 2 hours in twisting time, and about an hour to dry the roots under a capped dryer, then the rest of the day for the actual locks to dry. That's the best I can hope for, but I'm getting tired of it. Not only am I getting tired of doing my dreadlocks, I am tired of having them on my head.
Back when I started locking in 2004, I was tired of combing my hair so I figured I'll just stop, hehe. That's essentially what locking is, not combing your hair anytime in the near future. However, now I am at the point where I miss combing my hair. And I miss the ease of a short style.
So I have made the decision to say good-bye to my locks. The next time I wash my hair, I am going to cut the locked parts off and start fresh. I've asked my mother to do the deed for me when she and William come for a visit in early August. I don't think she likes the idea of me cutting them, but she is willing to cut them.
But before the big cut, I needed to refresh myself on how to care for my hair without dreadlocks. I haven't had my hair straightened since 1999. Before locking, the only time I did my own hair was a brief time in 2002; before and after that, I went to salons that specialized in natural hair care.
But as I researched, I realized that I, and possibly my hair stylists, weren't really taking care of my hair very well. My hair is thick, course and gets tangled easily; I think I have a mostly 4A hair type with like one patch of 3C in the back of my head. When I did my own hair, I washed it and sprayed it liberally with detangler, while combing it out, and then two-strand twisted it. I see now that the detangler was way to wimpy because it hurt to comb.
My stylists did one better; my hair got washed, but she twisted my hair with a gel that was mostly coconut oil, which gave it some much needed moisture. That was the only time my hair got any moisture (besides the water from the wash) and it probably was not enough for my hair. It still hurt to comb.
What was missing from my routines was a really, really, really good moisturizing session.
Basically, figuring out the right amount of moisture is the difference between hair like mine feeling soft, having sheen and easy combing or it feeling like a Brilo pad and crying while combing. I know now that if my hair feels even remotely like a Brilo pad, I am doing something wrong. Very wrong.
So here is what I think I need to do every 7-10 days:
1. Wash my hair once with a sulfate-free shampoo
2. Do a second wash with a light conditioner (co-washing)
3. Do a Deep condition
4. Use a thick, residue-free leave-in condition to comb and detangle my hair.
5. Let it air dry
6. Protein conditioner every few months
7. Daily moisturizer (jojoba or coconut oil mixed with water maybe?)
Ha! We'll see how it goes. I'll post my first dreadlock-free pic when the time comes!
Primarily, we are going to the beach to observe the annual Sandcastle Contest that is held there every June. Should be fun. Not sure how the weather is going to be. I checked and it's supposed to be in the high 60s. Hope there is no rain! We'll take lots of pics and post them here.
Also, I taught Gabriel how to drink from a straw. When we first got this sippy cup several weeks ago, he didn't seem to know what to do with it! But yesterday, I offered it to him again with some juice/water mix and he just did it. So I guess I didn't really teach him, per se, I guess it was good timing!
For the last several weeks, I have been totally obsessed with my hair. I do my hair myself and I'm down to 2 hours in twisting time, and about an hour to dry the roots under a capped dryer, then the rest of the day for the actual locks to dry. That's the best I can hope for, but I'm getting tired of it. Not only am I getting tired of doing my dreadlocks, I am tired of having them on my head.
Back when I started locking in 2004, I was tired of combing my hair so I figured I'll just stop, hehe. That's essentially what locking is, not combing your hair anytime in the near future. However, now I am at the point where I miss combing my hair. And I miss the ease of a short style.
So I have made the decision to say good-bye to my locks. The next time I wash my hair, I am going to cut the locked parts off and start fresh. I've asked my mother to do the deed for me when she and William come for a visit in early August. I don't think she likes the idea of me cutting them, but she is willing to cut them.
But before the big cut, I needed to refresh myself on how to care for my hair without dreadlocks. I haven't had my hair straightened since 1999. Before locking, the only time I did my own hair was a brief time in 2002; before and after that, I went to salons that specialized in natural hair care.
But as I researched, I realized that I, and possibly my hair stylists, weren't really taking care of my hair very well. My hair is thick, course and gets tangled easily; I think I have a mostly 4A hair type with like one patch of 3C in the back of my head. When I did my own hair, I washed it and sprayed it liberally with detangler, while combing it out, and then two-strand twisted it. I see now that the detangler was way to wimpy because it hurt to comb.
My stylists did one better; my hair got washed, but she twisted my hair with a gel that was mostly coconut oil, which gave it some much needed moisture. That was the only time my hair got any moisture (besides the water from the wash) and it probably was not enough for my hair. It still hurt to comb.
What was missing from my routines was a really, really, really good moisturizing session.
Basically, figuring out the right amount of moisture is the difference between hair like mine feeling soft, having sheen and easy combing or it feeling like a Brilo pad and crying while combing. I know now that if my hair feels even remotely like a Brilo pad, I am doing something wrong. Very wrong.
So here is what I think I need to do every 7-10 days:
1. Wash my hair once with a sulfate-free shampoo
2. Do a second wash with a light conditioner (co-washing)
3. Do a Deep condition
4. Use a thick, residue-free leave-in condition to comb and detangle my hair.
5. Let it air dry
6. Protein conditioner every few months
7. Daily moisturizer (jojoba or coconut oil mixed with water maybe?)
Ha! We'll see how it goes. I'll post my first dreadlock-free pic when the time comes!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Brewster Baby Salon
We tried some new hair products on Gabriel. The brand is called It's a Curl for babies. We got Peek-A-Boo Tearless Shampoo, Patty Cake Conditioner, and Ring Around the Curlies Leave In Cre'me.
Gabe's hair has changed a lot since he was born. He had really straight hair, then it slowly started kinking up, then went through that phase where some of it falls out, then grows back in. Then it became really obvious that he needed a major conditioning ritual after getting it washed and on a daily basis. Sometimes his hair looks dry. And after shampooing, it looks great, but by the next day, dry again. I had to remind myself that curly hair needs moisture, period. And the curlier it is, the more moisture it needs.
Like for instance my own hair; I have dreadlocks now, I obviously do not comb my hair, so I don't have to be as militant with the moisture. But once I cut them (and I think I will by the end of the year), I need to have a totally different hair care system in place that includes LOTS of conditioner. I found this great website called biracialhair.org and its run by a woman who is biracial that had to battle her hair for years until she learned how to properly care for curly hair. The result is that she has long, healthy hair now. Proper care means not treating your curly hair like it's straight hair; one mistake black folks make is combing their hair when it's dry (in it's unprocessed state). BIG mistake. This harms your hair and makes you feel like it's too hard to manage. Your hair needs to be wet and lathered with conditioner while combing and it will be much, much easier to comb, and getting that much needed moisture.
So here are a few pics after Gabriel's salon appointment, ha ha.
Gabe's hair has changed a lot since he was born. He had really straight hair, then it slowly started kinking up, then went through that phase where some of it falls out, then grows back in. Then it became really obvious that he needed a major conditioning ritual after getting it washed and on a daily basis. Sometimes his hair looks dry. And after shampooing, it looks great, but by the next day, dry again. I had to remind myself that curly hair needs moisture, period. And the curlier it is, the more moisture it needs.
Like for instance my own hair; I have dreadlocks now, I obviously do not comb my hair, so I don't have to be as militant with the moisture. But once I cut them (and I think I will by the end of the year), I need to have a totally different hair care system in place that includes LOTS of conditioner. I found this great website called biracialhair.org and its run by a woman who is biracial that had to battle her hair for years until she learned how to properly care for curly hair. The result is that she has long, healthy hair now. Proper care means not treating your curly hair like it's straight hair; one mistake black folks make is combing their hair when it's dry (in it's unprocessed state). BIG mistake. This harms your hair and makes you feel like it's too hard to manage. Your hair needs to be wet and lathered with conditioner while combing and it will be much, much easier to comb, and getting that much needed moisture.
So here are a few pics after Gabriel's salon appointment, ha ha.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Happy Birthday Gabriel!
Today Gabriel is one year old. I can't believe how fast it all has gone. This time last year, I was going to hospital wondering if I were actually in labor, and indeed I was! He was born at 2pm. It's been a awesome year, and we're looking forward to the coming year. Right now, Gabe is walking around his Play center while holding on to it. I imagine he'll be walking within several weeks.
We had a small birthday party for him on Sunday. Here are some photos. Enjoy!
Gabe with Dad.
Blowing out the candles.
Close-up of Gabe's cake, from the Bakery Bar.
The goodies and decor.
Approaching the cake cautiously...
Not liking it too much!
Playing with some new toys.
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