This week Charlotte got conjunctivitis which meant no daycare on Thursday so I got to stay home with her. Luckily, she seemed completely unperturbed, and we had a very fun day. She helped me go shopping at Costco and had a great time riding in the shopping cart:
We also had a fun time checking out a new park:
Sick day
Weekend fun
The weekend started off a little early when I got a call from Charlotte’s daycare. Usually they call to say she has been bitten. Charlotte definitely doesn’t understand the concept of sharing and so she tries to take everything from the other kids. You would think that being bitten would be a pretty good deterrent, but apparently not. Anyway, this time they called to say that she had a fever. When I got there, she was sitting on the floor looking pretty pathetic. I’ve stopped actually taking her temperature most of the time since she hates it but she was definitely extremely hot and very clingy; simply sitting on my lap with her head on my chest and moaning. She had a rough night and a pretty rough day on Saturday as she was unwilling to eat or sleep. But Sunday she woke up in a great mood. We took advantage of this to get some errands done.
Here she is helping drive the cart at Lowe’s while we looked for a patio set:
Showing off her new coloring skills (notice that she managed to draw all over her pants before I thought to change from markers to crayons):
Giggling in the swings:
Running around the nearby playground (why does she keep looking up??):
Never a dull moment
Charlotte is keeping us very busy these days. She’s become more interested in feeding herself which results in some very messy meals. Here’s her attempt to eat spaghetti:
And her attempt to eat with a spoon (the true level of messiness doesn’t come across well in pictures):
She’s started to actually follow along when we read books, and her latest trick is to bring us a book and then turn around and plop down in our lap so we can read it to her. So cute! Here she is reading with daddy:
She’s become a lot more challenging to take out to eat since she wants to always be moving (or rearrange the chairs in the restaurant). Here is a rare still moment:
And her favorite activity of all, playing with random household things:
Observations and updates
The weather in California is awesome, but the drivers are horrible. Too slow!
Hanging out in our fenced-in backyard with Spenser, Charlotte and Eddie is very fun.
Hot pot is pretty cool.
There is an awesome mall in Milpitas where I could spend vast amounts of time and money.
Charlotte wears a size 4.5 wide. Big feet like her mama.
My left calf is already noticeable smaller than my right.
My toes look like little sausages at the end of the day. ewww.
I want to buy millions of outdoor toys for Charlotte.
Eddie’s new car is pretty sweet, but I’m the one who needs a back up camera.
Having a toddler who wants to eat whatever I’m eating actually makes me eat healthier.
And some updates on Charlotte:
Understands pretty much everything we say and can follow commands like, “Go pick out a book and bring it to me to read.”
Runs pretty quickly.
Is willing to try any food we’re eating.
Loves filling the laundry basket and then dragging it around.
Loves pushing her stroller.
Has apparently decided that her bedtime went from 7:30 to 8:30.
Has switched from two naps per day to one 2-2.5 hour nap.
Can point to her stomach and her feet if we ask her.
Likes to unload the shoe rack.
Can put the round block in the shape sorter.
Can draw a little bit with crayons and markers.
Is a little less clingy.
Sometimes sleeps until 7:30 but usually wakes up 1-2 times per night.
Is still afraid of her new daycare.
Sometimes helps guide the spoon to her mouth.
Still won’t drink milk from a cup.
Loves trying to put the top back on her bottle.
Can’t get enough of chasing Spenser around.
Frustration
I’m not sure whether I’m more frustrated with not being able to walk or with being at a new hospital and not knowing how anything works. Although this ridiculous knee scooter I have is very helpful, there are times when I want to throw it out the window. It’s difficult to maneuver in small spaces and pretty much impossible to go up and down steps. The entry into our house only has three steps, but it’s very difficult to navigate. I need to have my crutches to go up and down the stairs and then I need to somehow lift the scooter without falling over. And yes, I could ask my amazing husband to help me, but I hate having to depend on other people.
I’m also pretty exasperated by some of the orientation to my new job. No one actually went over the benefits, and it’s hard to figure it out from the online information. Plus, I’m trying to set up follow up appointments for myself and a new pediatrician for Charlotte but no one will even let me make an appointment without my insurance information. They seem to think I’m lying when I say I haven’t signed up yet, but that it will be retroactive to 7/1 when I do sign up. And the big orientation I went to on the first day was actually for the main hospital and not the Children’s hospital I’ll be working in, so it seems all the passwords/computer access I got there is irrelevant. I officially start in 2 days and I still can’t figure out my email or the electronic order system. Not to mention the millions of various paper forms. And yes, once again there are many people I can ask for help, but I want to be able to just figure it out myself. My mother would be amused because apparently “do it self” was one of my favorite phrases as a toddler. It’s just so difficult to go from a place where I knew everything and everyone to not knowing how anything works.
I’m also getting pretty anxious about the long hours that are about to start. After a year of working 8 to 5 with most weekends off, this is going to be really tough. I’m sad that there will be days when I leave for work before Charlotte wakes up and get home after she goes to bed. I didn’t have kids when I applied for fellowship, and my priorities are definitely different now. It makes me wonder if I made the right career decision, but I feel like it’s too late to back out now after moving my family across the country. Plus, I really do like this field, and I have no idea what else I would do.
And, to top it all off, I can’t go running to get any of this out of my system. On that note, it’s definitely time for bed.
Adventures
Our flight out to California actually wasn’t too bad despite having 1 child, 1 cat, a stroller, diaper bag, camera bag, 2 backpacks and 3 suitcases. We landed at 8 pm California time and immediately drove to Target to pick up some essentials and then got settled in our temporary housing (thanks Google!) by about 10 pm. The temporary housing is pretty sweet. It’s a two bedroom apartment in this beautiful complex with central air, two bathrooms, and plenty of parking. It comes with sheets, towels, plates, coffee, a little bit of food and even a pack n play for Char.
Sadly, Charlotte stayed on east coast time so woke up Tuesday morning at 3:45 am. I tried to get her to back to sleep until 4:30 at which point I just gave up and decided we were up for the day. We played inside for a while and then decided to go check out the playground in the apartment complex. This proved to be a very poor decision since I managed to trip going down the stairs and fell very awkwardly on my ankle. I somehow managed to protect Charlotte but very unfortunately for me, fractured my fibula.
I can’t even begin to describe how inconvenient it is to have a broken ankle while caring for a 1 year old, moving across the country and starting fellowship. Not to mention dealing with health insurance. Argh. But I keep reminding myself that it could be a lot worse. I could have been much more badly hurt or Charlotte could have been hurt or I could have broken my right ankle and not been able to drive. Despite this, I spend a lot of time thinking about how much easier and how much more fun this would be if I had two good legs. No running for me, which is a bummer because I was just thinking of starting training seriously again after I had a great “race” with Karen last weekend.
Transitions
I am sitting on our front balcony in Somerville for probably the last time while these amazing guys pack up all of our stuff. I am very thankful that we are not doing the packing, but also very sad to be leaving. This house has special meaning for us. It’s the first place we’ve owned, Charlotte was born here and learned to take her first steps here. I finally became a “real” doctor while living here. Eddie and I ran lots and lots of miles with this as our home base. And, best of all, we made amazing friends while living here. I’m not quite sure what I’ll do without all of my resident friends to joke around with or complain to; or my mommy friends to go running with and discuss for the 90th time why our children aren’t sleeping/eating/walking/crawling/talking or whatever activity we are currently obsessed with. I’ll miss the coffee shop right in Porter square where they not only know my last name but can spell it. The shopping plaza where I spent hours and hours walking around with Charlotte in the Ergo. Being able to walk to fabulous restaurants and bars and the bike path and Charlotte’s daycare and the train and playgrounds and the grocery store and many different ice cream shops.
I’m also sad to be leaving Charlotte’s “friends.” I’ll miss watching Katelyn grow up and teaching Charlotte new tricks. I’ll miss watching Connor be able to make Charlotte laugh at pretty much everything or Timmy and Rohan constantly asking for Charlotte and then pretty much ignoring her when they finally get together. I’ll miss watching Henry and Simon get to take their first steps and babies Katie and Theo get to be past the “blob stage.” I’ll miss Charlotte’s teachers at daycare (especially Miss Santa) who can somehow magically get her to nap and eat all of her food much better than I can. And who used to patiently walk around holding her hands when she was just learning to walk.
Everyone I talk to says that California is an amazing place to live and that once we move there, we’ll never want to come back. It’s true that I will not miss shoveling snow or running in the freezing cold or the horrible Boston traffic, but that’s pretty much it. I think that I’m ready to be done with being a chief resident, but the thought of being a fellow is somewhat terrifying. Oddly enough, I’m not currently worried about the part that will probably be the hardest: the emotional toll of taking care of very sick kids. Instead, I’m worried about silly things, like learning a new computer system, learning the names of the attendings/residents/nurses, knowing where to get food and go to the bathroom. I’m also quite worried about the hours I will be working. It’s likely that I won’t be home in time to put Charlotte to bed most nights. I worry a little about the effect this will have on her, but I worry more about how my husband will deal with it. On the one hand, I think it will be nice to have a dad who knows his daughter so well. On the other hand, Eddie has already had to put up with A LOT for my career, and it definitely isn’t fair. While I know that he’s happy to be working at Google, I’m sure a small part of him is upset with me for matching in California. If I weren’t a doctor, we could stay here in Boston. So, here’s hoping that I love fellowship and he loves Google and we make great friends so that this move is worth it.
More milestones
A brief list of all the fun stuff Charlotte is doing lately:
Taking a few steps on her own into our arms. Yay!
Crawling very quickly. Usually over to us so that she can stand up.
Cruising very well on anything available.
Chasing after Spenser.
Standing up and then sitting back down over and over again.
Stepping over the gate of her “castle” but otherwise ignoring all other obstacles and walking straight into them or onto of them.
Very happily eating cheerios, crackers and puffs. Somewhat happily eating oatmeal mixed with veggies or yogurt mixed with fruit.
Standing in her exersaucer and intentionally dropping her toys on the floor and then leaning over the edge to look for them.
Playing the falling back game whenever she’s tired which involves looking at us over her shoulder and then falling straight back into our arms.
Giggling uncontrollably when she’s tired and we tickle her stomach or her thighs. What baby has ticklish thighs??
Blowing kisses goodbye.
Waving goodbye (and sometimes just randomly).
Clapping.
Sucking on her lovey, Molly.
Laughing when we cover her face with her lovey and then pull it away to play peekaboo.
Saving me from the “monkey disease” when Mathilda is perched on my head.
Offering the occasional cheerio to me to eat.
Shaking her head “no” and pursing her lips when she’s done eating.
Playing with her lovey while she nurses or takes a bottle.
Looking at pictures in books and turning the pages for us.
Giving us huge smiles whenever she sees us and turning to look at us whenever she accomplishes something.
Maybe even able to follow our point.
Riding very happily (usually asleep) in both the stroller and the car seat.
Basically, she’s a lot of fun to hang out with and almost always in a good mood. I feel very lucky.
California
In roughly 3 months, we’ll be living in California. Unbelievable. Happily, we now both have jobs and (perhaps even better) Eddie’s job is going to move us to California. Not only will they pay to ship our stuff across the country (including our car), but they also do all of the packing! So awesome! I can’t even explain how helpful that will be. We started the cleaning up process today. In the span of 1.5 hours, we managed to fill 6 trash bags with old clothes and dropped them off at Goodwill. We’ve also packed 2 boxes of books and 1 box of DVDs to either donate or sell if possible. I’m glad we’ve started, but we have a lot more to do.
I’m excited to move to California because the weather will be awesome, and it will be fun to play outside with Charlotte. Plus, as much as I love our current condo, I’m looking forward to finding a place with more room. But I’ll also be so sad to leave my family and all of our friends behind. And very nervous about how busy I’ll be. I’ve been so spoiled by chief year and having almost every weekend off.
Charlotte is now 10 months old, and I can’t believe how good natured she is lately. I would never have imagined that she could transform from a screaming, very fussy infant into this giggly and fun almost toddler. She’s starting to become an actual person, as silly as that sounds. She definitely seems to understand what we say and is always looking at us to see our reaction. Her favorite activity is still walking around while holding our hands, but she also loves pulling up on everything and is now able to sit back down on her own. There was a warm day a few weeks ago, and I took her to the playground, and she LOVED it! She got to walk around a lot and was fascinated with all the older kids. I can’t wait until it gets warm again so we can go again.
8 months!
Tomorrow Charlotte will be 8 months old! She’s still immobile, other than being able to walk holding onto our hands and being able to very slowly scoot herself backwards when on her stomach. She’s an amazing amount of fun lately. Super smiley and loves to talk. Her favorite activity is still standing, and she’s gotten quite good at it. I think she’s also beginning to understand us a little. When we read books to her now, she often seems to be listening and looking at the pictures. We’re trying to use sign language with her, but we’re not very consistent about it. Every time I use it, she looks at me like I’m crazy. It’s pretty funny.
I have to say that starting solids with her has been much more challenging than I imagined. First, she had to figure out that the spoon contained food. Then she had to figure out how to get the food off the spoon. Currently, the challenge is getting her to focus since she gets very easily distracted. It’s also difficult to find food that she likes. At the moment, her top picks are rice cereal, cheerios, chicken and pear. She went through a phase where she loved banana, but lately she won’t eat it.
The best development in the past few months has been her amazing improvement in sleep. We did a modified version of sleep training and the result is that we can now put her down completely awake, and she simply falls asleep. Even though she’s been doing this for at least the past month, I still remain amazed every night when it works. I never would have believed it possible. She still wakes up 1-2 times per night, but I really don’t mind very much. The fact that we now have a few hours each night to relax by ourselves is fabulous. Plus, she usually sleeps until 6 or 7 am so I can easily get 9 hours of sleep.
I remain a little sad by how much trouble I’m having getting back into pre-pregnancy shape. A few weeks after delivery, I was actually below my pre-pregnancy weight, but that was because I was having some horrible post partum nausea. Once it resolved, I actually gained some weight back, which was good at the time, but now is less good. My current theory is that it will be easier for me to lose the rest of weight once I stop nursing. Keep your fingers crossed that that’s true. In the meantime, I’m working on consistently running 15-20 miles per week. Even though my schedule is much easier this year, it’s hard squeezing the running in. The easiest way to get my run in is to run to and from Charlotte’s daycare to pick her up. The problem with this is that it means I need to leave work by about 4:15. The other challenge at the moment is the snow. Pushing a stroller through 18 inches of snow just isn’t possible. And it doesn’t feel safe to run in the street. So my only option is to either run without Charlotte or to run on the bike path which is only plowed for about 2 miles.
Another running blog 