Praise Report

Thank you, Lord!

We have had consistent power now for over two weeks and last night was the real test. I awoke at midnight to the sound of a very bad thunderstorm which turned into a hailstorm and then back to a thunderstorm. We have lost power for much less in the past 2 months. But I just lay there last night thanking the Lord that never once did our electricity flicker!

Humor a la the Middle East

Many of you know my parents are living in Saudi Arabia right now. We visited them over Christmas 2 years ago. When we arrived, unlike the usual hotels with mints on the pillow, we arrived chez Brown with a Christmas card on the pillow. The card was from Kabir, my parents' gardener. (more on that later) I had never met this sweet Bangladeshi when receiving the card, but he already fondly thought of me as his sister. This card was addressed to his sister...and I particularly loved the inside sentiments! (keep in mind, he speaks some English...enough to recognize the word sister on the front, but not enough to understand the rest of the card.) Anyone see any humor here?

Receiving a Christmas card does not sound too unusual until you realize that you are in Saudi, a place that bans Christmas. Where did he find the card? I propose that he found it in the same store as the fellow in the following story. (an excerpt from a book written by a Brit in Qatar~similar culture to Saudi)

Brian and Marie, two perennial friends of mine in London, have become parents for the first time and on hearing this I planned to send them a card of congratulations. Some hope....

...The only card shop is a tiny place the shape of a lighthouse. Due to its size, none of the cards are actually on display, but are packed neatly away in hundreds of cardboard boxes, none of which give any indication as to the precise nature of their contents. The majority of boxes are kept in a dingy attic immediately above the shop. Access to this is by way of a rusty metal ladder secured to the wall by a single screw and mounted at an angle which can range from 180 to 200 degrees depending on the prevailing climatic conditions. Judicious caution is advised when attempting to scale this menace, or you could end up in a place even higher than the attic. Fortunately, in deference to his customers, it's the practice of the shop's intrepid proprietor to risk his own life to decide which card you intend to buy.

As I entered the shop, he was sitting contentedly beside the door attempting to drink from a huge, metal cup of congealed tea. It looked disgusting. But no worse than his vermillion and bottle-green shirt.

'Hello,' he said. 'Take a seat, have a cup of tea.'

Remaining decisively anchored to the only chair in the shop, he then enquired,

'You like buy card?'

Suspecting he'd all but reached the limit of his English vocabulary, and with myself fluent in approximately one language, a potentially lengthy encounter seemed likely.

'Yes, I want card for new baby, please.'

'New baby. Yes. I go upstairs.'

Having furiously ransacked his desk for a torch, he mumbled a brief prayer before disappearing uncertainly up the ladder into the unlit attic, the torch gripped tightly between his teeth. Five seconds later there was a crash. The torch fell through the attic hatchway and bounced sedately back down the ladder, pursued closely by a set of false teeth.

For the next five minutes, the commotion emanating from above indicated a vigorous search was underway, and one the man was evidently getting his gums into. He then re-emerged, although in a dishevelled condition and with blood trickling from a small laceration which had mysteriously appeared on the bridge of his nose. Clutched in his hand was a card which looked attractive and well-printed. 'Good luck,' it read, 'in your new job.'

'No, no, no,' I said, 'this is no good. I want card for new baby.'

The proprietor stared blankly back at me.

'New baby,' he echoes, and then smiled broadly as he got the picture.

'Ah, baby. OK, wait.'

Retrieving his teeth from the floor, he rubbed them ferociously on his shirt sleeve before ramming them into his mouth. He then vanished once again up the mercurial ladder.

Minutes later he reappeared, preceded by a large shower of dust.

'Good?' he enquired hopefully, thrusting a card at me.

'Congratulations,' it read, 'on passing your driving test.'

'Driving test,' I said, 'why driving test? It's card for new baby I want. What's driving test got to do with it?'...

...The proprietor appeared suitably crestfallen and quickly shinned once more up the ladder to the attic where he made loud looking noises for the next five minutes. Returning breathlessly and with an air of triumph, he held out a card which I could immediately see had a picture of a baby on the front. Thank goodness for that, I thought.

'Congratulations,' the card read, 'on becoming a grandmother.'

A grandmother? By now I wished I'd never heard of Brian and Marie, let alone their new baby. In a world which has given us space travel, heart transplants and toothpaste with added fluoride, a simple greetings card eluded me.

'You're a total cretin,' I bawled, 'and I intend to kill you.'

Actually, what I really said was, 'I'm awfully sorry, but I need card for new baby. Not grandmother, or new job, or driving test - a new baby.'

The poor man looked back at me, obviously mystified all his efforts weren't being appreciated, and he began to look quite hurt. In desperation, I launched into a selection of gurgling noises to assist him, cradling my arms and rocking them back and forth as if holding a baby.

'Ah, new baby,' he said, as my exertions bore fruit and a sudden realisation loomed up on his face. Thank heavens he's got it at last, I thought, as the proprietor disappeared once again into the attic.

He soon returned beaming with anticipation. On his forehead were beads of perspiration which he wiped with an extravagant gesture on his shirt sleeve before offering me a card. And he'd finally got it right. There was a lovely picture of a cradle on the front.

'Congratulations,' it read, 'on having twins.'

I gave up. The man looked so pleased I hadn't the heart to disillusion him.

Within the next few days, Brian and Marie will receive a card of congratulations on the arrival of their twins called Rebecca. And that's the reason why, incidentally, don't be too surprised if I end up sending out Mother's Day cards this Christmas.

Anyone else find this hysterical? Maybe it was just because we visited Saudi and this is really how it is. At least, Kabir bears witness to that too...

Nerd Through and Through

Your Score: Pure Nerd

73 % Nerd, 30% Geek, 21% Dork

For The Record: A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia. A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one. A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions. You scored better than half in Nerd, earning you the title of: Pure Nerd. The times, they are a-changing. It used to be that being exceptionally smart led to being unpopular, which would ultimately lead to picking up all of the traits and tendences associated with the "dork." No-longer. Being smart isn't as socially crippling as it once was, and even more so as you get older: eventually being a Pure Nerd will likely be replaced with the following label: Purely Successful. Congratulations! Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

no new mom can do without...

I have been thinking of my friend Lindsay's list of top useful baby items for months. And now that I am qualified to speak for myself, I thought I would put in my two cents worth too...

• the sling!!! I obtained one inexpensively at a consignment sale. I have also used the baby Bjorn too, but MD was happy in the Bjorn sometimes, not happy at other times. The sling is pretty much always a winner. It is made by a CA organic-type company. I can wear MD in a bunch of different ways and his favorite right now is to be cuddled next to me. It works so well! And it carries toddlers too...Check them out online.
• large flannel waterproof lap pads (18"x27")--we used these all the time for the first 6 weeks of his life --and still occasionally--when his diapers (even the expensive brands) leaked. I even had to go out and purchase more (come in packs of two at Babies 'r' Us--different design); I loved the ones I received as a gift so much.
• disposable paper lap pads-- we still use them on the changing table.
• Baby Einstein DVDs--great for the necessary 20 minutes in the morning to get myself dressed
• scented, disposable diaper bags on a roll--this means that dirty diapers can be thrown out anywhere without stinking up someone's trash!
• kimono style shirts for the first several weeks of his life. Few people think about how complicated it is to put a onesie on over the umbilical cord stump. I have a hot-natured baby so this and a diaper (or some socks, if necessary) served for his only clothes until the umbilical cord fell out.
• the jiggly lion stroller toy--this has proved a lifesaver often as I can drive, lean back and grab it by the tail and shake it when MD gets fussy.
• stroller netting/rain cover--since we take so many walks and this is Houston with mosquitoes galore and unpredictable weather, they have come in handy. I am sure I will be using them more in the future too...
• the bouncy seat--however, I think that the main reason MD likes his at all is because it is old and the aquarium water bubbling part is loud and obnoxious (not the expected soothing experience--which I think he would not take to at all!)
• a pacifier holder--could not find one in the stores for the orthodontic pacifiers so I made my own...very simple and a couple of dollars later can mix and match with his outfits. (Baby not included.)
• the hands-free pumping bandeau--lets you do other things like read, take care of baby etc... while pumping.
• the bumbo (another thing I did not register for but found out I needed afterward)--MD loves sitting up and cannot yet do it on his own. He enjoys the view from this snug little chair.
• and of course, the usual things like a bassinette/pack & play, travel stroller system, swing, etc...

Things I have not used so much:

• the lightweight stroller frame--in fact, while I registered for it and received it, I ended up returning it since I want the heavier duty stroller when we are out walking and find it easy enough to take out of the trunk when I need it for stores too...not too heavy to lift out and we have a large car with a large trunk. Perhaps would have been more useful if I did not have the space for the stroller and groceries in my trunk. Many people love this...
• burp cloths--I registered for some, bought some more and found that I use very few since my baby almost never spits up.

I am sure there will be more "rejects" when MD is older and I have tried out some of the other things.

Features I love:

• a baby monitor with a voice activated setting as well as the usual all-noise setting...keeps me from hearing every single stirring
• Diaper Champ--uses regular kitchen trash bags instead of the expensive diaper Geni bags.
• the breastflow bottles that are designed to mimic nursing--makes it easy to go back and forth from bottle to nursing.

Last, but not least...I registered for many of these items at Babies R Us and received them as gifts, but I have also gotten a few from unusual other sources. Check out Once Upon a Child, a resale shop and apparently a national chain and JBF sales (also national) with their biannual consignment sales. Oh, and even better, freecycle--a national network for free recycling of any goods.

our strongest sense

I mentioned in another blog that we have been taking long walks~ primarily to keep the baby happy.

I wish I could convey the beauty inherent in many of them. I had been told a long time ago that smell is our strongest sense. I do believe that as I have walked by pine needles and floods of memories come rushing back. But, the same thing happens with sounds too. Lots of wonderful sounds...like birds in trees, wind in the palm trees or pines, a far away drowsy sound of cars swishing by. Then again, the sight of all the beautiful flowers and bright blue sky brings a smile to my face.

(as did the Stroller Fit group we saw at the park one day while walking ourselves...they take exercise with the stroller seriously!)

Nothing better than a walk on the perfect day...

The gene pool

MD definitely did not inherit his body temperature from his mother! Nor really from his father. Michael and I moved back to Texas, eager to get back to the heat. MD is constantly burning up! Therefore, he really enjoyed our walk and standing in line outside yesterday to vote. I did bundle him up, less because he would complain and more because it was the proper thing to do. And all the prayers for a quiet baby paid off. He was awake but sweet (almost unheard of) while we stood in line. He just kept staring with his big blue eyes at everyone. Must have been the cold weather... I am convinced he did inherit his dashing good looks from his daddy though. At our doctor's visit this week, MD weighed in at 10 lbs. 12 oz. (only 25th percentile in weight) and 23.5 inches long (75th percentile). His length is why he can wear three month old clothing. Although for those of you who saw him on Sunday, you can see the problem with size 3 mos. The pants fall off of him at the waist! We are still struggling with feedings for him to get enough--this changes from feeding to feeding. But the doctor did prescribe him Zantac for possible acid reflux, and we will see in the next two weeks whether it changes our baby from this to this. MD does not nap during the day except rarely (perhaps this is after realizing how some unnamed people made faces at him while he slept peacefully in his bouncy seat one time), but we have managed to get him to sleep briefly in his swing while watching Baby Einstein...that is, if his pacifier does not fall out first. The photo below is not actually of an arab baby, nor a bandit, but of a baby who manages to keep his pacifier in far better when it is bundled into his mouth by the blanket! These last two photos are just because he is so cute!!! (thanks, Bethany and Chris, for the tigger robe)

oops

irony after a soft cooler got caught in the door of our deep freeze

(in case you can't see...the writing under the frost says, "frost free")