Recently I came to realize that, on paper, I sound like a bit of a "granola mom". I breastfeed, babywear, co-sleep, and cloth diaper. I still don't see myself as being too granola, though, probably because most of this was completely unplanned.
Breastfeeding was the one thing I chose to begin. However, the offspring is nearly ten months old now, and I honestly believed that by this age I'd be doing more pumping and bottle feeding than nursing. She had other plans. She hates bottles and is very picky about what she'll drink from a sippy cup. We still nurse at least six times a day, often more.
Babywearing was sort of my choice, but like breastfeeding the offspring expanded the scope of my plans. As an infant she never wanted to be set down, so into the sling she went to let me do dishes and laundry. Even now she becomes impatient in a stroller and I've upgraded to a hip sling for traveling.
Cloth diapering came in later, and while I enjoy it now, I thought I'd be happy using Pampers for however many years we took to potty train. I'm not going to get into details about the Dry Max because there has been such a huge controversy on the internet. We did not have a rash, but I was dissatisfied, and the other disposables just didn't measure up to the old Pampers. I'm happy that we're not throwing out gallons of diapers every week, but the environment was hardly my highest priority in the switch.
And last, but certainly not least, we have the co-sleeping. Not only was this unplanned, but I have done everything in my power to avoid it. Unfortunately the offspring has never been a good sleeper and after months of getting four or five hours of sleep at best, I have (mostly) given in. And just let me say that I know why I "shouldn't" be doing this, from safety concerns to toddler discipline. I've read about it, I've heard it, I've lived it, but none of it has been able to change my situation.
So I guess that I have a bit of granola in my life. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that I have a granola baby, since it is her attitude that has led to most of my decisions. But mostly I am just doing what nerds do best: living my life apart from what society expects, and being happy whether they like it or not. I'll do what I need to do!
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Bento, Revisited
For a few months, early in my pregnancy, I was making bento lunches for 1337 D4ddy. I never really tried to do art bento, since D4ddy could care less whether or not his food is cute, but getting up in the morning and preparing any kind of lunch that is more intricate than a sandwich takes time. I have never been a morning person in my life and fibromyalgia makes it even worse, so the bento making dropped off late in my pregnancy and stopped altogether when the offspring was born. For a few weeks I have been looking with dismay at the drawer full of bento supplies currently going to waste, and thinking on the reasons that I started bento in the first place. I wanted something to encourage me in my ongoing quest to make our diets healthier, first and foremost, but a thoughtfully packed healthy lunch was also a way to send a little extra love to school or work. This school semester promises to be the busiest yet, so anything I can do to make it easier is good. I have resolved to start making bento again.
The time required is definitely the biggest turn-off in bento making, at least for me, but thankfully there are others with the same dilemma who have become dedicated to the speed bento. Over the last couple of days I have been dutifully combing over Lunch In A Box for tips, recipes, and resources. The author, Biggie, packs bento lunches for her son in what seems to be an average of about 20 minutes every morning. 20 minutes is a great window for me. The offspring can eat her breakfast or stay happy in the swing for that long. Even if I stretch it out to 30 minutes when I'm getting the hang of things, she will probably tolerate it.
The only real disadvantage to making bento again is that it tempts me to buy all kinds of gear that I don't strictly need. I adore kitchen gadgets and my brain has apparently filed bento boxes and accessories as kitchen gadgets because it can't get enough of them.
The bento making will not begin immediately because I'm going to build up my freezer supply first. Freezer foods can be key in speed bento. D4ddy can manage in the meantime and a few days' wait will be worth it, if all goes as planned. I'll make sure to keep an update on how it goes!
The time required is definitely the biggest turn-off in bento making, at least for me, but thankfully there are others with the same dilemma who have become dedicated to the speed bento. Over the last couple of days I have been dutifully combing over Lunch In A Box for tips, recipes, and resources. The author, Biggie, packs bento lunches for her son in what seems to be an average of about 20 minutes every morning. 20 minutes is a great window for me. The offspring can eat her breakfast or stay happy in the swing for that long. Even if I stretch it out to 30 minutes when I'm getting the hang of things, she will probably tolerate it.
The only real disadvantage to making bento again is that it tempts me to buy all kinds of gear that I don't strictly need. I adore kitchen gadgets and my brain has apparently filed bento boxes and accessories as kitchen gadgets because it can't get enough of them.
The bento making will not begin immediately because I'm going to build up my freezer supply first. Freezer foods can be key in speed bento. D4ddy can manage in the meantime and a few days' wait will be worth it, if all goes as planned. I'll make sure to keep an update on how it goes!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
High-Tech Low-Tech
Geeks and nerds are usually known for loving all things high tech and modern. In our house this often holds true. 1337 D4ddy drools over tech blogs daily and if we could afford to have all the most up-to-date appliances and electronics we definitely would. Sometimes though, "modern" just doesn't work the way you want.
The offspring is seven months old now. We have been using disposable diapers the whole time. They're a wonderful modern convenience, just toss them when you're done and you rarely have to touch poop and pee. They're super-absorbent thanks to the miracles of science and chemistry. Unfortunately the leaking gel and gallons of trash they produce seem decidedly inconvenient to me, and you would think that science would find a cleaner alternative by now. Still, it sounds better than folding, wrapping and pinning those cloth diapers on. What is a mommy to do?
Whether it is out of desire for convenience, concern for the environment, or maybe just a love of innovation, cloth diapering has been reborn in so many new ways. Moms (and Dads!) have re-designed the diapers to fit any lifestyle. From gadgets that simply replace diaper pins to whole systems with adjustable one-size covers and optional disposable inserts for those times when you just can't use cloth, the old fashioned option is turning into a highly engineered piece of baby gear.
Maybe I'm just making excuses for introducing a decidedly old concept into our usually modern home, but I do know that if cloth had not been improved in recent years this Nerd Mama would not be traveling back in time. Sometimes great things are just an improvement on the old.
The offspring is seven months old now. We have been using disposable diapers the whole time. They're a wonderful modern convenience, just toss them when you're done and you rarely have to touch poop and pee. They're super-absorbent thanks to the miracles of science and chemistry. Unfortunately the leaking gel and gallons of trash they produce seem decidedly inconvenient to me, and you would think that science would find a cleaner alternative by now. Still, it sounds better than folding, wrapping and pinning those cloth diapers on. What is a mommy to do?
Whether it is out of desire for convenience, concern for the environment, or maybe just a love of innovation, cloth diapering has been reborn in so many new ways. Moms (and Dads!) have re-designed the diapers to fit any lifestyle. From gadgets that simply replace diaper pins to whole systems with adjustable one-size covers and optional disposable inserts for those times when you just can't use cloth, the old fashioned option is turning into a highly engineered piece of baby gear.
Maybe I'm just making excuses for introducing a decidedly old concept into our usually modern home, but I do know that if cloth had not been improved in recent years this Nerd Mama would not be traveling back in time. Sometimes great things are just an improvement on the old.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Nerd Immersion
It will be years before 1337 D4ddy and I know where the offspring's true interests lie, but in the meantime we are making her part of our very nerdy lives. In February we were fortunate to be able to attend Naka-kon 2010, our first anime convention. We brought the offspring along, and she was a huge hit. One of her "aunties" made a moogle poncho for her, so naturally baby had to cosplay on Friday. It didn't last long. About fifteen minutes in, she was trying to pull the hood off. Despite the costume being short-lived, people were still talking about it on Sunday! She was adored by the guests as well as the con-goers and even made it onto Christopher Ayers' website. (About 1/3 down, she's the baby being "autographed") She now has a hat embroidered with Cthulu- it reads "elder snack".
In addition to the big events, the offspring is of course involved in our day-to-day geekery. We host a D&D group once a week and I happily play with the offspring on my lap, or even nursing right at the table while someone else rolls for me. We make jokes about rolling a halfling character for her, but we're a little bit serious too. Someday we'll teach her how to play. Dice games can help with her math skills, and roleplaying fuels the imagination, plus it's a game that requires us all to sit down together and talk to one another. As busy as society tries to keep families nowadays, that will be something to treasure.
I don't know if my daughter will ever join her own D&D group, if she'll want to go to anime conventions (with or without us) when she's a teenager, or if we will someday have long discussions about The Lord of the Rings. Maybe she will geek out over something that has yet to be invented and I will feel connected, yet disconnected at the same time, as I'm sure my own parents have felt sometimes as they watch me grow nerdier than they could have ever predicted. But we are going to share lots of memories in the meantime.
In addition to the big events, the offspring is of course involved in our day-to-day geekery. We host a D&D group once a week and I happily play with the offspring on my lap, or even nursing right at the table while someone else rolls for me. We make jokes about rolling a halfling character for her, but we're a little bit serious too. Someday we'll teach her how to play. Dice games can help with her math skills, and roleplaying fuels the imagination, plus it's a game that requires us all to sit down together and talk to one another. As busy as society tries to keep families nowadays, that will be something to treasure.
I don't know if my daughter will ever join her own D&D group, if she'll want to go to anime conventions (with or without us) when she's a teenager, or if we will someday have long discussions about The Lord of the Rings. Maybe she will geek out over something that has yet to be invented and I will feel connected, yet disconnected at the same time, as I'm sure my own parents have felt sometimes as they watch me grow nerdier than they could have ever predicted. But we are going to share lots of memories in the meantime.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Fun Times with a Nerd Baby
Shopping for nerd baby toys is disappointing at best. Sure, there are plenty of nerdy toys in the world, but honestly most of them are targeted at adult collectors. Even the ones meant for children are usually only for kids old enough to be trusted with small parts. Nerd baby or not, I really don't want to take the offspring to the ER because she stuck a Lego up her nose, or swallowed a plastic laser beam. Even plush toys usually have button eyes or details that aren't really safe for an infant.
So far, our best solution has been handmade toys. There is of course Thu, the hand crocheted Cthulu that we received in the delivery room. The Nerd Mama isn't half bad at crocheting either, so I've whipped up a stubby little astromech droid and have a couple of Mario 'shrooms in the works. But the offspring isn't much interested in plain plush toys yet. She likes things that rattle or light up, or that feel interesting when she manages to stick them in her mouth. She has no shortage of these kind of toys, but how much fun would it be if her favorite toy was a Moogle rattle-headed blanket plush instead of a pink elephant? Sure, it would be mostly for my own pleasure at this point, but it would make for some fond memories down the road too.
Unsurprisingly, our non-toy play tends to find itself taking a nerdy turn. The offspring loves the motorboat or running game where we bicycle her legs, but at our house it is called "playing Bat-baby", because we run along to the old Batman theme song. She also loves to be held up and danced around, and D4ddy will have her dance to the Imperial March. The TV is enchanting to her when it's full of bright lights and movement, and of course super hero cartoons and D4ddy's video games are full of that. Even computer start up screens are a delight and make the offspring smile. Despite the lack of nerdy baby toys, there is no lack of nerdy baby fun to be had.
So far, our best solution has been handmade toys. There is of course Thu, the hand crocheted Cthulu that we received in the delivery room. The Nerd Mama isn't half bad at crocheting either, so I've whipped up a stubby little astromech droid and have a couple of Mario 'shrooms in the works. But the offspring isn't much interested in plain plush toys yet. She likes things that rattle or light up, or that feel interesting when she manages to stick them in her mouth. She has no shortage of these kind of toys, but how much fun would it be if her favorite toy was a Moogle rattle-headed blanket plush instead of a pink elephant? Sure, it would be mostly for my own pleasure at this point, but it would make for some fond memories down the road too.
Unsurprisingly, our non-toy play tends to find itself taking a nerdy turn. The offspring loves the motorboat or running game where we bicycle her legs, but at our house it is called "playing Bat-baby", because we run along to the old Batman theme song. She also loves to be held up and danced around, and D4ddy will have her dance to the Imperial March. The TV is enchanting to her when it's full of bright lights and movement, and of course super hero cartoons and D4ddy's video games are full of that. Even computer start up screens are a delight and make the offspring smile. Despite the lack of nerdy baby toys, there is no lack of nerdy baby fun to be had.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
How to Birth a Nerd
A week ago today, the offspring decided that it was time she made her debut into the world. I could bore you (or disgust you) with tales of the typical biological goings-on, but I doubt you want to know any of that. I barely want to know any of that!
Much to the amusement of my doctor and several nurses, we were able to bring the little one into the world in true nerd style. At one point there were four laptops running in the delivery room! Many a Facebook status update was made during and after labor. Thank goodness I delivered at a hospital that has WiFi access! I was able to get in a few rounds of Mario Kart on the DS even before the epidural kicked in, and one of the offspring's many "aunties" presented us with Baby's First Nerd Toy- a hand crocheted Cthulu. For ease of later baby talk, we've dubbed it Thu. And of course we can't forget D4ddy's newest toy, a pocket sized camcorder that takes video in full 1080p. If we're going to have videos of the offspring's childhood, it has to be in High Def. D4ddy had pictures and video uploaded to the internet before we left the hospital.
Even now the world's newest nerd is immersed in her proud origins, and I am learning how to be a real Nerd Mama. I can surf the web one-handed while nursing, and if I situate myself just right I can even type as she sleeps on my shoulder. Her wide eyes are taking in everything, and I can't wait for the first time they light up at seeing some pretty gadget.
Much to the amusement of my doctor and several nurses, we were able to bring the little one into the world in true nerd style. At one point there were four laptops running in the delivery room! Many a Facebook status update was made during and after labor. Thank goodness I delivered at a hospital that has WiFi access! I was able to get in a few rounds of Mario Kart on the DS even before the epidural kicked in, and one of the offspring's many "aunties" presented us with Baby's First Nerd Toy- a hand crocheted Cthulu. For ease of later baby talk, we've dubbed it Thu. And of course we can't forget D4ddy's newest toy, a pocket sized camcorder that takes video in full 1080p. If we're going to have videos of the offspring's childhood, it has to be in High Def. D4ddy had pictures and video uploaded to the internet before we left the hospital.
Even now the world's newest nerd is immersed in her proud origins, and I am learning how to be a real Nerd Mama. I can surf the web one-handed while nursing, and if I situate myself just right I can even type as she sleeps on my shoulder. Her wide eyes are taking in everything, and I can't wait for the first time they light up at seeing some pretty gadget.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
On raising girls
When I found out that the offspring was going to be a girl, one of my initial reactions was panic. It's a difficult world to raise a girl in. There are so many potential role models competing for little girls' attention, and as a parent it's up to me to make sure that the ones my daughter chooses are positive. But even if I can control her influences inside the home, her friends might introduce her to something new. It seems like there is only so much I can do to help her respect her body, love herself, and make the right choices in life.
Not to brag, but as a woman I feel like I've turned out pretty well. I don't feel the need to starve myself or wear makeup to fit the Victoria's Secret beauty standard. I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I want my daughter to have that kind of confidence when she grows up, so the natural thing to do should be to introduce her to the same role models that I had. Problem is, according to the critics I should be as insecure and appearance-driven as any typical woman supposedly is. I played with Barbies that cause body image issues. I watched Disney movies where the princesses need a big strong man to come save them. I had baby dolls that encourage stereotypical gender roles. So what is it, really, that makes a girl grow up confident?
I'll be honest, I don't know the answer. Even when my daughter is grown I may not have figured it out. But I'm beginning to suspect that a woman's simple nature has a lot to do with it. I think that every little girl is strong from the beginning, and if we encourage them to be themselves they will stay that way. Throughout history women have adapted to fill every imaginable role, from nurturers to providers to leaders, and so many combinations thereof. And that's before the advent of Women's Lib.
I started this blog post fully intending to talk about an article that I read today supporting super heroines as role models for girls. Then I realized that even now, when my love for comics is tenfold what it was as a child, Wonder Woman and Batgirl aren't really my thing. I loved my heroes for who they were and what they could do, not for their gender. Despite the Power Rangers being made up of both genders, my favorite was the Blue Ranger (male, for anyone who didn't know). Still, my daughter may not be so gender blind as I was, and I wish there were more powerful women out there for her to look up to. Then again, there are so many things I wish I could change about the world to make it perfect for her.
I'll leave you with an excerpt from the article I mentioned, but please do read the whole article if you have the time. If it prompts you to register for the NY Times, it's worth it.
In the end, that is the true drama of the superhero: the ordinary Joe who discovers that he has a marvelous gift, something that sets him apart from everyone else, simultaneously elevating and at least potentially isolating him, forcing a series of moral choices about the nature of might and goodness. It’s a story writ large about coming to grips with power: accepting it, demanding it, wielding it wisely. Those themes are rarely explored in the fantasy culture of little girls, yet given how problematic power remains for adult women — in both fact and fiction — perhaps they should be. -Peggy Orenstein, "Wonder Girl"
Not to brag, but as a woman I feel like I've turned out pretty well. I don't feel the need to starve myself or wear makeup to fit the Victoria's Secret beauty standard. I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I want my daughter to have that kind of confidence when she grows up, so the natural thing to do should be to introduce her to the same role models that I had. Problem is, according to the critics I should be as insecure and appearance-driven as any typical woman supposedly is. I played with Barbies that cause body image issues. I watched Disney movies where the princesses need a big strong man to come save them. I had baby dolls that encourage stereotypical gender roles. So what is it, really, that makes a girl grow up confident?
I'll be honest, I don't know the answer. Even when my daughter is grown I may not have figured it out. But I'm beginning to suspect that a woman's simple nature has a lot to do with it. I think that every little girl is strong from the beginning, and if we encourage them to be themselves they will stay that way. Throughout history women have adapted to fill every imaginable role, from nurturers to providers to leaders, and so many combinations thereof. And that's before the advent of Women's Lib.
I started this blog post fully intending to talk about an article that I read today supporting super heroines as role models for girls. Then I realized that even now, when my love for comics is tenfold what it was as a child, Wonder Woman and Batgirl aren't really my thing. I loved my heroes for who they were and what they could do, not for their gender. Despite the Power Rangers being made up of both genders, my favorite was the Blue Ranger (male, for anyone who didn't know). Still, my daughter may not be so gender blind as I was, and I wish there were more powerful women out there for her to look up to. Then again, there are so many things I wish I could change about the world to make it perfect for her.
I'll leave you with an excerpt from the article I mentioned, but please do read the whole article if you have the time. If it prompts you to register for the NY Times, it's worth it.
In the end, that is the true drama of the superhero: the ordinary Joe who discovers that he has a marvelous gift, something that sets him apart from everyone else, simultaneously elevating and at least potentially isolating him, forcing a series of moral choices about the nature of might and goodness. It’s a story writ large about coming to grips with power: accepting it, demanding it, wielding it wisely. Those themes are rarely explored in the fantasy culture of little girls, yet given how problematic power remains for adult women — in both fact and fiction — perhaps they should be. -Peggy Orenstein, "Wonder Girl"
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