Life as a Substitute

I know what you are thinking: "But SBN, you haven't subbed since last semester."

True, but some schools don't want to let me go.

Back in November I told the substitute coordinators at every school I subbed for that I would not be available beginning in December until further notice on account of I was having a baby.

One school called me early in December to sub and I called them back to kindly remind them I was having a baby any day and would let them know when I was available again. Virginia was born only two or three days later.

There is another school that has called me three or four times. Each time it is a different person and each time that person is surprised to hear I can't work. One man even suggested that I should have warned him I would be unavailable. I did. The school should really keep a record of these things.

A media specialist called me from that first school a couple of months ago. She just chatted with me about the baby and said she would love to have me sub for her again when I do come back. She called in the middle of the day and was very polite. I didn't mind her call at all.

What made me slightly unhappy was the call I got from that school at 6:30 this morning. 6:30 in the morning on a day you presumably want me to sub is not the appropriate time to call just in case I am working again, especially when you know that I have a small baby. That phone call woke everyone up.

What really baffles me about this is, does this sub coordinator think he is going to talk me in to subbing today by doing this? He knows I have a baby. What could I possibly do with her at the last second?

As always, it is nice to be wanted. I just wish that being wanted didn't mean being woken up unnecessarily.

Here's a picture of Virginia in her UEA shirt. The writing is backwards because John took the picture with the isight camera on his mac.

You will notice that Virginia is also doing her parrot impression (sitting on Daddy's shoulder). What you don't know is that she is squawking "Pieces of eight!"

Giggles!

Please excuse the messy face. Virginia spit up so much yesterday I finally gave in and bathed her even though she usually has a bath just once a week (Mondays). Anyway, I thought I'd share her sweet baby giggles.

Banana

Eating is one of those parenting issues I struggled over. The pediatrician said Virginia was ready to start sampling food after her four month check. But at La Leche meetings they advocate baby led feeding. Now let me tell you what Virginia and I wanted.

What I wanted:

• Introduce Virginia to healthy foods
• Let Virginia feed herself
• Make Virginia a part of the family meal

What Virginia wants

• Anything on the table
• Anything Mom and Dad are putting into their mouths
• Basically, food

My point is that, yes Virginia is perfectly healthy living off breast milk alone, and she has no real teeth (aside from one tiny point) but she really does want to try food. The challenge was finding something she could feed herself without expecting her to pick up piles of glop. Enter my new favorite invention: a baby feeder.

So far what I have done is mashed up bananas and frozen the goo in an ice cube tray (mostly for preservation purposes since she doesn't eat much). One banana cube fits into the feeder really well. I've been letting her have it frozen in the hopes that it is also helping with her teething.

The first time she tasted banana she looked concerned, but now she likes it. She goes to town on those frozen banana cubes.

Now dinner time is very happy. John and I get to eat. Virginia gets to eat. And we have a sticky, smiley baby to clean up afterwards.

Fang

While Virginia was chewing on my finger today I felt something hard and pointy. Upon further inspection I saw what does indeed look like the tip of a tooth.

Funny thing, position and appearance lead my to believe this is not an incisor, but a canine. If this tooth continues to grow in faster than the others she will look like Bucky Katt.

(Well, except that her tooth is on the bottom right, not top left.)

Baby Advice

A big part of my life right now is learning how to be a mother. I subscribe to some parenting blogs, read books, read various other tidbits on the Internet, and have come to some conclusions.

1) You can always find some piece of advice that will tell you what you are doing is wrong.

2) You can always find some piece of advice that will tell you what you are doing is right.

I am one of those people who fears that each situation has ONE right answer and if I am not doing it that way I am doing it WRONG. This attitude is not compatible with being a sane parent. I will research one parenting question for days and make a decision about how I want to do things only to be filled with doubt once I run across an article with a different viewpoint. To make matters even more complicated, Virginia also has her own opinions about how things ought to be done.

I'm learning that all the baby advice is worth reading, but it's not all worth taking. There isn't just one right answer. I don't have to do what worked for someone else and I don't expect anyone else to do things the way I do. I know my baby better than anyone else and I can decide what is best for her. And yes, Virginia does have insights into what will work for her; all I have to do is listen.

Basically, I can't make everyone happy, but I can make Virginia happy. And that is really what it is all about.

Babezilla

The Secret Life of SBN

One of my favorite short stories is "The Secret Life of James Thurber" by, you guessed it, James Thurber. He begins by bemoaning the fact that he did not grow up in the same naturally magical environment as Salvador Dali, but goes on to discuss the magic in his own, seemingly ordinary life.

Some parts of my life may seem more magical than others, but I try to see the magic in it all. And since I am chronicling it here, on the world wide interwebs, it's not much of a secret.

So here it is: my life. Mother. Librarian. Storyteller. Believer in impossible things.