April, 2012 Archive

Princeton’s Preview

Madelyn and Princeton are now very aware of each other and it makes this mama’s heart smile with girl squeals as the soundtrack.

Princeton gets to know his sister minutes after we are reunited at home.

Whenever I’m carrying Madelyn, Princeton follows us around the house and hangs out in her room when we play. When she reaches for him, he doesn’t totally hate it. I mean, he kind of hates it, but that’s because he’s a scaredy dog and doesn’t do well with grabby hands from any kind of human — young or old. But at least he sort of tolerates it without any kind of retaliation.

Yesterday, I was watching both the furry child and fleshy child playing independently. Madelyn was exploring her room and picking up every object possible to inspect it and decide if it was mouth-worthy. She came across Princeton’s stuffed squeaky dog as he watched from a few inches away. She touched one end of the stuffed squeaky dog and Princeton took that as her intent to play. So he grabbed the other end with his teeth — gently! — and they had a mini tug-of-war with the toy. Princeton won. But that’s besides the point. It was so cute how Princeton assumed that her touching his toy meant that she wanted to have a game of fetch and Madelyn, well, damn, she just wanted to touch stuff.

Lately, I’ve noticed that Madelyn’s door goes from cracked to full on ajar during her naps. I think he’s going in there to check on her while she sleeps, which is totally warm-fuzzy until her usually-2 hour mid-day snoozes are cut in half because someone’s collar jingle-jangles too loudly. Uncool, Pdog.

However, all of Princeton’s approvals of Madelyn started before Madelyn even came home from the hospital.

I just came across this video that Bryan took when he went to our cousins’ house who were watching him while we were in the hospital when Madelyn was born. It was the first time Princeton had seen Bryan in three days and he had no idea what was in store for him when he’d return home.

Until this.

I think it was love at first sniff.

UofA Baby!

When it comes to colleges, Madelyn swings more Wildcat than Mustang. Her daddy is a Cal Poly alumni, and while we love everything about San Luis Obispo and the drive (wineries!) up there, if Madelyn’s going to be a legacy of a university, it’s going to be Arizona. First and foremost, there’s no AEPhi at Cal Poly, so that’s a done deal. But also, Madelyn makes the most adorable cheerleader and UofA is all about athletics. I had so much fun going to football and basketball games — whether in human or Wilma Wildcat form.

So naturally, I was kvelling a few months ago when we took Madelyn to her first college basketball game: Wildcats vs. Trojans at USC.

In the morning, I did cheers in Madelyn’s room, and told her about how I fainted at my first football game. I pretended to demonstrate for her how to go up in a pyramid like the one time I successfully did on the basketball court. I can still hear the cheerleaders below me yelling up: “Squeeze your butt like you’re pinching a penny!”

We met up with our friends in the valley and carpooled to USC together where I debated on and off whether to take the stroller with me. “BUT IF I LEAVE IT UP ON THE CONCOURSE, WON’T IT GET STOLEN BECAUSE WE’RE IN THE GHETTO, OHMYGOSH!!!” I took it with me, and lo and behold, none of the accomplished and affluent USC fans were interested in my $60 Snap N Go that sweetly rested at the Galen Center. What? My cheap stroller frame isn’t good enough for you???????

During the game, Madelyn watched in awe of the boys who moved the big orange ball back and forth. She loved watching the videos on the big screen and wasn’t bothered at all by the sounds of cheering and buzzers. Our friends helped us out during the game when we needed free hands to make bottles or reach for a toy.

She tried to eat our chicken fingers and French fries, but told her that stadium food will have to wait. For now, there’s nothing like watching a game and throwing back a nice cold one. Of milk.

Most importantly, Madelyn is our good luck charm! The Cats beat the Trojans and now that the basketball season is over, I can probably say that that was the highlight of Wildcat basketball for 2012. We shall not speak of anything in the post season.

After the game, our crew got a bite at Freebirds across the street. Burritos and a baby: does it get any better than that?

So, Madelyn’s fate is sealed. Dear University of Arizona Admissions: Though a half-breed of Mustang and Wildcat, our daughter is a Wildcat at heart and will be overjoyed to be part of the freshman class of 2029.

Love Hurts

by Alison Friedman in Marvelous Madelyn, Mommy's Musings

It’s been a while, but it’s finally time to come out with it and empower myself: I am being abused. The pinching, the scratching, the hair pulling — it’s all very painful and I am stuck in this relationship with no where to go. Because if I go, she will be alone during the day because babies can’t go to work with daddies or corporate finance people would never get anything done. So, I stay in this abusive relationship at home… with my daughter.

She has entered a stage that makes her very grabby and I know it’s just her curiosity, but she’s is literally killing the cat. I don’t really have a tail and fur and take a dump in a box, but you know, for the sake of metaphors and all, I’m a cat.

Little Miss Madelyn is a trickster, too. She wahh wahh wahhs when it’s naptime, so we snuggle up in the big chair in her room and I rock back and forth and she lulls away into dreamland, sucking on the bottle, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. The eyelids get heavy, the feet relax, her breaths become long and deep and then WHACK! Her little arm reaches out from its fake sleep, grabs my lip and twists it like I’m her Claymation Mommy, and digs her nails in deep to mark her territory.

Can babies be declawed? Will PETA get all up in my bidness about that?

It’s just all so shocking! What a faker she is, and what a sucker I am. Here I am thinking I have the most cherubic little lamb for a daughter, and then the pre-nap ritual turns into me rocking a baby who’s suddenly competing with Linda Blair for a movie role, but in real life.

Babies. Psshh. They make us all fat and keep us up all night and make stinky poops and then also have the nerve to physically beat up their moms. I literally had a scratch on my nose for a week that required me to cover it up with makeup! And I swear my hair is full of split ends, not from the dryer or flat iron, but from Madelyn’s tiny fingers pulling my strands one by one. I could make a brunette Barbie doll (is that Skipper?) coiffure with all the hair she’s pulled out. The other day, she bruised my mom’s lip with that twist maneuver she’s got up her onesie sleeve. I tell ya. Ruthless, these babies.

And yet. Sigh. I melt. With all the pain, I still keep running back for more. Even with all the abuse, I know she loves me and I love her.

But revenge is sweet, my friends. She may not realize it, but she’s paying for all that abuse now. You see, I put up embarrassing photos and exploit her on Born Friedman and 30 (yes, 30) years from now, her boyfriends will Google her and see this:

Hi Madelyn! Love ya! Mean it!

  1. Grandma
    4/1/2012 8:06 PM

    She doesn’t mean it…..really, Mommy!

    Smooches, Madelyn!!

  2. Mimi
    4/1/2012 6:42 PM

    I can handle all those curiosity-driven pinches & kicks & scratches because I know they will all be over-shadowed and replaced with hugs & kisses & snuggles.
    I <3 you Madelyn!

  3. 4/1/2012 5:55 PM

    You my dear are brilliant! Love you mean it!!!!

  4. Marla Letizia
    4/1/2012 4:55 PM

    Oh boy I understand!! This is truly one of the sweetest blogs I have ever read. And, I can relate, my first born daughter was competing with Linda Blair daily whenever she got over tired!!!! Glad to know I am not alone!!! Welcome to motherhood.