On the Move!

Back Home

We're back home after an extended weekend trip to the east coast.  We attended my cousin's lovely wedding in Brooklyn, NY.  The venue was gorgeous, although it was a little tough to find and you had to drive through some pretty sketchy areas to find it.  It was right on the water, with a beautiful view of the Statue of Liberty in the background. 

I was really worried about how Emma would handle the long flights there and back.  She has flown before, but that was when she was tiny and didn't move very much.  Lately, she has become super active, and is totally walking on her own and getting into all sorts of mischief.  She actually started to walk (without holding onto anything, without holding anyone's hand, and taking more than a few steps) right before, and I mean literally right before, we were packing our car to head to the airport.  She suddenly got up off her tushie and just toddled along like it was no big thing.  She cracks me up.  Anyway, she was so well behaved on the flights that we got compliments again about what a "good" baby she is.  I put "good" in quotes only because I don't really believe that babies are "bad" on planes on purpose.  And truly, to get annoyed with parents who are probably even more stressed than anyone else on the plane about keeping their baby in check is really not productive, or for that matter, very nice.  And I have to say that I really did feel that way even before I had a baby myself!

Incidentally, on the way back to San Francisco, two passengers in front of us were speaking French, and their neighbor kept bothering them with cooking questions and tales of all her allergies and her daily cooking habits.  I thought to myself that those two Frenchmen were incredibly nice and patient with the overly talkative neighbor.  Then, when it was time to exit the plane, those two Frenchmen stood up, and who could one of them be, but Jacques Pepin (!).  He and I exchanged smiles and he seemed like a very nice person, what with his patience, and even helping fellow passengers get baggage out of the overhead bins. 

Knuckleheads

So, what knucklehead decided that it would be a good idea to hold a mandatory training session on Saturday, starting at 9 AM, to last 4 hours, in a location that would require half of the attendants to drive an hour to the training site?  Oh, wait, that would be my knucklehead bosses.  It was the best Saturday morning ever.

Walking

So, yesterday, while husband and I were at work (boo), Emma took her first "real" steps.  She walked about 10 paces, then plopped herself back down on her tushie.  She has been "cruising" for months (where she holds onto things and walks around), and toddling along while we hold her hands, but she has been really reluctant to walk on her own.  She sometimes would take 2-3 tentative steps, look around, realize that she wasn't holding onto anything, then do a flying squirrel leap for the nearest solid object to hold onto.  Sometimes, she would miss the object and fall. 

My mom called me at work when Emma took her steps and I swear she sounded hysterical, laughing and jabbering at the same time.  I thought she was going to say something along the lines of "HAHAHAHA, I have had it, and I am leaving!" - that is how exuberantly crazy she sounded.  But, in the end, it was only proud grandma speak.

One Year Check Up

Here's Emma at her one year check up this past Wednesday:

Emma is healthy and fine, but this experience has got to go down in our records as THE most traumatic doctor's visit by far. At the doctor's office, she started to cry as soon as she was placed on the scale. Immediately prior to that, the nurse had been cooing and commenting on how cute Emma is, and then BAM! screaming ensues. Then our pediatrician came in and Emma screamed and cried during the entire check up - it's a wonder how our pediatrician could do the check up at all! It was only got worse when I had to hold Emma in my lap as she got three vaccinations, which drove her into further hysterics. But, come on, who among us likes shots?  No one.  Poor baby.  But, THEN, our pediatrician told us that Emma had to get blood drawn and that we had to go to a separate facility to do that.  So off we go to the lab for a blood draw.

At the lab, the phlebotomist couldn't find a vein in Emma's arm. She acted like this was a surprise, but really now, small arm, layers of baby chub, how is this outside the realm of possibility?? She kept tightening a rubber band around Emma's arms, switching from one arm to the other, while Emma just cried and cried. The phlebotomist had to call for back up, and another phlebotomist was requested.  It took forever for the second phlebotomist to show up, and Emma did not stop SCREAMING the entire time we waited.  At this point, I want to call the whole thing off, but realized that we would only have to do this again if I called it off...Finally, when phlebotomist # 2 showed up, she chose Emma's left arm, and pulled out a regular adult sized needle for the blood draw and stuck Emma.  GOOD LORD!  The screams that ensued.  Emma cried like I have never seen her cry before, and I had to hold her down while phlebotomist #2 JIGGLED the needle around in Emma's tiny arm because it didn't exactly hit a vien.  By this time, Emma is almost hyperventilating and struggling so hard that she is slipping out of my arms.  Both phlebotomists comment on how strong she is, and if she is going to be ok!  The blood finally started flowing, and the process was over. Emma was so bright red, so sweaty and so traumatized, that both phlebotomists were worried and tried to give her some juice.  I rushed out of the lab, went into the waiting room to hold Emma until she stopped shaking and hiccuping.  I am sure the people in the waiting room thought we were murdering my baby in the back!  In any case, so glad THAT is over!!!!

On a separate corporate peon note, work has been almost intolerable of late.  I realize I work in a tough profession, where people are generally not very sympathetic about personal lives and schedules.  I once had to go to New York for a work related meeting, and I was the youngest in the room, and the only woman. For god's sake, they had to get a receptionist to show me where the women's restroom was because none of the men in the room could tell me where it was in the building.  And I have previsouly posted how even when pregnant I had to work 30+ hours straight and how that type of schedule isn't that uncommon in general.  So yes, I know what I am dealing with.  However, I can't think, that even in this profession, and even knowing that I work with a bunch of assses, that yelling over the phone to someone "This isn't that hard! F**K!!!" is very productive or professional.  And this comes from someone I work with all the time.  And I had to endure this ridiculous call for over an hour on Thursday.  I know we are all under pressure, but honestly, this is a serious WTF moment. 

Additionally, I can't stand getting calls or emails all the time at home on my technical "day off" since I am supposedly part time.  People don't seem to understand that part time doesn't mean I just pick up my office and move it into my home. I need and want to spend quality time with Emma.  So today, while juggling Emma with one hand, and the phone in the other, several co-workers got an earful of Old MacDonald and Do Your Ears Hang Low playing loudly in the background.  I don't even care anymore whether THAT is professional or not.

A Phone Call For You

Happy Birthday, Baby Emma!

Dear Baby Emma,

You have been with us for one whole year!  You are the greatest blessing in your parents' lives.  You make us laugh everyday with your cute little smiley face.  Your Dol celebration was a great success! 

 You picked the stethoscope and the golf ball - we welcome our future golfing doctor!

We're so grateful that our friends and family could join us for your celebration today.  I know we all enjoyed ourselves and ate so much Korean food.  Thanks for being the best and sweetest guest of honor!