2/17: Thoughts from the week
-Every morning when I get dressed, I keep in mind that I will be wearing purple for most of the day 😉
Might be time to invest in another Moby.. ours gets used all the time –Tom likes to wear her in the Ergo instead- but it will be nice to have a backup when this one is in the wash.
-In Livi’s bassinet, there was a group of tiny black fuzzies. I was wondering where all the lint came from, and then realized that it was hair! Many babies start to lose their hair, and end up with the “Friar Tuck”: hair on the sides, bald on top.
Livi has what I like to call the “Billy Crystal”
Yep.
-You guys are geniuses suggesting the velcro swaddles. We had a few that Kyle and Meg gave us when Liv was first born, but they were a little too big for her. Now, they fit perfectly, with room to stretch and move her legs, and she doesn’t try to get escape. She has slept SO much better the past two nights and it’s AMAZING what a little sleep will do!
-I’ve said this before, but I really want to start making dinner again. I kind of quit this week because I was dragging from being awake all night and day for so long, but I think we’re ready to get into it. Meal planning, one big grocery shop, the whole shebang. Even when I did find time to put something together this week, we didn’t have groceries for it! One big shopping trip makes it so much easier than taking Liv out to get a few things for a meal or two.
It’s going to be a challenge to squeeze it in during naptime, or prep something during the day that can be quickly made at night, but I’m determined… and sick of takeout. The other night, we spent $50 for dinner for two of us- about 1/4 of what I’d spend for weekly groceries.
-It’s tradition in my family to get ears pierced at an early age –mine were pierced when I was 3 weeks old- and I thought for sure we’d get hers pierced around the same time. Madre will do the honor since she’s a stylist and pierces ears, too. Now, looking at Liv’s teeny perfect ears, I can’t do it yet.
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I know what you mean about making dinner, I miss being in the kitchen! I wear Colin in the Baby K’Tan sling all the time, even while cooking, but it can be a little awkward when he’s awake and squirming. The crock pot has become one of my best friends, because early evening when I would normally cook can be a fussy time, but 11 in the morning I can usually take a few minutes for meal prep.
I must say, Livi makes the best outfit accessory!
Love reading all your baby/family updates! Makes me miss that stage with my little girls. You mentioned in this post thinking about getting another Moby wrap. When my 3rd daughter was born early and was too small for the Baby Bjorn we had, I made my own Moby wrap using $7 worth of fabric. I don’t remember where I found the “directions” but I’m sure I just Google’d it. No sewing, just a little cutting of the fabric. It worked great – and so much more affordable! Just a thought…
My Mom waited until I asked to get my ears pierced, which I did when I was 3. She was a nurse so she brought home one of the surgical needles and pierced them herself. She says she still can’t believe she did it but that I was fine with it. Over the years I got 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes.. I will say that stupid gun at Claires does hurt as it shoves an earring through your ear. But getting pierced with a needle is no big deal. I got my belly button pierced and literally didn’t feel a thing. I don’t necessarily agree with piercing a babies ear..you are doing it for yourself…not them but if I was to do it.. definitely find a Dr or someone who uses a needle over the gun!
Why put your baby through pain for earrings? In my family, when we were old enough to ask to get them pierced, it happened. It just seems so unnecessary to do to a baby.
If you do decide to pierce her ears, PLEASE don’t do it at the mall or anywhere else that will use a piercing gun.
Piercing guns cause tissue trauma to the ear by forcing a blunt stud through the skin, which literally rips it. The gun also pinches the back of the earring pretty snugly against the skin, which is not conducive to healing. People are also instructed to turn the jewelry, which you should not do (ever) since it causes bacteria to be pushed into the wound.
Having the piercings done at a professional piercing shop is the only way to have any piercings done. The people who use piercing guns go through very little training, while professional piercers go through years of training.
Basically, a piercing gun causes a more painful, traumatic piercing than using a hollow needle with a professional piercer. This is a fact that cannot be argued with.
On the downside, most reputable shops will not pierce an infant since the infant cannot consent, which forces people to use the inferior method of gun piercing since (for reasons I don’t understand at all whatsoever) piercing their infant is so important that they cannot wait until he/she can consent and WANT their ears pierced.
Agree about the guns – my cartilage was pierced with a gun and hurt for over a year before I finally took it out. My mom got all three of our ears pierced at the pediatricians office – do they still do that??
I love the picture of Livi’s lil head. She’s so precious and cute! haha, the “Billy Crystal”, that is hilarious. I love soft little baby fuzz.
Aww….my heart goes out to your little one when you decide to do it…I couldn’t imagine doing something for pure vanity purposes that would make my daughter cry at such a young age…. 🙁
I absolutely love your blog and read daily, although I admit I was a bit shocked to read you’d pierce your baby’s ears given how concerned you are about health in general. Infections and allergies are something to take seriously, especially when earrings serve no purpose but being cute. Not to mention injuries to the ear lobe. I had a lot of ear problems as a child and it absolutely tortured my mother. She says it still haunts her, 28 years later.
I think if you wait until your daughter is older and it can be her choice, it will be safer, and it can be a fun memory and experience for you both to share together!
i didn’t say i was going to do it- it’s just something we’ve discussed because it’s tradition in my family. there are definitely pros and cons for each way, and it’s something that we’ll decide together.
It’s a tradition in my family also, so I completely understand Gina 🙂 My mom is Mexican and didn’t come to the states with my grandparents until she was almost 4, and my grandma pierced my mom and my aunt’s ears over in Mexico in their house… not that I think you should pierce Livi’s ears in your house, lol, but being from Mexican decent myself, I completely get it and I will probably get my (yet-to-be-conceived) daughter’s ears pierced at a young age just like my mom did with both my sister and I 🙂 You’re such an adorable, loving mother, thank you for opening up your wonderful family to us, and keep doing what you’re doing. <3
Plus, I have to say that getting one’s earlobes pierced has nothing to do with an ear infection, which happens in the interior of the ear. As long as Gina cleans the little piercings regularly (which I have no doubt she will) they’ll heal just fine. If she got ear infections they wouldn’t be related to earrings. Every culture has different traditions. Maybe Livi will cry, but the perk is that she won’t remember the pain, & won’t be nervous about it. It isn’t a big deal to decide to get your kids ears pierced when they are little! I’m sure that Gina’s mom is a real pro & will do it as gently as a person could.
My Mom is Mexican too, and my ears, along with my sisters, were pierced in our first year. All my girl cousins went through the same tradition too. The only issue any of us had with our ear piercings was with my little sister because one of hers kept closing. She looked like a pirate for the first couple years and now she has more piercings that all of us cousins and siblings combined. lol.
I was five when I got my ears pierced. I had asked my mom earlier but my dad said I had to wait until I was five. I was stoked when the day came but it hurt and I think I cried a little. It’s hard for me to remember. I got my ears pierced at the mall but do agree with the other commentators who suggested a needle inside. I’ve gotten multiple piercings (tragus, tongue, ear cartilage, etc) after my first set of earrings with a needle and they are safer and heal better than with a piercing gun. Back when I got my second set of piercings on the ear with a piercing gun, my left ear rejected the piercing and I was stubborn and tried to get it to stay in. Eventually I had to take it out as it started to migrate and now I probably can’t get that ear pierced again.
I don’t know why but Billy Crystal freaks me out. Always has and probably always will.
Your baby is really odd-looking. Piercing her ears won’t make much difference.
i really hope you find happiness in your life. something must be very wrong if you’re publicly criticizing the appearance of.. a 6 week old baby.
This comment is really out of line.
Elsa’s, not Gina’s.
Yes, I agree. Totally wrong.
my stomach just turned a little seeing that comment. disgusting. I have no words
As you know, Gina–Livi is beyond gorgeous. Bless her little heart <3
thank you, friend <3
and yes, she's perfect... all babies are
Um… I’ve seen a lot of really hateful crappy comments on blogs in the past, but this takes the cake. What the eff is wrong with you!?
Gina, not that it matters, but Livi is beautiful, but I know you (and like 99.9% of the world population, 100% who are not awful people) already know that! Plus, let’s face it, she’s been blessed with some pretty good genes. 🙂
This comment is so beyond inappropriate – Who are you to judge a child? Gina is right, something must be very wrong with you. Go spend some time helping yourself instead of criticizing Gina’s beautiful new baby.
This is disgusting. I’m sure you are not a mother and I pray that if you ever are no one says something like this about your child. But maybe if they do you will understand how hurtful and inappropriate saying something like this is. All babies are beautiful and no one especially not a baby deserves a comment like this. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Can you please please please make an archive for your family posts? Im trying to look for your pregnant days and I have to keep pressing “previous posts”.
Obviously the ear piercing is totally your decision, but just a thought…..it was so special for us to wait until she was older and she could want it for awhile and then we did it (when she was 8). This way, it is like baby steps to becoming a big girl, and then she was old enough to show some responsibility in caring for her own ears (self care). And truly, a baby does not care what her ears look like. She only wants to be comfortable.
Fitnessista,
Was searching for a GF’s blog and came across yours. Started reading and came across your post about agonizing about having your baby dd’s ears pierced now. Like your family, it is a tradition to pierce ears as newborns before a month old. It signals to others your dd is loved very much in a male dominated society we live in. I’m sure it is similar in your heritage also to let others know she is deeply loved and cared for by you and dh.
I think you were a smart mommy for being concerned about piercing your dd’s ears early. Admittedly, I know a lot of people have strong feelings when to pierce a child’s ear. “Let them decide” is being replaced by parental decision when mommy intuition knows, “earlier is better” from either personal or friend’s experiences of unpleasant childhood ear piercing. I think it just depends on your own personal choice whether or not you wish your baby or little girl to have pierced ears.
Initially, I was unsure too, but asked our ped for her opinion about having our dd’s ears pierced. She reached in her pocket and took out a picture of her six month little girl with gold balls in each ear, saying,” …this is what I think.” She encouraged me to go ahead and said it was best as an infant when mommy could care for them. She has never had a baby with a pierced ear infection, but has had quite a few older girls ages 2-5 who said they wanted it done, but failed to care for them. She gave me some ” Care Tips for Newly Pierced Ears ” since she had so many moms ask about having their infants and little girls ears pierced.
One of the most important tips is have someone experienced in infant ear piercing. Your madre is perfect and it will be a wonderful bonding experience for her to pierce your dd’s and her gd’s ears!
Promise your dd will look adorable with sweet little earrings! If any other moms would like our ped’s tips, write me an e-mail.
Angie
angietune@hotmail.com
I was born in Tucson and I think the Latin influence led my mom to pierce my ears at a few weeks old. I lived in Honduras for 2 years and all baby girls have earrings there too. I love the way it looks and it definitely is a plus that your mom can do it. Livi is adorable either way!
I had to wait until I was ten to have my ears pierced. I hated waiting at the time, but in retrospect, it made me feel very grown-up and responsible when I was finally able to have it done. Plus my mom and I made a day of it–such a fun way to celebrate my first decade on the planet! I know I’ll make my daughters wait–I’m personally uncomfortable with the thought of earrings in precious little baby ears–but I know there’s no right way for everyone. I think this is one of those situations where most people feel like what they did is the right way to go.
Don’t listen to that B-word Elsa, little live is beautiful and you are a darling family! I’ve been waiting for this to happen ever since I started reading your blog! Your story is unfolding in a wonderful way.
Oh my god, you have one of the most beautiful babies. Obviously someone is jealous!
Gina, Olivia is such a beautiful baby!!!!! I think if you want to pierce her ears, it’s totally accepted in this society.. infact, i don’t know many people who don’t have their baby’s (girl) ears pierced… I do, however, understand why you wouldn’t either 🙂
I don’t know when my mom pierced my ears but it was when I was very young. Probably under year old??? People ask me ALL the time if I am going to do Ella’s. I actually said from day one that I can’t do it. I think I will wait until she asks me. It’s not tradition though for me. I don’t think it’s right or wrong either way–such a personal decision! Am I glad my mom did mine as a baby? Yes actually..at least I remember being glad I had them as a kid and I didn’t remember it at all haha.
I love your purple Moby. Someone got me the dark blue one…I kind of like yours better. Purple is more my color 😉 And YES to the velcro swaddle!!!!!!! Yey for more sleep!!!!
Have a great night, girlfriend!
I am sitting here with my mouth open at that comment from Elsa. I have always thought from day 1 that Livi was an exceptionally beautiful baby. Her eyes are AMAZING, and that picture of her big grin just melts my heart! You are right, Gina…I hope that Elsa finds happiness because she must be very miserable with her own life to say something like that. She will eat those words in 20 years when we are reading a post titled: MY DAUGHTER IS MISS ARIZONA!
Love and light to you and your sweet family…. 🙂
Thanks, girl. I’ve been surprised at the hateful and horrible comments that have been popping up lately. People can say whatever they want about me, but insulting a newborn is sick.
Thank you for the kind words- hope you have a great day.
Xoxo
I haven’t read through all the comments, however I don’t think there was anyone saying anything negative about circumcising a newborn baby boy. In my opinion, this is much like a decision to pierce a girl’s ears. So my question would be to all those who are criticizing the choice to pierce your daughter’s ears, do they or would they make the choice to circumcise their infant son? Just a thought 🙂
My mom just waited for me to ask to get my ears pierced I think I was ~12. I wish in some ways that she would have just done it because I was really scared and it was frustrating that ‘all my friends had it done’- yes yes I know. But in other ways I’m glad she waited. So moral: I don’t think you can make a bad decision whatever you decide will be right for you and Livi.
BTW.. I was about to comment and ask for MORE pictures of beautiful Livi..
Just saying.
Livi is amazing, cute, gorgeous and beautiful. I want more pictures.
Piercing her ears is totally up to you. No right or wrong.
Thank you- I’m so in love with her 🙂
Just want to throw my $0.02 out there – my dad was a family physician and he did not allow me to get my ears pierced until I was 10 and would know to not “play rough.” He had seen too many toddlers/small children have their earlobes ripped off when the earring snagged on clothing or carpet. Something to keep in mind!
but I did want to add that your baby is beautiful, and as her parent you will know what will be best for her and for your family. xo