Daddy Talk

The Classics.

I shared a memory of my dad with Pam today. It was when I was young, somewhere around 10. My dad rented a movie for the family called Thunder Warrior. It was certainly a cheese fest, a bit of a rip off of Rambo only with a Native American as the lead. It was a terrible movie from my recollection. I think my dad secretly liked it, but I can only guess. I remember my brother and I thought it was terrible on a whole lot of levels. Kind of a feat really to get kids to think it was so cheesy. Its a funny memory only because my dad picked up the sequel a few years later.

We gave him an endless amount of ribbing about it, how we hated it because it was so terrible and this and that but we still watched it. I can't remember what happened with the movie, what the plot was or who the characters were. There were plenty of times where we watched good movies or forgettable movies, but nothing like this. Nothing that sticks in my mind. It doesn't bother me that this movie was bad and it sticks in my memory, I think the worst part about it is wondering if my dad took it too hard.

I may just make the boy suffer through it when he gets older. I hope he has a memory of it, it will probably be a good memory for him. Just got to figure out the right time to do it and where to get a vcr. Most importantly I need to find the 80 dollars to buy it because it is a "classic" now.

Tuesday True Confessions

I have admitted before that I watch TV while breastfeeding Milo. And that is supposedly a No-No, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

In the February issue of "BabyTalk," there's a guide to the first 100 days of your baby's life. Once again, I'm told not to watch TV while feeding my baby.

"During those early weeks, you'll likely be feeding six to eight times a day whether by breast or bottle. Don't be tempted to fill it by streaming a season's worth of Glee or texting your BFF. Christine Wood M.D., a pediatrician and certified lactation educator from Encinitas, California, urges parents to take advantage of feeding time to bond with their babies."

The article goes on to quote a mother who says, "I realized I was the luckiest person in the family because I was the one who got to spend the most one-on-one time with him, gazing into his eyes."

Let me get this straight, the article tells me I'll feed my newborn six to eight times a day. In reality, Milo ate every two hours. So ... 12 times a day, multiplied by 20 to 45 minutes for each feeding ... doing the math ... I was supposed to spend upwards of nine hours a day "gazing into his eyes"? When his eyes were closed 90 percent of the time (at least).

Unfortunately, I don't remember where I saw this, but I have read that looking directly into your baby's eyes during those middle of the night feedings is akin to giving him a jolt of caffeine, conflicting with the above advice.

I know this is just one more way to pile on the Mommy Guilt. I'll freely admit I have a TV addiction. And yes, I worry that Milo gets too much (he points his toy remote at the TV and presses buttons). But I also know that I spend lots of time playing with him, reading to him, cuddling him and bonding with him. I think the simple act of breastfeeding is the greatest bonding act I could perform. It's kind of hard not to bond when another human is literally attached to you.

I don't watch as much TV while breastfeeding now because Milo is more attuned to it. (Buffy theme song?! Let me see!) But when he drifts off for a nap, you better believe I'm streaming reruns.

It's hard not to gaze into those eyes. But nine hours a day? Please.

True mommy confessions

I did something today I said I wouldn't do.

Remember a while back when we were told kids younger than 2 shouldn't be watching TV? Yeah, well, I'm pretty sure the experts who determined this weren't sleep-deprived mothers who haven't showered in two days, home alone with a 7-month-old.

I sat Milo in his play yard with Sesame Street on the television while I took a shower. I know. I just lost my Mother of the Year nomination. The thing is, whether Milo is in his crib or a playpen and whether or not the TV is on, he's going to cry for me. I have a hard time believing my baby's development is going to be severely hampered by my attempt to distract him for five minutes.

And here's why. Sesame Street did not distract him from the fact that I left him in a play yard.

Nor did it keep him from figuring out to pull himself up into a standing position. I'm pretty sure he wasn't paying any attention to Elmo.