Some Fun Old Pictures of Yours Truly

I love you mom - but not all your hair cuts are the best.



Yes those are fake front teeth and very large bangs.


Classy.



Front teeth - the real deal.



Wow - my sister, much cuter than me.

Y'all are welcome here - even if this isn't what you're looking for.

I like to track the statistics of my blog on Google Analytics. I'm not sure why I care exactly but it's interesting to see how many people are stopping by and such.

I really get a kick out of reading the keyword that leads people here to my blog. I get a ton of the usual - "polka dot hippo", "polka dot hippo blog", "erica polka dot hippo", etc., but I also get some very interesting ones. For those of you who are slightly non-tech (I'm looking at you, mom) - the "keyword" means what people type into the internet search bar before getting a list of possible hits and then click on the link to my blog.

Here are some favorites:

• beauty cripple foot
• puke bath
• pukebath
• short hair"" minivan
• chill drink
• feels so blessed to have a husband that cooks for me
• neighbor dick
• orange poop from yams
• what is that song that has no words and goes do do do do do
• why do i get so angry before my period
• i don't want mom hair

I am so glad Google thinks of Polka Dot Hippo when it thinks of puke bath! (Or pukebath). Also, don't you wonder what song that person was looking for? The one that has no words and goes do do do do do? Ha ha, they probably got lead right to my Inspector Baby post. I am happy that the person who gets angry before their period ended up here - hopefully my PMDD discussion was helpful. Oh and the person who doesn't want mom hair? Can't help you there.

There have also been some pretty great searches including the word "hippo":

• fail hippo
• hippo culture
• happy valentine's hippo
• hippo as a neighbor
• hippo cleavage
• huge women who hates hippos
• what is that video of a hippo singing a polka or something?

I think fail hippo is my favorite. I almost want to rename the blog. (Hat tip to the Bloggess, who posts her keywords for the amusement of all.)

Also, while I'm on the topic, did you guys see this discussion that included hippo parenting over at Motherlode? What the hey? I know it's a struggle to think up catchy content but seriously?

Talk to you soon!

The Food Allergy Project

Oh goodness, it has been a rough few days on the home front. I mentioned before that Anna has been having rashes all over and nasal draining etc., allergic reaction type stuff. Today we had our appointment to go over the blood test results as well as have her take the skin prick test. Even worse was that we had to stop giving her the magical Zyrtec 5 days before the skin prick test so it wouldn't mess up the results. So since we've come home from Florida, Anna has been a sneezing, rashy mess. I so appreciate the Zyrtec now - seriously that stuff is amazing.

I think her general feeling of allergic yuckiness has also caused her to be more aggressive at school. I've received no less than 4 "incident reports" of Anna biting other kids and also banging her head on things in frustration. Poor little thing has a big round bruise smack in the middle of her forehead from banging her head on stuff like the floor, the wall, the slide, you name it. Today she tried to bite her own shoe in frustration because I had put a sticker on it that she wanted off. She's been on a short fuse so of course it affects me too.

There is some good news though! First, we survived the skin prick test. Uri came with us and he played videos of Anna on his laptop while she was pricked and while we waited 20 minutes for the drops to settle in. Anna's favorite thing is watching videos of herself so it was the best way to pass the uncomfortable time. So now, we know what she's allergic to.

I am happy to report that she's NOT allergic to our cats, not grass, shellfish or even dairy. However, she is allergic to:

• Soy (also includes green pea)
• Wheat / Rye (also includes barley)
• Peanut

And in the non-food arena

• Cockroach (what? so weird)
• Feather

Holy cow. Do you have any idea how many things have either soy or wheat in them? We have to remove all of the above foods from her diet for 28 days. Then we'll add one thing back at a time in 5 day intervals to see what gets the big reaction.

Here is a list of the foods commonly containing wheat (with stuff she eats highlighted):

• Snacks - crackers, chips, cereals, snack mixes, pretzels
• Breads - bread, bagels, muffins, rolls, pastries, donuts, pancakes, waffles
• Desserts - cakes, cookies, baking mixes, pies, other baked goods
• Soups - most soups including broths
• Pastas - noodles, packaged dinners containing pasta
• Condiments - soy sauce, worchestire sauce, salad dressings, barbeque sauces, marinades, glazes, some vinegars
• Beverages - Beer (including non-alcholic), root beer, drink mixes such as instant breakfast
• Meats - frozen meats (some are packaged with broth), lunch meats, hot dogs
• Gravies and Sauces - most likely thickened with wheat flour
• Misc. - flour tortillas, stuffing
• Tabbouleh, Tabouleh or Tabouli - a salad made with bulgur
• Pilafs

And foods commonly containing soy:

• Baby foods, formula, cereals
• Baked goods including cakes, cookies, muffins, breads
• Baking mixes and canned frosting
• Breakfast cereals, instant breakfast drinks
• Breading mixes, stuffing mixes
• Canned puddings
• Canned and packaged dinners like spaghetti or macaroni and cheese
• Canned tuna packed in oil
• Chocolate chips, chocolate bars (Uri's influence)
  
• Imitation meats and seafood
• Meat fillers
• Margarine, shortening, cooking spray, vegetable oil
• Snack foods including crackers, chips, pretzels
• Soy and teriyaki sauces
• Soy milk, yogurt, non-dairy creamers
• Tofu, miso, tempeh
• Vitamin supplements

So I'm glad we at least have a Whole Foods close  - they usually make shopping for specific allergies easier. We did this whole exercise where we switched her from cow's milk to rice milk because cow's milk is a very common allergy for kids. Now that we've found out she's not allergic to it, I'm going to partially transition her back to cow's milk - at least at school because they provide it there. But I think the rice milk is a good addition to her diet since she drinks so much milk. It will be a good substitute some of the time, especially since you can store it in the cupboard.

I am a little overwhelmed right now trying to get a handle on this wheat/soy thing. So many of the foods I serve her each day are on the foods to avoid list. Just today I fed her an apple bar thing with wheat in it for breakfast and packed her green peas for lunch. So we have a lot of adjusting to do. Also, we're going to have to say goodbye to her pet cockroach farm. (Ew, not really. At least we don't have to worry about cockroaches and feathers.)

Do any of you avoid wheat? Soy? Have any tips? I'd REALLY love some tips from anyone who avoids both wheat AND soy. Enjoy your day.

Miami: The Land of the Free

We are back and mostly settled again in Santa Monica. There are so many things about the trip that were special or funny or eye opening but I think the thing that sticks with me the most is how Miami is such a world apart from Los Angeles. There are definitely similarities - it's a big city with lots of foreigners and tourists, great places to eat, the ocean, shopping - but man - the vibe couldn't be more different. Miami is a party 24-7 and I don't know if I'd make it there long term unless I went 100% straight-edge. One thing I love is just how much more loose everything is down there. I feel like here at home, everyone is terrified of being sued and there are restrictions for everything.


For example, Uri and I used to live in this building in Santa Monica:

When we lived there,  not only were you prohibited from having a beer (even in a can!) at the pool, you couldn't even enjoy food at the pool. Because you never know who might slip dangerously on a ham sandwich or some Cheetos. I don't know. Technically you couldn't even have a diet coke to quench your thirst but often the management would ignore a diet coke but NEVER a beer. What a crock. I mean, what's the point of having a sweet pool in your apartment complex at the beach if you can't even enjoy a beer there? Assholes.


But at the Flamingo in Miami Beach, you were welcome to chill with a cooler of your choice of beverage (alcoholic or not) as well as eat anything you darn well please! In fact, the enterprising little cafe there would come and take your order for food/drinks and bring it right to you in your chair.


Similar to our old place in looks:


 
But totally different in spirit. Also, although there were the standard "don't do this" signs, it was pretty loose... like the "No Bathing in the Fountain" sign:



 Another thing that blew me away; the pool area was right on the bay:



But there weren't tons of signs advising death or worse if you get too close to the edge. There wasn't even a fence. You would NEVER see that here in LA. Could a person fall disastrously into the ocean? Sure! But I just felt that in Miami, they expected you to be responsible for yourself instead of having a sign or a fence to stop every possible thing that could ever go wrong.

It just felt so much more free there - so much more live and let live. Everyone was flying their freak flag high and proud and I loved it. I guess there are definitely some parts of LA that are more wild (WeHo, Venice) but Santa Monica, although politically liberal, is also very buttoned down in many ways. I love being home but I miss that crazy town at the edge of the US. Viva Miami!!

Today I Drew the Line

... On Playdoh.

That shit had to GO.

Here in Miami

Necktastic

Something is up with my neck. It doesn't hurt or anything but it just looks really prominent. I don't know why but I have very noticeable neck tendon thingies.

No really, look:





Seriously, what the heck, right?



Lately I have been trying to focus on bringing my neck down a notch in pictures. So it doesn't help that when I'm holding Anna, she thinks it's really funny to grab one neck tendon thing in each hand, move them back and forth and sing...

"the doors on the bus go open and shut, open and shut, open and shut... the doors on the bus go open and shut.. all through the town"

Yes, she thinks that my neck is the doors on the bus. Nice.

Allergies!

Oh how I hoped that Anna would just inherit my good qualities and not the bad. But as it is, we are flawed beings and we pass on those flaws, physical and otherwise, to future generations. Me, I'm allergic to everything. My mom used to joke that I was allergic to air and sadly, that's partially true. (If the air has pollen or dust or just about anything besides sterile air.)


Growing up, I was continually plagued by atopic dermatitis. I have my little diary from the sixth grade and one of my new year's resolutions was to stop itching my legs - they had scaly patches all over that were quite bothersome. I also had to take Seldane daily for my nasal congestion - which has since been banned by the FDA for some drug interaction problem. So when Anna was a few months old, I was saddened but not surprised that her skin would flare up when exposed to such indignities as baby wash with lavender scent, clothes that had been dried with dryer sheets, or basically anything with any scent or color. So far she's escaped some of my more annoying allergies such as grass (not being able to sit on our touch), dogs, cats and bunnies.

I thought I had her eczema under control until she had a funky rash that moved around for about a month as well as a persistent runny nose. Damn it. So I take her to the pediatrician for the second time for the rash and she refers us to an allergist. I'm not sure they had people like this when I was a kid? Certainly not in Upland. This guy is great (and also a bit handsome, not so much in that picture just believe me). He gave me a whole package of information and we're undergoing some tests to see what could be causing the problems.

We also took her to a dermatologist where I had the added bonus of forcing them to confirm my crazy rash diagnosis. Who says we don't have free health care in America? You just have to bully your way into it.

**Warning: I am going into the weeds here. This is probably only useful if you have a kid with allergy problems. Everyone else - talk to you soon and have a great weekend.**

Right off the bat he told me to give her cetirizine (Zyrtec) instead of the loratidine (Claritin) I had been using. By the way, our pediatrician told us to use loratidine (Claritin) instead of diphenhydramine (Benadryl) we'd been using because it's one dose every 24 hours and doesn't cause the drowsiness. If your child has allergies, it's totally worth it to switch to one of the 24 hour medicines because not only do they work better, you don't have to worry about day care administering it and having a prescription on hand for them an all that. I did think it was funny that I was buying one big bottle of adult cetirizine (Zyrtec) for me and a bottle of the children's stuff for her. Awww... matchy matchy. I also picked up a prescription skin cream for her and was not surprised to see it was the same damn stuff that I had picked up for myself a few months ago. Should have guessed. I have some samples for an additional allergy prescription for her, montelukast (Singulair). We'll see how that goes.

We did a blood test this week that will hopefully yield some results and we MIGHT have to do one of those dreaded skin patch tests when we get back from Miami. Keep your fingers crossed for us because those suck big time.

He also has me transitioning her off cow's milk and onto rice milk even before we get the results back. Our pediatrician confirmed that it was a good plan because Anna doesn't need the extra fat that some children under two need. That's been going fine.

I'm looking forward to finding out what's causing our problems. I don't think it's the cats because I was extremely allergic to cats as a child and boy, I know what that looks like. I hope it's not cow's milk because it's unbelievable how many things have casein and whey in them. But if it is, we'll learn to deal. At least now we have so many great options for foods and we also have much better medications than when I was a kid. I'll let you guys know what we find out.

We're off to Miami tomorrow but don't bother coming by to steal all our stuff like I know you want to because we will have people randomly coming by to check on the place and feed the cats. Of course we'll take lots of pictures to bore the internet with so be ready for some updates from the sunshine state soon.

Bully

Yesterday I was talking on email with a friend whose son had hit an innocent kid at the park. I told her sheesh, I can really relate to that as Anna is a bit on the bully side of the spectrum. In fact, for a couple of weeks she would go straight for her friend Amar first thing in the morning and try to push him or hit him or otherwise bully him. Awesome.

At home we discussed this. I would say to her - "you know, when we get to school, Amar is always there waiting for you and he is excited to see you. He is your friend. We can say to him, 'hello Amar, nice to see you today'. We can give him toys. We can play with him. But we DON'T push Amar. We don't push our friends." To which Anna would enthusiastically reply... "Push! Amar!" Me... "No, DON'T push Amar." Anna.. "Push! Amar!" Oy vay. And then of course, we get to school. Amar is so excited to see Anna and she just goes up and whacks him on the head or tries to push him to the ground. Again and again. I'm thinking well, at least she's teaching him how girls can drive you nuts sometimes.

It's not fun  to be the parent with the aggressive kid. You  just know other parents are thinking you are not doing a good job. We've finally gotten to the point where Anna's good friend Bean can come over and play with Anna's toys without incident. One time Anna bit Bean right on the head and the marks stayed over 24 hours... which is apparently the definition of abuse. Wonderful. Bean's mom used to call them frenemies. Ha ha, it was perfect.

The thing is, Anna can also be very sweet and loving. She loves giving hugs and kisses and for the past week or so she's been distributing toys to the kids at school in the morning instead of knocking them down. She helps the teachers put things away and helps them with the laundry. Yesterday, we had the carpets cleaned. The carpet cleaner, Alonso, is a very nice man. When he left he said goodbye to Anna - "goodbye Love!", and she said "goodbye Love, I love you" back to him. It was very cute and funny. I decided I'm not going to be concerned that she loves someone she just met, not until she's a teenager anyway. I pray she doesn't turn out as boy crazy as I was.

We try lots of things to teach her to be nice. Our latest fun thing is Yo Gabba Gabba's Don't Bite Your Friends. Not nearly as awesome as Party in My Tummy, but still, we're trying here people. Oh by the way you noticed? We unfortunately have moved to YouTube videos on the iPad. We try not to watch them that often but have you seen Party in My Tummy? It's awesome. (Do carrots want to go to the party in my tummy? ... hilarious.)

The only thing keeping me from spiraling into mommy guilt about this whole hitting situation is ... da da da... my fab psychologist! She says to let the school deal with it, that's their job. She says if I make too much of a big deal of it, I may get Anna reacting to me on top of everything else. She really gets Anna's style which is great. She always tells me to let things go - to "give it to God". Although I'm not really religious, I get what she means by give it to God. I think that in my head and it really helps.

Of course, if we're at the park or something I won't be that mom that lets their kid beat up everyone around. But it hasn't happened at the park yet (although it probably will) and it didn't happen at the puppy party so I think part of it is that she's upset that I'm leaving when I drop her off at school. I don't know. Or maybe she just really wants to beat down on Amar. (No, of course not, he is an awesome cutie-pie.)

Do any of you have trouble with your kids hitting others?

The system won't change itself people, get on it!

Work-life balance - it's important. Do you have it? Do you want more of it? Well stand up and get it for yourself! Corporations aren't going to change on their own - we have to push and push. I was happy to see this issue brought up at the Juggle. The article concludes, and I concur, that if you want more freedom at work, you have to take it.

I remember when it was time for many women in our mommy & me class to go back to work. I told them how I was going back 3 days a week at first, then 4, then eventually all 5 days. People thought I was lucky to have a workplace that was so flexible. But we didn't have any type of program or precedent in place for that - I just said that's what I was going to do. I didn't worry about pumping at work - I just did it. I created a little caution sign for my door and pumped when I needed to pump. If I had to excuse myself from a meeting a little early, I just left.

Of course, I don't believe that flexibility is a one-way street. I helped my company out during my maternity leave; we're small and there was no one who could take over many of my responsibilities. But for me it was so worth it to get more leniency when I returned.  I've had to leave early and work from home when Anna's been sick and miss work to take her to the doctor or attend functions at her school.

I always communicate to my boss that I'm thankful for flexibility and how I value it above all else. I tell him that I love my job and I choose to be here, but that my daughter comes first. I admit it's a little bit of a game of chicken. You have to walk the line of communicating that the job is important to you but that you are there because the job is working out for your life. What I want is to work at a job I (mostly) enjoy, earn a decent paycheck, and have the flexibility to be there for my family. Is there a possibility that if you push too hard you could lose your job? Yes. But I decided when Anna was born that I would take that chance if I had to.

No, I don't put in as many desk hours as the rest of my colleagues. But I always get my work done on time and I'm never the bottle-neck in a project. I put in extra time when it's needed like for quarterly reports or our annual meeting. I try to think of ways to make our company better and truly care about our investors. Being a mother has given me more compassion and understanding and it's made me a better worker (no one can multi-task like a mom) - but one who spends less time at the desk due to necessity.

In the end, it's a win-win. My boss being so flexible with me has cemented my loyalty to the company. I used to browse around for new jobs but now I don't. I'm committed to this place and to my boss especially.

Don't apologize for doing what you need to do for your family or even for yourself. Everyone needs personal days to just get back on track again. Will you join me? Will you push just a little more?

Babies & Puppies

This weekend was our good friend Bean's 1st Birthday Party. It was awesome. Anna especially loved the dogs!







Happy Birthday Bean.

Enough

I've had some pot shots taken at me by friends and haters alike on how I read too many parenting books. My psychologist actually said I've read more parenting books than anyone she's met... great. She's really working with me to learn that these books are just theories by people - that no one has the answer - none of it is the word of God. She asks me what would happen if I made a mistake? I honestly don't know.

I got the same advice from my boss at work during my five year review. It was my first constructive criticism from him, ever. He said I need to trust my judgment, to not be afraid to make a mistake - everyone makes them. He told me to put myself out there MORE, to just DO STUFF. (Basically, grow a pair.)

I have always been an overachiever. It's stuck inside me and well most of the time, it really helps you succeed in life. Straight A's? Natch. Scholarships? Of course. Quilting class? Everyone else is completing one quilt? I'll make two, bitches.

It doesn't help that there is an entire industry targeting pregnant women and new moms. We're big money. Back when I was born, there was basically Dr. Spock's book. Now there are a million baby books and I know because I've read a lot of them. I read books about pregnancy, child birth (both natural and assisted), baby care, how babies think, how to help babies sleep, what babies want blah blah blah blah!!!

My pregnancy - it was not by the book. I gained 45 pounds not the 25 recommended by books and my OB. Anna's birth, not according to plan. At this point I should have started tossing theories but I wanted to do the BEST I COULD. I read breastfeeding books and lord if La Leche League isn't a bunch of crazy crazertons I don't know who is. These books are NOT HELPFUL for an overachiever. Breastfeeding on demand was a nightmare for an intense baby like Anna. Girlfriend was putting away 40 ounces a day! But hey! The deal is now that breastfeeding is great and perfect and there is no top limit on the magical powers of mama milk. But hey, they forgot about someone - me. I was a freaking milk factory and it was NOT FUN. Plugged ducts every week and a baby shooting over the 100th percentile in weight?

Then my little one said boo to all the sleeping book knowledge. A baby who only takes one 30 minute nap a day? BAD! WRONG! You are RUINING YOUR BABY'S ENTIRE LIFE!! It took me forever to just say well, she's clearly thriving and at our house this is just the way we do. It's enough.

Want to know what else? Most days I can't brush Anna's teeth and she won't do it either. I figure shit, these teeth are eventually going to fall out anyways. Can't be worse than what I had - fake baby teeth where I knocked some out and braces on my permanent teeth for 16 years. She'll deal. It's enough. And no I am not even starting to think about when I'm taking her to the dentist.

Some nights she doesn't eat dinner. She still drinks out of a bottle at home. But you know what? She has fun and she's loved and she's a pistol and it's good enough. I'm good enough, I am a good mom. I started this whole thing out insecure as hell but I'm getting my parenting footing.

I have two new parenting books at home that I refuse to read. I am just through with it. I'm taking over the steering of this bus and if we end up in a ditch by the side of the road well shit, we'll figure it out.

Temecula

Two thumbs up for our trip to Temecula - our first night away from Anna together since she was born. It was gorgeous just to be a couple again and not parents. We love Anna to the ends of the earth, yes we do, but boy, she is very high energy. It has been a long time since we've had some time just to chill as adults.

When we first got there, we almost didn't know what to do with ourselves - we felt so free. So of course we did what any reasonable person would do as noon is approaching, hit a bar. We were dismayed that many of the tasting rooms in Old Town Temecula weren't open before noon. What the hell? But, noon rolled around soon enough and we had an enjoyable tasting at Tesoro.

Checking into the hotel was so easy with luggage for only two people. We listened to music, drank wine and enjoyed the scenery. Old Town Temecula was quaint so we cabbed back there for dinner. It was so nice to reconnect as married people. We talked about ourselves, our lives, everything. We talked about Anna a little but it was amazing how much we DIDN'T talk about her.

Back at Lola's house, Anna had a great time. She entertained lots of visitors and chased my mom's huge golden retriever around. I was happy to hear she slept through the night and really didn't miss us much. It's great for her to get away from us too. Win-win situation. Well, except for my mom and sister, who were pretty exhausted by the time we came to pick Anna up on Sunday. She is just go-go-go every minute of the day.

The trip was so successful that we're planning another one soon - well, probably in May. We have our family trip to Miami for spring break coming up in April so we'll have another couple getaway the month after. It will be fun choosing where we'll go next.

We did take a few pictures - none with Uri in them since he manned the camera. But here's a taste:

Artistic non-smiling pose. Meh.

Some of the delightful handmade goods for sale in town.

Lots of Harleys in Temecula, this was my favorite.

View from our room - relaxing.

More view.

March of Dimes

The March of Dimes is something I can really get behind. If you can throw some love at Team Iris it would be so great. Go to K's Website and click on the badge on the lower left-hand side. You guys know I never ask for much. This is an awesome cause.

I will have an update from our all adult weekend (fun fun!) soon. I have to get some of the pictures loaded up. It was so great for Uri and I to have some time to ourselves. Hooray. Hope everyone else had a great weekend as well.