March 26, 2007

Who's next?

Last week, I had a Sick Husband. This weekend, a Sick Toddler was added to the mix for some Gooey Delicious Fun. YUM. Basically, I feel like a ticking bomb at this point. Last night, I frantically ran around like the Tasmanian Devil washing dishes, cleaning, trying to wrap up loose household ends while screeching "I'm going to be sick! I'm going to be sick!" I really hope I turn out to be the Chicken Little on this. Wish me luck.

We are very spoiled - Arun has been a Sniffly Whiner before, but never a Feverish Ragdoll. And man, OH MAN. Your priorities zoom into razor sharp focus when your baby becomes a Raggedy Andy. You cease caring that your #1 Ranked basketball team is trailing to a #7 Ranked Team with still a good 8 minutes left in the game. You scoop your Raggedy Andy up and hop in your car to Just Get Home. Game Schmame. Fuck it. It's just basketball. You listen to the resulting loss on the radio but only feel a distracted sadness as you are far more preoccupied with checking the rearview mirror to see how your Raggedy Andy is doing . Later, you could care less that your precious progeny is dribbling juice all over your couch - you are so grateful he is drinking clear liquids. Fuck it. It's just furniture. And even though your Already Infected Husband takes care of the kid all night long in hopes of minimizing your own exposure, you still toss and turn the whole night because you are worried. You'll even sneak in to the spare bedroom where the two very most important men in your life are sleeping so you can feel both of them for fevers. Fuck it. It's just sleep.

Anyway - everything is fine now - Arun is his normal goofy self this morning and X is on the mend. However, we were pretty worried because we are complete and utter novices when it comes to fevers - and yes, we are extremely appreciative of our ignorance in this area. Fortunately, the fevers this weekend were never Emergency Room Worthy, but they still had us on edge because they were high grade. (Sidenote: I'd like to give a special shout out to Toddler 411 by Denise Fields. I've mentioned Baby 411 before and the Toddler 411 sequel is its worthy successor. If I could only own one Wise Baby Tome it would be the 411 series. It is an invaluable resource, particularly when you aren't sure what to do, it's 10pm on a Saturday night and you need answers FAST. It's easily referenced, reasonable, always reassuring and never, ever condescending or judgemental. It has absolutely all the basics you need for baby and toddler care.)

On the NewKid front, we have decided on a name (a 2 second discussion, really) and her name will be Anjali (pronounced ahn-ja-lee). The "j" is pronounced like "j"as in "jill" or "jack" and NOT a "zh" sound like Zsa Zsa Gabor- because Anjali is a Hindi name, not a French one. Poor X has a "j" in his name and folks are always pronouncing it with a "zh" which makes it sound suspiciously like a tawdry sex act. AnyWAY......I've always adored the name Anjali (long before I had met X) and it was quite convenient to marry an Indian just so I could use that name. Later, I will have a post coming titled "Is that your name or a doctor's eye chart" (title totally stolen from the wickedly hilarious Monkey in a Suit, whose own blog is on a brief work-related hiatus.) Awhile back, Stephanie had a completely valid point on Monkey's blog when she said it wasn't fair to expect people to automatically know how to pronounce names they haven't seen before. And you know what? She's right - so I'll put the post on my sidebar as a sort of "primer" on the Indian Name Game. It's true, I certainly don't expect folks to know how to say my kids' names on the first go around. But I do expect people to politely listen and not get squinty-eyed on me. I really hope to not witness anymore Driveby Sneerings on other blogs about my kids' names. That's reasonable, right?

So, Baby Clothes Confession time. Um. Yeah. This might need a new label. This wasn't an issue when I was pregnant with Arun, I didn't start having a "problem" with baby clothes until he was about 3 months old or so. With NewKid? Gulp. I've already bought an outfit. The problem is fucking Target! It's not my fault! I swear! I was always able to resist Target for boys' clothes because their stuff never appealed to me much, but the girls' clothes are more difficult. Dammit. I've already gone through all of Arun's baby clothes and the biggest problem will be the seasons are different. I really don't care if my baby girl wears dinosaurs and Other Animals of a Predatory Nature - and besides, wouldn't any little girl be honored to wear the Shirt of Impending Doom? However, she can't wear shorts in December and fleece in July. I have to put my foot down somewhere. One side note: what the fuck is up with all the Hoochie Mama clothes for little girls and babies? And why is everything pink? Tickle me STINK, I say.

So, I am really going to try and lay low this week blogwise. Arun and I are leaving for Vegas this Friday anyway (X will stay behind to protect the cats and our valuables), so this week will be hectic (assuming I don't get sick and if if I DO get sick, then Hectic won't begin to describe this week). I am not sure why, but I have this compulsion about documenting my incredibly boring life for an audience (which is mostly imagined, I'm sure). Let's see if I can stay away. I would like to get a post out about The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner this week, though. I'm now reading Rules of the Wild: A Novel of Africa by Francesca Marciano which is so beautifully written, I am starting to carry it around the house with me so I can sneak pages in here and there. I've been having flashbacks to those blissful Kid Free Afternoons where I could finish a book in one sitting - something I desperately wish I could do with this particular read. Anyway.....

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yikes, I hope you avoid the creeping crud!

With the girls, I didn't buy many of their baby clothes as my MIL took that job seriously to heart and she did a fairly good job of not overloading on pink but I am having trouble with this baby because the girls want to buy all pink stuff and it is making me crazy. I have had to put my foot down several times already.

I am so jealous that you already have a name, we are still playing the name game and have yet to agree on anything and yikes, we only have 11 more weeks......

Anonymous said...

Ooh! A girl! What fun! And since you now will have one of each, you have the perfect excuse to buy all new baby clothes instead of just having the hand-me-down's from Arun.

Anjali... what a beautiful name you picked out. I'm seriously impressed how the two of you decided that so quickly. Did you agree as easily on Arun's name?

Cagey (Kelli Oliver George) said...

Flybunny,
The pink. Oh my god, the PINK. It was a little overwhelming. In the end, I picked a little outfit that was BLUE because it was the only one that stood out in that sea of pink. I am realistic in that I need to hold off on buying too much. Arun had a full wardrobe for the first several size goups (which is why my Gymboree Problem didn't manifest itself for so long). However, my grandma is a bit rabid over girls. I am frightened.

Stephanie,
Yes, we came to the conclusion with Arun's name fairly quickly, too. Our last name is a Curiously Christian one and is VERY simple, plain and boring (several US Presidents bear the same moniker). That makes the name game go quite smoothly. When I offered up the name Anjali, X immediately "yeah, that's a nice one" and there you go. The nickname will take a bit longer - we didn't have Arun's nickname until after he was born (in my family, nicknames are muy importante and Arun actually has TWO).

Anonymous said...

cagey, this is why I'm grateful to be having a second boy. No pink, no stripper clothes... (at least this is how I'm consoling myself over never getting to have a daughter....)

Christy said...

Just accept the pink. Everyone will buy your baby girl pink anyways. I love to put Porgie in red, but it is very difficult to find red baby clothes.

I decided not to follow gender stereotypes, and I bought Porgie a blue jacket for the fall. I got so sick of telling people that she was a girl, not a boy.

By the way, I can't go in Target without buying at least one outfit.

Cagey (Kelli Oliver George) said...

Marsha,
I'd be a liar if I said I will never dress my girl up in something frothy.

Christy,
For the longest time, I had folks saying "she's beautiful!" - even when Arun was wearing blue.

Diana said...

What a completely beautiful name you're giving her!!

I still buy the occasional boy department item for Sara. I can't stand most of the pink and hoochie-mama things they put out for little girls.

Sadly, she refuses barettes in her hair. I must have overdone the tomboy dressing.

Cheryl said...

I love the name! One of my daycare teachers had the same name, but it was the Southern Anglican version: Angielee.

Monkey McWearingChaps said...

Another classic-mellifluous and has a nice meaning as well. You've got great taste in names, fwiw, from a fellow ethnic. Who will be more than happy to back you up in stating that both your little A's are totally classic desi names.

Other than that...oh my word to the fever. I'm happy he's better again. Really nice post...though the circumstances that sparked it were unfortunate.

Leah said...

That is a gorgeous name. Just beautiful.

About the pink (you hit a favorite topic of mine!) OH MY GOD IT IS EVERYWHERE. Everyone who buys your baby something is going to buy her something pink. And if you stubbornly only buy red or blue or green, NOTHING will match. Not that I have had this issue.

My current work-around is that for some reason pirate skull-and-crossbones are in style right now. I got her shoes with a pink skull-and-crossbones so they match all of her damn pink clothes, but it is also obvious that she is a badass.

I have my eye on a pink skull-and-crossbones diaper cover next. It is like my inner punk has been unleashed.

Min-tea said...

I love the name Anjali. Reminds me of every single Hindi movie I"ve watched starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. :)

Anonymous said...

Love the name, very pretty and unique not oooneeeq.

FYI, you're just scratching the surface of the hoochie-mama little girl clothes. When my daughter was two, I spent a couple months trying to find a pair of relatively plain sandals without rhinestones or HEELS for her to wear to a wedding. Why would a two year old need heels on her sandals??

Anonymous said...

Love the name.
Looking forward to the post on the Weiner book. Liked a lot of those stories.

FFF said...

Anjali is a beautiful name. Ever since I read The Far Pavilions when I was 13 or 14, I think, I've known that I wanted to name my daughter Anjuli (it's spelled with U) after the heroine in the novel. Have you read the book? I call it the Indian Gone with the Wind because its a love story with big wars and political stuff going on.

Oh, and Baby 411 and Toddler 411 ROCK! That's the only book I'd get, in retrospect, too!

Chelle said...

Lord, I could have sent The Girl to college with what I spent on her woredrobe during the first year. Every outfit had a matching hat. And, socks! And, you know...they were freaking precious.

Me said...

I love the name! Anjali is beautiful, and I'm sure she'll live up to her name. Sorry for the sickness - I feel your pain, except it's the hubs and I that are ill and the little stinkers are feeling all well & energetic. Dammit.