Blueberry is 11 months (and a half!)

He is becoming more communicative by the day. He says a couple of words, a very sad ma-ma, whenever he desperately needs me to pick him up, or da-this, when he wants to walk.  But we think he understands a lot of words. The other day his dad asked him where was the lady bug in French (meaning the lady bug sticker on the wall) and he pointed to the lady bug...Then of course I went right in and asked in Armenian the same thing and he looked very confused...but whatever...He mostly knows names of instruments (accordion) and animals (canary) and commands and questions like look at me, get up, or where is  this? (both in French and Armenian). How do we know? Because he either points at them, turns his head towards them or presses the button that corresponds to nouns in his picture books.

But challenges continue on motor development side  :) He still cannot pull himself up to stand or to sitting position for that matter but he loves being up and tries to walk up. But I don't see him crawling or walking anytime soon.

He continues to love music. Now he knows how to turn the music player on and off, and how to open the CD player. I suspect the player who endured a shipment from Boston to France will not have a very long life.

chilling with mama

He is still very flirtatious, especially with blond ladies. It's very funny to see how he turns his head whenever there's a blond girl passing. At first I was offended for his preference for blonds, I mean, why not a girl like his mama (right?), but then I thought...OK, he has the right to choose whoever he likes (for as long as I approve of course ;))

His index finger is everywhere. He puts his index finger in his food, on every button he finds, in his nose and  in my nose (great!)

Attachment is full blown, he cries when I step out of the room, he needs to be close to me ALL THE TIME, boy I so want this phase to be over.

Proud grandparents!

For the first time in his life he showed signs of jealousy: I have a nephew now (yayy!) And when I held him in my arms, he started crying, wanted me to pick him up, and of course he claimed my breasts although he was not hungry (like saying you are mine, and this is my milk). I was really surprised because he doesn't do that when I hold other babies. weird!

On a totally unrelated note: I achieved the last step to become a real mother by making home-made yogurt (old-school, no electric devices). And it is delicious! If you are curious, I'll send you the recipe...

Decisions decisions...

I know it's been more than a month since I updated this blog. I have been so very busy with Happy Parents and dealing with new sicknesses and making decisions and decisions.

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Major decision number 1:
My berry has been sick yet again, this time it was rhotavirus of 10 days followed by a traveler's diarrhea.  You know the story now, 2 different hospitals, 4 different doctor visits, multiple tests, multiple new vitamins and minerals, one baby who lost weight and all his schedule (started getting up at night again, wanted to be breastfed all the time when I was weaning) and one mother who almost lost it.

Then came my decision. I'm taking him out of the daycare. I cannot do this anymore. I'm exhausted and feel like we're paying for nothing. Every month he is at the daycare maybe for 6 days...then at home sick the rest of the time..He's never been in the daycare for 3 weeks in a row since we started. But what made me more sure of my decision is that I checked his growth from his carnet de santé (health book). He was 8 kg at 6 months when he started the daycare, with his sicknesses last month, he went lower than 9 kg  and now he is 9kg4. So in 5 months, he gained only 1 kg. I know that they don't grow as much after the 6th month and 9kg is not that bad for an 11-month-old but that's why there are percentiles and grow charts. He was always in the 80th-90th percentile, after the crèche it was 50th, and now it's even lower.

My pediatrician said that it takes at least 2 winters for his immune system to build up. So I give up. I can't do this for another year.

So now, we're looking for someone who could come to our house to take care of him. I'll keep you posted on the developments.

This picture has nothing to do with decisions but I love these 2 and this picture made me laugh :)

Major decision number 2: 

With or without S was just the beginning of multiple and multiple decisions I have to make daily about Happy Parents (yes, finally, after talking to many marketing experts, it is Happy Parents with an "S")

What template should I choose for my website? What should my job title be? Psychologist, program manager, child development specialist, expert, happiness advocate, unhappy parent extraordinaire?

What animal to use on the logo?What pictures I should use on the website? Is this mom on the picture too pretty and fake and blond? What should I write on the homepage? How can I sound intimate (I'm a mother as well and boy I know it's difficult) but also professional (I kind of have a phd in parenting) How much should I charge people? will I even make any money?

Every step is challenging, every step is difficult, I'm so not in my element when consultants show me excel sheets on budget and feel so stupid that I don't really know the difference between charges and investments.

All I want is to talk to new mamas about parenting and have fun but I'm buried into numbers, figures, charts, and administrative tasks...

I am overwhelmed...

Happy Parent or Happy Parents?

The exciting news is this: I'm starting my own business. This is something that I have been thinking for a very long time. I'm excited. I'm motivated. I feel really alive for the first time in a very long time.
The details about it will follow but basically it will be a structure that offers help to first time mothers (and fathers).

I'm writing my business plan, having meetings with people, thinking of my marketing strategy...I'm so busy...so happily busy.

The name is bugging me though.
I want it to be called "happy parent". But an advertiser advised me to consider "happy parents" instead. My initial reaction was "NO", I want it to be happy parent: one parent at a time. But since then, I'm feeling more and more confused about the name.

This will probably be my first help request out of many more to come but I need your help: what do you think friends? "Happy Parent" or "Happy Parents"? Please help!!