Here are the 11 major things I wondered how I would handle and what I ended up doing after all:
0. Breast or bottle? Both. Takeo never learned how to breastfeed, so I pumped milk and fed it to him in a bottle for 10 months. I totally bought in to the whole "breast-is-best" thing. Really what did it for me was the "you-can-prevent-food-allergies-if-you-breastfeed" argument. In retrospect, that was INsanity and I can't believe I did that for as long as I did. If the next kid doesn't figure out how to latch on, we are moving straight to formula with some pumped breastmilk as it's available and calling it a day.
1. Omnivore. We are not raising Takeo vegetarian. As it turns out, he hates pretty much all meat and is raising himself vegetarian. He loves asparagus, broccoli, carrots, and peas. I have no idea how this happened.
2. Sortaganic. We don't buy Takeo all organic food. We do try to buy certain organic items for him, though: organic milk, organic applesauce and apples, and organic oatmeal. Those things constitute the bulk of his diet, so that's good enough for me.
3. No TV. We are not preventing Takeo from watching TV. Surprise! He's not even interested! He doesn't watch TV. Huh. That was too easy. Guess the whole video game thing is moot right now.
4. Rosy cheeks bad. I am a fanatic about sunburns, so... Takeo has a very cute whale sunhat and a lifetime supply of 70+ SPF baby sunblock to prevent his blonde haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned self (yup - all recessive genes here. The next kid will be the Asian one.) from burning.
5. Private, then Public. Takeo attends a great (private) pre-school in a distant town nowhere near where we live. To demonstrate how awesome I think this school is for Takeo, I happily drive about 44 miles out of my way each day to get him there and pick him up. However, when Kindergarten starts, we are planning to start him in the public school that is just around the corner from our house. This was the only tricky decision of the bunch here.
6. Suri who? We don't spend a ton of loot on Takeo's wardrobe. I love it when Takeo receives a cute outfit as a gift, but otherwise Ross and Old Navy Outlet are the order of the day. Instead, the money goes to his pre-school, board books, toys, and afterschool activities like carousel rides, red mango yogurt, and train tickets.
7. Books and more books. We read to Takeo every day. Probably 10 books a day? Definitely saw that one coming.
8. Bathtime = sometimes. We do not give Takeo a bath every day. He has eczema, and it goes berzerker when his skin gets dried out from frequent washings. So, my baby is dirtier than your baby.
9. Time out. If Takeo does something forbidden (e.g. plays in the toilet, throws food, etc), he gets a time out. We sit him in a chair facing a blank wall in his room for 1 minute. Then, he cries and cries while sitting there. We then take him back to the crime scene and explain what is not allowed/what to do. He says "I'm sorry" and we hug. So far, it seems to be working out pretty well! I should probably savor this one and only moment of parental success. It may not happen again.
10. No candy, cake, or sweets. From Mommy, that is. Daddy and our other family members give him treats, though, and because it only happens now and then, it falls into the "moderation" category. My mother-in-law owns a bakery and my sister-in-law is a prolific baker, so it would be unthinkable for Takeo not to enjoy our family's culinary heritage. :)
