Guess what? I'm the Team Captain of Team Wally and Liz in the March of Dimes' March for Babies. I will be walking on May 5, 2012.
Over the past two years I've tried to find some way to keep Wally and Liz's memory alive and do something positive as well. There are organizations that help grieving families, but that just never seemed to fit. Then I had my "duh, Kate" moment. Helping grieving families is wonderful, but I want to do something else. Something more. I want to make those organizations unnecessary. I want to help all families have healthy "take-home" babies!
Please support Team Wally and Liz and help us meet our $1,000 team fundraising goal! And look! To the left of the screen is a handy widget to link you to my fundraising page! Even if you can only spare $1, it helps. Let's work together to bring healthy babies into the world and home with their parents!
I'm walking for my angels and your angels. While the Team name is Wally and Liz, I have everyone's little angels in my heart. Please tell me about them so I can keep a list of all the angels I'm walking for with me during the walk.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Merry Christmas!
We had a lovely Christmas, and I hope you did as well. This wasn't Griffin's first Christmas, obviously, but it was the first he was awake for! He certainly is spoiled. Santa brought him an activity cube. Grandma gave him the Little People Farm and Noah's Ark. He also just about doubled his library. He had a lot of fun and tuckered himself out as any little boy on Christmas should.
That's all for now. I recently had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists, so typing is still difficult. I will update more as I am able to type longer.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May the coming year bring you only joy and happiness!
That's all for now. I recently had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists, so typing is still difficult. I will update more as I am able to type longer.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May the coming year bring you only joy and happiness!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
My Motivation
In thinking about my last post, I realized I asked for support, but provided no means of motivation other than you all typing encouragingly and/or furiously at me. Why do I want to get healthy, pay off bills and find a house to rent or buy? Because of him:
I want Griffin to have a healthy family. I want to give Griffin a family who is not living paycheck to paycheck. I want to give Griffin a family who has plenty of room to live, play and grow. And....I want to give Griffin a sibling.
I want Griffin to have a healthy family. I want to give Griffin a family who is not living paycheck to paycheck. I want to give Griffin a family who has plenty of room to live, play and grow. And....I want to give Griffin a sibling.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Things I Need To Do
I'm listing this out here in hopes that you, my bloggy friends, will hold me to it.
1. Get Healthy.
2. Pay Off Bills.
3. Find A House To Rent or Buy
Simple, right? Ok. Now let's break that down a little more.
1. Get Healthy:
1. Get Healthy.
2. Pay Off Bills.
3. Find A House To Rent or Buy
Simple, right? Ok. Now let's break that down a little more.
1. Get Healthy:
- Exercise regularly
- Stop eating junk
- Ultimately, lose 60 pounds
- Make more money
- Use more money made to pay extra on bills
- Pay off bills
- If Renting, save enough to cover 6 months of rent, daycare, and basic necessities ($21,000)
- If Buying, save at least $50,000
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Happiest of Happies!
Happy Birthday to my darling, handsome, wonderful, gorgeous-eyed, smart, snuggly, fantastic, awesome, funny, terrific, goofy baby boy!
Hard to imagine that a year ago my water broke, my placenta abrupted, my epidrual failed, anesthesia knocked me out and I woke up three hours later with the most perfect gift.
Hard to imagine that a year ago my water broke, my placenta abrupted, my epidrual failed, anesthesia knocked me out and I woke up three hours later with the most perfect gift.
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| Happy 0th Birthday to me! |
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| 4 months! |
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| 6 months! |
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| 9 months! |
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| 10 months today! |
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| This is how I roll...with a pillow. |
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| It's my birthday!!! I'm ONE today! |
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
This time last year...
...I was freaking ginormous. As I was thinking about this the other day, I realized that I never did any kind of montage of belly pics. I actually did take quite a few. As we count down the weeks and days until Griffin's 1st birthday, take a gander at my once burgeoning belly.
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| June 8th |
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| June 18th |
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| July 15th |
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| August 21 |
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| September 20th |
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| October 15th |
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| October 20th |
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| October 23rd |
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| October 25th |
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| November 9th |
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Zoo Day!
We took Griffin to the zoo earlier this month. As he normally does in new places or with new/many people, he didn't talk, cry, whine or make any facial expressions. My little man likes to stare everyone and everything down before letting his guard down. I hope this trait serves him well in the future.
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| Piggyback Ride! |
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| Looking at the lions. |
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| It rained on us, but we still watched the elephants for a bit. |
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| I liked the elephants so much, I picked one out to take home! |
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| I had fun playing with my hoodie. |
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| Goats stink. |
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| Ok, Daddy. I'm tired and ready to go home. |
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
An Entire Month!
Wow. Can't believe I haven't had time to post in just over a month have time to post tonight! So much has happened in the last month and I have so many pictures to share, but I don't want to write a book, so.....
Quick & Dirty Run Down
Quick & Dirty Run Down
- Griffin almost standing on his own without holding on. Cruising fabulously
- Words Griffin says: Dada, Mama, baba/bob (bottle), boo/boon (spoon), duck, teddy, ah-dah (all done), no. Also mimics pretty much anything you say if he feels like it.
- Awesome babysitter, Shiri, has to go back to working in a center. Griffin will join her at that center after his 1st birthday.
- Holy crap, he's going to be 1 soon.
- Some kids know what a duck says, some know a cow's words, my son answers "What does a dolphin say?" correctly. Awesome.
- A tree attacked my sister's car during Hurricane Irene. She subsequently named her car "Irene."
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| There is a 2000 VW Jetta under there. Really. |
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| I like to swim! (With Ms. Shiri and my wife, Halie) |
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| My wife is a little crazy.... |
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| But without her I'm a grump. |
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| No matter what mood though, I'm Mommy's sweet boy! |
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Movin' and Groovin'
Although Griffin has just recently learned to crawl and sit up by himself, he's quickly found that neither of those are good enough for him. He wants to walk! He has the steps down - one foot in front of the other. He has the leg strength and has had that since about 4 months old. The only thing he is lacking is the balance, which he is getting better at each and every day. Watch out world, a fully mobile Griffin will be coming to you soon!
In other Griffin news, he got to go to the pool with Ms. Shiri, Halie and Trent, and we are planning a trip to the National Zoo for September. I can't wait! I hope he enjoys it. For more news on what's going on with Griffin, check Notes From The Playpen.
As for me, I had lost weight - 12 lbs! - and then promptly gained it back. Damn cupcakes.
Bryan started his new job last week and so far likes it. Students start on Monday, so we'll see how that goes. Apparently these kids aren't near as bad as the ones he used to work with. His old school has a reputation for taking the kids that no other school will touch. Fingers crossed that he enjoys his new school and that the kids are, indeed, better!
In other Griffin news, he got to go to the pool with Ms. Shiri, Halie and Trent, and we are planning a trip to the National Zoo for September. I can't wait! I hope he enjoys it. For more news on what's going on with Griffin, check Notes From The Playpen.
As for me, I had lost weight - 12 lbs! - and then promptly gained it back. Damn cupcakes.
Bryan started his new job last week and so far likes it. Students start on Monday, so we'll see how that goes. Apparently these kids aren't near as bad as the ones he used to work with. His old school has a reputation for taking the kids that no other school will touch. Fingers crossed that he enjoys his new school and that the kids are, indeed, better!
Friday, August 5, 2011
What a Novel Idea!
Corny title, I know. But I want to put this out there and ask for your opinion.
I've often daydreamed of being a novel writer. I even have half finished stories, bits of stories, ideas for stories, characters, etc. floating through my head. My first unfinished story was written in middle school. It was called The Basketball Mystery and was about, well, a basketball. It had gone missing from the main character's locker at school. I got about 1/3 of the way through it. Then I stopped. I don't know why.
Back when Barnes & Noble had free web classes (just buy the book from them!), I took the Gotham Writer's Workshop: Writing Fiction class. I completed 3 of the 12 weeks. I don't know why.
Do you see a pattern beginning to emerge? Anyway, there's this nifty little thing called NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. It runs from November 1 through November 30. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. Quantity over quality is the key and the true goal is just to write, write, write, write, write! I'm thinking of participating.
It's free. It's a challenge. It's potentially fun. I probably won't finish it. If I do finish it, it will probably be a terrible novel bordering on unreadable. Though, if by some strange twist of fate I write something worth while, how cool would that be? And dare I dream that some loon decides to publish and market it, I would be a novelist instead of just some nutty lady who typed her heart out in the month of November to produce nothing more than a worsening case of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Thoughts?
I've often daydreamed of being a novel writer. I even have half finished stories, bits of stories, ideas for stories, characters, etc. floating through my head. My first unfinished story was written in middle school. It was called The Basketball Mystery and was about, well, a basketball. It had gone missing from the main character's locker at school. I got about 1/3 of the way through it. Then I stopped. I don't know why.
Back when Barnes & Noble had free web classes (just buy the book from them!), I took the Gotham Writer's Workshop: Writing Fiction class. I completed 3 of the 12 weeks. I don't know why.
Do you see a pattern beginning to emerge? Anyway, there's this nifty little thing called NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. It runs from November 1 through November 30. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in a month. Quantity over quality is the key and the true goal is just to write, write, write, write, write! I'm thinking of participating.
It's free. It's a challenge. It's potentially fun. I probably won't finish it. If I do finish it, it will probably be a terrible novel bordering on unreadable. Though, if by some strange twist of fate I write something worth while, how cool would that be? And dare I dream that some loon decides to publish and market it, I would be a novelist instead of just some nutty lady who typed her heart out in the month of November to produce nothing more than a worsening case of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Thoughts?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
New Feature!
Good afternoon, my friends. I have added a new page to the blog entitled "Notes From The Playpen." It's what is going on in Griffin's world, from Griffin's perspective (read: my insanity). Check it out and enjoy!
Also, check out Griff's curls!
Also, check out Griff's curls!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
We Have Forward Motion!
That's right, friends, Griffin is officially mobile! He mode of choice incorporates his superior rolling skills plus the newly learned army crawl! I'm so proud of my little man!
And now, back to baby proofing....
And now, back to baby proofing....
Friday, July 22, 2011
When Do I Get To STOP Cleaning?
I feel like I am constantly cleaning. At home, at work, at home, at home, at home, at home...you get the point. Griffin is 8 1/2 months old, barely mobile (but we had some forward motion today) and there is crap all over my house. How can my awesome little man cause so much destruction?
Anyway, I am tired of cleaning. I still have to do it, and it stresses me out. Stresses me that it needs done, stresses me when it's not done, stresses me in my sleep (probably). If you're anything like me, you just want the mess to go the F away. If only I had a magic wand to wave and *poof* it would be done. I. Want. To. Stop. Cleaning. And. Stressing. About. Cleaning. Constantly.
I doubt I'll ever get to stop cleaning, but I can stop stressing thanks to my BFF sending me a little poem that I'll share with you now.
Cleaning and scrubbing can wait 'til tomorrow,
For babies grow up we learn to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.
You're welcome.
Anyway, I am tired of cleaning. I still have to do it, and it stresses me out. Stresses me that it needs done, stresses me when it's not done, stresses me in my sleep (probably). If you're anything like me, you just want the mess to go the F away. If only I had a magic wand to wave and *poof* it would be done. I. Want. To. Stop. Cleaning. And. Stressing. About. Cleaning. Constantly.
I doubt I'll ever get to stop cleaning, but I can stop stressing thanks to my BFF sending me a little poem that I'll share with you now.
For babies grow up we learn to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs, dust go to sleep,
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.
You're welcome.
Monday, July 11, 2011
All Quiet On The Blog Front
Yeah, I'm a blog slacker. So? I'm pressed for time these days. Anyway, here's a quick rundown of the latest happenings.
Griffin
Griffin rolls all over the place and finally got up on hands and knees a few times. He is more interested in standing/walking. I wonder if he will skip the crawling stage since he gets around nicely with his superior rolling skills.
Griffin has not been sick since we pulled him from thehellhole daycare.
Griffin has curly and at times, unruly hair. He woke up this morning and the side was sticking straight out - just like his daddy's. Hilarious.
We used the Ferber Cry-It-Out method to get Griffin to sleep through the night. Dr. Ferber is a genious. If this continues, I might just be able to catch up on my sleep before 2014.
Us
We went on a mini-vacation to my MIL's house in Virginia. I got to take a side trip with Griff and visit Courtney and her girls.
Bryan is hard at work with two grad school classes and working full time. We don't get much time to spend together (meaning time that I am not staring at the back of his head while he is staring at a computer screen); however, Friday night we stayed up "late" playing Gin. Fun!
Other Stuff
My boss had laser back surgery. All I could picture was him being stabbed in the back with a light saber.
Our daycare situation is fabulous. Thehellhole daycare's enrollment dropped from 87 to approximately 25 in two months. For the summer camp field trips the owners packed 20-30 kids into two vans, making some children sit on the floor of the van. When one child spoke up and said that she needed a seat and asked where her seat was, she was told to "sit down and shut up." I'm contemplating calling Child Protective Services to see if they can help get these people shut down and those kids out of harm's way. Any ideas you have are much appreciated. Send them on over.
Lastly, I still haven't had time to review all of the responses from my questionnaire, but I promise I will. Soon. The house needs a good scrubbing though, so that and the family come first. Now that we're all sleeping through the night though, chances are I will have the brain power to do it.
PS - Once I get the pictures uploaded from our vacation, I'll post some here. Hope everyone is enjoying summer!
Griffin
Griffin rolls all over the place and finally got up on hands and knees a few times. He is more interested in standing/walking. I wonder if he will skip the crawling stage since he gets around nicely with his superior rolling skills.
Griffin has not been sick since we pulled him from the
Griffin has curly and at times, unruly hair. He woke up this morning and the side was sticking straight out - just like his daddy's. Hilarious.
We used the Ferber Cry-It-Out method to get Griffin to sleep through the night. Dr. Ferber is a genious. If this continues, I might just be able to catch up on my sleep before 2014.
Us
We went on a mini-vacation to my MIL's house in Virginia. I got to take a side trip with Griff and visit Courtney and her girls.
Bryan is hard at work with two grad school classes and working full time. We don't get much time to spend together (meaning time that I am not staring at the back of his head while he is staring at a computer screen); however, Friday night we stayed up "late" playing Gin. Fun!
Other Stuff
My boss had laser back surgery. All I could picture was him being stabbed in the back with a light saber.
Our daycare situation is fabulous. The
Lastly, I still haven't had time to review all of the responses from my questionnaire, but I promise I will. Soon. The house needs a good scrubbing though, so that and the family come first. Now that we're all sleeping through the night though, chances are I will have the brain power to do it.
PS - Once I get the pictures uploaded from our vacation, I'll post some here. Hope everyone is enjoying summer!
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Who Am I?
Many apologies for the delay in my response. The Wee Man and I have once again caught colds, which set off his asthma and my sinuses. Ugh. Anyway....
early 30s
2. When were diagnosed?
2007 by me, 2008 officially by the doctor
3. What is your official diagnosis?
PCOS
4. What treatments have you tried?
3 cycles of Metformin, Clomid & Estradiol
2 cycles of Metformin & Clomid
2 cycles of Metformin and Gonal-f
1 cycle of Metformin and Femara
5. What are you future plans for family (treatment, adoption, foster, child-free living, family now complete)?
We would like to try again when G is about 2 years old. We have to wait that long thanks to my stupid super stretchy incompetent cervix, but man am I itching to be pregnant again already!
6. What do you like least about infertility (besides all of it!)?
The cost. During treatment it felt like I was just trying to buy myself a kid.
7. What is the best advice you've gotten regarding infertility?
"You WILL be a mother." If you are willing to pursue all options, you will end up a mother whether biologically, via donor sperm/egg/embryo, fostering or adoption. Child-free living was not an option for us.
8. What advice would you give a newly diagnosed person/couple?
Read everything you can get your hands on about your diagnosis, but take the non-official stuff with a grain of salt. If you find an article about a sucessful study, show it to your doctor and get their opinion. If the doctor doesn't care to look at what you've found, find a new doctor. If your doctor doesn't respect your opinion, thoughts, feelings, etc, find a new doctor.
9. Anything else you'd like to share about your journey?
It's rough, but it's even rougher without support. Find at least one person with whom you can share everything about this journey, in addition to your partner. Better yet, find a group to share with. You'll become fast friends, trust me!
1. How many children do you have?
1 with me, 2 above.
2. If you did fertility treatment, what was your diagnosis and what treatment worked for each child?
PCOS. For the twins, our second round of Metformin with Gonal-f worked. For Griffin, Metformin and Femara.
3. If you adopted or are in the process of adopting your child(ren), was it a private adoption or a foster/adopt situation?
N/A
3. Are you planning/wanting more children, or is your family complete?
We'd like another so Griffin has a sibling.
4. What do you love about motherhood?
Griffin's excitement when he sees me. The snuggles. The "I can't go to sleep unless I see Mommy" nights (even when I'm exhausted).
5. What about motherhood could you do without?
Whining. And it's not just Griff whining at our house!
6. What is the best advice regarding motherhood you have received?
It's actually on deciding to be a working mother, and it was from my working-mother OB. She told me that going back to work can be hard, but it's so worth it to feel productive and to see how excited the kids are when you pick them up/get home. She knows. She has four.
7. Any "ass-vice?"
"[My son] ate fruit at 2 days old. The doctor told us to give it to him!" while I debated when to start cereal with Griffin.
8. What advice would you give an expectant mother?
Relax. You're not going to screw up your kid if you don't have the top of the line, newest, flashiest thing. You're not going to screw up your kid if breastfeeding doesn't work out. You're not going to screw up your kid if you breastfeed until he/she is two. Seriously. Is your child fed, clothed, loved, happy? Yes? Then whatever you're doing, you're doing it right.
9. Anything else you would like to share?
I'm still in awe that this little guy loves me so much. I also still wonder how the hell they let me out of the hospital responsible for a child!
Two
2. What are their names and angel-ages?
Wallace Stuart (Wally) and Elizabeth Louetta (Liz), 2 angel-years old.
3. How do you keep them close to you?
I talk to them every day - usually during bedtime prayers, but other times as well. My BFF gave me a pink and a blue baby snoopy when I got pregnant with Griffin. They were supposed to be for him, but I've kept them in my room so far. They remind me of my Wally and Liz. I think it's time to give them to Griffin. I also have a bracelet that was made for me with crystals on them symbolizing our family at the time (Me, Bry, Wally & Liz), and I have a charm bracelet with all of my children on it.
4. What gives you comfort in your grief?
Faith. My family. My friends - especially those who cried right along with me and remember them daily like I do.
5. Do you want to add more children to your family?
Sure do!
6. What was the best advice or nicest comment you received?
Really it was just my BFF sitting next to me on the couch and crying with me. No words needed. Just being able to be free to feel what I felt and express it in the presence of a friend.
7. What was the worst?
Someone offered to sell me her two kids because they were "monsters." Said in jest, but totally inappropriate.
8. What would you say, or what advice would you give to a new angel parent?
Read about the stages of grief. It gave me strength to know I wasn't going batshit crazy. Know that thoughts and emotions will come - acknowledge them, and then let them go.
9. Anything else you would like to say about your angel(s)?
I am....Fertility Challenged
1. What is your age, or if you'd rather, your age range (early 20s, late 20s, early 30s, etc.)?early 30s
2. When were diagnosed?
2007 by me, 2008 officially by the doctor
3. What is your official diagnosis?
PCOS
4. What treatments have you tried?
3 cycles of Metformin, Clomid & Estradiol
2 cycles of Metformin & Clomid
2 cycles of Metformin and Gonal-f
1 cycle of Metformin and Femara
5. What are you future plans for family (treatment, adoption, foster, child-free living, family now complete)?
We would like to try again when G is about 2 years old. We have to wait that long thanks to my stupid super stretchy incompetent cervix, but man am I itching to be pregnant again already!
6. What do you like least about infertility (besides all of it!)?
The cost. During treatment it felt like I was just trying to buy myself a kid.
7. What is the best advice you've gotten regarding infertility?
"You WILL be a mother." If you are willing to pursue all options, you will end up a mother whether biologically, via donor sperm/egg/embryo, fostering or adoption. Child-free living was not an option for us.
8. What advice would you give a newly diagnosed person/couple?
Read everything you can get your hands on about your diagnosis, but take the non-official stuff with a grain of salt. If you find an article about a sucessful study, show it to your doctor and get their opinion. If the doctor doesn't care to look at what you've found, find a new doctor. If your doctor doesn't respect your opinion, thoughts, feelings, etc, find a new doctor.
9. Anything else you'd like to share about your journey?
It's rough, but it's even rougher without support. Find at least one person with whom you can share everything about this journey, in addition to your partner. Better yet, find a group to share with. You'll become fast friends, trust me!
I am....Mommy
1. How many children do you have?
1 with me, 2 above.
2. If you did fertility treatment, what was your diagnosis and what treatment worked for each child?
PCOS. For the twins, our second round of Metformin with Gonal-f worked. For Griffin, Metformin and Femara.
3. If you adopted or are in the process of adopting your child(ren), was it a private adoption or a foster/adopt situation?
N/A
3. Are you planning/wanting more children, or is your family complete?
We'd like another so Griffin has a sibling.
4. What do you love about motherhood?
Griffin's excitement when he sees me. The snuggles. The "I can't go to sleep unless I see Mommy" nights (even when I'm exhausted).
5. What about motherhood could you do without?
Whining. And it's not just Griff whining at our house!
6. What is the best advice regarding motherhood you have received?
It's actually on deciding to be a working mother, and it was from my working-mother OB. She told me that going back to work can be hard, but it's so worth it to feel productive and to see how excited the kids are when you pick them up/get home. She knows. She has four.
7. Any "ass-vice?"
"[My son] ate fruit at 2 days old. The doctor told us to give it to him!" while I debated when to start cereal with Griffin.
8. What advice would you give an expectant mother?
Relax. You're not going to screw up your kid if you don't have the top of the line, newest, flashiest thing. You're not going to screw up your kid if breastfeeding doesn't work out. You're not going to screw up your kid if you breastfeed until he/she is two. Seriously. Is your child fed, clothed, loved, happy? Yes? Then whatever you're doing, you're doing it right.
9. Anything else you would like to share?
I'm still in awe that this little guy loves me so much. I also still wonder how the hell they let me out of the hospital responsible for a child!
I am....an Angel Mommy
1. How many angels do you have waiting for you? Two
2. What are their names and angel-ages?
Wallace Stuart (Wally) and Elizabeth Louetta (Liz), 2 angel-years old.
3. How do you keep them close to you?
I talk to them every day - usually during bedtime prayers, but other times as well. My BFF gave me a pink and a blue baby snoopy when I got pregnant with Griffin. They were supposed to be for him, but I've kept them in my room so far. They remind me of my Wally and Liz. I think it's time to give them to Griffin. I also have a bracelet that was made for me with crystals on them symbolizing our family at the time (Me, Bry, Wally & Liz), and I have a charm bracelet with all of my children on it.
4. What gives you comfort in your grief?
Faith. My family. My friends - especially those who cried right along with me and remember them daily like I do.
5. Do you want to add more children to your family?
Sure do!
6. What was the best advice or nicest comment you received?
Really it was just my BFF sitting next to me on the couch and crying with me. No words needed. Just being able to be free to feel what I felt and express it in the presence of a friend.
7. What was the worst?
Someone offered to sell me her two kids because they were "monsters." Said in jest, but totally inappropriate.
8. What would you say, or what advice would you give to a new angel parent?
Read about the stages of grief. It gave me strength to know I wasn't going batshit crazy. Know that thoughts and emotions will come - acknowledge them, and then let them go.
9. Anything else you would like to say about your angel(s)?
I love them every bit as much as I love their baby brother. Also, I wish that more people talked about their angels openly. Our children aren't "taboo." We talk about grandparents that have passed, what's so different about our kids?
Thanks for participating! I'm reading over the responses and I'll post about that soon - hopefully later this week.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Who Are You? Part Three
Take a look back at Wednesday's post and yesterday's post. If they apply to you, by all means answer! Thank you for following this far. Today's "category" is important to me for more than the obvious reason that I'm an Angel Mommy.
Today is a very special day. Today is Wally and Liz's 2nd birthday. Mommy, Daddy and Griffin love you both so very much. Mommy and Griffin say our prayers every night and are always praying that you are happy and that you know how much you are loved. So, Happy Birthday my sweet angels! Keep having fun up in Heaven and looking down on us. We'll keep having fun down here and look forward to seeing you again.
But now, I want to know about your angel(s). While I celebrate the brief lives my angels had, I want to remember all of our children and would love it if you would share them with me - but only if you are comfortable with it. Rest assured, I won't be sharing your information with anyone....except maybe my Wally and Liz.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Angel Mommies
1. How many angels do you have waiting for you?
2. What are their names and angel-ages?
3. How do you keep them close to you?
4. What gives you comfort in your grief?
5. Do you want to add more children to your family?
6. What was the best advice or nicest comment you received?
7. What was the worst?
8. What would you say, or what advice would you give to a new angel parent?
9. Anything else you would like to say about your angel(s)?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thank you for sharing with me. Stay tuned for my answers to each of the surveys next week!
Once again, Happy Birthday Wally and Liz! Know that every kiss I give your baby brother is steeped in love for you as well.
Today is a very special day. Today is Wally and Liz's 2nd birthday. Mommy, Daddy and Griffin love you both so very much. Mommy and Griffin say our prayers every night and are always praying that you are happy and that you know how much you are loved. So, Happy Birthday my sweet angels! Keep having fun up in Heaven and looking down on us. We'll keep having fun down here and look forward to seeing you again.
But now, I want to know about your angel(s). While I celebrate the brief lives my angels had, I want to remember all of our children and would love it if you would share them with me - but only if you are comfortable with it. Rest assured, I won't be sharing your information with anyone....except maybe my Wally and Liz.
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Angel Mommies
1. How many angels do you have waiting for you?
2. What are their names and angel-ages?
3. How do you keep them close to you?
4. What gives you comfort in your grief?
5. Do you want to add more children to your family?
6. What was the best advice or nicest comment you received?
7. What was the worst?
8. What would you say, or what advice would you give to a new angel parent?
9. Anything else you would like to say about your angel(s)?
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Thank you for sharing with me. Stay tuned for my answers to each of the surveys next week!
Once again, Happy Birthday Wally and Liz! Know that every kiss I give your baby brother is steeped in love for you as well.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Who Are You? Part Two
If you missed yesterday's post, please go back and read it! Again, you may leave a comment with your answers or email me at steadyasitcomesblog [at] gmail [dot] com. Now, on to today's questions!
1. How many children do you have?
2. If you did fertility treatment, what was your diagnosis and what treatment worked for each child?
3. If you adopted or are in the process of adopting your child(ren), was it a private adoption or a foster/adopt situation?
3. Are you planning/wanting more children, or is your family complete?
4. What do you love about motherhood?
5. What about motherhood could you do without?
6. What is the best advice regarding motherhood you have received?
7. Any "ass-vice?"
8. What advice would you give an expectant mother?
9. Anything else you would like to share?
Until tomorrow....
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Mommies1. How many children do you have?
2. If you did fertility treatment, what was your diagnosis and what treatment worked for each child?
3. If you adopted or are in the process of adopting your child(ren), was it a private adoption or a foster/adopt situation?
3. Are you planning/wanting more children, or is your family complete?
4. What do you love about motherhood?
5. What about motherhood could you do without?
6. What is the best advice regarding motherhood you have received?
7. Any "ass-vice?"
8. What advice would you give an expectant mother?
9. Anything else you would like to share?
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Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Who Are You?
I noticed recently a couple years ago that I have quite a few followers. Sadly, about half of you lovely folks I know practically nothing about. So, in an effort to get to know my readers (bear with me here - I'm hoping for some good stuff to come from this) I ask you to fill out a little "Getting to Know You" meme.
Actually, there will be three: one today, one tomorrow and one on Friday. Each day is for a different (for lack of a better term) category. Today is for the fertility-challenged; tomorrow, the mommies; Friday, the angel mommies. If you fit into more than one category, please do each day that applies to you. You can leave your answers in a comment, or you can email them to steadyasitcomesblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
Ready? Set? Go!
1. What is your age, or if you'd rather, your age range (early 20s, late 20s, early 30s, etc.)?
2. When were diagnosed?
3. What is your official diagnosis?
4. What treatments have you tried?
5. What are you future plans for family (treatment, adoption, foster, child-free living, family now complete)?
6. What do you like least about infertility (besides all of it!)?
7. What is the best advice you've gotten regarding infertility?
8. What advice would you give a newly diagnosed person/couple?
9. Anything else you'd like to share about your journey?
Stay tuned for tomorrow's questions!
Actually, there will be three: one today, one tomorrow and one on Friday. Each day is for a different (for lack of a better term) category. Today is for the fertility-challenged; tomorrow, the mommies; Friday, the angel mommies. If you fit into more than one category, please do each day that applies to you. You can leave your answers in a comment, or you can email them to steadyasitcomesblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
Ready? Set? Go!
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Fertility-challenged Friends1. What is your age, or if you'd rather, your age range (early 20s, late 20s, early 30s, etc.)?
2. When were diagnosed?
3. What is your official diagnosis?
4. What treatments have you tried?
5. What are you future plans for family (treatment, adoption, foster, child-free living, family now complete)?
6. What do you like least about infertility (besides all of it!)?
7. What is the best advice you've gotten regarding infertility?
8. What advice would you give a newly diagnosed person/couple?
9. Anything else you'd like to share about your journey?
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Stay tuned for tomorrow's questions!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Who Would Have Guessed...
...that Griffin would be allergic to carrots? Last post he thought they were "meh," but then he loved them. And then he got a rash all over his back. And then when they exited the building, he got a little rash around said exit. Poor Wee Man!
The rash cleared up in time for his 7 month birthday! In honor of his birthday (ok, the day before, but whatever) we tried bananas. He loves them! So far, no rash. I'm hoping the allergy is confined to carrots. I also hope he outgrows it because seriously? So much food has carrots in it! I guess if we have to cut them out forever it might make me cook more at home...and cook healthier as well.
Daycare Update! Griffin has not been at the center for a good month now. His last day was the Friday before our hospital visit. He now goes to his teacher's house (she quit), and he is loving every second he is there! He has always been a very happy baby, but wow! he's even more happy now. He's sitting up for long periods of time now. And I swear he is going to crawl any day now! For the time being, he just rolls to whatever he wants. I doubt he would have advanced this much in just one month if he was still at the center, which by the way hired a new infant teacher who left a child on the changing table and was on the other side of the room!
We still only have a total of two teeth, but I'm sure there are more working their way out. Griff chews on everything he can get his adorable little hands on. We had a minor breakthrough over the past two days though - I was able to read him an entire board book before he started eating it. This is a big step, my friends!
Sorry no pictures today. I'm at work and just don't have time today to go through uploading. Next time, perhaps. Hope everyone enjoys the weekend! It's going to be a hot one here, though cooler than the past couple days. We may try going to the pool! If we do, you bet your butt there will be pics coming!
The rash cleared up in time for his 7 month birthday! In honor of his birthday (ok, the day before, but whatever) we tried bananas. He loves them! So far, no rash. I'm hoping the allergy is confined to carrots. I also hope he outgrows it because seriously? So much food has carrots in it! I guess if we have to cut them out forever it might make me cook more at home...and cook healthier as well.
Daycare Update! Griffin has not been at the center for a good month now. His last day was the Friday before our hospital visit. He now goes to his teacher's house (she quit), and he is loving every second he is there! He has always been a very happy baby, but wow! he's even more happy now. He's sitting up for long periods of time now. And I swear he is going to crawl any day now! For the time being, he just rolls to whatever he wants. I doubt he would have advanced this much in just one month if he was still at the center, which by the way hired a new infant teacher who left a child on the changing table and was on the other side of the room!
We still only have a total of two teeth, but I'm sure there are more working their way out. Griff chews on everything he can get his adorable little hands on. We had a minor breakthrough over the past two days though - I was able to read him an entire board book before he started eating it. This is a big step, my friends!
Sorry no pictures today. I'm at work and just don't have time today to go through uploading. Next time, perhaps. Hope everyone enjoys the weekend! It's going to be a hot one here, though cooler than the past couple days. We may try going to the pool! If we do, you bet your butt there will be pics coming!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
No News is Good News, Right?
Yes, that is my excuse for not blogging in over a week. Nothing major going on, but honestly it's been a lack of consistent sleep and instead passing out basically as soon as Griff is in bed that has kept me from it. Oh, and it's been busy as heck at work.
We have had a few fun things going on, but first a health update - Griffin is MUCH better, Bryan and I are as well, though I feel like I've cracked/bruised a rib or have a hiatal hernia or something. I don't know, but it hurts. Better with advil and a couple hits of albuterol. Perhaps that quack doctor at the urgent care place was right and I *do* have mild underlying asthma. Meh. We'll see. Physical scheduled for the 23rd.
So, Griffin. He got his first tooth! And then tooth #2! I'm still trying to get a picture of them, but he constantly wants to chew on something or suck his fingers/thumb, so that is proving a bit difficult. Some other firsts though:
Peas - Yum!
Carrots - Meh. They are ok.
Pears - "Lady, you best get that crap away from me. I will now refuse to eat even my favorite food for the next week. Take that."
Speaking of food, we went out to dinner last night and he sat in a high chair at a restaurant for the first time! He did great and loved looking around at everything going on - especially looking up at the fans. He didn't have anything to eat or drink (he ate before we went), but he had a good time playing with the toys we brought, which in the picture are tucked into the seat with him.
He's learned to stand without Mommy holding on, so long as there is something to lean on. Also, he's learned to turn, lose his balance and fall, as evidenced in the picture below.
Other news? Well, my transmission died ($$$), Bryan's tuition was due ($$), he needs a book for class ($) and we met our deductible for the year with Griff's hospital stay ($$). Oh, and both of our car registrations need renewed ($,$). So we're flat broke at this point, but we got good news from my OB. I went for my annual the day we ended up taking Griffin to the hospital. If there is another munchkin in our future, I'm cleared to try for a VBAC! Very happy about that, though judging by the latest expenses we'll never be able to afford another.
Now, I'm off to go get ready for tomorrow and my baby sister's high school graduation. I feel old....I'll feel older when she goes to college in the fall. The same college I went to. Seriously, how did she grow up so fast???
We have had a few fun things going on, but first a health update - Griffin is MUCH better, Bryan and I are as well, though I feel like I've cracked/bruised a rib or have a hiatal hernia or something. I don't know, but it hurts. Better with advil and a couple hits of albuterol. Perhaps that quack doctor at the urgent care place was right and I *do* have mild underlying asthma. Meh. We'll see. Physical scheduled for the 23rd.
So, Griffin. He got his first tooth! And then tooth #2! I'm still trying to get a picture of them, but he constantly wants to chew on something or suck his fingers/thumb, so that is proving a bit difficult. Some other firsts though:
Peas - Yum!
Carrots - Meh. They are ok.
Pears - "Lady, you best get that crap away from me. I will now refuse to eat even my favorite food for the next week. Take that."
Speaking of food, we went out to dinner last night and he sat in a high chair at a restaurant for the first time! He did great and loved looking around at everything going on - especially looking up at the fans. He didn't have anything to eat or drink (he ate before we went), but he had a good time playing with the toys we brought, which in the picture are tucked into the seat with him.
He's learned to stand without Mommy holding on, so long as there is something to lean on. Also, he's learned to turn, lose his balance and fall, as evidenced in the picture below.
Other news? Well, my transmission died ($$$), Bryan's tuition was due ($$), he needs a book for class ($) and we met our deductible for the year with Griff's hospital stay ($$). Oh, and both of our car registrations need renewed ($,$). So we're flat broke at this point, but we got good news from my OB. I went for my annual the day we ended up taking Griffin to the hospital. If there is another munchkin in our future, I'm cleared to try for a VBAC! Very happy about that, though judging by the latest expenses we'll never be able to afford another.
Now, I'm off to go get ready for tomorrow and my baby sister's high school graduation. I feel old....I'll feel older when she goes to college in the fall. The same college I went to. Seriously, how did she grow up so fast???
Sunday, May 22, 2011
So. Very. Thankful.
After three nights in the hospital, Griffin is home safe and sound, and is improving by the hour it seems.
Last Tuesday, I got a call from DH saying to get home ASAP because Griffin, who had been sick over the weekend, but getting better, was running a 103.4 temp (temp that morning was 98.6, then went up to 100.2 at the babysitter's). He had called the doctor's office and was waiting on a call back since it was after hours for phone calls. Griffin had been to the doctor on Saturday after running a 102 fever all night. The doctor checked him over and felt it was another cold, but being complicated by "Restrictive Airway Disease" AKA asthma. His fever had broken and he seemed to feel a lot better. He had also been eating better the day before.
I was luckily only minutes from home at that point. I walked in and saw Griffin just hanging on Bry's shoulder. It was obvious that he was feeling awful. We decided if we didn't hear back from the doctor in the next 15 mins, we would take him to the ER. Within 10 minutes, she called and told us that since he seemed to be getting worse even with treatment from the past weekend, we should go to the ER so he could get labs and a chest xray done if need be.
So off we flew with me driving and Bryan in the backseat sponging Griffin off. To make a long evening short, the ER doc diagnosed Griffin with a double ear infection, but didn't like the way he sounded so ordered a breathing treatment. This particular nebulizer treatment was a "triple" something-or-other. It had albuterol and something else in it and was triple the strength. They wanted to clear up his breathing before sending us home. Well, that didn't quite go as planned. Instead, he was taken for a chest x-ray. Diagnosis: pneumonia.
Bryan and I were both terrified. See, it was 1 month until Wally and Liz's second birthday. That day was eerily similar to the days leading up to their birth - weather was the same, and on the way to work, I saw falcons just hovering over the highway on the lampposts with their wings spread wide, looking like a bad omen. That was also eerily similar to the days leading up to Wally and Liz's birth. Then, add in the fact that Bryan almost died from pneumonia when he was 7 years old, and you had two parents fervently praying to God to please, please, please let us keep our baby boy. There were moments we were certain that we wouldn't. It's hard not to think that way given our history...and oxygen saturation levels dipping to 83.
In hindsight, Griffin wasn't *that* bad off. We actually caught the pneumonia very early. So for the next 3 nights we took turns trying to sleep in the ever-so-(not)-comfy hospital recliner chair while the other walked/bounced/fed Griffin. Every time he fell asleep, within a half an hour, someone was in there messing with him. Poor baby is so exhausted. He has slept most of the time we've been home, but he's getting back to normal and his breathing is already better.
We are both sick as well with whatever bug gave Griff his pneumonia, but we're on antibiotics. We're both exhuasted. But most of all, we're just so very, very thankful that we brought our baby home again. Best. Anniversary Present. Ever.
Last Tuesday, I got a call from DH saying to get home ASAP because Griffin, who had been sick over the weekend, but getting better, was running a 103.4 temp (temp that morning was 98.6, then went up to 100.2 at the babysitter's). He had called the doctor's office and was waiting on a call back since it was after hours for phone calls. Griffin had been to the doctor on Saturday after running a 102 fever all night. The doctor checked him over and felt it was another cold, but being complicated by "Restrictive Airway Disease" AKA asthma. His fever had broken and he seemed to feel a lot better. He had also been eating better the day before.
I was luckily only minutes from home at that point. I walked in and saw Griffin just hanging on Bry's shoulder. It was obvious that he was feeling awful. We decided if we didn't hear back from the doctor in the next 15 mins, we would take him to the ER. Within 10 minutes, she called and told us that since he seemed to be getting worse even with treatment from the past weekend, we should go to the ER so he could get labs and a chest xray done if need be.
So off we flew with me driving and Bryan in the backseat sponging Griffin off. To make a long evening short, the ER doc diagnosed Griffin with a double ear infection, but didn't like the way he sounded so ordered a breathing treatment. This particular nebulizer treatment was a "triple" something-or-other. It had albuterol and something else in it and was triple the strength. They wanted to clear up his breathing before sending us home. Well, that didn't quite go as planned. Instead, he was taken for a chest x-ray. Diagnosis: pneumonia.
Bryan and I were both terrified. See, it was 1 month until Wally and Liz's second birthday. That day was eerily similar to the days leading up to their birth - weather was the same, and on the way to work, I saw falcons just hovering over the highway on the lampposts with their wings spread wide, looking like a bad omen. That was also eerily similar to the days leading up to Wally and Liz's birth. Then, add in the fact that Bryan almost died from pneumonia when he was 7 years old, and you had two parents fervently praying to God to please, please, please let us keep our baby boy. There were moments we were certain that we wouldn't. It's hard not to think that way given our history...and oxygen saturation levels dipping to 83.
In hindsight, Griffin wasn't *that* bad off. We actually caught the pneumonia very early. So for the next 3 nights we took turns trying to sleep in the ever-so-(not)-comfy hospital recliner chair while the other walked/bounced/fed Griffin. Every time he fell asleep, within a half an hour, someone was in there messing with him. Poor baby is so exhausted. He has slept most of the time we've been home, but he's getting back to normal and his breathing is already better.
We are both sick as well with whatever bug gave Griff his pneumonia, but we're on antibiotics. We're both exhuasted. But most of all, we're just so very, very thankful that we brought our baby home again. Best. Anniversary Present. Ever.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Car Karma's a Bitch
I assume that Car Karma exists. No...I know it does. Why, you might ask? Remember my post from last week? Read on....
It was a lovely morning - cool, sunny, blue skies with perfect puffy little clouds. G decided to get up three times Sunday night and then nap for two hours making us later than normal, but I welcomed the long nap. I took a little one myself. We left for "school," and having forgotten my breakfast at home, drove through McD's. A few bucks and another layer of cholesterol stuck to my arteries later, we were on our way. Then, it began...
The car sounded funny. It was revving too high. We stopped at a redlight.
The light turned green, I stepped on the gas. It was slow to speed up. It sounded funnier. It didn't seem to want to shift. Another redlight.
Green. Turned left. One mile or so until we get to school. Griffin was getting hungry. The car wouldn't shift out of first gear. Cue the hazard lights.
Got into the right lane, car having trouble speeding up in first gear, decided to get into a parking lot as quickly as possible. There was one coming up on the right - the doctor's office lot. Hazards off, turn signal on, turned right in to the driveway. Crap. I forgot. It's a hill....
Stepped on the gas....drifted backwards. Hit the brakes. We were stuck.
It sucks to be stuck in the uphill driveway to the doctor's office. Not because you are completely blocking patients from getting to the lot (there is a second entrance on the other side). Not because the other are going in the out lane and causing my heart to skip a beat for fear they will crash head-on and somehow flip their car onto mine where I'm now feeding G a bottle so he doesn't flip the f out from hunger. Not because of the $3,500 repair bill to replace my transmission (though that's a very close second). Why, then does it suck so much?
Because numerous people asked me if I could please move my car to a parking spot. Seriously? You think I want to be stuck on a hill with a transmission so dead it won't even reverse while having to feed my 6 month old and fearing imminent car-flippage-death? Or do you think I'm just *that* stupid and decided that since G was hungry at that particular moment when we almost crested the hill, that I stopped the car right there to feed him? Right.
Thanks Car Karma. You are a filthy, rotten bitch.
It was a lovely morning - cool, sunny, blue skies with perfect puffy little clouds. G decided to get up three times Sunday night and then nap for two hours making us later than normal, but I welcomed the long nap. I took a little one myself. We left for "school," and having forgotten my breakfast at home, drove through McD's. A few bucks and another layer of cholesterol stuck to my arteries later, we were on our way. Then, it began...
The car sounded funny. It was revving too high. We stopped at a redlight.
The light turned green, I stepped on the gas. It was slow to speed up. It sounded funnier. It didn't seem to want to shift. Another redlight.
Green. Turned left. One mile or so until we get to school. Griffin was getting hungry. The car wouldn't shift out of first gear. Cue the hazard lights.
Got into the right lane, car having trouble speeding up in first gear, decided to get into a parking lot as quickly as possible. There was one coming up on the right - the doctor's office lot. Hazards off, turn signal on, turned right in to the driveway. Crap. I forgot. It's a hill....
Stepped on the gas....drifted backwards. Hit the brakes. We were stuck.
It sucks to be stuck in the uphill driveway to the doctor's office. Not because you are completely blocking patients from getting to the lot (there is a second entrance on the other side). Not because the other are going in the out lane and causing my heart to skip a beat for fear they will crash head-on and somehow flip their car onto mine where I'm now feeding G a bottle so he doesn't flip the f out from hunger. Not because of the $3,500 repair bill to replace my transmission (though that's a very close second). Why, then does it suck so much?
Because numerous people asked me if I could please move my car to a parking spot. Seriously? You think I want to be stuck on a hill with a transmission so dead it won't even reverse while having to feed my 6 month old and fearing imminent car-flippage-death? Or do you think I'm just *that* stupid and decided that since G was hungry at that particular moment when we almost crested the hill, that I stopped the car right there to feed him? Right.
Thanks Car Karma. You are a filthy, rotten bitch.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
And Now, For Your Regularly Scheduled Bitch-Fest
Ahem....
Dear Extreme Couponers,
I understand the desire to save money. I understand the "thrill of the hunt." I understand that you have painstakingly planned an entire day around your coupons and various store sales. What I don't understand is why you have to dig through your huge stack of coupons to find the ones you need while you are at the register. With all of your planning, don't you think you could figure out what coupons you need before the annoyed teenager at the drug store rings up your five boxes of hair dye for a grand post-coupon total of $2.78?
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Dear Fellow Drivers,
If you signal that you are turning or merging left and then do the opposite...
If you ride my ass when I'm already speeding and throw your hands up in the air like I'm snail on a tortoise's back....
If you speed up as I'm trying to merge into traffic where there is an enormous opening between you and where I will soon be, then honk your horn and yell at me while continuing to speed up so that I can't get in....
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Dear Daycare Owners,
Don't think I didn't realize that you lied right to my face for two hours straight during our meeting on Tuesday evening. "We don't have audio monitors." Really? That's why not only have you repeated things I have said back to me verbatim, but have you never noticed the sign on your front door that says "Audio Monitoring on Premises?"
Also, The two things on the ceiling close to each other that look like smoke detectors? One is a smoke detector, the other is most certainly not a manual smoke detector. Seriously, what is a manual smoke detector anyway?
Oh, and I'm pretty sure you weren't "so happy" that I brought the grammatical and editing errors on your printed materials and in your company name to your attention. Since you are so into training, and own a training company as well, maybe you could find a training class on how to believably lie. You know, kinda like I did when I said I was giving you a second chance. Just sayin'....
Dear Extreme Couponers,
I understand the desire to save money. I understand the "thrill of the hunt." I understand that you have painstakingly planned an entire day around your coupons and various store sales. What I don't understand is why you have to dig through your huge stack of coupons to find the ones you need while you are at the register. With all of your planning, don't you think you could figure out what coupons you need before the annoyed teenager at the drug store rings up your five boxes of hair dye for a grand post-coupon total of $2.78?
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Dear Fellow Drivers,
If you signal that you are turning or merging left and then do the opposite...
If you ride my ass when I'm already speeding and throw your hands up in the air like I'm snail on a tortoise's back....
If you speed up as I'm trying to merge into traffic where there is an enormous opening between you and where I will soon be, then honk your horn and yell at me while continuing to speed up so that I can't get in....
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Dear Daycare Owners,
Don't think I didn't realize that you lied right to my face for two hours straight during our meeting on Tuesday evening. "We don't have audio monitors." Really? That's why not only have you repeated things I have said back to me verbatim, but have you never noticed the sign on your front door that says "Audio Monitoring on Premises?"
Also, The two things on the ceiling close to each other that look like smoke detectors? One is a smoke detector, the other is most certainly not a manual smoke detector. Seriously, what is a manual smoke detector anyway?
Oh, and I'm pretty sure you weren't "so happy" that I brought the grammatical and editing errors on your printed materials and in your company name to your attention. Since you are so into training, and own a training company as well, maybe you could find a training class on how to believably lie. You know, kinda like I did when I said I was giving you a second chance. Just sayin'....
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Choices
With all of the daycare crap that has been going on along with trying failing to adequately balance home/work life, I started sinking into depression and self-pity. It got so bad that I drove home in tears last night. No real reason why - I just needed to cry. I know I can't control everything, and I try not to, even though it is an inherited trait. The lack of control over the daycare situation was really getting to me. At the moment, things are in limbo and I don't want to make any rash decisions. So instead I thought about it for a while during my nightly rock-G-to-sleep routine and I made a non-rash decision. I decided to choose better. Better what? Better everything.
In addition to the stuff going on in my own world, I am also inspired by The CHASE Project. Chase is a friend of a friend (we've not actually met). She spent the past year making positive changes to her life and reflecting on them via her blog. You should check it out if you need some inspiration to bring some true positivity back! Be sure to check out just what the CHASE Project is.
My first choice this morning was breakfast. It was a 50/50 success. I still drove through McD's, but I got a bottle of water instead of a Coke. Actually, sugar is a huge issue with me I'm going to call it a 70/30 success.
Next up? Snack. I had a chocolate chip cookie. A BIG chocolate chip cookie. It was a very minor victory for me. Though I love chocolate chip cookies, the coffee shop I stop at - for water today! - also has chocolate croissants. They aren't really a croissant, but more a croissant-like pastry filled with chocloate, drizzled with chocolate and what I assume is honey. Whatever it is, it's GOOD. Good tasting, bad for the wallet and waist. Would you agree with a 30/70 success? For now, that's what it is.
For lunch, I ate the frozen meal I brought today last week, which saved me money and hopefully helped to whittle down my waistline. I still haven't had a Coke. Keep in mind, growing up we drank so much Coke in my house that my brother termed it the "Liquid of Life." I also recently read that caffeine can hasten the development of type II diabetes, so no coffee for me today either.
What's up for the rest of the day? The afternoon snack I brought (strawberries, starfruit and some cashews - nicely balanced!), dinner (spaghetti with veggie sauce and meatballs - also balanced) and my 3rd snack of the day, which has yet to be determined. I'm thinking more strawberries and a small glass of vanilla almond milk.
Better choices aren't just for eating. Today, I choose to not get frustrated with Hubby's ADD. I choose to put off chores that call my name in favor of on the floor playtime with Griffin. I choose to go to bed at a reasonable hour: reasonable being after my Wednesday night TV time (the only day I really watch anything), so 9:30. Well, I need to shower too, so we'll make that 10pm. I choose to make dinner, eat dinner and make Griffin's bottles while watching TV from the kitchen so I can get to bed on time.
With my new choices, I'm hoping to finally get a grip on not only being a working mother, but enjoying it.
Thoughts? Criticisms? Suggestions? Comment! I love reading 'em!
In addition to the stuff going on in my own world, I am also inspired by The CHASE Project. Chase is a friend of a friend (we've not actually met). She spent the past year making positive changes to her life and reflecting on them via her blog. You should check it out if you need some inspiration to bring some true positivity back! Be sure to check out just what the CHASE Project is.
My first choice this morning was breakfast. It was a 50/50 success. I still drove through McD's, but I got a bottle of water instead of a Coke. Actually, sugar is a huge issue with me I'm going to call it a 70/30 success.
Next up? Snack. I had a chocolate chip cookie. A BIG chocolate chip cookie. It was a very minor victory for me. Though I love chocolate chip cookies, the coffee shop I stop at - for water today! - also has chocolate croissants. They aren't really a croissant, but more a croissant-like pastry filled with chocloate, drizzled with chocolate and what I assume is honey. Whatever it is, it's GOOD. Good tasting, bad for the wallet and waist. Would you agree with a 30/70 success? For now, that's what it is.
For lunch, I ate the frozen meal I brought today last week, which saved me money and hopefully helped to whittle down my waistline. I still haven't had a Coke. Keep in mind, growing up we drank so much Coke in my house that my brother termed it the "Liquid of Life." I also recently read that caffeine can hasten the development of type II diabetes, so no coffee for me today either.
What's up for the rest of the day? The afternoon snack I brought (strawberries, starfruit and some cashews - nicely balanced!), dinner (spaghetti with veggie sauce and meatballs - also balanced) and my 3rd snack of the day, which has yet to be determined. I'm thinking more strawberries and a small glass of vanilla almond milk.
Better choices aren't just for eating. Today, I choose to not get frustrated with Hubby's ADD. I choose to put off chores that call my name in favor of on the floor playtime with Griffin. I choose to go to bed at a reasonable hour: reasonable being after my Wednesday night TV time (the only day I really watch anything), so 9:30. Well, I need to shower too, so we'll make that 10pm. I choose to make dinner, eat dinner and make Griffin's bottles while watching TV from the kitchen so I can get to bed on time.
With my new choices, I'm hoping to finally get a grip on not only being a working mother, but enjoying it.
Thoughts? Criticisms? Suggestions? Comment! I love reading 'em!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Don't Mess With The Mama Bear
With all of the daycare drama and a nasty case of bronchitis, I have neglected blogging. But today, oh today, I have quite a story for you. It is a tale of injustice, incompetence and underestimation, where lowly subjects enslaved by "the man" rise up not only for their families, but for the common good. (Damn! I sure make mothering in suburbia sound EPIC...)
My acupuncturist calls a parent's anxiety over and desire to protect a child "Mama Bear." She says it's instinctual like a mother bear protecting her cub, and fighting to the death if need be. This instinct in me spurred my actions in the following story (as well as others. so. many. stories. with. daycare.)
Read on...
As you may recall, a parent of one of the babies in G's class
The reason? It is against NMFR's (New Management, Fourth Reich) policy. Which was never stated previously. 'Cause they never gave the employees a new handbook. And told them to go off of the old owner's handbook. In which outside activities/relationships with parents were fine. Anyone else notice a problem here? So, NMFR told her they would discuss it further later, which never happened.
Now, last Friday night there was a parent's meeting that I, naturally, attended. The meeting in itself was a joke. Every concern a parent brought up was answered by NMFR with "We're fixing that." The meeting ended when the parents were in an uproar and NMFR quietly slipped out and disappeared. Then two teachers who have obviously partaken of the kool-aid, handed out survey forms to rate the center. Oh me, oh my! Talk about sloppy, lazy work! The very first section was "indicate your child's program" with four options that you could check off. Each option was "offered program." Helpful, right? Oops! Sorry, tangent started there...moving on to important story details...
The agenda for the meeting had a section, which by the way was never spoken about during the meeting, saying parent/teacher relationships should be cordial, but outside activities such as birthday parties, outings, etc., are "not encouraged." K. So they aren't encouraging it. They also aren't saying you can't do it.
Sunday, was Ms. F.'s kids' party.
Monday, Ms. F. was out sick.
Tuesday, Ms. F. was suspended until further notice/a meeting with NMFR was set up to discuss things (ie. more than likely fire her). I was livid. As were two other parents whom I happen to have become friends with. Well, I had to call the director yesterday while I was home recovering from my own brand of the plague about a separate issue. I was tired. I was pissed. I had had enough of NMFR's shit. I let the director have it. In addition to the numerous other complaints, I took major issue with suspending Ms. F. over a birthday party.
The outcome? Within two hours of our conversation, Ms. F. was reinstated without the aforementioned meeting and with no restrictions or warnings (and I'm sure no apologies either). Coincidence? I'll leave that up to you to decide.
Moral of the story? Don't mess with my son's care. I'll go Mama Bear on your ass.
My acupuncturist calls a parent's anxiety over and desire to protect a child "Mama Bear." She says it's instinctual like a mother bear protecting her cub, and fighting to the death if need be. This instinct in me spurred my actions in the following story (as well as others. so. many. stories. with. daycare.)
Read on...
As you may recall, a parent of one of the babies in G's class
The reason? It is against NMFR's (New Management, Fourth Reich) policy. Which was never stated previously. 'Cause they never gave the employees a new handbook. And told them to go off of the old owner's handbook. In which outside activities/relationships with parents were fine. Anyone else notice a problem here? So, NMFR told her they would discuss it further later, which never happened.
Now, last Friday night there was a parent's meeting that I, naturally, attended. The meeting in itself was a joke. Every concern a parent brought up was answered by NMFR with "We're fixing that." The meeting ended when the parents were in an uproar and NMFR quietly slipped out and disappeared. Then two teachers who have obviously partaken of the kool-aid, handed out survey forms to rate the center. Oh me, oh my! Talk about sloppy, lazy work! The very first section was "indicate your child's program" with four options that you could check off. Each option was "offered program." Helpful, right? Oops! Sorry, tangent started there...moving on to important story details...
The agenda for the meeting had a section, which by the way was never spoken about during the meeting, saying parent/teacher relationships should be cordial, but outside activities such as birthday parties, outings, etc., are "not encouraged." K. So they aren't encouraging it. They also aren't saying you can't do it.
Sunday, was Ms. F.'s kids' party.
Monday, Ms. F. was out sick.
Tuesday, Ms. F. was suspended until further notice/a meeting with NMFR was set up to discuss things (ie. more than likely fire her). I was livid. As were two other parents whom I happen to have become friends with. Well, I had to call the director yesterday while I was home recovering from my own brand of the plague about a separate issue. I was tired. I was pissed. I had had enough of NMFR's shit. I let the director have it. In addition to the numerous other complaints, I took major issue with suspending Ms. F. over a birthday party.
Director's one argument in favor of suspension:
NMFR has policies as every company does, and must enforce them.
My arguments:
1. Yes, they have policies, but they are not stated and given to employees. I have never received a new parental handbook and am going off of old managements. Have you received a new employee handbook?
Answer: - silence -
2. The only thing stated about outside activities was on the agenda from the parent's meeting on Friday, which said they are "not encouraged." Besides the fact that Ms. F. was not at that meeting to receive it, "not encouraged" does not mean "do not do this," and was given to parents not teachers.
Answer: "Not encouraged," to the director and NMFR, meant "do not do this."
Counter Argument: It's ambiguous. I interperet "not encouraged" to mean that NMFR doesn't like it so if something happens outside of the center, don't come crying to them about it. It's also putting a rule in place and trying to enforce it retroactively. FAIL.
3. When Ms. F. walks out the door and off of NMFR's property, she is no longer an employee. She is a private citizen. As such, she has every right to do whatever she wants with whomever she wants.
Answer: -silence-
4. "Do you even know if anyone went? I didn't."
Answer: -silence-
The outcome? Within two hours of our conversation, Ms. F. was reinstated without the aforementioned meeting and with no restrictions or warnings (and I'm sure no apologies either). Coincidence? I'll leave that up to you to decide.
Moral of the story? Don't mess with my son's care. I'll go Mama Bear on your ass.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Adventures in Eating
Well, our little (big) boy is certainly enjoying eating solids. Not only does he love to eat, but he loves to feed himself! (Photos are from the cell phone - sorry for the poor quality)
Rice Cereal - "Yummy!"
Oatmeal - "Super yum!" (Sadly, it hurts his tummy, so no more for now)
Avacado - Yummy and produces a squishy green smile - what more can a boy ask for?
Sweet Potatoes - "More, please!"
Prunes - "If this is the only way I get rice cereal, I'll eat it - just gimme more cereal."
Peaches - "Ew!" Refused to eat the cereal that was in the same bowl after getting a taste.
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| Nom nom nom! |
Griffin's Likes and Dislikes: Food Edition
Rice Cereal - "Yummy!"
Oatmeal - "Super yum!" (Sadly, it hurts his tummy, so no more for now)
Avacado - Yummy and produces a squishy green smile - what more can a boy ask for?
Sweet Potatoes - "More, please!"
Prunes - "If this is the only way I get rice cereal, I'll eat it - just gimme more cereal."
Peaches - "Ew!" Refused to eat the cereal that was in the same bowl after getting a taste.
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| Is there something on my face? |
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Continuing Positivity
Disclaimer: Bear with me here as things will first sound negative, but I have to build up to the positive, k?
More Daycare Drama
Last Friday, a gal from licensing showed up at the school to check things out about ratios in the baby room, as she got an anonymous call from a concerned parent of the center. (who, me? nah...lol) Unfortunately that morning the baby room was in ratio. It was still funny watching Ms. Ice Queen Sharpie Eyebrows (henceforth known as "Sharpie" for simplicity's sake) scramble. Since then, Sharpie has been making offhanded comments about me being "sneaky." Not once or twice, but often. I find this positively hilarious.
I also find the fact that certain directorial type people who talk my ear off about the man that they almost moved in with after dating for 18 months, but didn't move in with him because she got a call from his wife whom she had no idea about, and now likes this guy that she "brought home" on New Year's Eve and is still friends with and wonders if she should mention she's really into him, etc. wait...where was I going? Oh yeah, this person seemed to want to usher me out of the school quickly this morning. According to G's teacher she and Sharpie both suspect that I called licensing. Again, positively hilarious.
The Things I Do For The Ones I Love
Yesterday, I braved the seventh layer of hell in the rain and snow (seriously Spring, get a move on!) to get a jumperoo for my Wee Man, as he absolutely loves the one at school. I checked the stock online - Hazzah! It's in stock at my local store! I sat through 30 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic instead of taking the back way home because this would put me closer to hell and it's residents, parked further away than I should have had to due to errant shopping carts and headed in. 35 minutes later, I storm out to my car. Not only did they not have it in stock, but there wasn't even a place for it on the shelves!
Fast forward through the "OMG-I'm-so-tired-and-they-just-stole-35-minutes-of-precious-time-that-I-could-have-been-spending-with-my-baby-instead-of-wandering-around-only-finding-everything-I-didn't-need-and-also-listening-to-an-employee-tell-two-men-who-don't-speak-English-that-they-can-use-an-infant-carrier-until-the-child-is-one-year-old-which-is-so-far-from-correct-I-don't-even-attempt-to-ask-about-the-jumperoo-as-I'm-sure-she'll-just-direct-me-to-automotive-or-the-pharmacy-so-I'll-just-go-home-empty-handed-and-hope-B-didn't-tell-G-that-Mommy-was-coming-home-with-an-awesome-new-toy-because-OMG-I-can't-disappoint-my-baby-who-is-happy-as-a-clam-just-to-throw-up-on-me" tears. I got home, snuggled my little man, and let him stay up an extra hour. The shopping trip was positively a disaster. G is positively delightful.
Random
I positively can't wait until March Madness is over and my Wednesday evening TV shows come back with new episodes.
I positively want to retire now.
I positively need a nap...and a cookie.
What postivity do you have today?
More Daycare Drama
Last Friday, a gal from licensing showed up at the school to check things out about ratios in the baby room, as she got an anonymous call from a concerned parent of the center. (who, me? nah...lol) Unfortunately that morning the baby room was in ratio. It was still funny watching Ms. Ice Queen Sharpie Eyebrows (henceforth known as "Sharpie" for simplicity's sake) scramble. Since then, Sharpie has been making offhanded comments about me being "sneaky." Not once or twice, but often. I find this positively hilarious.
I also find the fact that certain directorial type people who talk my ear off about the man that they almost moved in with after dating for 18 months, but didn't move in with him because she got a call from his wife whom she had no idea about, and now likes this guy that she "brought home" on New Year's Eve and is still friends with and wonders if she should mention she's really into him, etc. wait...where was I going? Oh yeah, this person seemed to want to usher me out of the school quickly this morning. According to G's teacher she and Sharpie both suspect that I called licensing. Again, positively hilarious.
The Things I Do For The Ones I Love
Yesterday, I braved the seventh layer of hell in the rain and snow (seriously Spring, get a move on!) to get a jumperoo for my Wee Man, as he absolutely loves the one at school. I checked the stock online - Hazzah! It's in stock at my local store! I sat through 30 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic instead of taking the back way home because this would put me closer to hell and it's residents, parked further away than I should have had to due to errant shopping carts and headed in. 35 minutes later, I storm out to my car. Not only did they not have it in stock, but there wasn't even a place for it on the shelves!
Fast forward through the "OMG-I'm-so-tired-and-they-just-stole-35-minutes-of-precious-time-that-I-could-have-been-spending-with-my-baby-instead-of-wandering-around-only-finding-everything-I-didn't-need-and-also-listening-to-an-employee-tell-two-men-who-don't-speak-English-that-they-can-use-an-infant-carrier-until-the-child-is-one-year-old-which-is-so-far-from-correct-I-don't-even-attempt-to-ask-about-the-jumperoo-as-I'm-sure-she'll-just-direct-me-to-automotive-or-the-pharmacy-so-I'll-just-go-home-empty-handed-and-hope-B-didn't-tell-G-that-Mommy-was-coming-home-with-an-awesome-new-toy-because-OMG-I-can't-disappoint-my-baby-who-is-happy-as-a-clam-just-to-throw-up-on-me" tears. I got home, snuggled my little man, and let him stay up an extra hour. The shopping trip was positively a disaster. G is positively delightful.
Random
I positively can't wait until March Madness is over and my Wednesday evening TV shows come back with new episodes.
I positively want to retire now.
I positively need a nap...and a cookie.
What postivity do you have today?
Monday, March 28, 2011
Negativity Blows!
I feel like I've been too negative and/or cynical lately. So in this post, I will do a little exercise in positivity; however, there are still things that suck so to make things realistic, well....just keep reading.
Things That Currently Suck, But I Will Work on Changing...Soon.
- Money
- A return of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Things That Currently Suck, But That Are Changing Now
- My health and weight
- Daycare (More drama, but not gonna be negative today. Nope. Not gonna do it. Good things are coming.)
- Work, parts of it at least.
- Spring decided to go on vacation. Guess it was too cold here. Hoping she's coming back soon!
- My husband's attention span. (Stupid ADHD!)
- My aching back
Things That Are Good
- Yoga. (Helps that aching back.)
- Catching up on reading magazine subscriptions.
- Watching the last season of "The Tudors." (I would say this was awesome, but it's the last season.)
Things That Are Awesome
- Griffin.
- Griffin grabbing my face and planting a big ol' kiss on it after waking up from a nap.
- Griffin's laugh.
- Griffin's health.
- Griffin, Griffin, Griffin. Everything Griffin.
- I leave work in 41 minutes and get to go home to my hubby and my little love.
Things That Are Funny
- Griffin trying to chew a vertical rail on his crib.
- Griffin blowing raspberries while eating avacado.
Things That Are Interesting
- I met the Guiness World Record holder of the longest hair today. It was 19 feet long.
Things That Currently Suck, But I Will Work on Changing...Soon.
- Money
- A return of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Things That Currently Suck, But That Are Changing Now
- My health and weight
- Daycare (More drama, but not gonna be negative today. Nope. Not gonna do it. Good things are coming.)
- Work, parts of it at least.
- Spring decided to go on vacation. Guess it was too cold here. Hoping she's coming back soon!
- My husband's attention span. (Stupid ADHD!)
- My aching back
Things That Are Good
- Yoga. (Helps that aching back.)
- Catching up on reading magazine subscriptions.
- Watching the last season of "The Tudors." (I would say this was awesome, but it's the last season.)
Things That Are Awesome
- Griffin.
- Griffin grabbing my face and planting a big ol' kiss on it after waking up from a nap.
- Griffin's laugh.
- Griffin's health.
- Griffin, Griffin, Griffin. Everything Griffin.
- I leave work in 41 minutes and get to go home to my hubby and my little love.
Things That Are Funny
- Griffin trying to chew a vertical rail on his crib.
- Griffin blowing raspberries while eating avacado.
Things That Are Interesting
- I met the Guiness World Record holder of the longest hair today. It was 19 feet long.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Daycare Drama
I have mentioned my displeasure with our daycare center here and here. Unfortunately, things have gotten worse. New Management is currently on my Shit List.
It all started a few weeks ago with the Marble Sink Incident. In the employee bathroom, there was a marble sink attached to the wall. The teachers had for three years complained about it being loose. Finally, on one sunny Wednesday afternoon, the older babies teacher whom we shall call Ms. A., used the facilities and washed her hands. The sink fell off the wall and onto her foot. When the sink fell, it broke two pipes and no one knew how to turn the water off. Her foot looked like a snake had swallowed a baseball. She went to the Urgent Care facility nearby for treatment. She was then fired.
Griffin's alternate teacher whom we shall call Ms. B., was suddenly called away overseas to help care for and most likely say goodbye to an ill family member. New Management claimed they were sympathetic to her, being from overseas themselves, but made a huge stink over her temporarily leaving and told her she may or may not be welcomed back. The jury is still out on whether she returns or not.
Since February 1st, five teachers have been outright fired, three of which in the first week of New Management's takeover. One teacher turned in her two-week notice and after she had covered lunches for that day, New Management kindly told her to not worry about returning. Ms. A.'s termination you already know about. One administrative person was fired in that first week, most likely because she was the sister in law of the old owner. She also, by chance, was the one person who knew how to turn the water off when the sink fell. Too bad she had been fired. Maybe the center wouldn't have flooded if she hadn't been.
Since February 1st, two new teachers and one administrative person have been hired. The administrative person, Ms. C., has eyebrows which look like she used a sharpie to draw. I also can't get a good read on her. She seems nice at times, but other times she gives me the cold shoulder. Anyone who knows me, knows that I go out of my way to be pleasant to people whether I like them or not, so I don't understand the iciness. She also fills in as a baby teacher in the morning.
Ms. D., one of the new teachers, is always speaking harshly to the children in her classroom. She pointed out the closed circuit camera and told them that she is always watching and can see everything they do. I don't have a problem with that really, but it's the way she said it as well as other things. I am also confused as to why one particularly frustrating student was sitting at the table eating breakfast in a diaper/pull-up and no pants. I should mention that this child very obviously has some issues in the home front. He started talking to me one day as I walked past the classroom and told me that Santa had come the night before. I can only guess the family didn't have money at Christmas for presents, as it was February when he said this. His clothes are generally smudgey looking and he most definitely has problems being dropped off there. More often than not he is crying and trying to run away from all adults and other children in the morning. It's sad to see, but even sadder to see that this new teacher that New Management praises so highly is letting this child sit around without pants. At least give him a towel or sheet or something to cover up. I'm sure he wet his pants, but is there really nothing they can do to help the poor kid out? Sorry, going off on a tangent there. The point is Ms. D. does not seem very nice.
Finally, Griffin's teacher, Ms. E. is fabulous, but New Management has screwed the staff up so much that she is often "out of ratio." She is not comfortable with this because it doesn't allow her to give the care that she feels the babies need and deserve. It is also against state regulations. I have now dropped Griffin off twice this week with a teacher to child ratio of 2:7. The ratio must be 1:3, so they are short one teacher.
Now, I know all of this could be just the hiccups of switching to New Management, so I looked up the other two centers New Management owns on the state's licensing website. In each of their most recent 12-month unannounced audits, they have had multiple violations of non-compliance listed below.
There is another option brewing though. More on that later. If you've read all this way, I'll give you a treat - a new picture of Griffin!
It all started a few weeks ago with the Marble Sink Incident. In the employee bathroom, there was a marble sink attached to the wall. The teachers had for three years complained about it being loose. Finally, on one sunny Wednesday afternoon, the older babies teacher whom we shall call Ms. A., used the facilities and washed her hands. The sink fell off the wall and onto her foot. When the sink fell, it broke two pipes and no one knew how to turn the water off. Her foot looked like a snake had swallowed a baseball. She went to the Urgent Care facility nearby for treatment. She was then fired.
Griffin's alternate teacher whom we shall call Ms. B., was suddenly called away overseas to help care for and most likely say goodbye to an ill family member. New Management claimed they were sympathetic to her, being from overseas themselves, but made a huge stink over her temporarily leaving and told her she may or may not be welcomed back. The jury is still out on whether she returns or not.
Since February 1st, five teachers have been outright fired, three of which in the first week of New Management's takeover. One teacher turned in her two-week notice and after she had covered lunches for that day, New Management kindly told her to not worry about returning. Ms. A.'s termination you already know about. One administrative person was fired in that first week, most likely because she was the sister in law of the old owner. She also, by chance, was the one person who knew how to turn the water off when the sink fell. Too bad she had been fired. Maybe the center wouldn't have flooded if she hadn't been.
Since February 1st, two new teachers and one administrative person have been hired. The administrative person, Ms. C., has eyebrows which look like she used a sharpie to draw. I also can't get a good read on her. She seems nice at times, but other times she gives me the cold shoulder. Anyone who knows me, knows that I go out of my way to be pleasant to people whether I like them or not, so I don't understand the iciness. She also fills in as a baby teacher in the morning.
Ms. D., one of the new teachers, is always speaking harshly to the children in her classroom. She pointed out the closed circuit camera and told them that she is always watching and can see everything they do. I don't have a problem with that really, but it's the way she said it as well as other things. I am also confused as to why one particularly frustrating student was sitting at the table eating breakfast in a diaper/pull-up and no pants. I should mention that this child very obviously has some issues in the home front. He started talking to me one day as I walked past the classroom and told me that Santa had come the night before. I can only guess the family didn't have money at Christmas for presents, as it was February when he said this. His clothes are generally smudgey looking and he most definitely has problems being dropped off there. More often than not he is crying and trying to run away from all adults and other children in the morning. It's sad to see, but even sadder to see that this new teacher that New Management praises so highly is letting this child sit around without pants. At least give him a towel or sheet or something to cover up. I'm sure he wet his pants, but is there really nothing they can do to help the poor kid out? Sorry, going off on a tangent there. The point is Ms. D. does not seem very nice.
Finally, Griffin's teacher, Ms. E. is fabulous, but New Management has screwed the staff up so much that she is often "out of ratio." She is not comfortable with this because it doesn't allow her to give the care that she feels the babies need and deserve. It is also against state regulations. I have now dropped Griffin off twice this week with a teacher to child ratio of 2:7. The ratio must be 1:3, so they are short one teacher.
Now, I know all of this could be just the hiccups of switching to New Management, so I looked up the other two centers New Management owns on the state's licensing website. In each of their most recent 12-month unannounced audits, they have had multiple violations of non-compliance listed below.
- Building Safety: Center 1 & 2
- Enrollment and Attendance: Center 1
- License - General Requirements: Center 1
- Sanitary Facilities and Supplies: Center 1 & 2
- General Cleanliness and Disposal of Refuse: Center 1
- Outdoor Activity Area: Center 1 & 2
- Child Security: Center 1
- Group Size and Staffing: Center 1
- Emergency Safety Requirements: Center 1
- Potentially Hazardous Items: Center 2
- Preventing Spread of Disease: Center 2
- Food Storage and Preparation: Center 2
There is another option brewing though. More on that later. If you've read all this way, I'll give you a treat - a new picture of Griffin!
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| Not only do I stand with a little steadying help from Mommy, but I dig in my toy bin too! |
Monday, March 21, 2011
Impromptu Doctor's Office Visit
So I took Wee Man G to the doctor this morning. We both have colds, but I wanted to get his lungs checked out because he was coughing up a storm and I live in fear of another round of bronchiolitis. Thankfully that wasn't the case. Nor did he have an ear infection - also thankfully. What he did have this morning though was eye goop. He had some goop yesterday after his late morning nap. It had crusted over, but with some quick manuevers with a wet washcloth and a whole lotta screaming from the babe, it was uncrusted. This morning though, he had runny eye goop and the area to the side and underneath his eye was swollen and slighty hard to the touch. Around that area was red and his cheek on that side was bright red, so off to the doctor we went. Turns out it's just your standard head cold eye goop and not pinkeye, so he was allowed to go to school.
Blah, blah, blah. Now, the main point of this post is to tell you that the "Wee Man" continues to not be wee at all. If you remember from his 4 month appointment, he was 16 lbs., 9 oz. That was on March 9th. 12 days later he's up to 17 lbs., 9.5 oz. I'm convinced that either myself, Bryan or perhaps both of us is part giant. It must be a recessive trait only expressed when two people with giant blood coursing through their average-sized bodies mate.
Blah, blah, blah. Now, the main point of this post is to tell you that the "Wee Man" continues to not be wee at all. If you remember from his 4 month appointment, he was 16 lbs., 9 oz. That was on March 9th. 12 days later he's up to 17 lbs., 9.5 oz. I'm convinced that either myself, Bryan or perhaps both of us is part giant. It must be a recessive trait only expressed when two people with giant blood coursing through their average-sized bodies mate.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Four Month Appointment
Wednesday evening we took Griffin to his four month well-baby appointment. He was pronounced "perfect" and "so stinkin' cute" by his doctor. He has met all of his four month milestones and has a couple six month ones almost mastered. My brilliant Wee Man!
On to the stats...
On to the stats...
- Weight: 16 lbs., 9 oz.
- Height: 26.5 in.
- Clothing size: Some 6 month pieces fit, but we are moving on to 9 month now. Especially in the sleepers. I swear his feet are gonna pop right out of the fabric!
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| "I was told there would be cookies..." |
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| "Weeeeee! Stop interrupting my fun for pictures, Mom!" |
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| "This computer is my size!" |
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| "What the hell Mom?" (The one and only try with the woombie.) |
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| "I like to scratch my face at night." |
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| "I also like to eat my nebulizer." |
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| "It's not going in fast enough. WHERE'S MY BOTTLE???" |
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Three weeks gone and no posts from me - so sorry! Truthfully I have half of a ranting post completed, but it's so old now that, well, whatever. I finally have a free moment to blog, so I will try to get everyone up to date on me, Griffin and everything else. For organizations sake, and for the sake of time constraints since I only have a little time alone in the office and this is the only alone time I ever have now, I think topic headings are in order. They will probably help you to skip around to the sections you actually care about anyway. Here we go...
Griffin's Health
You may remember that Griffin had bronchiolitis. You may also remember that he had brochiolitis twice. What you don't yet know is that he also ended up with his first ear infection. It seems like every two weeks, we have another sickness. Thankfully, he is a wonderful medicine-taker and he is more than "on the mend." He's definitely feeling great and back to his smiley, happy, giggly, silly, standing self.
Griffin's Development
Speaking of standing, Griffin likes to stand now. He gets help of course, but this help is only to keep him from falling over like a plank of wood. He can hold his own weight on those meaty little legs and I can actually take my hands away from holding him. Don't worry, I'm not taking my hands away completely from him. They are there around him waiting to grab hold again if need be, usually with his arms lightly resting on them for balance. He occasionally rolls from back to front, often laughs, is able to grasp toys and bring them to his mouth and tries to help turn the pages in his books. He will even close his book when he's ready for bed whether we've finished it or not, rub his eyes and whine/cry until I put him in his crib. This generally happens at 7:30. He gets up for the day at 6:15. And wakes up once during the night. Please don't hate me.
He also smiles often - especially at Daddy and me. It just melts my icy-cold-I-don't-want-to-get-out-of-bed-at-1:05am-five-minutes-after-my-"shift"-starts-for-the-11th-night-in-a-row heart to have him see me and smile so happily just because I'm in the room now. Similarily, the other night he was having trouble getting to sleep and would give a whiney type of cry until I came in and stood next to his crib while putting my hand on him and staying there until he fell asleep. It only took a minute or two for him to get to sleep. He did wake up once more a few minutes later, at which point I just went in and stood next to his crib without putting my hand on him. He saw me, smiled, rolled over and fell asleep. He did a similar thing about a month ago, but that time I kissed him on the forehead, he smiled, rolled over and fell asleep. I swear he's the sweetest baby ever!
Other Griffin News
Me
Getting more sleep has helped my insanity drop from "high-alert! she's gonna go postal!" to "is she serious or just loopy?" level. This is a good thing. I hope that in time, I may get back to my previous "silly" level. We shall see.
I vehemently hate with being a working mother. I drop my heart off in the morning and don't get it back until I get home. Living 1/3 of your day without a heart sucks.
I want another baby already. Griffin fills my heart completely, but there's a nagging at the back of my subconcious that tells me to give it another go and don't make the mistakes I already have with Griffin. I haven't made mistakes WITH him per se, but with maternity leave, breast feeding, etc. I guess I partially want a redo with infancy, partially the possibility of having a VBAC and partially it's because if we have another baby soon, we can't afford daycare for both and we'd have to make it work with me staying home. Damn. I feel guilty saying I want another baby. I don't want Griffin to ever feel like he's not enough for me, because he totally 100% is. I always wanted three kids. I have three - one here, two above. Moving on...
Daycare
Not so happy with them anymore. Let's do some math.
If New Management = five teachers fired + only one teacher hired + one of Griffin's teachers in India for three weeks + computer system broken and remaining unfixed + marble sink FELL OFF A WALL flooding the center and injuring a teacher = short staffed stressed out care takers who fear that speaking up about their concerns or washing their hands will result in unemployment, or x,
And x + y > z (for non-math folks: x plus y is greater than z), with y being the asinine amount of money paid to the center and z being Mommy's happiness and comfort level with the center,
Then why the F am I paying y for z when x is not worth an F?
Random
Have you ever seen the People of WalMart website? This was not taken at WalMart, but at a Rite Aid. Still, I think it qualifies as similar.
Griffin's Health
You may remember that Griffin had bronchiolitis. You may also remember that he had brochiolitis twice. What you don't yet know is that he also ended up with his first ear infection. It seems like every two weeks, we have another sickness. Thankfully, he is a wonderful medicine-taker and he is more than "on the mend." He's definitely feeling great and back to his smiley, happy, giggly, silly, standing self.
Griffin's Development
Speaking of standing, Griffin likes to stand now. He gets help of course, but this help is only to keep him from falling over like a plank of wood. He can hold his own weight on those meaty little legs and I can actually take my hands away from holding him. Don't worry, I'm not taking my hands away completely from him. They are there around him waiting to grab hold again if need be, usually with his arms lightly resting on them for balance. He occasionally rolls from back to front, often laughs, is able to grasp toys and bring them to his mouth and tries to help turn the pages in his books. He will even close his book when he's ready for bed whether we've finished it or not, rub his eyes and whine/cry until I put him in his crib. This generally happens at 7:30. He gets up for the day at 6:15. And wakes up once during the night. Please don't hate me.
He also smiles often - especially at Daddy and me. It just melts my icy-cold-I-don't-want-to-get-out-of-bed-at-1:05am-five-minutes-after-my-"shift"-starts-for-the-11th-night-in-a-row heart to have him see me and smile so happily just because I'm in the room now. Similarily, the other night he was having trouble getting to sleep and would give a whiney type of cry until I came in and stood next to his crib while putting my hand on him and staying there until he fell asleep. It only took a minute or two for him to get to sleep. He did wake up once more a few minutes later, at which point I just went in and stood next to his crib without putting my hand on him. He saw me, smiled, rolled over and fell asleep. He did a similar thing about a month ago, but that time I kissed him on the forehead, he smiled, rolled over and fell asleep. I swear he's the sweetest baby ever!
Other Griffin News
- He tried rice cereal on Saturday. He finally pooped again today. Perhaps prunes are in order for the next food.
- His 4 month well baby check up plus shots is tomorrow night. I will update as soon as I can with his new stats.
- New pictures will be coming as soon as I get a moment to pull them off the camera. I know where the card reader is this time, so I really only need a moment. Well, then I have to post them. Soon. Promise.
- I'm contemplating spending approximately $60 on an Easter basket with liner for Griffin. It would be his only-ever Easter basket. Am I nuts to spend that much? Please comment your thoughts on this so I can decide ASAP and either order it or find a different option.
Me
Getting more sleep has helped my insanity drop from "high-alert! she's gonna go postal!" to "is she serious or just loopy?" level. This is a good thing. I hope that in time, I may get back to my previous "silly" level. We shall see.
I vehemently hate with being a working mother. I drop my heart off in the morning and don't get it back until I get home. Living 1/3 of your day without a heart sucks.
I want another baby already. Griffin fills my heart completely, but there's a nagging at the back of my subconcious that tells me to give it another go and don't make the mistakes I already have with Griffin. I haven't made mistakes WITH him per se, but with maternity leave, breast feeding, etc. I guess I partially want a redo with infancy, partially the possibility of having a VBAC and partially it's because if we have another baby soon, we can't afford daycare for both and we'd have to make it work with me staying home. Damn. I feel guilty saying I want another baby. I don't want Griffin to ever feel like he's not enough for me, because he totally 100% is. I always wanted three kids. I have three - one here, two above. Moving on...
Daycare
Not so happy with them anymore. Let's do some math.
If New Management = five teachers fired + only one teacher hired + one of Griffin's teachers in India for three weeks + computer system broken and remaining unfixed + marble sink FELL OFF A WALL flooding the center and injuring a teacher = short staffed stressed out care takers who fear that speaking up about their concerns or washing their hands will result in unemployment, or x,
And x + y > z (for non-math folks: x plus y is greater than z), with y being the asinine amount of money paid to the center and z being Mommy's happiness and comfort level with the center,
Then why the F am I paying y for z when x is not worth an F?
Random
Have you ever seen the People of WalMart website? This was not taken at WalMart, but at a Rite Aid. Still, I think it qualifies as similar.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Symptoms of Mommyhood
We talk so much about pregnancy symptoms, phantom pregnancy symptoms, labor symptoms, etc., but rarely do we discuss what I like to call the Symptoms of Mommyhood. We all know about sleep deprevation, but there is more to it than that. My current Symptoms of Mommyhood are as follows:
- The patience of Job when it comes to my son including but not limited to his pooping, puking, scratching, punching me in the eye, pulling my hair, crushing my windpipe with an elbow and headbutting me in the teeth.
- The lack of patience for anything and anyone other than the above.
- A complete and utter lack of verbal filter, which I'm surprised has not gotten me fired or even caused more than a bemused smile from the boss. This is either awesome or concrete proof that he doesn't hear a word I say.
- Wakefullness due only to coffee consumption and sheer will power. Seriously. If you were to draw blood at this very moment, I'm positive you would find that pure liquified caffeine has replaced my plasma.
- Vocabulary in stressful situations reduced to "f*ck". This also goes for annoying situations, dealing with stupid people and seeing yet one more call to sign a political petition on Face.book from the same
stupidmisguided person - not because of her political leanings, but because it is painfully obvious the "organization" that makes these petitions up has no idea what they are actually talking about. - The overwhelming urge to take a red pen to each and every piece of written/typed/electronic correspondence. Though truth be told, this was a pregnancy symptom of mine as well. The local news station has gotten many hostile grammar-nazi-esq emails from me. They've also probably blocked my address.
- Twix bar consumption at the approximate rate of 32lbs. per month.
- A painful little thing called "Mommy Thumb" which is really DeQuervain's tendonitis. Thank God for cortisone shots.
- Pondering the big questions: When was the last time I showered? Is that vomit on my shoulder? Why does my husband make it through diaper changes unscathed while I must perform acts of arm contortion to escape being crapped on by a sudden shart that also sprays the wall?
- I've always had a bitch streak in me. This has been exponentially increased.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day
An original Valentine's Day poem:
It's Griffin's first Valentine's Day.
He certainly has lots to say.
He's healing his lungs,
And learning new tongues!
"Te quiero" and "je t'aime"!
Happy Valentine's Day! We've also learned to say "I love you" in three other languages, which fulfills the Day Zero Project goal of learning to say "I love you" in five different languages. Je t'aime! Ich liebe dich! Te quiero/te amo! Ég elska þig (pronounced "jeg elska thig")! Ya tebya kahayu!*
*For reference the languages are French, German, Spanish, Icelandic and Ukrainian.
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