A Spoonful of Sarah

If He Weren't So Cute...

2012-01-30T19:10:00.001-08:00

With a toddler you cannot show any signs of weakness. They pick up on that right away and totally use it to their advantage. They prey on the weak and can eat you alive. Jack is what my mother calls a "spirited" child. This just means that sometimes he can be a real jerk.

This past Friday was one of those times.

Weakness #1 Jack had been up in the night several times Wednesday and Thursday so I was tired. After work I decided to take him to Khol's because I was in desperate need of some new bras. I put him in the stroller/cart and off we went to the women's undies. While I was searching for my size, he managed to climb out of the stroller and remove an entire rack of bras. I stuffed him into the cart part and frantically picked up the bras. While I was doing this he was shoving who knows what from the bottom of the cart into his mouth. I fished that out of this mouth, grabbed my bras, and went to check out where I then got the evil eye from another mom in line in front of me like "why can't you control your child?" I held him the entire time we checked out and headed for the car.

Jack's car seat is positioned in the middle of the backseat rear facing. I have been meaning to turn it around, but was stalling as long as humanly possible. Also, my car is a Saturn Ion and the backseat, although a four door, is microscopic. I have to get into the car to put him in the seat and frankly the bigger my belly gets the harder it is to maneuver around back there.

Weakness #2. Because Jack is so "spirited" he doesn't always like getting into his car seat. This day was no exception. With his superhuman toddler strength and wiggling accompanied by loud screaming he managed to get away from me. I chased him around the car for 20 minutes with him staying just out of my reach. What a sight we must have been. Me sitting in the backseat sobbing in frustration and him smiling away in the driver's seat "steering" and occasionally leaning to sip from the straw of my McDonald's coke in the cupholder. At this point I called Spiderman to keep me from either murdering him or leaving him in the parking lot of Khol's altogether. Total Mommy fail. I eventually gathered myself, turned his car seat around, scooped him up, and flung my entire body over him and strapped him into the seat chanting you will get in this seat over and over again.

He has been acting out more and more lately and I know part if it is normal toddler boundary testing, but also part of it is me. I used to play with him more. Lately, I've been so tired or physically cannot get down on the floor for long periods of time to play with him like I used to. This leaves a very busy, curious child to entertain himself more...by climbing on things and getting into anything he possibly can. I feel like all I do is yell at him. He's going to think his name is Jackson No by the time he's two. If I can't handle him now what is it going to be like when Baby X gets here?

I know some of you mom's out there have been though this. Even you non-mom's can offer suggestions! I will try anything at this point! What would you do in my situation?

Has it been that long?

2012-01-15T10:36:00.001-08:00

So why haven't I been posting too much lately? Several reasons. The first and most obvious is that I'm 6 months pregnant and tired. Then there was the business of the holidays. Then both my boys came down with the flu and had temps over 101 for a week. And finally my laptop completely melted down leaving me with very limited access to the internet since the other computers in my house were also down.
Since then Spiderman has set up our iMac so that I can use it, and we are looking around to replace our laptop so I will have more opportunities to be online.

That only leaves laziness and lack of anything remotely interesting to post about. I do have a few things roaming around my head that I hope to be able to put down in the next few weeks so bear with me.

In the past I've posted about the scary state of my office/junk room. Now that we have a new addition to the family it is going to be Baby X's (still can't decide on a name) room. That means we not only have to clean out the room, but also figure out where the piles of other shit in there have to go. I have already started to make piles of things to throw away, donate, and sell in my neighborhood's garage sale this summer. I've had to make some hard decisions about what do to with some of my books. It's so hard to part with many of them, but I just don't have the room!
We also put new shelves in our storage areas so that we have more room to relocate some of the things we do want to keep. All this work and I still have SO much I have to do. But in the end it will be worth it because I have kind of a theme decided on.

I'm not buying the whole bedding set because I did that with Jack and didn't use all the pieces. It just feels wasteful plus this room seems kind of busy. I am going to buy some key pieces like the lamp, wall hangings and curtains and use the color scheme. I might also buy the quilt set but for the toddler bed for use later.

What do you think?

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Spoonful Family!

I'll Need Frequent Infusions of Estrogen at My House

2011-12-07T16:45:00.001-08:00

Thanks to those of you who had suggestions and words of encouragement on my last post. I'm sure inspiration will just hit me someday or I'll just kind of fall into a new job. That's how I ended up in Respiratory to begin with. I don't anticipate it happening soon and even if it does I just might be too tired to notice because....I just found out I'm now going to be the mother of TWO boys.

Yes, I'm having another boy. Like my girlfriend says I'm going to be elbow deep in dick.

It does make things easier since I have all the boy stuff already and I know how boys work. I do have visions of Jack and his little nameless brother bringing home snakes from the woods for their mommy. Have I mentioned before how terrified of snakes I am?

Also there is something appealing about being the only girl in a house full of boys....kinda like the Queen Mum.

But now the hard part starts: Spiderman and I have to agree on a name for this kid. This is going to be no easy feat as Spiderman wants to call him Jack's brother or Not Jack.

What boy names do you like?

Any Suggestions?

2011-12-01T18:20:00.001-08:00

What did you want to be when you grew up? That’s a question I’ve
asked myself over and over throughout the years. Actually, I asked
myself that just last week. I’m still undecided. Seriously,
shouldn’t I know by now?

Here’s a list of what I have wanted to be in the past:
1. Wonder Woman
2. Nurse
3. Lawyer
4. Day and Night Barbie
5. Writer
6. Doctor (Cardiothoracic surgeon to be more specific)

Notice what’s not really on my list? Respiratory Therapist. Not
even remotely close to being on my list? Respiratory Therapy
Supervisor.
On my bad days at work I REALLY want to resign but then I think “what
else can I do?”
I mean, I’m not really qualified to do much else. I’m not
exceptionally good at anything in particular that people would go “you
should really do THIS”.

I can’t imagine myself doing this for the rest of my life. It’s
too depressing to think of. I just don’t know what else I could do or
even want to do.

I may have to start asking little children what they want to be…cuz
I’m looking for ideas.

Do you have any suggestions?

I Kinda preferred Zoey Deschanel...

2011-11-06T12:15:00.000-08:00

Some of you readers may know about my HUGE addiction to the written word. My crazy need to read everything out there. I do have some favorites though and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series is one of them. I even was lucky enough to go to a book signing a few years ago and meet the author herself! I'm currently reading book 17 and anxiously awaiting book 18 out later this month.
So imagine how excited I was to hear they were making the first book into a movie. Anyone who reads a book gets an idea of certain characters in their head. This idea gets especially ingrained when it's a series and the characters become beloved. I recently watched the trailer for the movie and I have to say I'm disappointed with the casting. Katherine Heigl as Stephanie? Seriously? Just because an actress is bankable doesn't mean they are right for a part. I don't have anything personal against Katherine. I like her well enough. I tend to see and enjoy most of her movies....especially ones with my boyfriend Gerry in it. But she is NOT Stephanie.

I will still probably see the movie because I can't help myself, but I cant guarantee that I will like it.

Have any of you read the books? What do you think of the casting? Do you think you'll see the movie?

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T17:13:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from my Happy Little Monkey!

A Little Better

2011-10-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today I had kind of a scare at my doctor's appointment. They couldn't find the heartbeat for about 15 minutes. The nurse was getting nervous and both Spiderman and I were freaking out. They finally found it but that moment of terror was just the shake up I needed to get me out of my funk. Also? My doc gave me some meds to help with the constant headache I've had for almost 2 weeks.

So this post is going to be about all the things I'm grateful for to help remind me not to be so crabby.

I'm pregnant. Two years ago I never thought that would EVER happen, much less twice.
I have a wonderful hubby who cooks me dinner most nights and puts up with me when I'm crazy and crabby. Married for 5 years and together for almost 9, I'm very lucky.
Jack brings me so much joy. Just thinking about seeing his little face makes me grin from ear to ear.

Gratuitous Jack Pic

I have awesome friends that I need to see more than I do. They help to remind me who I am.
It's fall and I LOVE fall!

Crabby Pants

2011-10-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to blog but I have been such a crabby Eeyore lately that I thought it probably better if I didn't. But then weeks passed and my mood never improved so here's a random post about what's been going on here.

I'm tired. All. The. Time. Jack and I have the same bed time.
I've been trying to slowly go though all the crap in my office/junkroom to make it into the new baby's room.
My new mattress? It came, but only after drama from JCPenney about the delivery which resulted in me cancelling the order entirely and purchasing one from The Bedding Experts. Lesson? Don't buy anything from the JCPenney Homestore if you actually want it to be delivered to your house.
Did I mention that I am tired? And pukey?
We also had to put my cat, Tim to sleep. Tim and I were together since I was 18. He was my baby when I couldn't have babies. I didn't take it well.
I have bags and bags of Halloween candy that I am not allowed to eat. Spiderman bought be decoy candy. It's running out....

So yeah, that was exactly the depressing post I was trying to avoid. But to be fair I DID warn you.

Please do me a favor? Leave me a comment telling me SOMETHING good.

I need it.

Princess and the Pea

2011-09-19T18:02:00.000-07:00

Did you know that with your second baby you start showing right away?

Like as soon as the stick is positive?

It helps if you still haven't entirely lost all the baby weight from the first one too.

So what else have I been up to? (Other than not fitting into my pants...)

Between the increased duties at work, a very busy toddler, and my regular commitments I'm beat. It doesn't help that I'm sick to my stomach all day long and tired like I have mono. (I forgot how wonderful the first trimester is) Jackson and I have the same bed time.

Which leads me to the highlight of my week.....I bought a new mattress!!

The mattress that I have now is 11 years old and frankly sleeping on a board would be more comfortable. It was a cheap mattress 11 years ago when I bought it. At the time my mother was selling the house I grew up in and I was still living at home and in Respiratory school. I had been sleeping in a twin bed and when we moved I bought a queen sized bed with the intentions of taking it with me when I left. I bought the nicest one I could afford which wasn't much considering I was still in school.

I've extended the life of this mattress by buying memory foam mattress toppers. I've been through 3 of them, and my body is starting to ache every morning. As I get more and more pregnant I just won't be able to sleep on it anymore. So we bought the new one which was difficult. It's hard to properly judge a mattress when the one you have is such crap. They ALL felt better than the one I have now. Also? I would need to lay on it for a whole afternoon to properly tell if it works for me and they tend to frown upon that. But we picked one and fingers crossed it will be fabulous.

And it comes on FRIDAY!!! I also bought a new mattress pad, pillows, and two sheet sets (I have some really ratty ones). I'm holding off on using any of it until the new mattress arrives.

So Friday night I'm going to take a warm bath and get into some fresh jammies, in clean sheets, on my new pillow and mattress. Can anything be more delicious?

I just hope Jack's on board cuz mama needs some sleep!

The Big O-N-E!

2011-08-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted in forever but I've been busy at work and chasing around a BIG/little boy while planning his First Birthday Party.
For his actual Birthday on Tuesday, Spiderman and I took him to Schoops for dinner. He had chicken strips, fries, some of my burger, and his favorite....chocolate milkshake! He had an awesome time, loved everything he ate and flirted with the waitresses.

On Saturday we had a party at the house. Here's a pic of the birthday boy.
So serious.
We opted for cupcakes instead of a whole cake. I thought it was a better idea since we had several kids at the party and this way everyone had their own "cake". Jackson liked the singing but I don't think he was sure what was going on. We put his high chair in the garage where we had set up tables. This made for easier clean up.This was his first taste of cake but not his first of frosting. I have given him little tastes in the past. I can't help it, I have a sweet tooth too!
Such a messy boy! He even had cake up his nose! My aunt snuck him a second cupcake and he was up and wired until after 9pm from that.
When he was done with his cake Spiderman rinsed him off with the hose. He loved that part almost even more than the cake. It was entertaining for at least 25 minutes as he ran through the spray of water giggling and squealing.

He was also VERY into opening his presents.
Once he caught on he ripped each one open with the glee that only a child can have. Spiderman was very good at moving the opened present out of the way while I got him ready for the next one. The gift opening went smoothly without a single fit over wanting to play with his toy instead of continuing on.

The last present was from Mommy and Daddy and caused quite a stir among the guests....

I've become a Lemming

2011-08-06T10:18:00.000-07:00

Spiderman and I like food. We both enjoy cooking and going out to nice restaurants. Because of this our food budget is getting a little outrageous. We also are not very organized shoppers. When we go to the store we inevitably forget something and have to go back. Every trip to the store we end up getting what's on the list and then some. I'd say I go to the grocery store at least once a week (sometimes twice) and spend about $1-200 a trip.

This adds up and I don't know about you, but I can't afford it anymore. Add to this the increasing price of gas, diapers, and generally everything else and we'll be broke in no time!

This week Spiderman and I decided to join Costco. Up until today I had never even been to a warehouse store. I've never seen anything like it. You can buy a TV, beef brisket, 900 diapers, a 5 gallon jug of olive oil, tires and a casket all in one place! I'm gonna need that casket because on our first visit Spiderman and I spent almost $500. I almost had a heart attack! We waited to go until we were out of almost everything. Other than a few things that I can get at Aldi we shouldn't have to go to the grocery store for quite a while! We're going to go back in two weeks to get a few more things for Jack's first Birthday party but other than that we're set.

I just have to keep telling myself to breathe because I can't believe we spent that much money all at one time!

How do you feel about warehouse clubs? Am I the only one who goes this crazy the first trip?

Zumba Crazy

2011-07-20T15:21:00.000-07:00

I took a Zumba class for the first time the other day. About 20 minutes into it I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Every time she would let us break to drink some water I thought about making a break for it. I think my instructor was on crack she had so much energy and I could wring my clothes out when I was finished.

So why am I going back tonight?

Because my fat ass is a glutton for punishment....

11 months!

2011-07-16T11:02:00.000-07:00

I'm 11 months old today!

Childrearing Lesson # 150

2011-06-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

What happens when you don't pay attention to a teething child in the grocery store?
They eat a frozen pizza.

A Difficult Game

2011-06-20T14:32:00.000-07:00

Among the many new tasks I have to do for my "new" position the staff schedule is probably my LEAST favorite. Including the PRN staff there are over 40 employees in my department. They all have unique availability with school schedules, sitter schedules, and the fun fact that I need 24 hour coverage. Some do 8 hour shifts only some do 12 hours shifts only. Others like doubles or a mixture of the 3.

But not all together.

Or they want them all together in one long marathon of work with a longer stretch off between. I have a grid of boxes. The top of the boxes is the date. The side of the boxes are the employees. The bottom boxes are my shift tally. With all the availability issues, scheduling for my department is kind of like a very complex game of chess.

If the pieces yelled at you.

I have learned that you can never make everyone happy...especially with their schedules.

The Cutest Little Business Man EVER!

2011-06-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

Jack at his baptism.

Shit Really Does Run Downhill

2011-06-07T15:51:00.000-07:00

Since becoming the supervisor in my department my job duties have changed drastically. I never knew so much was involved behind the scenes to running a hospital. I have been going to meetings with the other "leadership" in the hospital and it has been another eye opener. When I go to these meetings everyone is like "We're so awesome! This is the Best hospital EVER! We Can Do Anything!! Great Job Everyone!!!!" Everyone is smart and positive and glowy. Then I go back to my department with the people who are on the front lines. The ones who do all the heavy lifting.

They are not so positive and definitely no one is glowy.

I kind of want to stay at the meetings. Who wouldn't? Job satisfaction greatly improves the higher you go up the ladder. I've really had to adjust my mindset drastically which was surprising to me since I've only gone up one small rung. But I'm not "one of the gang" anymore. What I say has some weight to it. I represent more than just myself. I also have to make hard decisions now that I didn't have to before. I have to deal with the fact that some people are going to hate me just because I'm the boss. I also have resistance from others because they know me as a coworker and now they have to listen to me. There are a few in particular that have no respect for me as their boss and are giving me a hard time. I'm not sure how to handle them. They are confrontational people and try to bully me into getting their way. I just try to keep consistent and hope that with time they will accept me.

What else should I do to earn their respect? How do you handle confrontational people?

Silly Daddy

2011-05-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

Can you tell who dressed me this morning? Notice the red Christmas socks? Too funny!

I have a real post planned about work, I just need to find the time to write it so stay tuned...

Nine Months

2011-05-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

Jackson,

I cannot believe you're already nine months! You're such a big boy and you think you're even bigger than you are. Your BFF is a 6 year old and I know that you think that you are peers.
You're the most nosy, curious little guy and get into absolutely EVERYTHING.
And everything goes into your mouth. Sometimes you bite, but we're working on that. Right now you have 4 teeth and working on 3 more which makes you really crabby at times. Speaking of crabby...you're "baby mood swing". One minute you're happy and giggly and the next you're screaming your little head off. Every night it's a huge surprise that you have to put on pajamas. We argue and you cry. We argue a lot. You very much have your own opinions and ideas about what you're going to do. Like standing in the bathtub. And standing in your carseat. You'd be a lot happier if you could ride standing in the backseat of the car with your head hanging out the window to let the wind blow your little hair.

You love to stand.

You pull yourself up on everything and walk all along the furniture and coffee table. I don't think it will be too much longer until you take off on your own. Then we're really screwed.

Because you're fast

I wish I could tell you your favorite food, but you are such a good eater there is very little you don't love. You kick your little legs and grunt for more at most every meal. We've been giving you bits of real food to try instead of just baby food. Like cooked carrots, fruit, pieces of bread, and cheese. You do seem to REALLY love cheese though. That's how I know you're my kid because you look a LOT like your Daddy.

You love playing with your toys now and especially love anything that has wheels that you can push back and forth. Cars, trucks, the bottom rack of the dishwasher...you love to push them around for hours. You're also fascinated by the vacuum cleaner. You chase me all over the house while I vacuum. For some reason it fascinates you instead of scares you. In fact very little scares my fearless guy. Except the car wash. I'm not sure why.

Everywhere we go everyone loves you and you love to turn on the charm. Giggling, smiling, and flirting. You're definitely a charmer.

Jack-in-a-box

And we love you.

Love,
Mommy

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

So far I'm really enjoying my first Mother's Day. Spiderman let me sleep in until 10....that hasn't happened in FOREVER. Then he made me breakfast and later we went to join our mothers for lunch. The rest of the day was spent hanging with my little man. Happy Mother's Day from me and Jack!

Three Days

2011-05-02T17:52:00.000-07:00

That's how long it took me to come off my NYC high. The Workshop was WONDERFUL! There are no words to describe how life changing it was for me. I met some awe inspiring women who have caused me to rethink so many things about my life.

So where have I been?

I got back and hit the ground running. Since then I've been busy trying to implement some of the things I've learned. I am trying to change my outlook, declutter my house and life of all things unwanted, plan an educational symposium at work, plan Jack's baptism (finally), "play" more, exercise more, and generally be happy more.

We had Spiderman's birthday, Easter, and my sister's birthday. I helped my sister move into her new apartment and now my grandmother's in the hospital (and soon to be moving into assisted living).

I'm desperately trying to not let the "dementors" at my work poison my soul again. There are people there who are so miserable and hateful that they want to make my life miserable and see me fail. I will not let them.

Change is hard and takes time, but I think I have made some positive steps.

So what have YOU been up to?

The Longest 2 Days EVER!

2011-04-05T18:14:00.001-07:00

I don't often do things just because I want to. I usually have a reason. Something to gain. It usually has a purpose. I spend much of my time working. At work, at home, sometimes even Jack is work. It's easy to lose yourself in the daily grind.

I also have many regrets in my 33 years. Things I wished I'd done. I don't want to keep accumulating them.

Ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to go to NYC. I remember playing with my Day & Night Barbie and imagining I was her. I would live in the city and be a business lady by day and turn my skirt around and party by night. I have not done that. In fact, I have never even been to New York.

But that is about to change.

My awesome sister-in-law is the founder of the Triple W Forum. It's a working woman's workshop that helps women going through life changes to integrate work with their home lives and to identify and achieve their goals. She recently launched her first workshop here in Chicago this past fall and it was HUGELY successful. Having just had Jack I was unable to go and I was very disappointed, but I told her that I would try to go to the next one. Well, the next one is in New York! With my surgery and the complications and crap I wasn't sure if I should go. I mean, it's expensive. I would have to take a day off work and I used up all my PTO with medical stuff. There were a million reasons not to go.

Basically, I talked myself out of going. Last Sunday after having a totally craptastic week at work I decided to call my sister-in-law. "Is it too late to sign up?" I asked her. She said no. I then talked to Spiderman and he said if I wanted to I should just do it. He encouraged me to book it right then before I changed my mind.

So I did.

This Thursday evening, after I get off work, I am flying to New York. I CAN HARDLY STAND IT!!!!! The workshop is going to be Awesome. I'm going to meet some fabulous women and hopefully learn some things from them. Plus? I'm going to get the chance to do some sight-seeing before I come home on Sunday. While I'm going to miss my boys terribly I have to admit this is going to be Wonderful! To want to do something and just do it? It feels so decadent!

So my question is: If you were going to New York for the first time what would you HAVE to see?

I'm officially an asshole

2011-03-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

We had a few nice days last week so Spiderman and I took Jack to the park on St. Patrick's day to use the baby swings. While we're there swinging another couple comes up with their little girl. She's really teeny and cute and they start pushing her on the swing next to us.

All of us new parents are taking pictures and making faces and the kids are looking at times like tiny hostages of the paparazzi. The father of the little girl was very chatty and asked us how old Jack was. I told him 7 months and thought "Oh, no" by the expression on the couples faces. I hate when parents get into the developmental Olympics. "How old is your little one?" I asked. "Nine months", they replied. Their little girl was half Jack's size.

This happens a lot.
Jack is babyzilla.

I told them that Jack is in the 95th percentile in both height and weight and that he's just huge. I was hoping that this would be a comfort to them, but Spiderman said it just sounded like I was bragging. I didn't want to seem like I was bragging so I told them how my sister was really petite when she was little. That the dr's used to measure her every time my mom took her to the dr and they thought she was going to be a midget, but she eventually caught up. I thought I was being reassuring and the more I kept talking the more I was digging myself into a hole. Diarrhea of the mouth if you will.

Eventually the couple took their little girl and went on the slides. I wanted to call after them "Really, I'm a nice person!" "I have friends!"
But it was too late. I can't really say that I blame them.

I'm officially an asshole.

Trouble and a Half

2011-03-21T17:18:00.000-07:00

So what's new with me? I've been reading my Kindle like crazy. I discovered The Hunger Games and obsessively read them all one right after the other. Seriously good books! Now I'm trying to deal with the depression and withdrawl that comes with finishing a good series. Those of you readers know what I'm talking about.

Also? As of tonight Spiderman and I are officially in trouble.

Proud Mama

2011-03-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Partially because I'm lazy and partially because I want to have a nice, happy, not-about-me-being-sick post I'm going to talk about Jackson.
He's gotten SO big and such a little personality. He sits up really well now and is *this* close to crawling. He gets up on all fours and rocks, eventually pushing himself into a sitting position. He still rolls everywhere though and gets into Everything. And everything goes into his mouth.
Isn't he the cutest almost 7 month old ever? He's always chattering away and he's very "busy". Always moving and looking around. Once he figures out the crawling thing we're in trouble. He's very smiley and giggly and loves his jumperoo. I call it maniacal jumping. Today he jumped for 45 minutes straight flailing his arms and squealing the whole time.

He is Spiderman's and my joy. How can you have a bad day when you see this happy little guy?

A Gift Horse

2011-03-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

I think the last post jinxed me. That evening I made a trip to the ER doubled over in pain. They sent me home with pain meds, and the next day my pee turned the color of tea.
I followed up with my Dr and after several tests and another trip to the ER they figure that a stone got out of my gallbladder before they removed it and is in the common bile duct blocking off my liver.
So that was keeping me busy for the last two weeks.
Tomorrow I go in to have them try to remove it.
Hopefully after this I will be back to normal......whatever that is.

Grateful

2011-02-27T17:21:00.000-08:00

Just like anyone else I've had crappy things happen in my life. Things that were hard to deal with. Things that majorly sucked. Lately, I've had a real run of good fortune and for that I feel grateful.
Things that I'm grateful for right this moment?

Spiderman's new job which has allowed me to stop worrying all the time about him getting fired and us living in a box.
The extra money that the above mentioned job has provided us with that helps us to afford not living in a box.
Since having my gallbladder removed I've become very aware of how lucky we all are to be healthy.
Spiderman and I were able to hire a sitter for Jack and went to a movie to spend some quality time with each other. (as new parents that's quite a feat!)
I'm eternally grateful that I have a wonderful hubby, son, family, and friends to share my life with.
When I was at Walgreens today I noticed that Easter candy has officially hit the shelves. (hey it can't all be deep)

I finally cracked.

2011-02-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

Anyone who's read this blog knows that I have an addiction to books. I want to read absolutely everything in an obsessive kind of way. In the past I've debated whether my combined love of reading and gadgets was enough to justify getting a Kindle. I never really came to a decision until recently. A coworker of mine got a Kindle for Christmas. I played around with hers a bit and then my mother got one too. She LOVES hers so when my birthday came around she asked if I'd like one. I told her of course I would. I think it was something that I wouldn't buy for myself, but would use if it was given to me.

The timing couldn't have been better since I was getting ready to have my surgery and would have time to read. I had to finish the hard copy of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo that I was currently reading and then last night I went onto Amazon and started looking for books to download. I got the sequel to Dragon Tattoo and The Hunger Games (two books I've been meaning to get.)

When Jack was new I barely had time to shower much less read. When I went back to work I had even less time. Lately though, he's developed his own little routine of going to bed every night between 7:30 and 8:30. This leaves me evenings open to relax, spend some time with Spiderman, and READ again.

I have a feeling I'm going to love my Kindle. It's pretty easy to use, it downloads quickly, and omygoshtheyhavefreeand99centbooks! So if you'll excuse me, I have some reading to do...

My Little Valentine

2011-02-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

Spend time with your Valentine's today!

At least I have good drugs.

2011-02-12T08:44:00.000-08:00

In case anyone was wondering having your gallbladdar removed sucks.

That is all.

Why Hello There.....

2011-02-08T18:29:00.000-08:00

Gosh, it's been FOREVER since I've posted. So what's new with me?
Well, last week we had Snowmageddon here and got around 23 inches of snow. The blizzard was so bad that several of my coworkers were trapped at the hospital for over 72 hours. Managing the "code white" and getting relief for them took up most of last week.

Then Friday was my 33rd Birthday. I was so exhausted from the stress of that week that I just vegged out and fell asleep early. My stomach is still a nightmare so I didn't even have a birthday cake. It was truly tragic.

This shouldn't be an issue for much longer because my surgery is tomorrow! I'm pretty nervous because this will be the first time I've ever been intubated. It's kind of a case of knowing too much and it's freaking me out. I am, however, MORE than ready to eat what I want without getting deathly ill.

With all that has been going on lately I've been feeling frumpy and unattractive. I hadn't had my hair done since Jack was a month old and it was a hot mess. The greys were showing and the hair itself was dry with split ends (probably from lack of nutrition due to my new diet of jello and more jello). On Saturday I decided to treat myself for my birthday. One cut, color, and deep condition later and goodbye "mom ponytail".

What do you think?

Do you think they'll let me keep it?

2011-01-29T14:53:00.000-08:00

This cold is lingering and I'm sick of it. I have to get over it soon because I found out I have gallstones and have to have my gallbladder removed. Like soon.

Since about a month after Jack was born I started having pain, vomiting, and diarrhea that has gotten progressively worse and more frequent. At first I thought it might be a great "diet", but the pain is kind of interfering with my life so I went to my doctor. They did an ultrasound and found the stones. Now I need to have it removed. At least it's done laproscopically. I did tell the doctor that if he found the flap of baby skin to be impeding him in any way I was totally willing to part with it. You know, to make things easier for him and all.

I am waiting for his office to call me back to schedule the surgery. I have to say I'm nervous. I've never been intubated before. I have pretty teeth and I'd like very much to keep them. I guess this is one instance where knowing too much can be a bad thing.

My mother is going to take some time off to help me with Jack since I won't be able to carry anything greater than 5 lbs for a week. I guess laying him on the floor and occasionally throwing puffs at him would probably be a bad idea so she's helping me.

Maybe during my downtime I'll be able to blog more.

Hi My Name Is Sarah...

2011-01-18T19:51:00.002-08:00

And I'm addicted to Afrin.

Well, used to be addicted. It could happen to anyone, I swear!

It starts out innocently enough. You have a cold and your nose is plugged up. If you're like me and primarily a nose breather (I can NOT breathe through my mouth) it can make for a miserable time. Especially at night when you're trying to sleep. So you buy some Afrin nose spray. One squirt up each nostril feeling the mentholated burn and within minutes you have clear nasal passages. You can Breathe again!! It's heaven. It worked so well that you do it again the next night. Aghhhhhh. Then 12 hours later it wears off and so you do another hit. Pretty soon it doesn't even last the whole 12 hours before your congestion returns and so you do another hit. Before long you're sniffing the stuff two or three squirts every four hours and your nose is bleeding like a coke fiend.

I mean, that's what probably happens.....cough.....not to me or anything.

So this past weekend, as I have been suffering a head cold, I have stayed strong and only used the Afrin one squirt at bedtime.

And that is enough.

Babies Are Like Terrorists

2011-01-11T19:27:00.001-08:00

I live in a constant state of fear.

Those of you who have or have ever had babies know what I'm talking about. Every morning I start my day terrified to go in and check on Jack. Afraid that something happened to him while I was asleep. That's how I wake up every day.

Terrified.

And I'd like to say it gets better, but no. I go to work and I'm afraid of everything that could happen to him while he's out of my sight. Or I'm afraid he'll like the sitter more than me (cuz my new sitter is the bomb). Then I pick him up and I'm afraid that I could trip and drop him or fall down the stairs holding him. When I walk across the room while he is laying on the floor I have a moment of panic that "what if I tripped and fell on him and crushed him".

Then there's the fear that he won't sleep that night. And then he does and I scurry around to do all the things that I have to do because I'm afraid he'll wake up. When he doesn't I fall into a coma and start the whole thing over again.

My baby is a terrorist.

He uses piercing screams and cries as weapons to strike fear into my heart. I am always at def con 1. High Alert!!! But like many captives of tiny dictators I have developed Stockholm syndrome. I love my little captor.

And every day the fear gets a little less. More manageable. I should have it under control just in time to have another one.

And start again.

And Do It With a Smile

2011-01-06T17:53:00.001-08:00

What happens when patients are treated like "customers"?

A woman comes to the ER with shortness of breath and chest pains.
Fix me! She cries.
But I won't take any nebulizer treatments or wear oxygen.
You can't draw any of my blood or do any of those "expensive" tests.
Could you also order me some lunch, turn on the TV, and hand me the phone?

What's taking you so long to help me? I'm fading fast...

My Big Boy

2011-01-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

Let's start the new year right shall we? With some gratuitous Jackson pics. Here's my big boy in his bib overalls that were a gift from a friend of the family. Thanks Lora!

Here he's just chillaxin' in his room. He looks older than 4 months in this picture doesn't he?

An Interesting Development

2010-12-31T15:07:00.000-08:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted much this week, but I've been busy with another work transition. It's something that was in the works for a while, but I couldn't really talk about it. As of the new year, I will be the new supervisor of my department! This week I have been "unofficially" learning my new job. So what does this mean for me?

I won't be doing as much direct patient care, but I do intend to help my coworkers out when I can so I don't lose my skills. Also, I probably won't be able to help myself. I like the clinical side.
I now get the hassle of making out the schedule for all 51 staff members at both campuses.
I get a set schedule of Mon-fri. Which is both nice, and annoying. Nice because I don't work weekends, but annoying because I'm used to working 12's and only being there a few days a week.
No more holidays. 'Nuff said.
I do have a beeper which, depending on the day, can be a real pain in the ass.
I also get a 10% raise. Hollah!

I'm both excited and nervous about this new development. Excited because I can do and learn some new things, and nervous because I know there will be people who will challenge me. We'll just have to see how it all turns out!

Hope everyone has a happy and safe New Year's!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T13:31:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the whole Spoonful Family.

Oprah May Be the Devil

2010-12-22T16:10:00.000-08:00

I have never particularly been a fan of Oprah. This goes back to when I was in college and was an audience member for her show. When the camera's are off she's not very nice.

Also, around that time I worked at Borders Books and would dread every book club announcement. Did you know that book stores are not told of the selection in advance? This is because until she announces her selection she can change her mind. Many of the books she would pick we would only have 1 of on the shelf. After the "big announcement" there would be hundreds of lemmings calling or coming into the store claiming that "Oprah said" they had to read this book and how dare we be out of it.

So you can imagine how long it's been since I'd actually seen an episode. A few mornings ago I was flipping channels and stopped at Oprah's Favorite Things episode. She gives away some pretty cool things. What amazed me however was the audience. There was a man rolling on the floor and sobbing over a Nikon camera. A woman was literally banging her head on the wall and sobbing over a diamond watch.

This, to me, does not seem like a proportional response.

I mean the frenzy this audience worked themselves into over stuff was appalling. Granted it was really cool stuff, but come on! I have never seen anything like it in my life!

I'm sure some of you have seen these episodes. Are they all like this, and what do YOU think of it?

The Santa Question

2010-12-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

I distinctly remember the moment I knew there was no Santa.

I was nine years old. There had been rumors circulating since I was in kindergarten and one snarky little boy told everyone in class. I chose not to believe him because my mother said that he was a bad little boy that Santa probably didn't visit anyway. I was never one of those kids who searched the house for my presents. I loved the surprise of Christmas morning so much I never even tried. It was a random day two weeks or so before Christmas and my mother was in the bathroom calling to me that she was out of toilet paper and could I bring her some. I went into the laundry room where we kept the spare toilet paper and saw a big black garbage bag and peeking out of the top was Topple (remember Topple?). The game I had specifically asked for from Santa.

I have never had a good poker face. Everything I am thinking is always blatantly showing all over my face. I'm sure my mother could tell there was something wrong. I was conflicted the rest of the day and eventually my mother asked me if I had seen my presents. I nodded. Did that mean there was no Santa I asked. No she said. I was quiet for a moment. And no Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy either? Nope she said.

Finding out about Santa is not only a rite of passage for us all, but it's also the death of magic. Up until then we have that blind belief that anything's possible. We believe in Santa, and unicorns. We believe that our parents are perfect and can fix anything. It's kind of sad when those beliefs are gone.

That's not to say that I won't tell Jackson about Santa. I want him to have that magic. Even if it's only for a short time.

How old were you when you stopped believing?

My Grown-Up Christmas List

2010-12-11T17:47:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago, my mother asked me what I wanted for Christmas. When you're a kid, you can rattle off a list of Barbies, My Little Ponies, and Strawberry Shortcake like nobody's business. As an adult, I had to really think.

Here's what I really want for Christmas and it can't be bought.

1. A clean house
2. A date night with Spiderman
3. An extra 8 hours in the day to get everything done
4. To lose 20 lbs
5. 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep (not just 8, I'm greedy like that)

What's on your Christmas list this year?

Just Good Enough

2010-12-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's my flair for drama, but I have always been prone to periods of melancholy. PPD was one of the things I feared most about having a baby. I wouldn't say that I have it, but sometimes I do feel very overwhelmed and a bit blue. I'm such a perfectionist and expect so much from myself that I seem to never live up to what I expect I can do. Motherhood is tough. I worry about not being a good mother. That when Jackson is fussy or cries too much it's a reflection on my parenting.

I worry about spending enough time with him. I worry that my husband will die and I'll have to do it myself. I worry that I will die and my husband will remarry and that woman will be mother to my child. I already hate this imaginary woman. I'm that crazy.

I'm sure it's a combination of hormones (I still haven't started my period again, umm...when will that happen?), being overtired, stress about $$ and the holidays, and upcoming changes at work(more on that later). I'm sure as time passes I will either get better at managing everything or resign myself to being "just good enough".

Exercise is good

2010-12-07T07:51:00.000-08:00

Since I'm off today, I decided to assemble Jack's exersaucer. He loves to stand and would do it all day if he could. Which makes it hard to get anything done, so I dug it out of the crawl space and decided to see if he likes it.

So far, so good. There is plenty there to keep him occupied and he liked the bouncy-ness of it.

But mostly?

He just wants to suck on it. Apparently it's yummy too.

I Hate Snow

2010-12-05T15:58:00.001-08:00

So I started my morning off in a ditch.

I had to work this morning and left my house at quarter to six. We'd had some snow this weekend so I always leave extra time to get to work so I can be careful. I was only a few blocks from my house on a side street when I hit a patch of ice and slid off the road. I wasn't really that far from the road, but just enough to need a tow truck. I have never called a tow truck before. I called Spiderman who gave me some numbers. The first number said they'd send someone right out. I put my hazard lights on and waited. 15 minutes later, a tow truck pulled up. I couldn't remember who I called and assumed it was them. The guy said that since I'd already called someone, he wouldn't "poach". I was like fine, whatever, I'll just sit here in my ditch then. As he was pulling away, I got a phone call on my cell from the other company saying they had to go to an accident and I should call someone else. F***!! I could still see the other guys tail lights, but he wouldn't come back! So I had to start over and call someone else.

And wait.

I finally got to work and was only 35 minutes late, but it set the tone for the rest of the day.

And to think it's only the beginning of December, much more snow to come....

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T06:22:00.000-08:00

Just a few things I'm thankful for this year.....

Jammies with Turkey feet.
And this happy little guy.
Hope you all have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

AMA's

2010-11-22T18:24:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else see the American Music Awards last night? I only saw parts of the show. I thought Pink and Usher's performances were pretty awesome. Again, I wish I could dance. I wasn't really aware of what Justin Beiber sang until I saw him perform. Not bad for a fetus.
I missed the performance by NKOTB and Backstreet Boys, but I watched it today on YouTube. There's nothing sadder than aging former boy bands. There's a kind of air of desperation about them.
My favorite part of the night? Taylor Swift's new look.

I think she looked so stylish and polished. I almost didn't recognize her. I love the straight hair and bangs. It was time she changed it up a bit.

What did you all think?

Ventilator Madness!!

2010-11-17T14:33:00.001-08:00

For all my respiratory homies out there, here's a funny video I found:

I Think Shopping is in Order

2010-11-16T16:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Prince William and Kate Middleton,

Congratulations on your engagement. I will be anxiously awaiting my invitation. I already have the perfect hat.

Warmly,
Sarah

Balance

2010-11-11T16:11:00.001-08:00

Now that I'm back at work I have a new appreciation for working mom's everywhere. How do they balance it all and work full time? Especially with the mommy guilt. I try to be the best wife/mother/worker/sister/daughter/friend I can be and it seems like I keep coming up short somewhere. How to give everyone a bit of my time so as not to feel neglected. And keep up with the day to day maintenance of life. Grocery shop, pay bills, do laundry, clean house....blog. I need to go to the health club more to work off this "baby" weight and that's a whole other hour away from Jack. Everything that takes me away from him makes me feel guilty. Especially on the days I work and don't get to see him all day.

It's a little overwhelming.

Any suggestions?

Survival

2010-11-09T17:05:00.000-08:00

I made it through my first day back at work. My charting is ridiculously slow. It took me forever to get through my patients today. Partly because of the new charting and partly because everyone kept stopping me to ask after Jack. And to look at the photo album I brought. (what kind of mom would I be if I didn't have one?) Thank goodness for my coworker Heidi or I never would have finished!

There were so many worries I had going back. That I would miss too much. That he would like the sitter more than us. I just had to tell myself that it would be the same amount of hours away from me a day when he went to school. Did I want to be one of those freak moms who pressed their faces against the window of his kindergarten classroom? I think it would be harder for me then because I'd have 5 years more of attachment. He ended up doing fine. And I did too. I didn't even call the sitter once. Everyone at work was impressed that I could resist it.

I was, however, worried about Spiderman. He had a routine dr's appt for his asthma yesterday and his blood pressure was very high. For someone who has never had any issues with this I was pretty worried. That's all I need is for my hubby to have a stroke! They referred him to a cardiologist and his appt was today. They gave him some meds, told him to exercise more, stay away from salt, and have an EKG. He has another appt in a month so keep your fingers crossed!

That's pretty much all for now since I'm completely exhausted.....

Dread

2010-11-08T17:56:00.000-08:00

So.
Tomorrow is it. The day I go back to work. I'm pretty worried, but I have everything possible done tonight so I have very little to do in the morning. Spiderman will drop him at the sitter and I will pick him up. I've been having trouble sleeping the past few nights worrying about things. My brain just won't shut off. I just have to make it through the first day right? Then it will get better.

So tonight I'm going to take a bath, pop a unisom and head to bed.

Wish me luck!

The End of Respiratory Care Week

2010-11-01T08:20:00.001-07:00

With last week being National Respiratory Care Week I'm going to take the time to mention one (of the many) of my work related pet peeves.
Asthma is a reactive airway disease. You are born with it. Like an allergy. Your airway comes into contact with an allergen and creates more mucus and constricts. This causes the wheezing sound associated with it. Wheezing, however, is not limited to asthma. There are other respiratory conditions that can make a person wheeze, like chronic bronchitis. Which leads me to my pet peeve.

You can not outgrow asthma.

When people say to me "I used to have asthma when I was a kid, but I outgrew it" it makes me crazy. Most of the time I politely correct them because I'm a nerd like that. I get irritated when people then look at me like I have no idea what I'm talking about because their sister/brother/cousin/self outgrew it. I mean it is only my JOB and all. It says it right in the title. RESPIRATORY therapist.

But anyway.....What I think happens is when dr's have a little one that wheezes they automatically think asthma. Which is good because with little airways asthma can be exceptionally dangerous. But the wheezing could be because the kid just has a cold (RSV-which is another pet peeve but we'll save that for another time shall we?) or some other respiratory condition. The treatment for wheezing is pretty much the same no matter what causes it so they label it asthma to cover their ass. Then they watch the kid. If the wheezing reoccurs continually and has a pattern to the recurrences then they're good because the kid probably has asthma. They then order a pulmonary function test....which is the only way to really diagnose asthma but can't really be performed until the kid is older.

If they never wheeze again or it only reoccurs a few more times the kid then has "outgrown" the asthma. And no one ever gets corrected. And the myth persists.....to make me nuts! Now if you have asthma as a kid that doesn't mean that it can't get better. You can get better at managing it. Avoid triggers and get on management meds. But if it truly is asthma you can still have an attack. I can't tell you how many asthmatics I have had in the ER who "outgrew" it until they had one bad attack that almost killed them.

And yes, Asthma can kill you. In high school a friend's sister had an attack and her airways closed off before she could get help. A former coworker had an attack and tried to drive herself to the hospital and didn't make it. It can happen. So to wrongly inform people that their disease can just "go away" is irresponsible.

In my opinion.

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-31T16:40:00.000-07:00

From my little dragon!

Spiderbaby

2010-10-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Daddy is so proud!

Big Changes Ahead

2010-10-26T08:07:00.001-07:00

Today I took Jackson to the sitter for a trial run. It's so strange to be here in the house by myself. I almost don't remember what it's like to have a baby-free house. I miss him.

This trial run is only in part for him and the sitter. It's also for me. I need to get used to leaving him since I go back to work in two weeks. That's right, TWO WEEKS! I can't believe how fast that time went. I have to say I'm completely terrified and freaked out. Everything in my life has changed so much. I've changed so much. I'm not a huge fan of change and I'm not sure how I'm going to handle all of it. While I was gone the chamber got a new computer charting system. I'm going to have to learn it when I get back while I'm still doing my job as usual. So I can't even go back to my same routine at work. It'll be all f'd up. Plus I'll be stressed about Jack and missing him. I hope my coworkers help me out because I'm going to be a mess.

Then there's a tiny part of me that wants to go back to work. I miss my job. I miss the people. I'll be a little relieved to not be the only person responsible for Jack's care. Is that wrong? I'm sure that in a few weeks I'll have developed a new routine with work and Jack and won't even remember how scared I was. I just have to take everything as it comes and try to juggle what I can right?

So today I'll catch up on my blog, housecleaning, and maybe go the the gym. I'll make cupcakes and run errands.

And try not to drive by the sitter's house......

2 Months

2010-10-25T07:58:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Turns out babies are a huge time suck. Especially mine. He's the most curious little boy. He's so nosy and is always looking around. He will NOT nap during the day. He actually fights it. I think he's afraid he will miss something. I can't really blame him cuz he's so stinkin' cute. And the nosiness? He gets from me. He loves to play with his exercise mat. It can occupy him for almost an hour. He's even started to grab at the things hanging. He does NOT, however, like tummy time. He gets so frustrated and the time usually ends in screaming and tears. I've never seen a baby more pissed off that he's a baby before. He wants to go go go and he can't. He's the happiest when he's standing up like a big boy looking around. Go figure.

He rolled over from his front to his back on Friday. We were both pretty excited, but I haven't been able to get him to do it again. You'd think he'd cured cancer the way I was applauding and carrying on. I'm just so happy that he's actually doing things. He's also very chatty like his mom. He's always cooing away even when he's by himself. It's super cute. The only way we can get him to nap is lying on one of us which is not very convenient if you want to actually DO anything with your day. But how can you get mad at this sweet little face? And those smoochin lips and cheeks? I'm surprised they're not chapped from the many kisses I give him.

Needless to say, I'm really dreading going back to work!

Sometimes He Drives me Crazy!

2010-10-15T14:45:00.001-07:00

Things that irritate me about my husband:

he would rather dress from the laundry basket than put his clothes away
he believes that there is an infinite amount of time to complete any task
he snores like nobody's business
he spends most of his time watching sports, ESPN, or updating his fantasy team
the rest of the time is spent watching cartoons (The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park)
his ability to not hear a screaming, crying baby that I can hear with ear plugs in, from the other room

Things that I Love about my husband:

he is the carrier of all things heavy
he has completely taken over litter box duty
he never makes me mow the lawn
he loves to make me dinner
he likes to eat the edges of brownies and cakes so I can eat the middle pieces
his butt

And most importantly....he puts up with all my crazy annoying shit.

Wordless Wednesday-My Cutie

2010-10-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

A Night in Chi-Town

2010-10-12T09:35:00.000-07:00

Spiderman and I spent the weekend in Chicago for our anniversary While Jackson spent the night at his grandma's. One of the first stops we made was at the Hershey store. I am a total chocoholic and LOVE the Hershey store. When I saw this I had to get it. It's the world's largest Reece's cups! I set it next to the remote control for the TV for scale.
Here's me trying my damnest to eat one of the cups. Even I couldn't finish it. Well, I could have if I wanted to make myself sick.

Then for dinner we went to a restaurant called Catch 35. It's a fancy seafood restaurant and OMG was it good. We had 1/2 dozen grilled oysters for an appetizer. I'd never had oysters before and they looked kinda like a giant booger, but they were great. Then I had halibut with a wine/butter sauce with crab meat and portobello mushrooms. I could eat that every day it was so awesome. Spiderman had scallops over Parmesan risotto. Everything was delicious and the scallops melted in your mouth. (of course I had to taste them too!) I think that's one of the perks of marriage. When you go out you get to try twice as many dishes because you get to eat some of your hubbys. Or maybe that's only me.

After dinner we took a cab to Old Town to see Second City. We've been to shows there before and I can honestly say I've never seen a bad one. That night was no exception. We had tickets for the 11 o'clock show and I was slightly concerned that I wouldn't be able to stay up for it, but after tons-o-coffee I made it through. Actually, I was still up and wired at 2am. At the show the couple in front of us was nice enough to take our "anniversary photo".

What do you think? My dress is new and supah hot. When you're a new mom, covered in spit up and barely able to shower it's nice to occasionally wear a hot dress.

A fun time was had by all.

Damn You James Cameron!

2010-10-08T09:34:00.001-07:00

Is it just me or have you noticed that there are suddenly WAY too many movies coming out with the tagline "in 3D"? I blame James Cameron and the success of Avatar.
After that movie came out and was so successful we now have:
Step Up 3D
Toy Story 3D
Saw 3D
Piranha 3D
Megamind 3D
Jackass 3D

There may be even more, but I have stopped counting. I mean, seriously? What exactly is wrong with watching a movie in 2D again? I enjoy it. With my motion sickness, 3D makes me a little nauseous. I think we should protest and not see any movie that claims the 3D tagline.

What's your opinion on 3D? Love it/hate it? Enough already?

4 Years

2010-10-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

Today is my 4 year wedding anniversary. We've been together 8 years total. This time last year Spiderman and I were in the Bahamas. It's hard to imagine. SO much has changed. We always take a picture on our anniversary and some time I hope to gather them all and put them in an album so we can see the changes every year. This is last year's. I was very smiley after drinking nearly an entire bottle of champagne by myself.

I love champagne.

Happy Anniversary Baby. I love you!

True and Funny

2010-10-06T09:55:00.000-07:00

I received this email forward today and found it extremely funny and true. Being the lazy beast that I am I thought I'd share it with you instead of writing a real post so here goes:

Truths for Mature Humans

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974.That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.

Sorry For This Rant, But it Can't be Helped.

2010-10-03T13:41:00.001-07:00

I'm going to warn you ahead of time. This post may piss some people off, but I am still compelled to write it because you know what? It's MY blog.

Today as I was driving home from my local Target, there were about 100 people lined up along the main drag of my little town. They were holding signs saying Abortion kills children, Abortion hurts Women, Adoption is the better Option, and Pro-Life. I think that the pro-life stance over simplifies a decision that is way more complex.

I don't think it's really appropriate to have the opposing sides be called pro-life/pro-choice. I mean we're all pro-life. No one in either party is pro-death are they? No one really wants to "kill" babies. I don't think that the women having abortions feel that they really have other options. I mean sure, they could give the child up for adoption. I considered adoption myself when I thought I couldn't have children. I still may.

I wanted to stop and ask the people holding signs how many adopted children each of them had. It's easy to "stand up" for the unborn and then not give two shits about them after that. Once they are born they're on their own aren't they? These people aren't going to adopt them, they aren't going to help raise them, and they sure as hell don't want to pay for them. I think it's more than a little hypocritical.

My opinion? Who the hell am I to make such a life changing decision for someone else when I personally don't have to accept responsibility.

As far as the religious implications of abortion? I think that's between the individual and their God. It seems to me it's the self righteous religious people who become obsessed with this cause. Of course THEY know how best for everyone else to live. Because they are such shining examples of perfection? Their sin-free lives should be an example to everyone? Puleeze!!! We as a people need to start worrying about our own lives and cutting others some slack. Who among us is so 100% sure that they're going straight to heaven that they can afford to spend time passing judgement on others. I doubt many can say that.

I mean, what are they really worried about? That NASCAR , Walmart, and holy-roller revival attendance will suffer if abortion is allowed? That jean bib overall production will plummet? Who will they feel better than if there are fewer welfare momma's and crack babies for them to click their tongues at?

*sigh*

Okay, I'm done spewing my anger.

Thanks for listening.

Dancing with a Star

2010-10-02T07:50:00.000-07:00

I have always loved to watch people dance. I love musicals, America's next dance crew, and music videos. Anything where people are dancing all choreographed and in sync mesmerizes me. Unfortunately, when it comes to dance I have no rhythm or coordination. I wish I did.
Especially after watching this video:

It makes me want to join in. Do you think Usher would come to my house and teach me to dance?

Baby Crack

2010-09-27T14:45:00.000-07:00

Since I am raising a little boy who eats like he's a teenager I have had to start giving Jack supplemental bottles of formula. My milk just cannot keep up. Plus, he's a much happier little guy when he sucks down the formula. We had several bottles of Enfamil that the hospital gave us of the premixed formula. Apparently this is baby crack. He would inhale that stuff and we went through it pretty quickly. Now we've moved on to the powder form which he digs, but not as much.

So what does this mean for me? I get slightly more sleep because Spiderman can give him a bottle. Also? I don't have to always whip my boob out in public. As much as I loved doing that, we had some logistical problems. The really cool nursing cover that a girlfriend gave me had polka dots on it and the bright print completely distracts Jack. He spends the whole time looking at it and can't focus on the goal. It takes twice as long to feed him with it. Another benefit of a breast milk/formula combo diet is when I go back to work. It will make things much easier for everyone involved if he can be fed by a sitter.

As for the sitter situation: it's still up in the air. I'm stressing about it because I go back to work in a little over 6 weeks and have NO idea where he's going. Part of me would like to put him in a sling and take him with me. I know exactly where in our department I could set up the pack and play and everything. Realistically that's just not possible. Plus I think it would be good for both Jack and I if I get some time away to be with big people. I need to work. Not just for the money, but for my sanity.

I joined a cool website called Care.com. It lets you post a job listing and sends you responses from people in your area. I've sent emails to a few to set up interviews so keep your fingers crossed. Also? If you happen to live in NWI and know of someone who watches infants can you let me know?

All you working mom's out there: What did you do about child care?

I'm A Bad Mother

2010-09-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

Right now Jackson is sleeping in his swing. He does that a lot. I depend on that thing WAY too much. It's just that he loves it so and is so screamy when he's not in it. We've even moved it to our bedroom so that when he's up in the middle of the night I can put him in it and go back to bed.

Because people, I am tired.

How did I manage to get such a high maintenance kid? I mean, I'm not high maintenance or anything..... Little dude wants to be held like ALL.THE.TIME. And he's also starving. ALL.THE.TIME. My boobs can't keep up. Most of the time he just wants to use me as a very warm bodied pacifier. Spiderman doesn't see anything wrong with this. I think it's because he wishes he could too. We feed Jack and put him down at about 10pm. He's up anywhere from 1-3 to eat and then he's all wide eye'd like "hey what's on TV?" The other night we watched back-to-back Three's Company's at 3am. 3AM!! When did I give birth to a club kid?

Last weekend I very much needed a break. On saturday I left Jack for the first time for the afternoon. At noon I went to get my hair done and then went to the mall with a girlfriend while he stayed home with Dad. We only meant to be gone for a few hours but I ended up coming home at 6:30pm. I felt so guilty. Because I actually forgot I had a baby for a little while. When I got home it was like I forgot what he looked like. I felt so bad! Then on Sunday my mother came over and watched him while Spiderman and I went to dinner and a movie. We mostly talked about Jack and wondered what he was doing. It was so weird.

I don't even want to think about what it'll be like when I go back to work!

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2010-09-20T18:56:00.000-07:00

Jack and I are going to be too busy spending the day with Grandma today to post anything real.
Maybe tomorrow.

One Month

2010-09-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Jackson is a month old today! Does that mean his warranty is up? He is getting so big. He's already outgrowing his newborn clothes and jammies. It makes me a little sad to pack them away.

We've done a lot this past week. We went with Daddy to watch his first Football Sunday. Notice the matching jersey's? I got his at Babyland for $4. How awesome is that?

My two bad ass dudes.

Yesterday he just discovered that there are things hanging above his swing. He has been swinging in that thing all month and yesterday he was all when did that get there? It's amazing to see him learn new things every day. I'm kind of jealous of that. I mean when was the last time you stared at your hand for an hour and thought. How cool is that?

I haven't really posted much this week because we have also been dealing with a new problem. I call is Dr. Jackson and Mr. Hyde. During the day he's all sweet and cute and smiley.

And then suddenly around 7 or 8pm he becomes all screamy and inconsolable.
This usually lasts till around 2 or 4am when everyone passes out. Every night. Needless to say no one is getting much sleep around here and we're all a little edgy. I also have a permanent set of dark circles and a head cold. I don't know what to do for the little guy. We've tried Mylecon drops, pumping his little legs, massages, warm compresses, driving, singing, reading, swinging, tummy time, giving up dairy, giving up pop (not helpful with all the tired), giving up practically all foods in general. I have thought about leaving him in a basket on some one's doorstep, but I would miss the little booger.

Last night, at around 8 I have him a 2 oz bottle of formula that we had left over from the hospital with a boob milk chaser. He ate again at midnight fussed for 30 minutes and fell asleep.

Until 7 am.

I thought he was dead.

Both Spiderman and I got up every hour to check on him, but he was just sleeping. Like a baby. He woke up this morning all content and smiley with a diaper that weighed at least 10 lbs in pee. Go figure. I guess we'll try the formula thing again tonight and I'm also going to start him on a pro biotic my pediatrician recommended. Hopefully, he'll have another good night.
We don't want the return of Mr. Hyde.

Did I SAY you could take a picture of me?

If it doesn't work, does anyone have a nice basket I could borrow?

TV Night

2010-09-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

It's no surprise to my reader(s) that I love me some TV. I always have. I also have a tendency to become addicted to shows. ie True Blood, Alias, Greys Anatomy....
This week I have discovered a new show. We Channel's My Fair Wedding with David Tutera. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It totally makes me want to have a wedding again. That's a huge deal since I thought planning and preparing for my wedding was the biggest pain in the ass. I hated every minute of it. But I totally love David Tutera. He's such a sweetie and I think he could be my new BFF. I just want to hang out with him and go to lunch or something.
Today I watched back-to-back episodes where the brides had themes that were just awful. One was a Texas bride who wanted a cowgirl theme complete with farm animals and purple cowgirl boots to wear with her wedding dress. The other was a bride who wanted a Pirate themed wedding. What I cannot believe is that David took these themes and made them elegant and beautiful. He also made changes and dealt with the brides in a way that did not insult them or make them upset. I don't know if I could be that nice. I mean, the episode that's on now? She has a plum colored bejeweled wedding dress with a rhinestone covered magic wand and her bridesmaids are dressed as peasants. WTF? But here's David trying to "understand" her concept.

I love him.

I'm also excited because tonight is not only the season premiere of the Vampire Diaries, but the pilot of Nikita. About 10 years ago I was totally addicted to La Femme Nikita. It would come on around 1am and I was working 3-11's at the time. By the time I got home from work, ate something and showered, it would be on. I watched it EVERY night. I'm interested to see what this new version brings. It looks to be the story of La Femme Nikita but with the feeling of Alias. How could that be bad?

Has anyone else seen these shows? What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Jack says, Happy Hump Day!

Poor Little Kitties

2010-09-07T09:12:00.001-07:00

Someone is dozing in his swing (thank God for that thing!) and is allowing me some time to post.

I'm sure some of you are wondering how my furry babies are handling the arrival of the newest baby. The answer? Surprisingly well. They are curious about him and smell him a lot, and are terrified of him when he cries. They have also discovered some advantages to having a baby around. Boxes. They Love them. I have been trying to spend a little individual kitty time with them, but it's hard since someone else takes up most of my time right now. I feel kinda bad for them, but I'm sure once the "newness" wears off from being a parent and I get into some kind of routine I will be able to focus on more than just Jack.

Until that happens? At least they have each other.

He's a Model Baby

2010-09-03T10:06:00.000-07:00

Somebody has his days and nights mixed up a little this week. I haven't really been sleeping well and today I have a Massive Headache. Not that I would EVER do this, but I can see where shaken baby syndrome comes from. It can be very frustrating to be exhausted and up with a child who won't stop screaming for hours. It's a good thing he didn't start acting like a jerk till now or we would have left him at the hospital. (Just kidding mom!)

Also? He's seriously cute, even when he's screaming bloody murder. He has this cry that sounds just like the Count on Sesame Street. As promised, here are some of the photo's from Jack's shoot with Beth Fletcher Photography this past weekend. The pictures are gorgeous!

Here's a family one that I just HAVE to frame:
And here's my smiley guy, he smiles a lot and I don't think it's all gas! I have the perfect frame for this one.

Now here's where I need your help. I'm looking for another one to blow up and frame with the family picture. I can't decide between this one:

or this one:

I like that Jack has his eyes open in the second one, but the colors are so luscious in the sleeping one. We'll definitely get copies of all the photos she took (too many to post here), but I only want a few to blow up and frame.

Help! Which one do you like best?

Catching Up.

2010-09-01T12:31:00.000-07:00

Let's see....what's new? I still have a baby. I still dig him. It's surreal. I keep expecting his parents to show up and get him.
I haven't really left the house too much. Last week, there was a day that wasn't so stiflingly hot and Spiderman took Jack and I to the bookstore. Afterwards I just couldn't bear going back in the house. I went to sit in some Adirondack chairs that I have set up in my front yard. We've really been slacking on the weed front this summer as I haven't really been able to do much and I had to pull up several weeds to get to the chairs. Come to find out, not all of them were weeds.

Some of them were poison ivy.

Yep. I now have poison ivy.

On top of still recovering from a c-section I am also covered in poison ivy. My arms, legs and abdomen. It's just awesome. And itchy.

So to recap? I am tired, achy (my incision), and itchy. So yeah, tons of fun. But this past weekend Jack had a photo shoot with a Fabulous friend and photographer and I'll post some of the pics from that soon. I'm having trouble deciding between a few of them to frame and I want some opinions. But for now, I'll go since I can hear a little munchkin waking from his nap.

See? I CAN Still Post About Non-Baby Stuff!

2010-08-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Is it possible to gain weight from watching the Food and Cooking Network all day long? When I was in the hospital I had limited cable channels, but I did have the Food Network and HGTV. Since I've been home those seem to be the two things I watch the most of. Jack seems to like it, and it is one of those things you can have on as background noise and not be irritated by it. Now the E! Channel, on the other hand, is my guilty pleasure. Spiderman sighs and rolls his eyes when I watch E! News or the Kardashians. I have to watch it on the sly. This has become really hard for me since he's been home with Jack and I these past 2 weeks.

One afternoon I did get to watch several old episodes in a row while he was out running errands. I came across the episode where Kourtney gives Khloe a bikini wax and she claims she's also done anal bleaching on people. Hold on......what?......anal bleaching? I was all WTF is anal bleaching? Of course I had to Google that shit. Apparently when you have all the hair removed from your lady parts you notice that your butt hole is a darker color than the skin around it. And some people feel the need to bleach it to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

Aesthetically pleasing? It's your butt hole for crying out loud. It's where poop comes from. That in itself is not all that pleasing of a concept. Maybe it's me and my irritable bowel, or the fact that I don't have a lot of traffic in that general area but this seems a bit excessive. I mean, are they getting complaints or something? Any guy who is lucky enough to be back there should thank his lucky stars and not be critiquing anything!

Tell me, what's your opinion on the topic? Am I getting really old, or does this seem a little much?

Wordless Wednesday- I think I have a Picture Taking Problem

2010-08-25T09:37:00.001-07:00

Already a Week Old

2010-08-23T19:42:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start this post by admitting something: I have never really liked babies.

*gasp*

When I tell people this they probably think I'm a horrible person. I mean babies are cute and all, but I usually prefer them when they're several months old and actually start doing things. When ever one of my friends would have a new baby I would hold them and coo over them, and then get bored pretty quickly and hand them back. I realized all this when I first got pregnant and was prepared to totally wait out the next few months until he was older and "more fun".
What I wasn't prepared for is to be totally and completely smitten. I could hold him and watch him all day long. It really is different when it's your own child. I think he's pretty cool. When he sleeps he's a cuddler and I love to smell his head and smooch his cheeks. When he's awake he's looking all around and loves to stare at my face and listen to me talk to him. He already has a little personality. The picture in the previous post where he's giving mommy the finger? He does that all on his own. A lot of the time. He is very into using his hands.

He's already my happy little monkey.
I mean who wouldn't love this sweet little face?

Our First Day Home

2010-08-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

Can I just start by saying that I don't know why anyone would have a baby without an epidural?
It was fabulous and wonderful. I went into the hospital early Monday morning after having contractions 3 minutes apart. The Dr came in and broke my water (which was strange) and started me on Pitosin (which was horrible). The contractions were 30 seconds apart and were so awful that I thought I was going to die! Then they gave me the epidural. *sigh* I didn't feel a thing after that and even took a nap.
When I was finally dilated to 10 and ready to push it was about 4pm. I pushed for an hour and a half and little Jack's heart rate dropped with every push. They suspected the cord was wrapped around his neck and decided to do an emergency c-section. It all happened pretty fast and felt like and out of body experience. Even though the c-section was unplanned I'm glad that we had it. Turns out the cord was wrapped pretty tightly around his neck 3 times! I think it was all that movin' and shakin' he did.
We came home today and I'm still extremely sore but I have good pain meds.
Jack and I on the other hand are having eating issues. I want him to eat and he wants to sleep 14 hours a day. Part of me is like "that's my boy" but he needs to eat!!! He latches on, takes a few really good pulls and falls asleep. Other than the not eating, he's pretty cute. We like him. When he's awake he's very awake and a bit of a busybody. He looks at people when they talk like he's trying to focus on them. He also has a bit of a sassy attitude.
I wouldn't be a good mom or blogger if I didn't post some pics so here they are:

Here he is smiling at his Auntie Abbie.
Here he's chillaxin' on his boppy.

I was trying to get a picture of the alligator on his t-shirt and he decided to show me some of his attitude.

Spiderman loves him and pretty much wants to hold him All. The. Time.

So that's all I have the energy for today. I'm off to put my swollen feet up and take a percoset!

He's Arrived!

2010-08-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

After over 12 hours of labor, 2 hours of pushing and an emergency c-section he has arrived!

Jackson Daniel Connelly 8/16/10 5:24pm

8 lbs 11 oz, 21 inches long

We are all pretty exhausted here, but I'm sure I'll have more to post later! (especially my opinion of the epidural)

What Every Baby Needs

2010-08-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

Ninja Baby now has his very own nun chucks courtesy of my friend Angela. They're pretty awesome! Spiderman says that now his Ninja training can officially begin....if he ever comes out.

The Post Where I Talk about Poop.

2010-08-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Pregnancy is not for the faint of heart or shy of bladder that's for sure. I have peed in just about every single bathroom within a 20 mile radius of my house. There have even been times when I go to the store where that I use the bathroom upon first entering the store, do my shopping, and have to pee again before I leave. It's impressive. I could probably write reviews of all the bathrooms.

Pregnancy also does a number on your bowels. I have known many people over the years who tell me they can never poop in public. Actually, never poop anywhere other than their house. I have always found this amazing. Somewhere around the time of my parent's divorce (I was about 13) I developed a nervous stomach. Actually, Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Certain foods and undue stress have me either constipated or running to the bathroom. I don't have the luxury of having poop hang-ups. When I gotta go, I gotta go. I don't care where I am. I even have a certain "private" bathroom off the ICU that I use at work. Strategic pooping. That's what I call it. The last few weeks of this pregnancy have definitely done a number on my stomach. I think it's because it's like Dance Party USA in there with Ninja Baby acting like a Solid Gold dancer and pushing on my stomach and intestines.

Another interesting pregnancy development? Weird ass dreams. Some of my favorites include dead friends and relatives, breaking into a pet store and stealing kittens, and pregnant pole dancing complete with black maternity thong panties. Cuz that's what people want to see, right? A hugely pregnant stripper.

Anyway.

I'm also including probably the last belly shot I'll ever take. Thank GOD!

38 Million weeks pregnant

If one more person asks me if I'm having twins I'm going to poke them in the eye.

Finally, A Post About Something!

2010-07-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

Last week I was reading the newspaper and found an article about a woman in Illinois who was convicted of reckless homicide. She had been painting her fingernails while driving her car and hit and killed a woman on a motorcycle. PAINTING HER FINGERNAILS!?!?!?

I mean, when you get into your car and paint your fingernails that is a conscious decision to not even remotely pay attention to driving. She was saying to herself that the state of her nails was more important than driving. It's not like she was temporarily distracted. She never even tried to pay attention.

More shocking than this is the fact that after being found guilty she was only sentenced to 18 months of intermittent jail time. INTERMITTENT JAIL TIME?!?!? What does that mean? Well, it means that she only has to Sleep in the jail at night. During the day she can go to work, seek medical care, perform community service and attend therapy. So explain to me, HOW is this a punishment?

Oh, and why does she need to attend therapy? The article says that she is distraught by her situation and sees a therapist daily. Um.....yeah.....she should be distraught.....She KILLED someone because she's a vain idiot. A vain idiot who also thinks that her sentence is too harsh.

At what point do we start to accept responsibility for our own actions? Am I the only one who is irritated by this situation? Granted, I am guilty of talking on my cell phone while driving, but I think there has to be some kind of limit to driving distractions. I kinda think they should have made an example out of her and given her a bit harsher sentence.

What do YOU think?

Random Question

2010-07-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have a few posts in mind that I'm trying to get the energy up to write (also muster up some righteous indignation). Until then, I have a question for you all. It has been in the 100 degree area all weekend. Perfect weather for ice cream eating.

So tell me, on an ice cream cone which do you prefer: hand packed ice cream or soft serve?

Porno for Preggos

2010-07-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

Thanks to you all for your baby predictions. I think I favor the predictions that have him coming out earlier because I AM READY. I haven't been posting much because I can't focus. This is in part because I feel restless and because I can't seem to ever get comfortable. I keep trying to lure him out by promising to buy him toys. I used to promise him cake and candy, but who am I kidding, he gets those now.

I recently purchased this:

It's like porn for me. I have a major sweet tooth even without being pregnant and it's even worse now. It doesn't help that this cookbook has pictures. I just flip through the pages looking at all the pictures drooling. With recipes like caramel-chocolate mini bars, black bottom cherry cheesecake, dark chocolate truffle cupcakes, and raspberry champagne cream cake who can blame me?

While I'm on maternity leave, it is my goal to make as many of these desserts as I can.

Who wants to be my guinea pig?

I Hope He's Punctual

2010-07-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

Do you all notice the baby ticker on my sidebar? Well today it is at 34 days. 34 DAYS!!! It's coming up quickly. You know what that means......

Time for baby predictions!

My Official Due Date is Aug 15th. I'm kinda hoping he'll be a little earlier than that. My grandfather who passed away when I was little's birthday was Aug 7th. I think it would be cool for them to have the same Birthday. Also I have a friend born on Aug 9th. She's pulling for that day. I was 10 days early and Spiderman was way premature at 29 weeks so we do have a family history of earliness. (of course that was the first and last time Spiderman was early for ANYTHING)

So tell me, when do you think this kid's gonna be born?

Feels Good To Be Clean

2010-07-06T10:22:00.000-07:00

Like most people (I hope) I shower every day. I prefer to shower in the evening. There's something soothing about washing the day's filth and stink away before getting into bed. Plus it means I get to sleep in longer in the morning which I love, love, love. Not that I don't also sometimes shower again in the AM. I just prefer the evening.

Most days I shower out of necessity and habit. Another task to be done. Like brushing my teeth or doing laundry. I don't think about it. Then there are some days where I have what I like to call the Best. Shower. Ever.

Do you ever have those?

You know what I mean. When a shower is more than just a chore. It somehow refreshes and replenishes you. Washes away all the crap from the day and makes you feel great.
Some examples?

When you shower after a long day of traveling, whether it be by plane or a long car ride.
That shower after a day spent at the beach or pool and you are greasy and sticky with sweat and sunscreen.
The first shower after you've been sick for several days. When your hair is gross and sticking to your face from a fever long broken and you've been in the same pj's for a few days.
For me, when I've been working a 12 hour shift and I'm covered in god-knows-what and my own sweat. When my hair and body smell like old people and death.

So tell me, what are some of your contenders for Best Shower Ever?

A Little Guy's Room

2010-06-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

So for the most part Ninja Baby's room is done. We're still waiting for his glider to come in but other than that, it's looking like somebody's bedroom. So I decided to take some pictures for you all.
Here's a picture from the doorway. The ceiling is painted blue with clouds.
Here's his closet. This kid already has a shit ton of clothes.....thanks in large part to Grandma. His dresser is also full. And you can also see I've been stockpiling diapers in various sizes.

The pictures over his changing table were drawn and painted by my mother for my playroom when I was little. I reframed them.

The toybox was also mine when I was little. My Grandfather made it for me and it's extra special to me as he died when I was 3.

Here's his little crib and bookshelf. Notice how full his bookshelf is? Hopefully he'll have his momma's love of reading. I don't think he'll have much of a choice.

And the turtle? It's actually a nightlight. On the top of the shell is tiny little stars that project themselves onto the ceiling when you turn it on. It's wicked awesome.

So that's it. His room. Just waiting for him.

What do you all think?

Yea, Another Random Post!

2010-06-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have finished 99% of my Thank You's from the shower. My wrist hurts.

I spent the weekend chillin' at my mom's pool wearing my delightful maternity bathing suit. It's a paisly print halter-tarp.

At the pool I was diligent about putting on sun screen as preggo's are more sun sensitive.

Except that I am retarded and didn't want to get sunscreen in my hair and have a distinctive red line right at the hairline of sunburn.

SOMEbody is getting very big. I think it has a lot to do with all the cake I've been eating.

Our Pulmonary Function Lady is on vacation this week and I filled in for her today. I only had a few days training and have never done a test by myself before. I was completely terrified coming in this morning, but I survived. And I'm proud of myself for it.
This season of True Blood is Awesome, but is anyone else a little weirded out that Forney is a vamp?
I watched the trailer for the last Harry Potter movies and almost peed myself. All I could think of was who was going to watch the little guy so I can go see them!
Here's the trailer:

Anyone want to volunteer to watch a rugrat in November?

Time Sure Flies.....

2010-06-24T09:35:00.000-07:00

It's strange to think that one year ago today I was here:
Meeting one of my favorite authors Janet Evanovich in Chicago. So much has happened in a year's time.

No One Should Be Allowed to Drive But Me

2010-06-22T14:22:00.001-07:00

And maybe Spiderman.

Maybe.

And you too if you promise to be nice.

Yesterday I was almost hit twice. Once while I was in the parking lot of the hospital. I was driving an appropriate parking lot speed....25mph.... and heading toward the exit when some jerk comes flying down the aisle going at least 55 and almost T bones me. Many curses later, I continue home. I'm driving in the lane farthest left when suddenly a lady in her stupid SUV crosses from the far right turn lane, across 3 lanes and cuts me off. I could have licked her rear bumper that's how close she was. Oh, and did I mention that she didn't even have her turn signal on at all? More cursing and the finger on that one. I also hate that as I'm driving in the left passing lane (aka the fast lane) there are people in front of me who are getting into the left turn lane, but first have to come to an almost complete stop. Umm....THAT'S WHAT THE TURN LANE IS FOR!!! That's why it's there. And so long. So that you can get in it and THEN slow down and completely stop if you need to. Not slam on your brakes so that everyone else in the fast lane must do so also.

If other people insist on driving like idiots on the road with me then I think that I should get a dart gun and be allowed to blow out their tires as I see fit.

It's only fair.

A Foul Temper

2010-06-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

I am in a really foul mood today and don't really want to share that with you all.
So instead, you can go here to my mother's blog to look at some pictures of the baby shower.

I am going to make myself an angel food cake and try to snap out of this mood.

He's So Supportive

2010-06-18T14:02:00.001-07:00

Spiderman: You peed the bed last night, but don't worry I put down a towel.

Me: Did you ever think that maybe my water broke and you just put down a towel and went back to sleep?

Spiderman: Oh.

Yep. He's ready to be a father.

I'm still not sure where the water came from because neither I nor the pillow between my knees was wet this morning.....

Big Comfy Couch

2010-06-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

This may look like a regular couch, but it's not.

It's magic.

It is soft microfiber and comfy and for the past month I cannot sit on it for more than an hour without falling asleep. It's something about this couch. I have another, leather one that does not have this effect. It's almost like someone sprinkled it with sleeping powder or drugs or something wonderful. Today I went swimming at my mother's house. When I got home I sat on the couch to read for a little bit. Within 15 minutes I took what felt like a really long blink. It was over an hour. The magic couch struck again.

I wonder if it will work on babies?

It Might Be Easier to Just Move

2010-06-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

My house is a total disaster. I'm still sorting though all the piles of baby junk we got at the shower this past weekend. I would have had this all done, but Sunday was also TRUE BLOOD DAY!!! I really enjoyed the premiere (especially the totally gratuitous nakedness of Eric *sigh*) I think this season is going to be an awesome one!

The shower itself was fun if a little overwhelming. I always make an attempt to talk to everyone who was there and I'm not always comfortable being the sole center of attention. There were so many wonderful gifts and my friends were very helpful with the speedy opening of them. Almost to the point that I really didn't get to see everything that I got until I was home later. At some point this week I'll show you some of my favorite things.

I've had to work the past few days and that has taken up most of my time. So that brings me to today. And the mess that is my house. My sister and friend Angela are coming over to help me organize.

It may even require a trip to Target.

New Addiction

2010-06-08T13:26:00.001-07:00

Hi, my name is Sarah and I'm an addict.

I'm addicted to checking my baby registry online.

I check it at least every day. I can't help myself! I love to see what everyone is getting. My shower is Sunday and I can't wait to start putting all Ninja Baby's stuff in his room. After everything is all put together and set up, I'll post pics of his room. It's almost ready, but not quite.

This weekend is going to be awesome and I can't wait! My girlfriend Angela is coming up for the shower on Saturday with her little girl Tori and staying with me. Sunday is both the shower and the premiere of True Blood!!! My mother is ordering extra cupcakes for the shower so that I can take one home to eat while I'm watching. I don't know what I'm more excited about: the shower, the premiere, or the cupcakes! Did I mention that the cupcakes have buttercream frosting? Mmmmmmm....buttercream frosting.........

In other addiction news, I went to Borders yesterday after I got off work. I had a gift card left over from Christmas and wanted to look around. I spent $81!!! OMG!! I really need help. Although, two of the books were for a little guy. I hope that one thing I can pass on to Ninja Baby is my love for reading.

I'm sure gonna try.

Say Yes to Drugs!

2010-06-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

For the past two weeks Spiderman and I have been going to our birthing classes. Up until this point, I've been very good at NOT thinking that this kid has to come out. I mean, it's not like I can DO anything about it right? So why worry right?

Well in birthing classes they focus on....that's right.....birthing. I was looking through the book that they gave us and let me just say? Nothing about the process appeals to me. Also? 10 cm is a LOT bigger than you might think. Especially when you consider what has to get that big. The first class I spent a large portion having panic attacks. This week's class was better as we went over pain management options. I'm pretty open to whatever they can do to take the edge off. Just get the baby out quickly, safely, and relatively pain free. It's not like I'm a pioneer woman giving birth on the prairie.

I'm no stranger to pain. I've suffered from migraines my entire life. If I can manage to avoid any unnecessary pain I will do it. I'm not one of those women who wants to experience "natural" anything so that I feel like more of a woman. I want drugs thankyouverymuch!

That's pretty much all I have to say for now since Somebody is kicking the crap out of me and I'm going to go lie down.

Oh, and if you get a chance go to my mom's blog and look at the new header I designed. It's simple, but cute I think.

Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-31T14:05:00.000-07:00

Is it completely wrong of me that I'm a little bit happy that it's pouring rain here in the region today? I mean it's like God is saying "I'm sorry you have to work today...here you go: rain."

Or does that make me evil?

Welcome to Crazy Town!

2010-05-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

Some of you who frequently read this blog or who know me IRL know that I'm a worrier by nature and a little (lot) neurotic. Being pregnant has done nothing to help this state. Here are some things that I have been worrying about since I became pregnant in no particular order:

What if I/Spiderman/ the baby dies?
What if the baby has downe's syndrome/ cerebral palsy/ ANYTHING wrong with it?
What if I don't like him?
What if he doesn't like me?
What if I have a bleed or throw a clot during delivery?
What if he's born prematurely?
What if he grows up to be an asshole?
Or a Radical Republican?
Where am I going to put him while I'm working? ( I still haven't figured that out yet)
What if he's allergic to the cats?
I hope I don't have postpartum depression ( I am prone to depression in general)
What if I don't like being a mom?
What if he has colic?
What if I get pregnant again right away?
What if I never have a waist again?

I'm sure there are more that I just can't think of right now. Is this normal? I try sharing some of these fears with Spiderman and he just freaks out even more and tells me he's already worried enough and not to make it worse. It's not helping that our air conditioner is currently broken, it's 90 degree's out, and Spiderman losing his job is a very real possibility.

I just can't help worrying.

A Happy Friday

2010-05-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Today I had my hair cut/colored and then I had the most delicious nap. Is there anything better than a 2 hr nap in the middle of the day? I can think of very few things. Like maybe the chocolate truffles I made for the fundraising party I'm going to tomorrow. They are super easy to make and heavenly to eat.

Some of you may know that this time of year I usually do the Avon 2 Day walk for breast cancer in Chicago. I walk with a team in honor of a friend who passed from the disease. This year, I won't be able to do the walk being 7 mo. pregnant and all they don't recommend walking a marathon and a half. I still want to help support my team so I will be attending the fundraising party and bringing some snacks.

If I don't eat them all first.

And you know what else is awesome? This video. I wish I had this little girl's enthusiasm for life!

People are Strange

2010-05-17T18:11:00.000-07:00

In all my years working in healthcare you'd think that I would have seen everything. But no, I'm still constantly surprised by the odd people out there.

The other day I had a patient whose first name was Cellophane. Yep. Cellophane. What the hell were her parents thinking?

Today I had a patient, a young man about 47 years old, who had throat cancer. He'd stopped taking his cancer meds because he was having drug interference and it was making him sick. What was the cancer drugs interfering with you ask?

The cocaine, and pint of gin that he has every day.

Of the three, it was the cancer meds he stopped? Seriously?

I don't know why I'm surprised.