Time for a new routine

There are a few new things going on at the Parker home. The first is that we bought our tickets to go to Chile for Christmas this year. I am really excited for Ryan to meet all of my family down there and for us to go visit a part of my old life. I am also excited that my family will get to meet Aubrey. We wanted to go before she turned 2 so she could fly for free, so this was the ideal time to do so. That being said, those airline tickets wiped us out with the savings account. We weren’t too worried about it, but with the current state of things in America, I have to say that it makes me nervous not to have any backup. So we are going back over the budget, hunkering down and building that puppy back up! Good thing I bought my iphone before all of these banks started failing! So its back to simplifying my life, which will be good for me. I started working to help our family get to a place where I could stay home with the kid without jeaopardizing our livelihood, and have instead gotten caught up in all of my material tendencies. This buckling down will be for the greater good of our family. I might be annoyed that I can’t buy a certain thing right away, but in the long run it will enable me to live my dream (SAHM) and create a more stable environment for our children (because when we do reach our goals, I am having another kid).

So that’s that. The other thing that I need your help with, Internet, is that Aubrey needs a new bedtime routine. I took her for her 15 month check-up yesterday and she checked out fine. Tiny, but fine. I can’t believe she only weighs 17 pounds. I promise, I feed her, and when I try and overfeed her, she reminds me that this is a bad idea by throwing up all over me. Her doctor said I could try giving her PediaSure and it might help her start gaining. She was getting so fat before she started crawling and now that she can walk, she won’t sit still. I am sure she burns a ton of calories all day long. But she is doing everything she should be, developmentally. Then I was told that it was time to take her off her bottle.

GREAT. The bottle, filled with whole milk, is the only way Aubrey will fall asleep at night. We have a routine. Bath, Teeth brushing, Bottle, Bed. Not that she ever stays asleep for the entire night but the sucking motion makes her sleepy and her eyes start drooping and at the end of that 8 ounces, I can lay her down with relatively low levels of whimpering before she decides to give me about 4 hours of uninterrupted chore/sleeptime. So when the doctor said that this bottle business, it needs to stop, I wanted to invite her over to try putting my kid to bed everynight by merely laying her in her crib. I would have even offered to throw in some ear plugs.

New routines. For someone who hates change as much as I do, I am really not looking forward to the next couple weeks/months. I know in the end our savings account will be a nice cushiony nest again, I might be able to entertain the idea of more children, and Aubrey will go to bed at night without a bottle and perhaps even sleep all night.

So I need help! What is your bedtime routine with your toddler and how do you get them to go to sleep on their own? Please please please, comment away!

This is why I am a Pro-life Republican

This morning I was listening to the Laura Ingraham show on talk radio and she had a guy on named Nicholas Provenzo. Check out his blog for the source of my fury. Basically he was saying that anyone who chooses to keep a Downs syndrome baby is an idiot and adding a “burden” to society. He was condemning Sarah Palin for the choice she made to keep her child and even touted it as “immoral”. He stated that life only begins once a child is out of the womb, and he literally said he had no problem with stabbing a 9 month old fetus and killing it if it was still inside the womb.

What has gone wrong with people when they say (and truly believe) these sorts of things? I felt the anger building up and wanted to turn it off, but I couldn’t because I was just so incredulous. Where as most people would say that Sarah Palin is a normal human being who loves her children no matter what, this guy condemns her for keeping her baby because she knew he had Downs before he was born. If people want to make an argument for her not running for office because of this child, that’s one thing (though I disagree with it and think it is actually a step back for the feminist movement… but feminists don’t want to claim Sarah Palin because she is on the side of LIFE even if its been “inconvenient”). But making an argument that she has done this child, her family and her country a disservice by giving birth to an “imperfect” child is so wrong. This way of thinking, that it is “all about me” and that if you are not a contributing member to society you should be dead is SO DISTURBING to me. How can anyone think that this is reasonable or moral? That puts a huge list of people in jeopardy- the elderly, those in nursing homes, Alzheimer’s patients, people with cerebral palsy, those with AIDS, and the mentally retarded to name a few. The dehumanization of these people, God’s children, happens when guys like Nicholas say that they were never really human to begin with.

I don’t know if his point of view is in the majority but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. I don’t want to live in a world that is so eager to kill the inconvenient. I don’t get this liberal crap because its like, okay, they are always throwing fits about being “politically correct” and then they are saying retarded people should be dead? They are all about fighting for the little man, for the helpless, for handing out free health care and food and money to those who “can’t help it” but they are all for the murder of those who “can’t help it”? The lessons that can be learned from people unlike us is not worth it to them, it is a burden and God forbid that life not be a bowl of peaches all the time.

I am angry, I am scared, but most of all I pray for the people in America who would say that a world with legalized convenience murder is a world that is right and just.

What do you think?

Props to the single parent

It’s been quite the week for me, and not necessarily in a good way. I feel as though my week was going as Angie’s (as told by her husband Jeremy) did after her vacation- everything was against me. I say this lightly because comparatively, my life is so easy and happy. But I wasn’t thinking that last week when I woke up last Monday morning and felt the razor blades in my throat. I had gone to Tulsa for the weekend with my sister-which was great- but somewhere between here and there I inhaled some dust or something because I woke up feeling awful.

 

I was not happy about the throat infection and migraines that resulted in a trip to the doctor, a huge needle in my hip (OW) and a note instructing me not to go back to work until Monday. Normally I would have been really excited about having a week off, but since I was so sick that Aubrey still had to go to daycare (Ryan took her every morning), I just laid in bed praying for my head to just go ahead and explode already. I haven’t been that sick in a long time so I was glad when, 3 days of antibiotics later, I was able to shower and eat and do things that normal human beings do. I have also missed a lot of church, where most of my close relationships are so I can’t wait til Wednesday when I get to see everyone and hear what’s going on in their lives.

 

As soon as I got better, Ryan left for a fishing trip that he has been planning (and talking about) all summer. My mom was coming to town for the weekend so I didn’t throw the normal fit that I do when he dumps me for 4 days of not showering in search of a striper the size of a Labrador. I had a good weekend but was still a little weak so I was glad my mom was there to help me with the baby and everything else to do with weekend cleaning.

 

 After she left, however, I started to feel the weight of being the only adult around. Ryan and I are equal partners when it comes to most things in our lives, especially Aubrey. I know this and appreciate it but I don’t tell him enough. I know there are a lot of dads out there who don’t change diapers or delight in getting puréed bananas sneezed into their face, but Ryan is one of those guys who does. We have our routine, we have worked it out to the point that we don’t even have to play rock paper scissors anymore on who gets up in the middle of the night for a bad dream.

 

He comes home today and needless to say, I am excited. Aubrey is a remarkably good child, but she’s cutting two teeth and misses her daddy so I am ready to see her smiles when we pick her up from daycare and I am definitely ready for some help! Instead of holding her on my hip as I vacuum while defrosting chicken for dinner, he can take her outside to watch the birds (its their thing- outdoorsy people) while I scramble around my house in an attempt to put it in order so I can sleep at night. I know, I know, that’s a whole other issue, one I am sure Aubrey will remedy as she gets older. J

 

This whole thing got me thinking though, about how many single parent families are out there. I know I am spoiled, but I just don’t know how they do it all and stay calm through it all. I suppose you just do what you have to do, but I have a lot of respect for people who do it, and do it well, without the day to day support from a spouse. So props to the single parents out there- your job is tough but I know your families appreciate the sacrifices you make out of love for them.

 

As for Ryan, I missed him being around too, not just because he helps with the baby or mows the lawn (hmm… that actually needs to be done after all this rain we’ve had…) but I’m ready to hear all about his big fish, feel safe at night, tell him how Aubrey took a step yesterday (!) and to hear him laugh. This week is going to be sooo much better than last week!

Death of an iDream

July 11, 2008. It was supposed to be the day I finally got an iPhone. Alas, AT&T has crushed my technological dreams of a mobile computer with their retarded rules about upgrades and contracts. Their new version comes out next week and is half the price- $200. A lot for a phone, I know, but this is actually a good deal when you break it down. It’s an iPod (alone that would cost $150), a computer that surfs the internet, a GPS system, a camera, and a phone. It probably blows your nose for you too, if you ask it to. So you might be able to see why I was so excited about it. However, when I called AT&T, they told me I hadn’t been with them long enough for an upgrade and if I bought it without an upgrade it would be close to $500. GAH!

 

So, I hung up the phone (gingerly, since apparently I have to make this POC cell phone last til October) and muttered under my breath the evils of capitalism and oh well, I still love America and I`ll keep my thoughts on what you can do if you don’t to myself. That’s another blog though.

 

The most irritating thing about it is, I have finally managed to save enough to buy this phone, but if it sits in my account ‘til October, you can bet that it will get spent at the end-of-summer sale at the mall, or on diapers, or on a pair of shoes that Aubrey must have bc that kid, she just loves to kick her shoes off. I’m sure there’s a lesson in all this. Until then, I’ll continue to get lost, listen to the radio and be Facebook-deprived.

 

UPDATE: Mégan suggested I call the Apple Store, and they told me that I could buy the phone there for $200 and they would activate it. So apparently they are sticking it to the man, but I guess I’ll find out the true story when I show up to the store next week. Either way, I suddenly feel silly that I am whining about a phone. Oh well, I haven’t blogged in awhile, so hopefully its accomplishing what I want it to accomplish- giving you glimpses into my mind that I probably wouldn’t normally talk about unless you asked.

I’ll never sit still again

Miss Cat has decided that crawling is FUN! SUPER! FUN! and she can GET! OVER THERE! QUICKLY! While it never fails to amaze me when she discovers something new about life (you forget that you had to learn how to do everyday things, like walking and putting a spoon to your mouth without getting sweet potato mush all in your hair), this particular feat has left me tired and a nervous wreck. Good for the calves, though.

 I used to worry that she would suffocate herself when I’d walk into her room in the morning and her head would be under her blankie. Until she’d hear me walk in and pull it down and giggle at me. Like, hello mommy, I have been waiting for you to come play peek-a-boo with me. Now I worry that she will stick her fingers in the oscilating fan (part of my “green” attempt to lower energy use and turn the AC up to 80 at night… not working out for my sweaty self) or that she will pull the entire wine rack/cookbook shelf over on herself. I watch Greys Anatomy, people, I know what bookshelves can do to unsuspecting toddlers just trying to get a drink to go with their pureed green beans.

Needless to say, life is never boring now. I felt like I was always running with something to do until I got home at the end of the day before, but now I spend my time at home juggling chores with making sure she doesn’t mistake the dog food for her organic maple teething biscuits. Ryan is a little more laid back about it than me, but she is his baby girl and if the dog so much as startles her, she is banished to the back yard to swelter for a good, oh, 6 minutes.

So its baby-proofing time, only, that baby-prooding stuff? Not cheap. So its a little at a time, and a lot of vigilance on our part. Yes, it makes life a little more trying, but at the same time, it is a wonderous thing to watch your baby become a person, and discover something new everyday. And you can’t put a price on that!

Alcoholics have bars… I have Target

I think (and my husband would shout a resounding YES!) that when it comes to shopping, I have a problem. I don’t know what it is about those bright white linoleum floors or the red plastic shopping carts (an atrocious amount of non-decomposable matter but that is a whole other blog), but my shopping list suddenly looks too short and I begin to panic that I might run out of toilet paper. And “oh look, the toilet paper is on sale AND THIS WEEK ONLY if you buy a box of Huggies along with a 24 pack of Cottonelle toilet paper, you get a $5 gift card-which, omg I need a new candle for my desk so that would totally pay for a soy blended candle and hey, didn’t someone tell me they sell those Immaculate Baking Company organic cookies here?” You see the trend, I won’t even begin to tell you what runs through my mind when I walk down the baby aisle, but today it had to do with Aubrey’s bottle nipples beginning to turn a suspicious shade of murky and “I should probably buy some new ones and hey, its about time to introduce the sippy cup I wonder if they have transition spouts and I would really prefer to buy glass instead of plastic b/c plastic takes like 500 years to biodegrade and glass is recyclable and hey, I wonder if they sell biodegradable trash bags here”. You get the idea.

It’s so weird to me that I am like this now, because when I wasn’t working I became very enlightened as to what I could live without. Staying home with Aubrey was much more important than getting a good deal on toothpicks or making sure I have a certain brand of cheese. Of course I have always loved to shop, but I turned that switch off when we were living on one paycheck.

And then, this job falls into my lap and all of the sudden our income is doubled and before I know it, not only have I spent all my allotted spending money on picture frames, but I have opened up a Target credit card to pay for all that other stuff that I truly didn’t need… seriously, I didn’t need it, it was mother’s day gifts for my MIL, mom and grandma. Isn’t mother’s day still a month away? Oh but it was on SALE and I HAD to get it bc its SUCH a cute idea!

                                             

I eventually confessed my sin to Ryan, who rolled his eyes and gave a very exasperated, “Oh, Kitty”. I get called Kitty when I do something really cool or I do something really stupid. I am inclined to believe the latter choice applied here. And rightfully so, I mean hello who uses a 24% interest rate card when I have an 11% one sitting at home for emergencies that we can get miles for? To hide it, that’s why. I binged.

So, to recap, the basic signs of addiction are there: binging, remorse, enabling my habit… but hey. I got a swift kick in the pants and I am back on track. I paid off that Target beast on my lunch break AND bought the stuff I needed with CASH. Now if only I could get myself to shred it…

                                             

Text-personality

So this morning in our avoidance of work, some of the girls were sitting around talking about motherhood, the kiddos and husbands. You know, pretty much my whole life! I don’t know how we got around to it but the subject of text messaging came up. I don’t know about you, but I love whoever invented the text message (along with the person who came up with the baby swing, Dr. Pepper, mascara and DVR). I am not really a phone person so if I have a one word sentance I need to convey, I text. Instead of going through the “hi, how are you, I’m good, etc. oh by the way, what was the name of that restaurant you liked so much?”, you send the text, “whats the name of the restaurant you liked” and you get the answer “Taco Bueno” right away and you know where you are going for lunch.

Ah yes. the modern life is full of modern conveniences. But how has that affected our relationships with people? Instead of going through the process of finding out how someone’s day is, caring about them, we just text what we need and move on. The art of the telephone conversation is dying, and I am not really doing much to revive it. I am sure I will regret texting Aubrey to pick up milk on her way home from after-school practice so much when she goes to college and I long to just hear her voice. Instead she’ll text me (or whatever they come up with by the year 2026) “hey mom, just met a boy. luv ya” and not answer the phone when I call to find out if he is a Harvard grad who has a full grasp of 4 languages, homes in Italy and Japan and comes from a family of devout Christians.

Maybe I should stop trying to make my life so convenient sometimes. Something to think about…