Life Savah
With my first pregnancy I was on bed rest for months. Which translates into “not working.” Which equals BROKE. Therefore, we relied on the generosity of our family and friends in order to outfit both our daughter and her nursery. We were so blessed in that we were given just about everything we could possibly need to bring home a newborn.
With this pregnancy, we are in a much better place financially and we have the benefit of being able to use the majority of the items we got for Maddie. The only things that I really need to get for The Boy are clothes (that aren’t pink!), a travel system (that isn’t pink!) and a dresser for his room. HOWEVER – there are some items that I really wanted to get for Maddie, but they weren’t necessities so finances dictated that we skip them. For instance, I really wanted a Baby Bjorn carrier for her and never got one. (Aside: A month or so ago I lucked out and got one for The Boy at Target in an open box for $27 marked down from $98. SCORE!) I’m not going crazy spending money on this kid, but I want to know what was the ONE THING you purchased, or were given, when you had a baby that was indispensable. What saved your sanity or made your life easier and will forever be the shower gift you give your pregnant friends and family?
Filed under knocked up, products | Comments (18)Threshold
I’m pretty sure I’ve reached the limit of the amount of douchebaggery I can tolerate from my kid. Lately, EVERY damn THING is a battle of wills. I always win because I’m good at picking my battles and I never relent, but at what cost? Maddie and I seem to spend the majority of our time together being at odds. I miss playing and having fun with her. Oh sure, we start out that way, but inevitably she needs to push boundaries and shit goes downhill FAST. Gerald and I simply will not tolerate bratty behavior. We refuse to have one of those kids. I believe with all my heart that we’re doing what’s best for Maddie and raising her to be a respectful, polite and honest person but DAYUM! It’s not easy. (Please don’t get your knickers in a twist over this. Yes, we are firm and somewhat strict with Maddie. We are in no way abusive or mean to her. Unless you count forcing her to have clean hair, go to bed at a decent hour and live on something other than chocolate milk and M&Ms. Which she, of course, considers abuse of the most heinous nature.)
I know this is all normal, healthy development, but oh the absolute suckage that is the age of three. I miss my sweet, non-hellbeast of a daughter. I’m positive she misses her patient and kind mama, too.
I’ll just keep reminding myself that this is just a phase and like every other sucky-ass phase we’ve been through (not sleeping, screaming, not eating, teething, etc…) it will end and we’ll be better of for having gone through it. Maybe if I say it enough, I’ll start to believe it.
Filed under complaining, maddie | Comments (12)Fun Fact Friday – The Catch Up Edition
- I took Swistle’s advice and got some Olay products for Teh Wrinkles. I got the Regenerist Regenerating Cream Cleanser, and the Target “compare to Olay” versions of the night cream and the day serum. It’s been a little over a week and I’m already noticing a huge difference in my skin. It seems to drink the night cream and day serum right up. No more flakes or dry patches. This by itself makes my fine lines less obvious. I can’t tell if they are lessening, but I notice them less and that’s what counts. I’ll definitely keep up this regimen. I’ll probably have to switch to something a little lighter than the night cream in the summer months, though.
- On Friday night, I’m flying out to Vegas to meet Donna, Becky and Shelly for a girls’ weekend away. I’m so excited I can barely stand it. I’ve never been to Vegas and I can’t wait to see my besties. It’s going to be so nice to have one last hurrah before I’m mired down in toddler/newborn/post-partum hormones/brokeness.
- It snowed 12 inches here yesterday. This is unheard of. In the 14 years that I’ve lived here, we’ve never had accumulation. We always get ice storms. Needless to say, the whole Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex shut the hell down. We all stayed home from work and made mutant looking snowmen. Maddie got to play in the snow for the first time ever, despite us all being completely unprepared wardrobe-wise. Pics to follow.
- Um, I painted my nails today.
- I’m still pregnant and miserable.
- I’m out of facts.
Fiction
My new job is quite conducive to listening to music or audio books for the majority of the day. While I must admit that I miss the social interaction of my old job, I’m really enjoying getting to listen to books all day. Since I hear them at work and read them before bed, I figured books would be a great subject to post about. So, here’s what I’m reading (listening to really, but for the sake of brevity, we’re going with reading from now on):
Fool by Christopher Moore – I read Lamb a couple of years ago and promptly fell head over heels in love with Moore. His style, his imagination, his wit… he’s the author equivalent of my soul mate. I’ve read all of his books, and while I enjoyed all of them, none came close to the brilliance of Lamb until Fool. Have you ever seen Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead? If not, you MUST see it immediately. Anyhow, long story short, it’s the story of Hamlet told from the perspective of two minor characters in the play. It’s brilliant. Fool uses much the same concept in that it’s the story of King Lear told from the perspective of a minor character. Namely, the Fool. Moore gives the Fool a background and a personality and really develops quite the likable character out of this “nobody.” He uses a mixture of Shakespearean prose, modern British slang and an ass-load of swearing. (Favorite phrase: fuck stockings.) All in all, I’d put Fool on par with Lamb: Moore at his best.
The Mercy Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs – I’ve read these in paper form, but the next installment of the series will be out on 3/30, so I wanted to refresh my memory of the story line. Briggs does a fantastic job creating a believable world where preternatural creatures live amongst humans in tenuous peace. Mercy is a Walker, but Briggs doesn’t use the original Native American idea of skin walker. She adapts it in a way that really makes it wholly her own. The characters in this series are believable and likable. Well, those that you’re supposed to like are, at any rate. I can’t wait to see what’s in story for Mercy in the next book.
The Kitty Norville Series by Carrie Vaughn – This is another series where the supernatural lives along side the mundane. Vaughn’s heroine, Kitty Norville, is a radio talk show host and werewolf. She’s forced to take an alpha role after years of being an abused submissive in her pack. Kitty is intelligent, witty and full of self-doubt and not a little fear. However, she doesn’t let anything stop her from trying to do what’s right. I didn’t bond with the characters in this series as well as I did in the Mercy Thompson books. I have a hard time accepting the relationships that Vaughn has built for Kitty, but it’s not enough to make me dislike the books. Vaughn does a great job in creating her world and making it believable which is difficult to do in the paranormal fiction genre.
Now it’s your turn: What are you reading? I’ll be needing to load up the ol’ iPod again soon, so spill.
Filed under books, reviews | Comments (7)Vanity
Since I’ve lost weight, my face has become noticeably older-looking. Without all the fat underneath to plump it up, I look sort of drawn and gaunt.
Also, WRINKLED.
GAH!
Specifically, those pesky naso-labial folds (aka: laugh lines) are aging me. I keep telling myself to wear them with pride as I’ve obviously smiled A LOT in my life, but who am I kidding? I’m only 33 and I’m wrinkled! I’ll be proud to be wrinkled at 50. Not now.
So, here’s where you come in… can you recommend a good, reasonably priced anti-wrinkle concoction? A moisturizer or treatment or something? I’m clueless about this stuff, but I’ve got my finger on the “add to cart” button over at Amazon. Just tell me what to try.
Filed under complaining, products, where do I come up with this stuff? | Comments (7)
