Tuesday, February 24, 2009

America, going forward...

I listened to Obama tonight. I tried to remain open minded. Philosophically, we completely differ in our belief of how the country should be run. Nevertheless, I listened. I agreed with a lot of what he said. I do believe that learning starts at home, with the parents. When he talked about reading to your children, I swelled up a bit because, hey, I read to my 2 month old every night.

I too believe that dropping out of high school should not be an option. 2 of my siblings dropped out of high school. It should be illegal to not complete a high school education (whether that is through homeschooling, charter schools or regular old public education).

A lot of what he said was inspirational, and ideal and hey, wouldn't it be great if it were all the way he described it.

My hang up is, he is proposing all these wonderful things by spending my tax dollars. Giving money to banks specifically for the purpose of lending for cars and other vehicles. So, using my tax money to make a goverment backed loan to someone so they can buy a car. From a car company that is nearly bankrupt due to unions and... and... oh my brain hurts.

So, anyway, O said a whole lot of wonderful things tonight, and I "hope" that he can make his vision a reality, but I really have a hard time believing that we are going to get these results by throwing the tax payers money at the problem. Why don't you just let us keep our money in the first place, and we can go stimulate the economy with it ourselves?

Monday, February 23, 2009

Super Mom...

So not one of those, lol. I'm trying... I really am, but I am falling well short. Today I picked up Mikey from daycare for the first time ever. Daycare lady says that he was a dream. He is bathed, fed and happy. He sleeps for the 1/2 hour car ride home.

Once at home, I snuggle him to death. Snuggle snuggle snuggle. Food. Snuggle. Then I let him play in his bassinet (independent play is supposedly good for him) while I snuggle his daddy (I've also heard that snuggling daddies is very important).

Then me and little guy snuggle up in bed, and we both take a nap from 6pm to 7:30pm. Like a true non-super mom, as soon as I wake up, I order Domino's Pizza online while I feed the baby again.

Snuggle snuggle snuggle. Diaper Change. Swaddle. Pacifier. Sleep (for Mikey).

Re-pack diaper bag, wash 8 million bottles, get the daddy a Diet Dr. Pepper. Blog.

And now I think I'm going to go take a shower and watch some TV while I drift off to sleep myself.

ZzzZZZzzZZZzzzz...

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Workin' Mother...

It's back to work for me tomorrow morning. It seems like I'm going back to school after having a whole summer off (and I guess, 8 weeks is just about a summer break these days). I haven't quite placed my finger on my emotions. I suppose I'm a little sad that I won't be able to drop everything and peek in on Mikey whenever I feel like it. I'm also a little jealous that someone else will get to spend the day with him during the week. I'm worried that I'm going to miss out on so many upcoming milestones, like rolling over, his first laugh, and all sorts of other great things.

However, all things considered, I'm feeling grateful that I have a job to return to tomorrow. There were quite a few layoffs while I was on maternity leave, so that very well might not have been the case for me. I'm also looking forward to being able to do whatever I want from 7 am to 3:30 pm tomorrow (well, whatever work I want) and not being interrupted by a dirty diaper, a hungry tummy or even a rogue pacifier.

So, tomorrow I will officially join the ranks of working mothers everywhere, and I'll enjoy conversations with other working parents. But, when that clock strikes 3:30, I'll be jumping in my Jeep and flying down the freeway to pick up my beloved baby.

Perhaps the hours I spend away from him during the day will make our evenings that much more meaningful?

Working Mother...

It's back to work for me tomorrow morning. I haven't quite placed my finger on my emotions. I suppose I'm a little sad that I won't be able to drop everything and peek in on Mikey whenever I feel like it. I'm also a little jealous that someone else will get to spend the day with him during the week. I'm worried that I'm going to miss out on so many upcoming milestones, like rolling over, his first laugh, and all sorts of other great things.

However, all things considered, I'm feeling grateful that I have a job to return to tomorrow. There were quite a few layoffs while I was on maternity leave, so that very well might not have been the case for me. I'm also looking forward to being able to do whatever I want from 7 am to 3:30 pm tomorrow (well, whatever work I want) and not being interrupted by a dirty diaper, a hungry tummy or even a rogue pacifier.

So, tomorrow I will officially join the ranks of working mothers everywhere, and I'll enjoy converse with other working mothers, and have a bit of freedom. But, when that clock strikes 3:30, I'll be jumping in my Jeep and flying down the freeway to pick up my beloved baby.

Perhaps the hours I spend away from him during the day will make our evenings that much more meaningful?

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

7 Weeks and Smiling...

I can't believe my dearest darling child is nearly 2 months old. In the last week he has made an amazing transformation! He is babbling and oohing and aahing. He is developing much better hand control (and hello, apparently his hands are delicious!). He smiles, and it just melts your heart!

From Mikey 2.15.09


Not only is Mikey growing by leaps and bounds, but other tasks around the house seem to be getting larger along with him. Laundry, for instance. So much laundry! I don't know how Kate (of Jon & Kate + 8) does it. Oh, wait, that is right - she has TWO washers and dryers, lol. And I guess that is me admitting to watching that show, lol. Mostly I watch it for the same reason I watch the first few episodes of each season of American Idol. They are so deliciously bad! Kate speaks horridly to Jon, and I'm just waiting for him to back hand her!

So, anyway, in my pursuit of having a cleaner home and simplifying tasks, it occurs to me that Laundry detergent should come in tablet form - like Dishwasher detergent does. You know? I went on a search for it, but was unable to find any. Can someone please invent this? I'm tired of gooey laundry detergent mess on my washer.

I only have a few days left of Maternity leave, and at the best possible time I seem to have come down with the flu. I have a fever, a cough, and other terrible symptoms. Fortunately I seem to be recovering quickly, which is good because I have a LOT left to do to get the house in order before going back to work. (Note - I started writing this post yesterday, and today I woke up and my throat has gotten 10 times worse. It feels so swollen, and hurts so badly. Boo!)

Finally - I am extremely intrigued by this family attempting to live on a $1500.00 per year budget (for food, medical co-pays, beauty products, other household items). It has reminded me that Josh and I really need to set up our own budget and get crackin' on paying off our old debt.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

7 Weeks and Smiling...

I can't believe my dearest darling child is nearly 2 months old. In the last week he has made an amazing transformation! He is babbling and oohing and aahing. He is developing much better hand control (and hello, apparently his hands are delicious!). He smiles, and it just melts your heart!

From Mikey 2.15.09


Not only is Mikey growing by leaps and bounds, but other tasks around the house seem to be getting larger along with him. Laundry, for instance. So much laundry! I don't know how Kate (of Jon & Kate + 8) does it. Oh, wait, that is right - she has TWO washers and dryers, lol. And I guess that is me admitting to watching that show, lol. Mostly I watch it for the same reason I watch the first few episodes of each season of American Idol. They are so deliciously bad! Kate speaks horridly to Jon, and I'm just waiting for him to back hand her!

So, anyway, in my pursuit of having a cleaner home and simplifying tasks, it occurs to me that Laundry detergent should come in tablet form - like Dishwasher detergent does. You know? I went on a search for it, but was unable to find any. Can someone please invent this? I'm tired of gooey laundry detergent mess on my washer.

I only have a few days left of Maternity leave, and at the best possible time I seem to have come down with the flu. I have a fever, a cough, and other terrible symptoms. Fortunately I seem to be recovering quickly, which is good because I have a LOT left to do to get the house in order before going back to work.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Baby Wise...

I know it is controversial, but I'm using this methodology to work towards finding sanity with my newborn. In the last week or so I've started to feel lost, and our schedule kept shifting by an hour somehow. On Monday we were doing feedings every 3 hours, and Mikey was fed at 10, 1, 4, 7, 10 and then he slept til 5 and woke up screaming for food. Since he ate at 5, he wanted to eat again at 8am on Tuesday. Then of course the rest of the feedings went 11, 2, 5, 8 and then 11. On Wednesday morning he woke up around 6 and then our schedule on Thursday was 9, 12, 3, 6, 9 and then I started the bedtime routine at 10 to have him asleep by 11. I fed him again at 11 hoping that he would sleep until 5ish. Newp. He woke up at 2am. /Cry.

After doing some reading, it occurred to me that I've got the eating thing down fine, but I was TOTALLY screwing up the nap time thing. For some reason I had it in my head that the more I kept him up during the day the better he would sleep at night. But, he was getting so stinkin' fussy/angry/cranky during the day that I was at a loss. Uh, duh. My child needs to nap more often than once during the day.

Since I go back to work in a week, I'm committing myself to getting him on a reasonable eat, play sleep schedule for at least the next week. I would like to be able to tell his caretaker that he eats 5 oz, plays around for an hour (including feeding time) and then will take a 2 hour nap. Rinse and repeat. I understand that the wakeful time will get longer and the naps a little less frequent (combined with sleeping longer at night) but my 6 week old is not ready to go hours on end without a nap, lol.

I can't believe it. I've been so frustrated this week with my fussy little guy. To think the key was letting him sleep. We would have both been much happier!

Here is a great resource for the Baby Wise Methodology!

From Mikey 2.11.09

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Let's Get "IT" on...

...and I'm not talking about internet technology people.

Lula (over at Lulaville) inspired me to make a playlist of my own in honor of the upcoming V-Day holiday.

All time sexiest songs (or songs to "get it on" to)

1. #1 Crush - Garbage
2. Mouth - Bush
3. Five Minutes to Midnight - Star Anna (This is new... LISTEN TO THIS!)
4. You Know I'm No Good - Amy Winehouse
5. Eternal - The Isley Brothers
6. Anytime, Anyplace - Janet Jackson
7. My Love is Like Wo - Mya
8. I Touch Myself - The Divinyls
9. Wicked Game - Chris Isaak
10. Closer - Nine Inch Nails
11. Constant Craving - KD Lang
12. Red Light Special - TLC
13. Supermassive Black Hole - Muse
14. Forsaken - Queen of the Damned (Soundtrack)
15. Licking Cream - Sevendust
16. Knife Party - Deftones
17. Stuck in the Backseat - The Noises 10
18. Thin Layer - The Honorary Title
19. Collide - Howie Day
20. Look After You - The Fray

Check these songs out, and I guarantee you will find yourself in "the mood."

Thanks for the great idea, Lula!

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Rich Girl...

Socks. To me, feeling wealthy is all in the socks that are on my feet. Sounds pretty silly, but it is still true. Money wasn't exactly spilling out all over the place in my house growing up, and some of the basics had to be stretched quite a bit. One of those basics included socks. My crappy (low quality) socks always seemed to have holes in the toes, and they were pretty thin straight out of the package.

When I got to high school, my best friend had parents that were pretty well off. It was through her that I was introduced to the luxury of high quality socks. These particular socks were stretchy, yet thick and soft as can be. I seriously loved these socks people. The socks I speak of are Russell Athletic Performance Crew Socks. I'm sure to many of you these socks may seem ordinary, common place, run of the mill even. But to me, they were paradise in my shoes! I managed to acquire a few pairs of these socks throughout high school, and I cherished them and wore them as often as I could wash them (or when I wasn't wearing flip flops).

Now that I'm an adult, and I get to purchase my own socks, I buy these same socks. I still <3 them just as much as I did in high school, and putting them on makes me feel like a millionaire.

I know to most people, driving a luxury automobile, or living in a big house might make them feel like a million bucks. Me? Nah, none of those things. It's all about to the small luxuries to me.

Other things that make Kerith feel like she is Bill Gates:

-Herbal Essence Shampoo and Conditioner
-Bright Plastic Drink ware (such as these)
-Drugstore Makeup
-Rocket Dog Flip Flops
-Clinique Moisturizer
-Chunky Jewelry

What makes you feel rich?

Monday, February 9, 2009

I Told Myself...

What a great weekend! Lots to share :)

Part 1 - Our Weekend

From Mikey 2.6.09


First, Ma and Pa In Law came over on Saturday. Their visits are ALWAYS welcome, especially since they give Moi the chance to escape to run whatever errands need running without worrying about keeping the baby happy at the same time. Car Sear Carriers are seriously heavy, and since my 6 week old is swiftly approaching 13 pounds, my wrist is about to break off.

So anyway, on Saturday I was able to go get my hair done. It had been getting sooooo long, and was looking rather dull/boring/blah. I went in to a local salon and had several inches chopped off, along with lots of layers and TONS of highlights. I'll put some effort into styling it tomorrow and put a picture up :)

From Mikey 2.6.09


MPG's Uncle Steve also surprised us with a visit on Saturday! Always love it when our pals make the trek out to Maricopa to see us. Husband and Grandpa Mike finished working on a door in the house, and everyone got plenty of baby Mike time in, so it was a great day!

On Sunday the Husband and I ran around and made stops at Target, Costco, Home Depot and Ashley Furniture. We looked at a Leather sectional at the furniture store, and have made the decision to go ahead and buy it.

Part 2 - Stuff We are Going To Buy in the Next Two Weeks

Meet my new couch:



Oh, we also decided to finally get with the times and purchase this Big Screen. It is a 65 Inch Mitsubishi DLP, and it is going to look fantastic on this TV Stand that I'm going to order from Ikea:



So I guess you could say that Husband and I are stimulating the economy. I'm just thrilled that within the next two weeks I'll have a COUCH to sit on (as opposed to the Futon) and a big huge TV to watch the Food Network on :)

Part 3 - Weight Watchers

It occurs to me that for the first time... well... ever, I am trying to lose weight in a "healthy" way. Portion control, less calories, more exercise. Since the age of 15 I've been on some fad diet or diet pill, never really exercising much and not really sticking to any diet for very long. For the first time EVER, I've made a goal for myself that doesn't involve losing 50 pounds in 2 weeks. I've mapped out a slow and steady weight loss goal, and as long as I'm not a complete jerk about this process I should be able to meet my goal by July. My question to you is, are you interested in knowing about what exactly I'm doing (what food I'm eating, and what exercise I am doing?). Should I write about it elsewhere, or just keep it here?

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Sing For The Moment...

Two weeks and 3 days left of my maternity leave. This has been the absolute fastest 6 weeks of my life. Go figure, right? Countless friends (mother type friends) warned me to stop worrying about getting the laundry done and concentrate on bonding with my sweet baby. I tried, I really did! I was even successful some of the time, but I still have this nagging list of items that I really want to accomplish before my maternity leave is done. My reasoning is that these items hanging out on my to do list will prevent me from spending as much quality time as possible with my husband and child when I do finally go back to work.

Most of the to do list involves decluttering and purging. I managed to donate 4 bags of clothing to Big Brothers and Sisters last week. I have WAY less clothing now. This is good - I got rid of things that were out of fashion, or just weren't my style. I figure that if I got it off a hanger now, there is less of an opportunity for me to pull it down, try it on, and in frustration throw it on the floor because I still don't like it, and inevitably have it end up in my dirty laundry pile.

Four 13 gallon bags of clothing is pretty good, but I could have easily filled up 10-12 more and just ran out of time before the pick-up truck arrived.

Other things that still need to be done? Paperwork! I am the queen of keeping bills, statements, and junk mail for ridiculous amounts of time because I'm too lazy to go through it. Oh, and I have mail anxiety. More specifically, bill anxiety. Stupid, but opening bills makes me nervous, and for some reason e-bills have no affect on me, so I pay all our bills online. However, all these statements still come to the house, so I throw them in a corner to be dealt with later. I've been doing this for years now, and have amassed quite a bit of paper. I just need to DEAL with it finally.

I could bore you all with a long list of the things I need to get done in the next 2 weeks, but instead I will leave you with proof that I am also making plenty of time for MPG.

From Mikey 2.4.09


From Mikey 2.4.09


From Mikey's Sleeping Feet


From Mikey's Sleeping Feet