I LOVE LOVE LOVE and ADORE my new camera. Holy crap. I think I might take it to bed tonight. Today was a nice and busy day. I stayed up WAY to late last night (1:30am- this morning I guess you could say) watching all the TIVO Episodes that I missed since I was gone over the weekend. Holy COW on the 2 hour Desperate Housewives Finale! Jeez! I cried twice! When Susan cried over Julie going to college I almost freaked out thinking about Ardyn going to college someday! I mean, the kid isn't even a year old and I am already panicked about her moving out? Whoa. I also uploaded all of the photos from the Chicago trip and also the hundreds (seriously) of photos that I have already taken with my new camera. I took another two hundred today (seriously) and have to upload them.... hopefully tomorrow.
I also had cleaning people coming today, so I had a bit of tidying up to do, and about 5 thousand dirty cloth diapers since we were away from home from a while, so I did laundry and unpacked, and all that jazz. All this after we got HOME at almost midnight the night before and slept in as late as we could (although the phone started ringing at 9am and didn't stop until noon.) I need to learn to use my vonage to my advantage and turn the voicemail on in the morning and force all calls to voicemail until we wake up for the day. Ardyn and I were BOTH Exhausted from the long trip and we would BOTH have slept longer if that phone hadn't rang so much yesterday morning.
Today Ardyn and I went out and about. This morning I loaded the dishwasher and tidied up the kitchen, and put away Ardyn's clean diapers and such. The new Roomba iRobot vacuum came and I have to say that the entire world would own one if they knew how awesome they are and how they really DO work. It's not a scam. They pick up everything. It's amazing. I will dedicate a whole new post on that later. Tonight I taught it how to clean once a day without my assistance, and set up the virtual lighthouses to guide it from room to room. Totally simple. Came fully assembled and with spare parts and filters. I love it. It might be the best thing I have bought in a long time for this household.
We picked up my mom this afternoon and went to Kewanee. I had three braided rugs to pick up at the dry cleaners and we also went to the kids resale shop, where I found an Incrediblock, which I have been wanting since last December and I wanted someone to get Ardyn for Christmas. It was only like $27, and it retails new for $50 plus shipping as you can only get it online from Fisher Price. It even came with 23 blocks, which I am sterilizing right now in the Germ Guardian. Then we ran to Wal-Mart and Aldi's for my mom and then to Sunnyfield Greenhouse for some annuals for our planters. Then we got Ice Cream at Dairy Queen and met my sister at her work for a little after-work chat. Then Ardyn and I ate supper at my parents and played with the new toys (used toys) that mom got for her house, including the fisher price piggy bank and a winnie the pooh rocking "horse" that was actually a big stuffed pooh bear that plays music when you press his ears (tons of pictures of that!) Then we spent about an hour trying to coax Ardyn into crawling. She got closer than I have ever seen her before (pics of that too!) We watched some of the NEMO read along CD/Computer Book that we got at the resale shop (Ardyn LOVES Nemo for some reason, and she has never even seen him on TV.)
I was counting today, and realized that Ardyn has Five Swimsuits and Two Swim Diapers in various sizes. She had a 12 month size pink bikini but we can't keep the top down during lessons, so I grabbed an elmo one-piece at the resale shop today. Evan and I saw an adorable suit at the beginning of the season and bought it in next year's size. Then a friend gave mom three bags of clothes to pick through and we grabbed what we wanted (tons) and paid her for what we took, and inside that was a nemo swimsuit and coverup (imagine the irony of that!) and a stars n stripes suit that will fit her probably this summer and then over the fall and winter (as we intend to continue taking her to swim inside.) She has SO many swimsuits! Good thing she likes to swim!
I also got her a few more pair of shorts that will work well as play clothes and were like $1 each at the resale shop, and 4 pair of lightweight pants for the summer, as she only has one pair of jeans for a cool day and has outgrown everything else. She has lots of shorts and dresses and skorts, but for cool nights and rainy days, she still needs pants to wear. That's Illinois for you!
Our electronic stimulus check from the government finally arrived last Friday, TWO WEEKS LATE. Ugh. I was so frustrated. But I am glad it is here and now I can pay off our furniture loan completely, and about half of the hospital bill that's left from Ardyn's birth. That will be fabulous. I just paid off a HUGE Power bill (the last of the high winter bills that we will see this year) and also paid my first Van payment! Woot! I almost forgot to pay the van payment because it has been so long since I have HAD a car payment it almost slipped my mind.
The van was awesome for our day out today, I was able to carry everything we needed, and pick up the rugs, and everything my mom and I got at the resale shop, at the stores she visited, and at the greenhouse. Plus the stroller and the baby and all her usual supplies. I am loving that she is getting so much more comfortable sleeping on the go. I have discovered that sometimes she won't nap in the stroller (sometimes she will) but she will always nap in the babyhawk if she is tired. She took two naps in the babyhawk at the Green Expo, and one today at the greenhouse in the babyhawk. That carrier is the ONLY one that I can stand to wear without getting a horrible back strain. One shoulder slings and hotslings are great for little babies, but once she got older I couldn't take that twisting and one shoulder wearing anymore. I vow to break out the ring sling and test it again, but the babyhawk works so well, I haven't really had the desire to try the ring sling again. I just don't want to test it and perhaps be in pain for a couple of days if she is too heavy for me to carry on one shoulder.
Tomorrow I will be doing LAUNDRY. Don't try to stop me. It has to get done since I have tons of clothes from the trip and haven't been able to get any washed since last Wednesday. I generally do 1-2 loads a day as part of my schedule, and therefore I am like 7 loads behind or something. Plus I try to do an extra load on Sundays to wash bedding and such, but I was too wiped to do that. So I have some catching up to do. I am hoping for great weather so I can get some things out on the line, but since it is raining tonight I am not holding my breath.
Being at home I am a weather channel addict. I watch it every night and every morning, and sometimes even in between if I am curious as to the forecast. Ardyn and I plan our activities and outings, our wardrobes, and our laundry schedule by it. Sometimes people try to tell me the forecast and I argue with them because I KNOW it by heart and see the most updated. My mom might say "last night they said" and I will say "Oh, that's OLD. This morning they said (this) and at lunch they said (that.)" She finds it exasperating. Damn me and my "know-it-all-ness."
Well, that's all if I want to be in bed before midnight tonight! It's already 11:30 and I still have some peek-a-blocks to sanitize and a few more things to do before I crash. Have a great Tuesday!
Showing posts with label SAHM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SAHM. Show all posts
Monday, May 19, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Ode to the Van
Wednesday. One week. Five Work days. Till I get to be a Stay at Home Mom. I guess I should correct and say "Work at home Mom." The weather is fabulous here! It's very difficult to concentrate at work. Today at lunch I spent time out on the patio eating lunch and enjoying the sun. This morning when I dropped Ardyn off at daycare, the kids were playing outside. When I took Ardyn out to her teacher, Ava came running up to me from nowhere. I was so impressed that she knew right who we were! I didn't even see her until she was right in front of me. She said "Hi!" and I said "Hi Ava!" and she pointed at Ardyn and smiled and said "Baby!" and I said "yes! What's the baby's name, do you remember?" and I thought for just a second that I would have to remind her, and I could see the wheels turning, and she suddenly looked up at Ardyn and then at me, and said "Ardyn!" and I said "Good job! Her name is Ardyn!" She was so excited to see us. I wanted to scoop her up and give her a hug and kiss but thought that I might freak her out so I just grinned at her. She was so thrilled to be outside when Ardyn was. It was cute!
I am reading Water for Elephants for my online book club, which was started by the group of moms that I belong to (our kids are all the same age.) So far it's a good book. It's intriguing and I can't help but think something big is at the end. Or perhaps that the end explains the beginning. I also have a stack of about 7 parenting and kids magazines that I have to read, and since I keep not having the time, I made myself carry them around in my shoulder tote for three days, as penance. I feel guilty, but keep telling myself that soon I can relax and read up. I thought maybe if I carried them with me that I might have a minute here or there to pick one up, but no such luck. So finally I gave up and left them at home instead. Besides those things are HEAVY!
Last night we signed the paperwork for our new VAN! Can you believe it! After all those posts about how I will NEVER Drive a van, it came down to me begging for a van. Ha. Can I just say first of all that I heart Stow-n-Go? Ohhh Do I ever. So it's a navy blue 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. We found it at Browning Dodge, locally, which was also nice. We bought it for about $4000 less than it blue books for, which was amazing. It has 25,000 miles and still has factory warranty. They sold it brand new off their lot to their office manager, and she turned around and traded it in for a new vehicle, so it has been taken excellent care of and has had all it's work done right there since she works there. I am thrilled. We looked at 2007 and some 2006 Models in Peru and they wanted OUTRAGEOUS amounts of money for them, and they were so basic with no options, AND they were filthy! Cigarette burn holes in the floor mats and carpet, stains, ACK. Not something I would pay the $20-27 thousand that they were asking! It was insanity. That's like $5-12,000 more than we paid! It has full stow-n-go, captains seats, power drivers seat, power sliding doors, CD and cassette, dual climate control, rear heat/air, read defrost, cruise and radio controls on the steering wheel, the whole deal. It's immaculate and Ardyn's car seat fits so wonderfully! And the stroller. I could actually GET groceries in this thing, and we can all fit! Right now, whoever rides in the passenger seat of my car, has to have their knees touching the dash and their head touching the ceiling/visor. It's crazy. So Saturday we pick up the van. Can't wait! The payments will be less than half what my car payments were. Ahhh. Now I get to sell my car! Today I called my insurance agent to add the van.
I am waiting on two Little Tikes toys for Ardyn. I sold some diapers on diaperswappers and had paypal, so I grabbed up a couple of used Outdoor toys online. Of course they are more indoor/outdoor toys, and I don't anticipate that we will ever leave them outside, because of their value and that we want to keep them clean and free of fading. I got two retired items, which were hard to find. The Little Tikes Peek-A-Boo Tunnel, and the Little Tikes Activity Garden. I remember babysitting for kids who had the Activity Garden and they LOVED that thing. I loved that thing! It's perfect for Ardyn right now, and the Peek-A-Boo Tunnel is great for crawlers and I think she will enjoy it immensely this summer. The Activity Garden I am tracking through FedEx. I feel like if I even SEE A fed-ex or UPS guy on my street I might tackle him. I saw one earlier in the week and it was all I could do to stay in my car. He.
Also new is Ardyn's 2nd tooth. Last weekend and the beginning of this week I made mention that she was really gnawing on my hand, and that the first tooth must be pushing through the rest of the way. Well, last night she smiled at me and there were two bottom teeth instead of one! I know for a fact that there was only one on Sunday night, so it must have came through either Monday or Tuesday. She also has started to make a pig sound in her throat, the first time I heard that was yesterday. It's too cute.
This weekend I am excited to see Carrie, and perhaps Angela if she ever gets her act together and calls me. We are supposed to get together this weekend and go out for supper, since Carrie will be home and Angela will be having the big 30th birthday next Tuesday. I bought her a card back before Valentine's day because I found the PERFECT one. Then I thought that her birthday might be March 28th instead of April 28th so I called her that day and she clarified. I sat right down, filled out the card, addressed and stamped the envelope. Then Evan kept asking me if I wanted to mail it, and I kept saying no because I wanted it to arrive close to her birthday. And now, I can't find it. Ugh! Did I mail it? Did I lose it? Jeez this is insane. I know she will laugh when I tell her this, but really, It's embarrassing.
Today I also grabbed Ardyn's newest shot records from the Dr. Office so that we are ready when we switch to a pediatrician this June. I also got paperwork to fill out for my exit interview at work. Paperwork Paperwork.
I have a new plan. Although I think it's probably too good to be true, I have used a giant wipe off board and tried to schedule certain tasks on certain days. I am hoping that this will keep me on track and doing a bit of things each day, instead of running around too much on one day. If I wake up in the morning and say "all I HAVE to accomplish today is vacuuming and washing diapers" or "All I have to do today is wash jeans and clean out the fridge" or "All I have to do today is get groceries and wash fruits and vegetables." I don't know how it will work. Or if it will work. But I will give it the best try I can. I have it pretty strategically planned. Clean the fridge out one day. Make the grocery list the next day. Get groceries the following day. Wash each type of clothes once a week so that I only have to do a load or two of laundry each day. Wash Diapers every other day. Wash the Dog Bowls once a week. Give them baths every two weeks. Change the bedding every two weeks. That type of stuff. And of course there will be instances when the plan won't work. When I have something going on and won't be home, when Ardyn doesn't allow me to accomplish much. But I think that I feel good about having a plan. Once I feel like the whiteboard plan is finalized, I will transfer it to paper and give it a trial run for a week or two and see if it is feasible or if it needs tweaking or trashing.
I am reading Water for Elephants for my online book club, which was started by the group of moms that I belong to (our kids are all the same age.) So far it's a good book. It's intriguing and I can't help but think something big is at the end. Or perhaps that the end explains the beginning. I also have a stack of about 7 parenting and kids magazines that I have to read, and since I keep not having the time, I made myself carry them around in my shoulder tote for three days, as penance. I feel guilty, but keep telling myself that soon I can relax and read up. I thought maybe if I carried them with me that I might have a minute here or there to pick one up, but no such luck. So finally I gave up and left them at home instead. Besides those things are HEAVY!
Last night we signed the paperwork for our new VAN! Can you believe it! After all those posts about how I will NEVER Drive a van, it came down to me begging for a van. Ha. Can I just say first of all that I heart Stow-n-Go? Ohhh Do I ever. So it's a navy blue 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan. We found it at Browning Dodge, locally, which was also nice. We bought it for about $4000 less than it blue books for, which was amazing. It has 25,000 miles and still has factory warranty. They sold it brand new off their lot to their office manager, and she turned around and traded it in for a new vehicle, so it has been taken excellent care of and has had all it's work done right there since she works there. I am thrilled. We looked at 2007 and some 2006 Models in Peru and they wanted OUTRAGEOUS amounts of money for them, and they were so basic with no options, AND they were filthy! Cigarette burn holes in the floor mats and carpet, stains, ACK. Not something I would pay the $20-27 thousand that they were asking! It was insanity. That's like $5-12,000 more than we paid! It has full stow-n-go, captains seats, power drivers seat, power sliding doors, CD and cassette, dual climate control, rear heat/air, read defrost, cruise and radio controls on the steering wheel, the whole deal. It's immaculate and Ardyn's car seat fits so wonderfully! And the stroller. I could actually GET groceries in this thing, and we can all fit! Right now, whoever rides in the passenger seat of my car, has to have their knees touching the dash and their head touching the ceiling/visor. It's crazy. So Saturday we pick up the van. Can't wait! The payments will be less than half what my car payments were. Ahhh. Now I get to sell my car! Today I called my insurance agent to add the van.
I am waiting on two Little Tikes toys for Ardyn. I sold some diapers on diaperswappers and had paypal, so I grabbed up a couple of used Outdoor toys online. Of course they are more indoor/outdoor toys, and I don't anticipate that we will ever leave them outside, because of their value and that we want to keep them clean and free of fading. I got two retired items, which were hard to find. The Little Tikes Peek-A-Boo Tunnel, and the Little Tikes Activity Garden. I remember babysitting for kids who had the Activity Garden and they LOVED that thing. I loved that thing! It's perfect for Ardyn right now, and the Peek-A-Boo Tunnel is great for crawlers and I think she will enjoy it immensely this summer. The Activity Garden I am tracking through FedEx. I feel like if I even SEE A fed-ex or UPS guy on my street I might tackle him. I saw one earlier in the week and it was all I could do to stay in my car. He.
Also new is Ardyn's 2nd tooth. Last weekend and the beginning of this week I made mention that she was really gnawing on my hand, and that the first tooth must be pushing through the rest of the way. Well, last night she smiled at me and there were two bottom teeth instead of one! I know for a fact that there was only one on Sunday night, so it must have came through either Monday or Tuesday. She also has started to make a pig sound in her throat, the first time I heard that was yesterday. It's too cute.
This weekend I am excited to see Carrie, and perhaps Angela if she ever gets her act together and calls me. We are supposed to get together this weekend and go out for supper, since Carrie will be home and Angela will be having the big 30th birthday next Tuesday. I bought her a card back before Valentine's day because I found the PERFECT one. Then I thought that her birthday might be March 28th instead of April 28th so I called her that day and she clarified. I sat right down, filled out the card, addressed and stamped the envelope. Then Evan kept asking me if I wanted to mail it, and I kept saying no because I wanted it to arrive close to her birthday. And now, I can't find it. Ugh! Did I mail it? Did I lose it? Jeez this is insane. I know she will laugh when I tell her this, but really, It's embarrassing.
Today I also grabbed Ardyn's newest shot records from the Dr. Office so that we are ready when we switch to a pediatrician this June. I also got paperwork to fill out for my exit interview at work. Paperwork Paperwork.
I have a new plan. Although I think it's probably too good to be true, I have used a giant wipe off board and tried to schedule certain tasks on certain days. I am hoping that this will keep me on track and doing a bit of things each day, instead of running around too much on one day. If I wake up in the morning and say "all I HAVE to accomplish today is vacuuming and washing diapers" or "All I have to do today is wash jeans and clean out the fridge" or "All I have to do today is get groceries and wash fruits and vegetables." I don't know how it will work. Or if it will work. But I will give it the best try I can. I have it pretty strategically planned. Clean the fridge out one day. Make the grocery list the next day. Get groceries the following day. Wash each type of clothes once a week so that I only have to do a load or two of laundry each day. Wash Diapers every other day. Wash the Dog Bowls once a week. Give them baths every two weeks. Change the bedding every two weeks. That type of stuff. And of course there will be instances when the plan won't work. When I have something going on and won't be home, when Ardyn doesn't allow me to accomplish much. But I think that I feel good about having a plan. Once I feel like the whiteboard plan is finalized, I will transfer it to paper and give it a trial run for a week or two and see if it is feasible or if it needs tweaking or trashing.
Monday, April 07, 2008
It's a Beautiful Day To Quit Your Job....
Well, it's official! Last Friday I gave my notice at work, and as of May 1st, I will "officially" be a stay-at-home Mom! YAY! I will probably be doing a bit of web design on the side, but my primary goals will be to spend time with Ardyn, keep my house in order, get the laundry done, and keep up with the dishes! I also hope to get in more crafts and gardening, as well as some time outdoors for daily walks and some swimming too! I can not wait! I will miss my job but it was becoming too much to do everything and I just wasn't happy being away from Ardyn all day and not accomplishing anything. I know that moms everywhere work, but I have to say that it's impossible for me to work, take care of Ardyn to the standards that I expect from myself, and also accomplish anything for myself or my family. I can't wait. Let the countdown begin. To celebrate I got my first massage since back when I was pregnant, and probably the last one I will have until someone buys me a gift certificate (Mother's Day?) It was FABULOUS. A full hour long, and boy it's amazing how you can almost forget how refreshing you feel after a good massage. This time Tina used essential oils in my massage and it was just wonderful.
So the weekend was great. Saturday the boys were burning the prairie and wildflower plots, and Ardyn and I went to meet some of Evan's family who were in town visiting. Then we went out to see the boys and visited at Grandma and Grandpas with more family. We had supper there and on the way home, Ardyn and I hit a skunk (eeww!) and Evan took my car up to wash it before we put it in the garage. It was pretty stinky. Sunday I washed two loads of diapers, and happily hung them out on the line. I have TONS of pictures on Flickr of pretty and colorful diapers drying in the sun. The sky was so blue with puffy white clouds. If the grass had been green and there were leaves on the trees, you wouldn't have even known that we just had a hellish winter that lasted forever. The diapers are just so fresh and clean when they come in from the line!
I got some inspiration to make a clothespin bag, since mine is worn to hell, and I did the applique of a clothespin on the front, which still needs his "face" embroidered (see photos of the clothespin bag on flickr.) I will share photos of the finished product once I add one more snap to the center and embroider his face... It was super cute and slick... the Serger just makes sewing so much fun! I moved between the table to cut my fabric, the serger, and the sewing machine late last night, and finally FORCED myself to go to sleep about 1am. I actually woke Ardyn up and changed her diaper (we are fighting a bit of daycare diaper rash) and then nursed her and let her sleep next to me, because she sleeps longer and better there, and I wanted to get as much sleep as possible since I had been up late cleaning and sewing and had to work on Monday.
I am feeling really good about how well I am staying on top of things. I spend pretty much every night after Ardyn goes to bed, picking up, doing laundry, and dishes. One night last week I did just do one load of laundry and wash just one sink of dishes, and then watch the two episodes of CSI Miami with Evan. It was nice to relax. I look forward to the time when I can spend more time relaxing and enjoying my family on weeknights and weekends, instead of trying to cram in all the "housework" into that time instead. I also look forward to writing more in Ardyn's baby book, and starting her scrapbook, which I am ashamed to say I haven't even begun yet.Ardyn is moving into Size Medium Diapers now, and so I am about halfway through selling the smalls in lots. If they were diapers that I bought used, or that aren't my very favorites, I am selling them, because I don't know how well the elastic will hold up in storage, especially if the person before me used a harsh detergent or dried them in the drier. My favorite pocket diapers, and Especially the Thirsties AIO Pockets, I will keep for the next baby. But the rest I will get rid of and purchase more of what I really like. Today I sent her with Medium Thirsties AIO Pockets to daycare, and if I sell the 9 Drybees and 6 Snap-ez pockets that she is growing out of, I will then buy 6 more Thirsties AIO Pockets in Medium for daycare and convenience sakes this summer and fall. We are using lots of wool over prefolds and fitteds while at home, but I like to have Thirsties on hand to wear under clothes because they are so trim and comfy.
I have slid into my mom wardrobe. I have my two pair of khaki pants, and a pair of white pants that become capris, and three pair of shorts, and two pair of knit capris, and a pair of black gauchos. Pair those with any of my Nine v-neck shirts in a rainbow of colors, and you will see how easy it is to be me. LOL. I have discovered that the Unshrinkable T-Shirt by LLBean is freaking awesome, not only because it doesn't shrink, but because it has this water-repellent thing on it. When I get milk or water or anything on me, I can pretty much brush it off and I don't get stained. Last week I opened a container of sweet potatoes only to have them splash all over my shirt that I JUST put on, and they came right off without even really "touching" the fabric. It was awesome how repellent they are. I will definitely recommend them to other moms! I can't wait till I don't have to work, because then I can also slip into my rainbow of flip flops and sandals. Until then I am pretty much sticking to tennis shoes and slip on shoes, or my black rocket dogs.
Ardyn wore an outfit (That Aunt Liz bought her!) with Capri pants and her sandals to daycare today, she was so excited about it! It was like she couldn't get over the fact that even though she had her shoes on, she could SEE her TOES! She was thrilled. She was being a real ham this morning. She has kinda started to have the "stranger" fear. She knows who I am and wants to be with me. She is sometimes crying when I leave the room, and when we visit relatives and they hold her, she is starting to cry and crane her head around and reach for me. I can see the panic look on her face and I try to reassure her that they are safe and that I am not going anywhere. I think my mom and Evan's parents are the only people she hasn't been afraid of. Perhaps Evan's brother and my sister. She cried at Grandpa Dave at Easter, I think he scared her when she first saw him, and then she warmed right up and played with him all day.... but she was scared of Evan's uncle Dennis at first, and also of Grandma Mona and Grandpa Bob Sr. We just need to spend more time with everyone so that she is more comfortable with them.Swimming lessons start this week. I can't remember if I already blogged about buying a new swimsuit? I don't think I did. Well, I debated for a long time. I have several suits. Two tankins. One missing the bottom and one missing the top? And the two suits that I wore before I got pregnant, are nowhere to be found (Another reason to stay home.... so I can clean out my closet and get a hold on all these different sizes of clothes!) and now that I have lost 46 pounds, and gone up a cup size from nursing, I decided it's okay to buy a new suit. Especially when I will need to nurse at the pool all summer. I heave heard lots of people say "just pull your suit down" and I want to say "yeah, that's discreet. Just pull down your suit." Obviously none of these people have hauled around a DD cup full of milk. Or nursed the evil genius who loves to "pop off and smile" at people. And honestly, it isn't ME I am worried about. It's other people. They tend to get all itchy and squirmy around boobs. Nursing boobs that is. I should clarify. Because flashing Mardi Gras boobs and classic art boobs and porno boobs and playboy boobs and topless dancer boobs show up and it's all "Whoo-Hoo! Random Shot of Boobs!" But I guess when the boobs are for nursing, it's all about scary. This world is pretty fucked up, isn't it!? So for everyone else's sake, I dropped $70 on a new two piece halter tankini, double layered for nursing, with a matching swim skirt. It's the most expensive swimsuit I have ever bought, considering that I bought my maternity suit on eBay (used) and every other suit pretty much came from Wal-Mart, with the exception of one that my mom bought my from JCPenney before I left home about 10 years ago. I bought it in Basic black, so that it stays in style, stays slimming, and can be worn hopefully through several years and through nursing several children. I did it all for you. Your welcome. The suit arrived from Motherwear today and I haven't had a chance to try it on yet, but I will. And I also got a second travel wet bag (identical to the one I use for dirty diapers but in a different pattern) so that we can put our wet suits and such in it for swim lessons, and for summer at the pool. It will also be nice to just have another wet bag in general, so that if there is one in the wash we have a spare.
I have four more things on my list that I need to get purchased before I cease to have any income. The first is six more Thirsties Diapers. The second is 13 Snap In Bamboo Inserts for the Motherease One Size Diapers that we already have. The Third is another Convertible Car Seat to use in Evan's vehicle. The Fourth is a set of Crib Rail Teethers to put on the crib in Ardyn's room. I would also be thrilled if I could get myself a new pair of New Balance Tennis Shoes, since I bought mine back when I got pregnant, and have been wearing them for over a year now. I would LOVE a new pair but this is not a necessity so much as a wish. And I would also love some new mascara as mine is getting crunchy... and some foundation as I am almost out of the Bare Minerals. I ran out of the color I wear a while ago, but had two containers of a color that didn't work, but I mixed it with some warmth to make it get me by, and now that is almost gone.
I will be switching to Wal-Mart purchased shampoo and conditioner instead of Biolage, and also dyeing my own hair now, to save money. That's cool with me. I will miss my complicated highlights that get me so many compliments, but not as much as I would miss my daughter if I had to work to support my beauty regime.
Oh and Comcast. Saturday morning when I got out of the shower my cable had been "Disconnected for non-payment" because I refuse to pay them for service I am not GETTING and because I have tried to explain to them a bazillion times that I am not paying and that they need to credit my account. So I called Comcast and within 10 minutes had $90 credited to my account for the months of February and March's internet service. And my cable and internet (or what there IS of internet service) reinstated while still on the phone with them. This morning Judy form Corporate called to check in, which was very nice and probably the best customer service I have gotten from Comcast so far. Everything I have heard, both from Technicians and from Customers and through the grapevine, indicates that they should have a handle on the "bigger issue" in our area in 1-2 weeks. Judy told me if it isn't fixed in two weeks to call her back and a supervisor would be sent to my area. I am pleased with the credits to my account. It's about time!
Well, I have exhausted my brainpower for now. Have a great day!
Monday, February 04, 2008
Tired.
What's new with you folks? I really meant to blog over the weekend, but Evan has been sick since last Friday, and pretty out of it. He has had a sinus infection and horrible headaches and dizziness. So It's been a little bit crazy at home. Sunday and today were the worst for me. We really needed groceries about a month ago, but this weekend we were FINALLY all going to go together and get some. Then Evan got sick, and we put it off all weekend until on Sunday I just decided that I was going to take Ardyn and do it by myself. Of course she was also teething and when I left home it was her nap time. She slept a bit in the car on the way there but wasn't really thrilled with waking up when we got to Target. She seemed fine through about 50% of the store, but then started to get very vocal and fussy. So I ended up carrying her for a while and then we hightailed it out of there. I wanted to go to Aldi's right away but Ardyn screamed in the car and I planned on just forgetting the whole thing and just going home. But she was screaming so loud that I just parked in the Aldi's parking lot and got her out of her seat and fed her in the front seat of the SUV. Of course I had to move my seat all the way back to make room for her in between me and the steering wheel. Then I wanted to change her, but grocery stores don't have changing tables... and it was too cold to change her with a door open to the vehicle, so I changed her on the front seat which was NOT easy with the console in between.
Finally she calmed down and was okay, so we went into Aldi's. Of course we got through 1.5 aisles before she started squealing in protest again, and I ended up alternately carrying her and then once she was happier, putting her down again. She was fine in the checkout line but once I got to the part where I bagged my own groceries, she was frustrated because the groceries (and therefore me) were behind her back and she couldn't see me. I was talking to her but she was instantly bored, and then fussy again. Of course then I was holding her AND bagging groceries one handed when the cashier came over and offered to help and to her surprise I just begged her to hold the baby so I could get stuff in the bags the way I wanted it. Whew! Then in the car she started her screaming again (when teething she doesn't want to be put down. She becomes a real cuddle bug) and then finally fell asleep. She was so exhausted but wouldn't nap. It was almost 1:30 and she usually naps around 10 or 10:30 and she hadn't yet. She was SOOO Overtired. Then I realized that in my hurry to get her out of Target, I hadn't bought Evan's cold medicine, so I had to go to Wal-Mart on the way home and grab some. The very second we got into the store she started screaming again. It was horrible. I just grabbed his cold medicine and got the hell out of there.
By the time we got home she was screaming non-stop so I had to make Evan get out of bed and unload groceries for me while I fed her, changed her, and put her pajamas on. All of which she screamed through as if she had a broken bone or something. Man it was a bad bad scream. Once she was fed, changed, and had her pajamas on, she kinda let out a big sigh and looked at me like "So we are home now?" and then SMILED and was happy. An hour later she was eating again and I was lying down nursing her and I was SO exhausted. She had been up for a whole two hours during the night and I was exhausted because I had been up since 7am, drug her and myself all over, got groceries, and had a headache. Evan and I both fell asleep with Ardyn between us. Of course then the phone rang 5 times in that hour I was trying to nap... and I was so zonked out that I didn't even wake up until it was thundering and lightening and the dogs started barking. Then I was drooling on my pillow I was so exhausted. Ardyn was so tired she slept for another hour, even when I felt guilty and couldn't stay asleep.
Sunday night Evan went and got Lisa (Josh had her car!) and brought her over. We hung out, I did some laundry and we gave Ardyn a bath and put her to bed.... then sat around talking and crocheting until Josh came and got her. We completely avoided the superbowl, which was awesome. The only reason I really care about a superbowl is for all the good food and the commercials.
Today was THE day from hell. First the weather was crappy. I vowed that the next time the weather is crappy I am NOT hauling myself, Ardyn, and all of our belongings out in the weather. It's just not worth it. But, I did. I tried to wait a little bit longer so that all the snow would be cleared from the roads, and so that the sleet would switch to rain, as it was supposed to. But that also meant that I had to go out IN THE RAIN and march through all the snow to get to the vehicle and start it, and then shovel a path in the rain, and then haul all of our stuff (breastpump, purse, diaper bag, carseat) to the car, and then head off. When we got to daycare it was torrential downpouring (great) and I got Ardyn inside just before it really started to get crazy and was lightening and then pouring even harder. So I was running out to the car again and it started hailing. By the time I got to work, just like 3 minutes across town, there was about 2-3 inches of hail on the ground, about the size of peanut M&Ms. That sucked.
Of course the parking lot at work was a river, and the whole town was a serious mess with storm drains being frozen and standing water on all the streets and intersections. There was no dry spot to walk, and the water was over the top of my shoes. It was horrible. My socks and shoes were soaked, and the bottom couple of inches of my khakis too. When I got to work I just wanted to cry. WHY didn't I stay HOME! Of course then we had serious problems all day long and I was so busy that instead of my normal four pumping sessions, I only got in TWO of them, which also meant that I didn't even get two bottles of milk for the day, When Ardyn usually drinks 3-4. That sucked. That just made me want to walk right out the door. She is my number one priority. Some people might think this is a totally bizarre statement, but I would quit my job in two seconds and never look back if I though it interfered with being able to breastfeed my child. Seriously. It is that important to me. So by the time my day was over, I was ready to cry I was so pissed. And then I let myself think how I went through all of that, for the $8 a day that I am able to bring home. Its pretty bad when I make like $15 an hour and can only bring home $8 a day as profit. Anyone who says that healthcare and childcare are not issues in this country has never been a working mom who has to pay for both of those things.
We have also had the issue of diapers leaking at daycare. I can have Ardyn in the exact same diapers all evening, and all weekend long, and have never had a leak. But at daycare, it was getting terrible. Last week she was coming home from 6.5 hours at daycare with SEVEN wet diapers and two-three changes of clothes each day. That is a lot of laundry. I mostly use snap diapers because I prefer them to Aplix (velcro) for lots of reasons. They are less bulky, they have a nice size range, the leg and waist sizes adjust independently of each other, velcro gets pilly and can get fuzz and hair stuck in it, and it also sticks to everything in the wash. But for some reason, the snap diapers, the very same ones that I used at home, were leaking at daycare. I could change her every two hours at home and be just fine, but they were changing her every hour to 1.5 hours at daycare and she was still leaking. I swore that they weren't fastening the snaps correctly. They insist that they are as tight as they will go, and I really want to believe them because they are awesome people. But at the same time, we switched to only velcro diapers at daycare and she doesn't leak now. Well, this means that because I only have four velcro and she uses between 5-6 diapers a day, I needed to buy MORE diapers, even though I had PLENTY of them already. So now I am limping along with the four velcro diapers, and awaiting the 11 new velcro diapers that are arriving any day now. Basically 6 new diapers ran me $105 (with a 10% discount and free shipping) and 5 used diapers ran me about $50. That seems incredibly expensive, but if you figure using a $20 pack of diapers every week or so, that's $80 a month that is garbage and not reusable. With cloth you can use them month after month and child after child, and if you take good care of them and wash them properly, you can even sell them for about 50-80% their original retail value.
That said, I am planning on making my own diapers for Ardyn's next size, and also for newborn for our other children. The snap press and die set and my polyacetal industrial snaps arrived on Saturday. Today I got some misc PUL fabric for making Pocket diapers, and 3 yards of really cool outer fabric as well. And my poo pockets diaper patterns. Very exciting. This weekend we are going to the Quad Cities with my mom to shop for Sergers... and then I can get started. I made one of my diaper inserts with the sewing machine, and while it is possible, it's extra steps and they don't look as nice because they aren't as trim and straight. I am refraining from making any more until I have the serger.
This past week I was able to start using my new utility sink in the laundry room, and Evan and I hung the shelf down there that I wanted, and also my 5 Gallon bucket of Charlie's soap arrived. (yay!) Then I worked one whole night cleaning the sewing room (which hasn't been touched since around the time I got pregnant) and I got a dent in it. The problem with having it in the basement is that it just gets plain DIRTY down there, dusty and dirt falls from the ceiling and brick dust from the foundation. Ack. So I started down there. I organized two whole shelves and also cleaned a couple of big baskets of stuff that had kinda accumulated. Still have two tables to clean off and get organized. Ugh. Its a huge project but I want to be able to work down there instead of on the dining room table. As each day unfolds I become more and more restless about going off to work each day, making no money, and also getting nothing accomplished.
Well, now that it is almost 10pm, I have to get myself to bed, because I haven't been getting enough sleep and it makes me even MORE cranky.
speaking of cranky, the Aquatics Coordinator at the Bureau County Metro Center never called me back about infant water classes. Bah Humbug. Evan says that if that's the way they are, we need to just take her over to Peru. I would agree with that more if I wasn't working all day long and THEN driving her to Peru, but we will make it work.
Just need to finish this marathon of new John and Kate Plus 8 Episodes (I am an addict) and off to bed. Everyone have a great night.
Finally she calmed down and was okay, so we went into Aldi's. Of course we got through 1.5 aisles before she started squealing in protest again, and I ended up alternately carrying her and then once she was happier, putting her down again. She was fine in the checkout line but once I got to the part where I bagged my own groceries, she was frustrated because the groceries (and therefore me) were behind her back and she couldn't see me. I was talking to her but she was instantly bored, and then fussy again. Of course then I was holding her AND bagging groceries one handed when the cashier came over and offered to help and to her surprise I just begged her to hold the baby so I could get stuff in the bags the way I wanted it. Whew! Then in the car she started her screaming again (when teething she doesn't want to be put down. She becomes a real cuddle bug) and then finally fell asleep. She was so exhausted but wouldn't nap. It was almost 1:30 and she usually naps around 10 or 10:30 and she hadn't yet. She was SOOO Overtired. Then I realized that in my hurry to get her out of Target, I hadn't bought Evan's cold medicine, so I had to go to Wal-Mart on the way home and grab some. The very second we got into the store she started screaming again. It was horrible. I just grabbed his cold medicine and got the hell out of there.
By the time we got home she was screaming non-stop so I had to make Evan get out of bed and unload groceries for me while I fed her, changed her, and put her pajamas on. All of which she screamed through as if she had a broken bone or something. Man it was a bad bad scream. Once she was fed, changed, and had her pajamas on, she kinda let out a big sigh and looked at me like "So we are home now?" and then SMILED and was happy. An hour later she was eating again and I was lying down nursing her and I was SO exhausted. She had been up for a whole two hours during the night and I was exhausted because I had been up since 7am, drug her and myself all over, got groceries, and had a headache. Evan and I both fell asleep with Ardyn between us. Of course then the phone rang 5 times in that hour I was trying to nap... and I was so zonked out that I didn't even wake up until it was thundering and lightening and the dogs started barking. Then I was drooling on my pillow I was so exhausted. Ardyn was so tired she slept for another hour, even when I felt guilty and couldn't stay asleep.
Sunday night Evan went and got Lisa (Josh had her car!) and brought her over. We hung out, I did some laundry and we gave Ardyn a bath and put her to bed.... then sat around talking and crocheting until Josh came and got her. We completely avoided the superbowl, which was awesome. The only reason I really care about a superbowl is for all the good food and the commercials.
Today was THE day from hell. First the weather was crappy. I vowed that the next time the weather is crappy I am NOT hauling myself, Ardyn, and all of our belongings out in the weather. It's just not worth it. But, I did. I tried to wait a little bit longer so that all the snow would be cleared from the roads, and so that the sleet would switch to rain, as it was supposed to. But that also meant that I had to go out IN THE RAIN and march through all the snow to get to the vehicle and start it, and then shovel a path in the rain, and then haul all of our stuff (breastpump, purse, diaper bag, carseat) to the car, and then head off. When we got to daycare it was torrential downpouring (great) and I got Ardyn inside just before it really started to get crazy and was lightening and then pouring even harder. So I was running out to the car again and it started hailing. By the time I got to work, just like 3 minutes across town, there was about 2-3 inches of hail on the ground, about the size of peanut M&Ms. That sucked.
Of course the parking lot at work was a river, and the whole town was a serious mess with storm drains being frozen and standing water on all the streets and intersections. There was no dry spot to walk, and the water was over the top of my shoes. It was horrible. My socks and shoes were soaked, and the bottom couple of inches of my khakis too. When I got to work I just wanted to cry. WHY didn't I stay HOME! Of course then we had serious problems all day long and I was so busy that instead of my normal four pumping sessions, I only got in TWO of them, which also meant that I didn't even get two bottles of milk for the day, When Ardyn usually drinks 3-4. That sucked. That just made me want to walk right out the door. She is my number one priority. Some people might think this is a totally bizarre statement, but I would quit my job in two seconds and never look back if I though it interfered with being able to breastfeed my child. Seriously. It is that important to me. So by the time my day was over, I was ready to cry I was so pissed. And then I let myself think how I went through all of that, for the $8 a day that I am able to bring home. Its pretty bad when I make like $15 an hour and can only bring home $8 a day as profit. Anyone who says that healthcare and childcare are not issues in this country has never been a working mom who has to pay for both of those things.
We have also had the issue of diapers leaking at daycare. I can have Ardyn in the exact same diapers all evening, and all weekend long, and have never had a leak. But at daycare, it was getting terrible. Last week she was coming home from 6.5 hours at daycare with SEVEN wet diapers and two-three changes of clothes each day. That is a lot of laundry. I mostly use snap diapers because I prefer them to Aplix (velcro) for lots of reasons. They are less bulky, they have a nice size range, the leg and waist sizes adjust independently of each other, velcro gets pilly and can get fuzz and hair stuck in it, and it also sticks to everything in the wash. But for some reason, the snap diapers, the very same ones that I used at home, were leaking at daycare. I could change her every two hours at home and be just fine, but they were changing her every hour to 1.5 hours at daycare and she was still leaking. I swore that they weren't fastening the snaps correctly. They insist that they are as tight as they will go, and I really want to believe them because they are awesome people. But at the same time, we switched to only velcro diapers at daycare and she doesn't leak now. Well, this means that because I only have four velcro and she uses between 5-6 diapers a day, I needed to buy MORE diapers, even though I had PLENTY of them already. So now I am limping along with the four velcro diapers, and awaiting the 11 new velcro diapers that are arriving any day now. Basically 6 new diapers ran me $105 (with a 10% discount and free shipping) and 5 used diapers ran me about $50. That seems incredibly expensive, but if you figure using a $20 pack of diapers every week or so, that's $80 a month that is garbage and not reusable. With cloth you can use them month after month and child after child, and if you take good care of them and wash them properly, you can even sell them for about 50-80% their original retail value.
That said, I am planning on making my own diapers for Ardyn's next size, and also for newborn for our other children. The snap press and die set and my polyacetal industrial snaps arrived on Saturday. Today I got some misc PUL fabric for making Pocket diapers, and 3 yards of really cool outer fabric as well. And my poo pockets diaper patterns. Very exciting. This weekend we are going to the Quad Cities with my mom to shop for Sergers... and then I can get started. I made one of my diaper inserts with the sewing machine, and while it is possible, it's extra steps and they don't look as nice because they aren't as trim and straight. I am refraining from making any more until I have the serger.
This past week I was able to start using my new utility sink in the laundry room, and Evan and I hung the shelf down there that I wanted, and also my 5 Gallon bucket of Charlie's soap arrived. (yay!) Then I worked one whole night cleaning the sewing room (which hasn't been touched since around the time I got pregnant) and I got a dent in it. The problem with having it in the basement is that it just gets plain DIRTY down there, dusty and dirt falls from the ceiling and brick dust from the foundation. Ack. So I started down there. I organized two whole shelves and also cleaned a couple of big baskets of stuff that had kinda accumulated. Still have two tables to clean off and get organized. Ugh. Its a huge project but I want to be able to work down there instead of on the dining room table. As each day unfolds I become more and more restless about going off to work each day, making no money, and also getting nothing accomplished.
Well, now that it is almost 10pm, I have to get myself to bed, because I haven't been getting enough sleep and it makes me even MORE cranky.
speaking of cranky, the Aquatics Coordinator at the Bureau County Metro Center never called me back about infant water classes. Bah Humbug. Evan says that if that's the way they are, we need to just take her over to Peru. I would agree with that more if I wasn't working all day long and THEN driving her to Peru, but we will make it work.
Just need to finish this marathon of new John and Kate Plus 8 Episodes (I am an addict) and off to bed. Everyone have a great night.
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