Mom's the Word!: August 2005

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

....Miles to go before they sleep.

For the last 48 hours... I have just felt awful. Awful for those poor suffering souls in the Gulf Coast. I have cried many tears.... for the families torn apart, the untold thousands who have perished. For the starving, thirsty, sweltering people, children, pets... and not an end in sight.

Check this link out:

Dancing with Katrina

The devistation is almost surreal. It can't possibly be fully understood, even with the exhaustive 24 hour news coverage.

But, human beings.... we are an impressive bunch... even though we are physically fragile, our will and determination are not as not easily broken. But, still, I can't comprehend how some of these people are making it... I heard Shepherd Smith on the Fox News Sirius Channel... he was telling this story about a woman who had been rescued along with 12 other people and her 5 day old daughter from their flooded attic. The boat dropped them off on the interstate. And then, they walked for countless miles. I cannot even fathom that. With a 5 day old infant, in that heat. No diapers, wipes, formula. Nowhere for the child to sleep. My God. My heart broke listening to that report... I started crying as I drove, and looked in the mirror to see Travis sweetly sleeping in his carseat.

We need to thank our lucky stars for what we have.

311 - Thank Your Lucky Stars
lyrics

'I need a break,' something inside me said
From TV people counting the dead
A break from all the sadness is what I
Need now, yeah
I've an ache and a loss for words
For Apathy I sense in the herd
I've heard 'em and it's senseless no
Questioning it
And what's the point nothing so dull
Could ever on Earth be brightened entirely
Just think about it
And what's the point nothing so slight
Could ever on Earth be enlightened entirely
Just think about it
Ask me, I'm not blind, I can read all the signs
So many have died, so many out of their minds
Thank your lucky stars you've got it good it's not hard
To be what you are, Thank your lucky stars
We're in a place I thought we'd never get
People involved that fought or they fled
But I do not know how we're goin' to get out of it
Whoa
It's a mistake to be paranoid
A mental state that takes strength to avoid
All the hostility and fear should be challenged
Cuz what's the point of living that way
So many close their minds to what others say
Which ever feeling you voice
And what's the point, We're gonna pay
Sorted out one way or not we all have that day
So make you choice
Ask me, I'm not blind, I can read all the signs
So many have died, so many out of their minds
Thank your lucky stars you've got it good it's not hard
To be what you are, Thank your lucky stars"

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 5:08 PM 1 comments

Thursday, August 25, 2005

babywearing doll

I would feel lucky if I were really this pulled together. Or thin.

Skinny bitch doll. Where are the REAL dolls of us 9 month postpartum mammas who still have jell-o tummies, and lopsided boobs? It's a conspiracy I tell you!

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 10:24 PM 2 comments

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

I'm gonna EAT you!

Travis loves his Gertie ball! I think it looks like a sea anenomie.

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 6:35 PM 1 comments

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Teething Hell

Sigh. These last few days have really tried my "Mommy patience". I am usually pretty unflappable. But since Sunday... color me "flapped". Is it too late for PPD? Seriously? I have just about had it. My nerves are seriously fried. The so-called "relaxing" essential oils I bought from the Body Shop aren't helping.

The baby is teething. He's already got 5 teeth... why does he need any more so soon? Especially because, lately nursing him has been painful due to one of his bottom teeth stabbing me in the exact same spot on my nipple with nearly every feeding.

And ALL he's wanted to do is nurse. ALL DAY! EVERY DAY! He's even refused what little solids he eats normally. (I always feed him breakfast, and usually dinner.) Yeah. It's been real fun. Plus, he's been super clingy, whiny, and needy. Like, good luck even trying to go potty without him screaming like it's the end of the world. Yesterday I had a migrane, and he wouldn't/couldn't nap. Even my usually fail-safe plan of laying down on the bed with him to nurse so we could both get rest was a bust. Today he
has had all but an hour of sleep ALL DAY! It is now nearly 7pm! This is NOT OK!

So, if tomorrow isn't a better day, I'm sending him to live with the gypsies. Better yet, I might run away to join them myself.

Good thing he's cute... :)

See??

Travis today... and my Mom's double chin! :)

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 6:37 PM 1 comments

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Penguins are monogamous... why aren't some men?

A local theater has a "Mommy Matinee" on the 3rd Monday of each month. It starts at 10:00am, and you can see any movie you want that's playing. They normally have Indie and Bollywood movies, which aren't really my thing. But yesterday I packed up the baby and we went and saw the March of the Penguins. Oh my goodness, it was SO good, and SO sweet! :)
Parts of it made me sad, but mostly it just made me feel so happy to be a mommy. I held Travis, and nursed him, and we just watched the movie together, and sprawled out in our seat. I was able to move the armrests up, so it was more like a couch. I highly reccommend you see it!

Afterwards, my good friend and I met for lunch. She just found out that her husband has been cheating on her. What a bastard he is! They have barely been married a year, and have a beautiful baby girl a few weeks younger than Travis. So, their relationship is most definately rocky right now...

I thought he was cheating... Jeff and I saw her husband a couple of months ago on a Saturday early afternoon walking with this girl and his 3 year old son who was visiting for the summer was holding this woman's hand!

I immediately called my friend to tell her that we saw him. She said she knew he was out with some girl who was a friend of his, and, although it did bother her- she wasn't overly freaked out about it.

Turns out that was the girl he has been cheating with. Stickier situation... he's in the military. SO, that's like an automatic dishonorable discharge if they find out. They are going through councelling, and hopefully they can repair their marriage.

I just am amazed that she didn't pack up the baby and leave him right away when she found out... she was looking over his shoulder while he was working on the computer. He got instant messaged something like "I can't wait to ___ your ___ again." My friend was like... "that one little word caught him... Again."

Why are some guys such assholes? My friend is beautiful, and intellegent, and doesn't deserve to be treated this way.

I just want to give her a shoulder... and advice where she asks for it. I am just devistated for her.

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 4:23 PM 1 comments

Friday, August 12, 2005

Mommy "me-time".

Although I try as much as possible to depart from conversations about the contents of my son's diapers... Holy Mother of God.... it was foul! Sweet potatoes, could they have caused that? I don't know.... the one I just changed leads me to believe Jeff is stuffing him full of Chicken McNuggets on the sly.

Anyway... we went to El Torito for dinner, and it rawked. Yes, I said rawked. You can commence suing the old lady now. :)

My dad came over yesterday afternoon, and hung out for awhile. He gave me a hundred bucks, so that was very nice of him. So later, I think I shall hit the Estee counter with a vegance! :) But, I need to keep myself away from Gymbo... or else that $ is going to be spent on THE MOST FREAKING ADORABLE OUTFIT with dogs on it!. I Can't stand how cute their stuff is. Ack!

I just finished nursing Travis. He's napping on the couch right now. He's been a little sleepy today... think he's going through yet another growth spurt. Must remember to drink water, so I can keep making lots of the milkies!

The other day I was sitting at the beach in my car eating lunch. Travis was asleep in his carseat.

I started a list. I am a compulsive list-maker.... I called it "28"

It's 28 things I want to do in my 28th year just for me. I realize I put myself last most of the time now that I am a mommy. So, I hope to make a little time for myself where I can. Prior to gretting pregnant I did my nails all the time, gave myself facials, never left the house without at least mascara on. I had a beauty routine, morning and evening. Wash, exfoliate, moisturize, etc. My hair always looked great. I never lapsed between coloring. I got regular trims. I blowed my hair out at least once a week. I plucked, shaved, and flossed regularly. I went to the gym. In short, I took care of myself. Now... well, now it's like a complete 180. I barely have time to brush my hair, it's never blow-dried. I throw it into a quick ponytail, and that's it. I take short showers and only shave my armpits. I wrap myself in a towel and barely dry off before attending to the baby, even if he's perfectly content with Jeff at home. Some days I don't get out of my lounge pants. Some days I don't wash my face. Some days I don't even wear deoderant. When I leave the house, I'm lucky if I remember to wear my nursing pads, let alone makeup.

So, I think these things will help me remember to take a little "me" time daily.

"28"

1. Floss/waterpik every day
2. Start painting nails & toes at least 1x/month
3. Wear makeup when I leave the house. Wear "real" clothes everyday.
4. Tweeze eyebrows weekly
5. HAIRCUT ASAP!
6. Keep hair colored! No more grey hairs!
7. Stop always pulling hair back into a ponytail.
8. Wash face 2xs/ day
9. Moisturize after shower
10. Home pedicure once a month
11. Shave legs more often!
12. Get up at 6:00 am 3xs a week for yoga. Mon, Wed, Fri.
13. Start drinking tea everyday.
14. Walk with baby around the lake 2xs or more a week.
15. Write/journal more... either on paper or blog.
16. Meditate/breathing excercises daily. Can be only a few minutes, that's ok.
17. Make sure to drink all my water everyday
18. Remember to take vitamins & Viactives daily.
19. Breakfast everyday.
20. Get back OP with my Weight Watchers. Join the gym soon.
21. Give myself a facial once a week.
23. Look into photography courses at the communtiy college.
24. Go through all my clothes. Toss/donate/store where needed. Make room for what fits NOW. Not what might fit later...
25. Throw out old cosmetics, nail polish, etc. Organize what produts I have.
26. Get a new hair dryer.
27. Skip the computer once a week. No email, no ebay, no surfing. Go out with the baby instead. Spend nothing.
28. Find free/cheap fun stuff to do with the baby.

It won't kill the baby for me to do any of those things. In fact, I will be a happier, more relaxed mommy. That can't be anything but good for all of us.

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 10:30 AM 0 comments

Fishie

Here's T.J.'s fishie. We thought about naming it, but I think we'll call it fishie so Travis will know what it is.

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 9:33 AM 0 comments

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Happy Birthday to me!

So far, it's been nothing special. Well, except that it's the first birthday I'm a mommy... that's completely the most special thing ever!

I was a tad annoyed at Jeff this morning. He left for work without so much as a "Happy Birthday". He's truely not functional without his morning Venti Satrbucks... and he's truely overwhelmed at work... so I guess I won't hold it against him....

I think we're going out to dinner... that should be nice.

We had our weekly Mom's group this afternoon. Everyone sang to me, and I was quite embarrassed.

But, so far... that's all. Hoping for a fabulous ending to an otherwise ordinary day.

:)

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 4:28 PM 1 comments

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Rapidly approaching 30....

I am in my last 2 hours of being 27. Hello 28! I swear I feel so old. :(
You know you're old when Grandma's birthday card doesn't have the $25.00 check in it anymore, Sigh.

Oh well... It will mark my first birthday as a mom. And, finally, a high school graduate. That's right. I finished it last week. Now it's all over but the waiting. Waiting for the diploma that no one but my son will ever want to look at... but that's all that matters to me.

You know you're getting old when stuff like that matters to you. That, and having matching dishes. And, hopefully covering these grey hair tomorrow with some purdyful shade of light ash brown. Yep...I'm officially old.

I bought Travis his first pet yesterday, a red and blue betta fishie (Siamese fighting fish). Travis loves fish. He can't understand why he can't pet it though...

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 10:10 PM 2 comments

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Got Milk?

Sweet nursing boy.

Sigh. I love this kid.

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 10:31 AM 1 comments

Sunday, August 07, 2005

So big!

Happy 9 month birthday, Travis!

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 11:28 PM 2 comments

Monday, August 01, 2005

Whack an ant

I'm having coffee, and laundrying, and listening to the dishwasher go... also listening for Travis on the monitor... he's still asleep. What a great baby I have! :)

Yesterday Jeff's Grandma scared us. She was hanging a picture back up after painting her livingroom. It had fallen behind her couch after being re-hung the first time. She was standing on her couch cushions.... (see where this is going?)

Grandma + couch cushion standing + holding large artwork + coffee table + head hitting = ambulance ride, mild concussion, and some stitches. Poor Grandma. I'm glad it wasn't worse. It could have been much worse. This is why getting old scares me so much... Sigh.

Anyway, Jeff's uncle is coming up from LA today to spend the week with her. (And to finish painting.) I had told her a couple of weeks ago just to hire someone, but she's stubborn. A 74-year-old shouldn't be standing on a ladder, or couch cushions for any reason whatsoever.

Anyway...

The ants are back. Ack! We hate them! The kitchen was covered in them this morning. Jeff had to commit Untold Ant Atrocoties just to make us coffee. We keep finding them though... Jeff decribed them as "VC Charlie Ho Chi Minh Trail motherfuckers." This is the man who has my heart, people... :) He's a little rough around the edges, but he's perfect for me.

posted by T.J.'s Mommy @ 9:28 AM 5 comments

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