It's Time To Wake Up And Start Respecting Each Other

 There has been a large buzz in the media lately about a news anchor who responded on air to an email she received. I was alarmed by how many people said she should have just kept her mouth shut and not been bothered. Why shouldn't she speak out against something that I consider to be an attack? If he has the right to make the comments she has a right to respond. This is the age of keyboard warriors who feel like they can say whatever they want to people without consequence. The part that scares me is that a lot of women were agreeing with this guy. What the hell ladies? So much for fighting against the objectification of women. That's taking a couple steps back when you agree that this woman isn't doing her job right because she doesn't look like a model.

I am so unbelievably sick of people that feel like they have the right to attack people because they are not shaped like barbie. When was the last time you heard a large person say "Look at that bitch over there eating a salad. That's so gross I'm gonna walk right over there and say something. What a disservice to children and society. This is what's wrong with the world today. I bet she goes to the gym too. UGH!". You've never heard that? Huh, fancy that, neither have I. 

 I would like to know why it bothers some people so much that not everyone is a size 2? What is so bad about accepting people as they are? I've  noticed that the same people who don't accept other people as is usually have an excuse as to why they don't.This is one of my favorites : I'm just worried about their health- Oh bitch please, no you're not. It makes you feel better to be condescending.  I guess I just don't understand why people are focused on waist size when there are SO many more issues for us to be putting our effort in to.

I would like to take a minute and address two of the stereotypes I've heard so many times. 1) You're not thin therefore you are lazy- WRONG! That is not the case for everyone. I could work out until the cows come home and I will never be skinny. I run around with my son who is going to be 2 in January (how is THAT not active?), I care for my 2& 1/2 month old daughter all day every day, I have to make sure the house is clean and make sure everything runs smoothly. I don't think that counts as lazy. Plus not every thin person is super active.

2) Everyone can make time for the gym- Wrong again. Let me throw you a little example from my life. I have two children under the age of two and my husband works about 55 hours a week. Even when he is home I can't just ditch him with the kids. He worked a long day, how would that even be remotely fair? We divide the work so neither one of us burns out or goes nuts.

All arguments aside, I would like to know what is so offensive about a woman not being ashamed of her body no matter the size. I'm not ashamed of my body. I'm not ashamed of my size. The person who matters, other than myself, is my husband. He loves me, he is attracted to me, he supports me, and he's not ashamed of me. Why can't we show support for each other or keep our mouths shut? The nastiness is taxing and I'm just about done with it.

 All shapes and sizes are beautiful. If it doesn't happen to be your preference then you should be respectful of other people and move on without being a jackass. Just because you don't like how someone looks doesn't mean you get a free pass to attack them and completely disregard their feelings. It's time we all start acting like the adults that we claim to be.

My Possible Trip To Holland

Since the beginning of August my husband and I have been playing a waiting game. In my opinion it's one of the toughest waiting games a parent can play. We've been waiting to find out if our son has autism. I've been very quiet about this because I didn't want to make a big deal about it or have it seem like I'm looking for sympathy/attention. This process we're going through is another step in my sons life and there is no reason to keep it under wraps. Here is the first part of our journey.

In August my son had his 18 month check up. My husband and I knew that he wasn't talking and that he was at least delayed. We had talked about our concerns with each other but we wanted to give bub more time before we voiced our worries to the pediatrician. When we went to the appointment we filled out a little questionnaire about his development. At the end of the visit our pediatrician came back in and told us that she was going to process a referral to Child Development Services  because she was concerned about autism as well.

At first I didn't really know how I felt about the possibility. I cried because I thought we did something wrong that ultimately resulted in us somehow hindering him. Then my husband had to go to Ireland on account of a sick relative. So there I was, without my husband with our 18 month old son and our 2 week old daughter. My brain was spinning about how to feel. Then my husband called me and told me to look up a bit of writing called Welcome To Holland. I cried again and realized I was looking at things all wrong. 

 The woman that I met today is amazing and got me the referrals that I need to proceed with yet another evaluation. I'll have to wait another couple of weeks to find out for sure if he has autism. In the mean time we will be having meetings with the special educator twice a week so we can help bub move forward regardless.

 The journey and the destination might be different, we don't know yet, but my son is an amazing little man. I would move mountains to make sure he gets the help he needs and I'm working with a team that is helping me do just that. No matter the outcome I am still the luckiest mom to have two of the most amazing, lovable, smart, incredible, beautiful children and I would never change this life I have with them for anything.

An Odd Occurrence At The Fair

Since I had my daughter at the end of July I've gotten quite a bit of attention every time I bring her into public. The combination of a small infant and a Moby make me a magnet for comments. I'm usually not bothered and I actually don't mind talking to people about my daughter or the wrap and how it works. Today, however, someone crossed a line into bizarre territory.

My husband and I decided to bring the kids to the fair today. When we got there I Moby'd up and my husband put our son in the stroller. With everyone packed in we embarked on our mission of fun. After making our rounds to the craft tents and the animal stables we went to the maple shack (maple soft serve ice cream? YES!). We were then approached by an older couple. They were asking about little miss so I pulled back the Moby so they could see her. The conversation went as follows:

Husband: Aww how old is she?

Me: She's five weeks old as of yesterday.

Wife: Oh she's a little one isn't she?

Me: *smiling* Yes indeed

Husband: *looking at my son* How far apart are they?

Me: They're 18 months apart.

This is about the time the husband and wife start talking at the same time. So just imagine the chatter with the husband trying to drown out his wife...with good reason.

Husband: Oh that's good.

Wife: Oh wow, busy woman.

Me: *slightly uncomfortable chuckle*

Husband: *laughing uncomfortably as well* alright it was nice tal...

Wife: *to my husband* You stop it

Me: *no longer laughing* Ooookay

After this the husband looked mildly horrified and half walked away/ half dragged his wife into the maple shack.

Okay. Seriously, who the hell says that? First she calls me 'busy' which could either mean I have my hands full or that the hubby and I spend a ton of time in the sack. THEN she tells my husband to stop it. I wish I misunderstood what she meant but I don't think I did. It was tempting to assure her that my two pregnancies were the result of mutual want and mutual sex drive. Not my husband being a horny jerk and badgering until I gave in.

To date this is the creepiest/weirdest comment I have received from a stranger regarding my children. I don't know how the hubby sat silent during this whole exchange. Probably because it was so awkward. What's the weirdest/creepiest comment you've ever gotten from a stranger?

Why I No Longer Think I'm Suitable To Go Out In Public

This is pretty much how I'm feeling

I think I've finally reached that point in my pregnancy where it might be best for all if I stay away from public places unless I have a chaperon. It may sound extreme but after my experiences yesterday I think I'm on to something. Even when I'm not counting down the days until I no longer waddle I have a very low tolerance for the stupid people that try to blend in with the general public. I can usually keep my feelings in check by whispering my various grumps to the hubby. He's very good at telling me whether or not I'm being a heinous wench, which is something that I actually appreciate. Lately though...lately I have wanted to remove people's faces with my bare hands and present it to them as a token of their defeat. I'm not usually this bad and I honestly think it's my crazy pregnancy hormones rearing up their nasty little heads. 


I'll start off by explaining where I am at with my pregnancy. I am 38 weeks pregnant. My son came 2 weeks earlier than his due date and I'm officially more pregnant than I have ever been. My daughter is trying to crack my hips in half with her little dome. This is yet another thing that I never experienced with my son. Come to think of it, a lot of the aches (doctors call them aches, I call them sharp pains that I can't escape) that I'm having this time around are things that I didn't feel the first time around. My doctor says it's totally normal so I'm rolling with it.  As I'm sure you've experienced yourself, or at least can imagine, constant pain makes momma cranky.


Now to the events that lead me to believe that I shouldn't be let in public without a chaperon and a choke chain. Yesterday while at the store y husband and I got glared at by a middle aged man in a parking lot for taking the spot he was going to take. This guy was in the car by himself. The reason it pissed me off was because we parked in an expecting mothers parking spot. This man was mad at us because we took a spot that he should not have been trying for in the first place. I thought to myself 'well that's dumb' and was fully prepared to move on with my life when I looked out my window and saw an employee park next to me. An employee who did not appear pregnant. If she was she was too early to show. Trust me when I say that her shirt was tight enough for me to see if there was a baby bump. So now I'm all ticked off wondering what the hell is wrong with people. Do they not see the sign? So after both of those incidents I was pretty mad. 


Unfortunately there was one more thing that happened that day. I went out with a friend of mine to the movies and before we went we grabbed some Wendy's because she was hungry. There were these two girls that were giving us dirty looks. I have no idea why. Maybe they look like that normally? Who knows, but if you look like you suck lemons for a hobby you probably shouldn't scowl at people. That makes it worse. But of course in my irrational, hormone riddled brain I'm thinking the absolute worst and getting more irritated by the second. In my head I figured they were looking at me because of how pregnant I am and being all wenchy because of how young I am. 


Perhaps they were, perhaps they weren't, but either way I can't be walking around with my metaphorical battle ax out waiting to chop off heads. Looking back on my day I think I had a good reason to be pissed about the first thing that happened. As far as the second thing goes, that's the real reason why I think I need a muzzle. People are always going to stare no matter what and my rational brain knows that. My not so rational brain is tempted to whip out inappropriate body parts and ask them if they like the view better. I obviously know what the better option is. I have less than a week until my c-section so if I can keep it reined in for 6 more days perhaps I will avoid some unnecessary jail time for indecent exposure or worse.

Stop Making Pregnant Women Afraid Of Their Doctors

I am so friggin sick of seeing articles where women are telling each other not to trust their OB's. They should question every medical decision their doctor makes during the labor process(because it may not be on their birth plan), and that they feel cheated if it ends in a c-section. Guess what sugarpots, I had a very detailed birth plan for my son. 


Let me start out by saying that, as smart as you think you are and as much as you know your body, your doctor has gone through years of school and birthed many babies. They have seen what you are going through multiple times and just want to see both you and your baby on the other side of delivery safely. If you truly don't trust the doctor that you have then you should do your research and find one that you do trust. To me it is a sad day when doctors choose just to do gynecology because the insurance it too high or there are too many risks of getting sued in today's 'me me me' society. Most of these doctors have our best interests at heart. It's not all about the money to them.



Maybe I'm a little touchy about this subject, but I can give you a couple reasons as to why I am. First off, I had a very detailed birth plan. I wanted no pain killers (made it 24 hours without them). I wanted everything 100% natural (I had to get pitocin to speed up dilation because of how long ago my water broke). Then to top it all off I got a raging uterine infection. My 32 hours of labor ended with a c-section.  Do I resent my doctors? Hell no. They did everything they could so I could have a natural labor. They actually asked me if I wanted to continue when I had a fever that was over 102 degrees. I couldn't believe they actually asked. I told them to do what they had to do to get the both of us through it safely. And that's exactly what they did. They asked because they didn't want me to accuse them of being surgery-happy later on. 


The second thing that makes me so touchy is that in these same articles I feel pressured to do a VBAC. There is the implication that you're just not giving it the can do attitude if you opt to have a scheduled c-section. There is a 20-40% chance that your VBAC will be unsuccessful. I'm not willing to open myself and my daughter up to those complications just because a group of women (who are not doctors) think I should. I will make my parenting decisions and you can make yours. I promise I won't judge you, I just expect the same respect in return. 

The last thing that I can't seem to wrap my mind around is that the women who write these articles seem okay with putting their child at risk in order to get their perfect birthing experience. What is the point? My train of thought ties back to the things that I have already said. The doctors understand the risks. They also understand that they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. If they don't opt for c-section in a high risk situation and something happens to the baby they will be brought to court and asked why they didn't perform a c-section. If they do perform the c-section they are asked if it was 100% necessary and if there was anything else they could have done. Doctors are human too and I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. Instead of asking why they are doing what they are doing maybe you should try thanking them for being there for you.

Why I Won't Make My Kids Give Affection If They Don't Want To

Today I found an article on CNN where a mom writes about how she doesn't force her daughter to give hugs or kisses. She always make sure she is polite and greets people accordingly, but physical affection is not a requirement. A lot of the people commenting on the article were appalled. Some even went as far to say that raising your kids like this is what's wrong with the new generation. Seriously people? You can call me whatever you want, but I refuse to make either of my kids hug or kiss anyone if they don't want to.


 Why would I force my children to give out physical affection if it makes them uncomfortable for any reason? Kids are little people with thoughts and feelings. Just because we bring them into the world does not mean that we own them. My son is 17 months old and stranger danger is something that we deal with on a regular basis with him. If he cries when someone he doesn't know tries to hold him I don't make him just deal with it. It does not matter to me if you are my best friend or even a family member, you have to earn his trust if you want him to be affectionate with you. That's just common sense to me. I don't hug people if I feel uncomfortable, therefore forcing my kids to do so just feels wrong to me.


The part that seemed to rile most of the readers up was that the author didn't make her daughter hug her grandmother. However she does tell her daughter that she can hug or give a high five. People couldn't understand why the author wouldn't just make her do it. I do see where the author is coming from though. From what I can remember I was never forced to give affection as a child. I did hug people but it was because I wanted to and still maintained good relationships with the ones I chose not hug.


Giving your child the right to choose who they give affection to does not mean that they are going to grow up being spoiled, self-centered brats. There are a ton more factors that go into allowing a child to be that way. I personally think giving your child the right to choose and the right to trust their instincts will teach them to respect themselves. This is purely my opinion. As you may have picked up in my other blogs, I fully believe in parenting as you see fit and not judging others. Always do what feels right and what works for you.

I Think My Little Heart Melted A Smidge Today

Beautiful doe at the sanctuary

 If you've read some of my other blogs you may have noticed that they tend to be on the ranty or sarcastic side. Today is different though. Today my faith in humanity was restored a little.


The hubby and I decided to take our son to an animal sanctuary today. We've been going to this place a couple times a season for the last couple years. It's off the beaten path. They don't really go out of their way to advertise or ask you for money. They take in all sorts of animals and nurse them back to health if it's needed. The atmosphere is so relaxed and it's just an overall great experience every time we go. You can really tell that the people who own it really love the animals and give them all that they can. If you couldn't tell I'm very fond of this place.

A lion sleeping in the heat

On top of all the things that make me feel all warm and fuzzy about this place I saw something that absolutely melted my heart. The founder is regularly out and about and will sometimes do demonstrations to educate the kids that are around the park at any given time. Today I saw him take a tortoise out of his little enclosure so I a mentally handicapped boy in a wheelchair could get an up close look at him and actually pet the tortoise. Pictures were taken of the boy and the tortoise and I don't know if that boy could have been any happier. 


That one action made that boys day and mine as well. The founder went above and beyond to make sure this boy had an experience that was truly special. You really don't see many people that do honest and sweet actions anymore. He didn't do it for any benefit other than making that boy happy. That one action really moved me. I'm just glad I was fortunate enough to witness it.


Here is a link to their website. It really is an incredible place.

Breast Feeding: Why I'm Not Ashamed of My Choice

We've all heard the term 'Breast Is Best' when referring to how we should feed our little darlings. I understand why is beneficial and that breast milk can't be replicated. I get it. I really really do. What I absolutely can not stand are the people that try to cram it down our throats. It's not just the loud and pushy tactics that get me either. It's the quiet little insinuations that are meant to hit directly where it's tender.

The general attitude towards moms that can't, don't, or won't breastfeed is pretty shitty in my opinion. I'm not saying everyone is like this. I'm not trying to feed the mommy wars. I'm just saying that it's pretty annoying when mothers put themselves above others for the choices that they make. We all parent differently and it's really not up to anyone to make me feel badly about a decision that's truly personal. We all have our reasons for doing the things that we do. We all try to do what's best, but you can't please everyone. That goes hand in hand with everyone always has an opinion.

The reason why I take special offense to this pushy little act of do-gooderdom is because I could not breast feed. I tried for two solid months and my body just would not produce. No matter how much I pumped. No matter how many times I went to the lactation specialist. It just was not in the cards for bub and I and he eventually picked the bottle. To be honest, that was completely fine by me. It had been a long road for us both at that point. 

I first encountered this issue when I was reading a pregnancy book when I was pregnant with my son. I was all for breastfeeding and was really excited to do it. There was a little section that was aimed directly at people who were choosing not to. It said that you should just give it a try, even if it's not something you were not comfortable with. Just doooo it because it's the right and best thing to do. While in the hospital nurses would ask me what I planned on doing and I told them my plan and I got the oh so relieved response of  'Oh Goooooood'. Like I would be some kind of inhumane mutant if breastfeeding wasn't in my plan. Even though I was on the 'right' side of things at the time it still really bothered me.

I also can't stand the, "Well it's different for you because you couldn't.". To that I say climb off your damn high horse. I don't need a free pass from you. Nobody needs to explain why they don't breast feed to you. I used to feel guilty. I thought I had to justify why I was doing something that might make me seem less like a real mom. Guess what, I'm still a real mom regardless of whether I breastfed or not.

Texas Father: Right or Wrong?

I'm going to warn anyone reading this that this is a VERY touchy subject for some people. 

I'm going to start off with the facts. On Saturday a Texas father beat a man to death. The reason that he beat this man was because he walked in on him sexually assaulting his four year old daughter. The father beat the man around the head and neck to stop the attack. The man was pronounced dead on the scene when authorities arrived. No names have been released as of yet for the protection of the little girl, but the police have stated that the man has no prior offenses. For the sake of not repeating everything from CNN you can get the whole article that I read here. 

If you've read any of my other stuff you know that I enjoy reading the comments at the end of articles to see what other people are thinking. As one might imagine the comments are pretty mixed on this one. Some people say that this man deserves a medal. Other people said that such celebration of the loss of a life is disgusting. I found the back and forth arguments to bring up interesting points on both sides of the coin. The main theme that was continually circled back to was 'this is what I would have done _____'. 

There is a topic of discussion that I have seen on multiple articles about this that I found particularly intriguing. One person said that he should have just let the justice system do it's job. That one comment sparked a huge reaction from a lot of the other readers. It showed me that,when it comes to sex offenders, not a ton of people have faith in the justice system. Either they don't get convicted or they don't get sentenced for long enough. That set my mind in motion to say the least. Can a sex offender be rehabilitated? What makes them any less dangerous than a murderer? They both take and ruin lives for their own perverse reasons. So why do sex offenders get 'treated' and released? This thought process is why a lot of people think the father is a hero. 

This made me take a good hard look at myself and wonder what I would have done if I were in this guys shoes. The problem that I run into is that I don't exactly know what I would do to someone. I would do anything to protect my kids and  I can safely say that whatever reaction I had would not be good for the person hurting my baby. I feel like, as parents and as human beings, we have a primal instinct to protect our children. When they get hurt in any way we're ready to take on the world in order keep them safe. But what do you do when you walk in on someone hurting them? I think the rational mind goes out the window and the primal side takes over. Which is exactly why I'm not capable of giving a clear answer. I can say with confidence my husband would do what this father did. I can also say with confidence that I would stand beside him 100%. 

What would you have done?

Why Must We Squabble Like PMS-ing Hens

If you're a mom you have come across, and maybe been a part of, the dreaded 'Mommy Wars' dun dun dunnnn. There is so much pressure out there to be super mom. What can we possibly do to ease the pressure?  Why don't we just  hack away at each others mothering? That should do the trick (take note of the copious amounts of sarcasm I used). There is not right or wrong way to be a good mom which is what makes it such an easy target. As long as we're taking care of our kids we should be happy with each other, shouldn't we? Some people just can't figure out how to do that. Mind you, I am in no way excusing people who cut others down, it's an asshole thing to do no matter what, but I am a firm believer that there is a difference between and excuse and a reason. I've got a couple possible reasons that I will be sharing in a little bit.

I've seen many articles that appear to be trying to tear us ladies apart. The most recent was one that I think unintentionally pitted working moms against stay at home moms. The author based her whole article off of one comment that a SAHM  made. The comment was ' I'm a stay at home mom because I don't want daycare raising my kids'. She made the point that daycare is no substitute for a mother and I 100% agree. I had no problems with what the author wrote whatsoever. She made really great points. It was the women that were commenting who were the ones that seriously pissed me off. Like eyeballs throbbing kind of pissed off.  I saw a lot of women rallying against stay at home moms. Saying that we're the ones who talk all the shit. Yet here they were cutting us down for our choices too. One lady even insinuated that since we stay home that we have no life goals (that's about the time my eyeballs started to throb actually). All I wanted to comment in response was 'is it nice up there on your tower of self-righteousness? Because from this angle I can see straight up your stuck up nose into that empty head of yours'.  I did not say that though. I chose a much more civil route and compared the squabblers to the sneeches. My maturity is showing again, isn't it?


I have never once thought someone was less of a mother for choosing to go back to work to support her family. Not once. I'm sure there are women out there who think it's wrong, but that's just their opinion. It doesn't make it the truth, so why get so defensive? We all make decisions that best fit our families. So why all the bitchy, judgmental bullshit? There are a couple reasons that I can think of as to why we do this to each other. One is that we're our own worst critics and second guessers, so putting other people down makes us feel better about ourselves and the things we choose to do. Some women might be envious of the working mom and what she's accomplished so she bashes her. Or the working mom might be envious of the time the SAHM gets with her kids so she cuts her down. Once again, possible reasons not excuses, it's still a shitty thing to do. Second, everyone thinks they have the right answer. We do things the way we think is right and some people get a little too carried away with their high and mighty right-ness. This comes in all forms, from unsolicited advice to downright bitchy comments. 


I know the world isn't perfect but I really think we should be working together and trying to get along as moms. Not picking each other apart like hungry vultures searching for the weakest link. If we stopped clucking like hens we could actually be a pretty awesome support team for one another. To bring us back to my sneech comment earlier, why does it matter if we have stars on our bellies or not? We're all strong women working towards the same goal. We all want to raise intelligent, loving, open-minded, accepting children. The best way to do that is by example and practicing what we preach. 

The Name Of The Game Is 'Let's Pretend To Be Ostriches'

I know I'm not a seasoned vet with marriage, but I don't feel that I am naive either. You do your best to work through the bullshit and do your best to come out the other side. Having said that, there is a definite difference between working through the crap that comes up and openly inviting it into your life and your relationship. I found an article titled "9 Marriage Problems That Are Actually Good For Your Relationship". The link to the article is posted at the end. The following in quotes are her general point. What follows is my personal opinion. Buckle up. Keep all arms and legs in the cart at all times during this ride...

This was the pic used in the
article. Caption read "Sad
Woman". No shit huh?

1) "You Both Fantasize About Other People"- I understand the point that the author is trying to make, stating that it keeps things fresh and all that jazz.  If it's about some celebrity it's harmless, just don't tell me. But the author makes it a point to say it's ok/good to fantasize about people you know. Her example was the sexy neighbor. Call my jealous, but no. No no no. I personally feel like bad things start with wandering minds.


2) "He Goes Out With The Guys"- I actually agree with this point (I didn't say I thought they were all shitty). If you're going to be a functioning unit you also need to be a functioning individual.


3) "You Argue A Lot"- This one is a little bit of a tough one because there are a couple factors that come into this for me. I think it's absolutely normal to squabble about the little stuff. When you live with someone shit like that is pretty common. But constant arguing is not really a good thing. I agree with the author when she says key is arguing without attacking your partners character. Even still, if there is that much disagreement, it sounds like there are deeper issues than the ones you're hashing out.


4) "He Spends A Lot Of Money On His Hobbies"- This one goes back to the point of needing to be separate individuals to be a functioning unit. I'm all for separate hobbies and such, but is spending a lot of money really necessary? How does 'spend a little save a little' sound?


5) "He uses porn"- This one is purely preference for the couple. I'm personally not a huge fan of porn. I've made a playful deal with the hubby regarding this. I won't detail about that though. We've tried using it as a tool to 'enhance' the moment, but we both couldn't take it seriously. That's just us though. To each is own.


6) "He Works All The Time"- My hub works 50+ hours a week so there are times when I do feel like he is always gone. Whenever I feel that way we talk about it and make sure that we make time for each other. Having a good work ethic is a great quality, but when "climbing the corporate ladder" becomes more important than family we are going to have issues.


7) "You Both Flirt With Other People Online"- This one was my favorite. I was actually texting the hubs while reading this article and when I got to this one I sent him the title followed by me saying 'snowballs will vacation in Jamaica for weeks on the beach before that's ok with me'. It even specifically mentioned finding old flames on facebook.  I'm sure it does boost his self esteem, but what does it do to his spouses self esteem hmmmm? I get it, it feels good to be desired, but this is playing with fire. Dangerous, divorce resulting, fire.



8) "You're Too Tired For Sex"- I never saw this as a relationship problem because it's a fact of life. Sometimes I'm just too tired. I will not be scheduling sex into our weekly routine though. Schedules are for obligations. Sex should NEVER be an obligation. I was in a relationship where it was and it was the worst relationship I have ever been in. Do what works for you and your partner, not what fits into your schedule.


9) "He's Close With  A Female Colleague"- I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, but when "our financial stability and social status may depend on this specific office relationship"  was said I definitely gave my computer a dirty look and read the rest of the explanation through squinted eyes of skepticism. I understand that the author continues to say that it shouldn't be sexual and to talk about it and blah blah blah but she also mentioned earlier that flirting sexual fantasies about people you know are ok. Mixed message?


I found myself shaking my head a lot when reading her long explanations about why this stuff is ok. Some of the points I saw were fine, some were shaky, and others were just downright terrible.  Some of these things have been used by men as cheating tools. I'm not saying all men cheat but if you add up all this good advice (ie. ok to flirt+close female colleague+ long hours+acceptable sexual fantasies+ he doesn't want sex) it's a recipe for absolute disaster. Be open and respectful of each other. The over all message that I got from this article was that it is okay to play with the fire as long as you don't burned.  Don't follow this woman's horrid advice. 


http://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/9-marriage-problems-actually-good-relationship-162500900.html

To Leash Or Not To Leash? That Is The Question

We've all seen it. The parent with the brood of kids and the toddler is tethered to mom via a snuggling monkey or some other fuzzy creature. Call me what you will, but I am more than willing to be honest about what my thoughts used to be when I would see this. I would think that if she couldn't handle that many kids without leashing them then she should not have had that many. I now feel like my assessment was partially unjust. I now have a new insight on the whole leash topic, however I am still a firm believer of don't have more kids than you can handle. That's just my personal opinion, take it or leave it. Back to the leash issue at hand though. My husband and I both were very against child leashing before we got pregnant. We talked about it and agreed that we would never do it because children are not animals. But I am a firm believer that parenting is about compromise and rolling with punches.


My stance has changed mainly because of where I am in parenthood with my son. Bub is 16 months old and one of the most independent children I have ever encountered. He could not wait to be able to walk on his own and would actually get frustrated when he hadn't quite been able to do it. He has been sharpening his walking skills since April and does quite well. I am all for supporting his independence but when we are in public he does not want to hold our hands. That makes walking on his own quite an issue when we are in a store. The hubby usually corrals him until he gets in the way of other people. So the little light bulb went off in my head that this could be the solution to our problem.


We have not actually tried this yet because he does not meet the size requirement for the leash backpacks we have seen. I do feel that there is a right and a wrong way to go about this though. For example, he will not be in it whenever we go in public. It's something that we are going to reserve for when he doesn't have to be in the cart and wants to walk around. When he is in it we will be paying attention to him. This is not a tool that we'll be using as an excuse not to watch him and give him the attention that he needs. It irritates me to no end when I see parents completely ignoring their kids in any situation. Add in a tool to aid the lazy and things just turn friggin ridiculous. 


All in all I think that a child leash can be a very helpful tool when your kids are learning to walk but are still a little too young to understand the concept of hand-holding. If used the right way it will allow you to grant your child the independence that they may be craving (I know my son craves it). I do, however, think that it can be misused. In the end it is a personal choice made by parents and you should do what feels right for you and your little squee.

A Letter To A Doctor With Better Things To Do

Small note before you read. I have a tremendous respect for those who work in the health care profession. It actually took some coaxing from the husband to get me to call since I didn't want anyone to think I was over paranoid and crying wolf. I'm just a mother concerned about her unborn child. I would have enjoyed feeling like I was even taken slightly seriously. Instead I was made to feel like a silly little pregnant woman who is too stupid to understand her own body. This is the result, a letter style rant that I am sharing with you. Enjoy.


Dear Doctor who didn't take me seriously,
    I would just like to say thank you. No, seriously, thank you. I really enjoyed feeling completely blown off when I called you with a legitimate concern about my unborn daughter. If you hadn't made me feel like the symptoms I've been having all day were the stomach flu I never would have known. I also loved that you pretty much told me that I don't know the difference between my stomach and my uterus. Seeing as you are a man, and therefore completely capable of childbirth, you would know what a contraction feels like wouldn't you? Never mind that this isn't my first rodeo and I know what 32 hours of labor feels like. Mind you 24 of those were with no pain medication. But you made it perfectly clear that since you have studied this you know my body better than I do. I only had 4 contractions in 50 minutes at the time that I called. I have no reason to be worried about preterm labor whatsoever. I do have to wonder that if it were your spouse going through this how you would feel. So I will listen to what you say and I will follow your orders like a good little doobie. Just know that I am counting my contractions and I hope for your sake that I do not have to come in tonight. I usually try to be pleasant but I'm not so sure if I could muster up the maturity to do so.


                                             Sincerely,
                                                A pissed of pregnant woman in pain.

Seriously, Why Be Assholes To Pregnant Women?

So in the past on my Facebook page I have expressed strong opinions on how cruel the media was being to Jessica Simpson during her pregnancy. I've always had a fondness for her for a number of reasons, so when she started getting picked apart I got a little pissy. 

For starters I found it absolutely stupid that the media picked on her and called her fat. I'm sorry she didn't feel the need to diet and stay stick thin while pregnant. To me she represented what a real, everyday pregnant women is.  She was honest about her weight gain and about her cravings. She was not shy to talk about it and I felt she was kind of a role model for us preggies that are sitting at home being all self conscious. Yes, you should try and be as healthy as possible when you are pregnant for the benefit of the baby. See what I said there? For the benefit of the BABY. Not your pride or your figure. The message I was getting from her was to embrace being pregnant and screw what anyone says. So what if your once sexy strut is now a waddle. Own it ladies!

Since being a hoard of greedy vultures is what the press does best I wasn't overly surprised at all of the blatant criticism. It's an unfortunate side effect of being successful and in the spotlight. The part that did shock me was the innumerable comments left by women that were just being outright bitchy. Instead of support for their fellow pregnant woman they were totally on board with picking her apart like a bunch of assholes. Seriously people? I doubt all of your commentary was because you were concerned about her baby. I honestly had to wonder how many of these anonymous keyboard critics had actually been pregnant. Did they know what it feels like to feel swollen, puffy, exhausted, absent minded, clumsy, and just over all pregnant? I'm going through it right now and if anyone said half the stuff about me that they were saying about her I would tell them to sit and rotate with vigor til they caught fire. 

So her little darling has been born and I'm thinking that the bullshittery will stop because this is supposed to be a happy time in a momma's life. She is supposed to be fussing over her little bundle and feeling the joy and sheer exhaustion that comes from having a new little squee in her life. Oh how very wrong I was. I saw yet another report wondering about when she was going to lose the weight. How was she going to do it? Why is she so shocked about how different her body is? I'm not sure if this shit is written by men or just inexperienced women who toe the fine line of ignorance into stupidity. News flash to the non-mommies, we don't know what our bodies are going to do. Some women drop all the weight and then some. Others keep it and have to work to take it back off if they so choose. Dear sweet mother of monkey balls LET THE WOMAN ENJOY HER BABY. She had a c-section, she is not just gonna ignore her baby and jump into a workout routine. Apparently she is also catching criticism for having sex before the 6 week restriction mark. I know it's a doctors order but who really waits all six weeks? I will be honest and say I didn't. My doctor just wanted to make sure I was being safe about it  so I didn't have another bundle in 9 months.

All in all I just want to point out that we ladies need to support each other as women and mothers. Why do we pick each other apart because of pants size? It should not matter if you're a 2 or a 20 as long as you love yourself. It's all beautiful. Be happy with yourself and someone will love you for all you. Love it, own it, and strut it no matter the size.

Why Must They Pick On The Cat in the Hat

This morning I was looking for a picture of The Cat in the Hat for an update on facebook.  One of the links I saw was titled "The Very Un-P.C. 'Cat in the Hat' Turns 50". So being the inquisitive little bugger that I am I decided to give it a read because I wanted to know why they thought it was so un-p.c.What I found was a painfully short article where they made their point using another article that couldn't even be located. The quote the article was based around was:

"For starters, anyone need a reminder on the basic premise here? Two little kids of maybe 6 or 7 are being harassed by a large, threatening animal and its accomplices. Worse, the two have been left for an entire day without adult supervision. . . . Get the cops. Bring in a social worker and quick." 

As soon as I read the article I decided to double check the definition of the term 'politically correct' because I wasn't sure that the point made was actually an issue of political correctness. I pulled my definition from the Merriam-Webster dictionary.The definition is 'conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated'. Having read the definition I do not believe that the old version of The Cat in the Hat is un-p.c. whatsoever.  

 I find it interesting how people are so quick to call something un-p.c. The author even goes so far as to say that this book is so politically incorrect that it probably wouldn't get published today. I guess it's easier to get all butthurt over something as innocent as a children's story than to just take it for as it is. Obviously the story is supposed to be whimsical. I really don't think that Dr. Seuss was an advocate for child neglect.  

Perhaps it was the talking fish or the talking cat that made me see from a young age that this was just supposed to be fun. I don't know about anybody else but I know I get a little ticked when people decide to pick apart innocent things from my childhood. I was a smart enough kid to know that my parents would never leave me home alone before I was old enough and that if a 6 foot tall cat showed up at my door I probably shouldn't let him in.

I'm not going to take away books from my kids just because they have  wild, completely impossible plots. These are the stories that I grew up with and loved. People are always going to find something to bitch about no matter what it is. In a way I feel bad if the author if the quote has kids because I'm sure he could find hundreds of things wrong with any particular kids book or movie. For that I think he is a sad little man. I'm almost more baffled that a mom agreed with him to the point where she wrote an article about it. Let your kids be kids and have their stories. Don't suck all the magic out of being a kid.

Why I Blog: A Peek Inside The Mind of a SSAHM

I think that part of the reason that I started this blog is because, overall, most people just don't 'get me'. I've got such a dry sense of humor that when I say something completely sarcastic people don't know if I'm joking or not and that can definitely make things awkward. I do have to to say I enjoy the looks of disbelief I get when people are trying to figure out if I'm kidding or if I'm a total nut job. I also don't really believe in sugar coating things. I'm very 'tell it like it is' and some people really can't handle it. That being said, it does make finding good friends a little on the tough side. I'm lucky enough to have a solid few that do exist on my side of the computer though.


Another reason that I share my crazy is that I've been looking to connect with other moms like me. I know I've said before that I am the first out of my group of friends to have a child. That leads to people not always understanding what I am going through even if it is a very common 'mom problem'. Nor do they always understand that when I complain,  it doesn't mean I love my little bub or my hubby any less, it just means I need to blow off some steam. This blog allows me to do so in a manner that is humorous and truthful all at the same time. It allows me to reach out and talk to people that are going through the exact same things.  


Those two things make up a big part of who I am as a person so why not set out on a quest on the world wide web to find like minded people? Another odd little component is that I like to make you guys smile, laugh, think, or any other number of things that will keep you engaged. I'll be honest, I love having my little corner of the web where I can say what I want, post what I want, and get feedback for it all. I do value your opinions (even if it is an asshat-like way sometimes). 


I know I'm still pretty new at this, but so far I have loved every minute of sharing my thoughts and my insanity. I hope you all continue to enjoy it.

Saddle Up. The Hormonal Pregnant Woman Is At It Again.

I know that some of my friends read this blog so that should make things interesting. All I can really say is that this is how I feel uncensored.


Sometimes I feel like, as a stay at home mom, I get left out of the pack. I'm the first out of my friends to become a mom. I feel like there are times when they don't know what to with or about me so they just disappear. This started happening when I was pregnant with my son. I really don't think I have changed all that much since the miracle of life graced my family. I'm still the same sarcastic person I was when they met me. I just have a bit more responsibility now. Yes, my priorities have shifted but to me it's a good thing. 


A big pet peeve of mine is that some people act like I am broken, as opposed to being pregnant. That leads to them deciding what I can and can not do. I do not need people informing me of what my limitations are. I also don't appreciate it being an excuse as to why I'm never asked to do anything. How about this, you ask me if I want to do something or if I feel up to it and I will tell you one way or they other. Believe me, I won't hold back.


I wouldn't be so ticked about this if it hadn't been something that I recently ran into. I was invited to a going away party at a pub and I opted to go since it sounded like a ton of fun. Throughout the evening comments were made by a particular individual that pissed me off, but for the sake of the evening I held my tongue. That particular individual mentioned wanting to go dancing. I was then informed by someone else that that wouldn't be possible since I was pregnant. The response by the suggesting party was that I could just sit and watch on the side. Way to tell me what I can and can't do followed by ' how did you know that's how I wanted to spend my friggin evening?'. There were a couple of offhanded comments made during the rest of the evening by the same person (who I really don't know, mind you) but I brushed it off. At the end of the night I was asked by him if I could really buckle my seat belt "because of how huge" I am. Oh yes, that is a quote. He called me huge. Needless to say the evening reinforced the thought that being a recluse isn't such a bad idea. 


When I tried to talk to one of my friends that was there that night about what was bugging me I was brushed off with a  "Oh he just doesn't like pregnant women". Once again, yes that is a quote. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around  that while not becoming pissed off, but I tell ya it is not an easy task. I don't give a sweet flying fuck if you don't like pregnant women. I really really don't. I was pleasant all evening even though I felt like a beach ball and was being treated like an inconvenience. I am SO sorry that I chose to procreate with my husband. You will have to excuse me for making YOU uncomfortable and therefore snarky just because I'm pregnant.

My Encounter With The Overpriced: A List Of Budget Friendly Alternatives

As some of you may know, I tend to poke around online at the various parent websites and read the articles and blogs. I came across an article titled "10 Must Have Products For Baby's First 3 Months". Naturally I took a peek seeing as I will be welcoming another family member at the end of July. I usually don't feel strongly enough one way or the other to say much about them, but this time was different. What I found was a list of high priced items and all I could do was cringe at the thought that a first time mom would see this and get more stressed out by the price tags. So here is my personal 'get this not that' list for the items. There are a couple that I thought were reasonable and I will state my case as to why as we go along.

* Her Item: Graco Pack N' Play- $199.99. The features on this pack n' play include a changing table, bassinet option, and a little canopy. 

*My Item: Graco Pack N' Play- $99.99. The features on this pack n play include a changing table and bassinet option. However if you wanted an even less expensive option you can go with the pack n play that only has the bassinet option for $62.99.

* Her Item: Halo Sleepsack- $26.96. This product is essentially a sleeper sack that velcros in the front so it becomes a swaddler as well.
* My Item: Halo Sleepsack- $19.99. I found the exact same product on Target.com for cheaper.


* Her Item: Sleepy Hat by Zoe B Organics- $16.99. I did not look for a comparable item for less because I really don't think I would consider a hat that has little tabs for you to flip down over your babies eyes a necessity.  


*Her Item: Aden & Anais Bamboo Swaddlers- $40 for a three pack.     
*My Item: Carter's Swaddler Blankets- $10 for a two pack. In my opinion it really doesn't matter what wrap your baby up in as long as they are safe, comfortable and happy. My son hated being swaddled so saying this item is a must have for every baby is an incorrect statement.


*Her Item: Rumparooz Cloth Diapers- $23.50. I didn't use cloth diapers with my son and I don't intend to with my daughter so I honestly don't think that I could give an accurate critique on them. I believe it is one of those sections of parenting that is strictly what you prefer to do.     


* Her Item: Blooming bath- $40. This is a foam cushion that you put in the sink that is shaped like a flower.
* My Item: Cushion Bath- $25.99 at Target.com. Also if you have no interest whatsoever in using a  foam bath there is always the Deluxe Infant Bather for $15.99 which is also available at Target.

* Her Item: Enjoye Professional Grade Breast Pump by Hygeia- $289.

*  My Item: Ameda Purely Yours- $160. My advice for breast pumps is to see if you can rent before you buy for a couple of reasons. First, I had a very hard time breast feeding my son due to milk production issues. I gave it my all but he ultimately ended up picking the bottle after a little over a  month. Second, what exactly do you intend to do with that pricey piece of machinery once you are done with it? I'm not sure I would be too hip on buying a used breast pump.

*Her Item: Essential Nursing Tank by Bravada- $39-$49 each. Think about that. EACH. The author of the article also mentioned that she owns four of these bad boys. That is almost $200 on tank tops alone. Which to me is insanity.

* My Item: Nursing Tank Top- $10.99 at Target. I personally think that the better option would be to invest in a really awesome nursing bra or two and just wear a regular tank top at a normal price. I did decide to be fair and provide an alternative.

* Her Item: The Moby Wrap- $40. I did not list for an alternative for this item because they seemed to be similarly priced. Also, since this is an item that will be tethering your child to you, my theory is to go with what gets some of the best reviews since it directly involves your child's safety and you wouldn't want to risk a nasty spill for your wee one.

* Her Item: The Mamaroo by 4moms- $199.99. I do have to admit that this gadget it pretty cool. Would I call it a necessity? No. This item is one of the few of it's kind so I didn't really find anything to compare it to. In my experience though a regular swing works just as well. The ones that I did price on Target.com ranged anywhere from $49.99-$239. 

The whole point that I'm trying to make is that it doesn't always have to be the biggest, most expensive item you can find in order to get the job done just as well. I feel like most women are like me and don't have a disposable income where you can spend over $1000 on stuff that some people might consider optional luxuries. In the end it is all about preference and it's really not up to me or anybody else to judge what other moms happen to purchase. I just wanted to make it known that there are more budget friendly alternatives because I know I am all about being budget friendly.

Noise Making Toys Are Evil Part 2

This is the serial giggler mentioned below.

The other day I wrote a blog about how much I loath noise making toys. I came to a realization that I left out one really big reason why I hate them. It's actually rather amusing how my memory got jogged too. I put my son down for a nap and dubbed around for about a half hour before I ended up going to the bathroom. Which is an impressive length of time for me considering I'm pregnant and I feel like I spend more time in the bathroom than anywhere else. While I'm doing my business I hear this creepy little sing-song voice from the living room say 'It's fun playing games with you'. I really see no way that the stupid thing could have still been on. Needless to say, if I hadn't been perched so gracefully there may have been an accident.


This is not the first time that Bub's toys have woken up from their demon slumber to remind me they're always watching. I've had many occasions where I've been getting ready for bed and I walk across the living room to turn off the light and this one toy in particular will friggin giggle at me. Seriously. The damn thing will giggle at me when I'm in the middle of the living room in the dark. It's fabulous. So I'll creep over to it and make sure I turn it off for good until the morning when Bub will inevitably want to play with it. Sometimes this is accompanied by a triumphant little snicker of victory on my part (mature, I know).


Part of the reason I was so surprised this afternoon is because they usually wait until nightfall to be little creepers. Bub is usually up playing with them and utilizing their intended purpose, which I have no issue with until he makes them all squawk at once. There is more about that in the previous article though. Not today though. Maybe they are just keeping me on my toes. All I can say is I can't wait until I can be rid of these toys for good. Unfortunately I have a long time to co-exist with them. Let's just hope their takeover happens after I pawn them off on somebody else.

My Very First Rant. Buckle Up Lovelies

        The other day I was perusing through a couple of  articles on a website for parents and spouses. I came across an article that was written in response to "14 Things your should not say to your wife". I read through it, I found some of the things he said to actually be humorous. Others not so much. I will elaborate on that in a few moments.
         I decided to see what the original article had in it that made this guy feel he had to retaliate. I know my side of the genders and am fully aware of how unpleasant we can be sometimes. I was expecting a real hormone infused bitchfest complete with Ben and Jerry's and sweat pants. What I found was a bunch of things that I figured would be common sense not to say. Some were mundane while others were silly. There was one where I really thought 'you can't blame the guy for asking where his socks are'. That one totally applies to me because I honestly have a general knowledge of where most things are. I know the hubby figures it saves him time to ask instead of dig like a dog trying to remember where he buried a bone. I could honestly understand how they would deserve a 'Hunny do you really think I'm stupid or something?' from the male populous. But over all the list was harmless in my opinion.
        Back to the response blog. Please keep in mind that I am not easily offended nor am I over sensitive. Some of the things I found myself taken aback by really don't even apply to my relationship. I just thought the presentation was pretty frigging rude. Here are the ones that irked me and my response to them :

• How do I look? Be honest- Do you really want my honest response? I'll tell you, and chances are you're not going to like it. You're the one reading the fashion magazines, you're the one who knows that cork heels are on trend or whatever. I'm watching sports. If you're happy with what you're wearing, I'm happy with what you're wearing — now let's go out.

I understand that this is a terrible question if you're with someone who can't figure out how to dress themselves. When I ask the hubby this I genuinely want to know what he thinks. I do care if he likes what I am going out into public wearing. I don't want him to be cringing about some horrid get-up I've chosen. I'm not tossing you a grenade nor do I want an official critique. I'm simply looking for a 'it looks good' or 'I'm not a fan'. If you think I look like a damn fool I will ultimately be happy I asked and got honesty.

• Is the game almost over?   Chances are if you're asking me this, the game has gone on for a long time. It's probably very close, and there is an important play about to happen. You'll know when the game is over because I'll be very happy my team won, or very upset my team lost.

My response to that is pretty much 'Fuck you. If I want to know I'll ask'. Mind you I DO NOT speak to my husband that way. He doesn't speak that way to me either. It's called mutual respect for each other.

• Not Tonight- That new show, 7 Days of Sex, starts on Lifetime this week. In it, couples are encouraged to have sex every day for a week to bring them closer together. Rebuffing your mate's advances puts up walls in the relationship.

I will be the first to admit that I think sex is an important  part of a relationship. Here's the thing chief, if I, for whatever reason, don't want to have sex don't make it seem like I am obligated to. I understand getting shot down every night will put up walls but if you make me feel like it is a requirement you will becoming a lot friendlier with your hand.

        

        I don't know if I'm crazy for reacting the way that I did. The guy's defense to the women who ripped into him in the comments stated that it was all just supposed to be funny. I understand that. I really do. His responses seemed more pissed off than humorous though. Perhaps he is with one of the fire breathing bitches that give us normal women a bad name. Who knows.

The Nuclear Diaper Meltdown

So a couple of months ago while the hubby and I were out and about little man decided he needed to vacate his bowels. This is usually not a problem seeing as it is an every day occurrence. Today was no ordinary day. Since diaper changes are pretty routine we figured we could change him in the back of the car. We were aware that there was poo involved and figured since he had already gone once that day this one would be small. Oh how wrong we were. Bub had, what I like to call, a blowout. My definition of a blowout is when the amount of fecal matter exceeds the capacity of the diaper. Needless to say the diaper was no match for this round of poo. All hands were needed on deck to secure this atrocious situation. He even got it on his socks. I have no idea how this was accomplished. After five of the longest minutes of my life little man was clean, stripped down, and hubby was sent in to a store to buy baby pants. I feel like our entire family is changed forever having lived through this trauma. 

To make the situation even better, when my hubby went into the store for pants he also decided to get chocolate. Considering the color of explosion I'm not entirely sure what he was thinking, but I rolled with it. So we're driving home and his chocolate got a little melted. He goes to lick it off of his finger and he and I both have the same thought but we are both powerless to put the brakes on what he is doing. The horrid thought that crossed both of our minds at the same time was something along the lines of 'Mother of God what if that's not chocolate!'. I swear the moment went into slow motion as we both waited for what could have been a truly horrific experience. I will not keep you in suspense though, it was in fact chocolate. I later informed him though that I would have laughed my ass off had it not been. Of course that laughter would have completely been out of love and sympathy.

The picture you see is of little man on the ride home after the incident. He illustrated how we were all feeling that afternoon.

The Misadventures of a Computer Illiterate Stay at Home Mom

Let me just start out by saying that my knowledge of computers is extremely limited. I will freely admit this in hopes that you will laugh with me at my own foolishness and not call me names for what could easily be described as idiocy. I'm also writing this in hopes that I can prevent anybody from making the same mistake I did.


So I decided to embark on making a blog (obviously considering what you're reading this very moment). I knew there was going to be a decent amount of work going into this, so I put my big girl panties on and got prepared. Or at least I thought I got prepared. I had no idea as to how to go about this whole thing so I consulted the all mighty Google. I found a couple of  'helpful' links and proceeded on my merry way.


This is where things get good on my part. Being so new to this and all I was under the impression that things had to be payed for. I don't know for sure if that was the correct assumption even now. What I do know is if it looks sketchy and you have to pay for it chances are it is sketchy and you should run away as fast as you can. Or in my case, due to pregnancy, waddle with a vengeance.


I'm not going to specify the name of the website that I chose, but let me tell ya I should have known based on the name alone. Anyway, back to my tale of derp. So I'm chugging along with this little website. I've got a couple pages set up, but what I want is a blog. So I hit the 'add blog' option. I get it all plugged in and hit publish. I wait until it tells me it is all updated so I can rush over and marvel at my own creation. Everything BUT the blog page works. After trying to fiddle with it myself I decide to take a mental break. While on my little mental vacation I discover that I can do everything I just did for free with the site I'm using now. FREE. MOTHER F-ING FREE! (Can you tell I'm still mildly bent about the whole thing?)


It gets better though, and by better I mean frustrating to the point of twitching and then actually better. After finding out this tid bit of info about doing all this free of charge I decide that it's best to cancel the account I had been working on all day. Simple enough, right? Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. I go to the cancellations section of the website and its just a blank page. Well it's not totally blank, on the bottom there is a little comment box wanting to know if this page had been helpful. Hmmm, I'm going to go with a no. I end up having to call their customer support. I am informed that it's not customary for them to do refunds. After a couple of deep breaths and some negotiation I am informed that my money will in fact be coming back to me. That remains to be seen but I am keeping an eye on it.


If this is all in fact common knowledge and I am just a dope I am fully prepared to blame pregnancy brain for any absent minded decisions that I made in the beginning of this process. I hope you learned something from this because I certainly did. Has anyone had something similar happen? (I can't really be the only one can I?)

Noise Making Toys Are Evil

If you're a parent you know how absolutely torturous children's toys can be. Sure they seem like an excellent idea when you're in the store. Your child sees it and their little eyes light up with the thought of playing with the most awesome gadget they have ever laid eyes on. Sound familiar? Next thing you know you're home and that toy has been squawking non-stop since you pried the damn thing out of the box. The annoying songs are stuck in your head and when you lay down to sleep at night they are all you can think of.


That is exactly what the hub and I are going through with the very toy that I have pictured on the left. I do think the hub hates this toy more than I do. The best part about that is HE is the one who picked out the toy.


Another personal favorite of mine is when Bub goes around to all of his toys and makes sure that they are all playing obnoxiously at the same time. I'll go around and turn most of them off so that my head doesn't explode, but alas that makes me the biggest Momma Wench that ever was. Either way the noise level is downright horrid. Am I alone here?   .