See the Good in Everything

At the risk of sounding like a complete ass, I will demonstrate this day with two perspectives (this also shows that I DO in fact know how the others involved see the events- I just don't get how these events were allowed to go on...) I don't really recall Mother's Day 2013. I am sure I could go back and read about it, I do recall getting flowers (EXACT same ones as the in-law << Big NO-NO) , but I know the day wasn't anything special- enough that the husband even noted this year that he knew he had been slacking. (Expectant) Mother's Day 2012- I had date day with my dad and Uncle T sent me flowers from his stint in the Marines. The response from the husband, "well you aren't a mom yet so why would I do anything for Mother's Day? " So we can all see that this day had a reputation already, and it wasn't the Hallmark commercial one... 7:00am- ZZZZZZ "ATTENTION FIRE DEPARTMENT!!!!!" yes that was my wake-up call. Out the door th...

In six short months I will be the zookeeper of a two year old! In reality that is what I should be called.  Next week will be his 18 month check-up. Our favorite doctor moved to Chicago- I briefly considered looking into relocating- I liked him THAT much! Good pediatricians are hard to find. The one we are seeing isn't that bad, he just isn't my first choice. After the last swallow study, it just makes me nervous and full of questions as to the best course of action. In other development news, we have transitioned quite nicely to a big boy bed, loves to brush all six (OK only four are actually visible) of his teeth,  he knows the joys of a timeout chair and he still hasn't kicked his dogfood habit. What is it with the dogfood!? See, I am truly a zookeeper! I am going to remember this obsession when he gets older. Now that the weather has started to consistently stay nice, it is a challenge to get him inside! He loves bubbles, balls, his four Wheeler, chasing the puppy an...

A week (or two months) late and a buck (or closer to two thousand) short. I started this blog a while ago, like during the actual Feeding Tube Awareness Week (Valentines Day), and obviously time has yet again flown by. To celebrate Feeding Tube Awareness week, and Heart Day- we visited our friends in Radiology and had a Swallow study! Probably our most traumatic yet. Not because it was painful or horrific, but because trying to get a toddler to do anything is like getting a cat to voluntarily bathe or a man to administer his own pain injection for a vasectomy.... Thank goodness for patient nurses, radiologists and therapists- also for the amazing technology that is BigBlock SingSong. After attempting to get him to sit on his own, I finally had to hold him while a nurse held my phone and a tech held a variety of rotating light toys and his cars while the therapist tried to get him to eat and drink the various varieties of food/liquids. I was somewhat opposed to the study to beg...

Sixteen Months in, and I think that the reality is NOW setting in that this kid is 100% BOY!  Sure, I saw the ultrasound, I picked out the blue shirts and the Nemo decor. We trimmed the winky down and gave him his late grandfathers name, but NOW as the though of chasing him through the house exhausts me, I realize the meaning of having a little boy. The kid goes non-stop, he pauses only to consider what else to destroy or climb. The sitter has her couch in the middle of the living room since he decided the window between the living and kitchen would make a nice crawl space and he tried to dive into the kitchen sink. He has been found standing on the piano (yes, STANDING on the keys), he climbs in and out of the bathtub, up and down stairs, all over couches, under chairs and over any object that looks like it is mount-able (and even a few that are not-so-much). We are in the midst of transitioning to a hard topped sippy cup, and some days are better than others, still have f...

Literally and less Figuratively So the birthday weekend away was in fact a cabin trip in the woods of Amish Country.  The levels of commitment to his little white lie were pretty extravagant- including the hubby borrowing tents and purchasing gallons of water for me to do dishes over the fire. Lucky for him, the only fire was a gas one controlled by a remote with a TV atop! It was a nice little cabin with a picturesque woods backdrop and a cheesy heart shaped hot-tub. No worries, number two is no where in site! Before the swooning thoughts of "how lucky" and " oh- everything is ok now" go burrowing, yes, the weekend was a pleasant escape- but it was an escape, not a fix or a discussion of the issues surrounding the situation that is the stalemate that "we" have become. The fact that given a romantic environment and a hot tub we can still have a spark and ignore all surrounding factors proves that yes, we are still human and don't hate one anot...

At the end of last year and the beginning of this year, I started to take a good look at my life and where I am, where I want to be and how I got to this point.  New Years and the endless commercials about losing weight and bettering yourself coupled with the non-stop facebook memes of quotes about inspirational sayings and aspirations can make anyone feel like what they are doing is less than what they are capable of. But what I was/ am going through goes a bit deeper than all of the superficial swirlings of the January Jenny Craig Craze.  To begin- I have very young parents, who had me in high school and never married, and only now cam be in the same room without wanting to bring a court order upon one another- now that I am nearing 30. One has been to jail- more than once, both have been divorced and both are immature with multiple children. I am the only child from them both. My childhood was filled with missed visitation days, 20 questions about what happened at moms ...

February already... so hard to fathom! It has been over a month (yet again) since I have written. This is the busy season for work, so the six days a week and 40+ hours are catching up with me. Lack of sleep and the "Snowgeddon" that has plagued our area have also each played their own part in my procrastination and general tiredness.  So, what is new and exciting? Well, my wonderful son has learned to run, throw everything in the trash can, the wipe warmer or the diaper genie (he hasn't discovered the toilet... YET), and he thoroughly enjoys throwing anything he can down the stairs. Jumping on the couches, climbing (yes climbing) any and all furniture and available body part of mine (and ONLY mine) and opening all doors are also on his daily "to-do" list. Pulling the bottles of beer and/or liquor off the shelf in the spare bedroom is entertaining, as is chasing the dog and putting all dog food into the water bowl. Basically- if he isn't on a mission to ...