Holly's Journal

2010-08-29T19:21:00.001-07:00

Its been awhile since I have posted - but I am back to work so it will probably be sporadic. I have 6 students so far, which is ok since one will be in a wheelchair. I hope this year will not bring any unwanted surprises such as what happened in the last one. I also hope that this year I will take better care of my health. Yesterday was my first day running in the morning - and it was very slow going. The truth of the matter is that you can work out and get really fit, but, if you don't keep it up - you can get so out of shape that it wouldn't have made a difference if you got fit in the first place. Its hard to fit it in, but it does lift the mood and curb the appetite. There is nothing quite like an invigorating exercising session. So my goals for the year include taking care of my health which will make me happier! Anyway, little B is doing well - and growing into a one year old. Party time! I guess the parental adage is true...that your kids grow fast. I will have to review the year and remember the highlights of his life so far. He's had a relatively smooth life because he can adapt to most new situations. He will definitely need that skill later in life.

Round and round

2010-08-10T12:27:00.001-07:00

Brennon went to the heart doc today and got a good report. Basically he got a quick EKG and blood pressure taken...they were going to do a sono of the heart but didn't see it as necessary. She said he sounded good - the murmur is faint due to his two-leaflet valve - but he is a normal little guy and to treat him as such.

Its funny how when adults meet him they put him either into the squirmy category or cutie category. I had an interesting comment from the cashier at Walgreens, she said 'I don't think people know this, but when babies go out to restaurants more and more often they start to flirt with the waitresses...he's going to be a little heartbreaker!' I told her nah that he is not and will never be interested in girls or he will break his mother's heart. Seriously, he has a lot to learn about girls before he even enters that realm.

In other news, he enjoys all things circular, cups, tubes, lids, doggie bones, plastic rings etc. I got him a set of small nesting cups, and he enjoys putting one cup inside of another and putting the cup through a larger ring. He just really looks as if he is making new discoveries in his play each day. I sit and watch the fun times unfold.

In still other news...hubby and I will celebrate 3 years together - a short time indeed - but it has made me the better for it. I still have some learning yet to do on this marriage thing, but I am glad to be doing it with my guy:

in the words of the giant heart---

Brian, I sent this Big Heart

To sing to you

Happy Anniversary

To my Love so true

I've kept my love light glowing

For 3 years that's true

And 50 years from now

I'll still be loving you!

Met you at church you see

You were the one for me

My stud power, computer guy

Now Brennon later

Life just gets greater

I'm so happy I could cry

You are the sunshine

That makes my days fine

So wonderful in every way

Being your wife

I have a great life

Happy Anniversary Day!

...I'll bet the people in Chili's were green with envy!

Twinkies

2010-08-03T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well, we went to see my friends' newborn twins yesterday...and they seem to be holding up well for so little sleep. The babies look like little porcelain dolls and are practically light as air. I couldn't remember Brennon being that small (probably because he never was) and fragile. I backtracked in my mind to the time when Brennon would only sleep during the day and 'party' at night. It baffles me why some babies do that. It all comes with the territory I suppose.

Brennon had a small milestone last night. He actually slept through the night two days in a row! I am nearly giddy and hopeful that this will last well into the time I start work. Its the little things that bring joy to one's life! It is so weird to think that in another month the baby will be a 1 year old. What's next Preschool?? This baby is growing up before my very eyes (and he honestly doesn't look like a baby anymore) I can't really hold him still anymore since he has ants in his pants - and he moves fast. He is going to run rings around us for sure....

Play Date

2010-07-28T10:48:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, B. participated in his very first playdate. There were 3 boys including him and 3 girls at the hostess' house, so it was admittedly fun. I watched B. interact with the other children somewhat and mostly observe the squeals, chattering, and whining. (By the end B. was doing some whining of his own). He does play fairly well with girls since he is not aggressive or with holding - I notice that girls can be aggressive also. He really enjoyed this LeapFrog play table that was just the right size for him to pull up on. I think we may have to invest in one of those. His second favorite toy was stackable cups that he preferred to hold onto and crawl around with. He interacted with some of the other mommies too - which was great to see since he can turn on his charm. I noticed that compared to other babies he had quite a bit more hair (which some mommies commented on) and the funny thing is that it is already beginning to curl. Will he have curly hair like mom? Yikes! He also looks older for his age, so some are surprised to hear he is only 10 1/2 months old. When I dress him and he stretches out from a nap, I just see this long skinny child with a little bit of baby fat. He may in fact be a skinny child - which wouldn't be bad for us since we would need to keep up with his little self. All in all he had a fun but tiring time. When he got home he konked right out after he threw a "I'm really, really tired" fit. In essence he went to bed a 6 pm. But the flip side is he woke up at 1:30 pm :( I think there is no hope for him sleeping through the night since he desires to go to bed so early. Even if you try to keep him up - he becomes extremely crabby. I have had some advice on it but it is a rare night when he does manage to go to sleep all night. It makes a huge difference for me since I would prefer to just get like 6 straight hours, than to be sleep interrupted. It just lags on my day. But no one said being a parent meant you would get unlimited sleep - so I'll just accept it until he gets older.....

2010-07-22T11:07:00.000-07:00

Today is a usual Thursday, (its Thurs. isn't it?) relaxing, looking after baby etc. Not much new news to report - although I seem to keep up on the news a little too much. I grow tired of hearing every single gruesome, bothersome, horrible news story that could possibly be reported on. Anyhow, I need to read some upbeat news instead.

Last week, I found a few nostalgic items from Brian and I's courtship. I read over them a giggled at how much thought and effort (because I remember) I put into the little notes, cards, gifts and generally any correspondence we had. I can recall reading an email from him late at night, then getting up the next morning, running on the treadmill and deciding in so many words how I would respond that day. Even crafting these emails was laborious because I didn't want to appear to forward, or too shy, too neurotic, or needy. He was the first guy I loved, (after the regulation 3 months time) so I often racked my brain way too much over the relationship. He even told me once in an email to relax and not worry about us. As I look back - it was great times, but in hindsight I wish I would have taken his advice more to heart and not barraged myself with 20 questions about our relationship and my 'role' in it. Often when you overanalyze something really wonderful - you can literally overanalyze it to death. All that said, I honestly had a great time dating --some of the best one can have with a true gentleman. My only wish is that I had kept a few more things from that time, but thankfully email is around so we can have that record of our time forever.

2010-07-20T10:45:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a while since I have posted...but I guess there hasn't been too much to say. Brennon is growing and changing before my eyes - and before I know it he will be walking. I am supposing he will be unstoppable then.

In other news - supposedly we can mourn the slow death of the PC in favor of smartphones, iPads and the like. Apparently, consumers want seamless data on the go and at their fingertips. Now I haven't been into Best Buy in a while (a tragedy I know) but I imagine the desktop PC section is slowly shrinking while the other, more mobile gadget (and t.v.) section is increasing. The thought is, why get a PC when a smartphone or tablet can do the exact same job while being highly portable? Well, 2013 is the year that PCs will be completly outsold by other smaller, cooler gadgets - so till then we can enjoy clunking along on the desktop until then.

In still other news - you know you are OLD when you start listing to conservative Christian radio purposefully. Many times I will catch myself flipping the dial to the word- and listening to whatever happens to be on. Honestly, I have caught some very thought provoking shows about marriage, finances, reform etc. And I have heard people who have called in with some pretty wild stuff that you would hear on Jerry Springer. I don't know why I listen, because sometimes I will disagree with some things - but it has some attraction for me. However, I can vouch that you will not catch me listening to Limbaugh or Beck or any of that....I have my standards!

Check up

2010-07-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

Brennon went in for his '9' month check up even though he is 10. We did that because I had already taken him in at 9 months for some sickness and just didn't want to kill two birds with one stone. It's funny how the nurse and the doc calls Brennon the same things we do at home...'he's a little wiggle worm', and 'he's a busy little guy-he wants to go and play' which the doc says is typical for boys which makes them a little harder to raise (gulp!)

He had a little drop of blood taken from his toe to check for anemia- apparently it can happen around this age. I think that his formula helps him out in that arena since they said his blood work looks good. They weighed him took his height etc. and he is in the 84th % for height but his weight (which I can't recall since Brennon demolished the paper and I left it at the docs) seems to have leveled off. The doc said that can happen at this age (which is amazing since people are shocked that he can polish off a full 6 oz size jar of Gerber in no time flat) so I plan to give him a little more to eat and hope he doesn't spit up too much.

His ears do have a little fluid in them, which is supposed to be common after an ear infection - however, I related to the doc and nurse that he has allergy problems. The doc said I can give him childrens Claritin, so I was glad that I can at least give him something when he gets miserable with sneezing and congestion.

Around Labor Day time we have to return to the heart doctor for another check up. The pediatrician says he hears the murmur - but the heart doc said in Feb that she didn't - so I don't know who's being more thorough. We'll see in a few months, but either of the doctors say his heart isn't something to worry about.

Other than the usual - Brennon gets a clean bill of health - and the doctor says he looks great and is developing well. It makes you feel relieved as a parent to hear that your kid is healthy and thriving!

Bottoms up?

2010-07-08T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well I've heard it all now. A guy in the West End of Dallas has been sketching people's behinds for 21 years...and now he want to sue someone else who is doing the same thing. He has patented the idea of "the original butt sketch" and has apparently done so around the world. He stresses that he doesn't do it for giggles, but he wants to portray a certain quality of the sketch he makes of his subjects. All I can say is that if he happens to catch me walking around he better not subscribe to the idea that bigger is better...

Summer is going by quickly for the Basses...July is just marching on by. I like the slow rhythm of the summertime-no worries, or deadlines. It is as if there is a slight reprieve from the daily grind of work. I feel like I am a European who takes long holidays - which I am a proponent of. I honestly believe that they have the right idea when they take several weeks vacation and just relax and travel. This is maybe why they live longer and have a good quality of life. The American work ethic is unrivaled, but I do think there is literally a cost to the worker involved. Once you experience that long vacation from your work for the first time, it is like paradise....

Brennon is getting bolder in his actions- more pulling up, more falling, and generally more crying due to teething. He and his pacifier are best friends because he enjoys having something to chew on. As a parent you worry whether you should let your kid have this thing too long, or should he start doing this or that. As long as the child's development isn't hindered then I don't think it is too worrysome. I have received lots of advice about B. and some of it I take to heart - but I mostly do what works for me and don't get bent out of shape about the rest. Hopefully B. will o.k. with that.

Independence Street

2010-07-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

We live close to Independence St. and so it makes me think about our upcoming holiday. As I monitor events around the world - we are fortunate to be in a position free from tyranny and war on our soil. Yes, there are problems in our nation- but as I was walking outside last night, I thought about the freedom we have to simply walk outside in our neighborhood without fear. We can own whatever dwelling we choose, buy whatever product we need, own animals, eat abundantly and the list goes on. I cannot fathom moving to a country of extreme war and poverty without mourning what I would leave behind. It would sure make me appreciate what I have in the good old USA. I know of an acquaintance that became fed up with where America was headed and proceeded to move away to the islands (American or British-I can't remember) Anyhow - he loved this country but just couldn't handle the current govt.? I'm not clear on the why of it all, but he likes where he is at right now and is staying put. All that said - I am thankful each and every day that I have the freedom that was gifted to me by simply being born in this great country.

2010-07-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

I watched an interesting NOVA two days ago about the NSA and 9/11. It described the NSA and their role in the events that led up to the tragedy. I urge anyone that is just curious to look it up on the NOVA site. It sheds some light on some information that you might not know. It made me angry when I saw the show, because there was knowledge about these terrorists - they were being monitored for three years prior to the disaster and up until the day before the tragedy occurred. They showed the record of phone calls back to OSB's terrorist HQ and a record of where they shopped, what they bought, what flight training they took, and even a speeding ticked they received on their way to NJ. They didn't even have aliases while they were in the US - they operated under their real names - received VISAs etc.etc. Now when the 9/11 commission questioned the head of NSA he cited that due to the laws of the time one could not infringe on the rights of a person legally here on US soil (like listening in on conversations, detaining at airports and the like) The sad thing is that in all honesty this could have been prevented had the govt agencies coordinated their info or just spoke up about bad guys being on our turf (as one FBI agent said).

The second part of the special focused on the way the NSA operates under the new laws post 9/11-which is interesting. We know that nothing we say on our telephones, emails, faxes, blogs etc. are private. Every literal 'bit' of information is filtered through a myriad of fiber optics underground. Now, as software is evolving to interpret the infinite amount of information - they can flag key words of interest. They went through the rest of the show explaining how this information can be harnessed to use productively.

Nothing new

2010-06-29T07:55:00.000-07:00

Brennon woke up today at 5:30 and didn't feel like going back to sleep--which is always a good time. He is growing and changing right before my eyes, so I am glad I can spend the summer taking care of him. He seems to be sicker during this time, too.

I hosted a female only shower on Sun. and it reminded me of the shower that we had for B. Its fun and overwhelming at the same time because its the first baby. I can see how the first born can be spoiled because they receive all the new toys, clothes and accessories. By the time the second, third or fourth child rolls around-I imagine mom and dad are asking themselves what they can possibly recycle from the previous child. I did not have that problem growing up since I was the only child. I was spoiled but I was aware of it. I wanted various things, but I don't think I threw fits or appeared entitled to them. (?) I didn't have to share toys, or hand down clothes, or even wonder whose presents were under the tree...it was all mine :>

Right now I am debating on which hobby to pick up again. Since B. was born I have since abandoned anything that will enrich my core being. And since the Oprah show doesn't really count--I am considering the options. I had plenty of hobbies when I was single, but they say that you shouldn't sacrifice your passions if you want to live long and prosper. An article on centenarians (which are increasing) mentioned that 100 year olds don't have a lot of money...but they really don't care. A large percent volunteer and/or has a 'passion' or hobby that they live for. And they don't have much stress about stuff..I mean when you are that age most things will roll off like water on a duck's back. So, again I need to pursue my hobbies and/or passions and/or volunteer somewhere so I can live to be 100...or not.

Walk the walk

2010-06-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Brennon is wanting to pull up now--and as a result we are practicing walking around. He is becoming more adventurous around the furniture and cabinets and so I watch him very closely. He apparently wants to explore the world outside of his bedroom which means each time I put him in there with all his toys...he wants to crawl right back out the door. I took him to Brian's moms place for lunch and he was a little center of attention. As soon as we sat down several residents asked about him. One resident got a little choked up thinking about his own kids when they were that age. So Brennon ate his gerber food and looked happily around with minimum fuss. He was complimented on how neatly he ate his food (he doesn't dribble much) and how happy and cute he was. Linda proudly shared tidbits about him and Brian when he was a little guy and starting to get into computers. Brennon certainly gets his share of attention so I hope he doesn't get a superiority complex from it. I believe he senses when he gets attention and shows out a little bit. I noticed that he was getting more precocious and behaving in a way that he doesn't usually at home.

I myself, am being called in to more service in the children's area of church. Now, I have always done this for as long as I can remember since becoming a member--but lately I have been on hiatus after B's birth. But as the Godfather says....they keep pulling you back in. I don't mind because I honestly should serve according to my spiritual gifts. They always need help in the kids area, too. The director kindly waited until a week after VBS before asking me when I would like to come back and teach ---and as usual I hesitate before agreeing to the task but I probably will. I not that good at saying no when there is no reason to.

I can hardly believe June is over...summer goes by in flash now that I have a child to care for!

2010-06-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Last week I embarked on the adventure that is vacation bible school. Our theme was treasure island and it was a heck of a lot of work. The church we attend is like its own business entity replete with a K-12 school, full library, 2 gift stores, cafeteria, small chapel, 1 band, 1 orchestra, choir, special needs wing, football field, baseball field, pregnancy center, fitness center, basketball court, soccer field, softball field and of course a Starbucks. To say that this place has it all is a major understatement.

I was given the daunting task of 'director' over a class of 25-30 4 year olds and thank goodness I had 4 helpers in the room. As director I decided to take more of a hands on role rather than a micromanaging role...so in essence I did a lot of the major tasks like story time, game time, (most) of craft time. I also lead story time for our fundraising effort for Sudan. I am proud to say that our class won a pizza party for raising the most money for Sudan in our age group. The kids really enjoyed simulating Sudanese kids walking 4 miles with a bucket of water on their heads even though it WAS indoors.... Their time at the bounce house was fun but, the cutest moment was when our kids visited the petting zoo and saw the horse with a pink pony tail. They asked me several times how that horse got pink hair.

I'll admit that I was reluctant to give my time to serve in vbs..but the reward far outweighed the cost. I was a part of the seed planting process to reach kids for Christ (4,000) of them to be exact-and my son got to be a part of it all too (you can never be too young!)----a truly noble cause indeed.

The housewife hackers of (choose your city)

2010-06-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

I was thinking (as I was so dumbly letting my email be used a hacker portal) that why aren't more housewives' hackers? If these idiots were smart, they would use all of us housewives at home all across the world to do their dirty work for them. Or I have a better idea... give us the skills (and access) to monitor and message boards, company emails, and websites for potential problems. I mean practically all of us are on the internet for at least an hour at a time anyway---why not use us all around the world for an hour at a time to patrol--I mean even if we got compensated just a little--a little is better than nothing at all. Of course all that other access stuff could be worked out, but I think it is a matter of utilizing resources for practically little cost. Or we could be used to do mundane things like send out schedule notices, update others' blogs, or just insert repetitive pieces of code (for older stuff). I mean how many menial tasks are there that could just be outsourced to us housewives? Well enough about that -I'm digressing. I think I'll go vacuum and take out the trash...

9 mos.

2010-06-09T11:01:00.001-07:00

I am currently watching my little 'daytime' soap called baby story. I actually have a history with baby story since college. Now when I watch, I can relive memories from nine months ago. Its crazy to think that from the time Brennon was born until now - was how long I was pregnant with him. Wow that is a LONG time, but it feels like just a sliver of time.

On today's episode, a couple is having triplet girls to add to their family of a 3 year old boy, and 2 year old special needs girl. They ought to call this episode 'I think I'm going out of my head'. They show the number of bottles the triplets need for just one day...and it fills a countertop. The dad makes a funny comment, "How am I going to pay for these weddings?" and "How can I tell them apart?" But the main thing they were struggling with was the time at home and juggling their responsibilities. I honestly can't imagine what their next 18 years will bring.

In other news, our former gym, Bally's is being sue for sending out fake past due notices in Texas. Over 1,000 people paid the past due notices - but Bally's claimed the notices were just a reminder to renew membership and nothing more. Now the attorney general is on the case and a lawsuit is in the works. I noticed that after our local Bally's went under in Carrollton - that they seemed to be struggling in the tough economy...and this news surely can't help. The moral of the story seems to be...workout at home or outside because gyms can work you over-not out.

2010-06-08T10:59:00.000-07:00

Well Brennon's teeth are coming in a big way. Two on bottom and one peeking in on top. He has a habit now of waking up at around 5ish and not going back down until a small dose of Tylenol and about 2 hours. He doesn't cry all day-but he whimpers more. I was supposed to attend a playgroup today (never done that) but I figured since I was still tired and B. was still congested and coughing AND has a heat rash all over his face - they may not let me bring him back. So I will attend the next one.

Right now I am catching up on my MST3K videos on netflix - since there have been some new ones come out since B. has been born. It's not as easy to completely relax when you have a baby at home - so I have a great appreciation for naps. I am contemplating some hobbies I need to start up (other than housekeeping) or I get really bored and introspective. I should go on message boards and see what SAHMs do during the course of a typical day. VBS is coming soon so I need to prepare for it-but I am not quite ready to put my teacher hat back on just yet. All I know is that there is something to be said for the relaxing summer by the pool - so I may just scrap all those plans and camp out poolside...

Pool's Open

2010-06-07T12:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I commented on facebook that I was thankful for the pool, since it is blistering hot already. Others have the same idea, since we have some friends swimming in the pool right now as I am typing. That's fine with me (us)-since it's essentially a 'community' pool. Its just too hot right now to let the pool go unused for even a day. I told my friend that if she wants to bring her neighbor and kids over that the gate will be open. It will be funny one day when I come home from work and find a raging party out back without my knowledge.

In other news I am off for summer-to refuel and recharge. It actually takes me several days of rest and recovery to bounce back from the school year. This summer my projects are: vacation bible school, hosting a baby shower, fixing up the master bed and whatever else I see that needs caretaking. Oh yeah, and two days of teacher training (maybe). I should keep up with the housecleaning since I am a housemarm now, but I haven't had a good track record so far...and with a baby, well...who knows. Anyhow, cheers to summer and if you want to use the community pool-you have our number.

Tik Tok

2010-06-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

I am now counting down the hours until my final day with the kids is over. The last day of school for me (as a teacher) has always been like Christmas Eve. My first year of teaching I woke up very early that morning in anticipation for the last day. It was a long and grueling year-and I was very glad for it to be through. Now that I have been 'broken in' by my new position I am happy for the summer to begin.
I am also another year wiser, and I mentioned to my coworker that my thirties have been great so far. They say thirty is the new twenty-and I would have to agree that I am more content at thirtysomething than I ever was at twentysomething. Having a family bond is so uniquely special-that I can't quite describe its complexity. Now I know that the future will have some challenges for me, but that is life. I just know that at the tender age of 32 that the journey is getting better every year. Wow if it is like this now-I'll bet 40 will be awesome :)

Hung out to dry

2010-04-18T18:33:00.000-07:00

So right now I am at the Colony laundromat doing a gigantic tubload of laundry due to a shortage of laundromats near our house. Since our washing machine blew out a gasket we have to tough it out. The character building thing about it is that it sure makes you appreciate the appliances in your house that make work easier. You have to lug the the laundry to the car, load it in, drive to the mat, get a cart, take it out, sort it, make change for dollars, put it in the washers...wait, take it out and then transport it to a dryer where you have to wait again all while listening to telemundo blaring on tv. I can certainly understand why families come here since it can be a several hour affair. I even made some rookie mistakes since I haven't been to a laundromat since I dont' know when. After taking 3 loads out of the washer, I transported them to what I thought was a row of dryers, but were actually a different model of washer. Upon realization of this, I had to take the laundry out of the three washers again and roll them over to the actual dryers. A guy that looked like Peter Cetera from Chicago was staring at me as I was taking hubby's undies out of the dryer.
Besides escorting hubby from bathroom to bathroom in the mall on Saturday, this had to be the highlight of my weekend. The funny part is that I had to rummage through the trash for some used dryer sheets since I didn't remember to bring them from home. I probably looked like a really sad case. When all was said and done, a full six loads was done and lugged back home. I can say after all that rigamarole, that I will sure appreciate our new washer when it comes in on Saturday.

No more mister nice guy?

2010-04-14T15:46:00.001-07:00

CNN came out with a hard hitting editorial on nice guys not getting dates. The story begins with Dean a nice guy who couldn't get dates. He mentionedthat his shy personality and thoughtfulness was a red flag for girls...so they passed him over for the so called 'bad boys'. He said he was clueless for most of his 20's in the area of dating since girls just wanted to be friends with him.
So in rebuttal to this sad state of affairs, the article throws in some quotes from dating coaches that aim to get men out of the nice guy rut. One coach goes so far as to say "Stop wasting money on expensive dates and don't cater to her needs first". The author of 'The Game' (the male version of 'The Rules') stated that he fell into the nice guy category once, and as a result the girl he wanted to date asked him to help paint her walls. The outcome? You guessed it...she had him paint while she went on a date with another guy. Yikes. Another man, said the nice guy routine landed him in divorce court.
Other reports of studying male attractiveness to females cited the bad boy persona as being more preferable for college age women. OK, I'll stop here as anyone would get to what I think the point of the article is....and.....shocker!!! girls in college want to date freely, with few strings attached. Who better to fit that bill than a bad boy. These girls don't want to settle down yet, so the wild adventurous type will fulfill all the fantasies a 20something girl has. In essence a bad boy is what a bad girl in her 20's wants. Now the funny thing about this is that Dean is mentioned again at the end of the article as having been successfully nice-since he is now married. And the end quote is 'sometimes all it takes is for a girl to give a nice guy a chance'. Ug, talk about a contradicting article. The thing is that once a girl grows a brain about her relationships and asks the hard hitting questions like, 'why does my guy treat me so badly?' and 'why doesn't he want to settle down?' Well then she will go for the nice guy and marry him, and by then it is simply a matter of supply and demand. The terrible thing is that the girls that are still in bad boy mentality by the time they wake up and grow up say, 'why can't I find a nice guy?' I'm just lucky that I wasn't blinded by bad boy stupidity, and found someone that didn't disregard my needs or pass on going out to a nice place for a date in order to uphold a 'mysterious' persona. All I can say about this article is that 5% of it is true and the rest is laughable. I wish a hearty 'good luck' to all those bad boys trying to get a long term relationship out of their girls.

To spank or not?

2010-04-12T16:38:00.001-07:00

Oh boy Time did it again. They opened up a can of worms with their article against spanking kids. They claim that kids that are spanked more frequently at age 3 exhibit more agressive tendencies at age 5. This study was done at Tulane university with a pool of 2,500 kids. Now, as I have not received the full amount of data (personality of the child, gender, other genetic factors) I cannot go along blindly with the results. The funny thing is, that after this study was published online, over 6,000 people commented. The overwhelming response was against the findings in favor of spanking kids as a last resort and very infrequently. Even those kids (now adults) who were spanked said that it was by all means acceptible. Now my stance on this is the same as most of the responders-spanking is fine as long as it is done as the last resort and not done often. Hubby disagrees with spanking and is in favor of time out, but I will concede this decision until Brennon gets older, and if it works, then so be it. But if that extra measure of discipline is needed for him, then we can go back to the negotiating table. I guess I have become jaded as I have dealt with more than 200 kids over my lifetime and seen what wimpy parenting does. It turns kids bad, superbad . I'd prefer to err on the side of firm discipline when nothing else will get my child in line. Not that I'm saying our discipline won't work, I just want that little ace up the sleeve. Anyway, the findings were interesting-but not all that groundbreaking. We will see what discipline little B. receives when he gets older-however I assure him this-we will be firm but always loving.

The list

2010-04-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

I am still reading from the same author, and she wrote about 10 things she will miss when she dies. Obviously this is a self awareness exercise aimed at enhancing one's day to day living--but hey what would it hurt to try myself? So here goes..
Hubby's laugh
Brennon's smile
My mom's help
Dessert
That one awesome song on the radio
A beautiful spring day
Wagging puppy tails
Vacations
A good compliment
A long massage
A good hair day

Like the author, I listed 11 and could keep on going. It keeps one mindful of living moment to moment and enjoying what one has right now. Sound advice...thanks Geneen.

Still sick

2010-04-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

So the baby is still sick with a nasty cough and congestion with a slight ear infection. And for the record, he did cough in my face once or twice. Daddy gets to be Mr. Mom today, so Mommy is going to be viewing the action on our new and improved home camera system :)

There is always a baby/parent dilemma when your child is sick and you have to work. Should I take him in to the sitter? Is it that bad? Will he get enough rest? Should I only do a half day and check on him or should I just stay and take him to the doc? and on it goes... I think erring on the safe side is always best and if it turns out he wasn't all that sick, then he gets some extra parent time that day. The balance of child rearing is never clear cut or in a manual or anything so I just use my intuition most of the time. Hopefully, I am in tune enough to use it well.

In other news, I am currently reading a book by an author who has come up in the world (she was on Oprah) and I'll admit she does make some sense to me. It is a nonfiction book about women taking care of themselves and respecting their God given bodies (hear, hear!) Culturally girls and women are given some pretty unrealistic expectations from the media and so in an effort to conform, they feel as if they have failed on several fronts (having a thin figure, staying fashionable, looking effortlessly beautiful). I happen to agree with her philosophy on this, especially since she writes it so well. I was talking to Brian about this and he would agree that this is primarily a female issue--one that males would have a hard time understanding. Since females are so complex, we are prone to tie emotions into this mix and send ourselves reeling when our expectations aren't met. The fact of the matter is that we are unique in our own right, we have contributions to our career, family and friendships that really have no bearing on how flawless our physical self is. Now I know it is pie in the sky to think that 'oh looks don't matter'! Well the news according to this book is that they don't. Life is too short to be lived in the pursuit of getting gorgeous, or achingly thin or supremely happy. Just accept and care about who you are right now and live life as if you were looking back on it as a wise old woman-doing and caring about things that truly matter in your life. Now that is good stuff.

Post waiting...

2010-04-04T19:50:00.000-07:00

SLEEEEEP

2010-03-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Well Brennon loves his sleep. As a mom I am amazed at how much sleep this little guy requires (or just plain wants) for a 6 month old. He has me on his schedule of 9am, 12pm, 3 pm and to bed by 7 or 7:30. Some of his naps are even 2 hours long....no wonder he is a happy kid. At this rate he should be growing exponentially, which is actually true. He now fits in 1 year old clothing and is a fairly long 29 inches. It really is fun to get to spend time with him each day on my time off, and now that I have to go back to work soon, I look forward to the summer. There is a rhythm of the day when you are a stay at home mom, and a routine that becomes ingrained in both mother and child. However, I say all of this calmly and at ease since Brennon is an only child. If I had more than one I could be frazzled to the core. But I don't, so I'll enjoy the gift that has been given to me right now-the peaceful serenity of a little boy sleeping 3-4 times a day.

Teach for Technology

2010-03-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

I read about the new advent of Holographic technology in churches. They predict that it could be here in 12 months or so. Not only would this revolutionize preaching, but I think it could change how teachers teach as well. I have often wondered how we could replace the old 'teacher in front of a classroom' thing. If this were to actually happen in the next year-it would end my commute! I could just imagine teaching from the comfort of my home while my students only had a holograph to answer to. Ah simplicity. All jobs should be so simple and effective. Telecommuting, holographing, teleporting, etc....the future looks pretty cool!

2010-02-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

I don't know where Brian's phone is but it's kind of funny to hear his withdrawals:) I always wondered what would happen. But if I did wash it it won't be funny when he wants that new droid thing :( Drat

Rant

2010-02-10T19:26:00.000-08:00

Rant #2 about doctors. Brennon has been sick lately with a bad congested cough and rattling when breathing. So as a result, it is time to call the doctor again (wince) about his ailment. I spoke with the office and since Brennon's doc is not there-I speak with a nurse. She takes down his symptoms and assesses if he needs to come in. Although he has no fever, or trouble eating - she says to bring him in ...however there is no doc available at that time and sends him to acute kids urgent care clinic. She says they are very good and have doctors available at that time. So I drag B. to the clinic and get waited on by a very young kid. He looked to be 18 - probably an intern. He took symptoms and other information and said the doctor would be in soon. Which normally means an hour or so. However I was pleasantly surprised by the quick response. The on call pediatrician looked at B.'s ears, nose, throat and listened to his lungs. She said everything looked and sounded good, and his cough was probably a residual effect of the virus he had 2 weeks ago. Apparently a child can get well but the virus can have residual effects. Anyhow, she recommended a humidifier, and a nebulizer and said it should be gone in a week. So I left on my merry way again with a 'he's fine' diagnosis. Which means there is not much they can do or give much medicine for. The next day I get a call from my regular pediatricians office about the visit and his cough and the nurse wanted me to come in the afternoon. Now I am at work, and although I would drop anything to help my sick child...I had just been to the doctor 12 hours ago and got a diagnosis! The last time I got a second diagnosis..we were told to wait it out. What more will they do this second time around? Now mind you I know he could be prone to bronchitis, but I think if things do not look better - I will take him in on friday when my regular pediatrician is there. I don't know, sometimes I think they want more money for all these extra visits. It can drive a parent insane. He also goes to the heart doctor on Monday for his murmur on orders from the pediatrician. Is this bordering on overly cautious and overly expensive? Possibly, but I am no doctor. The only thing I know is that I thank my lucky stars for insurance that will pay for these 'precautionary' doctor visits for the poor baby. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiopoosiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiooodoawie

sorry I fell asleep there for a minute - that must be a sign to go to bed - thanks for listening to the rant.

2010-01-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

Ok, here goes. Lately I have beared the brunt of Brennon's sickness and that is truly something that wrenches a mother's heart. I hate to take him to the doctor to be poked, prodded, gagged, have blood taken, have urine taken, and given antibiotic shots only to be told that all of that was for naught-and he has something else....something he has to wait out with no meds. I mean is this a classic example of too much preventative medicine? Will the future hold something better for our little ones? I hope so because my son had to endure quite a bit of 'diagnosis'. I look forward to the day when a child will walk into the doctor and immediately be scanned for insurance and i.d. (if we have insurance in the future). Then instead of waiting forever for a nurse...he/she will speak to a virtual nurse about the symptoms and immediately be given a diagnosis after a complete scan of the body. Then if shots or medication is needed-it will be administered on the spot, instead of having to travel to a pharmacy. Then a 'docbot' will come in and double check that everything was done correctly and viola! You are done in about 20 minutes flat. I believe that the future of medicine will be more patient friendly, and much more efficient in the future. It has to be, because it still feels as though we live in the stone ages when it comes to waiting rooms and the like. I mean really, why does it take several hours to make a visit to the doc? Why should we take off half a day of work for something that can be taken care of pretty quickly? And I seriously look forward to the day when we don't have to worry about patient misdiagnoses and mistakes. Did Brennon really need to go through all of that rigamarole only to be told the next day it was something different? Boy, I really see a need to technology to get a hold of our medical system and catapult it into the future.

On a lighter note..I am told we are moving into a newer, smarter house soon. Speaking of technology, I hope that I can manage a household that is smarter than I am. I think I will need some major tutorial after all is said and done...Or I may have Brian install some dumb things on the home in case I need it. I just hope that I'm not home alone one night and accidentally push the 'self-destruct' button. That would really ruin my day:(

Santa Claus

2009-12-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Well today mom and I took Brennon to see Santa for the first time in his life. I honestly think he wasn't fazed by it though. The mall we took him to is usually pretty...well...dead - but the past few days it has been fairly busy. And the line for Santa Claus was loooong. About an hour and a half give or take a few minutes. I almost backed out when it reached 3 loop arounds, but everyone else was suffering through it so I decided I would too. I just hoped Brennon would last through the mayhem of antsy kids and yelping babies. Luckily, thanks to the nap he took for 40 minutes, he did. One baby that was there was practically a newborn. I must say that the setup for this Santa was pretty cool. It was multiple scenes from the Polar Express, brought to life through Christmas trees and gigantic Snow globes. I was impressed by the details - but the kids in line were waiting so long, that it was probably good for 30 minutes of entertainment. Now I won't single anyone out, but I saw several instances of a SuperNanny intervention needed for these pansy parents. I mean when your kid is wailing in line and tearing the fake cotton snow off Christmas trees then something needs to be done. I will say this though, that the Santa Claus at the Willow Bend mall must be the real one because he was very kind and good to each one of the kids. Brennon managed to spit up on his lap, but he wasn't phased at all. He gave Brennon a Polar Express picture, and held him - but I quickly snatched him up so that the spit up wouldn't ruin his red suit. Mom noticed how Santa would straighten the little girls dresses and walk over to one of the toddlers and hold their hand in line. Even though this was textbook Santa - it took a looooong time to get through the line. I was secretly wishing for a Christmas Story.... Ho Ho Ho and a little push to get the kids on their way. But all in all Mom, Brennon and I lived through the tumult that is going to see Santa - so next year, It's Brian's turn while I go get a massage.

Send me the video!

2009-11-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

I had an idea for a site about how to barter ideas. This came from Brian having to diagnose technology problem on the phone without seeing it or the person knowing what correct buttons to push. You can file videos of common errors on this site and in exchange you can get information about something in particular. Lets say that I don't know how to get my camera to do X and I find a video about someone that can do it for me or they can email me and say they have made one for me. In exchange, that person may want to know how to program their DVD player to do X. Someone else has the player tags it and posts them the video. Its like a chain of ideas....I don't know, it may be too big of an idea, or similar to something else. But it would be cool to see someone that could show me how to do something, and maybe I could show them or someone else how to do something. It doesn't have to be technology either. You could just google it - but so much extra pops up and it takes a while to sift through it all. It kind of zeros in what you need fast. Of course it would need to be moderated etc.. In my example, Brian could make a video of how to fix the printer, reset it etc. put in the password and so on. Then I could just access it each time I need it. Or, if I wanted to barter the idea and I post something I could do...then I would share it. Just an idea:)

Back to work

2009-11-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

I have about a week before I report back to work, and so it will be bittersweet. Babies are a full time job and so I hope our babysitter will take good care of him. As I go through a typical day with B. I wonder, will the sitter do this? will she know to do that? He can get angry and fussy (like today) when he's hungry and tired. It will be tough to do, but I made a commitment to my boss to return. I can understand why a mom would not want to go back to her job after taking leave...and I could understand why she would want to go back to work ASAP. We shall see how it goes - and I hope B. behaves for her.
Other news...the house debate still stands. It's a big investment and the future is unknown - are the prices and interest rate the best they will be in a long time? Who knows, but more research is required.

2009-11-04T20:37:00.001-08:00

I was browsing my usual christianity today website and clicked on a blog that linked to another, and then a listing of a woman of interest and her contributions to science. Then it lead me to another study of women in science - which really piqued my interest. This woman in particular is an assistant director for the Kavli institute for cosmological physics at the University of Chicago and author of the book 'Einsteins Telescope: The Hunt for Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe' Not only is she a physics professor, but a mom of three to boot. In one of her speaking engagements, she addresses the age old issue of women in science - in particular physics. She contends that this problem is still around because of the general lack of scientists' will to put the scientific method toward the problem. There is a collective 'this is out of our hands' mentality and some cultural bias sprinkled in with some general hardheadedness of the issue at hand. Her justification is as follows......

Because we want to create and work

within a system that identifies,

encourages, and supports the brightest

and most motivated scientists and

science students

She began her talk with evidence from the Carnegie Mellon Computer Science program. The data shows that from '95 to '01 the retention rate for women there had not only improved, but doubled even as the admissions criteria and SAT scores for admission to the program increased.

Now I take this to mean if the pool includes a larger number of women, scratch that---scientists - then why wouldn't we afford a second look at the dilemma?

Ok, this is great and all, but we know that women are absolutely by no means equivalent to men in science. Take that controversial Harvard professor's statement several years ago..... Well, lets go to a publication by the Committee on Science, Engineering and Public Policy, who apparently puts creedence to the issue by putting forth this publication,

Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering (2007)

Here are some of the beliefs that are still held firm today:

Belief

Evidence

Where Discussed

Women are not as good in mathematics as men.

Female performance in high school mathematics now matches that of males.

Chapter 2

The matter of “under-representation” on faculties is only a matter of time; it is a function of how many women are qualified to enter these positions.

Women’s representation decreases with each step up the tenure-track and academic leadership hierarchy, even in fields that have had al arge proportion of women doctorates for 30 years.

Chapter 3

Women are not as competitive as men. Women don’t want jobs in academe.

Similar proportions of men and women science and engineering doctorates plan to enter postdoctoral study or academic employment.

Chapter 3

Behavioral research is qualitative; why pay attention to the data in this report?

The data are from multiple sources, were obtained using well-recognized techniques, and have been replicated in several settings.

Chapters2-5

Women and minorities are recipients of favoritism through affirmative-action programs.

Affirmative action is meant to broaden searches to include more women and minority-group members, but not to select candidates on the basis of race or sex, which is illegal.

Chapter 4

Academe is a meritocracy.

Although scientists like to believe that they “choose the best” based on objective criteria, decisions are influenced by factors—including biases about race, sex, geographic location of a university, and age—that have nothing to do with the quality of the person or work being evaluated.

Chapter 4

Changing the rules means that standards of excellence will be deleteriously affected.

Throughout a scientific career, advancement depends upon judgments of one’s performance by more senior scientists and engineers. This process does not optimally select and advance the best scientists and engineers, because of implicit bias and disproportionate weighting of qualities that are stereotypically male. Reducing these sources of bias will foster excellence in science and engineering fields.

Women faculty are less productive than men.	The publication productivity of women science and engineering faculty has increased over the last 30 years and is now comparable to men’s. The critical factor affecting publication productivity is access to institutional resources; marriage, children, and elder care responsibilities have minimal effects.	Chapter 4
	Women are more interested in family than in careers.	Many women scientists and engineers persist in their pursuit of academic careers despite severe conflicts between their roles as parents and as scientists and engineers. These efforts, however, are often not recognized as representing the high level of dedication to their careers they represent.	Chapter 5
	Women take more time off due to childbearing, so they are a bad investment.	On the average, women take more time off during their early careers to meet their caregiving responsibilities, which fall disproportionately to women. But, by middle age, a man is likely to take more sick leave than a woman.

The findings conclude...

The consequences of not acting will be detrimental to the nation’scompetitiveness. Women and minority-group members make up an increasing proportion of the labor force. They also are an increasing proportion of postsecondary students. To capture and capitalize on this talent will require revising policies adopted when the workplace was more homogeneous and creating new organizational structures that manage a diverse workforce effectively. Effective programs have three key components: commitment to take corrective action, analysis and utilization of data for organizational change, and a campus framework for monitoring progress.

This straight from the mouths of the committee, and I would have to agree...what would this country have to lose in efforts to change the existing stagnation of science in our culture? I think the infusion of more females in science would be a definite shot in the arm to our already lagging progress in this area.

Silent Stigma

2009-11-03T09:34:00.000-08:00

I am writing unfortunately about a very sad topic, but it seems to have popped up recently on my facebook acct. Yes it is the worst of the worst - Christian divorce. Now I won't quote statistics here because they are actually subjective - but here is something unfortunate that I lifted off a website

George Barna, president and founder of Barna Research Group, commented:

"While it may be alarming to discover that born again Christians are more likely than others to experience a divorce, that pattern has been in place for quite some time. Even more disturbing, perhaps, is that when those individuals experience a divorce many of them feel their community of faith provides rejection rather than support and healing. But the research also raises questions regarding the effectiveness of how churches minister to families. The ultimate responsibility for a marriage belongs to the husband and wife, but the high incidence of divorce within the Christian community challenges the idea that churches provide truly practical and life-changing support for marriages."

Barna may be dismissed for his remark - but what I read today from one (of two) Christian men on Facebook regarding their divorce seems to support that quote. This young man in particular was a member of my Sunday school class way back in my single days - and I remember how discerning he was about who he would potentially date. He and another female member were great friends and seemed so right for each other (they even looked alike..tall and blonde) - that we used to tease him about when they would marry. The funny thing is that they did have a short relationship, but it didn't progress any further than that. I lost contact with him for a while, but only recently did I find out about his divorce after a long, angry letter in response to a Christian website about remarriage. He couldn't post on the site, but decided to on Fbook. Now I firmly believe that it takes two to marry but not necessarily two to divorce. It can really lie in the fate of one person's hands - for whatever reason or another he/she wants out of the marriage. And the spouse unfortunately has to comply. Now, divorce is hard enough on the individual, but to have people literally shun you for it at church is another. That should bring a sense of shame on our part for being admittedly UNchristian. The friend of mine angers over his treatment by his christian family, and how he felt like a pariah amongst his friends. As believers, we should (duh) realize that we are not immune to sin in our lives - but if we trust in Jesus - he has taken on the burden of that sin and we are forgiven, not immune to it. That is grace at work, and the crux of our belief. NOBODY is above sin and its clutches - and if we ignore a brother or sister because they are hurting then we are hypocritical at the very least. Christ has forgiven us many times over, and comforted us when we were hurting and wounded from sin- why would his children not do the same?
Here's a classic that we always seem to forget -
So when they continued asking him (Jesus), he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. John 8:7

My heart goes out to my facebook friend who experienced the worst hurt one could possibly imagine, but he deserves praise for having the courage to bring light to a problem we face as believers in Christ.

2009-10-27T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well I discovered something new about Brennon today. He doesn't like to wear clothes. I tested this theory out after observing him on the changing table. When he is not wearing clothes he is much more content and active. But as soon as the clothes go on he begins to get fussy. Now lately I have been struggling during the day getting him to sleep for anything longer than 20 minutes at a time. At night he is about 3 hours at a time. So I decided to experiment today with putting him in only a diaper and socks - and so far he is very content. He is even asleep long enough to let me type! I have the key to having a happy baby! (for now) Now as Brian says, he may be one of those children who like to take their clothes off - a free spirit as we might say. And that could pose some problems down the line. But for now, I feel like a master problem solver - ready to tackle what else may trouble him in the future.

Speaking of free spirits, we watched a documentary yesterday about air guitar. Apparently, they have a contest each year on the east coast and west coast to crown an air guitar champion for the entire US. That person then gets to go to the world competition in Finland - where they take air guitar very seriously :) The movie was quite entertaining since not a one of these contestants use an instrument whatsoever. They just air guitar and wear goofy costumes (except for one guy coming out in his birthday suit - and guess what he used as one of his props?)while getting judged on technicality, charisma, precision and other obscure things. It makes me wonder what a real guitar competition gets judged on? Now I think Brian has dismissed the movie for obvious reasons - but I was entertained by the idea of someone being a rock star without playing an instrument. In fact, one of the contestants in the movie, Bjorn Turoc abandoned his real guitar band to participate in an air guitar competition. When he was interviewed, he just felt like he had more opportunities to succeed in air guitar than in a real band. I suppose so - since you are the only one up there performing on stage. Anyway, the movie's finale came when the first ever US contestant C-diddy won the world competition doing a Yngwie Malmsteen song with great technicality and precision - I guess? I haven't seen the song done by the original guitarist, but something tells me it was way more technical on real guitar. Hee Hee. But props to C-diddy he is now in the annals of fame and is an aspiring actor to boot - look for him on Law and Order SVU strutting his 'killer' air guitar skills...

What a World

2009-10-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today about Brennon growing up in this crazy mixed up world we live in...and it kind of put the parent's fear of God in me. I mean I am not a paranoid person (I think?) and I don't fear what's around every corner - but I already worry for my son. Life centers around choices for the individual. That is what God left us with..unfortunately. I hope he makes good choices and heeds the guidance of his parents. It is a unique position to be in - now that my life has been lived with the ultimate goal of complete freedom and independence. That is what an individual strives for, but when you have a child, you seriously want to limit that freedom and independence. Now we have discussed, as rational parents do, that our children should experience 'worldly' things. Honestly, is there really any other alternative? Part of me wants to shield him from all of these worldly things that the Bible so adamantly warns us about. It's as if my conservative meter runs sky high when it comes to my child. Of course he is a baby right now, and later on I may mellow out a bit, who knows? Part of me wants to be optimistic about the future. Brennon could be part of the solution in this world, someone who cares about the earth, curing diseases and helping mankind. As a parent, I should instill that belief in him - instead of fear and pessimism. Anyway, we shall see how he turns out - and I am hopeful that he will become the strong, good, helpful member of society that we will raise him to be.

Baby phat

2009-10-14T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well I am one of the many women who notice the little unpleasantries that come with afterbirth. I have some 'baby phat' that I want to be rid of and so I decided to quit talking about getting on the treadmill and actually do it. Of course I am not running 4 miles or anything, but I am starting slow and sure by power walking until my doctor clears me for vigorous exercise. Now I really won't blame the baby for my 'phat' - because I wasn 't in prime shape before I was pregnant...I'll blame marriage for that :) But lo, I won't blame marriage either because how I take care of my body is my choice and I haven't made the best choices in my 31 years. However, I must say that since Brennon has been born - I don't feel as obsessive about food... and maybe I'll blame that on our new happy family. I also made the promise that Brennon wouldn't fall prey to the obesity epidemic that is going around. Now that will be tough, since I have fallen prey to it myself - but I believe that the cycle can be broken. I mean, there are still some thin people left in this world!

So now my routine is two 15 minute segments of powerwalking on our treadmill (since I have had success on the treadmill before) and 2 leisurely strolls with the baby and dog. I can report that I am down 2 lbs. since my regimen and of course there are many more lbs to go. The good news is, I am not putting as much pressure on myself as I have in the past - my goal now is to be a healthy weight that I feel comfortable at. I think age does that for you, too. As you get older, you realize you do not want to look to the world for your size and your weight - since that will mess with your thinking. I mean there is so much food to be had in the good old USA, while the media is peddling weight loss and the obesity epidemic 24/7. It really gets people confused...especially our children, who are experiencing the brunt of all this excess and restriction. So, I must be mindful what I model to my child -because I desperately want him to be healthy and well balanced. We'll see how it goes....

Baby washing machine

2009-10-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we received a DVD in the mail entitled 'Happiest Baby on the Block' courtesy of Daddy Bass. This purchase was made in order to quiet Brennon's fussiness during the day. We sat down and watched a pediatrician (now famed Dr. Phil rockstar) discuss the difficulties of parenthood with new moms and dads. He listened to the parents' laments and then began to describe his 5 techniques for quieting a fussy baby. Shushing, swaddling, sucking, swinging, and one other one I can't remember! He proceeded to demonstrate his magic on a screaming baby. He first swaddled the child in the DUDU method (down, up, down, up) and then put the baby on its side and did long loud shhhhh in their ear. Now to the layperson, this might seem annoying at best - but to a baby it simulates the womb experience and they fall magically silent. The onlooking parents were amazed at the difference! He went on to describe the child as being in the 4th trimester, which means the child is very immature and still needs some comfort from being out of the womb. The doc even mentioned that the child could even sleep an extra hour or so at night using his magical techniques.

I must say I was impressed, and so I tried it last night and it worked well to quiet the fussiness! Sadly, Brennon did not sleep any longer at bedtime. And even worse, he woke up earlier than usual and did not want to fall back asleep to give me some extra rest. So, I took him on his morning stroller ride... but that didn't work as well as I had hoped. So when we got back in the house, I tried the technique I learned last night, and he rested a bit - but woke himself up due to my ceased shushing. So I finally thought about what one parent said on the video about how the sound of a vacuum works on her child and I figured well...the dishwasher is running right now - so what the hey? I put Brennon next to it and he slowly fell back asleep again. Eureka! Now I can take my siesta. Hopefully, I can find enough dishes to wash to keep him happy but if not, there is always the washing machine!

Moms Day Out

2009-10-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my mother took me to my dentist appt. in Arlington to assist with Brennon. I went in to the waiting room and the hygienist was able to get me in early. The workers noticed I had the baby with me and mentioned how cute he was. Mom stayed with Brennon while I got my teeth cleaned, and so the hygienist was eager to tell me about baby teeth care. Apparently, babies gums do need washing and so you should wipe them gently with a soft cloth. When the child is ready for their first dentist visit, the doctor just looks at their teeth. I believe that is to prepare them for future visits and leave the child feeling good about things. It would be funny if the dentist dressed up like SpongeBob and made it seem like a party. However, all visits after that one would sure be a big letdown. After my cleaning, the three of us went to lunch at a nearby restaurant. I was worried about the whole crying baby in a restaurant ordeal - but I'll admit Brennon was a very good boy. Mom and I think it is because he was exposed to something new and exciting during the day. We even stopped by a few other stores after the restaurant (while mom watched out for Brennon) and I purchased a charm for my bracelet and some chocolate. It was a pleasant outing, and I was pleased that Brennon cooperated. I hope we can do it again with the same good results. Now when B turns 2 I may be singing a different tune!

Breaking the Streak

2009-09-28T14:49:00.001-07:00

So last night Brennon broke his world record of sleeping for a good portion of the night by screaming me awake at 2 am. I knew it would be a long night because a) he went to bed too early and b) he napped too long. This is not a good mix for a newborn. All I know is that he will be awake for the Cowboy game and beyond until I am ready for bed. There is nothing like a terrible nights sleep. Right now we can concur that on Brennon's list of dislikes are as follows: 1. sleeping flat on his back 2. bathing 3. dog licking 4. getting his diaper changed 5. being woken up from napping 6. UT (He hates when Tech loses) Other than that he is adjusting to life outside the womb - speaking of which, he will be 3 weeks old on Tuesday. My how time flies! Pretty soon we hope he will be crawling and laughing. I personally can't wait for him to start laughing, since it makes me laugh too. That will be one of the simple pleasures of parenthood that I look forward to.

The adage is true, that we don't realize what our parents experienced until we become parents ourselves. We understand that now...it is a lot of sacrifice and patience but in essence that is part of God's higher calling for our lives. Parenting is a ministry that requires us to be on call 24/7, however it is rewarding and fulfilling to know that we have a higher purpose that extends far beyond ourselves. Speaking of, I think the baby is getting ready to start calling...

Short n Sweet

2009-09-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

So my posts tend to be short and incomplete at times because sometimes little B is crying, or agitated, or needs some attention - just a little forewarning there. I took him in for his newborn screen today where he gets his heel pricked (again) and his blood put on a card. Luckily he slept through the whole thing - and had some gas as well. We spoke to the pediatrician about this and he said all was normal, but he did give me a suggestion if he ended up constipated. Prune juice. I fed him half an oz. two days ago - but it didn't seem to do much good. So yesterday I upped the dose and as a result - I was up for 2 hours with what we will call the 'aftermath'. I don't know if he felt relief from constipation, but I think I will lower the dosage next time this problem occurs.

Now that I am in 'mommy' mode, the things that run through my mind are "When should I feed him?" "I need to put clothes in the laundry" "He needs to go for walk in his stroller." and "Oh, he needs to be changed." Aaah the joy of domestication. I recently read a story in the DMN about the new surge of life coaches, with a focus on one in particular here in Dallas. He worked with Ghandi and his movement back in the 40's. He had only met him once, but his work changed the course of this life. In his preparation to become a life coach/psychologist - he said that he practices what he advises. He says that routine is boring...but life sustaining. He has been exacting the same routine for over 20 years and he credits it, and meditation for his longevity. I wonder if Brennon gets me in a routine, that it will help me live longer. However, I do know that part of my job is to get him in a routine. This is straight from the mouth of the guru/life coach Supernanny. Right now, the only routine I desperately want him getting into is sleeping through the night!

You're getting sleepy...

2009-09-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

Well a week into the newborn scene continues to chip away at my restfulness. No wonder they say that getting a long nap is like going on a vacation to the beach. I don't know about that, but it does come close. My crabbiness/hormonal meter has definitely increased this week also.

Brennon got his first ride in his new Eddie Bauer 'wheels' great grandma and papaw gave him. It has a hypnotic effect on him because he immediately falls asleep as soon as he is rolled out the door. I think we will be using the stroller quite often. Other than the usual Brennon, activities we are taking things one day at a time and awaiting the cute new thing that he will do next!

Homecoming

2009-09-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

Brennon has been home about a day now, and I can understand how moms have the right to complain about being tired. I think the transition from home to hospital is a difficult one for babies - or it is just...normal. Actually, I know he is normal because he has got a pair of lungs on him! When he is hungry, he can sure wail.

Being a mother is quite a different role for me since I am an only child. I think it really changes a person into someone less self centric. I can already tell that I won't have near as much time to myself as I am used to - but that's a good thing. I have had plenty of time to think, contemplate and meditate over the course of my lifetime and so all that energy would be much better spent on my new child. He sure is cute and loveable enough! So, welcome home Brennon... we have high hopes for your future!

The journey after birth

2009-09-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

Today Brennon is doing very well - I am the mother of a healthy 8 lb baby boy. I am proud of him for being such a good baby after his long birthday journey.

The night of his birth, his pediatrician came in and gave us several bits of news about his health. Although he looked healthy to his parents and his APGAR score was high, there were a few things that concerned the doctor when they did their check up. They didn't like his color, which they thought was too pale and could be a sign that they need a heart doc to test him. He also had some jaundice (fwhich is not an uncommon thing in newborns), his white blood cell count was low and his CRP or C reactive protein count was way too high - which is a sign that the body is sick and working on fighting off an infection. They also mentioned a few other things that were concerning - but certainly not severe. All this news was a bit shocking to me to hear - but I can honestly say I didn't feel phased by it. Brennon was healthy to me. The pediatrician left assuring me he would consult with other doctors about his further tests.

Later on the next day, the heart doctor came in and cleared his results on his heart - which looked good. This was a relief because this was one of the primary concerns. His color had even improved from the night before. However, some of his numbers from his tests were still bothering the other doctors and so they wanted to move on to testing him for Sepsis by doing a spinal tap. They would also need to move him to the NICU for more monitoring and that he would need to be there for 7 days. This new news did concern me, and I felt chills running up and down my body. A spinal is not a fun thing, and no mother wants her child to go through the stress of that. I reluctantly agreed to it because I just wanted him to be made better even though he would not get to come home with us. When his test was done, his results came back all clear for any problems - which was more promising news, however there was still the issue of his CRP count which signified his body was still fighting off something. So Brian, my mother and I have been making trips to the NICU to check on Brennon's progress and as of late last night he is doing great. The most they are doing now is administering an antibiotic 2 times a day - which have pretty much brought his numbers to near normal. He will have a weakened immune system for a little while when we take him home, and so we must work to keep him from getting sick.

Other than the above, Brennon is healthy in every way...and he has a mega appetite. We are noticing his little movements, facial features and cries so we will be prepared when we go home. The upswing to having him in the hospital is all of the assistance from the nurses on basic baby care and feeding. The thing is that you take all of these classes for preparation, but the caveat is actually getting down and dirty with it. But I feel like this help in preparing for his transition home is a blessing in disguise. We know how to take his temperature, change his diaper, burp him, figure out when he's hungry, and feed him. This new role as a parent is a nice transition for us, and I have been super impressed with Brian for really stepping up to his role as a new dad. He looks like a natural now and I know he'll soon get the award for dad of the year. It's really special as a mother to see a father holding his newborn son. The bonding time is just an honest, pure experience. My mom has been a huge help in many ways, and I want to thank her for that, too. She has always been there to guide and help me out, and this journey has been no exception. I know she has fallen for our little handsome man!

I will work on keeping my part updated on The Bass Family's progress since we have had quite a bit of excitement so far. But I can honestly say that we wouldn't trade any of our journey for anything in the world.

Twenty-four

2009-09-06T20:12:00.000-07:00

Being 24 hours away from beginning my time at the hospital, I feel calm because I know how my mind operates. I won't feel nervous about a major situation until right before it happens. I think once we pull into the hospital parking lot I will feel butterflies. I think I am prepared for what may happen during the delivery, due to the abundance of information on induction and c-sections. It is both exciting and surreal to think that we will have a son to help nurture and grow for the next 18 years. I once had a thought a while ago that I wanted to raise a son into a good man. But isn't that every mother's dream? Needless to say, we have high hopes for Brennon - namely his character. It's fun to wonder about your future child and what he will turn out to be, but there is no pressure on him. No matter what though, I know I won't be disappointed when he comes into this world in the next 24 hours.

2009-08-27T15:37:00.000-07:00

Well, I am receiving more inquiries about my due date, along with the occasional stranger making comments like, "Nothing like an August pregancy, huh?"

I do look like I'm popworthy. I think people are afraid that I may go into labor in the car or at work - which wouldn't be optimal. I try not to dwell on pregnancy too much, but with it being so obvious, it's hard not to. I'm even noticing subtle signs (that I will spare at this time) that it should be soon.

Potpourri

2009-08-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been feeling the need to bake. Some say this is a sign (for preggos) that your baby is on the way. I may be leaning toward the notion that I have a hard core sweet tooth rather than baby being on the way. Although, I am inching toward 37 weeks as of tomorrow.

I do feel a sense of calm as I approach the due date, and I attribute that to my job change and freedom from graduate school. Now I can devote every minute of my spare time to the baby day and night ;) Speaking of night, I do have the most vivid dreams lately. Last night I had a really unusual dream about some Star Wars characters in a hotel or apartment. I chalk that up to Spike t.v's obsession with airing every Star Wars movie, every week. I think it may be a ploy by the George Lucas people to subliminally plant Star Wars in men's heads to further his 'empire'. Maybe its just me...

First Post

2009-08-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Today I do feel the effects of getting close to 36 weeks of pregnancy. There is more pressure on my ribs to be sure. I have started back to work and it hasn't been too hard on me to get back into the swing of things. Now, granted my job requirements aren't as rigorous as they were in the past because I have so much help this year. It has been a blessing so far:)

Hello World!

2009-08-15T13:22:00.001-07:00

Hello World!