Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Butter Zones
The other day Baby Center posted one of their blog articles on Twitter regarding airlines and the use of peanuts in relation to food allergies. The author posed a very interesting question of 'should peanuts be allowed on airplanes'? The article itself was a good read and it got me thinking. When it comes to these types of articles I'm sometimes more interested in jumping straight to the comments.
I've learned a great deal from other moms and the 'mom community' so I thought for sure this would be controversial. I even learned what the heck a butter zone was (in mom speak). I've been fortunate not to have deathly food allergies- in fact I'm not aware of anyone (in my circle) who is THAT allergic to food. Which brings me to my POV.
If I had to comment on that post it probably would have went something like this:
"I'm not opposed to airlines no longer serving peanuts for the sake of potential child passenger who may have a severe allergy but I probably would still be a part of the problem because I tend to bring my own snacks (not just on planes but where ever I go) and it always include peanut M&M's. They are my fav!!! As I type this post I have a bag right in front of me. While butter zones are not of my immediate concern -because peanut allergies do not affect me or my family- I am concerned with (what seems to me) the high incidences of autism, ADHD, severe food allergies, and things of the like."
I've seen responses like "it only seems higher because advanced technology allows doctors to better diagnose" Or a lot of things went undiagnosed because of less access to medical professionals. While both those statements are true- I'm not buying it as 'the full story'.
As a pregnant woman you are advised not to eat peanuts. Then as a mom you are advised not to introduce peanuts to your child for their first year- sometimes longer! I took an informal poll of moms in my family and while most of them don't remember when exactly they gave their child/children peanut products for the first time- they didn't necessarily withhold it for a predefined amount of time. None of those children have food allergies. And I get it - my small non random sample shouldn't be the basis for the rest of the population (or exception to the rule) but again- I'm not buying it.
Other hypothesis include the increased consumption of processed foods and lack of exercise. I'm really concerned about the children being diagnosed with ADHD and then given medication to "control" it. I'm concerned that video games have replaced 'mother, may I', 'red light, green light' and 'playing house'. I'm concerned for my child and his well being, growth, and development. Of course I am going to play my part and do all I can to ensure that he is healthy. Overall I think there is something deeper going on, something that has gone madly wrong and I hope that answer is found cause I'm scared.
I've learned a great deal from other moms and the 'mom community' so I thought for sure this would be controversial. I even learned what the heck a butter zone was (in mom speak). I've been fortunate not to have deathly food allergies- in fact I'm not aware of anyone (in my circle) who is THAT allergic to food. Which brings me to my POV.
If I had to comment on that post it probably would have went something like this:
"I'm not opposed to airlines no longer serving peanuts for the sake of potential child passenger who may have a severe allergy but I probably would still be a part of the problem because I tend to bring my own snacks (not just on planes but where ever I go) and it always include peanut M&M's. They are my fav!!! As I type this post I have a bag right in front of me. While butter zones are not of my immediate concern -because peanut allergies do not affect me or my family- I am concerned with (what seems to me) the high incidences of autism, ADHD, severe food allergies, and things of the like."
I've seen responses like "it only seems higher because advanced technology allows doctors to better diagnose" Or a lot of things went undiagnosed because of less access to medical professionals. While both those statements are true- I'm not buying it as 'the full story'.
As a pregnant woman you are advised not to eat peanuts. Then as a mom you are advised not to introduce peanuts to your child for their first year- sometimes longer! I took an informal poll of moms in my family and while most of them don't remember when exactly they gave their child/children peanut products for the first time- they didn't necessarily withhold it for a predefined amount of time. None of those children have food allergies. And I get it - my small non random sample shouldn't be the basis for the rest of the population (or exception to the rule) but again- I'm not buying it.
Other hypothesis include the increased consumption of processed foods and lack of exercise. I'm really concerned about the children being diagnosed with ADHD and then given medication to "control" it. I'm concerned that video games have replaced 'mother, may I', 'red light, green light' and 'playing house'. I'm concerned for my child and his well being, growth, and development. Of course I am going to play my part and do all I can to ensure that he is healthy. Overall I think there is something deeper going on, something that has gone madly wrong and I hope that answer is found cause I'm scared.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Show and Tell Monday's
1. Tell us your favorite baby names? Aside from your own babies, if you have some :)
I’m trying hard not to reveal my son’s name (or mine for that matter) on here. I have a bad feeling it may come back to haunt me one day. I know readers feel more connected with bloggers when you know what to call them but I’m just not ready. So, I won’t be sharing his government name here but I will tell you some of my faves that will probably never be used by us.
2. Show me your "dream" nursery {can be your baby's nursery or one that you love}
This is our inspiration room.
I absolutely LOVE the nursery we were able to recreate from my inspiration room. I am so sorry we have to leave it behind and we won’t be able to recreate it again at our new place. If we ever get another that may be my go to nursery design.
This is how it turned out. LOVE.
I absolutely LOVE the nursery we were able to recreate from my inspiration room. I am so sorry we have to leave it behind and we won’t be able to recreate it again at our new place. If we ever get another that may be my go to nursery design.
This is how it turned out. LOVE.
3. How many children would you like to have? How far apart?
4. Tell us what you think the importance of parenting is?
I most certainly have not written the book on parenting and most days I feel like I’m still trying to figure that out. I am a year into this and there are days where I feel like I really could be mom of the year and days where I feel like I completely suck and my son is going to hate me for the rest of his life. When I'm having a rough day and things to not be going right I try to remember this- it doesn't always work but I give it a shot:
Source: Uploaded by user via The Mrs. on Pinterest
5. Show us your favorite newborn photo {can be your children or random}
Source: community.thebump.com via The Mrs. on Pinterest
I love this pic! I heart tiny little baby feet. I tried to recreate this with my baby and to kick it up a notch I placed hubby and my wedding rings on his little toes. That didn't quite work out because he kept curling his little toes. He still does that to this very day. It's very interesting when you try to put shoes on his feet.
My little guy has his toes curled so tight that his toes are blanching and you can't even see my wedding band! It's hidden on his left foot, lol!
6. Tell us some things you promise to never do as a parent {and if you are a parent, did you stick to it}
I'm still too new to have a real answer for this. I think one of the things that I vowed not to do is let time slip us by. It's really important to me that my children know the meaning of family and family time and have some awesome childhood memories to go along with it. I don't want them to be at a point in their life when they are married with their own children and ask "mom, why didn't we do this?!"If you're here from Becky's link up let me know by leaving a comment, I'd love to return the favor :)
Thursday, September 6, 2012
We're moving!
First, you already know this because you've been helping me out. Okay, so I know you are thinking well that's no big deal. Well, it kinda is... for me. So where do I start?
And yes, I know- this post has been a long time coming.
My hubby has been looking to make a career move for sometime now. He's been applying for jobs on and off for close to 2 years now. Whenever he would see a posting he would run it by me and sometimes apply for the job, sometimes not. Most of the ones he applied for he would go on the interview when called. At his level the interviewing process actually starts with a phone interview then if they like you they invite you for an in-person interview and so on. So when he applied for this job I really didn't give it too much thought. He had been offered quite a few jobs and turned them down (for differing reasons).
The night before his phone interview our son had a particularly troubling night. He didn't want to go down at all! And when he did he would wake within minutes! Before we knew it, it was after midnight and hubby was PISSED because he hadn't had a chance to prepare for the phone interview. I tried to be supportive but I thought "really? it's just a phone interview! it can't be that bad!". I know he's my husband and all but he has a really good personality and I really didn't think he would do that bad. How much can people really gather via phone?? The next day I texted him for some miscellaneous reason and he reminded me that he was about to start the interview. So, I wished him good luck and went about my business. After it was over, he called me and I immediately knew it wasn't good. First, he called back relatively quickly. Second, you know that first few seconds after "hello" that can totally change the direction of a phone conversation- well those few seconds gave it away. He said he bombed it. I felt bad. I knew he was distracted the night before with our son. I genuinely felt bad- not so much because he was dealing with our son, but because he sounded pretty interested in this job.
Not too long after that (maybe 2 or so weeks later) he called me to tell me that he was invited for an in person interview! (See, I knew it!) I was so happy for him but quickly reminded him that I was right :) He of course brushed that off and told me he wants 'us' to come with him. WHAT?! I've never gone on an interview with him before. He wanted us to go and take a look at the area because we would be a part of the decision to make the move or not. I was excited- I mean come on... this is exciting! So I obliged. I packed up the baby and headed out with my hubby.
In the meantime, hubby had put in a few application at a couple of more local places but they were all dragging their feet. One day just as I arrived to work and turned on my computer I get a call from the hubby. I was kind of scared because I hadn't left the house too long ago (we work about 3 miles from where we live) and he had dropped the baby off with the sitter. I was praying they were all right and this wasn't a you need to come now phone call. He didn't calm my fears when he answered the phone it went something like this
Me: "Hello"
Him: "Uhhhh"
Me: "WHAT?! are you guys okay???"
Him: "So, Um..."
Me: "Spit it out! Where are you?!!"
He was still in shock himself trying to find the words to say- 'I've been offered the postion'. I congratulated him and refrained myself from saying 'i told you so' yet again. I really was happy for him. He worked hard to obtain that job offer and quite frankly I was impressed. I got off the phone and headed back to my desk only to have my phone ring again right away.
Him: "So they called me back and offered me more money"
Me: "WHAT?! You're kidding!"
Him: "nope. They told me that after he got off the phone with me he received an email from HR and told him the max they could offer for the position. He didn't feel like haggling back and forth so he just offered me that."
Me: "okay, that's great!"
Him: "It's an insane amount of money."
Me: #dead
After he told me what they offered him I immediately knew two things 1) we were moving 2) I couldn't let him down by telling him that I didn't want to move. I actually shed tears. Tears of joy. I couldn't believe this was happening. This was happening- we were saying 'peace out' to everything we wanted to change about our lives- our 3 bedroom apartment, noisy neighbors, 20 minute 3 mile commutes (yea, we complained about that). Now, how was I going to tell my mom & dad. This was going to be hard.
In actuality it took us a week to decide on what I already knew. Truth be told, I am disappointed to leave my church, dance class, and my immediate family. On the other hand in all honesty it's only 3 hours away. So, I won't be stopping by dinner on a Tuesday night just because, but I won't miss every single family and church function either.
And then, I have to find a new job- I HATE looking for jobs.
I'm sure I left out something but that info will get thrown in here and there as I get the opportunity to blog more and more (hopefully) because I have yet to find a job and I have resigned to being a stay at home mom (more details to follow). Lastly, I'm sorry this post contains absolutely no pictures- I know really long posts with no pictures suck!
And yes, I know- this post has been a long time coming.
the beginning
My hubby has been looking to make a career move for sometime now. He's been applying for jobs on and off for close to 2 years now. Whenever he would see a posting he would run it by me and sometimes apply for the job, sometimes not. Most of the ones he applied for he would go on the interview when called. At his level the interviewing process actually starts with a phone interview then if they like you they invite you for an in-person interview and so on. So when he applied for this job I really didn't give it too much thought. He had been offered quite a few jobs and turned them down (for differing reasons).The night before his phone interview our son had a particularly troubling night. He didn't want to go down at all! And when he did he would wake within minutes! Before we knew it, it was after midnight and hubby was PISSED because he hadn't had a chance to prepare for the phone interview. I tried to be supportive but I thought "really? it's just a phone interview! it can't be that bad!". I know he's my husband and all but he has a really good personality and I really didn't think he would do that bad. How much can people really gather via phone?? The next day I texted him for some miscellaneous reason and he reminded me that he was about to start the interview. So, I wished him good luck and went about my business. After it was over, he called me and I immediately knew it wasn't good. First, he called back relatively quickly. Second, you know that first few seconds after "hello" that can totally change the direction of a phone conversation- well those few seconds gave it away. He said he bombed it. I felt bad. I knew he was distracted the night before with our son. I genuinely felt bad- not so much because he was dealing with our son, but because he sounded pretty interested in this job.
Not too long after that (maybe 2 or so weeks later) he called me to tell me that he was invited for an in person interview! (See, I knew it!) I was so happy for him but quickly reminded him that I was right :) He of course brushed that off and told me he wants 'us' to come with him. WHAT?! I've never gone on an interview with him before. He wanted us to go and take a look at the area because we would be a part of the decision to make the move or not. I was excited- I mean come on... this is exciting! So I obliged. I packed up the baby and headed out with my hubby.
the call
In the meantime, hubby had put in a few application at a couple of more local places but they were all dragging their feet. One day just as I arrived to work and turned on my computer I get a call from the hubby. I was kind of scared because I hadn't left the house too long ago (we work about 3 miles from where we live) and he had dropped the baby off with the sitter. I was praying they were all right and this wasn't a you need to come now phone call. He didn't calm my fears when he answered the phone it went something like this
Me: "Hello"
Him: "Uhhhh"
Me: "WHAT?! are you guys okay???"
Him: "So, Um..."
Me: "Spit it out! Where are you?!!"
He was still in shock himself trying to find the words to say- 'I've been offered the postion'. I congratulated him and refrained myself from saying 'i told you so' yet again. I really was happy for him. He worked hard to obtain that job offer and quite frankly I was impressed. I got off the phone and headed back to my desk only to have my phone ring again right away.
Him: "So they called me back and offered me more money"
Me: "WHAT?! You're kidding!"
Him: "nope. They told me that after he got off the phone with me he received an email from HR and told him the max they could offer for the position. He didn't feel like haggling back and forth so he just offered me that."
Me: "okay, that's great!"
Him: "It's an insane amount of money."
Me: #dead
After he told me what they offered him I immediately knew two things 1) we were moving 2) I couldn't let him down by telling him that I didn't want to move. I actually shed tears. Tears of joy. I couldn't believe this was happening. This was happening- we were saying 'peace out' to everything we wanted to change about our lives- our 3 bedroom apartment, noisy neighbors, 20 minute 3 mile commutes (yea, we complained about that). Now, how was I going to tell my mom & dad. This was going to be hard.
In actuality it took us a week to decide on what I already knew. Truth be told, I am disappointed to leave my church, dance class, and my immediate family. On the other hand in all honesty it's only 3 hours away. So, I won't be stopping by dinner on a Tuesday night just because, but I won't miss every single family and church function either.
And then, I have to find a new job- I HATE looking for jobs.
the decision
So, while we were celebrating my friend's wedding weekend we were at the day after barbecue and we had the conversation right there- over a plate of ribs and pasta salad. Hubby was confident in us making the move reassuring me that while I would be away from my 'comfort zone' that zone wasn't very far away. So I agreed. I knew I couldn't say no. If I did I would be pissed all summer long while my neighbors were blasting their music, every time someone at my job aggravated me, and every time I looked at my son knowing I may delayed him getting a better life. Hubby got up form the table and made the call. Then I kind of cried. I mean this is big stuff here!the details
This has been the hardest part. Hubby started his new position in July, I'm still working and living in our "old job/house". this is for a couple of reasons. First, his new job only provided him with temporary housing- very temporary... as in 6 weeks. Yea, that's bananas. So I wasn't going to cart the baby up there to live in on-campus housing for 6 weeks then move again. Hubby's new insurance doesn't kick in for 2 months so because our baby is still going for frequent well visits he needed to be covered. And of course I can add part time single mommy to my list- no biggie! So, I stayed and kept working for insurance purposes while hubby found us a place to live and commuted home on weekends. It has been a challenge to say the least. Thank God for FaceTime! We've made it work so far but i can't wait until this is done! I give a lot of props to my hubby. While I may be taking the brunt of the work with the baby, I know he feels helpless after I send him a text that the baby puked all over me and him 30 minutes after I gave him his nighttime bath. He wants to be with us and we want him there! He's done an excellent job finding us a great place to live (can't wait to share with you guys which house we choose!!) and getting our new life started in a new location.I'm sure I left out something but that info will get thrown in here and there as I get the opportunity to blog more and more (hopefully) because I have yet to find a job and I have resigned to being a stay at home mom (more details to follow). Lastly, I'm sorry this post contains absolutely no pictures- I know really long posts with no pictures suck!
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