If you have ever complained about stretch marks or back pain while pregnant, take note of these images.  And bite your tongue!  While I will remain fairly mum about the octuplet mom and her choices, I will say it’s nice to see a pregnant belly that makes mine look petite in pictures.  For my own entertainment, I just called three male co-workers over to look.  They were all grossed out immediately.  And that’s what is confusing  about some men.  They contribute to putting us in this swollen and uncomfortable state but are often turned off at the result.  I guess in this case, though, she didn’t really want the man for more than a donation.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 7

I have read too many horror stories about road rage to engage an angry person behind the wheel.  But Saturday in the Walmart parking lot I made an exception.  Here’s how it went down.  Dave was driving.  I was in the passenger seat.  The kids were in the back in their carseats.  As he was turning down another row in the parking lot searching for a spot, he was met by a van coming the opposite direction heading toward the same row.  No one had the right-of-way, but when the passenger in the van saw we were coming on the same path he gave us the finger!  Dave and I exchanged shocked and angry glances.  It took me less than 30 seconds to decide that I was going to say something to who I thought was a college student.  We were still behind the van and a lot of other cars when I undid my seatbelt, got out of the car and marched up to the boy’s window.  Here is the crazy part.  It was not a college-aged kid at all, more like a 14-year-old out with his dad and a young girl in the back!  He wouldn’t even look up as I motioned for him to roll down the window.  He was too busy texting.  His father, the driver, finally rolled down his window and I blurted out, “Did you just give the finger to my family with a 2-year-old in the backseat?”  “I already bawled him out,” the dad replied with little remorse.  Then he promptly rolled up the automatic window before I had a chance to respond.  Unbelievable, I thought.  I would have snatched that phone out of that kid’s hand so fast, were it my son.  To top it off, they parked in a handicapped spot as the dad went in and the juvenile delinquent stayed in the car.  It would be too much to ask him to stop texting and come inside.  I just hope and pray my children will show a little respect, especially in our presence!  No word on whether they later talked about the angry news lady with no make-up.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 7

I need your help.  Since Iowa has so many moms (both working and stay-at-home), I am researching a news story about the choices we make and why.  The story would air in March and profile 2-3 moms, preferably two working moms (one who works outside the home, one who works from home) and one who stays at home… of course working without a paycheck!  The idea would be to do an on-camera interview sharing the details about your situation.  I will fill you in once you let me know you’re interested.  Click here to e-mail me directly.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 7

Even before having kids, I have been known to mentally “space out”.  Like the time I poured milk into the strainer when making macaroni and cheese.  I thought to myself, Why is it running out?  Duh-as we used to say in grade school.  Last week I again demonstrated my ability to make a stupid move and, sadly, this time it dragged my husband into probably one of the most embarrassing moments on his wife’s part in years.  You see, the week leading up to the Super Bowl I received an email invite from a neighbor to a party at her house.  I replied that we MAY come depending on how the kids are doing.  Charlotte didn’t get a nap that Sunday due to the Bob the Builder show, so we opted to go to the get-together and keep her up a bit before an early bedtime.  We knocked on the door, greeted the family and Dave even asked where the snacks were to add our pizza rolls to the spread.  Turns out the other two neighborhood families the email mentioned were no-shows, only her two kids and her parents were there and her husband was away on business.  I didn’t want to be rude and question the poor turnout.  After spending an hour-and-a-half in her basement watching the game and playing with the kids, we decided to get them home to bed.  Fast forward to yesterday at Target.  We ran into the neighbor lady whose family was supposed to be at the party.  “What happened on Super Bowl Sunday?”  Well what happened is we went to the wrong house!  It was, in fact, another neighbor who sent me the email.  They mentioned to the other families there that we might be stopping by, but didn’t know that since I spaced on the sender’s name and got the wrong house we would never make it.  To my imposed upon neighbor’s credit, she never asked why we came over uninvited and cheerfully welcomed us into her home.  I apologized in person yesterday.  I also explained myself to the neighbors who actually invited us.  My husband has requested all future invites be shown to him.  Agreed.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 7

Courtesy wiggles.com

Ah, The Wiggles…the 4-man children’s singing group along with Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the DInosaur, Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus hail from Australia but they might as well live next door because that’s how much I see them.  Charlotte LOVES their show and it’s all we watch or listen to when the kids are with us.  We DVR every episode on the main floor and basement TVs… and we just added a DVR to our upstairs TV to start a season recording up there, too!  You see at 5:15 in the morning when Charlotte wants to watch “Wigs”, as we call it, I would like to be able to turn them on without doing much beyond reaching for the remote with one eye open.  The scary part is I find myself singing, “Toot, toot, chugga, chugga, big red car” around the office.  An even scarier fact, Dave and I discuss the show like commentators on Meet the Press.  He’s convinced Greg was forced out when Sam (yellow shirt) came in this season.  I told him I would see what I could find on-line about it.  We both agree Anthony (blue shirt) is the best dancer but the addition of Sam has made it a close call.  Charlotte was not at all interested in anything on TV until she discovered them.  Thomas has watched Charlotte dance around so much when they’re on, he gets excited about it.  He even whines when the songs end or Wags and Dorothy aren’t on.  So I rewind it for him.  I know, we’re a little nuts at our house.  I have two Wiggles CDs in my car, Dave has one and Nana/Papa have one or two plus a DVD with a portable player.  They DVR all the episodes for Charlotte, too.  I even have a favorite back-up dancer and told Dave last week that Anthony played the part of Old Dan Tucker perfectly during one song.  At that point, he did question my sanity.  It gets worse.  My mom has talked about flying Charlotte to a city on the concert tour because The Wiggles don’t appear to be coming to a town near us any time soon.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 7

I am not afraid to admit I have never been good at styling my hair.  Presently, a talented co-worker in another department helps me out with the flat iron.  So naturally I am not that hot when it comes to doing Charlotte’s hair.  My mom, her nana, can’t keep her hands off Charlotte’s hair.  She trims it and styles it whenever they’re together.  And that’s a good thing because my mom and my sister have a knack for doing stuff with barrettes and bows and, as pictured above, even French braids.  I can barely get Charlotte to sit still long enough to comb it!  But this week I have used a little bowl of treats (goldfish and the like) to distract her long enough that I can work with it.  The result has been decent.  Yesterday I put it in a back ponytail and today two pigtails.  Last week when I put a bow in it her dad did not recognize her when he came to pick her up!  That’s how little I do anything with her hair.  But there is more to this story.  For years I watched my mom fight with my sister (who’s 5 years younger) to get her hair just the way SHE wanted it.  My sister always resisted and the ordeal usually ended in screaming and tears and red eyes in the professional photo–if that’s what we were getting ready for.  We laugh now about all the pics with Bird and her bloodshot eyes.  Because of this, I vowed not to fight with my daughter over hair or try to force styles on her she doesn’t want.  Turns out the pigtails may have brought out the worst in her as I was informed today at school she wouldn’t listen to the teachers or stay on her mat AND she head-butted another child.  But her pigtails managed to stay in, so that’s a plus!

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 7

If breastfeeding grosses you out, stop reading now.  I have a confession to make.  The entire seven months I nursed Charlotte and six months with Thomas, I used a nipple shield.  If you’re not familiar with one, it’s a piece of silicone shaped like a bottle tip that goes over your breast.  Thanks to this wonderful invention, I was able to get Charlotte to latch on in the hospital.  Thomas latched on to the bare breast right away but after round-the-clock nursing I was so sore that every feeding brought me to tears.  Enter the nipple shield once again!  The reason I share these personal details is because a lot of moms are discouraged from using them.  Yet a former co-worker and one of my cousins both confessed to relying on them the entire time they nursed, too.  It was like we were sharing secret details of a crime committed.  So few nursing moms go public about the shield I feel I have to take a stand.  Ideally I would not have used it, but doing so allowed me to keep the breastmilk coming for months to both my babies.  I made the right choice.  The funny part is how easy they are to misplace.  They’re small, clear and blend in on carpet.  I put them in plastic bags and kept one on every floor, in my purse and diaper bag.  During the holidays, one “went missing” at my parents’ house so we had to make an emergency run to a local store that carries them.  I would have driven back to Iowa to get one before I would have stopped nursing.  And, at that point, Thomas wouldn’t nurse without the shield.  My apologies to those of you grimacing at the thought of all this.  If it helps you keep breastfeeding, you should wear your shield like a badge of honor!  Now, I’m smiling.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 7

Dear Thomas,

     Today I took you to your 6-month check-up.  You were all smiles and spits and sputters until the nurses pricked your legs multiple times with needles.  But because you are such a happy baby nearly all the time, you managed to attempt a smile through your tears as you watched them leave the room.  Yes, you have a wonderful disposition.  As the weeks pass and I now measure your age in months, I already look back on your “infant” days as special.  Much of our time together was you and me on the basement couch with a lot of cuddling and nursing–not much sleeping for Mommy!  Now you are nearly 20 pounds and too long for the clothes it seems only moments ago I put aside as too big for you.  Before you came along I had only read about the unique bond between a mother and son.  Now I know what that feels like.  Holding you on my lap in the exam room while waiting for the doctor, I was singing nursery rhymes and watching your face light up with amusement.  Some day Mommy’s silly songs will be too childish for you but I hope you never outgrow our closeness.  Today you were my strong and solid little boy kicking his legs on the table.  Tomorrow I will turn around and you’ll be standing beside me a big and mature young man.  Don’t ever forget how much I love you. 

Love,

Mommy

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 7

I took Charlotte to see Bob the Builder during the weekend.  The production was fine but the scenes I observed off-stage were much more entertaining.  For starters, it was an afternoon show on Super Bowl Sunday.  So the fact a lot of dads came was impressive.  During the first 15 minutes, I took in a lot from my fifth row seat-a seat a bit too close to the speakers since Charlotte told me three times, ”It’s loud!”  More about her in a moment.  One mom in the front row was bouncing and acting out every song, some times following Bob’s lead and other times doing her own moves.  I don’t have that much energy.  A mom, or perhaps nanny, a few seats over was furiously texting.  A lady two rows up took probably 25 pictures during the first scene… shots of the stage, shots of her kids and shots behind her.  What I gathered when I looked back to see what she was focusing on was that another one of her children and her husband were in different seats.  I also observed her son slapping a laser-lit windmill on the side of the theater box.  No worries, though.  Another kid was slapping his mom on the arm in the lobby.  Still another boy no younger than 3 was too scared to stay in his seat and had to be convinced at the door all would be fine.  And he was a big Bob fan as he was wearing a tool belt.  (Amazingly Charlotte did not freak out, though she is scared of the UNI panther mascot!)  Somehow I avoided buying any merchandise.  The plastic construction hat or aforementioned windmill thing would have ended up as weapons used on Thomas, so it’s all for the better.  Charlotte did convince me to buy her an intermission snack.  She wanted a cookie or candy bar but was happy with the cheese, salami and grapes on a stick.  Note to the snack bar staff:  When you put large cookies on a plate within reach of a toddler, she will grab it.  Sorry someone got the cookie Charlotte touched!  That was minor compared to the moment she spotted a young, black college kid behind the counter and shouted, “It’s Obama!”  I later ran into him with his co-workers and brought it up.  He said that happens to him once a week… so that was good to know.  But from a 2-year-old?  Note to self:  Prepare for major public embarrassment to come.

Posted under Baby Thomas: Month 7