Drug Free's the Way to Be!

***Disclaimer. You are about to read an article about one of two subjects in the world that I am incredibly passionate about. I am not ideal pushing....I'm just sharing my thoughts.***

I should not read things that will frustrate me. I should not read things that will frustrate me. I should not read things that will frustrate me.

With that said....WHY DO I READ THINGS THAT WILL FRUSTRATE ME?

Okay I feel a little better.
I ventured onto a  message board about an entirely different subject and found a post about natural childbirth.
First let me say - while I believe that natural childbirth is amazing and that women have been lead to believe that it is a painful, scary process - I understand that it can't always be done. Some people think it's crazy to even consider. The glory of America is we get to choose what is best for us & our babies.

But oh how I can't stand when women, who don't like natural childbirth, try to back up their argument with statements like "I don't see how it can be good for the baby if the mother is all stressed out from pain."

Let's get one thing straight - labor IS natural. You're not supposed to be all vegged out & comfy, sitting in bed, waiting for the nurse to tell you it's okay to push.

I scoffed when I read an article about Giselle Budchen stating that she wasn't in pain when she labored. (The scoff was partially due to the fact she's married to Tom Brady, and I am, after all, a Giants fan.) I was early in my pregnancy at the time, and hadn't really begun to research natural childbirth. However, reading that article started the gears in my head & I started to research. Boy am I glad I did.

When I was in labor with G it was no picnic, but I can honestly say that I never considered myself to be in pain. I consider "in pain" to be a gun shot wound, a bone protruding from your flesh, something along those lines...not labor.

I now regard my daughter's birth as the single most amazing experience of my life. (As all women should regard the birth of their children.) Yet when I think of her birth...I begin to daydream about the day I actually get to experience labor & birth again.

Yes, you read that right.

Have Your People Call My People

Don’t ask me why, but I have completely fallen in love with the idea of a mommy calling card.

I have no use for them. I work all day, at a desk, with people I’ve worked with for years. (And also have company bought business cards.) G doesn’t go to any play groups, preschool or anything of the sort – but I absolutely love the idea of having a little calling card declaring me to be G’s mama! LOVE IT.

So of course, I made myself some. One never knows when you might need a calling card! And I would hate for the moment to arise and I’d have to say “oh…here let me write my information on a napkin for you”. I wanna whip one of these babies out!

Now…I have a confession to make. I am a little obsessed with paisley. Have been for awhile. I don’t know exactly when it started. Perhaps when I was watching country singer Brad Paisley and realized his guitar was actually paisley. I knew I never would play guitar, let alone play a paisley guitar so I just became obsessed with the pattern instead. So much so that when we finally move, G’s new room will be completely based off a fun paisley (yet to be found) fabric for her curtains.

With that said. I did not use paisley on these cards. I was looking for paisley, and found a fun free clip art instead. Fun & Free. Score. (That and the paisley pattern I originally choose was not cooperating with my specifications, so I booted it off the project.)

So without further ado…. my calling card.

Makes you want to call me, huh?

The *real* card has my actual last name, G’s entire first name and my phone number not Jenny’s.

One of Life's Weird Coincidences

Today I had one of those “NO WAY!” moments.

I don’t know what made me think of it. Maybe knowing how Tyson is struggling to find work again, and how that’s been a trend with him since getting out of the Navy. How I was lucky to land the job I currently have, I started as a temp through a family member (whom I don’t even have contact with anymore) and now, 2 ½ years later, I’m an asset to this department.

Over the span of several years I worked for a portrait studio on & off. The job was always there when I needed it. It was a sanctuary for me when I was lonely & missing Tyson – there was always someone there to make me smile and work to be done to keep me busy. Then one day we received a phone call that the store would be closing 48 hours from then.

My whole world had been turned upside down when I heard this news. Between the loss of my sanctuary and Tyson being deployed I went into a semi-depression. Until that day life was promising. Tyson was being discharged in 2 months he’d move back to NY, get a job and we’d start our life together. Now we were looking at neither of us being employed & didn’t know which way to turn. The future we dreamt of felt so far away. It was today that I realized – we got that fateful store closing phone call on March 24^th. Three years later on that exact same day my life would be turned upside down once again with the birth of our beautiful daughter. (At least it was turned upside down in a good way this time!!)

We still might be struggling for parts of that dream we had 3 years ago. Certainly one amazing dream was realized in that bouncing baby girl.

Who knows where we’ll be 3 years from the day Tyson lost his job. It’s all in God’s plan. I was just never one to master the art of patience.

Just enough

The beginning of every weekend I always start out with big ambition; to do some project, make some new meal or clean, clean, clean.

This weekend I definitely had big ideas – I was going to organize our bedroom, start working on some decorations for G’s birthday party and maybe try to make a pillow out of an old sweater. (Not to mention print out the party invitations, catch up on laundry, etc, etc, etc…)

Let’s see….I finished….none of the above. I did do some damage with the clutter in our bedroom, including completely organizing my side of the bed. I really should have taken before & after pictures, but I was a woman on a mission (and naptime was coming to a close) so I had to rush rush rush! This coming weekend hopefully I’ll tackle the closet. That will definitely require a before & after picture!!

Trust me. I’ve slept much better knowing I won’t trip over a pile of old paper work & magazines overflowing from a basket, if the baby wakes up in the middle of the night.

I did *buy* the things I need to make the party decorations. (At least the two-pack of Styrofoam balls did lead to a weekends worth of bad jokes & inappropriate innuendo between Tyson & me.)And really, let’s be honest, the invites don’t have to go out for at least another 10 days, so I was just being unrealistic with that one!

I didn’t make an incredible meal for my family. Saturday while grocery shopping we found Digornio made a pizza & cookies package…so of course we had to buy that. (My husband loves cookies. It’s an illness.) And last night was hotdogs. I just wasn’t channeling Betty Crocker this weekend.

All in all, I guess I accomplished something.

I spent time with my happy little family, so everything else really doesn’t matter.

Travel Hangover

I am mentally recovering from a trip to NYC this past weekend. G went along with me for a girls weekend with a couple of my friends, and one of their daughters (who is one day younger than G)! It was a weekend of many first for G – first time in NYC, first train trip, first travel delay (5 hours thanks to frozen tracks & switches), first time in a Starbucks…

While in NY we visited FAO Schwarz & Dylan’s Candy Bar. We also went to Chinatown & Little Italy – for some retail therapy! (And ate yummy NY food, including a HUGE slice of pizza.) After I lived in NYC for a few months I’ve had this huge mental list of things I didn’t get to do & see while I was there, and I’ve only just scratched the surface with this trip.

I apologize for the lack of pictures from the trip. We were really cramming in as much as we could. And despite the 40 degree temps, it was a little too windy to stand around outside with a baby to pose for pictures. Next time. I promise!

Someday I’ll get my country bumkin husband down there, I really think he’d enjoy the historical aspect of NYC. And I really enjoy experiencing historical adventures with my husband, because it’s something he & I are both interested in – and I want the opportunity to share that with him & our children.

Now it’s time to switch gears. We’ve got a trip to Boston coming up and somebody’s BIG DAY on March 24^th. (I can’t believe it’s almost been a year!!)

February Blues

The bitter cold of this winter is starting to make this mama weary. I’m sluggish, and feeling lazy – though I know that is definitely not the case. It’s not cabin fever, because I’m certainly out of the house enough. (Probably more than I’d like to be…)

I now know why bears hibernate in the winter. I wish I could do that right about now. I’ve got a nice warm, comfy, fuzzy blanket on my bed, which is calling my name. (This blanket is magical; the baby will even cuddle with you for a period of time, as long as you have this blanket wrapped around you both! The warmth of the blanket & a snugglie baby, nothing is better!)

Everything seems to move slower when it’s cold. And I think that’s where I’m at right now. I’ve got some big things coming up, so hopefully I can thaw out a bit before then. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy this leisurely pace.

Whether the weather be fine, Whether the weather be not, Whether the weather be cold, Whether the weather be hot, We'll weather the weather, Whatever the weather, Whether we like it or not"

Now appearing on a Twitter screen near you...

That's right. I did it. I got a twitter account.

twitter.com/mama_wally

Just what we all need, more nugets of my random thoughts to share.

A few words can say a lot

There has been loss & illness surrounding our friends & family the past week or so please keep them in your prayers.

 

I'm going to keep this short & sweet. All of the emotions I have flowing through me (both good & bad) are difficult to put into words. So I'll focus on what matters.

 

 I am so grateful for my amazing family & friends. I am blessed for all the time I have with them.

 

With everything going on in this world, all the things that make you want to cry, I have the faces of my loved ones to make me smile. We all don't know how long we'll be healthy, happy & walking this earth, so please enjoy & be thankful for every moment you have together. Nothing is more important than that.