Firsts

Dylan is getting his first tooth! Very exciting...except now I have to break him of the habit of biting my chin when he's excited. That was cute and now it's not so cute anymore.

Dylan also went on his first swing ride this weekend, and is a little adrenaline junkie. He laughed and laughed until Grant swung him too high and then he stopped laughing, and looked a little sick. Leave it to dad to push a little to hard! :)

As Dylan is only 8 months old, this was also his first Thanksgiving. So, he had his first bites of turkey, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy and biscuits. Even without teeth he chowed down.

I am so thankful this Thanksgiving to have Dylan in my life. Having a baby has opened me up to viewing the world minute by minute, as it goes by, instead of constantly planning ahead. When I'm out with Dylan, I always take the time to have him smell a new flower, feel the wet grass or watch a seagull fly around (he thinks that is really funny). These times are priceless.

I'm also thankful for my wonderful, supportive family and my great job. I am blessed to have so many caring people in my life and to have security at work when so many other people are living through hard times.

Speaking of hard times, I read that a WalMart worker got run over by an over-anxious crowd of shoppers. I don't shop at WalMart anyway and this just confirms my desire to avoid that store. Not only does it underpay workers and add to our taxroll by making sure that they all qualify for government health care (instead of providing them affordable, or hello you make enough money WalMart, free health care), but I can't stand the WalMart culture. If anyone reading my blog has ever been in a Walmart in northern Cal. you'll know what I'm talking about. Tweaked out, spandex and looney-toon shirt wearing, teeth missing, yelling at their children loosers. 'Nough said. I can't stand to ever go in another WalMart after shopping in the one in Oroville. I have seen people on their worst behavior in that store. I can't believe what low prices can do to people.

Grant and I watched a documentary about WalMart a couple of years back and if you shop there, I highly suggest you check it out. There's a Web site about the movie: http://www.walmartmovie.com/. It may not change your mind about taking advantage of its low prices, but at least you can see what your hard earned dollar is supporting.

No Deletion Allowed

Well, for my one (or two) loyal readers, I have some news...blogspot does not allow, or as they put it, does not have the function for blog deletion. The alternative is to go through every blog and delete it individually and then delete my personal information. I have no time to write a blog, let alone delete each one, one at a time! So, I'll just try to write during my spare time and see where it takes me. I hate to have things floating around in Internet land, but so be it!

Speaking of spare time, I am still pumping at work! I have made it five months now (Dylan is a bit over 8 months) and let me tell you, it is not the pinacle of motherhood. I HATE pumping at work. I have to walk across campus to the lactation room (I do have my own office, but I am paranoid of someone peaking in) three times a day. I have to attach myself to a machine and try to relax when all I can think about it the press release I have to write, the marketing proposal I have to finish, the ad deadline that is a day away, the virtual tour that's never going to get done...etc., etc. Over the past couple of months, I've pumped less and less and so Dylan has to get a bottle of formula once a day. It was that or be a slave to my pump at home as well. I decided my freedom from those sucking horns was more important than Dylan getting three full bottles of breast milk each day.

I have tried to not give myself a hard time about the formula bit, but it's difficult not to have "formula guilt." I'm already working away from home, meaning Dylan is left with a care provider. Then, on top of it, my body has failed to produce what he needs, which makes me feel even more like a terrible mother. Now, I find out today that there's some terrible chemical that's used to strip paint off cars and manufacture metal that's been found in a sample of U.S. formula. Great.
Send me to bad mom jail.

Can't anyone make clean baby products anymore? We have toys painted with lead, bottles made with toxic chemicals, cribs that collapse, blankets that suffocate, and now baby formula tainted with other bad stuff.

It's a full time job keeping up with all these recalls! What's next? I shuddder to think of what else I now have to worry about.

Responsible Blogging

I have failed to blog responsibly. I just don't have enough time in the day to sit down and write this blog! I have to say, I started with the right intentions...but now I'm pretty disappointed in myself! :) I am also working on a middle school book, and that's taking up my night time me time. It's been in my brain for a long time and now that Beth is 11, it's the perfect time to capture on paper what I've been storing up in my cranium.

Anyway, don't be surprised if you come back here in the next couple of weeks and discover--gasp--that the blog is gone. I don't like having out-of-date info hanging out on the Internet never-never land, so I may just pull the plug entirely.

I guess that will make me a recovering blogger.

Parental Parade

Being a parent is fun but is also full of worries. Dylan is one of the happiest babies I've ever met, and of course, I'm his mother, so I think he's perfect, but still, he's pretty happy! He is so full of life and love. Today I put up a baby gate to keep him confined to the living room because he is crawling and already pulling himself up! Crazy baby! He's been in the "baby could possibly be doing" stage of What to Expect the First Year almost every month. He already knows how to make mamma proud.

He had his 6 month check up on Friday and has only gained about a pound and a half in the past 2 months. So, he has to go in for a weight check up in 6 weeks. I feel like a terrible mother. The doctor wants me to feed him more solids. Most babies are just starting solids, now Dylan is supposed to eat them 3 times a day plus nurse! I guess he's just like Beth, who has an endless stomach. Still, I can't help but thinking I should have been force feeding him more often.

I guess as parents you never stop worrying that you've done a good enough job. I know my parents still worry about my brother and I even though they have done tremendous jobs with us. My parents have made lots of sacrifices so that my brother and I could have good lives, and for that I will always be grateful.

So, whether you be 6 months, or 31 years, as long as you have loving parents, or parental figures, there will always be someone out there who worries about you. It can be annoying, but it's nice to know you have someone out there who loves you so much.

The election is upon us

Well, the election is upon us. And, I really don't care. Which is depressing, because usually I am a person who cares a lot about politics and our country. But, I am so sick of the same-old-same-old. It saddens me.

I used to be a political science major and was really into politics. I remember being a democrat in high school and not being able to wait to vote. My 12th grade history teacher told class one day, "You're all democrats now, but wait until you make your own money. Then you'll be republicans." I thought, "Ha! He's wrong." But, I did swing to the extreme right for a while when I declared myself a libertarian, eschewing all government except that which is necessary. That viewpoint was strengthened when I was a reporter; I saw so many bad things done by people on welfare/government assistance that it really turned me off to government, and to people in general. Despite working 60 hours a week for pennies, I was not eligible for any assistance and subsided off top ramen for 2 years. Boy, I was thin back then. I remember one point when I though, "Wow, I actually like being hungry." Crazy me. But boy, did I look good! :)

After joining the Sheriff's Office I switched over *gasp* to the Republican party. I saw we needed more government than just the bare essentials. Working for the sheriff's department I saw even more bad things then as a reporter, which permanently turned me off to Northern California.

George Bush was elected. And then, reelected, gasp, despite the fact that I, even as a new recruit into the Republican party, couldn't stand the man. What a fool! During the governor's election I started getting calls from all these republicans about all these issues I didn't agree with them on--gay marriage, for example. Who cares who gets married? Get over the phobia already! So, I switched to independent and am still one.

So, I decided to give this election a chance and watch the debates. Obama and McCains was boring. Bidens and Palin's was a little more interesting. I am really leaning toward voting for Obama because I agree with him on so many more issues than McCain. However I have to express my utter disappointment that he is anti-gay marriage (as said by Biden) when everything he says in the past says that he is pro. Now, gay marriage isn't something I am going to die on the cross for. But, I thought Obama was campaigning on the whole "change" ticket, and turns out, the man isn't for changing one of the biggest civil rights issues of our day. Turns out, he's just another politician, willing to sacrifice his own opinion to get votes, to parade himself as one man to some and another to the rest. Disappointing.

I complained to my husband, who said, "This is why I never vote." Maybe he has a point after all.

Speaking of politics, Beth lost the election and was devestated. Turns out, the girl who won promised to bring candy back. The district has a no-sweets policy, so the chances of this happening are slim to none. Beth declared, "It's not fair! She lied! There's no way candy can come back." Poor Beth, learning the tough lessons of politics at such an early age.

My life as a 10 year old

Well, howdy loyal readers. I know I haven't posted in two months... the baby, Beth, the hubby and work are the main focus of my life, which means I have been neglecting all my friends!

Beth is running for Student Body President... my little drama queen is going to make name for herself in politics! I'm so proud! Her campaign strategy is really unique and ingeniuos. She has promised crazy sock day (who wouldn't like crazy sock day), hippie day (ah, I remember those times myself) and wants to institute a monthly, school-wide vote on what is the best lunch. The lunch winner will then be served again on an upcoming Friday! What great ideas! If only someone was this creative at my work. Good food and fun games make us all happy!

Beth has been practicing her speech in front of the mirror, the dog and the baby. It reminds me so much of me at age 10. I too gave a speech in front of the entire school. I was a finalist in the 5th grade speech contest. To commemorate the event, my mother bought me the ultimate in '80s fashion: a puffy paint, neon shirt and a matching spandex skort. When it was my turn to speak, I got through one full minute before completely freezing. I looked out at the crowd, silent for about 20 seconds. I spotted my mother in the back row...she was crying. Then I saw this really cool sixth grader who mouthed, "You can do it!" What a wonderful, cheesy '80s movie moment. But it's true, which makes it all the better.

Well, I finished that speech and got third place (in other words, last place). I was teased for months by the class bully, who called me a hippie, which at the time really angered me. She also called me dog, which sucked and made me cry.

You can believe Beth is practicing her speech in front of the mirror, the dog and the baby. I won't be crying for her next Wednesday. This little know-it-all is going to knock everyone's socks off and get elected. And, if she doensn't, I'll have to make her consoladation prize better than the on my mom got me... a training bra.

My blog is boring

Yes, my blog is boring. But here is one that's not:

http://lovelylisting.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!