Archive | November, 2008

its too early

29 Nov

It’s too early for me to be up on a Saturday but I haven’t got to sleep in like I like to (which means till 11:00ish) in over a year.  I guess those days are over until Sam and any other munchkins are much much older.  Sam has been sleeping through the night the past few nights and getting up around 5:30 to eat.  It would be super nice if she’d go back to sleep after eating in the morning but that doesn’t happen.  She’s up for the duration, at least three hours or so before naptime.  This morning she’s in bed in her boppy playing with her toys and hanging out.

The Today show is on but really think I’m going to turn it off.  It’s so depressing.  It’s all about terrorism, black friday crazies, the economy or lost toolbags in space.  I think there needs to be a good news only channel with only positive stories reported. 

Looks like a dreary rainy day, which I don’t mind so much.  Makes me happy to be all cozy in the house.  I’m thinking today is the day to put up the Christmas tree!  We haven’t put up our monster tree in a few years so it may overwhelm me.  And I’m not even sure I have enough ornaments to fill it up.  But we’ll see how it goes and I can always go by some cheapo filler ornaments right?

I think I’m done rambling for now.

stupid world and tomorrow’s plans

28 Nov

Today was kind of a dud. There was only one other person at work besides me so it was nice and peaceful in ye olde office quarters. I got a few things done and managed to make a trip to Target without getting trampled on or shot. Seriously, what is the deal with crazy people that are so desperate to save a few bucks on the latest toy for their obviously spoiled brat(s) that they will knock people down and WALK ON TOP OF THEM to get it??? I must admit, it’s stories like these that make me want to crawl in bed for days and never come out to deal with the human race. But you can’t live like that can you? I will say, one of the reasons that I used to not want to have children was because I didn’t want to bring them into this crazy messed up world with its evilness and lack of regard for others. I obviously got over that and realize that to think that way will make you a miserable bitter person. And so I just attempt to avoid all the stupid people and only associate with the decent ones. So far its working. I just dread it when/if the stupid people come to me and there is no avoiding them. Like the tragedy in India and so many other situations like that where there is no avoiding being in the wrong place at the wrong time simply because of some idiots with major issues taking it out on other people.  Why can’t they just get a blog and write it out like the rest of us instead of going around killing people who are minding their own business just living their lives?  Eh, this is getting depressing.

How did I get on that tangent? Anyway.

Tomorrow the plan is not to have a plan.  I’ll go pick up some photos but that’s about it. Oh, and prep as much as possible for a trip to the parent’s on Sunday.  Sam and I are taking a day trip to visit my parents and bro and go to my home church.  Hopefully it will go smoothly. 

For now, bedtime.  Goodnight all.

one turkey and various side-dishes later….

28 Nov

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving and from the blogs and Tweets I’ve read, most of you did.  Thanksgiving in the Finn household was no exception.  We had a small gathering of family over.  My father-in-law, brother-in-law, BIL’s girlfriend who is part of the family, and The Accountant’s grandparents.  It was a food and football filled day.  Yay Titans!

I must brag on The Accountant and his cooking prowess. 

We all know that I am missing the cooking gene, so hubs took it upon himself to cook the entire Thanksgiving meal, by himself.  I was NO help whatsoever.  All I did was bake a cake (from a mix of course) the night before and frost it. 

He did all the grocery shopping, looked up recipes, thawed the turkey, chopped the celery, peeled the taters, etc etc.  He has always been a better cook than me, and seems to enjoy it more than I do as well.  My position is that there is nothing that I can make that will taste any better than something I can purchase at a restaurant or grocery.  And buying it is much less messy and less time consuming for me.  Rachel Ray, I am not nor do I wish to be.

But back to The Accountant. He got up at 4:00 or 5:00, I don’t even know because I was still in bed.  He fed Sam and then got to cookin’ and kept at it until 11:30 when the family arrived and we got to eatin’ the fruits of his hard work.  It was delicious!  Everything tasted wonderful, especially the dressing.  It was the best I’ve ever tasted, no lie. 

Next year, I might make the deviled eggs and bake another cake.  We’ll see.

Sam 4 month stats

25 Nov

Sam had her 4 month check up and shots today. The shots were ooky.  She cried, I cried. It was a sob fest in exam room # 2. She got over the tears quickly though and has been a real trooper tonight. She’s sporting some very cool Tazmanian Devil bandaids right now. I gave her some infant Tylenol and she’s finally asleep. (Wow, that sounds like I drugged my kid doesn’t it? It was doctor’s orders people, don’t call the cops.)

She has some excema on her arm and leg so we are treating that per doctor’s instructions with hydrocortezone? cream, lotion and a particular liquid baby soap. She still has some cradle cap and I received advice on that minor issue. I asked about the snotty nose and received a speech about how great day care is for building up the immune system and that when she goes to kindergarten all the kids of “stay at home moms” will be sick all the time but Sam will bee-bop along with no problems because she got toughened up from being surrounded by all these other snotty nosed kids at day care now. If this turns out not to be true I am suing this nurse. Kidding.

Things I forgot to ask about: the swaddling issue. Should we still be swaddling her up to sleep? She sleeps so much better and longer when we do but at some point you’re supposed to stop. I think it’s when they can roll over maybe? Also, the most important thing – when to start feeding her cereal. I assumed this would be brought up by the doc but it wasn’t and I was so distraught by the needles going into my baby’s legs that I forgot to ask. However, we always get some paperwork given to us that talks about the different immunizations, development stages, etc and there was a big thing about starting on cereal. It said we could start her anywhere from 4-6 months. But then it wasn’t discussed with us during the visit so I don’t know if we’re supposed to do this or not. I think I’m going to call and ask. Honestly, I’m in no hurry but don’t want to deprive her if it’s something I need to be doing now.

Length – 25 inches, 84th percentile. Doc said she is “evening out”, meaning her weight is catching up to her length so she isn’t so loooooong and skinny anymore.

Weight – 14 lbs, 5 oz, 67th percentile. Perfect.

Head circumference (or her “knowledge” as the nurse calls it) – 41.5 cm, 66th percentile. 

She is developing right on track and things look great.  I am thankful to be blessed with a happy and healthy lil’ munchkin.

baby-013

Photo Credit: Grandma
Titans Onesie Credit: Grandma T

back to skoo

24 Nov

Whip out the Trapper Keepers and the Dukes of Hazard lunchboxes, it’s back to school time! At least it is for 30-something graduate students who have no business setting foot back into a college classroom.  Yet even as I type that I know its ridiculous to think that just because I’m not the “traditional” student that I should feel like I have no place back in college.

It’s just that walking through campus after meeting with my advisor last week, I felt so old. Ancient. Passe. Washed up. A fish out of water. A phony even. Like I was just pretending to be a college student. I swear there was a flashing neon sign above my head with arrows pointing down at me that said “THIS WOMAN DOES NOT BELONG HERE. SHE’S A MOM. SHE HAS WRINKLES, GRAY HAIR AND A MORTGAGE PAYMENT. SHE REMEMBERS WHEN MC HAMMER WAS COOL AND WHEN SOME GUY NAMED REAGAN WAS PRESIDENT.” I promise the sign over my head (or at least the one IN my head) said all of that.  At the very least I felt like I was wearing a scarlet letter, but instead of Hester Prynne’s “A”, mine was an “O” for “Old”. 

What am I doing? Who do I think I am?

I only have one grad class under my ever expanding belt. I took a leave of absence last semester to, ahem, have a baby, and for some reason I’ve decided to go back. I’m not exactly sure why I’ve come to this decision. It’s not like the job market is clamoring for people with graduate English degrees, no offense.

So what the heck am I doing?

The noble answer to this question is to say its because I value continuing education, expanding my proverbial horizons and that I have an undying passion for literature and the English language.

But I suspect the more accurate answer is that MAYBE I’M JUST BORED. AS WELL AS A GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT.

I remember last semester (and it is well documented on this blog) all the angst that Literary Criticism class gave me.  So what is my deal? I confuse myself so I can only imagine what I do to other people. It’s not like I have a plan here. And let’s be honest, if my employer didn’t have a tuition benefit program I wouldn’t be in grad school in the first place. 

But then again, is there anything wrong with being bored and trying out things you otherwise wouldn’t? Is there some law that says a 30-something mother can’t take a Composition Theory class?  Of course there isn’t.  And so, I will put on my “confident face” and don my oh-so-hip Eddie Bauer backpack and race off to the humanities building after work one night a week from January until May.  I’ll mingle with early-20-somethings and verbose English professors wearing corduroy jackets with elbow patches. 

And I’ll fit in just fine.  On the outside anyway.

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go here, immediately

21 Nov

You must get your hineys over to Scout’s place and check out the pictures of her new baby girl! 

Go. 

Right now.

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time is screwed up

18 Nov

Do you know why time is screwed up?  Me neither, but the reason that I know it is – because the days are way too long and drag on forever but the evenings are entirely too short and fly by with a whoosh and a ‘see ya later’.  The batteries are dead in the universal clock and or the spacetime continuum is broken.  Who do I need to speak to about this?  NASA?  Somebody. 

Can a baby sleep too much?  Sam is sleeping a LOT, which on one hand is a blessing but on the other hand means that I get maybe one solid hour with her a day while she is awake.  If I’m lucky.  No kidding.  And it sucks.

This is how I know that time is screwed up. 

Does she even know that I’m her mommy?  Or does she think the caregivers at her day care are her mommies and she just happens to sleep at our house at night and on weekends?

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