Really?

Time for me to rant! This is about a story I saw on ABC News. Sometimes I think the news toys with us, just to see if we are paying attention.

This story involves the baby product Bumbo. If you do not know what a Bumbo is, here is a picture:

It is a baby seat. It is made of foam. Wonderful product but it is obvious, to me at least, this thing is not something you can just leave baby unattended in.

Well, the folks in the news story are suing Bumbo because they placed their six month old on the counter in this seat and she fell. Their defense? “It did not say not to place it on elevated surfaces.”

Hmm. REALLY? You need a sticker to tell you not to place your squirmy 6 month old baby on the counter in a light weight FOAM baby seat?! REALLY??!?!

As most of you know, I don’t have kids yet… but I don’t think that it would take much experience with children to know that a six month old is squirmy and heavy enough to overpower any stabilty that a foam seat would give them.

When will people start taking responsibility for their poor decisions? It is not Bumbos fault your child fell off the counter. The “new” design with a strap would not have helped. A sticker is not what you need. You just need to admit you had a lapse in judgement and move on!

Thoughts? Am I being too harsh or do you agree?

Daddies

I found this blog post recently.
It made me think about my own daddy- who would have celebrated his birthday today, Happy Heavenly bday Daddy!
The post also made me think of the type of Daddy Butthead will be.

Here is the post:
You Just Broke Your Child

The blogger brings up very good points! I particularly love the following points:

-“A child is what you tell them they are.” If you constantly tell them they are stupid or careless… that is what they will believe!

-“Do you not realise that your kids are going to make mistakes?” Belittling them over these mistakes tears down their self confidence.

-Tell and show them you love them

-Take joy in their questions and in every little quirk.

-Teach good gender roles! Who cares if your son wears pink or your daughter wants hotwheels!

All these things remind me how lucky I was to have an awesome Daddy!

My Daddy did all these things to nurture and help me grow. He taught me how I should be treated by treating my Mom like gold. He LOVED her like crazy. He let me know how special I was, that I was smart and I could use my intellect to conquer problems.

My Dad did not limit me because I was a girl. He taught me to fish, he let me stand on his tool box and watch him work on our cars. He played wiffle ball with me, even though I spun like a top trying to hit his pitches. He passed on to me a love of racing and to this day, I know more about cars than Butthead.

He took time with me. Even if it was just letting me sit at his workbench with him as he drafted designs for work. Allowing me to be at his side was enough. I worshiped the ground he walked on. My Daddy will always be my hero.

I know our kids will see Butthead the same way. I so look forward to that. He is going to be an amazing Daddy! He is a big kid himself! He has no problem playing Legos with Turkey (which he actually did Friday night… he was proud of the racecar he made). Seeing him play with Turkey and aww and coo at little man makes me so excited for the day I can give him a child!

I know he will instill such confidence and wisdom in them. He will goof off and be silly with them too. He will be so amazing! That is so important! Knowing that your significant other will be a great parent is one of the most heartening things you can know.

What did you think of the article? Let me know! ♡

No Filter

No filter. This is a condition that has been created and lovingly defined through experiencing my Mother in Law at her finest (and sometimes, not finest) moments.

I love my MIL. She is a helluva woman, works like crazy, raised four kids (most of those years by herself) and can still run circles around me at 65.

The things that spout from this woman’s mouth… Lord, help me! Will make you crack up, bug your eyes, or slink away in silence.

No Filter-isms:

-in response to neighbors shooting off fireworks at 8pm this past Sunday: “He needs to stop that! (Mutters. ..) use those things as a suppository… that’ll change his mind!”

-bank teller won’t let her withdraw off a check just deposited: “That is the STUPIDEST policy I’ve ever heard of! You WON’T let me have MY money? Ha! KEEP IT! I WON’T BE BACK!”

-To me, in Wal-Mart: “How’s the weight loss going? (Good) Great! We need to get you walking more and have a baby… we need more babies in the family! ”

-In the Mexican restraunt with her sisters: *some one mentions Lesbians (or Lisbins as she says) she pops her head up* “My neighbors are funny like that” and goes back to eating  **disclaimer- she isn’t hateful… I swear, she really just DOESN’T think of how bad things sound sometimes!**

-Dropping my step brother in law off at work, as soon as he step out the car- commenting on his massive overuse of cologne: “Smells like a french whore…”

LOL AND SMH! See why I constantly facepalm… 😀

Do any of your friends or family suffer from a lack of filter?  Let me know! Til next time!

Screw You, Always!

Today I had an epiphany. Nothing life changing, no. Just annoying and well, rather depressing.

Pad companies have women locked down for life. Gah!

I saw a commercial today for the Always Discrete line of pads and briefs. Basically a bunch of women rejoycing and dancing in adult diapers. Oh, jeez.

Then I thought to myself… holy crap. Always has grabbed up the slack in their market. They have completely got us now. So this is my life… this is what I have to look forward to.

Basically, once I have no need for their products for menstruation- I will need their products for peeing myself. Oh happy day. Because- as their tag line says- pee happens.

Pee happens! Yes, ladies– this is their tag line! PEE HAPPENS.
-insert facepalm here-

Now, it is my understanding that after childbirth things like sneezing and laughing cause a bit of an issue. But- is it really, diaper bad? Cause that’s scary! Hit me with the truth, lovelies!
Til next time!♡♡

Halloween

I love Halloween!

Maybe I am just a big kid, but I LOVE it. I am kinda disappointed my scary post didn’t get an overwhelming approval. I could write stories like that all day! It’s so fun! But, I digress.

Halloween- the most awesome holiday (in my opinion) so often gets overshadowed by the ever expanding Christmas season. I love Christmas too, but my gosh… I DO NOT want to see Santa and his cheery little minions in SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER!

Seriously! Even one of my neighbors has already decorated their house for Christmas! No kidding! BEFORE HALLOWEEN! Imagine this scene, if you will… trick or treating with your kids. You approach the next house and your kid asks “mommy, why is Santa in this yard!? Is Santa scary?”

I know this will happen! Poor kids! These people will confuse all the littles! And you can’t exactly look at Jr and say- “Sorry honey, some people are morons!” Hmph. Again… I digress.

So, Mommies! I have a question.
How many of you still do the good old fashioned Trick or Treat? House to house like in the good ol days? Bestie and I argued over this last year. I was complaining about “Trunk or Treating” and other various cop-outs that parents do now a days.  She gave me the dreaded… “You’ll understand…” response. Pft.

I want more opinions.
Trunk or Treat– “better and safer” or “wussification cop-out?”

Rant: Manners

Manners. Most know of the concept, very few seem to use them.

I break overall manners into two categories: everyday manners and table manners (etiquette).

TABLE MANNERS

This graphic does justice to what I was taught. The only thing missing is to ask to be excused from the table.  I have noticed from dining in public and in other people’s homes these rules are not common place AT ALL anymore.

Even TV has bolstered rude manners as “cute.” There is a paper towel commerical that drives me T-TOTAL CRAZY! You might have seen it. The one where the mom smiles as her kid blows bubbles in his chocolate milk. DEAR LORD. What?! First – and ONLY time- I ever blew bubbles in my drink I got smacked and told to NEVER do that, it is rude!

Is it new a cultural thing? That whole “let them be little” fad? Because I believe there is a difference in letting them be little and letting them be rude!

EVERYDAY MANNERS

The simple stuff. Even today, I think it is important. I am even more relaxed than most. I don’t expect “ma’am” everytime, but “yes” and “no” are expected. “Yeah” , “nah”, and my kryptonite “what” are not tollerated. I give Bestie big kudos on this. Her daughter never answers with “what”, it is always “ma’am” or “sir”.

Here is a list I found that is a good idea of what I plan on teaching my kids. I wish people would pick up even *half* of these! Sad thing is- I’ve experienced more Adults who need this list than children!

So what do y’all think? Are manners lost on our society? Have an insight or a rant of your own? Post it! ↓↓↓↓
Til next time! ♡♥♡♥

Fears

Even though I am not yet pregnant, I fear things about pregnancy.

The biggest fear being a c-section.

I found this blog post via Pintrest:
6 Ways to Avoid a Cesarean Section

Great blog post! I am already working on tip #1. But this post states that 1 in 3 women give birth via a section.  ONE IN THREE!
Those odds frighten me! I DO NOT want to get cut. The idea nauseates me.

It also lists several “interventions” that my friends think I am crazy for wanting to avoid. The main one being- an epidural. This article confirms one of my reasons I do not want one, it slows labor!

My reasons to say NO to the big E:

1. It slows labor. ^^^ Covered that.

2. Big needle + Spine= No. I do not covet the idea of an epically huge needle going anywhere near my spinal cord. Nope.

3. My mom. When my mom had me, the doctors knicked her spinal cord while giving the epidural causing her to have a debilitating headache. I was sent to the NICU and she couldn’t even get out of the bed to see me. Again, no thanks!

There are more reasons, but those are the major three. Call me crazy, but I’d rather “feel it all” than have the complications!

Next intervention mentioned is Induction.

Now, this is particularly relevant as my “best friend” is being induced in about 6 hours. I do not agree with this option- but she is so over being pregnant that I do not think she paused to consider it is not a good option.

I like my MIL’s saying: “When the apple’s ripe,  it’ll fall.”

Due dates are just good guesses, anyway. I think inducing is an easier option for the doctor and the mothers are so ready… they don’t pause to think. Starting labor before the cervix is ready and adding Pitocin is a bad cocktail of hard labor without results. Which coincides with… dun dun duuuuunnnn… C-SECTION!

Check out the article. It makes a lot of sense and to me, confirms my stance of au natural birthing is the way to go.

Opinions?
Questions?
Just wanna talk?

↓↓↓ Have at it! ↓↓↓

One of Those Days

Ever have one of those days where you really want to pinch your significant other’s head off? Like, squishy-squish pinch their head? Hearing the same thing you already know, over and over and freaking over again.

My S.O. and I had this problem today. I love the man to pieces, but I am only human… I can only accomplish so much a day. I get it, we both are frustrated about our current situation. We both are mentally ready to get this family thing going. Unfortunately we have several physical things limiting us at the moment. My health/weight and our house. The house was the gripe factor today.

We have the daunting task of reorganizing and making updates to the house to make it baby worthy. A lot of things need to be pitched, new things need to be bought and the place could use a new coat of paint (more aesthetic than anything, but on the to do list all the same.) This task is causing stress and I am not enjoying it. I know it has to be done… but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I feel like my weight is our biggest hurdle, but he won’t point that out. I feel like he is growing anxious for our family and at the end of the day- it’s still my fault for not dropping the pounds fast enough. I feel the mounting pressure and I feel trapped. I don’t know what to do. I feel like a huge disappointment. I hate it.

So, yes… I understand his frustration, but I can’t help but shove back for the irritation I have with myself. We are at a stalemate. I just need to breathe and stare down this road, size it up and move forth trying to figure out the direction to go.

Appreciation

Even after my last post, my mind is still storming around like a two year old with it’s feelings hurt. I still have venting to do. So, therefore, you get a double dose of thought today.

Cutting to the chase- I feel underappreciated. My best friend and her man are expecting #2 anyday now and I just left from there after a false alarm. I bend over backwards for them. I won’t go into specfics, but lets just say, if it wasn’t for me- they wouldn’t be living so cushy.

When we left, I felt like an unwelcomed guest. No, thanks for coming… sorry for the false alarm or sorry you had no rest because you slept on a love seat in a room with no air conditioning. It is agrivating to say the least. I am helping you when I SHOULD be looking out for number one.

After this kid arrives, I need to buckle it down. I am fulfilling my last promise to them- watching their kid while they are in the hospital… then I am done with miss nice lady. I need to focus on getting my FIRST here. No longer going to put my dreams on the back burner to facilitate your dreams.  Period. I need to focus on me. I’m tired of doing for others and then getting treated like its not enough but see them achieve the things I want while they stand on my back. It’s over… I am done.

Ahh. My shoulders feel lighter now.

“You Don’t Understand…”

“You don’t understand”
“Wait til you have kids”
“It’s something only a mother can know”

I loathe these statements. Maybe it is true. I guess I wouldn’t know. What I do know is that those statements cut me like a knife. I feel that even though I do not have children of my own, I have spent plenty of time around them, caring for them, teaching them. I think I know a thing or two.

Yet, I get met with these statements. Time to time, it pops out like a sneaky ninja in a conversation.  “You’ll understand when you have kids…” It feels like, “You might have studied about kids, gotten a degree, babysat, lived with kids, and taught kids-but you don’t understand them or know how it feels to love them.

Yet, how can I argue this? I DON’T have kids, it’s true. There is nothing I can say to argue the validity of this statement. I just wish my knowledge and opinion was taken more to heart than to be dismissed as invalid because my “mommy creds” aren’t cashed in the form of my own kids.

I feel like this post might be circular and I am chasing the point around. I need honest insight, who can provide this to me? Take your shot below. I bid you farewell for now. Toodleloo…