Random Explosion of Thoughts

Brain Clutter

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 21:02:00 +0000

Whenever I have a lot of anxiety in one area of my life, I find myself filled with a large number of completely random thoughts that seem to distract me from the source of my anxiety. Case in point? Our babysitter (whom the kids & Urban Cowboy & I adore!) announced she is quitting for a much better opportunity. The new job is so much better than what we can offer her that I can't even be mad at her for giving me 2 weeks to find someone new. Grrr. Am I upset about it? Yes. But I'm not such a bad person that I can't see the value of what she will be doing and how it will help her professionally. Here is a quick list of random thoughts I've been thinking:
- The song TORN (N. Ambruglia) has been stuck in my head (thanks, Sirius) and the date the radio listed it as coming out was sometime in 1997 - I'm shocked by this because I seem to feel as though I have distinct memory of watching this video on MTV (do they still make/play music videos anymore, I don't even know) while I was getting ready to go to school in 1996. But then after I obsessed over this for a few days I think I must be getting TORN's video slightly jumbled with STAY (by L. Loeb).
- watched a documentary about Whales/Dolphins and can't stop thinking about how cool it would be to have a conversation with a dolphin
- Really want to set up a sewing area in my bedroom so I wouldn't have to take down the machine each time I needed to take a break (usually kid induced) from a project
- Was at aerobics and did a routine I used to do when I first started Jazzercise and totally rocked it living in a nostalgic cloud of memories of the good 'ol days of L & Me.
- Mad as a hornet about a new Wal-Mart shopping center going into the East side - total waste of green space (144 acres of it!) to add more retail to an already retail-saturated strip of the world! Ri-donk-u-less!
- Wondering where I can find a "No CLE Incinerator" sign to put in my front yard
- Etc.
Finally, today I said something kind of funny and if you're still reading this you'll laugh, too:
"Sometimes I forget myself and I'm me". Maybe you don't get it but I bet you do. We all have those moments and some of us more than others. Me? More than others, yep.

Genius? Nah.

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:30:00 +0000

I cannot tell you how many times I interact with Little Man and think, "wow, he's a genius!" Case in point: The other day he was telling me about being an astronaut and how there is no gravity in his rocketship. Wha? Ok, I know he doesn't know what gravity is so conceptually, it falls a little short but he knows that gravity is something and there isn't any in space! Hello, genius much? Don't worry folks, I'm quickly crash-landed back to earth and reminded he isn't a genius when the very next day he stands, literally, 4 inches from his potty seat & proceeds to pee his pants and pee all over the floor - all the while calling upstairs to me (where I'm changing Urban Cowbaby's diaper) "Mama, I'm peeing my pants!" (SIGH)

Speaking of Urban Cowbaby, she's officially crawling now and seems to have simultaneously taught herself to cruise furniture, too. Eep! She's not just mobile, she's horizontally & laterally mobile! Double trouble! Add to that her super-adventerous, exploratory nature (so unlike Little Man was) and we have a lot of head bumps, chewed paper, illegal toy chewing, etc. Good thing she's so damned cute and is fairly easy-going because it lessens the stress of managing her mobility while also managing Little Man's play.

She also learned to do all of the following within 1week: crawl, cruise, wave, clap, and blow raspberries. Whew. She should be exhausted but her 2 newest teeth have kept her (and us) up at nights and she seems to scoff at the idea of naps unless we work really hard at it. We, as parents, wholly believe in and selfishly appreciate naps, though, so we really do work hard to get her to regularly nap. On good days, I can even get her nap at the same time as Little Man which allows me a bit of time to clean or do laundry or read or whatever.

Urban Cowboy has begun training for his next major running endeavor. He's going to run an Ultra-Marathon in September. What is that, you ask? He's going to run for 24 hours (straight) and the idea is to run the most possible miles in that amount of time. Yes, I did marry a crazy man.

Breastfeeding

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:09:00 +0000

Breastfeeding Myths - DeBunked (again!)

http://blog.nurturedchild.ca/index.php/2011/01/30/the-truth-behind-common-breastfeeding-myths/

Should there be a 4th R?

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:24:00 +0000

I just read a blog post on Seventh Generation's website in which is was proposed that there should be a 4th R in the REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE campaign. The proposed 4th R would be REPAIR. I have to say, I completely agree with this. Recently, our washer & dyer both went caput on us (in the same week, in fact) and between the 2 appliances it only cost us approximately $75 to REPAIR versus buying new. Now, the cost was kept down soely because Urban Cowboy did the work himself, thanks to the internet and other DIYers sharing their knowledge. If he had not repaired them himself or if we had not been willing to pay a repair person to do it, it would have resulted in 2 perfectly good appliances in a landfill. How sad. In fact, I even get shoes repaired when the wear out. Now, in all honesty, I do have to confess that I get shoes repaired more because I like those specific pairs more than because it helps the earth to do so ... but, still. Anyway, I just thought I would spread the whole idea of the need for a 4th R out there - we can all think about it and decide or act accordingly.

The Baby Jesus Theme

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:01:00 +0000

Yesterday evening I was playing with the Little Man and we were playing with one of his wooden puzzles. He hands me a puzzle piece which happens to be a Duck in a Bathtub and says, "here, Mama, hold Baby Jesus". Ok, a little weird (I know) but I just go with it. A few moments go by and Little Man takes the Duck in a Bathtub (aka Baby Jesus) back and says, "Baby Jesus is in the manger Mama" and he proceeds to place the puzzle piece in its correct home. At this point, I decide to join in this themed play and pick up a Puppy Catching a Frisbee puzzle piece and I ask, "Little Man, is this one of the Wise Men visiting Baby Jesus?" Little Man responds with, "No, Mama, that's a dog." Well, of course it is ... silly me. LOL

Etc.

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:41:00 +0000

- I got a Kindle for Christmas ( thank you, Urban Cowboy) and I really like it. I've noticed 2 things about it 1) when I type I get very frustrated and until recently didn't know why...it's because the "typepad" (it's not a touch screen) is in A-Z order vs. like a traditional keyboard. Duh - took me a month to figure that out. 2) I love, love, love having a dictionary at my fingertips!

- I can't figure out why the religious background/standing of our potential presidential candidates matters. I mean, seriously, if we elect a Mormon does that mean we'll all be sujected to "Mormon-ism". No and, frankly, people are dumb. I mean, isn't there a lot more important news to report on than this? And, while I'm on the topic of politics, again, I have to point out that there is a lot of important stuff going on in the world and I cannot, cannot, cannot figure out why the potential presidential candidates still qualify the abortion issue as important in the "big, national picture." Just leave it alone already.

- My conversation with my boss went as well as expected. We have agreed to only go up and be positive from here on out. No, I have not told her my intentions for the end of the school year - I think I need to sit on it a bit longer to a) repair/rebuild our relationship for a positive parting and b) improve my chances for staying on in some type of reduced-hours, specialized capacity.

- Urban Cowbaby is the queen of the army crawl and she's ridiculously fast! One second she's on the carpet, the next she's trying to eat the heating vent. LOL It's tough to keep up, honestly. Little Man is doing a great job potty training! We're very proud of him.

- I thought I accepted the imperfections of the one pair of pj pants I made for Little Man but, alas, it is not true. Two nights ago I ripped the waistband apart and plan to repair over the weekend. I will get this right.

- Sirius Radio is rocking my world again. I found a new channel, LaughUSA, that entertains me on the way home from work. Sometimes I'm laughing so hard that I'm sure people driving by me think I'm a lunatic.

Follow-Up to "Not the First, Not the Last"

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:34:00 +0000

On Nov. 17 I posted about being punished for certain life choices we all make. In my case, I was specifically upset that I am being punished at work for choosing to be part-time instead of full-time so I can be at home with our kids more. Well, a few weeks ago, I was pursuing an opportunity completely unrelated to my current position but, unfortunately (and shortsightedly), within my employment community and with very poor timing (oops). Let's just say that it was a complete disaster and my boss rang me through the wringer for it. Let's also say that she's been harboring negative feelings toward me from the very beginning of our relationship and all due to the same issues: She claims I don't trust her and by not sharing all of my information/aspirations with her I consequently disrepect her. She also claims that while she's addressed this issue with me twice previously (although, not so candidly as in this most recent incident) I continue to disrespect her by not trusting her and she finds it insulting. (SIGH) So, the question is where the hell do I go from here? Her expectation is that I respond to her in some way as I was quite silent during our meeting when she laid this all out for me. Also, in that meeting she told me she can't tell if I just say things to "appease" her and if not, why I continue to do the same things to "hurt" her. I'm struggling with how to respond to all that, especially with so much time passed between the incident and now. I'm also struggling with how I can move forward and positively repair/rebuild the relationship considering I will very much need her and a good reference from her if I choose to move out of my current position. One thing I have decided is that I am not going to outline my logic to her. I have done that previously and it's clearly not accepted as reasonable. Additionally, I'm not going to tell her that I think the words "trust" and "management" don't belong in the same sentence with one another. Finally, I'm not going to tell her that this most recent incident stems from me exploring options which may change her team structure and my work structure. So, what's left? I think I will take L's advice and simply tell her that I am sorry for appearing to be disingenuous and that my intent has never been driven by malice - I did not intentionally disrespect her and am sorry that she thinks I have ... I'm still struggling with the exact wording. But outside of those two brief points, I do not think it is wise to say anything more on the matter because, based on what she's already shared with me regarding her feelings/perecptions toward me, if I say more she won't believe I am being sincere and that I'm simply attempting to say things for the sake of saying them. All of this does not make the idea of coming to work very appealing and I am sad for that.

Sewing - Pajama Pants

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:44:00 +0000

I recently sewed 2 pair of pajama pants for Little Man. I used fabric I had just lying around the house and both pairs are perfectly gender neutral so Urban Cowbaby can wear them too. 1 pair came out a bit wonky because, despite the fact I ripped out the elastic twice, the elastic seemed to be measured incorrectly both times. The result is they are a bit big around the waist and we have to pull them up a lot. But they're pajama pants so he only has them on for a bit before he goes to bed and they don't seem to bother him when he's sleeping.

Also, very high on my list of sewing to-dos is to make Little Man 2 pajama shirts using old t-shirts. I'm going to ask Little Man's Opa if he has any t-shirts he's willing to donate to the cause. All of Urban Cowboy's shirts are too small as you need an XL size shirt. I'm also going to solicit donations of old ribbed tanks from a few friends - I just recently cleaned out my collection or I would use one of mine.

Anyway, remember when I made the sweater pillow? Well, I was left with the sleeves of the sweater and I still haven't thrown them out or repurposed them. Currently, I'm torn between two options: 1) make them into another pair of pajama pants for Little Man. I found a few tutorials that make it seem simple/easy but I'm a bit lost on one crucial step so hesitating or 2) make them into 2 rice heat bags with lavendar scent. The lavendar is from my garden that I brought in and dryed. So, I guess I'll keep you updated.

Maybe someday I'll even post a pic of Little Man modeling the pj pants. Hahaha

Little Man's Conversation

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:06:00 +0000

The Little Man is an awesome conversationalist! He loves to give us moment-by-moment commentary of what's going on around us. He loves to tell us about all of his imaginings like climbing onto fire trucks with elephants and with monkeys on the ceilings. Lately, he's been into pretending he's the UPS man and likes to load his truck (our stairs) with packages (various household items and toys) for delivery. He's an excellent delivery person and even accepts returns. ;-)

I want to share his 2 best Quotes of 2011:

1. We bring Urban Cowbaby home from the hospital and Little Man checks her out and then says, "She's nice, put her in the closet."

2. We are at a family Christmas party where Santa makes an annual appearance and Little Man has not been a fan of Santa since birth. Little Man is crying and very upset and keeps repeating, "Santa, Go Away! ... Leave Presents (sob, sniffle, cling) Go away, Santa. ... Leave Presents."

New recipes...

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 14:40:00 +0000

Recently I've been having good luck in the kitchen (when I have time) and have created some pretty yummy meals. If you're interested, below is a casserole recipe I came up with and a emulsion I created:
FALL CASSEROLE
1 lbs of ground turkey
1 small onion
1 handful of steamed brussel sprouts, chopped.
Nutmeg & Ginger to taste
1/2 roasted butternut squash
2 tbsp butter
6 boiled potatoes (for mashing)
1/2 cup (approx) goat's milk
black pepper
Brown the ground turkey with onions, chopped brussel sprouts, nutmeg & ginger (to taste). Layer on bottom of 8x8 or 8x10 baking dish. Whip roasted butternut squash with butter. Spread on top of turkey layer in baking dish. Mash potatoes with goat's milk and black pepper - spread on top of butternut squash. Bake in oven @ 350* for about 35 minutes. Top will be slightly crispy. Serve hot & enjoy!

EMULSION
1/2 or 3/4 cup red wine (not high quality, 3 day old wine leftover from weekend will work perfectly!), 3-4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/2 tbsp of worchestshire sauce. Whisk together (repeatedly) and pour over meat - I used this on some fantastic Berkshire pork loin chops. Mmmmmmm! Don't use this on poultry or fish - it needs a stronger tasting meat to its own against the flavors of the wine and worchestshire sauce. (Beef or Pork, my recommendation) When I used this, I cooked the pork chops @ 375* for 35-40 minutes and also chopped an onion into wedges to be baked with the chops. It was a big hit in our house, even Little Man enjoyed it!

A few things to consider:

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:56:00 +0000

ABOUT CHRISTMAS...
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/story/2011-12-04/christmas-jesus-holiday-secular/51642322/1?loc=interstitialskip

ABOUT MEN & WOMEN:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yashar-hedayat/a-message-to-women-from-a_1_b_958859.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

Not the first and not the last

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:54:00 +0000

Today I experienced one of several occasions in which I was confronted with being less certain of specific life choices I've made ... I spend an entire meeting with my boss silently screaming, "FUCK YOU, LIFE CHOICES! FUCK YOU!". The frustration stems from the fact that this time my choices to a) be a mother and b) be a professional and c) be a part-time professional have roadblocked my immediate chances to meet a very specific and very desirable professional goal. It is what it is and I'm not going to regret it but, for this moment, I am going to have a moment of self-pity and direct my anger at society for even forcing me to choose in the first place. So, yeah, "Fuck You, Life Choices."

Pacifier Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:45:00 +0000

Note: Urban Cowbaby is no longer a baby so his new blog name is Little Man and his baby sister is now going to be referred to as Urban Cowbaby.

We accidentally broke Little Man's pacifer habit. He was only using it for naps and nighttime and we had intentions of pulling the plug by Christmas. Being the responsible parents that we are we somehow managed to forget to pack his pacifier when we went on vacation to FL for a week. Oops. Turns out our initial panic was completely unfounded because Little Man only asked for it 2 or 3 times before he was completely over it. Bye-bye pacifier! Next up? Diapers.

At the same time we broke one pacifier habit, we started another. Urban Cowbaby did not take a pacifier until she was 3mo and even now she's very picky about when she'll accept it. With this kid, we're reserving it for sleep time only and car time. Unfortunately, Urban Cowbaby did not like the car much before our trip but after 22 hours in the car she absolutely HATES it. Now that we're home, every time we get her in her carseat she has a fit and cries and cries and cries. It's awful. Little Man hated the car for awhile, too, and I hope she grows out of this sooner than later because the crying makes for stressful driving!

My Favorite Things

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 18:13:00 +0000

A few things I'm totally loving right now:
- My daughter's smiles
- My son nursing his stuffed animals and saying, "Oh, UCB2, UCB2 Hungry"
- My daughter's cuddles and look of contentment after eating
- My son giving me giant hugs and kisses for no apparent reason and at random moments
- My husband with UCB2, they're in love with each other and I'm more in love with him as a result
- My mom and mother-in-law's help
- My daughter lets us sleep through the night consistently (knock on wood this continues)
- My son's random conversational tidbits and his play-by-play of the action of his various environments
- My overall feelings of well-being and happiness
Yep, just a few things I'm totally loving right now.

The VBAC That Wasn't

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 13:09:00 +0000

Many of you know that going into this birthing experience I was completely committed to having a successful VBAC. I prepared for a VBAC through research, praying a lot, connecting with a local ICAN group, re-reading Ina May Gaskin's Guide to Childbirth about 1000 times, having many positive conversations with my midwife regarding my chances of success (95% prior to the actual birth), hired a doula, and by working through some of my residual emotional issues that were leftover from my first birth experience (very unplanned c-section). All in all, I would say I was 100% confident that I was going to be a successful VBAC mama and that I would have a lovely recovery in which it would be little to no trouble to get into a routine with Urban Cowbaby and UCB2. Well, it didn't work out quite the way I planned or wanted it to. I am not a successful VBAC mama. And, you know what, it's ok. Really, I am ok with UCB2's birth experience. I did everything I could have to be successful but my body just did not cooperate and, truthfully, there's nothing I can do about that. What's more? I feel extremely fortunate to be living in 2011 because if I had been laboring with UCB2 in 1771, my daughter and I would surely have died as they did not have the medical means or knowledge to recognize the need for a c-section or to preform one. In 2011, I am happy knowing that my daughter is healthy and with us and that my son is not motherless and that my husband still has a living wife. I know that sounds dramatic but it's the truth. And, honestly, I'm really proud of myself for laboring so long at home (read details below) and walking into the hospital at 10cm dilated, fully effaced. My midwife used the following words to describe me: tenacious, committed, spirited, strong. Did I have a VBAC? No. Am I a birth failure? No. Am I happy with the ultimate outcome of healthy baby, healthy mom? Absolutely.

If you're interested in the details, keep reading. If not, stop now. UCB2 was born 8 days past her official due date and, I'm not going to lie, I was getting nervous about how big she must have been getting in those last weeks of pregnancy. I was hoping for an average 7lbs baby. Hahaha - life is funny, eh? Anyway, on Sunday, June 19, I went to church in the morning because I decided that maybe I needed to actually visit God's sanctioned house to get things going vs. just chatting it up with Him. While in church, I did begin experiencing contractions which was good sign for me. Over the course of the day, I kept experiencing contractions but nothing regular and not too frequent. I decided I was likely to have UCB2 in the next couple of days. I said to myself, "maybe she really does want to be a Cancer instead of a Gemini". By Sunday evening, however, things were picking up and I was experiencing contractions very regularly - every 20 min to 15 min - but they weren't anything to write home about. I could talk through them and they were only mildly distracting. Then, around 9, they stopped. I told myself that was a good practice round. Little did I know that by midnight I was going to be re-introduced to them and that they were going to rock my world. LOL So, beginning around 12am, my contractions came back and they were not ignorable, they were very uncomfortable, and I did need to work through each one. They were also very consistently 15 min apart, then 10, then 5, etc. I slept between contractions as much as possible and tried to wake Urban Cowboy as little as possible so he would be well-rested for the big show. By 5:30am, I was getting very concerned regarding how far along we were because I wasn't able to rest during any of the contractions, they were very close together and extremely intense, and I could not be still during them - I had to constantly be moving, walking, etc., to work through them. By 6:30a I decided it was time to call the doula and ask her to come over because everything was getting really intense and I wanted her help to focus. I was also concerned about Urban Cowbaby and when we should take him to Grandma & Opa's house. She got to our house, looked at me and immediately told Urban Cowboy he needed to take Urban Cowbaby to Grandma's because it was going to be time very soon. I continued to labor for a few more hours and by 9:00a, our doula strongly suggested we begin to head to the hospital. Thank goodness she was there because she handled the phone calls to the midwife and to the hospital and coordinated us all getting in the car. By this time, I was telling her and Urban Cowboy that I was feeling the need to push and they were, of course, encouraging me to wait and keep breathing through the contractions as best as possible. We got to the hospital in record time, my water broke as we were walking through the parking lot to the doors, (Urban Cowboy was driving very, very fast - but safely!) and the nursing staff was still prepping our room when we got to maternity! Once we were in the hospital they immediately checked me and pronounced me at 10cm, fully effaced, and ready to push. And push I did. For 3 long hours I pushed. I discovered several things in that time: 1) I'm a good pusher, 2) I have a reservoir of strength in myself that I could have never guessed I have, and 3) my body has no intention of delivering a baby vaginally. UCB2 was posterior and not descending so after about 2.5 hours my midwife recommended a c-section. We begged for more time and my doula helped Urban Cowboy and I try different positions to try and get UCB2 to turn into the right position. Nothing worked - Urban Cowboy was so amazing as a coach, though! I was getting frustrated and exhausted and, really, just wanted my midwife to be able to reach up inside me and pull the baby out! I guess it doesn't work that way, though, so that's how we ended up with a 2nd c-section birth because despite all our effort it was time to "call it" and make the decision to move in an alternate direction from the original plan To the OR we went and UCB2 was born at 12:25pm.

And that, folks, is the story of the VBAC that wasn't.

That's So Rude

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:39:00 +0000

Look, people, I wasn't going to post about this but, honestly, it's been eating me up and I just have to get it off of my chest. It is unbelievable the level of rudeness people allow themselves when interacting with an obviously pregnant woman. Would you approach an obese individual and make a comment to them about their size? Would you ask someone with Lupus if they were missing a mirror when doing their make-up that morning? NO. Yet, over the weekend, as I was literally within 48 hours of my official due date, I was approached by two separate strangers and one family member, hours and days apart, who felt it necessary to 1) comment on my size as a pregnant woman - all going so far as to ask me if I am expecting twins and 2) to follow up their initial rudeness with additional comments about how they were not that big as pregnant women or how big the baby must be in there, etc. Now, I don't look like I am only 20 weeks pregnant and I know this. I look exactly like a woman looks when she's about ready to give birth any day. I am uncomfortable, I am tired, I am impatient and I have no tolerance for this type of abuse from people. The first individual simply got a sarcastic "thank you for pointing it (my hugeness) out" from me with a tight smile. The second lady got a "that's not a nice thing to say to an pregnant woman" reply. The third person got a glare and I completely ignored them and walked away to avoid saying something I might regret later. Really, though, what I wanted to do was punch all those people in the face. So, as you run into random (or not) pregnant women throughout your life, please be mindful of how they might be feeling insecure or unhappy or uncomfortable in their very obviously pregnant bodies and do not, I repeat, DO NOT make them feel worse by saying rude and insensitive things to them.

Urban Cowbaby ... 2 days from 2 years

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 14:36:00 +0000

In 2 days, Urban Cowbaby will be 2 years old. It's hard to believe how quickly the time has flown by and how much he has changed since that first day when we held him in our arms and looked into his eyes. Our little man is the most amazingly smart, sweet, enjoyable person I know. I know you think I think he's perfect and, truly, he's perfectly him and that's what I love the most.
What should you know about Urban Cowbaby at 2? You should know:
- He's wickedly smart. The other day he was talking to me about a topic in a book we had from the library about 2 months ago! You only have to talk about something once for him to remember it and use it in context later. He is very motivated and dedicated to figuring out how things work - he can spend a long time on one activity or examining one thing while he works it out in his little head. His command of language is astounding and I love how he is interested in everything around him! His memory is so sharp it's slightly disconcernting at times - I'm not looking forward to teenage arguments with him if his memory stays this good. Heehee
- He's so healthy! The doctor is really pleased with his weight/height ratio and pleased with his diet and eating habits. He's only had 2 colds and 1 bout of tummy flu in his little life and has never been on antibiotics or any type of prescription medication.
- He laughs and laughs and laughs ... deep belly laughs and little giggles ... when something really amuses him. But, know this, you have to work to amuse him. He doesn't just give away his laughs.
- He's still cautious in personality and mistrustful of people and environments he doesn't know well.
- He loves books and loves to read them with you. He loves anything with wheels but, right now, he's particularly enamoured with construction-related vehicles.
- He has curly hair! It took 24 months but the curls finally started showing up! Right on schedule, too, according to my mom who tells me that's about when my curls began to appear.
- He still gets a little sad when the babysitter walks in the door and mama or daddy walks out. He loves his mama and daddy best of anyone else in the whole wide world and gives us the sweetest hugs and kisses everyday.
Somedays, I wonder how my heart can hold so much love for him. It's impossible to count how many times I have looked over at him, or been in a hug with him, or watched him playing and wonder to myself how it's possible for my heart to not burst from the immensity of the love I feel for him!
Happy Birthday, Urban Cowbaby!

Sticking to it...

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:43:00 +0000

Parenting seems to be an ever evolving process and everyone chooses different methods, often directed by the babies being parented. Here is a short list of a few things that worked really, really well for us last time (both physically and emotionally) that I don't plan to change for this UCB2:
1- Breastfeeding. It worked for us. Once Urban Cowbaby & I got the hang of things it not only worked but we both loved it. I nursed Urban Cowbaby for 18 months and would like to be able to nurse UCB2 at least that long, too.
2- Co-Sleeping. It started as a survival method and morphed into a true pleasure. I loved having Urban Cowbaby so close to me all the time, especially when I returned to work. I loved how easy it made nighttime nursing sessions. I especially loved waking up in the morning and seeing my sweet little boy's face before seeing anyone or anything else. (Sorry Urban Cowboy, our son has trumped you there!)
3- Cloth diapering. It is so easy. I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love our cloth diapering habits and primary system (Kissaluvs with Thirsties covers). I could go on and on and on about my perceived benefits of cloth diapering and about saving the world through cloth diapering but I said this would be short so just know this: our family loves it.
4- Pacifers. Look, I don't love them. I'm not looking forward to the weaning process. But, in all honesty, considering who my kid was and his needs, they helped us. And, as my mother-in-law points out, no college or job application is going to inquire how long someone had a pacifer before they gave it up. That said, if UCB2 gives us signs that he/she needs that comfort, I'm not going to deny them.
5- Baby Wearing. Life is "easy" if you're wearing your kid and have your hands "free" to do stuff. Additionally, the closeness you and your child feel when he/she is being worn is amazing! They are always close to you, are comforted by the sound of your heartbeat and the smell of your skin. Plus, wearing your baby makes certain things like grocery shopping or festivals/fairs so much easier. We have 2 styles - a sling/pouch and a mei tai.
Many of you may disagree with our style or just recognize that it doesn't work for you and your family. That's cool, I'm not asking you to adopt any of our parenting practices or choices. I just like to share what works for us.
P.S. I have approximately one week to go before UCB2 arrives ...

2nd Time Pregnancy Surprises - Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 26 May 2011 13:44:00 +0000

1. The word "exhaustion" doesn't even begin to cover how I tired I feel on a now daily basis. Yet, caffeine is my enemy because if I consume whatever my body deems as too much, I am unable to rest and recover some energy for the next day. (sigh)

2. It is impossible, in my opinion, for my skin to stretch any further across my abdomen - if it does manage to somehow stretch more, it will surely just rip apart and I will need surgery to repair. As is, my abdomen is so stretched at this point that I will need to work more hours to pay for the cosmetic surgery I will need to be presentable to myself post-baby.

3. I felt connected to Urban Cowbaby in-utero but I feel 10x's more connected to this one. Possibly this is because I've been there/done that so I have a better sense of realistic expectations?
4. People care as much about this baby & pregnancy as they did Urban Cowbaby. I figured since it was the 2nd one, and so close to the first, that people would be less interested or excited. Not true.
5. I desperately want to keep up with the house chores by tiredness prevents me and the end result is stress. I hate looking around the house thinking, "I need to do that, I need to do this, How did this get like that?", etc. It's stressful and disheartening.
6. Urban Cowbaby is excited about the baby and has a good grasp on the fact a baby is coming to live with us soon! I am surprised by this because I thought he might end up being a bit oblivious and not comprehend too much regarding why mama's body is changing or why the house was being changed. Of course, we've worked hard to inform him and have had the help of some FABULOUS books from the library. All thanks to the advice of my very wise and kind sister-in-law.

Shameless

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Mon, 23 May 2011 12:56:00 +0000

I was driving home from my parents yesterday afternoon and spotted a lawn filled with Little Tikes toys - they were placed out by the road as if they were garbage. I drove by and thought, "wow, I wonder if they're selling those toys?' and I drove a bit more and told myself I'd be a fool if I didn't go back and check it out to see the prices. I turn around and park at the end of the driveway and realize these toys are being GIVEN AWAY. Yes, people, they were FREE to anyone who wanted them! Yea! Now, it was clear they've been stored in a barn for quite some time and they desperately needed a bath but each item on that lawn was in excellent condition, nothing broken, no cracks, not even a hole in a wheel or anything! I spent 15 minutes trying mulitple configurations to get both the shopping cart (above pic) and the car (below pic) into my car but despite the large cargo area I couldn't swing it because I had the jogging stroller with me. Arghh! I decided to take the shopping cart as it is what would fit and call my parents and beg a favor to have them come get the car. This was a bit risky, I might add, because I was already a good 15 min. away from my parents and it was quite possible they couldn't get there in time if someone else came by with the same thoughts as me! Luckily, my mom did get there in time and now Urban Cowbaby is going to be ECSTATIC when he realizes he's the proud, new owner of his very own car! He was playing on one of these things on Saturday and was completely obsessed! He's going to love having one at our house! Already, he's in love with his little shopping cart and spent yesterday afternoon pushing around a spare newspaper and his water cup! Too cute! Ah, yes, I am a shameless garbage picker but it was so worth it to get good quality toys, in good condition, for FREE! 3 cheers for continued use of a perfectly good item vs. clogging a landfill!

PS - I hope some other lucky person/family scored on the art table and picnic table that were also being given away and were in excellent condition!

Some Do's & Don'ts

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 12 May 2011 16:07:00 +0000

DO - Wear sunscreen! It's that time of year, people! I even keep a little tube in my desk drawer for when my co-workers and I eat lunch outside. (Apply at least a 1/2 hour before going out for maximum effectiveness!)

DON'T - Give stranger kids toys in the store! This happened to me the other day and I was PISSED. Some random old-ish lady just came right up to Urban Cowbaby and handed him a teddy bear and then made some stupid comment like, "oh, sorry, mama - now you'll have to buy it for him." Um, no you stupid you-know-what, now YOU have to buy it for him. In the end it worked out and Urban Cowbaby was pleased as punch to have me trade him a pack of pipe cleaners for the teddy bear but, still, what the hell!? and why would that woman do that!?

DO - Look forward to all the fun things to do in the summer! Here's my short list: being outside, going to Blossom, Wade Oval Wednesdays, the zoo, swimming, grilling, gardening, patio/porch dining, driving with the sunroof open, popsicles multiple times a day, fires in the evenings ... oh - I said short list, huh?

DON'T - Tell your midwife how displeased you are with your pregnancy weight gain...she will just laugh at you. Maybe that's just my midwife, though? hahaha Also, don't hesitate to question why your health care provider wants you to do something or put you on a medication. It's your body/health, it's your job to ask.

DO - Appreciate all the many positive people and things you have in your life. Take a moment every day to say "thank you" and really mean it.

DON'T - Cry in a job interview. It's not professional and you'll be perceived as a nut job. This actually happened at my job! We were interviewing a candidate and she started the answer with "I'm totally prepared and comfortable to answer this question..." and then she dissolved into tears! Instead of excusing herself for a moment, she just attempted to answer the question through her crying! It was ludicrous! The worst part, in my opinion, is that I was the one that asked the question that triggered the tears!

DO - Give your kid(s) 1000+ kisses and hugs a day (as long as they'll let you!) because it's good for their soul and yours!

Fun with Fabric!

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:54:00 +0000

A picture of Bohdan's curtain fabric for his big boy room...

1/2 the lining fabric is cut already, plan to cut out the remaining lining fabric panels tonight or tomorrow. My goal, overall, is to try and have the curtains completed by next weekend ... we'll see - it's a lofty goal.

Leave Ohio? Where to go?

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 16:05:00 +0000

So, let me just say that I pretty much despise the direction the current state government is going and I was (insert sarcasm) oh-so-pleased when I saw Ohio's latest news ($1.4 billion to new business incentives) made the front page of USA Today (online).

Ok, I get the need to generate excitement and incentives for new businesses to want to be in Ohio. I get the need to pump up the state economy and population. What I don't get is how Kasich and his cronies (the entire state government legislature!) can justify the cutting financial support to community pillars and growth centers known as SCHOOLS, EDUCATION EFFORTS & RELATED INSTITUTIONS LIKE LIBRARIES to generate the funds needed for these business incentives. If we have under or uneducated people residing in Ohio, how will they run successful business ventures? AND, if there are fewer Ohio natives to run those businesses that means there are fewer employable Ohio natives to hire if outside businesses move into Ohio. Seems like a lose-lose to me. There is no justification for the rerouting of our state funds directly from education to new business.

Additionally, the United States(generally speaking) continues to be eager to give up precious farm land for industrial sites and office buildings. Why? Are Americans really ready and willing to import the majority of their food from other countries/continents and are we ready and willing to pay the price tag of said imported foods? Is there no movement to groom future farmers to feed our growing population? Is there no desire to care about where our food comes from but plenty of energy to complain when it's a) ridiculously expensive and b) has quality or contamination issues? Will I become a farmer in my second career? If I wanted to, could I even find decent land in my home state to do so? Will our children even know that food comes from plants in the ground and that agriculture used to be a driving force of the U.S. economy? Ohio is one of many states so eager to just give up our available farmland.

Shalalala - Live for Today

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:12:00 +0000

WHAT ARE YOU LOVING TODAY?
Today I love:
- my hair! During pregnancy my hair actually looks good more than it looks bad which is a total switch from when I'm not pregnant. I'll be a tiny bit sad when it starts going back to its normal non-pregnant state.
- Sirius radio! Totally transforms my driving experience! It's part educational RE: who sang what & when and it's part thrilling to be able to choose the genre I want to listen to in that moment. Rarely in the old car did I crank it up - but in this car I crank it up all the time! I'll be sad if/when we don't have Sirius anymore.
- my new piece of furniture! I wish I had a pic to show you ... the link's been deactivated already ... I did modify it a bit though, to make it more open and it needed a really thorough bath and I need to buy new door hardware for it. Overall, I think it's going to work for us and I'm super-pleased!
- my husband! I've been slightly hormonal (read: psychotic) lately and he appears to still love me even after I've had a temper-tantrum over a random thing ... except, Urban Cowboy, if you're reading this, yesterday's tantrum wasn't hormones and it wasn't random, either! LOL
- blooming daffodils & hyacinths! Now, if only it could get warm enough for the other flowers to start their thing!
- texting! I didn't know what I was missing before!
- my garage sale pile! It's getting bigger and bigger and hopefully I won't have to bring any of it home with me. I need less stuff to manage, keep organized, or store.
- my sewing machine! Last weekend I sewed a new bathroom curtain while Urban Cowbay napped his afternoon nap. Soon, his big boy bedroom curtain fabric will be here and I'll be able to get started on that project.
- my awesome family and friends! 'nuf said and that love is all the time, you know.
WHAT ARE YOU LOVING TODAY?

Urban Cowbaby UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Urban Cowgirl) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 15:42:00 +0000

The little man just turned 22 months and here's what he's been up to lately:
- in bath time he's recently begun to lay on his tummy and kick and play AND he also now enjoys laying back and dipping his hair in the water (previously these two actions made him very nervous - he's been a cautious little guy since birth!)
- he puts together 3 word sentences (and tries for bigger!) ... this weekend he pulled out, "where did it go?', "see you later", and "Happy Birthday Daddy".
- he is a bit of a tyrant when he doesn't get what he wants BUT we work really hard to keep the boundaries pretty clear so he seems to get over it relatively quickly
- he is always, always looking for trucks ... any kind of truck he can name, we have to constantly look for one when we're driving around (tow, fire, dump, garbage, transporter, tank, back loader, dirt mover, etc...)
- coming in from outside play is like fighting a battle in World War III!! He acts like we're trying to kill him just to come inside and eat lunch or have nap time!! I shouldn't laugh but it is so funny how upset he gets over this.
- in music class he is absolutely excelling and he is great at keeping the beat, singing along, requesting songs, and dancing the moves with us. It's insanely fun to participate in music class with him! I am so excited for when he'll be big enough for Dalcroze Eurhythmics classes!