Trying not to be overwhelmed!

Hi Friends!  Well, I've been back to work for 3 weeks now and I think it's going well.  The same week I went back to work, I started school again.  I'm only taking one class, but it does require a bit of studying and the teacher makes us turn in homework!!  What??  The hardest thing about going back to work and school has been finding a new "normal".  Just when I was getting into the groove of having a baby, it was time to change it up!  Sometimes, I love new schedules (like when I was in college), but in this case, I hate new schedules.  We have a new adjustment tomorrow that I've been dreading since the time I found out I was pregnant, Adelaide's first day at the babysitter's house.  I have no idea how that will change our "normal".  All of these things have left me feeling on the edge of overwhelmed.  I'm trying to keep it in perspective by remembering that with all things baby-related, I've found that the anticipation and anxiety is much worse than the actual event. 

I love Conan

I think I might name my next child after him...seriously...
I've always loved him and his silly dancing, but tonight I realized why I loved him so much.  He ended his last Tonight Show by telling young people not to be cynical, it's his least favorite quality.  He went on to say that nobody gets what they want exactly in life and if you work hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen.  Thanks Conan...you're the best, you're a funny, funny man and I heart you. 

Then, Jimmy poured a little out for Conan and I remembered that I love him too (but not as much as Conan).

Ten things I'm thankful for in Ten

Yesterday I was thinking about things that I'm thankful for in 2010 that I didn't realize were so great in 2009.  Here's 10 things that I would have turned up my nose at last year, but now I'm glad to have them.

1.  Toothless Grins:  I mean I personally don't want one, plus I have a good dentist, but look at this one.  Who wouldn't love this?!?!?!

2.  Bathtime:  I never really liked taking baths, but I found it pretty relaxing while I was pregnant.  I've since discovered something better, bathtime with Adelaide is so much fun.  She really likes the water and I'm teaching her to splash and kick and I love to see that big toothless grin!

3.  Tucks Pads:  Pregnancy and childbirth can really do a number on you...enough said...

4.  Cream that you wipe on other people's butts:  I've always thought that a career in nursing would be out for me because of things like this, but diaper rash cream is pretty awesome. 

5.  A little bit of flab: I don't really want flab, but I have it right now because I have Adelaide, so it's ok (for now).

6.  Laundry:  I've always disliked putting away clothes more than any other chore except emptying the dishwasher.  However, I don't mind laundry as much anymore, even though we have a lot more of it.  I'm happy to be using cloth diapers and they've got to get clean somehow!

7.  Large pieces of fabric the you wrap around your body:  Before a baby, I would say that wearing fabric that in a way that somewhat resembles a sumo wrestler would be a fashion no-no, but now, I say fashion yes.  These baby wearing devices are awesome and allow me to walk around and use my arms.

8.  Big boobs: Well to be 100% honest, I still don't really adore them, but they're doing me a solid and feeding my baby.  It's just too bad that they had to get SO MUCH bigger.  Here's hoping that don't stay like this forever...or one day I'll have to be thankful for plastic surgeons.

9.  Projectile (anything):  Yes, I am even thankful for projectile poop.  I have yet to experience projectile vomit, we'll see if this still holds up then.

10.  Very little sleep:  If you know me, then you know how much I cherish my sleep.  It's one of my favorite pasttimes.  However, I am happy to sacrifice some sleep time for Adelaide.  But, I'm about 100 times as thankful that she started sleeping through the night already!

A New New Years Resolution

I'm going to keep my NYR from last year: to be more thankful, but I'm going to add a few goals for this year.  I want to do a better job watching how I spend my money, not only because I want to save more money, but because your wallet does a lot of talking for you.  You don't have to make a campaign contribution to vote with your money.  When you buy products, you are telling the producer/manufacturer, "I approve of this product and the processes used to make it."  For example, I love orangutans, but if I buy products that contain an ingredient that causes habitat destruction, what am I really saying?  So, I try not to purchase products that contain palm oil, because palm oil plantations are the number one reason that rainforests in Borneo are being cut down.  It takes a little effort to figure these things out, but it's important to me not just to support something with words, I want to support a cause where it really counts.  It's not always best to buy a product just because it's cheaper.  I want to know that my money is supporter a responsible company...how do their products affect the environment and the people who make them. 

So, the first thing on my list is to finally join a CSA this year.  I found out about CSAs in 2005 and I've been thinking about joining one since.  If you don't know what a CSA is, it's basically buying a share in an organic farm for a season and then getting a box of produce every week during the growing season.  This year, I'm actually going to do it because the food tastes better, it has more nutrients, it supports local farmers, and the growing practices help protect the environment. 

I'm not going to lie, sometimes I don't have time to research something, but I'm going to do it as often as I can before making purchases, especially major ones.  In addition, it's not always easy to find the information you need.  But, I'm going to put in a good faith effort to buy from companies that don't exploit the environment and treat their employees fairly.  I know I'll feel like a better person for doing it, even if it takes a little bit of my time and energy. 

Oh What a Christmas...

Our first Christmas with Adelaide was wonderful. However, talk about not what you expected...you know those days when all the plans you've made are foiled by fate, this was that trip. I was schooled in the art of flexibility this past weekend.

We wanted to limit the amount of packing up our stuff and moving that we had to do, so we plannned to stay at only one house. But that all changed when my husband started puking on Christmas at 11pm. So, the day after Christmas, I packed up our stuff and Adelaide and I moved to my Mom and Dad's house.

Somehow, 15 people from his family got sick on Christmas after we got together with them on Christmas Eve. Luckily, I ended up only getting about as half as sick as the original group, but it is definitely hard to take care of a baby when you have to go to the bathroom every 1/2 hour or when you have to run up two flights of stairs to throw up. I had to hand over the baby duties to my Mom (except the feeding) for the night. It was a decidedly inconvenient time for all of us to be sick, because 1)it sucks to be sick with a baby, 2)Adelaide was being baptized on the 27th, 3) my birthday is on the 27th!

I made it through the night without anymore throwing up, but apparently Adelaide wanted to keep Grandma up until 4:30am. Despite the rough night, we all seemed to be getting ready on track to be on time to church, until I started dressing Adelaide. As soon as I took off her diaper, projectile poop! Yep, poop, and a lot of it, all over the front of me, good thing that I was wearing black!

To make a long story short, I got most of the poop off, we made it to church on time even with unplowed roads, Adelaide behaved wonderfully for her baptism, and we even kept our lunch reservation at the restaurant. Sadly, like me, Sean's Dad became a secondary casualty of the Christmas Eve virus, so he didn't make it the baptism. But, all in all, I would consider it a great first Christmas for Adelaide.

You should always expect a few hiccups in your plan, especially with a baby:) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

Reflections on my NYR

I decided to grade myself on my New Year's Resolution (which was to write weekly on this blog to publicly acknowledge the things for which I need to be thankful). I guess if I measured by quantity of blog posts, I'd probably get a D. But, I'm not going to measure that way because I hate bad grades. Since this is my assignment, I'm allowed to grade however I want. Honestly, I wanted to do more blog posts, so I give myself a C in that area. But, the real point of this blog was to be more appreciative of the good things in my life. In that category, I get an A-. It doesn't require a written declaration to have gratitude, so I think it's fair to give myself a better grade in that area.

A long time ago, I became a "glass half-empty" person. Seeing things from the "half-empty" perspective can be tough on the psyche. I decided I needed to change and started writing the blog so that I could help myself and incorporate a little accountability into the project. Learning to see more things from the "half-full" perspective is a huge step to becoming a happier person. In the end, this is what I really want so that I can be a better me, a better wife, and most importantly, a better mom.

I've figured out how to type and hold a baby!

Yay! I have figured out how to type and hold Addy! Mind you, she's sleeping right now, but I'm typing with both hands! Hopefully, I won't have to ignore my blog for such a long period of time now. I've been wanting to write this blog post for a long time so it's been stewing in my brain for some time...let's hope it got better with time.

Almost 4 weeks ago, I gave birth. Now, tons of people give birth, but it really is a difficult undertaking. A couple weeks ago, I wrote a shout out to myself for trying to be healthy during my pregnancy, but now I want to give myself a super-sized shout out for laboring and delivering a baby. I did not want to have an epidural, and even though I was induced, I survived without one. Let me tell you, it was painful and it was hard work, but I am so glad that I did it. Now, I have no reason ever to doubt my ability to handle what life throws at me.

Ok, well Adelaide is waking up...so my post will have to take a time out...