Quick, before I get Sidetrack'd

Archive for March, 2008

Can I blame this on Boo?

Thoughtfully penned on March 12th, 2008 and generally concerning Pregnancy

I’ve started working through a birth plan for Baby Boo and trying to get it all formulated and on paper.  As a result of giving birth at a different hospital this time than last time (and using a different OB and OB group), I had a few questions for my doctor about her position on things and a few questions about the hospital’s policies.


Knowing that I had my 34 week appointment on Monday morning, I spent some time Sunday afternoon writing out my questions to be sure I didn’t forget something.  On Sunday evening, we attended a meeting at church where I lent my notebook to a friend.  I left the notebook with said friend.


So, Sunday night I wrote out my questions again (hoping that I got everything I had the first time around).  I got to the doctor’s office on Monday morning only to realize that I’d left that list of questions at home!


I would love to blame this on pregnancy brain, but it probably would have happened even if I wasn’t pregnant.
 

Tackle it Tuesday

Thoughtfully penned on March 11th, 2008 and generally concerning Tackle It Tuesday

Tackle It Tuesday Meme

Not much tackling happened around here this week. Little and I spent most of the week fighting and recovering from a yucky stomach bug. So, I tackled an unusually large amount of laundry and disinfecting the bathrooms. Sounds fun, huh? Sometimes you just have to do what is needed.

We’ll see what the next week holds in the Tackles department. Happy tackling!

A Southern snowstorm

Thoughtfully penned on March 10th, 2008 and generally concerning E, Of games and good things, Winter

At the beginning of last week they were predicting a “substantial” snowfall in our part of Tennessee for Friday. Now, we don’t get snow often, so when we hear this prediction, at least once a winter, we usually go on about our business and expect rain. But this time, as we neared the end of the week it looked as if the moisture and cold air would indeed be here at the same time and that we might get some of the white stuff.

Friday, the city was in panic mode – schools were closing early, streets were being salted, people were packing the grocery stores – before a single flake had been spotted. Oh yes, these are the ways of Southerners when threatened with winter weather; even if the prediction is only for a 1/2 inch this is how we react, but now they were saying we could get 4-6 inches.

About 1:00 Friday afternoon the snow began to fall. This wasn’t our usual half rain/half snow slushy accumulation type of winter weather, this was full-blown all-white, all-the-time snow. It snowed consistently for about 10 hours, and we woke up Saturday morning with approximately 4 inches of snow.

This was the scene in our backyard….

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Later in the morning we took Little out to play in it. She was not overly impressed and even seemed a bit frightened at times; I guess that is only to be expected, though, since this was really her first experience with snow. She did walk into it when coerced, but for the most part she preferred to stay on the patio, driveway, and sidewalks where most of it had already melted. Her biggest concern was that the snow was getting on our shoes; she would point at her shoes (or mine or Matt’s) and say “shoes” with a very worried expression on her face and tone in her voice. It was like she thought the snow was eating our feet or something.

Here’s a picture of her “playing in the snow”…

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(Please disregard the fact that she isn’t wearing mittens or a hat. I tried, but she kept taking the mittens off and her hood kept falling off her head. We weren’t out that long, and she never actually touched the stuff, so no fingers or ears were lost in the making of this post.)

I enjoy watching it fall and seeing it lay prettily on the ground, but I think Matt enjoyed it most of all. He was able to make snowballs (which Little thought were pretty funny), and even had plenty of snow to build a small snowman.

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And today, the temps are in the mid-60s, and that is more than fine with this Southern girl. A bit of snow is fun every now and then, but now that I’ve seen some this year I’m ready to move on. Bring on Spring!

A great babywearing giveaway

Thoughtfully penned on March 9th, 2008 and generally concerning Blogging News, Contests, Sidetrack'd

An Ordinary Life has teamed up with Sleepy Wrap to offer a great babywearing giveaway – one lucky winner will receive a new wrap (in either black or red) plus $100 cash from Sleepy Wrap!

I’ve had my eye on these wraps since my SIL got hers; she has raved so much about it that I decided I definitely need one when Baby Boo arrives. The Sleepy Wrap website has a bunch of great testimonials as well, such as, “Your Sleepy Wrap is awesome. My son JuÅ¡ likes it very much. I can’t imagine my life without it.” by Nika K.

And now I should say that if you’re interested check out the contest here, but I really don’t want to because I want to win this one myself!

Let’s Party! Ultimate Blog Party ’08

Thoughtfully penned on March 7th, 2008 and generally concerning Blogging News, Sidetrack'd

Welcome to Sidetrack’d and my little corner of this big bloggy party! Grab a cup of coffee or tea and a snack (sorry I don’t have anything prepared, we’ve been under the weather this week) and come hang out for a while.

A bit about me…

I am Jana, wife to a wonderful man, Matt, and mom to an adorable 19 month old girl (Little) and to Baby Boo who will grace us with his presence in a few weeks. I spend most of my time chasing Little, reading Dr. Seuss books, and taking care of my family and home. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, blogging, cooking, hanging out with friends, and being outdoors. If you spend any time here, I hope you will realize that I am a Christian and strive to raise my children to know and love Jesus. If you are interested in learning a bit more about me, click here to view my latest meme.

A bit about Sidetrack’d…

I started blogging just over a year ago as a way to stay connected to friends and family and to connect with other blogging moms. Like my life (and the way my mind works), the writing here is somewhat scattered. I write about my family, my life, my faith, my goals with a bit of baseball, books, comedy, and video games thrown in for good measure. I’ve found this is a good way to journal some thoughts, record stories about Little, and “hang out” with some online and distant friends.

Thanks for stopping by to visit; I hope to see you again soon. I look forward to meeting many new bloggers during the party and have a feeling that the Ultimate Blog Party ’08 is going to be even bigger than last year!

One of the fun things about this party are all the great prizes; if you haven’t checked out the prize list, you really should hop over there. Of all the cool things they are giving away, my top 3 picks would be:

~#26 – Nursing cover by The Pitter Patter Boutique
~#22 – Nursing cover by Peekaboobaby
~#37 – Moby Wrap offered by From Dates to Diapers

If these three are taken, I’d love to have any of the following (in no particular order): 4, 34, 77, 84, 103, 137, 141, any of the Amazon, Target or Starbucks GCs, or anything related to toddlers (girl) or babies (boy).

Thanks to 5 Minutes for Mom for throwing a great party! Enjoy!

Ultimate Blog Party 2008

Tagged

Thoughtfully penned on March 6th, 2008 and generally concerning Meme, Sidetrack'd

I’ve been tagged for the Crazy Eights meme by Lu, and so, I present you with several things (in groups of eight) that you may or may not want to know about me.

8 things I want to do before I die

1. Know that my children have accepted Christ and will be with Him for eternity
2. Go back to school (right now I’m thinking nursing or lactation consulting)
3. Travel to Europe and visit several countries via EuroRail
4. Train for and run a marathon
5. Learn to sew
6. Make a quilt
7. Know my grandchildren (and hopefully great-grandchildren)
8. Celebrate my 50th wedding anniversary

8 things I say often

1. There ya go (I’m discovering that I say this anytime I do anything for Little)
2. Alrighty
3. No or Stop
4. I’m not sure what that means (to Little)
5. I love you
6. We’ll see David and Lindsey later (or tomorrow, in a few minutes, etc)
7. I don’t know; what is that?
8. I’m doing pretty good; we’re kicking along (when asked about the pregnancy/baby)

8 songs I sing over and over again

1. The Itsy-Bitsy Spider
2. Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes
3. It Is Well With My Soul
4. Jesus Loves Me
5. How Can I Keep from Singing Your Praise
6. whatever we sang in church on Sunday
7. If All the Raindrops Were Lemondrops and Gumdrops
8. whatever is currently stuck in my head

8 things I’m passionate about

1. My God and my faith
2. My marriage
3. My children
4. My friends
5. My extended family
6. Nursing baby Boo
7. Babywearing Boo more than I did Little
8. Getting Boo into the world safely

8 books I’ve read recently

1. The Kite Runner
2. The Nanny Diaries
3. An Irish Country Doctor
4. Pride and Prejudice
5. The Birth Book
6. The Foot Book
7. Mr. Brown Can Moo
8. Pajama Time

8 things that attract me to my best friends

1. Love of Christ
2. Sense of humor
3. Common interests and values
4. Honesty and sincerity
5. Ability to converse (in a meaningful way, not just talk)
6. Ahead of me in life and wiser than I
7. Have fun just being together
8. Our families (husbands and children) can be friends as well

8 people I think should do Crazy Eights

1. Lauren
2. Sheryl
3. Leah
4. Lora Lynn
5. Diane
6, 7, 8. Anyone who is interested

Let me know if you decide to play along.

It’s days like these

Thoughtfully penned on March 5th, 2008 and generally concerning E, Motherhood, Plagues and Pestilence

It’s days like these that make one wonder whether you’re cut-out for this motherhood thing…

The days that begin at 2:30 a.m. (thanks, insomnia) with the knowledge that there is a 19 month old to be chased all day; the realization that it is only a few weeks until the newborn will be keeping you up and the 19 month old will still need to be chased. The days when Da-da goes to get the toddler out of bed only to find her throwing up. The days when, based on the state of her bedding, the toddler apparently threw up all night long and you didn’t know because she never cried or called out in the night. The days when you run errands after 6 hours vomit free only to get home and the toddler to throw up again before you can get her jacket off. The days when vomiting ceases only to be followed by a diaper, the likes of which you haven’t seen since breastfed-baby-blowouts. The days of terrible smells lingering in your nose. The days of multiple baths and multiple loads of laundry. The days of cleaning upholstery and floors.

However, it is days like these when the busy toddler stops long enough to snuggle on the couch and read books; when long naps mean Momma gets a nap, too; when you realize that you are the only one who can make it better, ease the fear, and comfort with just the right snuggles.

It is these tough days, interspersed with the “routine” days, that make one recognize what motherhood is. It is days like these that when you appreciate that the positives far outweigh the negatives. It is days like these when you comprehend how deep your love is for that little one. It is days like these when you know you would never give up motherhood just to avoid days like these.

Happy birthday, and a big blogging party

Thoughtfully penned on March 5th, 2008 and generally concerning Blogging News, Sidetrack'd

Somehow, in the midst of this thing called life, I failed to notice that Sidetrack’d turned one year old last month! It has been a year of recording my thoughts, telling stories, posting various comical things, and meeting some great fellow bloggers. Thanks to each of you for stopping by to read, taking time to comment, encouraging me, and making this whole thing even more fun (and addicting) than it should be. I’m looking forward to the coming year.

And in other blogging news…

Ultimate Blog Party 2008

It’s that time of year again – time for the Ultimate Blog Party 2008 hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom, and boy do Susan and Janice know how to throw a party! There were about 1000 bloggers who attended last year’s party, and this year will probably be even bigger. There are people to meet, blogs to be discovered, and prizes to be won; the party starts this Friday, March 7th, and continues until Friday, March 14th. Click on the button above, or the one in the side bar, to join in the fun!

Tackle it Tuesday – a clean fridge

Thoughtfully penned on March 4th, 2008 and generally concerning Goals, Housework, Tackle It Tuesday

Tackle It Tuesday Meme

At the moment I should be tackling sleep, but, alas, pregnancy insomnia strikes again and here I sit typing a blog post instead. It seems there is no rest for the pregnant and weary.

My big tackle for this week has been cleaning the inside of my refrigerator. It is truly amazing (and pretty gross) the amount of gunk and funk that can accumulate on fridge shelves and walls over a period of time. So Thursday I set to work washing shelves and those little door compartment thingies, wiping down the walls and door, and scrubbing underneath the bottom drawers. Not a fun job, but definitely one that needed to be done. And now my fridge is nice and clean; we’ll see how long it stays that way.

I also dusted (there’s that word again) the inside of our TV cabinet. Because we have a low-sitting cabinet the doors have child-safety locks on them and I just don’t think about cleaning in there. Needless to say, it had become quite dusty over the last several months.

And, I’m still at work on the magazine pile; it is slowly dwindling. I think I’m down to 5 or 6 issues, but I’ve focused most of my reading time this week on The Birth Book in preparation for Boo’s arrival.

What is to come this week? I’m not sure. Matt has been on me the last few weeks about doing too much, so I’ll probably try to take it a little easier on the “extra” housework. We have company (my SIL and her family) coming this weekend, so I will definitely get the cleaning basics done. Other than that, there are a few projects that I’d like to (or need to) get done before baby comes. And today, I must finish my Bible Study before I go to class tomorrow morning.

Good luck with your tackles!

A couple of funnies to start your week

Thoughtfully penned on March 3rd, 2008 and generally concerning Highly Comical, Sidetrack'd

Here are a couple of funny things I’ve run across recently and thought I would share for your viewing pleasure.

The first is a strip from my favorite comic, Get Fuzzy…

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The second is a YouTube video of a 3 year old summarizing Star Wars Episode IV; this one really made me laugh. One of my favorite parts is at the very end when she says, “Don’t talk back to Darth Vader. He’ll get you.” via The Forty-Second Parallel

Happy Monday!