Carpets and cat hair, don't let me breathe on you

So on Sunday, I got this bug up my ass to FINALLY use the carpet cleaner that we had borrowed from Jamie's folks a month ago. Jamie was out paintballing, and I decided it had to be done NOW. I moved all of the furniture into the dining room and then started picking up all of the toys that had been shoved under all of that furniture. 30 minutes later, Jamie walked in, he had no idea what he was in for. His eyes got big, then he went and put all his gear away, changed and came to where I was still picking up toys and all the other crap that was left on the floor. I promptly started crying, and he and Anna helped me finish up picking up everything, then he got out the vacuum cleaner, THEN he started the claning. OH MY GOD,it was disgusting. I am so very ashamed of the color of the water. 5 hours later, he finished. Yes, 5 hours. He is wonderful, I so totally am lucky and grateful for him. The next morning, I woke up sore, like deep in your bones sore, with a sore throat and a fever. So on that note, it may be a couple days before I update again, because I am probably out in the living room, watching Dora and being made "pretty" with Anna's crayons, while inhaling cat hair that Pooka insists on having me swallow as she tries to get oh so close whenever I am in that room.

Spoiled!

So we went away for a few days, to join Jamie's folks, up in their time share condo in a little town called Helen. Helen is a little village patterned like one form the Alps, very German-ey and picturesque, nestled at the bottom of one of the mountains of North georgia. It was beautiful. Our rooms looked out on the Chattahoochee River ( any else just get "Way down yonder on the Chattahoochee" By Alan Jackson start going through their head? I've had it going non stop whenever I think of it. It was gorgeous. Anna got completely spoiled rotten by her Nana and Pops, and Mommy and Daddy got a little break, and also some great time visitng time as we all took turns with Anna.

We travelled about 20 minutes away, into Cleveland, GA, to go visit the birthplace of the Cabbage Patch Dolls, Babyland! It was so neat, seeing ow they have changed in 30 years. You walk through a self guided tour of the facility, coming out into a main room that has the Crystal Tree, where the baby cabbages are born! See the tale here.

Unfortunately, after going through the very first rooms, Anna had a throw up fest, all over Mommy. With a breakfast of bagels, bacon, candies, corn chips, Tylenol ( from a Mommy who was told that Anna's head hurt), covering Mommy and Anna, we ushed into the bathroom, where we spent the next 30 minutes with Nana half naked ( strippers in the ladies bathroom!) trying to get the puke off of our clothes. By the time our shirts were cleaned off, rinsed and not dripping anymore, Anna was giggly and excited to be helping Nana push the blower button. Mommy was just grateful to have a shirt on again, and such an amazing strong stomached Mom in law. We left the bathroom, somewhat dishevelled, just in time to watch a new baby Cabbage Patch be "born". I was dying to go through the whole process for Anna, but she started turning green again, so outside we went, into a great Cabbage Patch themed garden while we waited for everyone to make their purchases. Anna was fine after this though, and ate a great dinner and had an excellent sleep that night.

Time's a tickin

I was looking through old updates that I did of Anna to send to our far off friends and families, and then started looking through all the itty bitty squishy yummy baby pictures and I'm in full ticking mode for number 2. We of course, have talked about this numerous times over the past year and a half, and have come to the conclusion that right now, just isn't a good time for us. Jamie has a huge project that will take up his evenings and weekends for the next ten months, and there's no way in hell that I will be pregnant while he's only home to sleep. Even the chubby cheeks and coos aren't enough to combat dealing with a 3 yr old while pregnant alone.

So I sit here, and get all gooey looking at sweet cuddly baby pictures, conveniently forgetting not wearing my rings for 6 months bother before and after giving birth, the c section pains, sleepless nights, again before and after. In something like a dream, there's a vague recollection of hating being pregnant, hating gaining weight, going to the bathroom every 10 minutes. But the miracle of feeling movement for the first time, (it wasn't gas I swear), holding her, in my drug induced head, through the pain of the surgery, seeing my perfect baby girl, and over the last 3 years, watching her grow into this amazing little girl.

Stars and Polka Dots

I saw this today and had to share it.

American customer: “Your flag is just so pretty. I love maple leaves. Does it come in blue?”

Me: “Um, no, sorry, only red.”

American customer: “That’s a shame. My kitchen is blue, and it would look so pretty on the wall. You should make them in other colours.”

Me: “…”

Canadian customer behind her: “That’s a good point. I’ve always thought the stars-and-stripes would look great in earth tones.”

American customer: “Our flag is ALWAYS red, white and blue! Honestly, Canadians are so stupid sometimes.”

http://notalwaysright.com/personally-i-prefer-stars-and-polkadots/1180

Mommy Guilt

I have recently, as well as not so recently, been afflicted with Mommy guilt. What is this you ask? For those of you living under a rock, Mommy guilt, the affliction that strikes most if not all of us. From the most devout, to the funnest, the stay at home mom, the working mom, the homeschooling mom, the preschool Mom. Why do we second guess, and judge ourselves? Has society made us question ourselves so much, that we cannot even feed our child without the fear of being judged. No matter what we decide, there is always that level of wondering if we are doing the right thing as a parent.

When do we stand up and say this is my child, I am doing a damn good job with him/her. Parenting styles may be different, and that's okay. Why is it okay then, that we allow ourselves to be stepped over, and shamed for our decisions, instead of applauded and respected.

As our children grow, we get into the comparisons, thank you Parenting magazines and milestone quizzes. ( Is your 9 month old talking, reading and doing multiplication tables while standing on a ball yet? No? You may want to see your pediatrician for a referral to a specialist.)
I should mention here, that I am perfectly fine with however Bug is going to turn out. I personally am NOT a genius, nor am I even close to being one. Therefore, if Bug does end up taking after me, instead of her child genius Daddy, it's okay. I will not be disappointed, because honestly, how annoying would it be having 2 people in the house who can talk me around in circles? My wish for Anna, is to learn empathy, compassion, assertiveness and confidence in herself. If she is an A student, that's okay, and if she is a C student, that is okay, as long as she tries her hardest. Am I setting her up for failure? I don't think so.

Magical Kisses

With the new school year started, and a month in, I am proud to say that we have managed to be healthy for a whole 1 week so far! After having this last week with a clean bill of health, Anna has a fever this morning, and is just a little bit off color today. She's more cuddly then normal. Thank god for vaccinations and modern medicines, because I don't know how she, or I would have lived without Tylenol or Benadryl.

She still believes in the magic of Mommy kisses the most though. Daddy offers, and she will turn her nose in the air, and run to Mommy, apparently mine have some extra special healing magic in them. I thinks its the flavored chapstick. But there is something about the Mommy, that heals hurts, whether its a cut finger, up sick late at night, or a broken heart. Even now, when something is bothering me, I still always go for my Mommy first. I am lucky however, to have the good fortune, to have three Moms to turn to, for advice, sympathy, and some good old fashioned bitch sessions, depending on the Mom I call. I am very blessed to have all three, and all three always give me so much love and comfort. I hope the magic stays with Anna forever, and that Mommy will always help to soothe her hurts.

Tale of a girl

I decided to try this blogging thing once again, for my far away friends, and family who like to keep track of how we are doing in our world we have built down here.
We are well, we have so far survived yet another Hurricane season, getting by passed Hannah, and getting nothing but a little breeze thanks to Ike. Our prayers to Cari and Staci's family, although I understand they are just getting some rain/wind. This years season, found us finally buying a NOAA radio, although we still haven't gotten batteries. Dad, I swear it's on the list!

We have also lived through our first month back to "school", the Mother's Day Out program that we have Bug enrolled in. She goes twice a week, for 4 hours each day, and it is great. I get to run errands, nap, clean , shop, and maybe sometimes play video games. She is doing very well though, and it gets her interacting with other kids, and learning so many neat things. She loves to tell me about her day, when I pick her up, and all about what she did! I have picked her up, and she picks weeds flowers for me, that we put in water, along with the pictures they color with the color of the day.

We are well on our way to potty training, and Bug is really taking to it. We have the odd accident, but she is more then happy to help me clean it up. I have however decided to not bore you too much with tales of potty training, to try and keep some of Bugs' modesty.