As you are probably well aware, there is nothing pretty about childbirth. I now know why men were to wait outside during childbirth in the old days. Once my husband saw our first child born I thought for sure we would never have sex again. That is until we had sex in December of last year and this September our second child was born. Yes, Sure-Shot has met and married Fertile Myrtle. What a bad combination if you are done having children.
Now I'd like you to think I'm the ultimate prude, but that isn't the case. Sex is something I really enjoy with my husband. He apparently doesn't mind either since one of his New Years resolutions for 2007 was to please me as often as I wished (which can be often). As he would say, he did his job so well our second child was born in September. Generally this wouldn't be a problem, but since I've been pregnant for the better part of the last 2 years, I'm paranoid that I will get pregnant again. I know that mentally and physically my body can't handle being pregnant right now and needs a couple years to get back on track again. You can imagine what happens next. "Not right now honey, I have a headache". Just kidding but if the paranoia doesn't kill the mood then the lack of sleep takes care of that.
Yes there is protection that can be used. Since my hormones are so messed up right now the pill and any female surgery (hysterectomy, tubal ligation, etc.) is out. I need to let the status quo come back to normal before I start screwing around with my hormones again (no pun intended). IUD's are out on principle and condoms work when used and if they don't break. This leads to abstinence. What a bummer that is. What's the point in being married if you are afraid of having sex because you don't want to get pregnant? And to think there are couples out there who can only dream of being in a situation where they can get pregnant at the drop of a hat.
The last option is to have my husband get snipped. I see no problem with this. We would be able to have sex as often as we want and not have to worry about what happens 40 weeks later. It's an outpatient procedure that takes next to no time and has few side affects. The only problem is that my husband is too afraid to do it. Interesting how it's alright for me to pass 9 lb bowling balls from between my legs but he can't have 2 minor cuts made? What a double standard that is and it's pissing me off!!!
Would you be able to tell from this that my husband doesn't want any more children? We love the children we have but 2 is more than enough for both of us. They call them Irish Twins. It's really difficult right now since they are both babies, but it is supposed to get easier in a couple years. We'll see, but that's a couple years away and right now it's tough.
If you have any ideas please pass them along. I'm more than willing to listen.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Trust Your Gut!!!
It's Christmas night about 11:30 pm. I walk into the kids room to check on them, something I do periodically, and trip over the cord to the electric heater. Generally not a big deal but I begin to hear a very quiet hissing noise that almost sounds like someone welding two things together from somewhere off in the distance. I move around the room to try and determine the location of the hissing noise and decide it's coming from behind one of the dressers. That happens to be the outlet where the heater is plugged in. So I decide to turn off the heater. Once I do the sound disappears. But then before I leave the room I get a bug up my ass to unplug the heater. Why I'm not sure but I just want to do it, have to do it. You know that little voice deep inside your head that tells you when you're being a jack ass or that you really need to do something? That little voice told me to unplug the heater.
Now I'm on a mission to unplug the heater from the outlet. Since it's behind the dresser this proves to be a much larger challenge than just reaching behind a piece of furniture to unplug it. This dresser is heavy and difficult to maneuver since it's between two other pieces of furniture. I'm able to move the dresser enough to see what I'm dealing with. The plug doesn't look good. It's partially out of the socket and the cord is in some very bad angle. In fact it can't be seen until it's on top of the plug. I'm not an engineer but this can't be good. Now I really need to remove the plug if for no other reason to put it in another location. Eventually I'm able to move the dresser out enough to get behind it and pull out the plug.
When I look at it with the flashlight it looks bad. One of the prongs is black at the base where it enters the plastic. When I'm able to wake my husband and tell him what happened, and we move the dresser back into place, I bring the heater into the family room where I'm able to look at the plug closely. Not only was the prong blackened at the base, but it looks like the blackened portion was originating from the inside out. The gray plastic surrounding the prong turned various shades of brown and had begun to melt. The discoloration extended to the outside of the plastic plug and appeared to be heading toward the cord itself. It had not covered the head where the prongs stick out but it may have done so given more time. Since I heard the hissing for less than a minute before turning off the heater, gulp...
Holy Crap!! What would have happened if I left the room and didn't listen to my gut telling me I needed to unplug the cord? What if I didn't have such sensitive hearing and I didn't hear the hissing? What if I had given up trying to unplug the cord when I had trouble moving the dresser? It frightens me to think that a fire could have taken the lives of my most precious gifts. Was my husband correct when he said I probably saved our lives tonight? Who knows.
Am I over reacting? I hope so, but something tells me that things could have been really ugly tonight if I had not unplugged the heater.
The bottom line is this: If that little voice is telling you to do something LISTEN!!! You never know what will happen. I can only hope this helps someone.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and continue to do so for many years to come!
Now I'm on a mission to unplug the heater from the outlet. Since it's behind the dresser this proves to be a much larger challenge than just reaching behind a piece of furniture to unplug it. This dresser is heavy and difficult to maneuver since it's between two other pieces of furniture. I'm able to move the dresser enough to see what I'm dealing with. The plug doesn't look good. It's partially out of the socket and the cord is in some very bad angle. In fact it can't be seen until it's on top of the plug. I'm not an engineer but this can't be good. Now I really need to remove the plug if for no other reason to put it in another location. Eventually I'm able to move the dresser out enough to get behind it and pull out the plug.
When I look at it with the flashlight it looks bad. One of the prongs is black at the base where it enters the plastic. When I'm able to wake my husband and tell him what happened, and we move the dresser back into place, I bring the heater into the family room where I'm able to look at the plug closely. Not only was the prong blackened at the base, but it looks like the blackened portion was originating from the inside out. The gray plastic surrounding the prong turned various shades of brown and had begun to melt. The discoloration extended to the outside of the plastic plug and appeared to be heading toward the cord itself. It had not covered the head where the prongs stick out but it may have done so given more time. Since I heard the hissing for less than a minute before turning off the heater, gulp...
Holy Crap!! What would have happened if I left the room and didn't listen to my gut telling me I needed to unplug the cord? What if I didn't have such sensitive hearing and I didn't hear the hissing? What if I had given up trying to unplug the cord when I had trouble moving the dresser? It frightens me to think that a fire could have taken the lives of my most precious gifts. Was my husband correct when he said I probably saved our lives tonight? Who knows.
Am I over reacting? I hope so, but something tells me that things could have been really ugly tonight if I had not unplugged the heater.
The bottom line is this: If that little voice is telling you to do something LISTEN!!! You never know what will happen. I can only hope this helps someone.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas and continue to do so for many years to come!
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Holiday Gifts for Baby
With the recent problems with lead tainted toys for children it makes a person scratch their head and wonder what do I purchase for the little ones for the holidays? The solution for my friends and family has been to purchase clothing, books, videos, and the ever useful gift card. Since all the children I am buying for have more toys than they can count, don't need any furniture or accessories but love to read, color, and watch kids television shows then the solution was a rather easy one. Clothing, books and videos. With the occasional box of crayons here and there.
I realize that when I was growing up lead based paint was all that existed at the time and not only did we chew on the painted items in our room and the toys but we also inhaled the dust and other lead based particles that were in the house. But for some reason what is taking place today seems much worse. It could be that so many items are being recalled. Or maybe that the amount of lead in the items is so high. What about all the other items we use that are toxic and we don't even know it. Take for instance the chemical that is used to soften plastic, Phthalate (there are 6 of them)? It's in the nipples of bottles, toys, cribs, etc. Shouldn't we be concerned with that as well? Apparently the state of California is. Funny, Europe has banned 3 of the chemicals in all children's toys and childcare articles as of 1999. See link for the article http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2005/2005-07-06-05.asp.
Who knows banning Phthalate might be a good thing. When you consider plastic is a petroleum derivative, if we cut down on it's use in any way that leaves more petroleum for gas and other items. Could this assist in lowering the price of gas? Only wishful thinking on my part, but can you blame me?
Personally I think the big problem we are having with recalled toys is that there are few products available and that we are so concerned with quantity and keeping up with the Jones' that we are not willing to pay higher prices for fewer items. This is why we are manufacturing in China in the first place. As a society we want the best but aren't willing to pay for it. I'm no better. However I'm attempting to change that. I have begun to purchase fewer products at higher prices to help ensure my child's safety. Will it work, I don't know, but I have to hope that any change for the better is a step in the right direction.
I realize that when I was growing up lead based paint was all that existed at the time and not only did we chew on the painted items in our room and the toys but we also inhaled the dust and other lead based particles that were in the house. But for some reason what is taking place today seems much worse. It could be that so many items are being recalled. Or maybe that the amount of lead in the items is so high. What about all the other items we use that are toxic and we don't even know it. Take for instance the chemical that is used to soften plastic, Phthalate (there are 6 of them)? It's in the nipples of bottles, toys, cribs, etc. Shouldn't we be concerned with that as well? Apparently the state of California is. Funny, Europe has banned 3 of the chemicals in all children's toys and childcare articles as of 1999. See link for the article http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2005/2005-07-06-05.asp.
Who knows banning Phthalate might be a good thing. When you consider plastic is a petroleum derivative, if we cut down on it's use in any way that leaves more petroleum for gas and other items. Could this assist in lowering the price of gas? Only wishful thinking on my part, but can you blame me?
Personally I think the big problem we are having with recalled toys is that there are few products available and that we are so concerned with quantity and keeping up with the Jones' that we are not willing to pay higher prices for fewer items. This is why we are manufacturing in China in the first place. As a society we want the best but aren't willing to pay for it. I'm no better. However I'm attempting to change that. I have begun to purchase fewer products at higher prices to help ensure my child's safety. Will it work, I don't know, but I have to hope that any change for the better is a step in the right direction.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
What to Give the person who has everything...
One day my sister-in-law and I were talking and she asked for my opinion on what to give her cousin who is going to have a baby but has more money than she can count. My suggestion was to give her a gift that consisted of items that are must-haves but everyone either forgets to tell you about or doesn't know about. So the list of items began:
- TRUST YOUR GUT FEELING!!! (when it comes to thinking something isn't right, including advise).
- Mylicon (anti-gas).
- Tylenol (for 2 mo and up).
- Gripe Water (amazing for gas, colic and stomach upsets).
- Book: Smart Medicine for a Healthy Child (reference book listing conventional, herbal, homeopathy treatments along with nutritional supplements, recommendations and prevention for just about anything you can think of).
- Bottle warmer.
-Corn Starch (for diaper rash, instead of baby powder which contains fragrance and other chemicals). Don't use talc. It gets into the babies lungs.
- Rice cereal (a life saver when your baby can't eat enough food).
- Don't purchase a base for your infant car seat. Waste of money.
- Jogging stroller (if you plan on doing any walking, running, rollerblading with baby).
- Don't think breastfeeding is the only way. Formula is a great thing even if it's only used to supplement breastfeeding. This comes in handy since it stays with the baby longer than breast milk and can assist with better sleeping at night.
- If your child is Colicy check his/her diet. My children had a milk protein allergy (very common). Key signs are little weight gain, incredibly bad smelling poop, pooping very often and always being hungry. Special non-milk based formula was required because my milk dried up while trying to remove all milk/dairy from my diet. They also had acid reflux (very common). Key signs are bubbling at the mouth and gulping air to keep acid down. Something you will notice more often when they are getting hungry and while sleeping.
- TRUST YOUR GUT FEELING!!! (when it comes to thinking something isn't right, including advise).
- Mylicon (anti-gas).
- Tylenol (for 2 mo and up).
- Gripe Water (amazing for gas, colic and stomach upsets).
- Book: Smart Medicine for a Healthy Child (reference book listing conventional, herbal, homeopathy treatments along with nutritional supplements, recommendations and prevention for just about anything you can think of).
- Bottle warmer.
-Corn Starch (for diaper rash, instead of baby powder which contains fragrance and other chemicals). Don't use talc. It gets into the babies lungs.
- Rice cereal (a life saver when your baby can't eat enough food).
- Don't purchase a base for your infant car seat. Waste of money.
- Jogging stroller (if you plan on doing any walking, running, rollerblading with baby).
- Don't think breastfeeding is the only way. Formula is a great thing even if it's only used to supplement breastfeeding. This comes in handy since it stays with the baby longer than breast milk and can assist with better sleeping at night.
- If your child is Colicy check his/her diet. My children had a milk protein allergy (very common). Key signs are little weight gain, incredibly bad smelling poop, pooping very often and always being hungry. Special non-milk based formula was required because my milk dried up while trying to remove all milk/dairy from my diet. They also had acid reflux (very common). Key signs are bubbling at the mouth and gulping air to keep acid down. Something you will notice more often when they are getting hungry and while sleeping.
The Jogging Stroller...
When my husband and I had our first child we purchased a jogging stroller by Dreamer Design at an EBAY store. This stroller was used often and both of us really liked it. The baby enjoyed being able to see everything and we were able to take the stroller on the beach, grass, up curbs, etc. Something I highly recommend. That is why we purchased the 16" wheels with the fixed front wheel. I also use the stroller to go rollerblading. The extra stability of the fixed front wheel is a good thing for that.
Now with a baby and a toddler the Dreamer Design stroller (a single) wasn't cutting it. Taking 2 strollers when we went walking was not working and became cumbersome rather quickly. As a result a double stroller was required.
And the fun began... After doing a google search I found a website called Joggingstroller.com. Once I entered this site I was amazed. They not only carried more jogging strollers than I knew existed but they have the website designed to assist you in choosing a stroller based upon your needs and wants. Well that was all it took. I was playing with that website for hours.
After an exhausting search of jogging stroller models over the course of a couple weeks. And after discussions with my husband (comparing features, price, accessories, warranties, etc.) I chose the BOB IronMan Dullie. The main reason for this over the Dreamer Design double stroller was the fact that the BOB has a car seat adapter which works with our infant car seat. The price for both the Dreamer Design and the BOB strollers was about the same (around $460-$480) the warranties for the DD stroller were much better but the BOB won out in the end. It took 2 months before making the purchase because we couldn't afford it on one salary. Fortunately my mother-in-law was kind enough to give us a wonderful Christmas present...this stroller & accessories.
We purchased the accessories we wanted from Joggingstroller.com and received them very quickly. We ordered the car seat adapter, handlebar console and the sunshade. Shipping was free so that was a bonus. The prices were the same as other online stores, including REI, Ebay and others. So I figured we would give joggingstroller.com a try. Turned out to be a smart move. They are really on the ball. Not only did I receive everything quickly, but their customer service is incredible!
The package came with a return label in case I needed to return anything. My car seat adapter was scratched and I didn't want to use it for fear that the salt water at the beach would prematurely corrode it. In addition my baby at 3 months has decided that sitting up is the way to go and the infant car seat isn't much fun for that.
When I called the phone number on the label I left a message on the voice mail. Risky I know but I took the chance. Who wants to wait on hold on a Saturday morning with children running around? As it turns out they not only called me back quickly, but they listened to the detailed message I left and were more than happy to assist me. They offered me a 10% credit if I kept the item, as an option but when I chose to return it the woman I spoke with was more than accommodating. She assured me that my account would be credited the day the car seat adapter arrived. When I called back to let her know the original box, which I was returning the car seat adapter in, was in really bad condition (the way it arrived at my house) she made note of it in the computer so it wouldn't count against me. She asked that I do what I could to repair it enough to make the journey back to them in Michigan (I live in So. California). I'll keep you posted but since this happened today, I haven't had a chance to send the car seat adapter back.
The jogging stroller I chose to purchase online at EBAY due to the cost being $100 less than everyone else. Now I know why. The individual/store I dealt with had great ratings but it turns out that many of his shipments are damaged. Funny, it just sounds like he can't keep up with demand and doesn't want to say anything. After 3 weeks of exchanging emails I asked for and received a full refund. Now it was time to purchase the jogging stroller from someone I could trust. I chose REI only because I'm a member and with the discount I would receive at the end of the year it was a better deal. Turns out my local REI store had 2 in stock and I purchased the stroller that day. If it weren't for being an REI member I would have purchased my jogging stroller from Joggingstroller.com. They have more than proven that my business means something to them!
Now with a baby and a toddler the Dreamer Design stroller (a single) wasn't cutting it. Taking 2 strollers when we went walking was not working and became cumbersome rather quickly. As a result a double stroller was required.
And the fun began... After doing a google search I found a website called Joggingstroller.com. Once I entered this site I was amazed. They not only carried more jogging strollers than I knew existed but they have the website designed to assist you in choosing a stroller based upon your needs and wants. Well that was all it took. I was playing with that website for hours.
After an exhausting search of jogging stroller models over the course of a couple weeks. And after discussions with my husband (comparing features, price, accessories, warranties, etc.) I chose the BOB IronMan Dullie. The main reason for this over the Dreamer Design double stroller was the fact that the BOB has a car seat adapter which works with our infant car seat. The price for both the Dreamer Design and the BOB strollers was about the same (around $460-$480) the warranties for the DD stroller were much better but the BOB won out in the end. It took 2 months before making the purchase because we couldn't afford it on one salary. Fortunately my mother-in-law was kind enough to give us a wonderful Christmas present...this stroller & accessories.
We purchased the accessories we wanted from Joggingstroller.com and received them very quickly. We ordered the car seat adapter, handlebar console and the sunshade. Shipping was free so that was a bonus. The prices were the same as other online stores, including REI, Ebay and others. So I figured we would give joggingstroller.com a try. Turned out to be a smart move. They are really on the ball. Not only did I receive everything quickly, but their customer service is incredible!
The package came with a return label in case I needed to return anything. My car seat adapter was scratched and I didn't want to use it for fear that the salt water at the beach would prematurely corrode it. In addition my baby at 3 months has decided that sitting up is the way to go and the infant car seat isn't much fun for that.
When I called the phone number on the label I left a message on the voice mail. Risky I know but I took the chance. Who wants to wait on hold on a Saturday morning with children running around? As it turns out they not only called me back quickly, but they listened to the detailed message I left and were more than happy to assist me. They offered me a 10% credit if I kept the item, as an option but when I chose to return it the woman I spoke with was more than accommodating. She assured me that my account would be credited the day the car seat adapter arrived. When I called back to let her know the original box, which I was returning the car seat adapter in, was in really bad condition (the way it arrived at my house) she made note of it in the computer so it wouldn't count against me. She asked that I do what I could to repair it enough to make the journey back to them in Michigan (I live in So. California). I'll keep you posted but since this happened today, I haven't had a chance to send the car seat adapter back.
The jogging stroller I chose to purchase online at EBAY due to the cost being $100 less than everyone else. Now I know why. The individual/store I dealt with had great ratings but it turns out that many of his shipments are damaged. Funny, it just sounds like he can't keep up with demand and doesn't want to say anything. After 3 weeks of exchanging emails I asked for and received a full refund. Now it was time to purchase the jogging stroller from someone I could trust. I chose REI only because I'm a member and with the discount I would receive at the end of the year it was a better deal. Turns out my local REI store had 2 in stock and I purchased the stroller that day. If it weren't for being an REI member I would have purchased my jogging stroller from Joggingstroller.com. They have more than proven that my business means something to them!
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