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Saturday, April 30, 2011

Not the post I had planned...

I had planned to write out my baby toddler girls 18 month post, but apparently her 18 month birthday was not meant to be uneventful.

Starting a couple of months ago, I felt this little bitty bump right outside of Keevia's diaper on her inner left thigh. I thought it was a swollen lymph node, and brought it up my chiropractor. She assured me it wasn't a lymph node, but was most likely a cyst of some kind. She mentioned that if it changed in shape or size to bring it up to the pediatrician.

We took Keevia in almost a month ago for what we thought was pink eye. Turns out it wasn't, but while we were there I brought up the spot on her leg. She looked at it and said it was possibly a cyst or a boil, and said exactly what our chiropractor said -- to let her know if it changed in shape or size.

Around two weeks ago, it started getting red and growing. In a matter of days it quadrupled in size. I called last Thursday (not two days ago, a week and two days ago) and left a message for the pedi, she was out of town for the holiday, so I figured I wouldn't have a response right away. On Easter I had a doctor in our church look at it. She agreed that it was probably a boil, and encouraged us to put prescription strength antibiotic cream on it, and to take hot hot baths and let her soak. So we did.

On Monday, the pediatrician called and spoke to me, and ended up calling in a prescription for Bactrim. Due to a ton of reasons, it was late Tuesday afternoon when we got it filled. We started it Tuesday afternoon.

From Tuesday to Thursday the spot didn't change much at all. It KIND of looked like it might be coming to a head, but hadn't yet. I called the pediatrician on Thursday because she said it needed to be looked at if it hadn't gotten better on a couple of days of the antibitoic. I didn't want it to get suddenly worse over the weekend. I got an appointment for Friday morning.

I slept late Friday, and ended up not eating breakfast (or feeding Keevia) before we went to the appointment. After looking at it, we were informed that Keevs would need to have it lanced, and that she would have to be under general anesthesia. Our Pediatrician asked me if I wanted her to be seen in our hometown, a local town, or in Lexington. I chose Lexington. She then said she'd go call some doctors.

I tried to pull myself together at this point, as she called the doctors. I did NOT want surgery for my baby. I started planning the week in my head, trying to figure out logistics. The pediatrician came back in and told us she'd spoken to someone at the UK Children's Hospital, and if we left right away and got her down there, she could have surgery that evening and then stay over to the next day. And to only give her clear fluids from there on out.

Holy. Crap. Surgery TODAY? Leave NOW?

I panicked. I started sobbing. I sobbed all the way home. Then I put my big girl panties on and started packing. We packed for overnight, and packed movies, toys and books for the babe.

We made it to the hospital, and the fact that I hadn't fed my kid breakfast actually paid off. She was able go into surgery around 4:30.

I'm not going to lie. That was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. KNOWING that she was going to scream as they took her away from me and that they were taking her into a strange environment. That killed me. I think I would have been okay if I had been able to hold her as they put her to sleep... but knowing that they were scooping her and running? Killed me. KILLED ME. I sobbed.

Carl and I prayed together before leaving the holding room. We were told that the anesthesia would take longer to administer and come out of than the actual procedure would take. The only reason they knocked her out was because of how little she is, and that it was actually less traumatic (for her, MUCH more traumatic for Mommy).

We went to the waiting room, and 10 minutes later we got a call that they'd started the surgery. Then, about 10-15 minutes later we were called to the consult room. The Pediatric surgeon came in and said that it went perfectly, and we could go to the recovery room as soon as the nurses gave us the go ahead.

They ended up having to go in in two places on her leg and "break up" the infection. He (the surgeon) told us he does 300 of these surgeries a year. THREE HUNDRED. And that 95% of those are MRSA. Apparently a traditional poke and drain doesn't work with MRSA because MRSA looks like honeycomb. It actually invades the fat tissue, and has to be broken up. That's why they have to knock the kiddo out. He expected that that's what hers would look like.

Thankfully, with hers it was mainly liquid pus and a few small pockets of the honeycomb looking stuff... so he isn't 100% sure it was MRSA. They sent out cultures. They left a drain in her leg, which is basically a large piece of rubber that is tied at the top. We have to give her three hot baths a day and move that rubber band back and forth to continue to break up any infection. We go back to have the drain removed in 10 days.

Carl and I were able to go down to recovery. When we walked in she was stretched out on the little crib hospital bed, snuggled up to a nurse. She wasn't really crying, but she wasn't awake yet either. They had told us she would be mad. Carl sat in the rocker and held her first, but that only lasted about a minute until she opened her eyes and saw Mommy. He got up and handed her to me, and her hand immediately went down my shirt. It was kind of cool to watch her pulse rate slowly drop as she calmed down! She woke well, without any crying whatsoever and drained down some apple juice. By the time it came to remove her IV, we used Carl's iPod touch to play Blues Clues, and she totally didn't pay ANY attention to them pulling it out! She only got mad when the nurse had to hold pressure on the needlepoke!

We're home, and she's doing very well. We didn't end up having to spend the night... but came home! She ate some Macaroni and Cheese at Cracker Barrel on the way home. She hasn't had an appetite all day, and has only eaten a little hummus and Lil'Crunchies.. but as I write this she's helping Mamaw eat some Ravioli. She ran a low grade (99.2) temperature before her nap, and has a little gunky cough (a side-effect of the anesethia I think) but has been playing well.

Not the 18-month post (or birthday!) I wanted her to have (She was 18-months old yesterday!) but hopefully this will keep her from getting sick! She never ran a fever before the surgery and except for favoring the leg and getting MAD when you touched it you wouldn't know she had it.

Please be in prayer that the cultures are normal, and that we manage to keep it broken up.

Monday, April 25, 2011

I WILL prevail..

I'm not giving up.

I still haven't lost any weight. The majority of that is my fault, although I think my thighs have gotten BIGGER and I honestly haven't been eating badly.

But I'm still living a sedentary lifestyle.

That's changing. Mom and I have gone walking twice (Y'all? Are these April showers ever going to stop? We would have gone more often but it's raining too much!). I'm not a big fan of walking at our local park. Too many people and too many bugs (it's right beside the river). But, Mom and I discovered that the parking lot of a nearby church (closer than the park!) is exactly .33 miles around. So, if you go around the parking lot three times, you've went a mile.

The first time we walked we only made it around twice (.66 of a mile). But the second time we conquered the mile. We both have fibromyalgia, and while we probably could have pushed it, we can't push it TOO much for we feel horrible the next day.

I own the Zumba DVD sets (thanks parents! Great Christmas present!) but with my hips and back, I have a hard time doing it.

Thanks to a bunch of textbooks, I had a pretty substantial Amazon.com gift card balance.... so last night I splurged and bought the P90 In Home Bootcamp. It's basically a starter program for P90X for people who are too badly out of shape/overweight to do P90X (and it's drastically cheaper).

From the reviews I've read it's perfect for someone who is overweight and out of shape. I hope to start there, do some Zumba for variety (and maybe some Jillian Michaels here or there) and continue walking every day.

I will beat this. I will beat PCOS again. I will beat diabetes (I'm pre-diabetic). I will fight to help my Mom fight (who needs to lose weight as much as me).

I will prevail. I'm not giving up.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Thankful

Tonight, instead of dwelling on some things that made today difficult, I choose to be thankful.

I'm thankful for my sweet husband who works SO hard for our family. We sometimes don't see him very much, but he is providing for his family.

I'm thankful for being a stay-at-home mom, so whenever he DOES get a day off, Keevia and I can be here with him.

I'm thankful for my sweet almost 18-month old. I'm thankful for her smile, her laugh, her snuggles, her attitude, and her personality.

I'm thankful for midwives who CARE. Who take the time to listen to you, talk to you, and are happy to try it your way first.

I'm thankful for my parents and everything they do for my family. From the little things like watching Keevs so I can take a shower, to the bigger things, like letting us borrow their van on a very regular basis so we don't have to squeeze into a Ford Focus.

I'm thankful for a full pantry and freezer, and minimal grocery bills.

I'm thankful for Carl's raise, and receiving his first paycheck just in time to pay for new tires on his car.

I'm thankful for friends and family who make each day better.

I'm thankful for baptisms, even when we miss them.

I'm thankful for my Savior, who rose from the dead after three days.

Today...I'm choosing to be thankful instead of being sad. I'm choosing to be thankful instead of getting depressed.

Today, I'm thankful.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Packing your Pantry

Look at this! I promised a post and it's happening! Of course, having written that, my baby will now wake up screaming.... *long pause* nothing? Okay, good. Lets go.

The following is a list of things that I find invaluable in my pantry. By no means should you run out and buy all of this at once, because if you did your grocery budget would SKY ROCKET. But, try and pick up one or two things a visit. You'll never run out of everything at once, which means your grocery list stays small!

These are just my recommendations. I'll give you my reasonings behind it, and creative ways to use it. I plan on talking about "Pantry Meals" as well (but probably not today!ha!), which is when you don't have written down meal plans, but you "shop" your pantry.

Oh, and hey, check us out at The Playdate Crashers today! I'm guest posting there my coupon post from yesterday! Go leave them some blog love!

PANTRY MUST HAVES:

All Purpose Flour
Cornmeal (Self-Rising or not, doesn't really matter)
Baking Powder
Salt (Sea Salt, Kosher Salt & Table Salt -- each has different uses. I use sea salt as a finishing salt, I use kosher as a rub or in pasta water, and table salt for baking and as, well, table salt).
Buttermilk Powder (Sounds weird, I know... but I use it to make homemade ranch dressing, I add it to biscuit dough, cornbread & waffles).
Pasta (spaghetti, linguine, macaroni, shells, lasagna, & ziti or rotelle or something like that).
Corn oil (or veg oil of your choice, I don't like canola because it's made from rape seeds, which are highly posionious. I just don't trust a oil made from that, sorry!).
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Vegetable Shortening (*gasp, shock, horror!*)
Sugar (brown, white & confectioners please!)
Oats (quick & old fashioned, and if your feeling brave, Steel Cut as well!)
Yeast (and not just the packets, find somewhere (health food stores) that sell it in bulk, buy a cup and put it in your freezer. It works better than the packets and is, oh, about $15 cheaper).
Real Vanilla Extract
Nuts (Whatever you like. My choices are Pecans & Almonds)
Peanut butter
Nutella (okay, okay... not a necessity but IT SHOULD BE.)
Chicken & Beef Stock (preferably low sodium!)
Rice (Long grain and Basmati (short grain))
Potatoes (both big & small. I generally buy 10lb bags of whatever is on sale)

Herbs & Spices
Garlic Powder
Dried onions
Rosemary (excellent on chicken, beef, or pork!)
Thyme (mmm...chicken!)
Dried Pepper Flakes
Sage 
Bay Leaves
Taco Seasoning (again, don't buy the packets. Buy a bulk container, much cheaper. LOOK FOR MSG FREE IN EVERYTHING!!!)
Italian Seasoning (you can make your own, but this is easier to just grab occasionally!)
Oregano
Basil
Cilantro
Cardamom 
Curry Powder
Paprika
Cream of Tarter
Balsamic Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar



IN THE FRIDGE
Buttermilk
Milk (we drink 2%)
Butter (I prefer salted, but you can use unsalted if your watching your sodium)
Sour cream
Plain yogurt
Cheese (I stick with parmesean, mozerella, cheddar, and usually a colby jack, and sometimes american)
Eggs
Red wine (even if you don't drink wine, which we don't really, it adds SO MUCH FLAVOR to various dishes!)
White wine
Bacon (and lots of it! If you don't use it a lot, store it in the freezer and then slice off 1 inch portions. 1 inch = 1 slice of bacon!)
Onions
Garlic
Baby carrots (or full grown carrots)
Meat ( follow the sales, plan your meals around the sales, not your meals around a specific meat)

If I think about anything else, I'll add it. I add fruits & veggies that look fresh to the lists, but I only buy whats on sale/in season. I'm in desperate need of sleep, so I'll end this here... but coming up soon... How to USE these items in your kitchen and how to "shop" your pantry! Plus, saying goodbye to "strict" meal plans!

If you have any questions, leave um in the comments! Make sure I have an email or something to get a hold of you though!

Thursday, April 14, 2011

I had a panic attack yesterday.

Well, not really, but very, very close.

If you've followed me for any time, you know I'm struggling with PCOS right now. I'm not new to this, I've had it since I was about 15. It got really bad in college, I went to a OB/GYN in Lexington and was placed on Metaformin (Glucophage) for 3 months. I went off of it before I got married, and got pregnant twice without any issues (even without trying!). No issues with the pregnancy.

When I was half-way through my pregnancy, I switched from an OB to a Midwife. From 20 weeks on I saw a wonderful midwife, M. I saw her at every appointment and we were right on the same page. I went into the hospital on a Wednesday and she was on call! I got everything I wanted with my birth plan (eat and drink freely, intermediate monitoring, freedom of movement), but hadn't delivered by the time she went off call. Another midwife, S, came on call and ended up delivering Keevia. She was FANTASTIC. I had no ripping or tearing. She was just rock-star!

So, today, I finally broke down and called my clinic to get an appointment with either M or S. I've seen both of them since having Keevia, but haven't been in about a year. My hormones are SO out of whack right now. I'm  a weepy mess. My acne is horrible. My facial hair (yes, it sucks) is out of control. I'm bloated. I'm depressed. I'm miiiiiiiserable. And my frame (pelvis/neck) will NOT stay in at the chiropractor. This is something that has never happened before. I usually go out really bad and then get put back together and I'm fine. My pelvis has been out for about 2 1/2 weeks now. She keeps getting it balanced and it keeps going back out.

Tuesday night, on the way back from a Super Wal-Mart trip, my breastbone started hurting. It got EXCRUTIATING. I couldn't sleep. Yesterday I went into the chiropractor and not one, not two, but FOUR of my ribs were "popped". She put them back in, and one almost automatically went back out. My pelvis was also out. As was my L3 Vertebrae. My body is trying to tell me something is going on.

So I called my Women's Health office and spoke with the receptionist. After explaining my woes, she said she'd put me on the line to a Nurse Practioner to discuss my symptoms... then she dropped the bombshell. "The Nurse Practioner will speak to you because both M and S left the practice in January."

My heart stopped. NO!!!!!!!!!!!! Not BOTH my midwives! The receptionist told me a city that both of them had relocated to.

"Not a big deal" I told myself, I'll just call the hospital I was born at. They're EXTREMELY midwife friendly!

So I called when I got home. They are no longer doing deliveries of any kind and have no midwives of staff.

Then, I googled M's name and the city and found my gold-mine. She and S have opened their own practice. I called and got an appointment. My panic immediately reduced.

Maybe I'll get to normal sometime soon.

I'm a coupon failure (alternatively titled "How to save money at the grocery store")

I admit it. I'm a coupon failure. I can never find any coupons that really save me money. Maybe it's because I don't catch the sales, maybe it's because where I live I basically have a Wal-Mart(and not a super one), a Slone's Market and two small grocery stores. I've considered hitting up our local Kroger, but at almost an hour away, I don't know if it would be beneficial.

But, I still don't spend a lot of money at the grocery store. I EASILY spend less than $60 a week to feed our family of three. And when I'm on the ball and actually meal plan hardcore, I can spend around $40.

So how do I do it? Just some simple principles.

1. Don't buy brand names! For some reason a lot of people have hang-ups about buying the generic brand. Now, I will be honest. No store brand of Oreo's is ever as good as the actual Oreo's, but I shouldn't be buying Oreo's anyway, so this doesn't really matter! In most things, I actually PREFER the store brand. Especially in Graham Crackers. EVERYONE should try Wal-Mart brand Graham crackers. Just saying.

But in all honesty, buying the generic brand can save you LOADS. Mylicon Drops for babies hover around $8-12 an OUNCE. Is it liquid gold? Store brand for the same amount? $3. That is INSTANT money in your pocket. And it's the exact.same.thing. Same goes with Tylenol (acetemenophine) & Motrin, or any drug really. Also, Ziploc bags are usually a dollar or more MORE expensive than the store brand. These are just random examples, but you get the idea.


2. Stop buying processed food. You will be healthier and happier for it. 95% of the food I feed my family is home-made. Now, I won't lie... I have Chef Boyardee in my cabinets, but I also have over 20 lbs of uncooked pasta to make my own. We don't buy Hamburger Helper, or Macaroni & Cheese in a box... I merely make it from pasta, milk, butter, cheese, spices & hamburger. I control what goes in it. I control the sodium, the monosodium glutamate, the hydrogenated oils... none of it makes it in! I do buy some things like tomato sauce (not pasta sauce, that's a rarity for me, but just plain ole tomato sauce) but, as we garden more this year, I hope to cut down those purchases as well!

3. Cut out the junk. Stop buying pop. Stop buying Little Debbie cakes. Stop buying potato chips. You do NOT need them, and you will not die without them. Junk food is some of the most expensive things we buy at the grocery. Now, I listed all those things, and I admit that I've bought all of them (except the pop) this past week. Right now I'm in a very awkward place of trying to figure out how to go from packing Carl leftovers every day to packing him a cold lunch every day, and I have to be honest and say I'm not doing well! My world is rocked and I'm not acclimating well! We do still buy the occasional coke when Carl and I are out and about, but we no longer keep it in the house.

I heard a statistic once that if you wanted "junk food" make it yourself, because 90% of the time you wouldn't take the time to do so. So, if you want Little Debbies, bake a cake! For the same amount of money it takes you to buy 6 little cakes, you can have an ENTIRE sheet cake with icing! Yes your children may rise up in revolt against you for a week or so, but when they're teenagers, they'll thank you that they don't have to stress out on the diet roller coaster as much.


4. Step away from the convenience foods. Foods like shredded hashbrowns SEEM like a good deal. Raw, frozen potatoes! This is so much faster! Yes, well, it is, but you're also paying the same for one (1lb) bag of frozen hashbrowns as you could for a 10lb bag of raw potatoes. In an upcoming post I'll show you how easy (albeit slightly time consuming) it is to make your OWN frozen hashbrowns for a QUARTER of the cost.

I buy frozen biscuits, but honestly? I really shouldn't be. I have an awesome biscuit recipe. I could just as easily make up a ton of them and throw them in the freezer, and I plan on doing so soon, because it's getting ridiculous buying them. I DO buy frozen veggies because they're usually cheaper than the fresh ones. But I never buy "convenience" frozen veggies (like diced onions).

5. STOCK YOUR PANTRY! This is by far the most important one. Your pantry needs to be stocked, and it needs to be stocked WELL. Tomorrow's post is going to be a list of things you need to have on hand to have a healthy and happy pantry. If you keep them on hand you can make any variety of meals without having to run to the store 5 times a week!

Monday, April 11, 2011

...

I'm struggling right now.

I'm struggling with my health. I can't seem to stay in alignment, and my PCOS is rearing its very, very ugly head. We need a new mattress, but it's a rather large investment, and I have to figure out how in hades to get it almost 2 hours here. Keevia has had a pretty bad cold that's made the whole family kind of miserable.

Carl got the new job and has been doing it for over a week now. We're in the adjustment period. It's not easy right now, but I know it'll get better.

I'm struggling with a blanket I'm doing for Rows for Remembrance. I'm struggling with laundry. I'm struggling with energy. I'm struggling with keeping my house clean. I'm struggling with remembering to pay bills. I'm struggling with... everything.

My weight is the same. I did walk half a mile last week, and if the rain ever holds up I plan on it becoming more the norm. The day after my Mom finishes her taxes I'm making her start a Zumba routine with me. No more excuses from either of us.

Please forgive me as I struggle through this. I have two posts in my head that need to get out, and they will soon.

If you pray, and feel led, pray I get my period soon. I'm on day 60+ (I'm not sure exactly what day, it was iPod my iPod and my iPod took a swim in my purse with Keevia's milk sippy and is now sitting in a bag of rice while I pray it works) of my cycle and I'm miserable. I'm crampy, bloated, nauseous, cranky and lethargic. I seriously feel like doing nothing but laying on the couch, moaning about my nausea. I think that either the PCOS is throwing me out, or me going out is pissing off the PCOS. I don't know. But it needs to stop.

I'm coming back soon, promise.

Hugs & Kisses

Thursday, April 7, 2011

A Wiggly Workout

I've discussed before how I find it difficult to work out. I walked a half a mile yesterday! But that's the first time it's been pretty enough to do so, and while I pray we're in spring, I'm not convinced yet!

Walking works well for me because I can either stroll Keevia, have her walk (part way) with me, or wear her. Working out to videos doesn't work as well because she's always in the way, or I don't want to wake her up from a nap, or she wants to be held. However, I think I've found my solution.

Have you ever watched "The Wiggles"? They NEVER. STOP. MOVING. They dance to (almost) every song! And they are my daughters Backstreet Boys. She LOVES them.

So my new workout routine? She watches the Wiggles, I dance with the Wiggles.

HOLY WORKOUT BATMAN! I did one song and could feel it in my arms and legs. Yes, this means I'm horrifically out of shape, but it also means that it's working.


And Keevia is happy!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The End of an Era

It actually hurts me to write these words, but Keevia is weaned. While I'm quite proud of myself for nursing her 17 months, I also feel sadness because I always thought we'd go longer. I think my PCOS hormones played a roll in my supply tanking in January, and I'm just thankful it didn't tank earlier than that. Teething (from the beginning of December on) has also played a large role. Unlike most kiddos, Keevia did NOT want to nurse while teething.

The end was simple, and painless on both parts. I subscribed to the "don't offer, don't refuse" mentality and it went over without a hitch. She dropped down to nursing around once a day about a month ago, and I just went with it. She stopped nursing to sleep (except for very, very rare occasions) before her first birthday.

She doesn't seem to miss it much. Today, as she was wallering me to death, I could tell she kind of wanted to nurse, but I didn't ask. When she's tired she still plays with my breasts (rubbing them, sticking her hand down them) but she doesn't ask to nurse anymore.

It's the end of an era, and the end of that bond that we had. Oh, I know we'll still be just as close, but we don't have that special thing between us anymore. I won't lie, I'm more than a little heartbroken, and I definitely think that weaning (at least when done the way we did it) is much harder on the mother than on the child.

I'll miss the first morning session the most I think, although I've been mourning it for months. I loved that session, the reconnecting I felt from being apart from her overnight. I have always felt like she's an extension of me, another limb on my body, and when she started sleeping in her room, I missed her with a physical pain. That morning session would reset both of us, and let us reconnect. She was still sleepy, so she wouldn't get distracted easily, and it was the longest session of our day. The only time I felt totally and completely needed in her day.

Everyone thinks nursing a newborn is hard. And it is difficult, don't get me wrong. But nursing a toddler is much harder, at least emotionally. While I'm glad to have my body back, I'm so sad to see my little girl growing up. I look forward to sharing this bond with our next child, but I'll always think of my time of nursing my sweet baby girl.


Wean Me Gently 
by Cathy Cardall

I know I look so big to you,
Maybe I seem too big for the needs I have.
But no matter how big we get,
We still have needs that are important to us.
I know that our relationship is growing and changing,

But I still need you. I need your warmth and closeness,
Especially at the end of the day
When we snuggle up in bed.
Please don't get too busy for us to nurse.

I know you think I can be patient,
Or find something to take the place of a nursing;
A book, a glass of something,
But nothing can take your place when I need you.

Sometimes just cuddling with you,
Having you near me is enough.
I guess I am growing and becoming independent,
But please be there.

This bond we have is so strong and so important to me,
Please don't break it abruptly.
Wean me gently,
Because I am your mother,
And my heart is tender.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Promotion!

Carl signed the papers on a promotion we have been praying about for months. Right now we're very hectic with him working long, long hours and getting very little sleep. I literally see him long enough for him to eat dinner and kiss me goodnight. He got home at 9pm tonight and has to go in at 5am. It won't be like this for long, but these next few weeks are going to be hairy!

We're so very thankful though! After this initial phase is over and things calm down, I think he's going to be much, much happier. He's already happier and he's worn out! It disrupts my schedule quite a bit, but I think it may actually HELP me eat less if I fix two dinners. One for me and Keevia (small portions) and then one for Carl (where I tend to fix fattier foods... if I've already eaten healthy with Keevia, I won't be tempted! Score!).

Keevia is doing well... she had been acting like a....pleasure* recently, and two Fridays ago I finally took her to chiropractor for a check-up. The last time she'd been so pleasant* I'd taken her in and absolutely nothing was out, so I had held off taking her in this time. Yeah, well, her pelvis was out. That and the fact that she began wearing an amber teething necklace led to a MUCH happier baby. This weekend threw her schedule for a loop though (lots of company and fun times!) and she went to bed at 8 PM tonight. She's also been cutting her afternoon nap from 2-3 hours down to 1 hour and I don't know why. It makes her so super cranky in the afternoons.

I had the super-fun time of sitting in a car-mechanics waiting room for three hours today. We had some pretty gnarly storms go through this afternoon/evening, and I went out around noon-thirty for the proverbial milk & egg run. As I headed to town (I'd thankfully left Keevs with Mamaw in case I got caught in the downpour) I noticed that Mom's 1998 van was making a loud & annoying squeaky sound. I called her and she asked me to run it in. So, after stopping by the library (I didn't have anything to read or do in the waiting room, I'd been planning a grocery trip!) I headed over to the mechanic. I dropped the van off, and made my way next-door to the gas station for some food. I was starved, and made the mistake of getting greasy chicken strips and potato chips. My heartburn has reminded me since then why I don't eat at gas stations. I headed back to the mechanics and sat there for three hours. I finally went and ASKED about the car and it had been done for a while. AND when I got back in to drive to the grocery, the squeaking was gone...only to be replaced  by a louder, higher pitched squeaking. Mom's taking it back in on Wednesday.

None of my antics would have bothered me that badly except that I am on day 57 (YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT) of my cycle(thanks PCOS), and I think AF may be in my near future. Today is the day that the song "Witchy Woman" could be sang about me, only with a B there instead of the W. I can tell I'm in a craptastic mood and have been trying very hard not to lash out. I'm also highly emotional, which just adds to my charm.

But now I'm sitting in my silent house, with the window beside me open, listening to the gentle rain-fall outside, and I'm beginning to feel peaceful. God has answered so many prayers recently, how can I not be joyful?

*pleasant & pleasure should be interchanged with "pain in the patootie" and "royal drama queen" as needed.

Friday, April 1, 2011

The bane of my existence

I hate laundry. Okay, that's not true. The actual gathering up, separating, and washing of laundry I don't mind. In fact, I find it therapeutic. I just hate PUTTING UP laundry.

So, I don't do it. I mean to, but I do a lot of laundry during naptimes and after bedtimes, so it just piles up in laundry baskets because I don't want to wake up my hubby or my baby.

So, after dumping all those laundry baskets on my bed today... this is what it looked like.

Scary, isn't it? After about an hour it was all organized and put away, but GOODNESS I DISLIKE DOING IT!

So, I recently took a step to make this not be a common occurance at my house. I purchased 4 (because we would like 2 kids soon!) laundry basket thingies to put beside my dryer. As clothes come out, they get separated into Carl, Me, or Keevia. Then, I simply take that individual basket and put it away. GENIUS I SAY.

Aren't they cute? I love them.
Now, if I could only concur these...


One step at a time, eh?