I’ll Never Look at Childbirth the Same Way Again

Today was pretty amazing.  I was woken up sometime around 2am this morning by my hubby. He said I had received a text that my goddaughter was on the way.  I shook off the sleepy feeling, got dressed and made the hour drive to the hospital. I wasn’t prepared for what was about to take place.

One of my closest friends was in labor.  Pretty hardcore labor, with contractions every couple of minutes.  A master of hypnobirthing, she made it through each contraction like it was nothing.  I couldn’t help but to flash back to my last labor when I was in tears, making horrible grunting noises and telling my husband that there was no way I was going to make it through alive.  Had I known that this hypnobirthing existed, my experience may have been so much different!

As we sat in the room, for nearly 4 hours, trying to keep our eyes open, my friend was taking deep breaths and staying incredibly calm, considering the circumstances.  And then, she finally yelled out.  Within minutes, there were at least 5 people in the room and the Dr was telling her to push.  There was a head after the first push.  And with the second push, out came my goddaughter.  I was in tears.  It was THE most amazing thing I’ve ever witnessed.  Having 3 c-sections myself, I had never experienced this, especially all natural – no drugs. It’s an experience I will never forget.

I’d like to introduce you to my goddaughter, London.  8lbs 5 oz and 20 inches of complete cuteness.  I’m so very honored to have been there for your first breath and I promise to be there for you forever.  I love you sweet girl!

Keep Your Uneducated Advice to Yourself Please

Have you ever seen a post about a controversial topic where the person posts a long rant and then after twenty or thirty comments, they make a point to let all of their disagreeing friends know that they are entitled to their own opinion? What exactly is the point? You’ve already spent most of your day disagreeing. Isn’t that what you were going for in the first place? I’m sure you didn’t post that thinking that you were going to get a bunch of posts that say “you are so smart and totally right. I’m completely changing my way of living because of your post on FB.” And after all of the back and forth, in most cases, you still haven’t made your argument. But saying “we can agree to disagree”, you have now told them to shut up, without saying those exact words.

I wonder if they are expecting to change people’s minds. Or, are they doing it because they have nothing better to do? Either way, it’s super annoying, in my opinion. We can agree to disagree, lol.

There isn’t a day that I sign onto Facebook without seeing a post that aggregates me. But… I keep my opinion to myself (until today) because unlike the people that post these ridiculous things, I’m not going to argue a point that I can’t back up with hard core proof. Maybe that’s the ex-investigator or the wanna-be lawyer in me. Either way, I think it’s the smarter approach.

Let me give you an example. Vaccinating children is a very controversial subject. I’ve heard many people argue both sides. Yet not one of the people that has argued the effects on my newsfeed is a scientist or a doctor or work in any type of profession where I would consider making, what could be a life-altering decision, when it comes to my family. I’ll trust my licensed pediatrician who I’ve known since I was 5.

When I accidentally stumble onto these posts, and make the mistake of reading them, I’m always left wondering why. Why do you need to start these posts that wind up aggravating most of your friends? Why did I just waste my time reading it? Am I more educated now about that particular subject because you stated your opinion that you are basing on one article that you read online (because we all know if it’s online, it must be the truth)? Nope. I’ve just lost 10 minutes of my day that could have been spent doing something productive and you’ve just pissed off a bunch of your friends.

How about the one friend that you have that is not a parent, giving parenting advice to anyone and everyone? What makes them the expert on any parenting matter? Is it that they spend the majority of their day reading their mom friends posts and now suddenly they know exactly how to raise a child? How can they be an expert on a subject that they haven’t studied or lived on a daily basis?

I know I can’t be alone. Speak up! What aggregates you?

Hey Dunkin Donuts… Listen Up

I worked in retail for many many years.  I know that the key to success is great customer service and upselling. Making your customers feel welcome and catered to in every way, will keep them as customers for a long time!

Someone needs to share this secret with Dunkin Donuts.  When I go through the drive-thru, I am ordering for at least three people, because I have three kids.  It usually goes a little something like this:

Picture two kids yelling at me from the back seat, trying to make sure I know what they want, simultaneously, while this is happening…
Me: I’ll take a chocolate glazed donut and…
DD: Will that complete your order?
Me: No.  I’ll also take a chocolate milk and…
DD: Will that complete your order?
Me: No. I’ll take an egg and cheese on a plain bagel and…
DD: Will that complete your order?
Me: NO! I’ll also take a chocolate sprinkle donut and…
DD: Will that complete your order?

Do you see where I’m going with this.  How about, instead of asking me after EVERY SINGLE ITEM if that completes my order, you ask, “WHAT ELSE CAN I GET YOU?” and THENNNNN… when I’m finished, I can let you know.  Don’t you think people are more likely to keep adding to their order if they are not being rushed? Don’t you think that they don’t want to be treated as though they are holding up a line, even though they’ve only been at that speaker box for 2 seconds?

We don’t frequent fast food joints that much anymore, but when this happens it irks me and I felt the need to share.  It’s the reason we stopped going to Wendy’s and will most likely be the reason we stop going to Dunkin Donuts as well.  Please, train your people better, please! Customers keep your lights on.  Show you appreciate them!

Dear Cyber Bullies, You Suck!

Have you ever visited a website or a blog where comments are allowed and there are people just saying the most obnoxious things?  How does one wake up, turn their computer on, visit a website and then feel like they are allowed to insult or bully people?  Would they do the same if they were standing in front of them?  I highly doubt it.

After Robin Williams passed away, earlier this week, I read that his daughter had to take down her social media accounts because people were sending her disturbing messages and graphic  photo-shopped images of her father.  WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?

Seriously people, this poor girl’s father JUST passed away.  Like minutes earlier.  Regardless of how it happened, because that seemed to be a concern of people’s (like it’s any of their business), can we not show her some compassion and give her the privacy and respect she deserves?

What makes these people think that they can speak their mind whenever and to whomever they want?  Just because you are sitting behind a computer monitor?

Hey cyber bullies…. please do us all a favor and keep your negativity, insults and low self esteem to yourselves.  Try finding the good in the situation and comment about that.  Try complimenting someone that had a rough day or is going through something horrible in their lives.  See what a difference you could make if you stopped trying to get a rise out of people and brought a smile to their face, instead.  I double dare you.

Frozen? I Need Thawing.

I can admit that I fell in love with the movie Frozen as soon as I saw it in the theaters… but here we are, almost a year later, and the buzz still hasn’t died down.  And it’s almost gotten out of control.  You still can’t find the dolls in the stores.  You still go into stores and hear “Let it Go”.  The line to meet Ana and Elsa in Disney is still 6 hours long (at least). People are putting up Frozen dresses on eBay for hundreds of dollars.  If you purchased the DVD, you are probably watching it on a regular basis, the way we are in this house.  One weekend it was on for 2 days straight.  Oh and then we had to watch “Let it Go” in four different languages, over and over and over again.  I’m a little over it.  I must admit.

We collect those Vinylmation figures from Disney.  We went a couple of months ago and they had the Frozen Vinylmation in the window of one of the shops.  My oldest was super excited, ran in and asked where she could find them.  She was told that they are retired and sold out within 2 weeks of the movie premier. The only way to get one is to find someone that is selling them and most are going for hundreds of dollars on eBay.  What?! Hundreds of dollars for a little ceramic figure that’s going to collect dust on my shelf?  No thanks, I’ll pass.

I saw a post on Facebook today about an incident at a Barnes and Noble in NY where a little girl was trampled on by adults and other kids because they wanted to get in front of her to meet Ana and Elsa. Really, people?  Really?

The craziness that ensues anywhere there is a Frozen event makes me stay far away.  I would rather have frost bite than to even announce that there is something happening where my kids “may” meet Ana or Elsa.

My 5 year old has decided that next year, for her birthday, she wants to have a Frozen party. She wants someone dressed as Olaf. She wants both Ana and Elsa there taking pictures with her friends.  I’m hoping that sometime before next May, she will find another movie or theme that she likes more because I’m not sure I can put myself through all of that.  My husband told her that if she wants a “Frozen” party, we will invite her friends over to our house and give them popsicles and ice.

When my 5 year old told my husband that she wanted him to dress up for Halloween, he told her that he is going to paint his face blue and put icicles hanging from his nose and when people ask what he’s supposed to be, he’ll answer, “I’m Frozen!” and then pray that he doesn’t get trampled by kids trying to take pictures with him.  At least he has a sense of humor about the whole thing. My sense of humor is numb… iced out really.

I’ve heard the buzz that there may be a sequel coming out.  Does that mean this continues for another 2 years?  Am I the only one that feels this way? Hey geniuses at Disney… please come up with something better, and quick!

I Need Plastic Surgery

I’ve decided that I am in need of some plastic surgery.  Maybe not the type you think though… let me explain.

1. 4 More Arms – Is there a surgeon out there that is willing to add 4 more arms to my body?  I can’t seem to get enough done in a day and this seems like a good solution. Think about it…. when you are hands deep in a raw chicken, preparing dinner and your child walks up and asks you for some juice, wouldn’t it be great to be able to do it without having to stop, wash your hands, etc.? Just pull out one of the other sets of arms and get it done.  Maybe they could be super stretchy too. That would be fun.

2. Eyes in the Back of my Head – Yes… as Moms, we’ve all said it. We’ve all told our kids that we have eyes in the back of our head. But, wouldn’t it be great to actually have them? It would be amazing to be able to get things done without having to look behind myself constantly to see what mischief my girls are getting into.  I think maybe I would have a set put in on the side of my head too. Why not cover all angles?

3. A Removable Stomach – I’ve been thinking about this one since I was pregnant.  There are so many times when I’ve eaten too much, or my pants don’t quite fit right.  It would be great to just remove my stomach. Solve all of my issues in one easy fix. And imagine when you are pregnant, VERY PREGNANT and you just want a break from the pressure in your hoo-ha… just lift off the belly, take a break and put it back on.  Heck, I might even consider getting pregnant again if that was an option.  Well, maybe.

4. A Mouth Shutter – So here’s what I’m thinking. There are times when I shouldn’t eat. There are times when I shouldn’t say what’s on my mind.  There should be a button that I can press that triggers a small door or lock of some sort, for my mouth.  This would stop me from making those mistakes.

5. Auto-Pilot – I’m lucky to get 6 hours of sleep every night.  I’m physically exhausted most of the days. What if a surgeon could wire us with auto-pilot? What if we could move around and do everything that needs to be done around the house, at work and with the kids and we are actually asleep.  Wouldn’t you schedule that surgery tomorrow? I would!

6. Whine Blocker – More than anything, I’d love something that could block the whining that goes on in my house.  All day long, one of my three girls are whining or fighting about something. Maybe I could have a switch installed that turned all incoming whines into beautiful music.

Can you think of any special surgeries you would have? Comment here and share!

Food and Drink Pouches Scare Me

So I’m sure you remember the Capri Sun incident.  If you didn’t, I won’t remind you of the yuckiness.  It took me a really long time to get up the courage to allow my girls to drink anything in a pouch or box (that wasn’t see through on one side).  Pouches are scary to me now.  And as silly as it is, because honestly, this could happen with any food, but with pouches, you can’t actually see what is going into your kids bodies unless you empty it into another container, and that’s pretty much defeating the purpose of the convenience, right?

When our youngest was born, I had every intention of making my own food for her.  But… then reality set in and I realized that with my busy work schedule and the girls busy dance schedules, I wasn’t going to have time to make food.  I attempted it a few times and then of course, I forgot about the extra I made and it spoiled and I realized that it would be more convenient and less wasteful of me to just buy the food. I had made the decision to buy only organic baby food because with all the hoopla, that’s supposed to be the way to go, right?

So she loved them.  Every single one.  The ones that I read the ingredients and thought, NO WAY will a baby eat this because of it’s fancy veggies (kale, spinach, rhubarb).  What baby is going to eat this?  I was shocked that she loved them. She loved them so much she cried when there was nothing left.  When she was too small to eat from the pouches, I would always empty it into a bowl and feed her but as she got bigger, I would just hand her a pouch and let her feed herself.  I actually counted down to that age and looked forward to it.

Fast forward to yesterday, when I found this post on one of my local Mama groups on FB and almost choked on my coffee. It was one of the brands I had been giving her regularly. One of her favorite flavors, in fact.  The Mama that posted it has contacted the company and I hope that they explain themselves and make things right. I know that in large factories, there are circumstances that may be beyond their control but I hope that they are being as careful as any factory can be because we trust our children’s health to these companies.

Just wanted to make others aware. Have you had a similar experience? Feel free to comment below.

Here is the post:

I really don’t even want to look at this photo again.. but I shared on another board earlier…

First off, I have read about pouches like this (being rotten), therefore I always taste them before giving to R (my 8.5m daughter)… And this one was like death.. Squirted it out to find huge pieces of… Yuck! This is an organic sprout pouch I bought within the last 10 days or so at Target. I have absolutely no idea what the chunks are.. the smaller one seemed like an old pea shell.. but the large one- I don’t even want to know. It wasn’t only that there was chunks of food(?) it in… But it was absolutely spoiled. It smelled disgusting and ugh….. Check your pouches friends- This is not okay. – Jamie H.

I’m Sorry That I’m a Crappy Friend

It dawned on me about a week or so ago that since I’ve become a parent, I haven’t been a very good friend. I wonder if anyone can really accomplish both and still get a good nights rest.

Being the Mom of three requires a lot of time and energy. Between school, dance classes, homework, breaking up arguments and trips to the doctor for the never ending cold virus that has been with us for the last 7 years, I am left with very little “me” time, let alone “friend” time. I also work full time, run two businesses and manage to cook dinner at least 5 times a week. I’m mentally exhausted.

With everything going on, I get about 20 minutes a month to actually get on the phone and catch up with my friends. And that’s 20 minutes for all of them, not each of them. And the calls seem like a mad rush to say everything we need to say before one of our kids interrupts or breaks something or wants some juice or needs their butt wiped. I get to see most of my friends once a year, if I’m lucky. Even my Facebook time is limited. So aside from “Happy Birthday” or liking a post or pic, I don’t get to say much.

And that’s what brought me to the conclusion that I’ve been a crappy friend. I miss going out to dinner regularly and talking about life. I miss our vent sessions. I miss just hanging out with the people I can truly be myself with. I miss the non-stop laughter that starts as soon as we get together and ends when we part ways. I miss my friends and their awesomeness.

So I want to apologize. I apologize for being a crappy friend. I’m well aware and am doing my best to fix it. I promise that eventually things will get better. It may not be until my youngest leaves for college, but it will happen. I hope by then that I’m still worthy of your friendship and you are ok with hanging out with a wrinkly 50-something lady.

Until then…

Tired of the Fighting and Whining? Try Painting!

My girls might not always get along. In fact, they disagree most of the time. The one thing we’ve finally found that both of the two oldest love to do is anything that involves art.

I’m sure you’ve seen those step by step instructional painting classes. I was dying to go to one with some friends but could never make it. I found a place in my area, called Uptown Art, that has classes for kids 5 and up.

My oldest and I went twice (in March and April), while my middle daughter counted down until her 5th birthday. We have this huge empty wall in our dining room and was screaming for some art so I told my husband that as soon as we had enough art, I wanted to create a family wall of art.

Yesterday was my 5 year old’s first class and she did amazing! A few adults stopped by our table to compliment her. She had so much fun and best of all, she and her sister didn’t fight once while we were there.

When we left, I mentioned that I wish my husband didn’t have to stay home with our youngest. He loves painting too. We decided to stop at Michaels and pick up everything we needed so that we could all paint as a family.

And today, we did just that. We printed pictures from the internet and started painting. 3 hours later, our masterpieces were complete and we finally had enough finished canvases to put up that family art wall!

I’m so excited to finish it but just had to share how great it’s coming along. If you’re looking for something to do as a family that keeps the kids focused and quiet for a few hours, I highly recommend painting!

Why Mommy Won’t Have New Clothes Until 2030

If you’re a Mom, you know that once you have kids, the amount of money you spend on yourself is a tiny fraction of what you really should spend.  You get money as a gift, you spend it on your kids.  You get a bonus check at work, you spend it on your kids.  You go to the mall to buy yourself something and instead, you spend everything on your kids.  I guess it’s part of life.

When I FINALLY decide to, or am forced to buy myself some clothing, it usually goes a little something like this.

1. I’m online, usually shopping for something for my kids.
2. I find something I really love.
3. I add it to my shopping cart.
4. I continue looking for what I originally was looking for and add those things to my cart.
5. I go to checkout and realize that I probably don’t need that one thing for me.
6. I remove the item I was buying for myself and checkout.
7. The following day, I’m still thinking about that item but decide against it since I don’t want to have to pay shipping again.
8. The package arrives and I realize that I really should have purchased that item for me because then, I would have it already.
9. I quickly go online and add it to my shopping cart.
10. I get all the way through the checkout process and then contemplate if I should really be spending that money on myself.
11. I talk to my husband and get him to convince me that I need it.
12. I complete checkout.
13. The package arrives, I take it out and have no doubt that I made the right decision.  I put the item down, for a minute, because one of the kids has an “emergency”.
14. When I finally make it back to my new item, one of my kids has already spilled something on it, ripped it, thrown it in the toilet, broken it, gotten it dirty, put it in their mouth or accidentally cut it with their kiddy scissors because they didn’t think it was necessary to move it before they started one of their projects.
15. I yell.  I feel bad. I make note… Mommy doesn’t get things for Mommy until all three kids are out of the house.

16 years and counting…