Motherhood Choice #2

Yesterday, I spoke about the decision to bottle feed over nursing.  Today, I am discussing Doug's and my choice to disposable diaper over cloth diapering.

Honestly, cloth diapering was never an option for Doug and myself.  Some of our friends chose to cloth diaper and that was their choice.  When they tried to convince us with information about the toxins in disposable diapers, I felt like they were going too far.  Fans of cloth diapers also point out that diapers sit in landfills for many, many years.  I guess I'm just not environmentally concerned enough to care.  Sorry.

Admittedly, the diaper covers stores and shops sell these days are adorable.  However, that is not enough to sway my decision.

Doug and I chose to use disposable diapers for several reasons.  First, unless your child is sitting in a diaper for hours (which they shouldn't be regardless of diaper material), there isn't a huge risk of the so-called poison affecting the baby.  Secondly, when using cloth diapers, you have to remove the "solids" out of the diaper before washing it in the washing machine.  Who wants to play with poop?  It's all I can do to wipe my child's behind and deposit the offending diaper in the garbage.  Plus, even if you remove the waste, you cannot get your water hot enough to properly kill any bacteria, so then any other clothes you wash are being washed with bacteria.  If you choose to send the diapers to a diaper service, you still have to remove the poop and when you receive the diapers back, you don't know what other babies have used the diapers.  I can't see diapering my baby in cloth that has other peoples' children's bacteria traces left on them.  Also, what do you do with the soiled diaper out in public?  Dumping it into a toilet is all well and good, but you still have the remnants in the diaper stinking up the car or diaper bag.  Where do you put the baby while you're emptying the diaper?

If one chooses to cloth diaper, I don't think they are bad parents because I feel that there may be extra bacteria on their child or share with them my thoughts on the subject.  I just politely state that we are using disposable diapers and we are quite happy with that.  Therefore, people who cloth diaper should not accuse me of being a bad parent because I diaper my child in supposedly toxin-filled diapers.

Whichever way people choose to diaper, it's right for their family and let's be honest, cloth or disposable, when the baby poops, it's always toxic!

Motherhood Choice #1

Even before I was pregnant, I read blogs, especially those written by mothers.  I figured I could live vicariously through their lives until I had a family of my own.  Several of the blogs I read advocated for breastfeeding.  One blog in particular stated that if you don't breastfeed, you're a horrible mother who doesn't want a healthy child.  At the time, I disagreed, but I didn't think much more of it.

When I became pregnant with Weston, several people insisted that I nurse the baby.  That it is completely unhealthy and unnatural to give a baby formula.  Other people thought that I should just formula feed from the beginning.  Family history pointed towards me having the inability to nurse, but every woman is different.  Regardless of what people thought, I figured I would make a decision and then whatever happened, happened.

My decision was that I would try to nurse and if it didn't work, I wouldn't be heartbroken.  I was criticized for this choice, people saying that since I had a blase' attitude, I wouldn't put forth the effort to nurse my baby.  However, since breastfeeding is such a 'natural' thing, I wasn't worried.

When Weston was born, I did try to nurse him.  For the first one and a half days we were in the hospital, I tried to breastfeed Weston.  No matter what position he was in, how many times the lactation specialist and nurses tried to help the two of us, Weston would not latch.  He also fell asleep as soon as I put him to my breast.  The morning of the day we were being released, the nurse finally said that the baby needed some nutrition before he could be released, to ensure that everything in his body was working alright.  She brought me formula to feed him.  Although I wasn't going to be nursing him, I didn't feel ashamed for not.

By giving Weston formula, I have definitely still bonded with him just fine.  It also gave Doug the chance to bond with him that he wouldn't have had if I nursed Weston.  When I was struggling with post-partum depression, letting someone else feed him allowed me to get some much-needed sleep and stay sane.  I challenge anyone to prove to me that I am not as bonded with my child as a mother and child who nursed.

We have continued to give Weston the formula for 9 months now.  With the exception of when I had the flu and Weston caught a small strain from me (coughing and a low-grade fever that lasted less than a couple of hours), he has been incredibly healthy. 

The formula being produced today is the closest to breastmilk that it's ever been.  Also, many people I know were given formula way back when and they are healthy, smart individuals.  I truly don't believe that breastmilk is a noticeable amount healthier than formula.

However, I have received a couple of emails and Facebook messages from people who feel like I am a failure as a mother, simply because I chose not to nurse.  I have been lambasted for "intentionally poisoning" my child and for "shunning my child, because clearly you don't want to bond with your child".  I don't feel like I should have to defend my choice to bottle feed (or any parenting choice, really). 

I may or may not nurse my next child.  If I do, good for me.  If I don't, good for me.  I highly doubt that I will bond any more or have any healthier of a child if I nurse.  Ultimately, it is my choice and my business.

Do I believe that if I had nursed him, he'd be any healthier? No.  Do I feel like Mom's antibodies are good for the baby? Yes.  Do I feel like I am doing my child an injustice by not nursing him? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

I feel that the parenting community as a whole needs to support each other.  Whether one chooses to nurse or not is an individual choice.  There may also be more reasons below the surface as to why someone didn't nurse.  I support those who nurse and those who formula-feed without bias.  I expect the same support.  Parenting is hard enough without parents judging the decisions of other parents simply because they didn't make the same choice.

Staying Home vs Going to Work

This isn't a post about which one I should do.  Nope.  This is a post about what choices Doug had this morning and he now has a clear answer on which he should have done, which is the opposite of what he actually did.

*Background Story- Doug has an old Camaro that he and his dad were going to fix up.  It ran alright, but they wanted to improve it.  Then I came onto the scene and Doug's money that he had set aside to fix up his car went onto my finger and into a wedding and honeymoon.  This made me feel very bad that his money was diverted, but I do appreciate it.  His car was taken to his parents' house at Thanksgiving 2008.  It remained untouched until we could get the funds together, which took until this past Fall.  We shared one car and after we had Weston, Doug had a beater car that was on its last leg, so that I would have a car to take Weston out and about.  When we moved to North Alabama, Doug's beater car stopped working, so again, we had one car.  He took it to work everyday, so Weston and I were stranded at home and I prayed that there wasn't an emergency with Weston.*

Last Thursday, Doug and I went and met the guy that was driving Doug's car to us on a car carrier.  Everything looked good and he drove it to work on Friday.  We used my car over the weekend, so he didn't drive his car all weekend.  Yesterday morning, he also drove to work with no issues.  Even though it was VERY cold, the car started right up.

This morning however, the car chose not to start and Doug assumes it is because it was cold.  As I pointed out though, it was colder yesterday and started just fine.  So, Doug took my car to work, picked up his laptop and came home to work, so that I could have the car.

Weston woke up early, about 8:45.  When he wakes up that early, I usually make him stay in his crib until at least 9:30.  This is for two reasons: 1) sometimes he will fall back asleep and 2) if he gets up too early, he spends the entire morning, until naptime, being a huge grumblebee.  Well, Doug didn't realize this so he grabbed Weston when he woke up.  In his defense, he wanted to give me a chance to sleep without listening to Weston whining on the monitor.  As predicted, Weston was in a terrible mood until he finally got a nap. 

Doug struggled to get some work done in between Weston's fits and the commotion going on around him.  In the middle of one of Weston's screaming jags, I told him that THIS is why the choice to go to work everyday is always better than the choice to stay home.  He may miss us when he's at work, but at least he can have peace and quiet and adult conversations.  Needless to say, he wholeheartedly agreed that he should have stayed at work (and should have left Weston in his crib a little longer).

Teen Pregnancy/Bless Her Heart

Doug and I tutor a high school student to prepare her for the SAT on Sundays.  We tutor her at a local library. 

Yesterday, while Doug was tutoring, I saw a teenage girl who was about 14 browsing the "young adult" section.  She seemed completely in place...until I saw that she was about 8 months pregnant.

My first thought was 'you are ruining your life.  You are going to miss the end of the school year.  Most teen parents don't complete high school or go to college.'

My second thought was 'oh, honey! If only you knew that the 20 minutes you spent browsing the books and the 20 minutes you spent looking through them on the couch, yeah, you won't have the luxury or quiet to do either of those things anytime soon.'  Bless her heart!

I wish someone had told me just how hard parenthood is and how little time you have to yourself to accomplish anything.  I had some inkling, but I really had NO idea what parenthood is like.  I remember feeling like I was in the middle of the ocean, drowning, and no one was there to help me get above water.  This, of course, wasn't true; I had Doug and my mom.  However, I didn't feel like they had any clue how I felt.

Parenthood has gotten much better and I am looking forward to expanding our family.  For the teenage girl though, without the support of family (which she very well may have) and the baby's father, and the fact that she is still a child herself, she has a long road to hoe.  I know when I was her age, there is no way that I could have handled the pressures and stresses (and sleeplessness) or parenthood. 

My ABC's

A. Age: 26

B. Bed size: Queen

C. Chore you dislike: Hanging laundry.  I don't mind washing and drying it.  Even folding it isn't horrible, but I highly dislike hanging clothes.

 

D. Dogs: Two.  Hattie, our almost 5 year old Great Dane and Waveland, our 2 year old black Labrador.

 

E. Essential start to your day: Giving Doug a kiss goodbye and listening to Weston in his crib through the monitor.

F. Favorite color: Red

G. Gold or silver:  Gold...but my rings are platinum.

H. Height:  5’8"  

I. Instruments you play(ed):  I cannot play and never have played any instruments.  Well, except for the recorder in 4th grade and the viola in orchestra for 2 weeks.  I wasn't good at either.  Doug plays the saxophone though.

J. Job title:  Teacher.  I am a stay-at-home mom for now though and for the foreseeable future.

K. Kids: Weston, 9 months

 

L. Live:  North Alabama.  Since 2008 though, I have lived in Florida, South Alabama, Coastal Mississippi and now here.

M. Mom’s name & Dad's Name:  Terry and Peter

 

N. Nicknames: None really

O. Overnight hospital stays:  When I had Weston and when I have been sick multiple times.

P. Pet peeves: Disrespectful people, people tending to other people's business (I used to do this, but I think I've gotten much better), rhythmic noise (tapping, popping gum)

Q. Quote from a movie: Vivian: "That would make you a...lawyer." Edward: "What makes you think I'm a lawyer?" Vivian: "You have that sharp, useless look about you."  (Pretty Woman)

R. Righty or lefty: Righty

S. Siblings:  One...William...20

 

T. Time you wake up:  Whenever Weston wakes up.  Varies, but usually between 8:30 and 9.  I have a very good sleeper!

U. Underwear:  What about it?

V. Vacation Spot:  Well, I honeymooned in St. John, which resulted in Weston, so that's definitely a good memory.  I also LOVE NYC.

 

W. What makes you run late: Getting Weston ready to go sometimes takes longer than I expected, but I am generally early, so I'm rarely late, even with getting Weston and myself out the door.

X. X-rays you’ve had:  Teeth for braces, chest for pneumonia and bronchitis, collarbone when I broke it.

Y. Yummy food you make:  I make decent Mexican lasagna, regular lasagna, French toast.

 

Z. Zoo animal favorites:  I like elephants, tigers, giraffes, among others.

Dear Amie- Part 7

*I am writing a letter to my grandmother.  You can read Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 here here here here here and here.  This is the final part.*

2011:
In January we got more snow.  You know I am a very happy girl when there's snow.  Everything in our area closed down for a week due to about 10 inches of snow.

At the end of February, Doug, Weston and I drove up to Kentucky, to see Will before he deployed to the Middle East on March 1st.  This obviously broke Mom's heart, but I think the saddest scene that day was newborn babies or pregnant moms whose husbands were going off to war and were going to miss the first year of their baby's life.

Now it's March, so here's the update on everyone.

UG and AV- AV has written several books on teaching and religion, unrelated I believe.  They are both very involved in their church.  B is on the flag team and track team at school.  She will be 16 this year.

UJ and AD- Since he lost his job, UJ has started a company.  He is also still looking for employment.  AD is working at the trademart every few months.  We are going to visit them at the end of April.

UD and AT- Everything seems good at their house.  AT is still working at the Catholic school.  C plays basketball and baseball, both of which he is very good at.  He will also be 16 this year.  In fact, they just spent spring break touring universities in the South.  He may not go to LSU like his parents.  L plays basketball, softball, she cheers and is part of the runners club.  She will be a teenager this year.  Lord help her parents!

Dad and Mom are in transition right now, trying to find the jobs that are right for them.  They visit us often and enjoy watching Weston grow.

Will is in the Middle East, but he seems safe.  However, when he arrived, he thinks he re-tore his knee...the one the military knows nothing about.  Mercedes is a horrible person.  She didn't have a family life growing up, so she suctioned to Will and our family and I think she's determined to tear us all apart.  No one likes her.  I'd like to think you'd be very impressed with Doug, but I have a feeling that you would have "snatched that girl bald-headed" a LONG time ago.  She's very disrespectful and you would not have put up with that.  Hopefully Will's deployment will give him time to rethink the whole situation.  Maybe not, only time will tell.

Doug, Weston and I are doing well.  Weston is growing so (too) fast.  He's almost 9 months old and he's beginning to crawl as I write this.  He doesn't have any teeth yet, but he loves Gerber food, whipped cream, ice cream and mashed potatoes.  He is such a smart, active and joyful little boy.  He usually has a smile on his face and keeps us laughing.  He is starting to assert his independence a little bit, so that's challenging, but otherwise he is easy-going.  Everyone, even strangers, tells us what a good baby he is and how adorable he is.  We tend to agree on both accounts.

Well, that's about it.  I miss you everyday, sometimes terribly.  I often think of questions for you or wonder what you would think of this or that.  I hope you're enjoying heaven and you and Granddaddy are dancing and having a blast.  I love you very much and will see you again someday.

Love,
Ellery

Dear Amie- Part 6

*I am writing a letter to my grandmother.  You can read Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 here here here here and here.*

2010:
On January 28th, Mom, Doug and I went to Babies R Us in Mobile to buy the baby's stroller and car seat combination.  You would have been aghast at all the baby contraptions and technology available for babies now.  The baby's car seat locks into a base that stays in the car.  That way, you can easily take the baby in and out of the car without having to fuss with locking it into a car seat each time.

On UG and AV's 8th wedding anniversary, Doug and I had the "big" ultrasound, where we could find out the gender of the baby and the doctor looked for any abnormalities.  We chose not to find out the baby's gender and the doctor found no abnormalities.  Yay!  We also didn't tell anyone what our name choices were.  So Mom and AT decided that the baby's name was Shawntavius Shanequa.  I don't know, they're your children.

On the 5th anniversary of your passing, Doug and I moved to Gautier with Mom.  Our house was not big enough for our impending addition and Mom had a large house all to herself, since Dad went to work in upstate Alabama.

In April, Mom threw me a baby shower.  Unfortunately, a lot of people couldn't make it, but AT, L, Aunt Em (shocker, I know) and a wife of one of Doug's co-workers came to the shower.  It was very nice and intimate and the baby received a lot of great things.  He or she would be set for sure.  Everyone thought I was having a boy, so we received a lot of boy clothes.

In May, Doug and I took a couple last pre-baby trips to New Orleans and Gatlinburg, Tennessee for some R&R.  Mom and Dad came with us to Gatlinburg.  Will and Mercedes were supposed to meet us, but ultimately didn't.  It was very nice to get away for a few days each time.  L graduated from 5th grade with a small ceremony.  Since it was only 5th grade, only parents were invited, so we didn't go.  I'm sure you would have been there with tears of pride streaming down your face.

In mid-June, the doctor determined that the little one wasn't so little.  With almost a month left until my due date, the baby was already 7lbs, 4oz.  The doctor decided to induce me a little early since the baby was clearly ready to be born.  On June 30th, your great-grandson, Weston Luke was born.  He was 8 pounds, 13 ounces and 22 inches long.  Even the OB stated that he was "solid" as I was delivering him.  He was born with a ton of dark brown hair and blue eyes.  Not the typical "baby" blue eyes, but blue eyes like yours.  I wonder what you would have thought about him.  We didn't know that Weston was a family name until Mom and Uncle Duck told me. Mom was disappointed (as was I) that he was not a girl, but he is SUCH a joy, I wouldn't trade him for a girl now.  AT, C and L came to visit us at the hospital.  C was afraid to hold Weston, but eventually did.

For Weston's first holiday, 4th of July, we went and watched fireworks at the top of the Beau Rivage casino in Biloxi.  I wish you, or someone, had told me how difficult parenthood is.  In late July, after I struggled with post-partum depression, L came to visit for a few days and play with Weston.  She was such a big help.  I need a live-in 12 year old!

In August, B and C started 10th grade and L started 6th.  Weston slept through the night towards the beginning of the month, which was very nice of him.  However, from the time he was born, Mom was a night nanny for him and about 4 days out of the week, she and Weston would go "bar-hopping", which was their idea of late night feedings.  It was very helpful and the sleep helped my PPD subside some.

In September, Doug had his first business trip since Weston was born, so for about 4 days, I was a single-parent.  It's not at all easy!  I also celebrated my first birthday as a mommy.  Doug and I celebrated one year of marriage...with a 9 week old.  Not what we planned, but absolutely perfect.

For Weston's first Halloween, he dressed up as an adorable caterpillar.  We went to a downtown trick-or-treat event and he promptly fell asleep.  You would have tried to overcandy him his parents, but loved on him as well.

At the beginning of November, Doug and I moved to a beautiful house in north Alabama.  Mom tried to convince me to leave Weston behind, but sadly for her, we brought him along.  We all went to UJ's for Thanksgiving.  It was a nice several days for our family.  This was the first time UJ and AD met Weston.  They think he is amazing...he IS!

Weston's first Christmas was awesome! Not only did Santa come to visit, but it SNOWED!!  We got a few inches of snow overnight Christmas Eve, so we woke up to a white Christmas.  Amazing!!  Dad, Mom, Will and Mercedes all came to our house on Christmas Eve to spend the night with us.

Dear Amie- Part 5

*I am writing a letter to my grandmother.  You can read Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 here here here and here.*

2009:
In January, we got a black Labrador puppy that was from a litter of Mom and Will's yellow and chocolate, respectively, Labradors.  Doug's favorite baseball team is the Chicago Cubs, so the puppy was named Waveland Wrigley for a street outside of Wrigley field.  She is quite the adorable thing, except at 3am when it is frigid out, she doesn't know to do her business immediately and then wants to play around when we go back inside.  Doug and I also finalized a church to get married in.  We wanted to get married in the beautiful stained glass sanctuary on east Manatee Avenue, but they were ridiculously expensive, so we settled on Kirkwood Presbyterian, with Leona's help.  She passed away shortly after helping us reserve the church.

In February, Mom threw me a surprise bridal shower, which was so amazing and unexpected (I know, hence "surprise").  Doug and I received a lot of great housewares, we played games and everyone else ate great food.  Also, the same week, that crazy Great Dane ate a towel.  Her surgery coincided with the bridal shower.  It was an interesting day to say the least. 

In March, that horrid girl Mercedes convinced Will to join the Army, even though he had a full scholarship to UWF.  We all tried to talk him out of it, but it didn't work.  It's nice that he's following in Granddaddy's Army footsteps, but we are still fighting the war from the September 11th attacks.  He also neglected to mention to the Army that his knee was torn.  Because it was not surgically repaired, he had no visible scars.

In March, Doug and I moved out of our apartment in Mobile and into a house in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.  You didn't miss much if you've never been there.  Hattie and Waveland much appreciated having a yard to run around in.  We also discovered that we had a resident tortoise that lived in our backyard.  We named him "Henry".  Remember when you named every squirrel you saw "Toby"?

In May, Doug and I finally found a venue to hold our reception, Lakewood Ranch Country Club.  However, since 10/10 wasn't available, we changed the date to 9/12.  I thought it would be great to make my wedding anniversary on your birthday.  It now gives us something happy to think about on that date.  Also, Will completed high school.

In June, Mom, Dad and Will moved to Gautier, Mississippi- another "if you blink, you miss it" town on the gulf coast.  Doug and I threw Will a very small graduation party (cake, streamers, balloons) to celebrate his graduation from high school.

On the 4th of July, Will left to go back to Florida so that he could catch the bus to Basic Training at Ft. Benning in Columbus, GA, where Granddaddy also trained.  It broke Mom's heart that she wouldn't be able to see him or talk to him for about 2 months.  I was upset that he wouldn't be able to attend my wedding.

In August, I got my scuba diving certification so that Doug and I could scuba dive on our honeymoon.  I had a bad experience during my certification, so although I hold a certification, I don't use it much ever.  Also, B and C started high school (!) and L started 5th grade.

In September, Doug and I got married.  I woke up that morning to a rainstorm of hurricane proportions.  I have decided it was your tears falling from heaven, since you were sad you couldn't be at my wedding.  Uncle Duck walked Mom down the aisle.  C read a bible verse during the ceremony.  It was a beautiful ceremony and reception, but you were truly missed.  I wasn't at all nervous that day, but I was extremely sad you weren't there.  You probably wouldn't have liked our wedding cake design- it was FAR from traditional.  Will sent a speech he had written for UJ to read at the reception.  Only one problem, UJ ended up so sick, he couldn't attend the wedding or reception.  He ended up calling an ambulance to the hotel during the reception and then UD took AD, in tears, to the hospital to see him.  I've decided we can't gather family together without a hospital being involved.  When we left our reception, Doug and I went to Sarasota Memorial in our wedding finery to say hey to UJ.  We spent our wedding night at the Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota.  Our room overlooked the park where Doug proposed.  I don't know why UJ insists on staying at those, they're not worth the money, but it was nice to have a fancy room for our wedding night.  Doug planned our honeymoon without my input, so I had no idea where we were going until we reached our connecting flight out of Miami.  We ended up going to St. John, a beautiful island in the Virgin Islands.  Doug had rented us a house up in the middle of a mountain.  It was very relaxing and peaceful and we enjoyed it fully.  Maybe too much...

In October, Doug and I drove up to Jackson (about a 3 hour drive) to see L play softball.  She is a good all-around player and she's a great pitcher too.  I know you and Granddaddy would be so proud of her skills.  I also got my name legally changed on everything and in my Mississippi license, I am well-tanned and definitely look like a newlywed.  Or maybe I just had a "glow".  We went to visit Will for "Family Day" in late October.  I wasn't feeling all that great, but really didn't think anything of it.  However, I felt progressively worse as the weekend went on.  Doug and I began to suspect perhaps we had brought home a more "lasting" souvenir from St. John.  On October 29th, we found out that we were expecting your first great-grandchild.  To say that we were scared and not ready for a baby this early in marriage would be a gross understatement. 

By November, we came around to the idea that we were going to be parents.  We began to get very excited about this little person.  On November 8th, we had our first prenatal appointment.  We found out that our little one was going to be a patriotic child, with a due date of July 4th.  On November 12th, Will graduated from Basic Training.  That morning, we went to breakfast with UJ and AD before the ceremony.  Apparently, this is the day morning sickness kicked in big time.  All I could muster to eat was one piece of bread.  AT told me later that AD called her on the way back home to tell her she thought I was pregnant.  Mom swears she knew before that day, but when I was so green around the gills, it was confirmed.  However, we were waiting for Doug's parents to visit, perhaps for Thanksgiving, so we didn't say anything to anyone while we were in Georgia.  Doug's parents couldn't visit, so on November 19th, we finally spoke up, that we were, in fact, making all four of them grandparents for the first time.  On November 23rd, against the better judgement of EVERYONE, Will married Mercedes at the courthouse in Mobile.  So, both of Mom's children were married in a matter of 2 1/2 months.  A year previously, she had both of us at home and now we had both spread our wings and I was expecting a baby.  Will was stationed at Ft. Knox in Kentucky.  It's not all that impressive.  Also, UJ let us know that due to a merger with his company and a much larger company, he had lost his job after many years of service.

On December 4th, Doug and I saw our jellybean for the first time.  When we took Mom the ultrasound pictures, she was just glowing with excitement.  I'm sure she wanted to pick up the phone and call you to tell you all about this new addition.  We had another ultrasound on December 22nd and again Mom beamed with pride over her new grandchild.  She, of course, overbought for this unborn miracle, as I'm sure you would have, had you been with us.

Dear Amie- part 4

*I am writing a letter to my grandmother.  You can read Parts 1, 2 and 3 here here and here.*
2008:
In January I started my final internship.  This was all day, every day teaching.  I thought I wanted to teach young children, so the college assigned me to Kindergarten.  In 4 weeks time, I went from teaching personable 5th graders to teaching essentially babies.  For the record, Kindergarten is NOT for me.  Also, LSU won the national championship in football.  I know you don't care, but UD, AT, C, L and I were very excited.

I made a promise to you as I laid next to you the night you passed away that I would graduate from college and I'd do it for you.  In April, I did graduate, with the highest honors, with my elementary education degree.  I used tape and put the words "For Amie" on my mortarboard.  In fact, the mortarboard still has the tape affixed to it.  That same day, UD, C and L got into a pretty bad car accident.  They were all ok, but the Tahoe wasn't.  They have a newer vehicle- one you'd be able to climb into better.  Also in April, Will met a horrible girl named Mercedes (more about her later).  He also tore his knee playing rugby.  This also comes into play later in the letter.

In June, Dad, Mom, Will, Mercedes and I all went on a road trip to Washington D.C. for the 4th of July.  While we were in that part of the country, I also convinced them to go to Philadelphia (remember when you and I went back in 1992?) and New York.  Had I known what my very near future was going to hold, I would have had Mom take me to Kleinfeld's Bridal Boutique.  Overall, we had a pretty good time and had I known it would be my last family vacation, I would have tried to enjoy it more, but with Mercedes and I butting heads 99% of the time we were gone, it wasn't as relaxing as it could have been.

In August, I met the man of my dreams.  His name is Doug and we met through a friend.  He is an aerospace and mechanical engineer in south Mississippi.  He was born in Connecticut and raised in Florida.  He went to the University of Florida, which you know went over well with UG and his Florida State loving self.  Also, LSU and UF are very competitive in football, so that's also interesting during football season.  I knew it was meant to be when I found out he was born on you and Granddaddy's anniversary- the first one you had without him.  He has dark hair and blue eyes, so there is hope yet for a blue-eyed great-grandchild.  I think you'd really like him; he's very sweet to me and wants nothing but the best for me.  Also, Will started his senior year, B and C started 8th and L started 4th. 

In September, with my current job ending, due to my employer's tax fraud, I decided to apply to jobs closer to Doug.  I quickly found one and moved to Mobile, AL and lived with Doug.  I know you wouldn't have approved of us living together before marriage, especially after knowing each other for such a short time, but it made the most financial sense.  Please don't be upset.  At the end of the month, I began teaching 3rd grade students with varying exceptionalities.  Sort of like Mom's first year of teaching, but worse.  I had one student who knocked over a porta potty while inside due to his ADHD and another student who had issues leaving his hands above the table...shall we say.

In November, the United States elected the first African-American president.  I know that this would not mesh with you- it doesn't mesh well with a lot of people.  I dragged Doug to Mistletoe where he met UD, AT, C and L for the first time.  UD and Doug talked football and professional jobs and C and Doug played video games together.  He also thought L was adorable, which she is.

In December, Doug proposed to me and of course I said yes.  We began planning a wedding for 10/10/09 thinking it would be cool to have our first anniversary on 10/10/10.  Unfortunately, the venue we wanted wasn't available on that date, since apparently others had the same idea.  We then went to Atlanta for our annual family gathering, where Doug met the rest of the crazy family members for the first time.  We also announced our engagement when everyone arrived.

Dear Amie- Part 3

*I am writing a letter to my grandmother.  You can read Part 1 here and you can read Part 2 here*
2007:
Right around St. Patty's Day, I got very sick with a still-undetermined illness.  I was hospitalized for a week, but the overall outcome was positive.  Over the next year, I lost almost 100 pounds and on college graduation day, I was a size 0.

I had a grueling summer class schedule.  Since I didn't have housing, I drove to Ft. Myers every Monday evening, took a 4 hour course and stayed with a friend.  Then, on Tuesday, I had class from 8am-9pm and then I drove back home.  It was the hardest 2 months of classes and driving I had done, but I received all A's for the summer, so it was all worth it.

In August, I began my first teaching internship.  I taught a lovely group of 5th grade gifted students half days on Tuesday and Thursday and all day on Wednesdays.  They reminded me a lot of myself at that age-goofy, awkward, but very sweet.  It was so much fun and if/when I return to teaching, this is the age group I would like to teach. Will started 11th grade, B and C 7th and L 3rd.

In November, Mom had surgery for vascular artery disease.  I was terrified I was going to lose her, since she doesn't do well with anesthesia.  However, she came through with flying colors.  She even quit smoking...for a while.

Dear Amie- Part 2

*I am writing a letter to my grandmother.  You can read Part 1 here*

2006:
In April, Will totaled your Altima.  He wasn't at all injured and the car was technically still driveable, but totaled nonetheless.

In July, Mom, Will and I moved to Orlando...for about 3 weeks.  The county that had hired Mom to teach ended up having to lay off a bunch of people and Mom just happened to be one of them.  However, while we were there, the "big-footed oaf" Great Dane puppy that I wanted so badly arrived.  You'd love how goofy she was.  She tripped all over her lanky legs and gigantic paws.  I named her Manhattan, since I love NYC so much, but we call her Hattie, a nice Southern name you could be proud of.

In August, Mom and Will moved back in with Dad and I went off to college.  I went to Florida Gulf Coast University in Ft. Myers and therefore was a lot closer to home this time and I would have been able to see you a lot more often than I did when I first went to college.  Which reminds me, when I was cleaning out my belongings to move in with Doug, whom you'll hear more about in a bit, I found a lot of noted and postcards you sent to me in Pensacola.  I am so, so, so sorry that I didn't ever write back.  I guess at 18, the beach and friends were more important.  I feel pretty badly about that.  Also in August, Will started 10th, B and C started 6th and L started 2nd grade.

In September, Will got his driver's license and with it, your Altima.  He enjoyed having a car and I think having a piece of you brought him some comfort.  He never really showed emotion after you passed, but he was internally devastated.  Having your scent in the car was eerily refreshing.

Nashville and Little Sleep

Doug, Weston and I went to Nashville for dinner last night, which resulted in us getting in late.

We both tutor on Sundays and needed to be up by 11 so we had an alarm set.  Apparently that wasn't good enough for Waveland, who felt the need to start waking us up at 7:15.  She's as bad as a child!  Meanwhile our actual child slept until 10:15.

We still ended up being late leaving the house, but early to tutoring, so that's good.

We went out to dinner, split a meal and then shared dessert.  It was a nice day too.

Hope you had a great Sunday!  I know we did.

Dear Amie

*Over the next several days, I will be writing a letter to my grandmother.*

Dear Amie,


It has been six long years since you passed away.  So much has happened in the past six years.


2005:
The night before you passed, AT called and told you that in May, she, UD, C and L would be coming so that you could finally take them to Disney World.  You stated that May was a long time away.  I think you knew that you weren't going to make it until then to see your youngest grandchildren enjoy the wonder that is Disney.  When they came in May, we went and had a great time.  L was scared of the dark rides, like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.  I know you would have stayed outside with her or cuddled her, ensuring her she was safe.

In August, Will started 9th grade, B and C started 5th grade and L started 1st grade.  Also, a category 5 hurricane, Katrina, struck New Orleans and Mississippi.  It probably wiped out the house you had down there and there are still clean-up efforts going on.  Apparently you order a National Geographic Atlas before you passed away.  We received it in early September and it was bookmarked to Louisiana.  Mom felt like you were sending a message that you were alright, since you like LA a lot.


In September, I turned 21.  Even though I am not one to party and I wasn't particularly looking forward to my birthday, it was even harder realizing your birthday was two days away and we weren't going to celebrate it.  Sometimes growing up, it was hard to have to share a cake with you (even though we all knew it was mostly for me) or have joint gift-opening sessions.  As I grew up, I didn't mind as much.  This year though, it was gut-wrenching to have to celebrate alone.  Mom threw me a surprise party and I didn't want to go.  I just wanted to wallow in self-pity.  I ended up going and having a lot of fun.  Also, Will got his learner's permit, but was scared to drive.  One day, Mom and I took him out to give him practice.  He was going too fast and we told him to turn down a side street.  He turned into an oncoming truck and so to avoid an accident, he swerved into someone's yard.  There are still skid marks dug into the ground today, 5 1/2 years later.


In November, Will, mom and I decided to go to Mistletoe in your memory.  We knew you would want us to go and have fun, even though it was incredibly hard to walk through those doors without you.

The first Thanksgiving and Christmas without you was very hard.  Especially since I was expecting a Great Dane puppy under the tree.  Perhaps I thought a puppy would help ease the lack of companionship I suddenly found myself with when you left.  Seriously though, not having you to be the matriarch of our Christmas was like having no Christmas at all.  Dad tried to make your stuffing.  It tasted like the Christmas tree.  We told him that, because none of us could choke it down to be polite, he agreed.  No one made the stuffing (or ambrosia) like you did.

Right before the new year, your children finally sold your house.  It was bittersweet.  On one hand, we didn't have to keep thinking about it, keeping up the maintenance, knowing you're not there, torturing ourselves by going over there.  On the other hand though, it was sad to give up the last piece of you, even if it did have the eggplant colored wall.

I'm pretty sure we all got together at UJ's to celebrate the new year, which would hopefully bring happiness and joy, which would be a nice change from the sadness we all felt this year  We laughed and cried and it just wasn't the same without you.  No holiday or get-together ever will be from now on.

Rescue 911

When I was a little girl, there was a show called "Rescue 911".  I really liked the show and I was sad when it went off the air.

Imagine my surprise when the other day, I discovered that there are many episodes on YouTube.  I have spent a long time reliving my childhood TV fun.

"Rescue 911" is a documentary show that tells the story of people in peril through re-enactments and when possible, news footage or video.  There are many situations from heart attacks and babies being born at home to drunk drivers and animal attacks.

I'm going to return to watching it now.

If Only I'd Known

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Six years ago today, my grandmother, Amie, and I went out to dinner.  It wasn't really for St. Patrick's Day, but because we were hungry.

We saw several restaurants advertising corned beef and cabbage.  I am not at all a fan of this meal, so when my grandmother suggested we go somewhere for corned beef and cabbage, I selfishly told her that perhaps next year she and her very Irish friend Kay could go out for this meal.

Had I known that she would only have two more dinners on Earth, I would have found something on the menu at one of the Irish restaurants so that Amie could have had corned beef and cabbage for her final St. Patrick's Day. 

I feel horrible that I denied my grandmother a meal she wanted, simply because I was too picky to eat at one of the Irish restaurants.

Sorry Amie!

My 10 Favorite Movies

A quick post idea- my 10 favorite movies.

• Obviously Pretty Woman
• Lady and the Tramp
• The Notebook
• Taken
• Notting Hill
• Valentine's Day
• The Great Mouse Detective
• Ocean's Eleven (2001)
• The Pelican Brief
• Steel Magnolias

There may be a small Julia Roberts theme here...

The Teaching Profession

Since there is a lot of upheaval with education systems around the United States, I decided that today I would list facts about the teaching profession.

• Teachers are WAY underpaid- in our profession, there is little benefit to getting more than a Bachelor's degree.  A Master's degree doesn't pay enough to warrant the extra costs involved in attaining the higher degree.  The only reason for a PhD is to be an administrator or to teach college.  Teaching is probably the lowest paid profession that requires a 4-year degree.  Engineers START at more than a teacher with 10 years tenure.
• Teachers work more than most other professions- sure, we get "vacations" throughout the year.  However, most evenings and weekends, we are grading papers, planning lessons and enhancing our classrooms with bulletin boards, decorations, examples of projects.
• Teachers are glorified babysitters- parents send their children to school to learn.  However, with the overcrowding that goes on in classrooms, along with the extreme varying ability levels within a classroom, not a lot of teaching is going on.
• Teachers wear many hats- we have to be teacher, parent, counselor, entertainer, among others.
• Teachers are forced to "teach to the test"- in several states teachers pay increases depend on your students' success on the state test.  This is not fair because some students do not have the ability to pass the test, no matter what you do to help them.  If the students do not pass the test, it reflects badly on you as the teacher, but sometimes, it is not possible for every student to pass.  Then, you do not receive a raise, although you taught for 180 days just like all the other teachers.

These are just a few things about teachers that a lot of people don't know and/or overlook.

Happy Pi Day!

When I was in middle school and high school, I remember going into math class and the teacher would make a big deal out of March 14th.  I also remember thinking how nerdy people that celebrate Pi Day were.

Aaaand then I married an engineer, someone that enjoys math...and Pi Day. 

I thought about making a pie for Doug to "celebrate" this (un)remarkable day, but since he's not a fan of pie, I decided not to waste the money on something I'd probably end up burning anyway.

Anyway, to any of you out there that enjoy and/or celebrate this day, Happy Pi Day!

Date Night and The Adjustment Bureau

Last night, my parents agreed (painfully I'm sure) to babysit Weston so Doug and I could go see a movie on our own.

We went out to dinner first and then walked to the movie theater.  We splurged on special seats, reclining, leather ones that are located in the balcony of the theater.  It wasn't really worth it, in my opinion.

We saw The Adjustment Bureau with Matt Damon and Emily Blunt.  I was a little hesitant to see this movie because it seemed like it may be another thriller that I can't follow.  However, I ended up following it just fine and actually enjoyed it.  This movie definitely makes you think about the course(s) life can take and how it happens.  I would definitely recommend seeing it.

Thank you again to my parents who watched Weston, Doug and I really needed a date.

Picnic in the Park

My parents are here this weekend.  When they woke up this morning and saw that the weather was beautiful, they decided that we should go get some subs and go to the park for a picnic. 

Doug and I didn't get up until almost noon because our friend Weston was awake in the middle of the night.  Thankfully, he doesn't wake up in the middle of the night too often, but when he does, it understandably throws our sleep off.  Therefore when we got up, we had to hurry up and get ready so that we could still eat during "lunchtime". 

We went to Publix to get our subs (yum!) and headed to the park.  When we got close, we saw that there was going to be a wedding going on later in the day and therefore, the traffic was increased, since the deliveries were arriving.  We almost turned around to find another park, but we trudged ahead.  We quickly found a picnic table and leisurely enjoyed our lunch.  We then walked around and fed the ducks and fish.  Weston seemed to enjoy the fresh air. 

We had planned to test drive SUV's, but apparently the fresh air got to all of us because instead Doug, Weston and I, along with my parents all came home and took a long nap.  It was a very nice day.

Extracurricular Activities

Yesterday, I briefly discussed the extracurricular activities that I participated in as a child.  This made me think about how I want to raise my own children regarding extracurricular activities.

First of all, I have no intention of signing my children up for activities that they don't want to do, regardless of what I want them to do.  Secondly, I WILL NOT sign them up for so many activities that they don't have time to do homework and just play outside like children should be able to do. 

I don't plan to let my son(s) play football, even if they want to.  I'd like their necks to remain in one piece thankyouverymuch.  I also hope that my children don't want to play soccer, basketball, karate or play an instrument.  I can't really follow or get into either sport, highly dislike karate and since I am not at all musical, I will have a hard time helping my children with their music.  However, Doug played the saxophone, so if our children have musical talent, it won't be completely surprising.

That said, I will support my children in pretty much any extracurricular endeavors they choose.  In fact, I can't wait to be in the bleachers hooting and hollering for my children and showing them that I support and love them.  Even if my children aren't very good at whatever they choose to do, I will still try to make them feel like winners, within reason of course.  I don't want my children think they are Albert Pujols or Jennie Finch when they don't have the skillz to back it up.  Hopefully if Doug or I can help our children hone their skills at whatever they are doing, they will continue to improve.

Softball

Even from the time I was a little girl, I wanted to play sports.  I had dolls, yes, but I was far from a girly-girl. 

Disclaimer-my parents never made me do any extra-curricular activities that I didn't want to do.  Well, except for going to math tutoring.

When I was about 4, my mom signed me up for gymnastics, at my request.  I enjoyed doing it, but I guess I wasn't very good because I only went for a short time.  I also did baton, participating in a 4th of July parade. 

When I was 7, I was the first girl to play little league in the county I grew up in.  I played with the boys because at that point there weren't programs for girls.  I enjoyed playing very much, but we moved at the end of the season and when we returned to the area only a year later, the rules had changed, prohibiting girls to play with the boys.

I was also part of a swim team.  I enjoyed swimming very much, but my lungs couldn't handle the work required to swim competetively for long distances.  This didn't stop me from joining the swim team in high school to circumvent taking P.E. and allowing me to get a varsity letter before many of my peers did.

In middle school, I discovered that there was a county softball league that I could join.  I also found out that because of my birthday, I ended up playing with younger girls.  As a result, my coach called me "tall girl" instead of learning my name.  That really upset me and I decided to stop playing for a year or two.

I played softball on the high school team, which was not as much fun as I had hoped, due to the coach doing immoral activities on the side.  I stuck with it, but I never looked at high school softball the same.

The fall of my senior year of high school, I played county softball again.  Because I would still be 16 on September 1st, I played with girls that were 12-16.  Some of the girls were in 6th grade...a long way from me, being in 12th.  The girls thought I was so cool because I could drive and had a car.  Instead of feeling like I was playing with babies, I took the opportunity to mentor my teammates and help them hone their skills.  I really enjoyed that season.

I played for one season on the church league.  I enjoyed the fellowship with other Christian women and it was nice to play in a league that prohibited trash-talking.  That kind of behavior really doesn't enhance the game.  Don't get me wrong, we were still very competitive, but we just didn't trash the other teams.  I remember that season fondly because after I hit a home run, I ran to third base and then couldn't breathe anymore, so I crawled to home.

One downside of playing softball for so long- I have scars all over my legs from sliding and tearing my skin off and from being hit by balls.  I always carried hydrogen peroxide, band-aids and neosporin with me because I knew it was inevitable that I would scrape my kneecap and be bleeding.  If you are bleeding, you can't keep playing.  Therefore, I just cleaned and covered up the bleeding area so that I could continue playing.

I really miss playing softball.  Every spring when I see the sign-ups for softball (for younger girls), I remember how much fun I had over the years.  I hope that Doug and I can find a league to play in up here, whether it be at church or part of county ball.  I would like to coach a team at some point, but last year when I had the opportunity, I was pregnant and didn't want a stray ball to hit my belly.

Good luck to all the teams that are currently playing and enjoy it!!

Showers (Or I'm Claustrophobic)

We have two bathrooms in our house.  The master bathroom has a shower stall and a large oval bathtub in it.  The guest bathroom has the regular shower/bathtub combo.  I don't like showering in the master bathroom because the shower stall is very little.  The couple times I have showered in it, I have felt like I was going to hyperventilate and that the walls were closing in on me.

When I am in a crowd, on an elevator or in a small room, I don't have any problem with claustrophobia.  For some reason however, I hate showering in the shower stall.  Therefore, I always shower in the guest bathroom now.  This solves the problem just fine.

This got me thinking about my fears.  Any fears I have, I need to either address or keep to myself.  I don't want to project my fears onto my children.  I do not want them to be scared of something just because Mommy is scared.  I have seen family members' fears end up in their children and I don't want that for my children.  I will focus on helping my children with their fears, which in turn may help me with my fears.

5 Things I'd Like to Do

I have a "bucket list", but today, I'm just going to mention 5 things I'd like to do before I get too old.

• Go Skydiving
• Visit Australia
• Visit all 50 states- I've seen every state east of the Mississippi River.
• See the Great Wall of China- but I want to literally get off the plane, go see the Wall, and go back to the plane.  I have no interest in staying in China.
• Get my pilot's license- I have some hours towards it already.

Veterinarian Visit

Today was the dreaded bi-annual veterinarian visit for Hattie and Waveland.  This wouldn't be such a big deal if I didn't have to take a 100 pound Great Dane, a 50 pound Labrador and a sweet little boy to the vet all by myself.  Oh, did I mention they all had to fit into the backseat of a Toyota Yaris?

I had a 9:30 (changed 3 days ago since the vet was going to be in the office late) 10:30 appointment and since I wanted to be home by 11:30 to feed Weston and put him down for his nap, I was at the vet's office early in hopes I could be seen early.  I got a shopping cart (the vet is inside a shopping center), put Weston's carseat and Waveland in the cargo area of the cart.  Then, I walked Hattie in.  Since Hattie was pulling and Waveland was threatening to jump out of the cart, I'm sure it was quite hilarious to see me struggling with my three-ring circus on wheels. 

I was quickly put into a room...to wait.  Apparently, there was a mouse, yes a $2.99 mouse, on life support or something ridiculous like that.  More than once a nurse came in to tell me that not one, but both vets were trying to keep this critically ill mouse alive.  Seriously?  It's a MOUSE.  Go buy another one.  I love my pets and I would be devastated if one of them was dying, but a mouse?  Come on!  And I'm fairly sure it didn't require both vets.

Eventually, a vet (I'd never met this particular vet before) did come in and promptly started chastising me for Hattie's behavior.  No, she's not the best behaved dog, but she really hasn't had to be.  We have a huge backyard that is privacy fenced and we don't take her many places and the places we do take her to are deserted.  When she was a puppy, I took her many places to socialize her and get her used to people, however, she's not really "social" and therefore has to stay home rather than going to the park.  She's a one-family dog, she doesn't like other people much and she definitely doesn't like other animals. Since I knew she was going to be a sizeable dog (the breeder though she'd be about 125 pounds), I paid good money for her to go to obedience school when she was about 5 months old.  Unfortunately, she got a certificate out of it, but not much else.  She knows how to sit, shake and stay, things Doug and I have taught her.  Although she's so large, she's very gentle around Weston, which in my opinion, is the most important thing. 

By the time the vet examined Hattie, it was already 11:15, Waveland hadn't yet been examined and they both still needed vaccines.  The vet then called Waveland "Dumbo" when she began acting skittish.  I'm not sure why Waveland is scared of the vet, because she hasn't always been like that.  Between the vet jumping down my throat, the fact that she called Waveland a name, the fact that I was already stressed from trying to transport all three "children" to the vet and the fact that Weston was beginning to fuss because he was hungry, to say I wasn't a happy camper would be a gross understatement.

We finally got both dogs vaccinated, Weston semi calmed down and the bill paid around 12.  When we got home, I fed Weston, put him down for a nap and then enjoyed the peace and quiet for a while.

I am NEVER taking the dogs and Weston to the vet by myself again.  EVER.

Heaven

Tonight during dinner, something prompted Doug and me to discuss the concept of Heaven.  What is it like?  Do we in fact get to reunite with our relatives?  How long do relatives "look down" upon their family?  Etc.  It sounds morbid, but it really was quite an interesting discussion.

It may have been this post by Tricia.  She lost her husband in late December and now has two small boys to raise.  Since they are so young, they don't grasp the fact that Daddy isn't coming back and that they can't just go visit Daddy in Heaven.

Doug was telling me that one of his college roommates (a Christian) doesn't think that when you die and ascend to Heaven that you meet your relatives.  His reasoning for this is that he believes when you go to Heaven, you are no longer who you once were.  You may look different and you may not remember who you are or who your family is.  Therefore, it would be impossible to meet up with relatives, since it would be like everyone has Alzheimer's or has had their mind erased like in "Men in Black".  He also doesn't believe that anyone "looks down" upon you.  This thought is basically based on the above thought that if you don't know who your family is, you can't "look down" upon anyone in particular.

Then Doug and I discussed if your deceased relatives do look upon you, how long do they do that for?  For example, even if you don't think about any prior relatives that have passed, let's assume a man dies.  He has a wife and children.  He "looks down" upon them.  Eventually his wife dies and she helps him "look down" upon their children.  Then the children have children, and their children have children and the cycle continues.  Does that original man ever have a break from "looking down" upon his family?  His great-great-great grandchildren, who may not come along for a century, are they still be "looked down" upon by this man?

I then suggested that perhaps you never meet your relatives in Heaven.  Especially right after someone has passed on, mourners tell the family "take solace in the fact that you'll one day be reunited with them".  Does anyone really ever know if you're reunited with your deceased family members?  When you find out, you're already dead, so you can't report back to those that are still living.  Perhaps we, as the living, believe that we'll see our family members again to help ease the pain of our loss.  The dead don't really care since they are dead.  They are no longer sad. 

No one really knows what Heaven looks like or is like.  Once again, when you find out how it really is, it's too late to take a snapshot to give to anyone on Earth.  We're all taught that the ground is made of clouds and there are people just milling around, free of pain, free of their Earthly life, but is that what it's really like?

I guess I won't have an answer to any of these questions until my time comes to leave this life.  I sincerely hope that I am not called home for many, many more years, but when I am, maybe I can confirm what I think Heaven is like...if I can remember what I thought it would be like, not that I can let anyone here know.

Just Go With It

Today Doug, Weston and I woke up to a monsoon.  It is still very windy and unrelentlessly rainy outside.  Since we planned on having a picnic in the park and going to a science museum, some of which is outdoors, we had to make other arrangements.

We ended up going to the movies, since Weston seemed to be in a good mood.  We saw "Just Go With It" with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston.  I liked it a lot better than "Unknown".  For starters, it wasn't the type of movie you have to follow to understand.  I enjoy thrillers, but comedies are always easier to follow.  There were a lot of good jokes (which, although inherent in "comedy", can sometimes fall flat).  The characters were more fun and I could see my child(ren) in a few years being similar to the children in the movie.  Also, I didn't have to keep rocking or leaving the theater with Weston, which was a definite plus.

If you're looking for a good comedy, "Just Go With It" is definitely a good choice.

Just Friday

There's not a whole lot going on in our household today.  Just looking forward to the weekend and hanging out together.  My brother's deployment, along with a few other things, has me quite stressed out at the moment, so I'm just going to try and relax this weekend.  We'll see how effective that is...

Unexpected

As I mentioned in January, my mom's yellow Labrador had puppies.  We didn't know she was even pregnant.  My parents had someone watch the dogs when they came up here to help us move in early November and apparently, Remy was in heat and one of the male puppies figured out how to use his equipment.  Remy began getting rounder and rounder, which is how we found out she had mated.  However, a dog's gestation is only supposed to be 63 days, plus or minus a couple days.  Remy's 63 days came and went and no puppies.  In fact, she was so overdue that we figured she was having a false pregnancy.  Finally, SURPRISE, 72 days after she was probably impregnated, 10 wiggly puppies arrived.

I have been reading mamapundit's posts from last summer, shortly after her 18 year old son passed away.  One night, she was sleeping when she heard her husband cussing.  She went out to investigate and found that their two "male" guinea pigs had mated.  You can read the whole post here.

Her post reminded me of a situation that occurred when I was about 7.  My grandmother worked as a manager in the business area of a large Goodwill Industries.  One morning, when she arrived at work, she was told that someone had dropped off two male gerbils overnight.  Goodwill doesn't accept living things, so obviously, they couldn't resell the gerbils and they don't make shelters for rodents.  Because we had just recently had to give away our dog, my grandmother decided that I should be the proud owner of these two gerbils.

One day, when my mom and I got home from school, I saw tiny pink critters in the gerbil cage.  Apparently, one of the "male" gerbils was female and they procreated, thus the extra critters.  They were very, very little, very pink and very naked.  They are born with no fur and their eyes are fused shut.  We raised them and then at some point gave them away.  I'll always remember how shocking it was to look into the cage and see more gerbils than I expected.