It's Official: I've Become a Veggie Sneaker.

This afternoon I pureed some yellow squash so Beanie and I can make the blueberry lemon muffin recipe from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook. While some controversy surrounded the publication of this book and some more around "sneaking" your child vegetables, I'm not ashamed to say it's a new avenue we're trying. Plus, these muffins are good!

The basic premise behind the book is that you puree vegetables and sneak them into recipes your child may not suspect. Some of the recipes in the book are sort of "no-duh" and others are quite interesting. We'll see how it goes.

I'd really like Beanie to eat a more rounded diet. She eats some vegetables, but not many. Luckily, the ones she does like are so-called good ones -- broccoli, peas, and greens. But, what she eats one day she turns her nose up at the next. She'll eat just about any fruit you put in front of her, but during the winter I find it harder to offer a wide variety. We love summer fruits -- berries, grapes, nectarines, and melon. In the winter we get stuck in a rut of apples, bananas, pears and (gasp!) canned fruit.

So, we'll see. I plan to offer vegetables at lunch and dinner (and breakfast with the occasional pumpkin pancakes) and then sneak some in to her diet as well. Hopefully she won't suspect a thing!

Live and Let Live.

That's my philosophy on parenting. Or at least on dealing with other parents.

I've got my own ideas on parenting. You have yours. Let's just live and let live.

We breastfeed past age one (well, past age 2). We co-sleep. I made 99% of Beanie's baby food at home. We use disposable diapers. I've never let her cry it out. I plan to baby wear with 2.0. Beanie watches way too much TV. She rides rear-facing in her car seat at 2 1/2. She doesn't eat many veggies and most days her lunch consists of peanut butter & jelly or chicken nuggets (in my defense, at least they are white meat chicken nuggets???). She didn't have cow's milk until she was 18 months old. She hasn't been to the dentist. We vaccinate on time (per the AAP schedule) for the most part.

If you ask me about something parenting-ish I'll likely tell you more than you want to hear, especially if it's related to a topic I feel very passionate about. I'll probably tell you about something I read because, let's face it, I'm a huge dork and am happiest sitting reading scientific peer-reviewed journal articles. That passion has spilled over into my quest to gain as much knowledge as I can about parenting. I'll give you advice if you want it (maybe sometimes even if you don't), but ultimately I realize that what you do is your decision. I don't judge anyone for making different decisions than I do. Heck, some of the decisions I have made I swore I would never do before I had a child (co-sleeping is one that readily comes to mind). So, when I tell you that I don't think my child is old enough to go to a movie I'm really not saying anything about the decision you made for your child. You asked and I answered. Brush it off and get over it.

I've read a handful of interesting blog posts on this topic lately, so I wanted to chime in. I really think it starts in pregnancy. People either think I shouldn't drink caffeine, I can't cashier at work (really? that bag of frozen peas is going to strain my back?), or I should exercise more (or less). They think I'm insane for wanting a natural childbirth or, if they're supportive, think I'm insane for wanting one in a hospital with an OB. They wonder if I'm sure I'm not having twins and tell me what I should (or shouldn't) name my child. All those annoying pregnancy comments just prepare you for the unsolicited advice you will get as a mother. And, really, why anyone thinks the way they choose to parent is also the way I should choose to parent is beyond me. It's hard enough for mom and dad to come to consensus on some topics, let alone two different moms (one of whom who has nothing to do with the situation).

As long as no one is getting hurt, can't we just live and let live? I really think things would be better that way.

And somewhat cooler heads prevail...

Just thought I'd post up quickly now that I'm not all hormonal, tired from work and uncaffeinated. Okay, I'm still uncaffeinated but the rest is a-okay.

I don't really care whether or not the inlaws come in April or May. Seems I don't have much say in it anyways. Lord knows you can't predict when the baby will be here anyways. He may come mid-March and he may be here mid-April. There's no planning when he'll come; for the most part he is running the show in that department.

I do feel bad that the inlaws are going to stay with Glenn's brother, but they did offer and I don't exactly know their reasoning or motives so I can't worry about it. Glenn sort of feels like now we should try to split time or something, but he has very mixed feelings about it. I don't want to feel like we have to change our decision based on the decisions others have made. But, I do feel bad. And maybe a little guilty. I'm trying to get over it. Because I do feel very strongly (both of us have all along) that we don't want anyone staying with us after Baby 2.0 arrives. I'm trying to be understanding of Glenn's mixed emotions and we're trying to talk about it all.

I've asked some friends for advice and it's interesting to get some perspective from people outside the situation. It's always interesting to see how different people's personalities affect how they would react to a certain situation.

******

On a totally random note, for the second week in a row I have spent just about 60 bucks on groceries. It's really amazing how much money we can save when we plan out our meals for the week. This week we are having beans & rice, pork chops & polenta, soft tacos, spaghetti (our New Year's Eve tradition), marinated chicken & roasted red potatoes, and ribs. Throw in a few salads and some veggies as side dishes and we're set. Beanie and I are also going to make our first recipe from the Deceptively Delicious cookbook -- the lemon blueberry muffins (they have yellow squash puree in them). We've had them before when a friend made them and they were delicious! I'm going to try to start baking at least once a week with Beanie as part of our Tot School time.

******

Tomorrow morning we are picking up my Sissy at the train station. We are going to try and get there early so Beanie can see the train. She was very upset that she didn't get to see the train last week when we sent Sissy off to Montana. In fact, she wanted to take the train to Montana with her Auntie. lol.

Well, good night. It's time for some crafts and then the Good Night show....

Miscommunication.

As you may remember from this post last month, my mother-in-law was not much taking to our not-so-subtle hints that it wouldn't work for them to stay with us next spring when they come up to visit Baby 2.0 and our niece. When my inlaws called over Christmas, mother-in-law brought up the topic with me, almost as if she had never discussed it with Glenn. The conversation went a little like this:

Mother-in-law (MIL): "So, we're really hoping we can come up in the spring and see the babies."
Me: "Yea, that'd be great."
MIL: "We just didn't know if you guys had a spare room we could stay with you?" (or, should've said...we do know because Glenn already told us, but now I'll ask you)
Me: "Well, the only spare room we had used to be filled with boxes, but now it is Baby 2.0's room. So no, we don't have a spare room."
MIL: "Oh......"
Me: "You know, when we were moving my mom told me to sign up for the mailing list at Extended Stay America because they send out really good coupons. We were going to use that as a last resort when we moved and didn't have a place to stay."
MIL: "Oh, I don't even think we could make that work. Things just aren't the same as they used to be."
Me: "I know. My mom and step-dad are really hoping they can make it out, but they don't know if they'll be able to either." (Meanwhile thinking.....if my family members who are completely flat ass broke can figure out a way to make it work, I'm sure you can too. Maybe take one less vacation??? Snarky, I know. Don't mess with the pregnant lady.)
Me: "My mom is hoping to come up in May sometime."
MIL: "Aren't you due April 2nd?"
Me: silently cursing the fact that we told my mother-in-law the exact due date "Yes, but we'd like to not have anyone come into town until May. Glenn will hopefully be off most of April so we'd like to get settled and have that time to get into a routine. We figure we'll need the most help after he goes back to work."
MIL: "Well, maybe I can see if I can borrow a bed from a girlfriend."
Me: "That'd be great!"
MIL: "Well, why don't you two talk about it and let us know."

Um, I'm sorry, was I ambiguous? There isn't anywhere to stay with us and we want you to come in May.

Yesterday Glenn told me that he talked to his brother about the conversation I had with mom. Brother thought that likely father-in-law wasn't in on the whole shamboozle mother-in-law was talking about. Father-in-law is generally more reasonable than my mother-in-law, respecting our space and boundaries a little more. Later yesterday Glenn got a text from his brother that he was going to call the parents and talk to them about the situation.

When I got home from work today, Glenn told me that his brother had texted him and that the inlaws were staying with them for the visit. I don't know how that whole situation came about and I guess it really isn't any of my business anyway. Glenn and I were (to put it very mildly) shocked. Brother-in-law mentioned that their little one (who is a week old, so will be about 3 or 4 months old when the inlaws come to town) is sleeping in a bassinet in their room and so the parents can sleep on an air mattress in her room. And then Glenn said they would be coming in April. Apparently they already have a vacation planned for May. I could insert another snarky comment here, but I'll refrain.

I don't know. I guess I'll hold out hope that this visit is being planned for late April. And also that they don't drive my brother-in-law and his family crazy. I'm already having serious anxiety wondering just when they are planning on coming. My pregnant hormonal-ness is making it all I can think about tonight. I mean, why didn't she mention the other day that they already had plans in May? Eh, whatever.

Maybe they can come early April and Baby 2.0 can be fashionably late. Okay, just joking...I really don't want that! I keep saying that he'll probably be here in March, but then I stop myself thinking that if I keep saying that he'll be a 42 weeker!

Anyhoo, just needed to get this all off my chest. I just wish that for once my mother-in-law would listen to and respect our wishes. It just seems to be a continual pattern for her to ask what our wishes are and then completely disregard them. It makes me wonder what exactly is the point of asking in the first place?

New Bloggys.

I've finally taken the time to add some of my newer favorite blogs to my Blogroll so check them out!

In no particular order....

Middle Ground Mom

The Irreverent Mama

1+1+1=1 (or three??? not sure where the blog title comes from, haven't dug in that far, but this is the Tot School site)

I'm going to be a Mommy?

More than her Thousand Names

So, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and read up!

Christmas time is...OVER!

Well, Christmas is over. We had a great time. We celebrate Christmas -- the commercial part -- even though we aren't Christian. For me, Christmas is about getting together with family and chatting it up, eating good food, and enjoying our time together. Or being totally stressed out around family, as the case usually is. This year was different. Different, but nice. We got got hang out quite a bit with my brother-in-law, his girlfriend and their new daughter. She's beautiful! And, it's quite hard to think that (1) Beanie was that small (even smaller actually!) just 2 1/2 years ago, and (2) in about 3 months we'll have another one that small. Yikes. Beanie is completely enamored with her new cousin. I think she's ready to take her out in the backyard and play, so we've been trying to explain to her that the baby is very small and not ready to play yet. Someday!

Glenn got me the coolest gift ever. A few weeks ago he had told me, "I thought of a gift for you. I'm going to make it. I'm a little nervous because you're either going to love it or you're going to divorce me." I assured him I wouldn't divorce him over a gift, but I was very curious what it was. Then, last Sunday after I was off work, he started telling me how he couldn't find the pictures on my desktop and how he wanted to post some pictures of us and Beanie on his facebook account. I was sure it was all a ruse and convinced he was making a picture collage thingy for our hallway. But, yesterday he totally surprised me with a little storage tub with drawers. Inside were dry erase markers and an eraser, magnetic-backed foam board, and paper. Then, he went into 2.0's room and busted out with this dry erase board that he had made up as a weekly calendar. Basically it goes from 7am to 8pm and we can plan out our days. It was funny because just a couple days ago I had been talking to him about how we needed a game plan for each day so we each knew what was going on and what the other wanted to do. That way, we would know, Oh, Glenn wants to workout this afternoon or etc. He said later he felt kinda bad because it "wasn't romantic or anything," but it was, maybe in a way guys don't exactly understand. The fact that he thought of something that *I* could really use and needed is romantic. Especially with how overwhelmed I've been feeling lately. It's like he read my mind and knew just what I needed, and that is romantic. So, rest assured...we won't be getting divorced over my Christmas gift.

Beanie made out like a bandit. Her favorite gift, by far, is the Fisher Price digital camera we got her. She walked around ALL day yesterday taking pictures. I'm sure the poor cat was tired of ger following him around telling him to "Say Cheese kitty." We've tried to explain how she can look through the LCD screen, but mostly she just holds it right up to her eyes and takes pics. So far, I think there are about 300 pics on the camera, maybe more as she was playing photographer again this morning. I think we're going to need a new USB drive just to hold her pictures...lol! I can't wait for her to go for hikes and walks with Daddy to take pics...they'll have a blast! She also loves the Melissa & Doug See and Spell. I'm surprised how well she's doing with the lowercase letters because usually she has a more difficult time with those. And my dad got her a sticker book with 1000 SpongeBob stickers....I think we've gone through approximately 862 already.

Hope everyone had a good holiday! I'm tired this morning and trying to avoid coffee because I've been having some pesky contractions the last few days. I'm hoping cutting out the caffeine will help a little because apparently drowning myself in a gallon of water a day isn't doing the trick.

Well crap.

So, I'm sitting here and I just realized that we never took Beanie to get her picture taken with Santa. We were going to and then this happened and then that happened and, crap, now it's Christmas Eve. And, if there's anything sure to give me a full blown anxiety attack it would be venturing out to a mall to get a Santa picture on Christmas Eve.

So, the bad mommy award goes to.....ME!

I'm also about to cry or have an anxiety attack just about this one thing, but that I blame on pregnancy hormones.

Shoot.

The hubby.

I love him. A lot. He's a great partner and a wonderful dad. Many times when I write on the blog I am venting about this or that. Many times I feel the need to vent it's about certain situations which, undeniably, involve the hubby. Don't get me wrong though, I wouldn't have anyone else be my partner in life. We have our ups and downs (sometimes the downs seem more prevalent -- or maybe that's just my hormones talking), but I like to think we are working hard to make this thing work and to build a strong and happy family.

The other day Glenn told me he had an idea and that he knew I wouldn't like it, but to hear him out. Glenn suggested that he get a second job. Wow. I mean, the offer itself is completely selfless...he already works totally insane hours and then comes home and does a ton of chores around the house too. Because, er, lately someone has been slacking. And by someone I mean me. I have really been stressing about finances since Glenn got his new permanent route. We knew it would be less income when he took the route, but the stability of having a permanent job won us out over that obviously. I work one day a week slinging milk at the grocery store. Before we were trying to save that money, really pretend that it didn't exist because all hopes were when we had Baby 2.0 I would be able to quit work. Fast forward to Glenn's new route and my measly 200 bucks a week is pretty much being relied on as income. It's not that I think the world would come crashing down if I had to work one day a week, but it would be a big change from how things were our first year with Beanie. I worry about breastfeeding and sleep and this and that and the other. I would have to pump. Yikes. I hated pumping. And trying to do it in a little cramped office on a 15-minute break isn't all that exciting either. And, logically I know breastfeeding and everything else would work itself out...it would just be a change of plans.

So, for Glenn to offer to work two jobs so I could stay at home was a biggie. On one hand I thought it was a great idea. On the other hand I felt horribly guilty. I mean, who am I to ask my husband to hold down two jobs so I can stay at home with the kiddos? And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there's no work involved in staying at home (trust me, with how overwhelmed I've been feeling lately I'd tell you just the opposite), but I still felt guilty with him proposing to work two jobs and me none. Well, none that pay. Truth of the matter is, I'd have to be a hell of a lot better at my current stay-at-home mom gig to feel at all worthy of letting him even consider that idea.

Turns out, there's an opportunity for him to pick up a couple half-days at his current job that would pretty much be the same (or a little more) as my current income. We'll have to scrape & budget & not go out to eat and have lattes, but I think we can handle that for a year or so. That's pretty much our plan anyways.

Yesterday Glenn asked me how much longer I was planning on working. I'm only 25weeks (wait...25 weeks?!?!?) pregnant, but work has already become a burden on my body. When I worked during my first pregnancy I was able to move along to a lighter duty job that didn't involved lifting and pushing carts and moving around all day long. I feel like a big wuss, but my body feels like it's going to fall apart each Sunday when I come home from work. I walk around like I have a two-by-four shoved you know where. I ache and it usually doesn't go away till Tuesday, Monday night at the earliest. My goal right now is to make it through one more month. I'm taking it one month at a time. With Beanie, I had pre-term labor at 33 weeks, probably from overdoing it at work. Last Sunday I was having Braxton Hicks contractions nearly all day at work. That's my body telling me something. Turns out, this opportunity for Glenn will likely present itself in February so one more month might be all I have to make it. We'll see. If there's any way we could both work for a few months that would be even better.

So, I love you honey! You are a great husband, dad and partner. I'm going to strive to be a better partner too.

A lesson from Frog and Toad.

Yesterday Beanie and I were reading some short stories from Days with Frog and Toad. We were reading one entitled Tomorrow. Basically, the gist of the story is how Toad wakes up and see what a mess his house is and is in a bad mood because he has so much work to do. He pulls the covers over his head and decides to worry about the mess tomorrow. Frog comes over and points out all the stuff that Toad needs to clean up (nice friend, eh??) and Toad gets more and more depressed. Then, finally, Toad realizes if he does all the things he needs to do tomorrow today that he won't be worrying about them anymore and he can do what he wants tomorrow too.

Thanks for the lesson Frog and Toad! Funny how a children's story can tell a Mama just what she needs to hear on a certain day.

I passed!

In case you don't also stalk me on facebook, I wanted to post up and let you all know that I passed the dreaded one-hour glucose tolerance test. *happy dance*

My blood sugar level was 97, which, from what I remember, is more like a good fasting number. Normal for the test is under 130, although I've heard of OB's using 140 or 150 as well.

I can't even convey how excited I am to not have to go on a strict diet & prick my finger four times a day to test my blood sugar. That said, I am trying to stick to my higher protein/lower carb eating. Well, except for yesterday when Beanie and I made some muffins (I was really craving a baked goodie!) and I managed to consume about five of them. Then, about 3pm I was wondering why I was so starving. I guess the five cranberry orange muffins I had for lunch just didn't cut it!

Excited for Beanie's Christmas.

Beanie has been talking about Santa non-stop for the last week or so. I don't think she really understands; in fact, I think she thinks Santa is a friend that is going to come over for a play date. But, for the first time, she is very excited about Christmas -- Santa, the presents, cards, making cookies, the list goes on and on. In turn, I am very excited about Christmas.

Turns out this year is going to be pretty darn low key. My mom & stepdad will not be in town and my sister is heading over to Montana to visit them (well, she is as long as she is fully recovered from her flu & pneumonia ordeal -- poor gal!). We are celebrating with my dad and stepmom tomorrow. My sis was supposed to come over also, but she's just getting well so she'll have to skip out. My brother-in-law and his girlfriend are going to be new parents (they're at the hospital as I type!!) so not sure if they'll be over with a week-old newborn. Maybe we'll just head over there for a short bit. It may just be Glenn, Beanie & I for Christmas which will be sort of strange, but also nice in a way. Christmas for me is all about celebrating with family -- getting together, eating food, exchanging presents & having a good time. It will be odd having such a quiet celebration.

I am very excited about the gifts we purchased for Beanie. She's at the age where she's sort of outgrowing a lot of the toys she currently has and it's time to upgrade. Plus, I'd like to pack up some of the baby toys and set them aside for when Baby 2.0 arrives. I don't think that will be a problem because it sounds like she's going to have more than enough toys after the holiday.

Here's a few of the things we purchased for her:

Melissa and Doug Bead Sequencing Kit (I've wanted to get this for her just about forever, since I saw it on Chasing Cheerios)

Melissa and Doug See & Spell

Melissa and Doug Ice Cream Parlor Set

Can you tell I really like the Melissa and Doug toys? If you haven't seen them, make sure and check them out! We got her a few other things -- a game, a ball, some doll dress-up magnets, and a digital camera. Beanie loves pretending to take pics and I really think she'll have a ball with her own camera!

My dad got her a few things that I saw on the Tot School blog:

A ladybug alphabet puzzle game

Melissa and Doug Pattern Blocks

I received some Christmas money in the mail yesterday and I am so excited to stock up on some arts & crafts supplies for our Tot School time. We haven't gotten too into it yet, although we have been trying to fill our time with more crafting and play & less TV. To be honest, I've been a bit down that we didn't have the extra money right now to buy some of the neat things I saw on the Tot School blog, but now I can!

So, Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! And yay for the Winter Solstice. Whatever holiday you celebrate, I hope you have an enjoyable one.

*** Wow, I did not write this post knowing the details of the Amazon Associates program on Blogger now. I had heard them mention something about it coming up on the news, but never saw the story. It's definitely something to look into! Check out the monetize tab and there's a new option to get paid. I don't have any of these items on my blog (yet), but it might be something to check out! ****

What is it about a 2 1/2 year old...

...that when you say Don't *insert here* they immediately turn around and *insert here*???

Seriously. I think I'm about to lose my marbles. I'm an emotional wreck. I feel so overwhelmed about so many things and it is all catching up to me. I am crying about everything. Damn pregnancy hormones. And I think Beanie is on a mission to absolutely drive me nuts. Don't get me wrong, I love her madly but she has really been driving me bonkers lately. It's probably just because everything else is driving me mad and I have no patience whatsoever. I feel bad, like a crappy mom. I logically know I'm not, but it's hard not to feel like I'm crap at everything right now.

So, yea, happy freaking Saturday night.

Anyhoo, that's all for now. I'd elaborate more, but it'd probably (definitely) make me cry and I've gone a good 5 hours without crying so why start now?

Glucola take me away.

(Since Beanie has decided it's awesome to wake up at like 6 or 6:15 every morning this week, I'm taking a moment to blog while I wake up.)

First breakfast is down. Luna bar. In about 45minutes Beanie and I will make "real" breakfast and have some eggs. Snack time will be some fruit and cottage cheese. And lunch, as I said yesterday will be salad with grilled chicken.

So, if you don't know how this whole glucose test thing works let me enlighten you. Basically the doc gives you a bottle (which I *swear* is at least twice as big as it was last time around) of the most disgusting, putrid tasting drink you can imagine. Glucola. Think super sugary orange pop syrup -- no carbonation. Some docs have you fast before the 1hr test, some do not (that I do not understand...shouldn't there be some sort of uniformity??). So either you're drinking this stuff on an empty stomach (horrible) or not. Everything I've researched has said that the 1hr glucose test is not a fasting test, so I really have no idea why some OB's do it that way. Anyways, your best bet is to pop the bottle in the freezer for about 15 minutes and then plug your nose and down it like it was a shot of vodka. Except it's like 12x larger than a shot of vodka and tastes gross. Last time I downed almost the whole bottle in one shot...I hope I'm as lucky this time around too.

So basically this little bottle of glucola has more sugar than any sane person would consume in one sitting. Then they test you to check your blood sugar levels. So, for all intents and purposes, it makes sense to watch what you eat beforehand. Last time around the OB told me to eat normally. I had my then-normal breakfast of cereal, yogurt, and fruit and then drank the glucola and went to take my test. I failed by one point. Talk about carb overload. This time I was happy to see that my OB advised that eating a meal high in carbs beforehand could influence the result. See, so it's not cheating to eat a smart meal beforehand! So there.

Anyway, continue to cross your fingers for me! I'd really like to avoid having an officially diagnosed (whether mis-diagnosed or not) pregnancy complication this time around!

In line with the changes I am trying to make this month(a more in-depth blog coming on that soon, I promise!) it's time to get offline. And turn off the TV.

Wish me luck!

I have my gestational diabetes test tomorrow afternoon. I've got a game plan on what to eat for breakfast (normal -- Luna bar when I wake and an egg, sausage & English muffin a bit later) and lunch. Lunch is going to be a spinach salad with grilled chicken, cheese, tomato and avocado. Some might call this "cheating" (some have), but you know what...I could really care less. I have been making more of an effort to eat healthier this pregnancy (although it may have gone by the wayside this week with pumpkin bread and birthday cake) and it's not too much of a stretch for me to have no carbs for lunch. So there. And it's not your stupid diabetes test anyways. Considering last time I failed the both 1hr and 3hr tests by one point and went on the strict diet and faithfully tested my blood sugar and could still eat a blueberry pancake breakfast without my numbers spiking I'm not too worried about it. If I fail then boohoo I'll go on the diet (planning on skipping the 3hr test if I fail). At the very least, it did help me only gain 4 lbs from 24-38weeks pregnant last time. If I pass, then I'll still try to eat better and stay healthy. For me and for Baby 2.0.

And, if I gain more weight this time it's okay Mom. I do know then I'll have that much more to lose. I'm not really that concerned about it.

All I want for Christmas is...

Um, nothing.

Seriously. I can't think of much I want. After talking to Sissy and finding out my dad was upset she didn't have a list of "fun things to shop for" (does he think we're still 6 and go through the Toys R Us catalog circling anything and everything??) I tried really hard to come up with a list that included a few things. I didn't get far. Here's what I asked for...

--A gift card to Motherhood Maternity (because I really want a warm comfy sweater for this winter, but I refuse to pay so much for clothes I'm going to wear for like 3 -- maybe 4 -- months.)

--A gift card to a spa (because since I'm pregnant and my hair grows like ten times faster than usual I have to go get my eyebrows waxed like every 3 weeks and, let me tell you, that gets expensive!)

--A gift card to Starbucks (see previous post...I love espresso & am trying to cut down spending)
--A gift card to the craft store (because I am really determined to get caught up on Beanie's scrapbook before Baby 2.0 arrives. Or at least not be 2 years behind.)

--An Ergo (that was my stretch for a "thing" to buy. Not that he'll actually be able to go out and buy it probably unless he's hip on baby wearing shops, but you know, he could have fun shopping online)

I'm not sure if something for Baby 2.0 time even qualifies as a Christmas present for me, but it's all I could think of. Oh, and I think I'll email him and ask for an exercise (read, birthing) ball because my hips hurt like a son of a gun and a friend told me that the ball really helped. Somehow when we moved my exercise ball (apparently along with a lot of other stuff I wouldn't have gotten rid of) was thrown out.

I know he doesn't like buying gift cards, but, come on, I'm thirty. Not twelve. I don't want Hello Kitty chapstick (oh wait, that was Sissy *wink wink*). Glenn & I have decided not to buy each other gifts and just get a few things for the house. You know what I want? A new toilet. I mean, talk about exciting, right? Can we at least put a bow on it?

My motto for December.

If you want something to be different tomorrow, then you have to do something different today.

Now, I've seen this quoted in various forms here & there on the Internet and I've tried to nail down a source, but I can't. But, no, I didn't come up with that myself.

Here's the thing. Lately there have been a lot of things I'd like to change about my life. Not that I'm necessarily overly unhappy about things, but I know I could be happier and things could be improved. And, let's face it, no one is going to change these things for me while I sit around on my ass watching the world go by.

So, instead of waiting to make New Year's Resolutions (of which I think many, if it's not safe to say most, are broken by January 15th), I'm going to make some changes now.

Or, should I say, as soon as I recover from this horrible god-awful illness that somehow has a serious hold on me.

And, according to Robert Cialdini, if you state something publicly you are much more likely to actually follow through. So, here goes nothing!

Some things I want to improve in my life (in no particular order):

Time spent with Beanie - I've written time and again about my love-hate relationship with the TV. And the Internet I should probably add. See, I (we) waste waaaay too much time with the stupid TV or computer. So, I'm really going to try and cut down the time that the TV and computer are on.

Glenn and I were talking about preschool for Beanie. The reality is we probably can't afford any preschool around here and, after talking about it, what are we paying these people for anyways? Glenn and I are pretty decided that learning-type activities are something we will do with Beanie ourselves and forgo formalized preschool. I'm hoping that we can sign Beanie up for another tumbling or dance class or something along those lines. She can get her socialization elsewhere, through classes and through activities with my mom's groups. We can teach her.

I have some links to Montessori blogs in my blog list, and my friend Jill told me about a new one...

Tot School

After being fairly convinced that I'm the type of mom that could never do something like that I've decided to give it a go. After looking more at the website, it's not all about being the perfect crafty mom (and, why are so many home schooling or learning blogs religious? just a side note), it's more about providing an enriching environment for your kiddo where they can thrive. And, truth be told, no one is thriving at this house right now.

I'm over the mommy guilt and the hohum-ness. I'm ready to change how we do things. Today, even though I still feel like death warmed over, Beanie and I took time to make bird feeders (pipe cleaners with Cheerios on them) and draw pictures for the birdies. See, there were a bunch of birds outside and, for some reason, she likes to tell them "Shoo! Shoo! Go away!" But, after our activity she is pretty excited for them to come back and eat Cheerios.

My marriage - Childless time is hard to come by for Glenn and I. But, I really want to take advantage of the time we do have instead of dorking around playing video games (him) and checking online (me). In about 4 months or so, time alone is going to be even harder to come by so we need to take advantage of what we have now. And try to schedule in some date nights. Sissy? There are lots of areas I can work on to improve my marriage and I'm going to start really giving it an effort. Today.

Finances - I talk big about different ways we can save money, but the fact of the matter is we need to do it. And need to do it now. It's a new month and I'm committed to keeping track of our spending and really seeing where we can cutback. I really would like to be able to quit work when Baby 2.0 arrives (seriously, I could probably write a whole post just about my anxieties about that), but right now I don't know if that would even be an option. We need to make espresso at home with our fancy pants machine. We need to plan dinners and grocery shopping and not go out to eat all the time. Changes are possible and I really want to see where we're at when we're conscious of our spending for more than a week or two.

Housework - I really want to establish a routine for having the house tidy and cleaned up all the time. I mean, I know there are going to be messes (hello...I have a 2 1/2 year old who, when I asked her what she was doing in her playroom the other day, said "I make a big messy!!"), but I really want a clean house. I was so much happier when we had the condo for sale and it was spotless all the time. Now, I know I don't need to strive for that kind of perfection, but I do want a clean house. I'm happier that way. So is Glenn.

Health - I really want to exercise and eat better. I want Beanie to eat better. Glenn has really been trying to focus on exercising and eating healthy the last week or so, and I want to also. Next week I have my gestational diabetes test and, while I hope to avoid and official diagnosis of GD, I would like to eat a healthier, higher protein lower carb diet throughout my pregnancy. I want us all to eat more veggies.

So, yea, that's all I can really think of for now. It sounds like a lot, but, really, just small changes in our day can help me accomplish all of these things. I figure I have about 4 months to establish a new normal before our whole world gets turned upside down again (in a good way) so I really want to make an effort now.

And now the blog-o-sphere knows about my plans too so try and hold me somewhat accountable, okay?