My mom went in for her MRI today. The hospital called a few hours after she got home and told her that she needed to come back in tomorrow for a Carotid Artery Scan, so we're all thinking they found a blockage. Apparently a blockage in the carotid artery isn't that big of deal and it can be removed with a pretty simple surgery, but it still sucks for her. I'm just thankful that she went to the doctor in time for something to be done.
In other news, my sister might be pregnant. I say might because she's claimed she was pregnant before just to get attention, so who knows if she's telling the truth. She says she took a home test last week and it was positive, but "she's not worrying yet because sometimes the tests are wrong" (her words, not mine). I told her that she needs to get into Planned Parenthood and get a freakin' test, but she doesn't seem too concerned. Ugh, that kid does not need a kid of her own.
Lovely, I tell ya. Just lovely.
But there is one good thing - my dad will be home tomorrow night!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Somewhere along the line in high school, there was an assignment that involved picking a controversial topic, picking a side and defending your opinion. Persuasive writing - that's what it was called. I think I ended up picking the death penalty, but I could be wrong. I had such a hard time with this paper because I couldn't pick a side. For the longest time, I couldn't pick a side on anything. I had no opinions. I had no beliefs.
I know exactly when this changed. When I studied abroad in London, my whole world view changed. I was forced to think about things, to examine my beliefs, and to pick sides. Nothing was safe. My beliefs about everything - politics, religion, life, family - were all turned upside down.
Over the last three years, my beliefs have become more ingrained in who I am. I believe what I believe because I've asked questions and thought long and hard about issues. For a long time I had a hard time expressing my opinions and beliefs because I didn't want to offend anyone or hurt any one's feelings. I now realize, of course, that this is ridiculous and it only made me boring.
There's a quote out there from Laurel Thatcher Ulrich - "Well behaved women seldom make history." I don't want to be a well-behaved woman anymore, and I sure don't want Lauren growing up to be one, either. I want her to be a fierce, independent, free-thinker, capable of making bold decisions and asking questions. To do this, she needs a role model. That's why I'm going to make more of an effort to get involved in things that I believe in. It's hard, especially in this area, for me to find like-minded people, but I'm going to try.
And I'm going to buy bumper stickers. Lots of bumper stickers. Since I'm going to be driving my car until it dies, I might as well make it pretty!
I know exactly when this changed. When I studied abroad in London, my whole world view changed. I was forced to think about things, to examine my beliefs, and to pick sides. Nothing was safe. My beliefs about everything - politics, religion, life, family - were all turned upside down.
Over the last three years, my beliefs have become more ingrained in who I am. I believe what I believe because I've asked questions and thought long and hard about issues. For a long time I had a hard time expressing my opinions and beliefs because I didn't want to offend anyone or hurt any one's feelings. I now realize, of course, that this is ridiculous and it only made me boring.
There's a quote out there from Laurel Thatcher Ulrich - "Well behaved women seldom make history." I don't want to be a well-behaved woman anymore, and I sure don't want Lauren growing up to be one, either. I want her to be a fierce, independent, free-thinker, capable of making bold decisions and asking questions. To do this, she needs a role model. That's why I'm going to make more of an effort to get involved in things that I believe in. It's hard, especially in this area, for me to find like-minded people, but I'm going to try.
And I'm going to buy bumper stickers. Lots of bumper stickers. Since I'm going to be driving my car until it dies, I might as well make it pretty!
Friday, January 26, 2007
Donald went out for a guy's night tonight, so it's just me and the babe. Which is good, actually, because I actually got to watch TV after Lauren went to bed! I never get to watch TV because someone is a remote hog!
Lauren found a pacifier somewhere last night (buried in her toybox, I think), and has been chewing/sucking on it since. When she was younger I was dead set against giving her a paci, and the only reason we had one around is because we got some from her baby shower. I told Donald I was going to throw it away because I really don't want her getting attached to the thing now, since she's never had one before. He said that she's just chewing on it and to leave her be, but I think she is sucking on it. She had it in her mouth today and I snapped a picture, hopefully the only one we'll ever have with the damn thing in her mouth.
This whole paci thing would be inconseqential if not for the fact that it could be a useful tool in my battle to take back my nights. Lauren has always had a habbit of waking up several times before I come into bed, and she needs to be nursed back to sleep every time. This wouldn't be a big deal if I had nothing to do at night, but unfortunately I have school work, eBay, and now a job to do at night. Donald is going to have to help out more at night, and this is going to include bedtime and beyond. Anyway, I decided to give the paci thing a go tonight, and so far it has worked like a charm. I nursed her almost to sleep, then unlatched and stuck the thing in her mouth, and she's been asleep ever since. It could be a coincidence, but I'm thinking not. Ugh, I really, really hate pacifiers, but I guess if it helps her sleep at night, I might consider giving in. But only at night. Otherwise I'd have to hate myself.
Lauren found a pacifier somewhere last night (buried in her toybox, I think), and has been chewing/sucking on it since. When she was younger I was dead set against giving her a paci, and the only reason we had one around is because we got some from her baby shower. I told Donald I was going to throw it away because I really don't want her getting attached to the thing now, since she's never had one before. He said that she's just chewing on it and to leave her be, but I think she is sucking on it. She had it in her mouth today and I snapped a picture, hopefully the only one we'll ever have with the damn thing in her mouth.
This whole paci thing would be inconseqential if not for the fact that it could be a useful tool in my battle to take back my nights. Lauren has always had a habbit of waking up several times before I come into bed, and she needs to be nursed back to sleep every time. This wouldn't be a big deal if I had nothing to do at night, but unfortunately I have school work, eBay, and now a job to do at night. Donald is going to have to help out more at night, and this is going to include bedtime and beyond. Anyway, I decided to give the paci thing a go tonight, and so far it has worked like a charm. I nursed her almost to sleep, then unlatched and stuck the thing in her mouth, and she's been asleep ever since. It could be a coincidence, but I'm thinking not. Ugh, I really, really hate pacifiers, but I guess if it helps her sleep at night, I might consider giving in. But only at night. Otherwise I'd have to hate myself.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
My dad has always been a little fruity, literally. Growing up, I always knew my dad was gay, even though he didn't come out and tell me until I was in 5th grade. This fact has caused me to have some, let's say, unique experiences.
When I was in middle school, Dad dated a guy named Brett that was totally awesome. He drove a purple Camero and listened to dance music. He had long hair and pierced nipples. Previous boyfriends liked to go antiquing; Brett liked glow bowling and shopping. He was a teenager's best friend. One night, Brett took me into town in his Camero and we stopped at a gas station. He told me I could turn the music up (La Bouche), and I did. At the gas station, I saw a kid I went to school with and she asked me if Brett was my boyfriend. I just laughed and said, "No, he's my dad's boyfriend!" Needless to say, I was tortured at school after that and we moved soon after.
When I lived in Wisconsin during high school, all of my friends knew that my dad was gay and it was totally awesome. When I moved to Mississippi, though, I figured I'd better keep it under wraps since we were in God's country and all. Even though I thought it was pretty obvious, I don't think any of my friends ever found out that my dad was gay (with the exception of maybe one person I worked with at McDonald's, but he was cool enough not to say anything).
I turned 18 in May of my senior year, and my "birthday" present was that I got to go to the bar with my dad. I'd been in bars before, but never a gay bar. It was quite an experience. I remember some lady coming up to me, assuming I was a lesbian, and hitting on me. The highlight of the night, though, was the drag show. I'd never seen anything more hilarious in my life. A week or two after that night, I convinced dad that he needed to go back to the bar and enter the drag show himself. Together we picked out music for his routine and he "borrowed" my prom dress to wear. I vividly remember him practicing his routine in the living room, and me laughing my ass off.
Despite all of these moments, I was caught off guard by my dad's phone call tonight. He calls me almost every day, and today he said he was going to San Fran to buy a pair of leather chaps. He called me again afterward, and said that he'd bought the chaps and a few "other" things and that I'd get to see them when he gets home next week. I told him that was fine as long as he wore pants under them!!!
Life is never boring.
When I was in middle school, Dad dated a guy named Brett that was totally awesome. He drove a purple Camero and listened to dance music. He had long hair and pierced nipples. Previous boyfriends liked to go antiquing; Brett liked glow bowling and shopping. He was a teenager's best friend. One night, Brett took me into town in his Camero and we stopped at a gas station. He told me I could turn the music up (La Bouche), and I did. At the gas station, I saw a kid I went to school with and she asked me if Brett was my boyfriend. I just laughed and said, "No, he's my dad's boyfriend!" Needless to say, I was tortured at school after that and we moved soon after.
When I lived in Wisconsin during high school, all of my friends knew that my dad was gay and it was totally awesome. When I moved to Mississippi, though, I figured I'd better keep it under wraps since we were in God's country and all. Even though I thought it was pretty obvious, I don't think any of my friends ever found out that my dad was gay (with the exception of maybe one person I worked with at McDonald's, but he was cool enough not to say anything).
I turned 18 in May of my senior year, and my "birthday" present was that I got to go to the bar with my dad. I'd been in bars before, but never a gay bar. It was quite an experience. I remember some lady coming up to me, assuming I was a lesbian, and hitting on me. The highlight of the night, though, was the drag show. I'd never seen anything more hilarious in my life. A week or two after that night, I convinced dad that he needed to go back to the bar and enter the drag show himself. Together we picked out music for his routine and he "borrowed" my prom dress to wear. I vividly remember him practicing his routine in the living room, and me laughing my ass off.
Despite all of these moments, I was caught off guard by my dad's phone call tonight. He calls me almost every day, and today he said he was going to San Fran to buy a pair of leather chaps. He called me again afterward, and said that he'd bought the chaps and a few "other" things and that I'd get to see them when he gets home next week. I told him that was fine as long as he wore pants under them!!!
Life is never boring.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Donald's family left this morning, so life is back to normal again. We had a nice time. Will post pictures when I get time.
I guess my mom has been having mini-strokes for the past month or so, but just decided to go to the doctor today. The Dr. thinks she has some blockages and is doing an MRI and a bunch of blood work next Monday. Heart problems run in our family, so I'm hoping they've caught it early enough to prevent any major damage. Her blood pressure is really high, too - 186/100 today. I know she has a script for BP medicine, but I'm not sure if she's been taking it recently. I'm hoping everything will be okay! My mom is too young for this kind of crap - only 46!
I guess my mom has been having mini-strokes for the past month or so, but just decided to go to the doctor today. The Dr. thinks she has some blockages and is doing an MRI and a bunch of blood work next Monday. Heart problems run in our family, so I'm hoping they've caught it early enough to prevent any major damage. Her blood pressure is really high, too - 186/100 today. I know she has a script for BP medicine, but I'm not sure if she's been taking it recently. I'm hoping everything will be okay! My mom is too young for this kind of crap - only 46!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Happy Birthday Lauren!!!
My baby Lauren,
I can’t believe you are a year old already! Happy Birthday!
You have grown so much this year, and every day I enjoy watching your personality emerge. You are a fairly cautious girl, yet you love to explore. You don’t like new people or new situations, and it takes you some time to warm up to strangers. When grandma and grandpa come to visit, it takes you almost a whole day before you’ll let them hold you! You like to be close to mama and sometimes cry if a stranger looks at you the wrong way.
You love to “talk”, but only around people you know. You can say a few words, but mama knows you know what many more words mean. You can say “mama”, “baby” (buhbee), and “yellow” (ello). You know other words like “num-nums”, “bye-bye”, “daddy”, “kitty”, “ball”, and you will give mama things when she asks. You are such a smart girl!
You are fascinated by the kitties, and are learning to be gentle around them. Sammie likes you and will let you pet him, or even tug on his tail once in a while, but Chloe is a little scared of you! You know how to “pet nicely” now, and I think the kitties will be your friends when you are older.
Your favorite book is Millie Moo. You love to feel the different textures on the pages and help mama turn the page as we read. You also love “reading” books all by yourself and will sit and look at a book for 15 minutes at a time. Mama made you a photo album with lots of babies in it that you also love to look at. You have a Baby LeapPad that you like to play with and make the pages make sounds.
You’ve taken swim classes since you were seven months old and you’re quite the little swimmer! Your teacher, Miss Kim, says you are doing very well! You can almost climb out of the pool by yourself and just the other day you managed to put the balls in the basket all by yourself! You can swim underwater for a few seconds and are getting better every day. You’ve always loved the water and I’m glad that we are able to give you swim lessons.
Nursing is your favorite pastime, and that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon. You just love your mama milk! You also love vegetables, including green beans, peas, and sweet potatoes. You don’t really like too many fruits, except pears, and will not eat bananas or peaches. You love YoBaby and Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies for snacks and love to feed yourself. Your favorite food, though, is pizza. You can eat almost an entire slice yourself!
You’re not walking quite yet, but we catch you standing on your own a few times a day. You are one speedy crawler, though. If mama turns her head for just a second, you are gone in a flash!
Daddy and I want you to know that you are so loved. We will always love you and will be proud of you no matter where life takes you. You will always be our little rooster.
Love,
Mama
Thursday, January 18, 2007
You may not hear much from me the next few days because I have to Get Stuff Done. Donald's family will be here early Saturday morning! Here's what I hope to accomplish:
Clean kitchen
Finish Laundry
Put away laundry
Clean both bathrooms
Clean and reorganize the playroom
Move twin bed into playroom
Find blankets and pillows for everyone
Vacuum
Pack up miscellaneous eBay inventory that is scattered all over the house
Yeah, so I'm going to be busy. Plus, it's one of our friend's birthday tomorrow, so we're going to Buffalo Wild Wings tomorrow night. Gotta run.
Clean kitchen
Finish Laundry
Put away laundry
Clean both bathrooms
Clean and reorganize the playroom
Move twin bed into playroom
Find blankets and pillows for everyone
Vacuum
Pack up miscellaneous eBay inventory that is scattered all over the house
Yeah, so I'm going to be busy. Plus, it's one of our friend's birthday tomorrow, so we're going to Buffalo Wild Wings tomorrow night. Gotta run.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Last weekend we went metal detecting. It was a lot more fun that I thought it would be and it kept us busy. Lauren really enjoyed crawling all over the playgrounds at the schools we went to. I forgot the camera on Saturday, but took these Sunday.
Okay, I'm goona go down now!
This is so fun!
Gotta get down now!
Hey! Mom, where'd ya go?
Man, these rocks are AWESOME!
Okay, time to swing now!
Or maybe I'll just bite the swing...whatever works.
Gotta stop for a picture with mommy.
All that playing made me hungry!
So hungry I'm eating the bottle! I might wither away if you don't hurry up and give me some food, woman!
This is so fun!
Gotta get down now!
Hey! Mom, where'd ya go?
Man, these rocks are AWESOME!
Okay, time to swing now!
Or maybe I'll just bite the swing...whatever works.
Gotta stop for a picture with mommy.
All that playing made me hungry!
So hungry I'm eating the bottle! I might wither away if you don't hurry up and give me some food, woman!Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Lauren's Birth Story
Since it's almost Lauren's 1st birthday, I guess it's time I post her birth story.
Throughout my pregnancy, I'd been having trouble with my blood pressure, so I'd been seeing the doctor every week since my 5th month. I'd had multiple non-stress tests, but the doctor wanted to be cautious and monitor me every week. During my 34th week, the doctor put me on blood pressure medication.
I went to my regulary scheduled doctor's appointment the morning of Friday, January 20, when I was 36 weeks. My blood pressure was higher than usual, so the doctor was a bit concerned. She went ahead and did another non-stress test, hoping that my blood pressure would go down while I was relaxing. It didn't, so she thought it was best that we induce labor right away. Donald and I decided that it was probably the best thing to do, so I was wheeled right from the Dr's office to the hospital.
Once I arrived in delivery and was admitted, the nurses began to prep me for induction. A nurse gave me an enema (why, oh why don't they tell you these things beforehand?), and started my IV and hooked up the fetal monitoring belt. The monitoring showed that I was actually having steady contractions, about 3 minutes apart. What I had thought was just back pain was actually the beginning of labor! At exactly 12:00 noon, the pitocin drip was started.
The pitocin didn't immediately help get the contractions going. I was still having weak, steady contractions, but I wasn't dialating much. When I was admitted at 10:00 AM, I was at 2 cm., and at 3:00 PM I was only 3.5 cm. Around 4:00, a nurse asked me if I wanted to get an epidural, and I decided that I wanted to wait until I was dialated more so I could get to experience real labor a little.
My contractions began to get more intense, and I opted for the epidural around 5:00 PM. It took the Dr. three tries to get the catheter in the right space, and it was not pleasant! They made Donald leave the room during this time, too, so I had no support there. After the epidural was placed, a nurse put in a foley catheder. The epidural provided almost instant relief from the pain of the contractions.
At 6:00, the Dr. decided that my water should be broken to help speed up labor. Donald says this was gross, but I didn't get to see much since my belly was so big! It was a quick and easy procedure and I didn't feel a thing. After my water was broken, they also inserted an internal fetal monitor.
By 7:00, I was dilated to 5 cm. The nurses were not impressed, and my pitocin level was increased to the maximum dosage. They told me that if the pitocin would not work, I would need a c-section.
In the next hour, baby's heart rate began to have decelerations during contractions. The nurses had me try a bunch of different positions, and finally we settled on me lying on my right side. The decelerations subsided somewhat, but the nurses still seemed concerned and had me wear the oxygen mask.
Because I was stuck on my right side, the epidural wore off on my left side. The Dr. gave me a bolus to try to help my left side, but it didn't work. For the rest of my labor, I experienced near full pain on my left side.
Around 10:30 PM, the pain was really starting to get to me. My contractions had picked up, and I was 8.5 cm. dilated. Around this time I told the nurse that I was ready to start pushing, and she checked me one more time and found that I was 9 cm. She told me that there was a bit of a cervical lip left, and that I could try to push over it if I wanted to. I began pushing at 11:00 PM.
Pushing helped relieve the pain from the contractions, but it took me a few tries before I got the art of pushing down pat. After about a half hour of pushing, I was getting frustrated because I couldn't see any progress. A nurse brought in a mirror, and this helped so much! It was so awesome to see the baby's head come down with each push. After just a few pushes with the mirror, I was ready to deliver.
The nurses called in the Dr. and the pediatric team, but it took them about 10 minutes to get ready. During this time I wasn't allowed to push, and that was very hard! Once the Dr. was ready, it only took me two more pushes to deliver baby Lauren.
Baby Lauren Elizabeth was born at exactly 12:00 midnight on Saturday, January 21, 2006. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.
Throughout my pregnancy, I'd been having trouble with my blood pressure, so I'd been seeing the doctor every week since my 5th month. I'd had multiple non-stress tests, but the doctor wanted to be cautious and monitor me every week. During my 34th week, the doctor put me on blood pressure medication.
I went to my regulary scheduled doctor's appointment the morning of Friday, January 20, when I was 36 weeks. My blood pressure was higher than usual, so the doctor was a bit concerned. She went ahead and did another non-stress test, hoping that my blood pressure would go down while I was relaxing. It didn't, so she thought it was best that we induce labor right away. Donald and I decided that it was probably the best thing to do, so I was wheeled right from the Dr's office to the hospital.
Once I arrived in delivery and was admitted, the nurses began to prep me for induction. A nurse gave me an enema (why, oh why don't they tell you these things beforehand?), and started my IV and hooked up the fetal monitoring belt. The monitoring showed that I was actually having steady contractions, about 3 minutes apart. What I had thought was just back pain was actually the beginning of labor! At exactly 12:00 noon, the pitocin drip was started.
The pitocin didn't immediately help get the contractions going. I was still having weak, steady contractions, but I wasn't dialating much. When I was admitted at 10:00 AM, I was at 2 cm., and at 3:00 PM I was only 3.5 cm. Around 4:00, a nurse asked me if I wanted to get an epidural, and I decided that I wanted to wait until I was dialated more so I could get to experience real labor a little.
My contractions began to get more intense, and I opted for the epidural around 5:00 PM. It took the Dr. three tries to get the catheter in the right space, and it was not pleasant! They made Donald leave the room during this time, too, so I had no support there. After the epidural was placed, a nurse put in a foley catheder. The epidural provided almost instant relief from the pain of the contractions.
At 6:00, the Dr. decided that my water should be broken to help speed up labor. Donald says this was gross, but I didn't get to see much since my belly was so big! It was a quick and easy procedure and I didn't feel a thing. After my water was broken, they also inserted an internal fetal monitor.
By 7:00, I was dilated to 5 cm. The nurses were not impressed, and my pitocin level was increased to the maximum dosage. They told me that if the pitocin would not work, I would need a c-section.
In the next hour, baby's heart rate began to have decelerations during contractions. The nurses had me try a bunch of different positions, and finally we settled on me lying on my right side. The decelerations subsided somewhat, but the nurses still seemed concerned and had me wear the oxygen mask.
Because I was stuck on my right side, the epidural wore off on my left side. The Dr. gave me a bolus to try to help my left side, but it didn't work. For the rest of my labor, I experienced near full pain on my left side.
Around 10:30 PM, the pain was really starting to get to me. My contractions had picked up, and I was 8.5 cm. dilated. Around this time I told the nurse that I was ready to start pushing, and she checked me one more time and found that I was 9 cm. She told me that there was a bit of a cervical lip left, and that I could try to push over it if I wanted to. I began pushing at 11:00 PM.
Pushing helped relieve the pain from the contractions, but it took me a few tries before I got the art of pushing down pat. After about a half hour of pushing, I was getting frustrated because I couldn't see any progress. A nurse brought in a mirror, and this helped so much! It was so awesome to see the baby's head come down with each push. After just a few pushes with the mirror, I was ready to deliver.
The nurses called in the Dr. and the pediatric team, but it took them about 10 minutes to get ready. During this time I wasn't allowed to push, and that was very hard! Once the Dr. was ready, it only took me two more pushes to deliver baby Lauren.
Baby Lauren Elizabeth was born at exactly 12:00 midnight on Saturday, January 21, 2006. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20.5 inches long.
Humm....so I have a bunch of pictures I need to post, but they're still on the camera and the camera is in my car. And it's cold out. Therefore, no pictures tonight. Mabye tomorrow.
I'm going to get my car licensed in Mississippi tomorrow. Yeah, we've been here a year and a half and are still driving on Wisconsin plates. I guess it has sunk in that we're not going back, so I guess it's time. I'm very afraid of what it's going to cost me, though. I'm really hoping it's not more than $200, because if it is, I might cry.
In other exciting car news, Donald's car has decided not to run. I think the battery might just be dead, so when it warms up a little we'll go out and try to jump it. Right now he's driving my dad's car, but dad will be home Jan. 30, so we have to get it fixed by then. I really hope that car can make it another few years...we totally cannot afford a second car payment. Who am I kidding...we can't afford the one we have right now!!!!
I'm going to get my car licensed in Mississippi tomorrow. Yeah, we've been here a year and a half and are still driving on Wisconsin plates. I guess it has sunk in that we're not going back, so I guess it's time. I'm very afraid of what it's going to cost me, though. I'm really hoping it's not more than $200, because if it is, I might cry.
In other exciting car news, Donald's car has decided not to run. I think the battery might just be dead, so when it warms up a little we'll go out and try to jump it. Right now he's driving my dad's car, but dad will be home Jan. 30, so we have to get it fixed by then. I really hope that car can make it another few years...we totally cannot afford a second car payment. Who am I kidding...we can't afford the one we have right now!!!!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
When I lived in Janesville, I worked at Kwik Trip, which is the best convenience store that exists. The store that I worked at was outside the city limits on the south side of town and located near several trailer parks. All of us that worked there long enough (I was there 3 years) got to know our regular customers, and they got to know us. Many of our regulars were in nearly every night to pick up milk, bread, cigarettes, lottery tickets, or bananas (Kwik Trip is known for their bread and bananas).
One of our regular customers was a single mom named Danyetta. She had two kids, Nicole and Scotty, who always came in the store with her. To be honest, the kids were a handful. They would come in the store and argue with one another and wouldn't always use their "indoor" voices. Nicole was oldest, 10-12 when I worked there, and her brother was 3 years younger. Daynetta and her kids came in almost every night so we got to know them pretty well. It was obvious that Daynetta had her hands full; of course she was a single parent, and they lived in one of the trailer parks. They didn't drive a nice car and Daynetta always bought the cheapest brand of cigarrettes we carried. The kids always begged their mom for a "treat", but mom most of the time had to say no, probably because they didn't have enough money. Even so, Daynetta was a super-nice lady, and we enjoyed talking to her when she came in the store.
I read Janesville's newspaper online every day. Not much ever happens there. It's a medium-sized city with lots of nice houses, good schools, and landscaped yards. The cops are notorious in Janesville for pulling everyone and anyone over for the most minor traffic violations - we always joked it was because they had nothing better to do with their time. Maybe once or twice a year a gas station is robbed, or a house is broken into. Other than that, Janesville is about the safest place you could live.
That is why it came as a huge suprise to me yesterday when I read the paper and saw that a family of three had been murdered in their own home in the middle of the night. I read the article and recognized the names, but I couldn't place them. Until today.
The Gazette posted a new article, this time with pictures, and I knew immediately who it was. Daynetta and her two kids, now 17 and 14, were murdered in their trailer in the middle of the night. Police so far have no idea why or who did it, but I hope they find the person soon. It scares the begeebes out of me and it breaks my heart.
I'm sure my old co-workers are grief-stricken as well as afraid. They lived right down the road from Kwik Trip. My heart goes out to their family and friends who suffer from this. I hope that whoever did this is found and locked away forever.
One of our regular customers was a single mom named Danyetta. She had two kids, Nicole and Scotty, who always came in the store with her. To be honest, the kids were a handful. They would come in the store and argue with one another and wouldn't always use their "indoor" voices. Nicole was oldest, 10-12 when I worked there, and her brother was 3 years younger. Daynetta and her kids came in almost every night so we got to know them pretty well. It was obvious that Daynetta had her hands full; of course she was a single parent, and they lived in one of the trailer parks. They didn't drive a nice car and Daynetta always bought the cheapest brand of cigarrettes we carried. The kids always begged their mom for a "treat", but mom most of the time had to say no, probably because they didn't have enough money. Even so, Daynetta was a super-nice lady, and we enjoyed talking to her when she came in the store.
I read Janesville's newspaper online every day. Not much ever happens there. It's a medium-sized city with lots of nice houses, good schools, and landscaped yards. The cops are notorious in Janesville for pulling everyone and anyone over for the most minor traffic violations - we always joked it was because they had nothing better to do with their time. Maybe once or twice a year a gas station is robbed, or a house is broken into. Other than that, Janesville is about the safest place you could live.
That is why it came as a huge suprise to me yesterday when I read the paper and saw that a family of three had been murdered in their own home in the middle of the night. I read the article and recognized the names, but I couldn't place them. Until today.
The Gazette posted a new article, this time with pictures, and I knew immediately who it was. Daynetta and her two kids, now 17 and 14, were murdered in their trailer in the middle of the night. Police so far have no idea why or who did it, but I hope they find the person soon. It scares the begeebes out of me and it breaks my heart.
I'm sure my old co-workers are grief-stricken as well as afraid. They lived right down the road from Kwik Trip. My heart goes out to their family and friends who suffer from this. I hope that whoever did this is found and locked away forever.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Just a vent
My mom only calls me when bad things happen. See, the thing is, I don't care. I don't care how drunk Jake got last night. I don't care that Lexy called the cops on him for bashing her in the head. I don't care that mom bailed him out of jail for it. I don't care that she hates her job but doesn't have the balls to find something new. I don't care how many guys Lexy has slept with. I don't care how many creditors have called or how close she is to filing bankruptcy. I don't care that she makes $90,000 a year and can't find the money to pay her car insurance. I. don't. care.
It's not that I want bad things to happen to them. I don't. I want only good things to happen to my family. It's just that whenever the phone rings and "Mom's House" comes up on the screen, I know she's going to complain about something. I sit on the other end and say, "Uh, huh...that sucks....yeah, I hear ya...."
It's always the same story every time we talk. The dog had a seizure. I hate my job. The kids are brats. Lexy is a whore. Jake got drunk last night. Lee is driving me crazy.
Hey...I have the perfect solution to all of this. Kick the kids out (they're 19 and 20), stop drinking, and pay your damn bills! I'm a freaking genius.
This is the reason I moved to Mississippi. This is the reason that even though I'm homesick as hell, I will never move within 100 miles of my mother again. I love my mom, I just can't stand being around that chaos.
I'll keep my simple, lonely life, thanks.
It's not that I want bad things to happen to them. I don't. I want only good things to happen to my family. It's just that whenever the phone rings and "Mom's House" comes up on the screen, I know she's going to complain about something. I sit on the other end and say, "Uh, huh...that sucks....yeah, I hear ya...."
It's always the same story every time we talk. The dog had a seizure. I hate my job. The kids are brats. Lexy is a whore. Jake got drunk last night. Lee is driving me crazy.
Hey...I have the perfect solution to all of this. Kick the kids out (they're 19 and 20), stop drinking, and pay your damn bills! I'm a freaking genius.
This is the reason I moved to Mississippi. This is the reason that even though I'm homesick as hell, I will never move within 100 miles of my mother again. I love my mom, I just can't stand being around that chaos.
I'll keep my simple, lonely life, thanks.
Kids + Cell Phones
I was standing in line at the post office a few weeks ago, and there was a mom and her daugher, who looked to be around four, in line behind me. The daughter was playing with mom's cell phone, and started whining that she wanted her own cell phone. Much to my suprise, the mom's reply was "You can have one when you're six, just like your brother."
Needless to say, this suprised the hell out of me. What, exactly, does a six-year-old do with a cell phone? As a teacher, I know I wouldn't want them in my classroom during the school day. I just can't think of any time that my six-year-old would ever be without adult supervision, that she would need a cell phone.
Since my experience at the post office, I've come across a few discussions on this topic on various discussion boards. I was shocked to learn how many parents get their young children cell phones. Many of these parents say that their kids are safer with the cell phones, or that life is just easier with the kids having their own phone. If the kid needs a ride home from school, he can just use his own phone instead of having to bother an adult.
Turns out, there are lots of cell phones that are made especially for young kids, like the Firefly. These phones can only call certain, preprogrammed numbers so kids just can't call whomever they like. I can see how these phones could be useful for children, but it should be the exception, not the rule.
The only way I would get my 6-7-8-9-10 year old kid one of these phones is if they were heavily involved in some kind of sport or activity that requried them to be away from home often. I'm talking like the kid is going to go to the Olympics someday and practices 5 nights a week, not just I take ballet once a week for an hour. That is the only way I can forsee myself ever getting a cell phone for a kid that young. Maybe I'll change my mind when Lauren gets older, I don't know. Right now, the idea just seems ridiculous.
Needless to say, this suprised the hell out of me. What, exactly, does a six-year-old do with a cell phone? As a teacher, I know I wouldn't want them in my classroom during the school day. I just can't think of any time that my six-year-old would ever be without adult supervision, that she would need a cell phone.
Since my experience at the post office, I've come across a few discussions on this topic on various discussion boards. I was shocked to learn how many parents get their young children cell phones. Many of these parents say that their kids are safer with the cell phones, or that life is just easier with the kids having their own phone. If the kid needs a ride home from school, he can just use his own phone instead of having to bother an adult.
Turns out, there are lots of cell phones that are made especially for young kids, like the Firefly. These phones can only call certain, preprogrammed numbers so kids just can't call whomever they like. I can see how these phones could be useful for children, but it should be the exception, not the rule.
The only way I would get my 6-7-8-9-10 year old kid one of these phones is if they were heavily involved in some kind of sport or activity that requried them to be away from home often. I'm talking like the kid is going to go to the Olympics someday and practices 5 nights a week, not just I take ballet once a week for an hour. That is the only way I can forsee myself ever getting a cell phone for a kid that young. Maybe I'll change my mind when Lauren gets older, I don't know. Right now, the idea just seems ridiculous.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
As a part of our New Years Resolutions, we enacted a new household rule - no TV or computers between 5-10 PM. Donald and I were both having some serious screen addiction, and neither of us like Lauren watching TV, so we decided to shut 'em off. This, perhaps, explains why, at 8 PM tonight, we were at the park using Donald's new metal detector.
Donald started talking about how he wanted to go "treasure hunting" with a metal detector a few weeks ago. I told him that when I saved up enough of my eBay money, I'd buy him one. Turns out I had a good week last week, so he got his new Garrett Ace 250 in the mail yesterday. Of course he wanted to try it out right away, so he dug a few holes in the yard last night, but didn't find anything.
So, tonight, as I'm putting away the laundry, Donald sneaks in and says he wants to go to the park. We all got dressed and we went. The first hole we dug, we found nothing. We eventually decided that it was probably too close to the swingset, and that the detector was just picking up the metal from the poles. We found another spot and dug for what seemed forever. Finally, we found a penny. Whoohoo!
We stayed out for about an hour, and ended up finding three pennies, a dime, a washer, two nails, and two pieces of gum wrapper. This, my friends, is how exciting my life has become.
Donald started talking about how he wanted to go "treasure hunting" with a metal detector a few weeks ago. I told him that when I saved up enough of my eBay money, I'd buy him one. Turns out I had a good week last week, so he got his new Garrett Ace 250 in the mail yesterday. Of course he wanted to try it out right away, so he dug a few holes in the yard last night, but didn't find anything.
So, tonight, as I'm putting away the laundry, Donald sneaks in and says he wants to go to the park. We all got dressed and we went. The first hole we dug, we found nothing. We eventually decided that it was probably too close to the swingset, and that the detector was just picking up the metal from the poles. We found another spot and dug for what seemed forever. Finally, we found a penny. Whoohoo!
We stayed out for about an hour, and ended up finding three pennies, a dime, a washer, two nails, and two pieces of gum wrapper. This, my friends, is how exciting my life has become.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Friday, January 05, 2007
To wean....or not
Lauren is a boobie-baby. When I started breastfeeding, my goal was to make it a year. Hooray! Almost there. I decided that after a year, we'd play it by ear, and wean when when we were both ready. Lauren is no where near ready. I, on the other hand, could be ready to at least wean from daytime nursing.
The kid loves her num-nums. She nurses now probably as much as she did when she was a newborn - at least 7-8 times a day. A few of those times are only for a minute or two, probably just for security reasons. She's not really into solids too much. I don't know if this is because she's nursing so much that she's not hungry, or if the opposite is true. Mabye she doesn't like solids, so she's nursing more. Either way, we offer solids at least four times a day, and most of the time everything ends up on the floor (she does this weird flicking thing with her food - flick! on the floor). She does eat a good dinner with us at night, but then she usually wants to nurse right away afterward, too.
Breastfeeding has been wonderful for us, but at this point it is getting a bit limiting. I need to work in the evenings, and I would love to go into the spare room, lock the door and stay in there for a few hours without being interrupted. Hell, even wearing a shirt during the day wouldn't be so bad (*knock knock* Crap someone's at the door, where's my shirt? I swear one of these days I'm going to answer the door without one on).
I'm not adverse to extended breastfeeding, and wouldn't mind continuing with the morning/night nursing sessions. I don't know. I know that nursing can be a great benefit during the toddler years, so part of me just wants to keep on keeping on. And then there's the whole sleep issue. How, exactly, do you get a kid to go to sleep without nursing them?
I guess at this point we're going to keep going, at least until Lauren starts to let up on the num-nums a little. At the same time, I'm going to try to start giving her milk in a cup during the day, and hope that helps lessen the frequency. We'll see!
The kid loves her num-nums. She nurses now probably as much as she did when she was a newborn - at least 7-8 times a day. A few of those times are only for a minute or two, probably just for security reasons. She's not really into solids too much. I don't know if this is because she's nursing so much that she's not hungry, or if the opposite is true. Mabye she doesn't like solids, so she's nursing more. Either way, we offer solids at least four times a day, and most of the time everything ends up on the floor (she does this weird flicking thing with her food - flick! on the floor). She does eat a good dinner with us at night, but then she usually wants to nurse right away afterward, too.
Breastfeeding has been wonderful for us, but at this point it is getting a bit limiting. I need to work in the evenings, and I would love to go into the spare room, lock the door and stay in there for a few hours without being interrupted. Hell, even wearing a shirt during the day wouldn't be so bad (*knock knock* Crap someone's at the door, where's my shirt? I swear one of these days I'm going to answer the door without one on).
I'm not adverse to extended breastfeeding, and wouldn't mind continuing with the morning/night nursing sessions. I don't know. I know that nursing can be a great benefit during the toddler years, so part of me just wants to keep on keeping on. And then there's the whole sleep issue. How, exactly, do you get a kid to go to sleep without nursing them?
I guess at this point we're going to keep going, at least until Lauren starts to let up on the num-nums a little. At the same time, I'm going to try to start giving her milk in a cup during the day, and hope that helps lessen the frequency. We'll see!
Thursday, January 04, 2007
I just spent an hour and a half trying to get the kid to go to sleep. My nibbles feel like they've been through a war. She went to bed around eight the first time, but she only got about 90% asleep when she coughed hard and threw up. I brought her out to the living room for a while, and then she wouldn't go back to sleep. She's still in there coughing now, so I hope she doesn't wake herself up (again). Poor thing.
I'm feeling better now, four days and two bottles of Robitussin later. Lauren seems to feel okay, but she's got the cough thing going on. Donald is getting stuffy, so I'm sure he's in for it next. Lucky him :o(
In other news, Donald's mom and sisters are coming down in two weeks! They just called tonight and told us. Grandma wants to be here for Lauren's birthday, so she's making Charlotte and Anna drive her. Haha. Thank goodness they'll be here before my dad gets home, otherwise I'm not sure where we'd put them all. I'm excited though; I adore Donald's mom and his sisters are fun, too.
I'm feeling better now, four days and two bottles of Robitussin later. Lauren seems to feel okay, but she's got the cough thing going on. Donald is getting stuffy, so I'm sure he's in for it next. Lucky him :o(
In other news, Donald's mom and sisters are coming down in two weeks! They just called tonight and told us. Grandma wants to be here for Lauren's birthday, so she's making Charlotte and Anna drive her. Haha. Thank goodness they'll be here before my dad gets home, otherwise I'm not sure where we'd put them all. I'm excited though; I adore Donald's mom and his sisters are fun, too.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Freakin' crap, I'm sick again. I started feeling icky yesterday, but today it really hit me. I just love cold and flu season. I spent most of the day in bed, so of course now I'm wide awake while everyone else is sleeping. I finally broke down and took some Robitussin, which I don't like doing because I'm breastfeeding, but it did help. There are times when all the natural remedies in the world just don't do it, and today was one of them. Oh well. Peeler will live.
We had a nice time last night. We went to dinner with the J's (Cozumel, yummy) and then went to their house for a while. We ended up buying some fireworks and blowing up a turtle pinata. Yeah...long story. We didn't get home until about three this morning, and now it's 1:00 PM and Peeler is still sleeping. She did so well last night and fell asleep in her stroller while we were lighting off fireworks. I don't know how that happened....
I don't think we're doing much today. I need to go to the grocery store to buy some healthy food, but other than that, we're laying low.
I don't think we're doing much today. I need to go to the grocery store to buy some healthy food, but other than that, we're laying low.
2006 was a year of beginnings for me and Donald. We began our life as a family in January and have spent the year adjusting and readjusting to our new roles as parents. In February we moved to Jackson. April brought a new job for Donald which is very much turning into a career. We are both very thankful for his job in that it lets me stay home with Lauren. In June I began on the path towards my Master's degree. Finally, in November, we began the long process of paying off our debt so that we can buy a house someday.
Looking back, its fun to see how far we've come. Ten years ago tonight, I had my very first date. I was in 9th grade, and my very first boyfriend was Jason from Ohio. We met at the campgrounds over the summer, but we lived 30 miles apart, which to a 14 year old might as well be 1000 miles. I remember I would save my lunch money to call him on the payphone, because his number was long distance and dad wouldn't let me call him from home. Anyway, on New Year's Eve, dad took me to the skating rink he worked at, and after Jason got off work, we skated together. It was perfect, in that 14 year old sort of way. I remember writing in my journal later that night about how I was going to marry him. Eventually Jason and I lost touch, and I have no idea what he's doing now.
Looking forward, I'm hoping this will be a good year for us. I'm hoping for a year of continuity, to work on all the things that began last year. A year of growth, happiness, and calmness (doubtful with a toddler! in the house). Happy 2007!!
Looking back, its fun to see how far we've come. Ten years ago tonight, I had my very first date. I was in 9th grade, and my very first boyfriend was Jason from Ohio. We met at the campgrounds over the summer, but we lived 30 miles apart, which to a 14 year old might as well be 1000 miles. I remember I would save my lunch money to call him on the payphone, because his number was long distance and dad wouldn't let me call him from home. Anyway, on New Year's Eve, dad took me to the skating rink he worked at, and after Jason got off work, we skated together. It was perfect, in that 14 year old sort of way. I remember writing in my journal later that night about how I was going to marry him. Eventually Jason and I lost touch, and I have no idea what he's doing now.
Looking forward, I'm hoping this will be a good year for us. I'm hoping for a year of continuity, to work on all the things that began last year. A year of growth, happiness, and calmness (doubtful with a toddler! in the house). Happy 2007!!
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