tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-187640312024-03-07T15:14:33.589-05:00This Is A Live Report...I'm that woman inside your televisionKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-77025788926293521792007-11-09T09:05:00.000-05:002007-11-09T09:19:33.640-05:00Moving On...<div align="left">I've <a href="http://kellybeans.wordpress.com/">MOVED</a>! Come visit me <a href="http://kellybeans.wordpress.com/">here</a>!<br /><br />I've been blogging here for two years, and so in a way, it's sort of sad to move somewhere else. Then I think about all the issues I've been having with Blogger lately and I can't wait to move on.<br /><br />Anyway, this place served its purpose. It gave me a place to start recording my thoughts and experiences. It now serves as a record of my pregnancy and the first few months of my son's life. It's been my place to let my emotion out, when tragedies like my grandmother's death occurred.<br /><br />I always liked journaling, but hand-writing journal entries never worked for me long-term. I would always get too busy, and it would fall by the wayside. But blogging... blogging has worked! I've been able to stick with it, and I'm so glad that I can look back on the past two years to read about the exciting, the profound, and the mundane.<br /><br />But now it's time to move on. Time for posts that aren't eaten alive by Blogger. Time for entries that don't look all funky. Time for customizable headers. Time for easier blogging.<br /></div><div align="left"><br />I live <a href="http://kellybeans.wordpress.com/">here </a>now! Please come visit! :)</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-13221663129369733222007-11-08T16:33:00.000-05:002007-11-08T16:35:54.764-05:00fillerSo this is gonna be one of the obligatory NaBloPoMo posts that really is just filler. I am posting something! See? Am keeping up with my promise to write every single day! <br /><br />When, really, I don't have anything great to write about, I don't have much time, and I have a screaming child in the background.<br /><br />Gots to run! Sorry you even bothered stopping by to read this... pathetic, I know.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-32958379028016437452007-11-07T20:32:00.001-05:002007-11-07T20:42:22.329-05:00ConfessionI'm about to admit something that I don't tell many people. It's something that you might find offensive.<br /><br />Ready?<br /><br />{whispers}<br /><br /><em>Sometimes, when I am reading a really good book, I will skip to the ending to read what happens.</em><br /><em></em><br />Ok, you can spank me now. Ouch... ow... oh yeah, baby. Right there! Um... where was I?<br /><br />So yeah. I am one of those people who reads ahead. When I do it, I think, damn, can't you have some freaking patience and self control, already? But I still do it. And although I go on reading the book and continue to enjoy it, I sometimes wonder if maybe I'd like it even better if I preserved the suspense. I wonder.<br /><br />Anyone else do this?<br /><br />p.s. Sorry that the text is centered, but I've discovered that if I don't try to force Blogger to justify the text, it allows me to keep spaces between paragraphs. And since seeing everything squished together bothers me more than everything all centered, well, that's what I'm going with. Pick your poison, as the saying goes.<br /><br />p.p.s. Thanks for the comments about jumping off the Blogger ship. I'm working on a new blog in Wordpress and will unveil it as soon as it's ready. Nothing fancy; just a new title and such. But I'm not getting much accomplished with it because The Boy has his second cold in about as many weeks. Isn't this why I am breastfeeding? To increase his immunities and prevent so many colds? Bah. We are drowning in baby snot over here. I know, gross. Blech.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-60704521989083289992007-11-06T17:53:00.000-05:002007-11-06T17:56:41.775-05:00contemplating change<div align="justify">I'm short on time, so this'll be a quick one...</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">I think I am about to make the leap to Wordpress. I've been looking at their format and layout and things just seem so much easier there. I'm getting so tired of having to battle Blogger to do the simplest things.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Plus, the title of this blog really revolved around my career, which you all know I have ditched in favor of hanging out with my kid. Not that a new blog would simply be a mommy blog, but I'd like something that fits me a little better now.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Would you all follow me to a new spot? I hate to make people change their blogrolls and links, but I'm thinking it's about time for a change.</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-55788822257915854872007-11-05T18:10:00.000-05:002007-11-05T18:32:02.904-05:00Good ol' days<div align="justify"><em>Preface: Blogger is really pissing me off. It is insisting on publishing my posts without any spaces between paragraphs. I am fighting this issue daily... and I'm about to jump ship. Grrr.</em> </div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify">Anyway, whew. Glad ya'll liked the hair. (Must get validation from internets to feel good about self. Does this make me pathetic? Don't answer that!) I was pretty nervous to dye it myself, but I figured it would be fun and worst case, I could always have it professionally corrected. But it is quite a change; one that I'm still getting used to. It's fun now to have the freedom to try new things (I had to play it pretty consistent and conservative before when I was anchoring the news).</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">On another topic... anyone ever have anything like this when you were growing up?<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41pkAJeq%2BML._SS400_.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41pkAJeq%2BML._SS400_.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />It's a toy farm set. I used to have a toy farm setup as a kid, and boy, did I love it. The barns, the fences, the little plastic animals... it was great! Of course, all of my animals had personalities, talked, and a few were even involved in love triangles. Think "As the Farm Turns" or "The Bull and the Beautiful."</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I spent so many hours playing with that farm. Maybe it was a way to express a bit of my tomboyish side. Sure, I had tons of Barbies (which, coincidentally, were mostly headless, thanks to my dog who liked eating Barbie brains) and loved all the Disney Princess movies. But my farm was fun! Perhaps this was also because I grew up riding horses and joined 4-H as a kid. But regardless of the reason, I sure did get a lot of enjoyment out of that toy.</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">I really hope that Aiden likes "playing farm" when he gets a little older. My mom already has her eye on a beautiful handcrafted toy farm set at the local Amish market. It's gorgeous and HUGE, with all the stables and fences made of carved wood, with amazing detailing. Heck, I hope we get it someday so I can play again! I'm actually a little excited just thinking about it! :) Isn't that one great thinkg about having kids? You get to relive your childhood over again!</div><div align="justify"> </div><div align="justify"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="justify"></div><div align="justify">(Thanks to Zoot for her <a href="http://nablopomo.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=997435%3ABlogPost%3A81471">writing prompt</a>!)</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-55148256837694147392007-11-04T20:11:00.000-05:002007-11-04T20:15:14.220-05:00hair updates!A picture post, since I don't have much time tonight! First, the "before" shot... my blondish highlights, which I've had for years...<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/1537962403_8f6937b9f1.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/1537962403_8f6937b9f1.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a><br />I was bored, so I dyed it red. All by myself...<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2319/1865019962_b3456d03d2.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2319/1865019962_b3456d03d2.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Then I decided that, damn, I could use some bangs. So I went to a stylist and got that done, too! (No do-it-yourself haircuts for me, thank-you-very-much!)</p><p>And here's the final product!<br /></p><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2006/1865025820_ebb02a30f0.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2006/1865025820_ebb02a30f0.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> I think I like!Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-46512694811553433362007-11-03T09:00:00.000-04:002007-11-03T09:22:28.533-04:005 months<div align="justify">Dear Aiden,<br /><br />You turned 5 months old this week. Five months already! This is the first monthly letter I have been able to write to you, which should tell you something about your mama. She has great intentions, and meant to start these monthly letters when you were first born, but sometimes she gets a little distracted. Or maybe this should tell you something about what a big job it is to take care of you! A big job, to be sure, but a job your mommy wouldn't trade for anything.<br /><br />You are a daily dose of inspiration to your daddy and me. I often think about all the things you are learning and marvel at how much you have accomplished. If only we could continue to learn and grow at such a fast pace throughout our entire lives... we'd all be geniuses. It seems that each day you discover something new, and we are so lucky to share this journey with you.<br /><br />You're only five months, but you are exploding with energy and personality. Already, you have sprouted two little teeth (your front bottom ones). You grab and play with anything you can reach, and you are so very close to crawling. Right now you push up on your arms and tuck your knees under you, but you can't quite get your arms and legs to work in tandem yet.<br /><br />Most recently, you have started to squeal with delight. Not just cute little squeaks, but long, protracted squeals of joy. You do this all the time, but especially in public, which draws lots of stares and smiles. Perhaps you do this because you love visiting new places and seeing new things.<br /><br />You're eating like a champ. Not only do you love nursing, but solid foods are going great! You've had rice cereal, pears, carrots, and squash so far. You know how to open your mouth for a big bite, and you aren't afraid to show us if you like something (or not)! You're even drinking from a cup now. You love when we let you sip water from our cups, and I think that when you're weaned, you'll just go straight from me to a cup, instead of using a bottle. That's how much you love your cups!<br /><br />At home, you scoot around the house in your walker with amazing ease. You just realized that you can reach out from your walker to grab anything nearby. Time for Mom to start babyproofing! You almost broke the video camera the other day, when you swiped at it as it sat on the coffee table. Thank goodness Mom was there to grab it as it began to fall to the floor!<br /><br />On that video camera is every video we've taken of you since you were born. And, Aiden, you are quite the star. We have so many home movies of you, and it is amazing to watch the progression. In just a few months, you have grown from a tiny, helpless, sweet-smelling infant... to a rowdy, energetic boy with a sparkling personality. You grin, you laugh, your little eyes crinkle at the corners with glee. You are a true blessing, and we drink up every moment we have with you.<br /><br />I can't wait to see what the coming months have in store!<br /><br />Love,<br />Mama</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-22209251418025804452007-11-02T10:07:00.000-04:002007-11-02T10:10:23.150-04:00Housekeeping<p align="left">One of the most challenging things about the stay-at-home-mom gig is finding the time to do anything OTHER than take care of His Royal Highness, Prince Aiden of Drooldom. Especially since I'm now taking care of most of the housecleaning. Before I quit my job, we were very fortunate to have the expendable income to hire a maid, so I never had to clean the toilets. Now, that's changed, since my income is gone, and Momma's cleaning it all!<br /><br />I'm trying to schedule out my housekeeping tasks so that I can manage to get everything done, bit by bit. The last thing I want to do is look around my house and say, "This whole place is a mess!" and then have to spend 5 hours cleaning it all. So I'm trying to do a little each day to keep up with it all.<br /><br />Things like doing the dishes or laundry aren't a big deal. I just run the dishwasher or throw in a load of clothes when I need to. Same goes for vacuuming. Ideally, I should vacuum every time I even think about it, because with two dogs and a long-haired cat, there's way too much animal hair floating around in here. I know, gross. But we love them.<br /><br />My biggest question is how often I should schedule a task. Should it be done once a week? Twice a week? Once a month? I don't need things to be pristine, but I don't want to be lazy about it.<br />So here's my list of stuff that I still need to schedule:<br /><br />Clean bathrooms (scrub toilets, tubs, sink)<br />Dust (everywhere, ugh)<br />Clean kitchen (wipe cabinets, deep-clean sink and refrigerator)<br />Scrub floors (hardwood and tile- especially important now that Aiden's almost crawling!)<br />Clean windows<br />Clean baseboards (I don't think I've ever done this myself, but the maid did sometimes)<br /><br />How often do you do this stuff, if ever? And how long can I reasonably go without my house becoming a pigsty? I may not be able to keep it pet-hair free, but at least it can be somewhat clean!<br /><br />PLUS! Getting my hair cut today! And I dyed it red, all by myself! Pics to come next time!</p>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-12001612299652215832007-11-01T12:54:00.001-04:002007-11-01T12:59:50.631-04:00Aiden's First HalloweenProudly presenting... the cutest crustacean you've ever seen!<br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2375/1814873580_0c63b48a50.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2375/1814873580_0c63b48a50.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a><br />Just add butter... this little lobster tastes delicious!<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2293/1814032351_85a2d6059d.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2293/1814032351_85a2d6059d.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Enjoying Halloween with mama... who decided to get in on the fun with some eyeliner and fashion a little nose and whiskers for herself. I could be a rat... or a cat... or... whatever. It was a last minute decision, okay? :)<br /></p><p><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2344/1814026513_ebc84c677d.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2344/1814026513_ebc84c677d.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> </p><p>Hope you had a great Halloween!<br /></p>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-38226889416503021932007-10-29T23:20:00.000-04:002007-10-29T23:29:35.039-04:00night owlBah. I spoke too soon. The Boy fought hard tonight when I tried to put him to bed. Much yowling, howling, and shrieking ensued (he did most of it). In the end, I gave up and just held him for a while, and he looked around with wide-open eyes and gave me some sweet little grins and even kisses. I think he's learning how to kiss. He'll put his hand on my cheek and lean in, mouth wide open, until his lips touch mine and he can drool on me.* So sweet, especially when you think that he was screaming like a demon child five minutes earlier.<br /><br />Anyway, I finally got him into bed at 11. Better late than never, I suppose! And now I am here, holding my breath and typing verrry quietly, hoping that he'll sleep for a good long chunk of time.<br /><br />*Oh my God, I have become such a.... <em>mother</em>. To think that I'd ever regard someone depositing drool on my mouth as being remotely cute! Am hopeless. Hopelessly infatuated, I think.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-8779805356429774892007-10-28T21:44:00.001-04:002007-10-28T22:02:40.224-04:00Baby whispering<div align="left">My good sleeper seems to have returned. (Knocking on wood!) This week I started reading the <a href="http://www.babywhisperer.com/">Baby Whisperer</a> and really liked her ideas about getting your baby to sleep. I'm just not comfortable with letting Aiden "cry it out," but I also didn't want him to become dependent on nursing to sleep or sleeping with me all the time. </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">I've only been trying this for a few nights, but so far, it's working. You basically let the baby fuss or cry a little, pick him up, and the instant he stops crying, you put him back down. You can pat his back until he begins to really cry again, then repeat the steps of picking him up to soothe him. At first, Aiden resisted and cried a bit, but now all it takes is a few back pats and he only fusses a little before dropping off to sleep. For the past two nights, he has slept from 9 pm to 5 am. Woohoo! Success!</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left">We now take a break from our regularly scheduled program to bring you this baby butt:</div><div align="left"></div><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2045/1795741837_fa9f8176a6.jpg?v=0" border="0" /> <p align="left">Yes, he likes to stand up and hold himself up to watch the water filling his bathtub. And, no, he's not even five months old yet. I have a feeling we'll be in trouble when he can finally figure out how to get around on his own! This is one active, athletic baby!<br /><br />And now, this poorly framed family portrait:<br /><br /></p><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2284/1796585660_164e7d6a32.jpg?v=0" border="0" /> <p align="left"><br />And, finally, an announcement! I have decided to participate in <a href="http://nablopomo.ning.com/">NaBloPoMo</a>! Let's hope I can come up with some interesting stuff to talk about every day in November... Have a great week, all! </p>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-78848189309689824172007-10-26T12:01:00.000-04:002007-10-26T12:22:23.075-04:00in which Kelly learns to hate doctors even more<div align="left">First things first... Jason's surgery went well and he is resting at home. Only time will tell if this did the trick. If his symptoms of nausea and stomach pain don't return, problem solved. If not, then we have to figure out something new. He's very sore and experiencing pain from the operation, but doing fine.<br /><br />But things just couldn't go smoothly, could they? Oh, no. A few issues during the day at the hospital have me reiterating my previous statement that our health system (more notably, some of the so-called "professionals" in that health system) sucks big donkey balls.<br /><br />First issue? We needed to be at the hospital by 9am, and Jason's surgery was scheduled for 10:30. He was the first patient in the OR that day. The surgeon (who I have never really liked- totally crappy bedside manner) came by and said they would get him in the OR by 10:30 or 11am. We said goodbye and watched the nurse wheel him away around 10:30. Then we sat in the waiting room. An hour later, the nurse comes in and says, "I'm sorry, but there has been a big mixup." What? A mixup? Did they remove the wrong organ or something? No, apparently Jason was still waiting in the OR, because his bitch of a doctor FORGOT she scheduled a meeting for 11 and decided to make her patient wait, rather than reschedule the meeting. So Jason's surgery didn't actually start until later, and he had to wait nervously, in anticipation of getting cut open.<br /><br />Next. The surgery was to take about an hour, hour-and-a-half tops. The only way it would take longer was if there was an issue doing it laproscopically and he had to be totally cut open. So, we sit in the waiting room. One hour goes by. TWO hours go by. Finally, 2 1/2 hours pass and I ask the attendant to find out what the hell is going on. She pages the doctor, who finally finds the time to come and consult with me. Oh, yeah, she says. Surgery went fine, it was finished a while ago. But I guess she was just too busy to bother coming to speak with us.<br /><br />Finally, they discharged Jason around 8 last night. They send him home with some prescriptions, the most important of which is a high-powered painkiller to keep him comfortable. We stop by the pharmacy by our home, right before it closes, to get the script filled. But GUESS WHAT! The idiot doctor who discharged Jason WROTE THE WRONG NAME on his prescription! They wrote another person's name, so the pharmacy wouldn't fill it. We call the hospital, only to find out that they can't fax over scripts for this particular drug, since it's a strong narcotic. Flipping fantastic.<br /><br /></div><div align="left">My mom, who is a freaking saint, had been staying home with Aiden while I picked up Jason. She told us to settle in at home, and proceeded to go all the way back to the hospital to get the meds for us. But then she had to wait for 45 minutes while the hospital pharmacy got the new prescription and filled it. My poor mom didn't get back to our house until 11:30 last night. Can you believe this crap?? Thank god for my mother. She's the best.</div><br />I seriously couldn't make this shit up. I am so tired of it all and am just hoping that Jason's health issues are solved, so we don't have to deal with all these hospitals and doctors anymore. I've had enough.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-44077067878427167842007-10-23T16:40:00.000-04:002007-10-23T17:06:20.520-04:00Doctor, Doctor, Gimme the news...<div align="left">I mentioned back in July that my husband has been having some health issues, particularly related to his stomach. First, he was diagnosed with an ulcer. Then, despite the meds he was given, things just kept getting worse. I haven't written about it much because, frankly, it's been depressing enough to live it each day, without reliving it here. But now I'm needing to vent.<br /><br />It's gotten so bad that Jason's been visiting the emergency room, on average, at least once a week. ONCE a WEEK, for Christ's sake. He's been nauseous, and dealing with stomach pain, since late June. We've been to countless doctors, he's taken countless tests, and no one could tell us exactly what was wrong. Endoscopies, CT scans, colonoscopies... you name it, Jason has endured it. We learned that the ulcer is gone, but obviously some other problem remained. He is having these awful attacks of stabbing pain in the middle and right side of his abdomen.<br /><br />It has been terrible for our family. Jason feels like shit, he's missing work, and he's not really well enough to help me with the baby or for us to have any fun together. We are all miserable and sick and tired of this crap.<br /><br />On Sunday, it was "rinse and repeat." He started feeling worse, and I drove him to the ER that night. This time, rather than just give him pain meds and send him home in a few hours, they agreed to admit him to the hospital. Fortunately, one of the Gastroenterology doctors agreed with what we've been saying all along... Jason is exhibiting all the symptoms of gallbladder disease. The problem has been that many of the tests haven't backed up that conclusion. Docs have told us it "seems" like his gallbladder is okay, based on some scans and bloodwork. However, my research (and yes, I know that I am not a doctor but I care more about my husband's health than any PhD) shows that sometimes tests don't confirm gallbladder inflammation or disease. Most of the time, their tests just show if there are gallstones. But you can have a sick gallbladder without having stones. And get this... some studies have shown that 50% of people who had their gallbladders removed (without tests that confirmed their condition)... said their symptoms disappeared.<br /><br />Obviously, most surgeons don't want to operate without proof. But that has meant that Jas continued to suffer. Finally, after week upon week of hospitalization with the same symptoms that seem to scream "GALLBLADDER!" we have a surgeon who is willing to remove it for him.<br /><br />Best case scenario? Jason feels better and our family can move on from this nightmare of pain and medical overload.<br /><br />Worst case? This isn't really his gallbladder acting up, and he has a low-risk surgery that doesn't give us the desired results. You might think we are crazy for doing this surgery and removing an organ without absolute proof, but that's how desperate we have become. Nothing has worked, and we've gone down every avenue in hopes of a definitive diagnosis. If this doesn't work, at least we know for sure that we need to look somewhere else.<br /><br />I've developed a real disrespect for many in the medical community due to this experience. We've seen so many doctors, and we have had to FIGHT to be seen and heard. We've had to ARGUE for tests. We've had doctors say, "I don't know what's wrong with you, but there's nothing more I can do. Sorry" only to visit another doctor who CAN recommend some different tests. It's just so discouraging that we have to fight so hard and keep hitting dead ends. It makes me wonder about those who aren't able, for whatever reasons, to be a good advocate for their health. How many people suffer and fall through the cracks because of the jacked-up medical system we have? It makes me furious.<br /><br />I am hoping beyond hope that this surgery solves Jason's health issues. It's scheduled for this Thursday, and I hope it's the first day of a new, healthy life for our family. God knows, after the hell we've gone through for the past four months, we deserve a fricking break.</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-83226624554236418842007-10-20T21:25:00.000-04:002007-10-20T21:43:17.524-04:00Two teeth! Oh my!<div align="left">Oh, yes.... I do have a blog. Wouldn't you think that since I am now a work-at-home mom I might have a little more time to update here? But I've found it even more difficult to log on here and muse about our family's happenings. Perhaps that is due to some illness and some teething!<br /><br />What does that tell you about my karma that Aiden would suddenly sprout two teeth at the same time as I am fighting off a nasty cold? For the past week or so I have been suffering from a nasty cough, which (stop reading now if you don't want to hear something gross) resulted in some gross phlegm and painful hacking in my lungs. Then this nasty cold decided to invade my nose and gave me nosebleeds for a few days. (Gosh, I hope you aren't eating while you read this. If so, my apologies!) I am just now feeling a little better, thank goodness!<br /><br />During this time period, my little overachiever decided to cut not one, but TWO teeth! He's only 4 months old, but apparently his teeth are on the fast track. Both of his bottom teeth cut through, and they are quickly moving into position. It's adorable, but I haven't been able to get a good photo of it yet. Aiden was such a good boy, and handled the whole thing very well. He was a little cranky, but overall he did great!<br /><br />Unfortunately, it seems he now has my cold. The poor baby is coughing a little, especially at night. It doesn't seem too bad, though, which the doctor attributes to my breastfeeding. I hope I've given him enough antibodies to help him avoid a bad cold!<br /><br />Now, for some advice. Just wondering what you think about this situation... Aiden L-O-V-E-S to nurse. Almost too much. He doesn't demand to nurse all the time (on average it's about three hours between meals a day). The problem is, he refuses to go to sleep without nursing. Generally, if you put him down while he is awake he goes crazy and bellows. I've tried letting him cry it out, but I feel very uncomfortable about that, and even when I let him cry for 20 to 30 minutes he just cries more, rather than settling down.<br /><br />My other problem is at night, with sleeping. Aiden very much prefers to sleep with us, which I don't really mind now that he's older and a sturdy 18 pounds. He'll sleep next to me all night without making a peep. But if he's in his crib, all of a sudden he's waking up numerous times crying and disoriented. I don't want to "spoil" him, but I really don't think you can spoil a baby this young. What do you think? Any advice? I'd love for him to sleep in his crib but I don't want to force him until he's ready and comfortable.<br /><br />Speaking of sleep... I think I need to get to bed. Aiden's definitely sleeping with us tonight. With his cold, he's very attached and needy right now, and every.time.I.put.him.in.his.crib he's waking up screaming and coughing. No way will I push the "sleep in your own bed" issue tonight. He just wants to be with mama and nurse 'til he feels better.</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-71316547764975988832007-10-10T22:44:00.000-04:002007-10-10T22:50:44.242-04:00pictures!<div align="center"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/1538831664_6521c57309.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2128/1538831664_6521c57309.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> Laughing at daddy</div><div align="center"><br /></div><p align="center"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/1537962403_8f6937b9f1.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2048/1537962403_8f6937b9f1.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> The whole family!</p><p><br /></p><p align="center"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2104/1537966259_bb629109fc.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2104/1537966259_bb629109fc.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> With Aunt Kasey on his first boat ride (and crabbing for some blue crabs!)<br /></p><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2387/1538836410_74e9afb4eb.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2387/1538836410_74e9afb4eb.jpg?v=0" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>With Gram on his first boat ride.<br /></p><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2378/1538819350_c0ea3bf03c.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2378/1538819350_c0ea3bf03c.jpg?v=0" border="0" /> <p align="center"></a>Snuggling with mama.<br /></p>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-45353756294954407682007-10-06T13:45:00.000-04:002007-10-06T13:51:03.045-04:00moving forward<div align="left">Dear Aiden,<br /><br />You'd better love your mama. She's now going to have to clean the whole house herself since she quit her job for you! No more maid for mommy. This fact alone should convince you that you are the most loved child on the planet.<br /><br />Love,<br />Mama<br /><br /><br />So... Aiden's 4 month checkup was yesterday. My kid seems destined to be some sort of athlete. Boy do we have a bruiser on our hands.<br /><br />Weight: 18 lbs, 2 ounces (97th percentile)<br />Height: 27.5 inches (he's off the charts on this one... bigger than 100% of other kids his age)<br />Head: 17.5 inches (smarty-pants with a big ole' brain)<br /><br />He's been rolling over for a month now, and this boy LOVES his hands. He's always grabbing things, and loves to pat my face. So sweet. I'm so glad to have a healthy, robust boy. The only downside is that so many of his cute little clothes are already too small and have been packed away. Don't grow up too fast, baby. :)</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-62817384454907365042007-10-05T03:34:00.000-04:002007-10-05T03:35:40.716-04:00new chapterToday is my last day at work...<br /><br />Just a few more hours and I am outta here!<br /><br />(shouldn't I be feeling more depressed about this? Cuz I'm not.)Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-26582968508446583852007-09-28T08:21:00.000-04:002007-09-28T08:44:55.503-04:00funny how things turn out<div align="left">Well, maybe I was obsessing for no reason about my job. It seems that things just worked out on their own. Yesterday my boss called me into her office and let me know that since we can't come to an agreement on my hours, that they aren't going to keep me on the morning newscast.<br /><br />I could go back to my old schedule, but that obviously isn't happening. I'm not willing to work all day with Aiden in daycare for 10 or 11 hours. I'm not being fired, but since they won't compromise with me about the hours I will work in the mornings, it essentially means that I won't be working here much longer. I suppose that I could potentially work here part-time as a reporter, but they really only want full-time employees right now, so this is probably the end of the road.<br /><br />I'm a little relieved that I didn't have to make this leap on my own. Even if management had agreed to the hours I requested, we were still considering the possibility of my quitting, just for our family's quality of life. Now, rather than obsess about this, my bosses made the choice easy for me. If I couldn't have the hours I needed, then I'm done here. Simple as that. I guess this is the first thing I can actually thank them for... making my decision easier for me. It's not really tough to walk away when your employer won't compromise with you.<br /><br />I'm a bit annoyed because they haven't told me when my last day will be on the morning news. I am guessing that they may want me to keep me in this position until a new anchor is hired, but that could take months. Jason and I have yet to discuss how long I want to be here. On one hand, it would be nice to get my paycheck for a few more months, but we're seriously needing some sleep and Jason is like a zombie at work because Aiden's waking up early every day (to the tune of 2 or 3 am) and keeping Daddy awake for hours.<br /><br />We have lots of discussion ahead of us! Maybe we'll get a chance to chat during our anniversary dinner this weekend. Yep, on a bright note, today is our fourth anniversary! Last year, I made a <a href="http://anchorsaway1.blogspot.com/2006/09/happy-anniversary.html">very special announcement </a>here on this blog on our anniversary, about the very best gift we could give each other. I must say that gift... our son... just keeps on giving. He may have brought about some drastic changes to our life, changes that are both exciting and nerve-wracking, but we are so grateful for our family.<br /><br />I'm so excited, and definitely nervous, about the many big changes ahead for our family. It's gonna be fun to see what transpires!</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-14051232029464466002007-09-27T08:30:00.000-04:002007-09-27T08:50:16.401-04:00exhaustion<div align="left">I'm tired.<br /><br />I miss my husband.<br /><br />I'm being yanked in too many directions.<br /><br />Suffice it to say that this schedule is kicking my ass. I'm doing my best, but I don't feel like I'm able to give my best to everything. It's tough to try and be a great employee, a great mom, and a great wife, not to mention giving myself any down time. All on just 4-ish hours of sleep. Yeah, you read that right.<br /><br />Aiden doesn't like this new schedule. He's made this painfully apparent to me by completely abandoning his (admittedly too-good-to-be-true) pattern of sleeping 8 to 10 hours straight at night. Now I have to fight to get him to go to sleep by 8:30, and he's up screaming by 1:00 am. Not good when you need to wake up around 2am. This morning I nursed him around 1:00 but he woke up crying right at the time I had to leave. I left a bleary-eyed Jason pacing the halls with him.... which ends up making Jason pretty damn tired when his alarm goes off, too.<br /><br />Despite the allure of my paycheck from the TV station, I must say that we are now seriously considering the option of me quitting and becoming a part-time work-at-home-mom. I have a lot of ideas and business ventures I'd like to try, and I think we are seeing that our quality of life needs to be top priority. Jason and I are barely getting any time together, because I'm heading off to bathe the baby and get us both to bed at about the time Jas gets home after a long day. We want to spend time as a family, and time as a couple, and I would like to get more than 4 hours of sleep each night. Oh, and I miss watching TV at night. All these premieres on television and I can't watch! Boooo.<br /><br />Adding to my strong urge to up and quit is the current scenario at my job. We have new management at our station and they are trying to completely re-work my position. I am being pressured to work extra hours and do nearly double the duties, and I've had more than one heated conversation with my boss. I am starting to think that maybe this place isn't a good fit for me anymore. I just don't want the stress and the drama.<br /><br />Anyway, all of this has us thinking hard about our priorities and what we want one year, five years, ten years from now. Much discussion and pro-con lists are in our future, to be sure.</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-11207818216104927172007-09-14T07:32:00.000-04:002007-09-14T07:35:23.650-04:00*&#*$#* tire<div align="left">You know, driving into work at 2am is fun enough. Do I really need a flipping FLAT TIRE to add to the fun? Apparently, I do.<br /><br />And even more exciting? Nearly getting creamed by a tractor trailer while sitting on the side of the road with my flashers on.<br /><br />Simply fantastic. TGIF, everyone.</div>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-38653054384550968172007-09-11T07:41:00.000-04:002007-09-11T07:53:57.712-04:00coffeeeeeeeeOh holy hell. Adjusting to this morning schedule is definitely kicking my butt right now. I've been up since 2:15am. Needing copious amounts of coffee to function right now. You know what's sort of unfair? Being expected to speak in coherent sentences and look attractive when you should be SLEEPING. Oh well, I asked for it, didn't I?<br /><br />On another note. I know everyone's been talking about it, but what the hell is wrong with Britney Spears? I just can't understand how she became such a train wreck. I mean, this is the girl who gave us the rhinestone covered nude jumpsuit at the VMA's back in 2000. The girl who made out with Madonna a few years ago. But this performance the other night was just so uninspired. She looked like she was tranquilized. At the very least, she could have flashed her bare ass (it wouldn't be the first time). Or she couldv'e used some magic tricks from her new boyfriend Criss Angel. Anything... something! <br /><br />Maybe this makes it seem like I care about Brit Brit's career. I really don't... I'm just shocked that a manager or friend or SOMEONE might have clued her in to what a joke that performance was.<br /><br />Oh, and is anyone watching <a href="http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/rock_of_love/series.jhtml">Rock of Love</a>? That guy Bret Michaels from Poison is sarching for true love (or let's be honest... a quick lay). It's both awful and addicting at the same time. The biatches are crazy... competing for the affections of a washed-up, botoxed, lip gloss wearing rocker. The only girl I really like is Jes. Her pink hair is actually so cool I wish I could do that myself. But she's actually so cute and nice that I don't think she should be with a guy like Bret.<br /><br />Just read the above paragraph, and om my god I need to get a life. And some sleep. Gah.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-17165779206429809142007-09-06T12:51:00.001-04:002007-09-06T12:54:50.483-04:00Three months<a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1101/1337255810_97b32e26b0.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1101/1337255810_97b32e26b0.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1263/1336372095_6f7de37832.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1263/1336372095_6f7de37832.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> <img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1237/1337260240_8f30719fb9.jpg?v=0" border="0" /><br /><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1180/1336373641_11a3dd2b6b.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1180/1336373641_11a3dd2b6b.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1203/1337258952_641225ceb8.jpg?v=0"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1203/1337258952_641225ceb8.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a>Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-47371321212900666092007-08-30T09:32:00.000-04:002007-08-30T09:51:05.437-04:00you're all so niceA few of you very kindly worried about how I will get any sleep with the potential <a href="http://anchorsaway1.blogspot.com/2007/08/have-i-mentioned-that-i-am-tired.html">new job</a>. Thank you all for thinking of me and my health. Truth is, I have given that a lot of thought, and what we've decided is to try it out and worst case, we can always reevaluate later if it doesn't work out.<br /><br />My plan is to get at least six hours of sleep a night, as well as nap with Aiden in the afternoon when I am at home. Another key part of the plan is showering during the day so that all I need to go when I wake up at about 2:30am is to hit the road. I won't even change clothes or do makeup/hair until I get to work. So, I plan to go to bed at night as soon as I put Aiden down to sleep, by at 8pm at the latest.<br /><br />Fortunately, Aiden's a very good sleeper (usually 8 hours) then he wakes up, eats, and then sleeps for a few more hours. Jason will obviously be responsible for taking care of any night wakenings and feeding the baby. He'll also be at home with Aiden until the sitter arrives, which would probably be around 7 or 8am. My goal is to get home by noon, so I can relax with Aiden and have some fun, nap for a little bit with him, etc.<br /><br />Another key component of this is that I will be getting a weekly housecleaning done. I don't want to be overwhelmed with chores and cleaning when I am tired and want to spend time with Aiden. As long as I am making the salary I expect to make (and if I don't, then none of this will pan out) a maid is a critical part of this whole deal.<br /><br />So, despite all this planning, I don't know if it will all work out well. I can tell you that other women in the TV biz actually <em>prefer</em> this early morning schedule to be able to spend time with their kids. If it ends up working for us, great. If it doesn't, then we already have agreed that I will quit if it's necessary for my mental/physical health.<br /><br />Someone asked about how TV news works, and it's like this: our station has a 5am and 6 am newscast. Even though a producer works on the newscast for hours prior to it airing, the anchor and reporter can't just come in a 4:50am and go on air ten minutes later. We need to be in the station to read over scripts and assist with writing. Even coming in at 3am for a 5am newscast is cutting it sort of close. So that's the justification for the ungodly hours.<br /><br />Anyway, gotta run. Work is calling. Meh.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-21428375227143115432007-08-29T15:02:00.000-04:002007-08-29T15:11:20.095-04:00have i mentioned that i am tired?Ok, so here is the deal. Though the details have not been finalized, my bosses are definitely moving me to our station's morning show. I have to stick with my current schedule through next week, but then I will be working mornings.<br /><br />I still have some concerns, particulary about my salary. They can't really answer that question for me right now (annoying and odd, yes I know). So for now I will just keep my current salary until they come to me to do a new contract. If the new contract would involve too much of a pay cut, I may still end up quitting.<br /><br />The other issue is the hours. They want me to work from 3:30am until 12:30pm. I want to adjust those hours slightly, so I can get home to Aiden a little earlier. We'll see if they agree, but they wouldn't give me an answer today. <br /><br />I'm a bit annoyed by the lack of committment, but the big thing has been accomplished. Aiden won't be in daycare for 11 hours a day. At most, it will be maybe 5 or 6 hours from the time Jason leaves in the morning, and I'll be home to spend all afternoon and evening with Aiden until we go to bed. I don't know if this will end up working out in the long run, but for now at least I have something better to try.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18764031.post-53714451759501608902007-08-28T12:50:00.000-04:002007-08-28T13:01:20.548-04:00hate hate hateGood lord, this is getting worse before it gets better. Since I'm away from Aiden for 11 hours, I am pumping at least three times while at work. That can be difficult, since I am sent out on news stories and never quite know when I'll be back. So, I've been scheduling myself to the max, and managing to make it work. Until today.<br /><br />This morning I was assigned a story at 10am. I decided to make some phone calls and set up interviews, then go and pump quickly before hitting the road with my camera crew. I am *thisclose* to getting up to head for an empty office when all of a sudden everything changes. Now they've decided to switch my story, and I need to leave <em>now</em>. I asked if I could have 15 minutes and was refused. Thanks. Thanks a lot.<br /><br />So guess what I did? I went out, got my video, did my interviews, and then PUMPED MY BOOBS in the back of a news vehicle while my photographer drove to the next story. Oh, did I mention that? Yeah, after we got everything we needed to do our story we were re-assigned <em>again</em>. And nothing beats pumping yourself like a cow while driving around with your coworkers. God, I love this job. Oh, well, at least I bought the car adapter for my pump... otherwise I'd have been screwed.<br /><br />Is it Friday yet?? More importantly, is it Wednesday yet, so I can get a new job here or get the hell out.Kellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08380412866132057368noreply@blogger.com7