Moving Day is Almost Upon Us

*Sigh* I really wish there was a way to just transport all your stuff from one place to the next without having to pack it or carry it... Our apartment is slowly emptying into boxes upon boxes and it's a little sad. Today I have to sort out the stuff that I never unpacked from my move from Montana... It's mostly cold weather stuff and clothes that no longer fit (or were gross to begin with, thanks mom) since I'm no longer carrying 35 lbs of weight solely in my belly or that don't fit because i was carrying 35 extra pounds and I haven't quite evened out yet. Yes, it's been 2 years but I'm not big into other forms of exercise besides dance and there's no gym in our current residence.

On an unrelated note

I made deviled eggs for Violet yesterday. I got the recipe off of www.nickjr.com I love that website. It has all sorts of healthy and fun meals to make and most of them are fairly simple. The hardest part for me was making the hard boiled eggs. I'm good with almost everything else in cooking but eggs and I just don't mix unless I am making an omellet. Violet seemed to like them though so that's a plus :)

On yet another unrelated note

I'm trying to make a guest list for Violet's bday party. It's kind of annoying because I don't want to invite too many people since we're funding it, but at the same time family alone is 15 people not including us. I love our collective family but I need other people there. My poor boyfriend works so much he's too tired to ever really want to go out with friends and the most of the people he works with are weirdos so the guest list is family and my friends. Next year it'll be Violet's friends at least and we'll have a seperate family party :). I really can't wait til GabbaFest 2010 begins though!!!!

Shout Out

Since yesterday was Father's day and I didn't have time to post, I thought today I'd give a shout out to my boyfriends blog.

You can find him at www.grapebeans.blogspot.com

He posts his artwork, which is weird but good, and occasionally gives his insight into our lives. He's the sensitive artistic type. By sensitive I don't mean he whines and cries a lot (although there was that one time in the car, jk), I mean he won't eat leftovers... on a pathological scale...

Anyway, that's my shout out, please visit his site, you'll like it!

The Television Debacle

So, Violet's favorite show is Yo Gabba Gabba. If you haven't seen this gem of a show and you have young kids, I suggest getting them into it. It's one of the few, if not only, young children's show that adults can get into as well. They feature current popular bands and actors. The first time you watch though, you'll think someone is fucking with you and gave you a hefty dose of acid. Once that reaction wears off, you'll enjoy it, I promise. The downside is that Yo Gabba Gabba comes on at pretty random times on Nick Jr and I often find myself trying in vain to find something that Violet can watch and enjoy that won't make me have the need to either gauge my eyes out, run screaming from the room, or change the channel. The only other shows that seem to pique Violet's interest are Ni Hao Kia-lan (the Chinese Dora) , Backyardigans, Sesame Street, and Wow Wow Wubbzy. We've tried a few others on Playhouse Disney but Violet gets bored with them after about 5 min.

On the note of the Backyardigans, I was watching that yesterday with Violet and some questions arose that need answering. The characters are all animal children that talk and walk on two legs. There's a penguin, a moose, a hippo, a kangaroo, and some purpley spotted thing. The episode centered around 3 of the characters racing, 2 of them being terribly competitive with each other, and the third going slow but steady. Basically a retelling of the tortoise and the hare. My questions came when the racers were riding horses and a donkey. The animals couldn't talk or do anything else that the main characters could. Were there other species in this fictional world that had also not developed into talking, upright beings? Were there even moose, hippos, kangaroos, and penguins that couldn't talk as well? I, for one, would like answers Nick Jr.

Nipple Confusion

Breastfeeding is a big topic for new moms, myself included. It's been the norm for the whole of humanity until the introduction formula. Because of the cost, using formula became a status symbol and still prevails today. Companies use hospitals and doctor offices to peddle their product to new moms. They tout the health benefits and the DHA levels. Breast milk, however, is what all babies need in some form or another. Breast milk contains antibodies which boost the immune system of newborns, something formula cannot imitate. It's like buying the off brand snacks. Sure they'll taste similar, but they're not the same thing. Don't get me wrong either, I understand that not all women can breastfeed, but all women should at least try. My milk wasn't fatty enough for my daughter and she wasn't gaining enough weight so she supplemented with formula. I still continued to nurse her, but I'd follow up with formula. For those who don't feel comfortable with their child attached to their nipple, there is always pumping.
Public feeding is also an issue in our society today. People seem to get really outraged when a woman breast feeds her child in a public place and it really pisses me off. Most women try to be very discreet and modest when feeding a baby. They use blankets and other covers but still people seem to have a hissy fit. I still haven't seen anyone breastfeeding on TV either. Ex, Kendra (from the Girls Next Door) has shown her boobs on TV more times than I can count but I have not seen her breastfeed her son once. She expressed interest in it while pregnant and I think she would be a good person to just get it out there and be seen.
I know, I'm on a bit of a rant here but this is something I really believe in. The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age and breastfeeding and food until 2 years or beyond. That's right people, 2 years. As your child grows, your breast milk changes to suit their needs. So don't think that you're giving them the same milk as when they were babies. There's also a false rumor going around that toddlers who breastfeed are more depedant than their formula counterparts. Breastfed toddlers are actually more indepedant and healthier since they get the antibodies that I talked about before. I'm not ashamed to admit that I breast fed my daughter until she was about a year and a half. She then just stopped and drinks regular whole milk now and is very indepedant. Some children do wean themselves early and some need the comfort of breastfeeding beyond 2 years. After a year of age, it's less about the food aspect of the milk and more about the antibodies and comfort. It makes the child feel secure and allows them to feel better about exploring the world because they feel very bonded with you.

alright, that was my little soapbox moment for breastfeeding. As I said, I'm very passionate about the subject and could really write a lot more on the subject but I'll save it for another day.

Thoughts of an Insomniac

So last night, when I was not sleeping yet again, I started reflecting back on my life thus far. Violet is turning two in July and so I'm a bit nostalgiac and all my friends are out of school for the summer and traversing across the globe. On one hand, yes, I am a little jealous that I can't just take off for Italy or England for a semester but on the other hand I like where my life is right now. I spend my days with Violet since she's no longer in daycare ( a rant for another day) and we just pretty much stay at home. If I wasn't me, I think it'd be really really lonely for people because I really don't see people other than family and that's not that often either. There are no moms in the area that are my age and while the older moms are nice, it's like talking one of my mom's friends or their kids. My friends, while i love them, also can't relate to my life. They're in college, they go drinking and partying, and I can't go out unless john's home early and usually I'm done for the night around 10 or 11. I wasn't the party going type before I got pregnant so I'm not sure why I feel like I'm missing out sometimes. I wouldn't be going regardless but it's like being told you can never have ice cream and you've never tried it. Everyone told you it's great but you never got around to it and now you never will. I do plan on living it up on my 21st though. John and Violet can go stay at his moms house because I plan on partying all night long and I don't want to wake them when I come stumbling in at 4 in the morning. Violet will be 3 and I don't think she wants to see her mom drunk off her ass at that age. More teen moms need to get out the message to girls and boys in highschool that once they have a kid, the partying is over. Your life becomes 100% about your child and there's not a lot of time for yourself anymore. Between housework, cooking, and taking care of your child there will be just enough time to sleep and maybe get a shower. If you're a yetti like me, shaving has to wait until Violet is in bed for the night and I'm not exhausted. On top of that, many teen parents are single which means they also have to have a job so good luck finding the time or money to go out. This fall I really want to go to some of the local high schools and just tell them that unless they want to feel 30 before they even turn 20, they should abstain from sex or at least use proper birth control (the more the better). TV isn't helping either with their unrealistic views of teen parenting. If I see one more show use teen pregnancy as a go to plot line I'm gonna lose my shit. The same goes for TV movies. Somebody's getting drop kicked from whatever network crosses me.

A Day With Adventureland

I'm exhausted. Last night was another night filled with Violet waking up in the middle of the night and trying to get her to sleep in our bed. I'm running off of like 3 hours of sleep and since my boyfriend has work, I'm on Violet duty all day. Right now she's hanging out in her room playing kick the door ( One of her favorites) and singing to herself. She makes up some pretty good songs that make zero sense. I'm watching Adventureland, it's really funny but in an understated kind of way. I never took myself to be one for independant films but lately I've found myself more and more into them. The other day I watched The Poker House and while it was tragically sad, I still enjoyed the movie. Uh-Oh, I can't see Violet and it's gotten really quiet. Hopefully she's ready for a nap because Momma could sure use one.

Awesome...

So today was a complete failure... I ended up staying up til 5 last night because my daughter, Violet, wanted to sleep in our bed instead of her own. That would have been fine if she'd gone to bed. Instead she'd lay down and cuddle and then pop right back up and start telling you one thing or another, or trying and tickle her daddy or hit him in the face, or make him roll over. So I ended up sleeping all day today. Like beyond out of it until about 5:30. Now before anyone's panties get in a bunch, my boyfriend was home so he took care of Violet today. I did need the sleep and it's nice to get a break from the constant talking. A lot of the stuff my daughter says is REALLY funny but she also does something i call the JibberJabber Assault. This is when she won't stop talking for about an hour straight and wants you to be engaged in what she's saying that entire time. I can do the first 20 min or so but after that I want stuff whatever I can find in my ears. Ignoring her makes it worse too. She'll repeat the last thing she said making it louder and louder everytime and then if you're close to her she'll grab your face and turn it towards her. Toddlers should really be used to break suspects. I loved it when she was little and she'd talk a lot but it was mostly gibberish and she'd say something once and be done with it. Understanding her is a plus. I like being able to know what she wants and not just guessing. Motherhood is definitely a balance. Sometimes that balance is enjoying your child and not enjoying some of the things your child does.

Day One

So this is my first day with my blog. My wonderful boyfriend agreed to help me with it, but mostly he just glanced over while playing Super Mario Galaxy 2. He's trying to tell me to note something in here right now but can't quite seem to get the words out from the dire straights his game is in. Our daughter just got home early from a weekend at the beach. She had fun but we were hoping she'd stay until at least tomorrow so we could get the packing and cleaning well underway for our move. We have a lot of junk to sort and pack. I'm not a fan of moving but in this case, I'm all for it. Uh-Oh I hear the banging of little fists upon her door. Nap time is over... time to get to work