Kids and sweets

I have serious issues with feeding kids "convenient foods" for whatever reason, especially from an early age. Many will say that they'll give a kid a taste of ice cream or pop "just for a special treat," but I don't think they realize what damage they do to a kid by introducing them to the bright new world of refined sugars. If a child has never had it, he or she will not know what they're "missing out on". (Trust me, as much as I try to maintain a healthy, natural diet, I can't seem to kick my love for candy and other treats.) I'm sure my relatives will be critical of my parenting style, but truth be told, it's my child and we'll raise him or her the way we wish to raise him or her. We're not going to be completely granola--the kid does have to survive in the real world, after all. But I will be steadfast about laying that foundation of healthy habits. I'm sure this will be tough when we take our kids to visit other people, and who knows, maybe I'll be able to relax a bit before we really have to start making these decisions, but in the meantime, here's an article that proves my theory. (It's always nice when I have some "proof" to back up my claims--I always hope that they make me seem just a little less bossy.)

http://www.livestrong.com/article/14277-3-ways-to-limit-the-amount-of-sugar-your-child-consumes/?utm_source=junenewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=090630

Sick

Since last Monday or so I haven't felt well. All sorts of things seemed to be going on and I just didn't feel right--weird aches and pains, fatigue, etc... By Wednesday, I couldn't even finish my lunch at the school luncheon, where I had veggie lasagna. It's practically unheard of that I would not be able to finish a meal, especially a pasta meal, especially now, so I knew something was really wrong! Then I won a couple of prizes, both containing chocolate, and I didn't have any desire to sample my prize. Whoa!

That night I went home and slept on the couch pretty much the entire evening until we went to bed at 10. Thursday morning I felt pretty well, but by halfway through the day I wasn't sure if I wanted to drive home. I took a Tylenol to take the edge off and left early. I was feeling bad emotionally, too, because I didn't get a thing done all week. I was just really out of it. And then I left early when I knew I had a lot to do. That was not cool. I went home and napped for a little while, then I had to leave for a get-together. I had a bit of a feeling that my girlfriends were planning something for me...I had no idea that the entire party was in my honor, complete with 14 of my incredible coworkers, a cake with our names on it ("Congratulations Chris & Kelly"), and some lovely, lovely presents. I went there looking like I had just run a marathon or something--I was sweaty, my hair was stringy (probably from having been sweaty), and I just felt horrible. In fact, Chris drove me to the party because I didn't think I could make the 10 minute drive myself.

A couple of my friends who work in the office told me not to even bother going in to work on Friday. I had every intention of giving it a try, but I woke up and decided that they were right. I stayed pretty close to the couch until Chris called the doctor and asked if I could be seen today. The doctor called back and said that she'd order some lab work, so I went down, picked up the script, and then went over to the hospital for blood work and urinalysis. I didn't think I had another UTI (something that I, unfortunately, suffer from on a fairly regular basis despite the huge amounts of water and cranberry juice I drink), but a few weeks ago I thought I felt some symptoms coming on, and I asked her to check for that, too.

The doctor's office called back just after noon (I was shocked and pleased at the efficiency--they really took good care of me!!!) and said that I had an infection that is "traveling throughout my system," so they called in a script for an antibiotic.

I spent the rest of the day on the couch and when it came time to decide if I could make it to graduation at my school, I had to remind myself that I have a hard time sitting up for more than 15 minutes--there's no way I could drive half an hour, wait half an hour for graduation to start, sit for an hour at graduation in a hot auditorium, mingle with students and parents, and then drive back home in the dark. Even if I made it safely, I would have been in agony the whole time. So I stayed home, and it broke my heart.

I woke up today, Saturday, feeling a bit better, but a walk around the block did me in, and I came home and took a nap. Then we went to Home Depot for more bathroom supplies--we're in the middle of a complete bathroom overhaul, which also means that I haven't had a shower since Thursday morning. Gross, I know. I'd like to at least wash my hair in the sink but I don't know if I have the energy to do so. My friend Mary also offered up her house for a shower and a nap while she's out of town this weekend, but I truly feel that I don't have the strength or concentration to drive up there. (It's the same place where the party was on Thursday.) So anyway, after the trip to Home Depot, I got home and took another nap.

My whole body hurts...part of it is probably from laying down so much, but I don't have the strength to sit or stand. I'm also sore from throwing up on Friday night. I only threw up that one time, but wow, did that hurt. And I kept heaving even after all of the water in my stomach was in the bucket. (I should mention that at that particular point in time, the water in the entire house was shut off because they were working on plumbing in the bathroom, so puking into the toilet was not an optioin.) So yeah, I threw up water...I have only eaten a little bit of food since Wednesday's lunch. Today I've forced myself to eat a little more--a couple pieces of bread, two fudgsicles, half an apple...that's about it. I'd like to think the food is giving me a little strength.

Tomorrow there are two graduation parties that I'd really like to attend. They're for students who mean so much to me, and I would definitely rather be there than lying on the couch, but if I feel awful again, it just doesn't make sense to go.

I really hope I'm better so I can go to work on Monday--I have so much work to do!!! And then next Sunday is my baby shower. I'd better be better for that!!!!

Baby wipes

Disclaimer--I'm really up on my soapbox today and got a little preachy about topics that are dear to my heart. This will probably be a long-winded post, but I'm all revved up...

My amazing friend Tara (maid of honor in our wedding and one of the best friends a girl could ever want) brought up a wonderful topic--she asked me what "green" mamas use for baby wipes! She found a kind of wipe that's supposed to be very gentle on the earth, but of course, products like that tend to be very expensive.

With wipes (and a plethora of other baby products) in mind, we went to Babies R Us to update our registry. Many people have asked what we want/need, and I'm never quite sure how to answer, so I figure one of the best things to do is to keep our registry current with a variety of products that we know we're going to use. (For things I know we're going to use a lot, like laundry detergent, baby wash, etc..., I'm just registering for 10 of each so people know that duplicates are more than welcome!) We found two types of wipes that looked pretty green, and are from companies that express their commitment to the environment: Earth's Best and Seventh Generation. But you know me, right? So you know I'm not going to just accept what I see on the box! I'm going to research it. (Conscious consumerism is SOOO important! Every dollar you spend is a vote, so don't you want your votes to count for something?)

I pulled up the web sites for Seventh Generation and Earth's Best baby wipes. With a little digging on the Seventh Generation site, I was able to find out that although the wipes are free of fragrances, dyes, and chlorine, they are made with a combination of rayon and polyester--definitely NOT biodegradable. However, I do like that they have a strict policy against animal testing (click to read their policy). Animal testing is probably my #1 issue, and most of the products out there ARE tested on animals. Next time you buy mainstream products, take a look at the label...unless it specifically says that it's not tested on animals, then it WAS tested on animals, and you are supporting the suffering of innocent animals. (Sorry to be so blunt, but it's true, and animals don't have voices, so it's up to us to speak up for them!)

Side note: Some cleaning products, such as Method (available at Target) are readily available, cost about the same as the other products, work as well as the other products, and are produced humanely.

As for Earth's Best, they're also chlorine free, but their web site's lack of information about what exactly the products are made out of and whether or not they test on animals makes me wonder what the deal is. I e-mailed them and will blog when I hear back from them. (I'm sure you'll be on the edge of your seat until then, won't you? ;) (Yes, I'm being facetious!)

Tara was kind enough to share a web site with me: http://www.elementsnaturals.com/. They appear to make an environmentally friendly baby wipe. They're advertised as being renewable, compostable, and free of chemicals, fragrances, and chlorine. One thing I have to research a little more is the "Inego fibers" the cloths are made of. They're described as "world's first man-made fiber from annually renewable resources". That makes them sound a little overly-manufactured, but still better than wipes made out of petroleum products.

At the diapers.com web site, I found that the Nature's Elements wipes are $5.99 for 80 wipes. While they're more expensive, I think it would be worth it to consider these over the mainstream wipes.

Anyone know of other earth friendly ways of keeping our baby's bum clean?

Second yoga class-still love it!

I went to my second yoga class on Thursday and I again found myself so thankful to have looked into it. One of the things that surprised me is that I feel like I'm able to relax a little bit. Normally when I do yoga at home, I rush through it and I don't do the relaxing/breathing portion at the end. I don't really have a type A personality, but at the same time, I can't just be still, and that includes my mind. Now, I'm not saying that anything intelligent is going on up there, but I'm constantly thinking about something. It's definitely something I'm going to have to work on in class because I do find my mind wandering, but I really am pleased that I'm able to focus as much as I can.

As for the body work, I'm thrilled to be guided through some of the poses. The videos and self-instruction books I've used are helpful and I feel like I've picked up some good tips from them. They use good examples to help you understand what your body is supposed to be doing in the different poses. However, that doesn't compare to having a real expert in my midst who can help guide me into the proper position. I learned that some of the poses I've been doing have been a little "off," and I learned modifications that will help me get a little closer to achieving proper form.

I look forward to class on Monday. There's no class on Thursday, but I have plans that day anyway--getting together with the girls at Mary's house for dinner.

Started yoga class--so happy!!!

For a long time I've been thinking about taking yoga classes. I've always had an interest in it and have dabbled in it for a long time, although my commitment to the practice has been sporadic. When things get stressful, it seems like that's when I do yoga the least, even though that's when I need to be doing it the most!

Chris has known about my desire to take classes, too, and given our new "situation," he insisted that I call and see about classes. (Now let me clarify something--Chris is by no means a bossy person (or at least he's not with me! :). We respect each other and communicate very well, so when I say that he "insisted," what I'm saying is that he knows me so well and knew that if he didn't push me to do it, I'd say, "No, it's ok, I'm fine...") So we went online and looked in the phone book for a yoga studio. I knew that there used to be a yoga studio in Fredonia called Yoga Bija, so I looked it up online and that appeared to be the studio that I was thinking about. When I called, however, someone (male) answered the phone with a simple "Hello," and I was a little surprised. I asked if it was a private residence and apologized when he said that it was. I told him that I was looking for a yoga studio and he explained to me that his wife teaches yoga in their basement on Mondays and Thursdays, etc... Whew! A few days later, I received a call back and got the scoop on the classes.

I feel like my timing is kind of poor--waiting until I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant to start these classes--but it is what it is. I went to my first class on Monday and I just loved it. Besides the instructor, there were three other ladies at my first class. Two are professors at SUNY Fredonia, our local university, and one is an ESL teacher in Dunkirk. I really look forward to getting to know these ladies. They're so intelligent and warm and I feel like being around them will help me grow as a person.

I will be attending two more classes for now, then Carolyn will be taking a trip. She was going to take the month of July off, but she mentioned the possibility of continuing to teach on Mondays through July, but not on Thursdays. (I have to admit, my mind was a jumbled mess on Monday--long, stressful day at work followed by an appt with my midwife, home long enough to grab my yoga pants, then back out the door to meet our friend Amy for dinner, then directly from dinner to yoga--so I was feeling a little overwhelmed, and my listening skills were a little "off," so I may have to get clarification at class on Thursday!)

So let me tell you about the class!!! We chatted for a few minutes and I became acquainted with the ladies in the class, then we started doing some poses. I was feeling a little stiff as I had done a lot of walking the day before and had quite a charlie horse, but I'm *so thankful* to have someone who can guide me through the poses and make sure I'm doing them right. Starting this class has made me feel really renewed and refreshed, not only because I'm doing something great for my body, but because I'm learning about something that has fascinated me for a very long time.

I'm sure that many of my future posts will be about yoga because I feel very accomplished when I learn a new pose or when I get better at something.

So excited!!!!

Visitors after the baby is born

It's kind of weird how every once in a while, a topic will pop up and that's "all over the place." I read several blogs and web sites, and the hot topic right now is whether or not people want family and friends visiting after their babies are born. I felt kind of bad about dreading having "extra people" around us all of the time (when I'm really looking forward to just getting used to becoming a family of three), but I'm kind of surprised (and pleased) to see that I'm not alone in my thinking. (Seriously, I'm sure a lot of my friends and family think I'm quite a "B" for saying some of the things I say and thinking some of the things I think, but then I read blogs and talk to people who have been in similar situations and I realize that either there are a lot of "B"s like me... or maybe I'm just a lot more normal than I realize.)

(((I'm going to go off on a spelling/grammar tangent for a minute--I'm kind of annoyed that the both the past and present tense of the word "read" is the same word, just pronounced differently. That means my readers will have to rely on contextual clues to figure out that I'm using "read" in the present tense and not in the past tense.)))

But anyway...

We like to have company every once in a while--it's fun to have different people around every now and then. For the most part, though, we like our quiet little life at home. I have a feeling that, whether I like it or not, we're going to have a lot of company after our baby is born. It will be fine for a little bit, but my worry is that having company is exhausting, and not only am I going to be a new parent trying to learn the ropes (something everyone has to learn from experience, not from being advised), I'll be entertaining company at the same time. What many people find helpful, I find stressful. My house is not "neat as a pin," but it's my home, and I like it the way it is. I don't want someone around cleaning it up! (Notice I didn't say "messing it up." While our house is by no means a pigsty, I have no delusions of being a great housekeeper! I have a large, 130 year old Victorian home, three pets, and a penchant for saving everything because I'm a treehugger and I don't like to discard things that I might use later. I HATE HATE HATE the mindset that everything is disposable, but that's another topic for another time.) I've been told that we'll need someone around to help us out, but that's truly something that we can not know for sure until the time comes. I know my life is going to change a LOT when we have a child, but I don't expect to become a completely different person, I just think I'm going to become a different version of myself. And with a little bit of time and practice, I hope to make that an even better version of myself! :)

I know this is a tough topic and I think it's going to be very hard for me to deal with. I'm not what you'd call a tactful person. To be quite honest, my most common reaction in the past would have been to give in to whatever someone else wanted and then be passive-aggressive about it. I'm trying to replace that childish tactic with something a little more clear and honest, but I know I'll be afraid of hurting people's feelings and will, therefore, spend a lot of time biting my tongue.

Bottom line--if I don't have the experience that I want at this most amazing time in my life, I will be hurt and resentful for who knows how long. I'm not out to hurt people's feelings, I'm out to make this experience one that I can cherish for the rest of my life. And I hope I can find that balancing point between sharing this experience with other people and staying true to myself and my needs.

Thankful for the support at work

I'm grateful every day for all of the support I receive from the people around me. I was worried that my bosses would be mad at me for the situation I've put them in (having to find another counselor, having to figure out when I'll be leaving and coming back, etc...), but they're so kind and understanding, and I just can't say enough about how much more pleasant this experience has been because they're so nice!

(See guys, I don't complain ALL of the time...only when something really bothers me. I have good things to say, too! Hehehe!)