Help Me to Remember

Lord, I thank and praise you that you've chosen me to be the mother of one of your children. I am in awe at the little life that is changing before my very eyes.

Please help me to remember these fleeting days. I never want to forget them. I want to remember each giggle and each accomplishment. I hope to look back on these years and smile.

Please help me to remember that he is your child, not mine. Guide us as we sculpt him into the man he is to become. Give us strength for the hardships and difficult situations that we will no doubt face as he grows.

Please help me to remember that I am very fortunate. Allow me never to forget those that will never be "mommy". Keep those that have had to say good-bye to a child before they were ready in my constant thoughts. I never wish to become complacent, but always thankful.

I ask for Your continued and constant guidance as I thank and praise You.

Amen

Happy Birthday, Bubba!

My baby isn't a baby. I'm in complete denial and today is the day that I can no longer be. When your "baby" turns one you can pass them off as your baby for a while longer. When that baby turns two, there's nothing you can do.

Two years ago I celebrated my own personal Mother's Day. I remember vividly walking out of the bathroom in my hospital room, stopping in the doorway and saying, "I just pushed a kid out." I was grinning from ear to ear. It didn't matter that my hooha hurt from the stitches or I couldn't sit because of "The Gang", I was on cloud nine. The day that I thought would never come, came. I was a mommy.

The first year flew by, as promised. I watched that tiny, helpless infant grow into a cute, (almost pudgy) wobbly toddler. Today I'm watching that same toddler change into a little boy right before my eyes.

His singsong-y little voice makes my heart melt, his giggle makes me giggle right along with him, his love for trucks, mud, tractors, and sports leave no room for denying that he's a boy through and through. (Or that he's his father's son.)
If there's a puddle, he's in it. If there's dirt, he's covered in it. If there's food, he's eating it and if there's a chance to rough house, he's certainly doing it.

This evening we celebrated that little boy with a farm themed birthday party. We feasted on sweet corn, baked potatoes, ham and baked beans. All of the slaving in the kitchen was worth it!

When we took a break from playing so we could open gifts, someone showed us his age. ;) ***Let me preface this by saying I was hesitant to even open gifts at that party. I was toying with the idea of just bringing them inside and opening them later.*** I knew that several of our guests were looking forward to seeing him open their gift so I caved. He wandered around the yard playing with "old" toys while a friend's little girl and I opened the new ones. He ran as fast as I've ever seen him run when we told him we'd opened a train though.

I sang "Happy Birthday" to my not-so-little boy while trying to hold back tears. There's just something about celebrating the birth of the child I never thought I'd have that makes me overjoyed.

Happy second birthday, buddy!

(Pictures to come)

When I Grow Up

Remember when you were little and you used to dream about what you wanted to be when you grew up? At different points in my childhood I aspired to be a teacher, an astronaut and a marine biologist. I'm sure you have a similar story.

There are days when I still wonder what I want to "be". When I started college I had visions of strutting my stuff in tailored business suits and pricey pumps while dreaming up fancy marketing schemes. After I graduated, that dream job just never surfaced.

At some point after getting married it dawned on me that what I really wanted to be was a mommy. I'd always knew that I wanted kids but suddenly, suits and heels were the last thing on my mind. I just couldn't picture myself in that line of work. I wanted to be someone's mommy.

That finally came true. I am someone's mommy and I wouldn't have it any other way. But, like many mommies, I'm finding myself wanting more. At some point our kid(s) will be in school and I'll be looking for things other than laundry folding and lunch packing to fill my days. Actually, that point is here much earlier than expected.

I've toyed with the idea of taking some online classes. I've have aspirations of starting my own business. The list goes on...

I was finally able to pinpoint one of my dreams the other day. I really want to take the necessary classes to become a car seat technician. I really do. I'm so sad when I see kids improperly restrained in their seats. (It's a much more prevalent occurence than you may think.) I want to be able to help. I want to be able to speak up and say, "I'm a certified technician. Would you mind if I gave you a hand with that car seat? It looks like your child could be a little safer." without having people think that I'm just butting in without knowing what I'm talking about.

Getting to this "dream" may prove to be a little more difficult though. The classes are generally a week long. They're from 8:30 am until 4:30 pm. There is a written test and there is a "field test". It's not like you sit in a class for an hour and they hand you a piece of paper. It's serious stuff. The certification is good for two years.

After we move, I'm going to start gathering information on a more serious level. I'm going to find out where the classes are and line up a babysitter so I can attend. This is something that I feel so convicted to do. I really think that I can finally do something that will (hopefully) help people.

Just One Reason I Love This Seat

Sunshine Kids' Radian65 Proves It Won't Crack Under Pressure

SUMNER, WA – July 8, 2009 – Last week's freak collapse of the five-story Centergy parking deck in Midtown Atlanta left onlookers, bystanders and victims alike stricken with awe as it was revealed that not a single person was harmed in the crumble that damaged or destroyed a total of 38 vehicles.

But for Sarah Maglione, whose vehicle was among those destroyed, the spectacle had only just begun. Her SUV was parked on the structure's second level when the incident occurred; it was the thirtieth vehicle pulled from the wreckage. "I had three floors of a parking garage collapse on top of my car," Maglione said. "It is flattened beyond belief."

The particular that astounded her further: the fact that her child's car seat, a Sunshine Kids Radian65 positioned on the passenger side of the back seat in her SUV, completely withstood the force of the collapse and upheld its section of the car, as well.

"Amazing," Maglione said. "That thing did not bend an inch," referring to her Radian65 car seat. "They are built using steel alloy frames, and I always heard they were the strongest. Now I know it."

Radian®, by Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products, is constructed with an exclusive steel alloy frame for superior impact protection. Seven-inch-deep, high-impact-grade engineered sidewalls reinforced with EPS foam provide superior side impact protection, absorb crash energy and protect the child from intrusions making it the strongest car seat available. Radian is a convertible car seat built to protect children between 5 and 65 pounds.

The Radian® car seat line is available through independent juvenile stores across the US and Canada, as well as the Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products web site (www.skjp.com).

Sunshine Kids Juvenile Products is the manufacturer of more than 80 innovative juvenile products, including car seats, storage solutions, and related travel and stroller accessories, designed to facilitate today's on-the-go family lifestyle and assure the maximum in safety protection.

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Here are pictures of the actual crushed car with Radian65 In Tact ...



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How It's Done

Yes, my husband is gone right now. Yes, he'll be gone for five-ish more weeks. Yes, it stinks and yes, we miss him. No, I'm not crying my eyes out.

There are certain people that are very close to us that seemingly can't wrap their minds around the fact that I can survive without my husband. The fact that there is zero military presence here is really showing this week. "Civilians", as we like to call them, can't seem to grasp this whole concept. Just because I'm able to go about my day and function as a normal human being without him here doesn't say a darn thing about how much I love him.

It's pretty cut and dry in my world. He had to leave for six weeks. End of story. If I cry when he leaves and promise to mope around the entire time he's gone, The Man isn't going to change his mind and say he can stay. In my way of thinking, he's leaving either way so I may as well make the best of it. The time sure goes much faster if I do.

Now I realize that we're fairly lucky. We get to talk to him, however brief it is, every day. I am painfully aware that there are thousands of husbands, wives and children that go to sleep each night praying that their family member is safe. I get that. I realize that we're lucky in that respect, but even those people handle such situations in a similar manner. You gotta do what ya gotta do. You may not like it but it has to be.

So next time someone asks me if it's been "three weeks" when it's only been one and gives me those sympathetic eyes I may just come unglued. Please try not to make me feel like the most heartless wife on the planet just because I'm not in mourning over the fact that my husband is gone for a few weeks.

Almost a Full One

I am happy to report that we have nearly survived the first full week of Daddy being gone. Not that I had any doubt that we wouldn't...

We've been keeping busy. So far we've attended Ben's party and made a Walmart run. LOL Sounds like a jam-packed week, huh?

Tomorrow, I'm contemplating attending a special event at our local library. He really loves music and dancing BUT this event takes place at nap time. There aren't many things that trump a nap so the jury is still out on that one.
Bubba will get to stay with Grandma in the evening while I do a Pampered Chef show though. That should be fun (for both of us). He likes playing with Grandma and I need some time away from the house without my shadow. It's a win-win.

I do feel bad for my little Bubba though. He is so confused and it breaks my heart. He'll pick up my cell phone and say, "Daddy?" or just randomly say, "Daddy home." in the middle of the day. He doesn't want to talk to Daddy when he calls because, quite frankly, I think he's mad at him for leaving. He doesn't understand that he'll be back in a few weeks. I'm sure it will get better as the weeks go on.

So other than a few stressful situations and moments where I was at the end of my rope, we made it unscathed through most of week one. The next couple of weeks should zoom by as my brother and sister-in-law will be in town visiting. After they leave we should find out where home sweet home will be so then I can spend my days daydreaming about unpacking the things we haven't seen in nearly a year. :D

Even More Reasons to "Go Green"

In my search for a diaper rash/heat rash remedy, I came across this. For some reason I never thought of using Baking Soda in the bath!
I thought this was interesting and worth sharing. Here is the direct link to the page:

Using Baking Soda for Baby’s Bath, Diaper Pail, Cradle Cap, and More!

Discovering new ways to use natural, inexpensive products gives me a slightly bizarre thrill—like winning the lottery, fully reversing global warming, or seeing my toddler son first thing in the morning.

You can imagine my euphoria when I found out that a fifty cent box of baking soda could replace diaper cream, eco-friendly cleaners, and baby bath without any artificial ingredients or phthalates. For those of you that didn’t catch last week’s post, you might want to read up on how baking soda can also replace deodorant, shampoo and even toothpaste!

“Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun, and Frugal Uses You’ve Probably Never Thought of” offers a plethora of ideas using for baking soda with babies and throughout your house. The book is chock full of ways to replace potentially toxic mainstream products and expensive green cleaners with simple baking soda solutions. The list below is compiled from the book’s section on caring for babies and children.

Diaper rash treatment. Generously dilute baking soda with water and gently sponge onto baby’s skin to neutralize the acidity of urine.

Baby bath. Skip the bubbly stuff, and add a few tablespoons of baking soda to baby’s bathwater to soften the skin.

Bath toys. If you have bath toys that are prone to mildew or mold, sprinkle them with a bit of baking soda every now and then. It will prevent the green stuff from growing on junior’s rubber ducky.

Cradle cap treatment. Make a paste of baking soda and add a bit of baby oil. Then gently work the mixture into baby’s scalp and carefully rinse.

Deodorizer for baby bottles and nipples. Soak baby them overnight in hot water and a half of a box baking soda.

Cleanser for baby’s room. Rather than using harsh chemicals, just mix baking soda and water to clean cribs, bassinets, and the changing table.

Diaper deodorizer. Whether you add it to your load of cloth diapers, dump it into your diaper pail, or sprinkle it into your wet bag on the go, baking soda can make cloth diapering infinitely less smelly.