#BlastFromPast Moving On Up

Monday, April 30, 2012

Hey guys. I might have mentioned this before, but we are moving! We are signing the lease today, very excited. We are moving from the city to way "Up North" in Minnesota. Jason's family has a business there and he will work for his dad. I am very excited. I love the little town, and I think it will be excellent for Callan! So anyways, I will try to keep on top of things here in the next few weeks, but after the school year is done here for Callan (May 16th), we are moving-moving with the big truck and all the furniture, etc. So that might make things all a bit crazy. And being without internet for a few days, OMG, whatever will I do? Eeeks! But I'll keep ya posted! Wish us luck!

 

#BlastFromPast 50 Questions

Sunday, April 24, 2011

These are the 50 Questions Everyone Should Answer, and I have been wanting to do it for awhile, so why not now?

1. How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are? 19.

2. Which is worse, failing or never trying? Never trying.

3. If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do? Because you do what you have to do to get by, like it or not.

4. When it’s all said and done, will you have said more than you’ve done? Yes.

5. What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world? Money situations.

6. If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich? Owning a bookstore.

7. Are you doing what you believe in, or are you settling for what you are doing? Doing what I believe in.

8. If the average human life span was 40 years, how would you live your life differently? Make more memories for my kids.

9. To what degree have you actually controlled the course your life has taken? I think for the most part, I have pretty much controlled it all.

10. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? Doing things right.

11. You’re having lunch with three people you respect and admire. They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend. The criticism is distasteful and unjustified. What do you do? Tell them that she is my friend, and what she is really like.

12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? Do what makes you happy in life.

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? Of course.

14. Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity? All the time.

15. What’s something you know you do differently than most people? Oh gosh. I really don’t know.

16. How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy? Everyone has different likes and dislikes. We are not all the same.

17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do? What’s holding you back? Completely redecorate my entire house. But I can’t do it, due to the fact I am not rich.

18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? Yes.

19. If you had to move to a state or country besides the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? I would move back to Texas because for a long time that felt like home to me.

20. Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? Yes I do push it more than once and I know it does not make it faster.

21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? A joyful simpleton, of course.

22. Why are you, you? I am me just for the same reason you are you. God made us this way.

23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? No.

24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Losing touch.

25. What are you most grateful for? My husband and the changes he has made for both of our lives.

26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? Tough one. Lose all the old ones.

27. Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first? Yes.

28. Has your greatest fear ever come true? Close, but no.

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset? Does it really matter now? Yes, and no it does not matter now but I can’t let it go.

30. What is your happiest childhood memory? What makes it so special? Going up to the cabin every summer. It was a time when I could just be a kid and do the things kids do. Being outside, playing, exploring.

31. At what time in your recent past have you felt most passionate and alive? Very recently. My marriage is better than ever.

32. If not now, then when? Never.

33. If you haven’t achieved it yet, what do you have to lose? Nothing.

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever? Oh yes.

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars? I don’t know. Conflict between religions is just about power.

36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil? No.

37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job? Yes, if I had one.

38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing? Less, so I could have time to enjoy the things I want.

39. Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before? Yup.

40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in? 9 years ago.

41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today? My mom, my sisters and brother, and of course I would not let Jason or the boys leave my side.

42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? No.

43. What is the difference between being alive and truly living? Being alive is what we all are. Truly living is doing what is in your heart and being happy.

44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right? I think you should always do what you know is right.

45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake? Because we don’t want to let others down. 

46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you? Nothing. I do what I want when I want and I say what I think.

47. When was the last time you noticed the sound of your own breathing? Every night when I lay in bed thinking, thinking, thinking.

48. What do you love? Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love? My husband and my children, and even when I am mad at one of them, I make it a point to say I Love You every day and give hugs and kisses.

49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday? What about the day before that? Or the day before that? I will remember probably. A lot of things I write down.

50. Decisions are being made right now. The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you? I make them for myself.

 

#BlastFromPast Naming My Babies

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

When we first got pregnant, it was a challenge to come up with a name that both Jason and I liked. We wanted it to be original and different, but not wacky. After browsing hundreds of baby name sites, we came across Callan.

The Meaning of Callan: Callan is a boy's name of Gaelic origin meaning "warlike". Of course, being an Army Family, we loved that! Warlike! How cool was that? Especially since Daddy had just come back from the war! So Callan it was. At the 2-week Well Baby appointment, the nurse called us by Callan's name to come back to the see the doctor. When we got back there she said, "This is the second Callan we have seen today!" Um...what? Noooo! How much of a small world was it that on an Army Base in Texas two newborn baby boys would be named Callan? Argh!!! Oh well. Our Callan was an original!

Two years later, back in Minnesota, we went to the pumpkin patch in October. There was a play area where the kids could run around. So we of course let Callan (and by this time, Mason too) run around and play. Callan can get a little crazy, so I had to reign him back in a few times, and I would call out his name. Another mom came up to me and said, "Did you just call your son Callan?" "Yeah," I said. She smiled really big. "My son is a Callan too!" Oh. My. God. Really? Really? Sheesh. How is that possible?

Popularity of Callan from websites: "Callan is rarely used. It has never ranked in a statistically meaningful way, at least not in the US." Well....since every other kid we meet is named Callan it seems, it better start getting up there in ranks! Ha! Maybe we should have named him something like Bocephus.

 

#BlastFromPast Females Step Up

Monday, April 11, 2011

We've all heard the stories of a man who steps up and loves a woman who has a previous child. Or the stories of the guys who won't date a lady "with baggage". But you rarely hear about the good stories when it is the guy who has a child, and meets a woman, and she steps up and loves and cares for the kids. I have a male friend who was in a relationship, which was basically sex, and she got pregnant. They ended up not staying together, but he is an active dad in the baby's life. He then met a girl, who found out he had a newborn daughter, and she did not even bat an eye. They now basically live together and I am pretty sure they are gonna get married. But I just think this girl is awesome, and she totally loves the baby. And I'm sure there is some sort of baby mama drama, which can not be easy. I don't know why I started thinking about this, but I just think you don't hear enough about when the female steps up. So I just thought I would give props to all the ladies who have stepped up and cared for the children of the man they love. 

 

#BlastFromPast Here Mama

Sunday, April 10, 2011

I love my kids. I really do. More than I ever thought humanly possible. But then they do something...."bad"....and well, I want to sell them on eBay. Heck, some days I'd give 'em away for free. Such as today.

Mason, my little nosy deviant, brought me a thumb tack. We don't generally use thumb tacks in our house, so I thought "Where the heck did he get this from?" Eh, whatever. I ignored it. Then he came back to me, a smile on his face and he reached for my hand - his signal for me to follow him. So I let him lead me to wherever he wanted to take me. Well....I discovered where that thumb tack came from. It was actually a carpet tack.

Yep. My 18-month old decided we needed to redecorate. He ripped up all of the carpet in the hallway in front of the bathroom. I mean, he pulled the carpet out from the baseboards and out from the tack strips lining the closets and doors. How in the hell he did it, I have no idea. But he is sure proud of himself. Sigh.

eBay Ad: One tiny carpenter for sale. Will work for animal crackers and an unlimited supply of milk. Oh, and if he can bring his older brother along for the the job - bonus!

 

#BlastFromPast C-Section Regret?

Friday, April 8, 2011

Some of you may know that I had a c-section with both of my boys. With Callan, it was an emergency. With Mason, it was too risky to deliver normally from all the surgeries I had on my uterus. So, whatever....I'm a c-section mama. But do you know how many times I get asked - Don't you regret never delivering vaginally? Um....let me think about that.....NO! Oh, but don't you miss having that chance, that opportunity, that sweet memory of being able to birth your baby? Um....I DID birth my baby thank you very much. Ever had a c-section? It is basically the same thing, ok? In then end, you get your sweet baby, that still came out of your body. I still got those first precious bonding moments with both kids. They just came out of my body a different way. Why would someone ask me that anyways? That irks me.

With both babies I labored - for 10 hours with Callan and a glorious 70 hours with Mason. I had contractions. My water broke. I wanted to kill my husband who fell asleep in the chair next to my bed while I laid there and wailed. I dilated with both of them. Had an epidural. Afterwards, I had the same lovely mongo hospital pads stuck between my legs as a woman who labored. I did not want anyone going near my vag. No sex for 6 weeks. I got it all, I did it all. I just did not push the baby out my hoo-hoo! I got my children ripped from my uterus surgically. I mean, which one sounds more magical? Neither, if you ask me.

The magic is the growing of the baby in your body. The connection you develop with your little apple seed. And the amazement of kissing them and looking into their eyes for the first time. Don't ask me if I regret having c-section. I did the same things as you did to get your kid. And there are no regrets in that.

 

#BlastFromPast A Challenge?

Monday, April 4, 2011

I've been doing some thinking, and as much as I love to bring you reviews and totally awesome giveaways, I miss just blogging, just writing, getting personal - getting back to my blogging roots. Not that anyone really ever followed me then or even commented, but I did it for me. I blogged throughout Jason's tour in Iraq, I blogged about our journey to get pregnant, the fertility treatments, the emotions. I blogged about the pregnancy of Callan when it finally happened. I blogged about Jason's military injury and our having to get out of the Army. I blogged about the highs and the lows of my life. The surprise pregnancy of Mason! My life as a mama. And then I jumped on the review & giveaway bandwagon. I keep a paper journal for me (and I suppose some day for my kids to read). But I used to blog for me, about me, about my family, etc., all the time, and loved it, and for me, it was therapeutic. I could write about crazy mommy things and find out that I was not the only one who was crazy. Yeah, you have kids, you automatically join The Crazy Club! Your kids - they are crazy busy, they make you crazy, they drive you crazy, they keep you crazy.

So anyways, since when I do post a personal blog post now, I rarely get as many comments as I do on a review and giveaway post, which I am sure is natural. I have all these lovely devoted followers, but they come here for the giveaways, right? But....even if you only come here for the giveaways, which is totally fine and I love you for it, I would like to see a comment on other things here and there. Is that too much to ask? I guess maybe the heart of this is that I seek adult interaction, ha! I am stuck at home 24/7 with two wild and crazy busy boys under the age of the 3. Yeah, do you blame me for needing to talk to an adult once in awhile? Ha!

So anyways, ramble ramble....I tend to do that..... I am going to challenge myself - and you - to blog a personal blog (a non-review or giveaway post) everyday in the month of May. I know that is a long time from now, nearly a month....but if you want, start now and end on May 4th....that's a month of blogging. Who knows, I might do that too - start now. That is the challenge to myself: Blog everyday on a personal level. The challenge to you as my readers is: comment on a personal blog, not only on a giveaway post. Hmmmm. I'll probably be disappointing myself on this one.....but at least I am sure I can meet the challenge I am giving to myself!

 

#BlastFromPast Blog Your Heart Out Day

Friday, February 11, 2011

Today is Blog Your Heart Out Day! As a woman, I do worry about being heart healthy. No woman in my family has dealt with heart disease, but my grandfather recently had a triple bypass, and is doing well. They call heart disease The Silent Killer, and rightly so. My grandpa had no idea there was anything going on with his heart until the day he had a heart attack. He was a healthy, fit man. Heart disease is the number one killer in the world. It kills more people than cancer in the USA. And it affects woman more than it does men. I am not the most healthy chick, and I know I should do better. I want to be around for my kids for a long long time.

I did the Heart Checkup on Go Red For Women, and overall my risk is very low at 1%, but I am at moderate risk with my cholesterol. So that shows me that I need to get on top of things and eat better.

Non-controllable risk factors of heart disease:

*Family history of coronary artery disease or stroke

*Age 55 or older

*Being post-menopausal, or having your ovaries removed

*A family history of premature cardiac disease (less than 60 years,) especially in a sister or brother, may be a particularly important risk factor in women. Women with such a family history should be aggressive in controlling cardiac risk factors.

Controllable risk factors:

*Obesity

*Sedentary lifestyle

*Smoking

*Hypertension

*High total cholesterol, and/or reduced HDL cholesterol

*Diabetes

*Metabolic syndrome

*Increased C-reactive protein (CRP)

*Use of birth control pills, especially if also a smoker

*Complicated pregancy (hypertension, diabetes, low birth weight)

Join the Go Red For Women Movement online at the goredforwomen.org and make it your mission to tell at least 5 other women about the risks of heart disease!

 

#BlastFromPast Blog Challenge Day 1

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Day 1: 10 things you want to say to ten different people right now. 1. I adore you, I love you, I feel for you more than love, but there is not a word for it.

2. I hate you, I want to punch you in the face.

3. You are so annoying, just get a grip on life and stop your gossiping.

4. If I have to hear your belly-aching one more time I think I might shoot myself.

5. I wish you would stop drinking.

6. Please don't use swear words around my children.

7. I am so proud of you, words cannot express it. You grow and learn everyday and you amaze me.

8. Your giggles and cheeky grins make me the happiest person in the world.

9. I wish you and I were closer.

10. You're a good dad, I wish you would be a good husband and tell her you actually love her.

 

#BlastFromPast Questions?

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Questions? I saw this idea on another blog and thought I would jump on it. In the comment section following this post, feel free to ask me ANY question you want, and I will answer it as honestly as I see fit. You can even post anonymously if you want. So go ask me something!

 

#BlastFromPast 5 Blog Questions

Sunday, September 19, 2010

I did a swap on SwapBot, and it was for 5 Questions For Your Blog. So here I go!

1. What is your favorite scrapbooked page of all time and why?

I am doing a scrapbook for each of the boys, on all their firsts. The day they were born, first birthday, first Christmas, first Halloween, etc. It is hard to pick just one. Other than those, I would say pages from the U.S. Army scrapbook I did for my husband.

2. What is the best part of being a parent?

Oh gosh, all of it! It sure can get overwhelming at times, as I have posted about, ha! But then there are those moments where it is like: Yes! This is what it is all about. I love watching them grow and learn, and everyday they discover something new. And it takes me back and makes me remember my childhood, and appreciate all the joys in life I have forgotten about!

3. Where would you like to go for a dream vacation and why?

The Caribbean somewhere. The closest I have ever been is the Texas Gulf Coast, and I loved loved loved that. I think I was meant to live by the ocean. :)

4. Favorite recipe? Why is it your favorite?

For Fattigman, a Norwegian "cookie" They are so yummy. I can pass along the recipe if anyone is interested. I love this recipe because it takes me back to my childhood when my Grandma Hilda would make them at Christmastime. Yummo!

5. Do you have an interesting tidbit about yourself that we may not know?

Aren't they all interesting? Heh. Um....I guess not. I share everything and am not shy about a single thing. Anything you ever want to know, just ask!

 

#BlastFromPast Facebook Page

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I got a Facebook page for the blog!!! Yay!!! LIKE me on Facebook!!!!

 

#BlastFromPast Hello

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Hello! Today is November 1st, 2009. Exactly one month ago I turned 30 years old. Sixteen days ago I gave birth to my second son, Mason, via repeat c-section. My first son, Callan, is 20 months old today. Maybe I am having a little postpartum depression, maybe not. But I need something new, something for me. So I decided to start blogging again. I used to blog faithfully. I blogged about my struggle with infertility, and then I blogged about our triumph, and blogged through my whole first pregnancy. I blogged through the first year of our firstborn's life. And then I got pregnant (surprise!!) this second time, and I kinda fell off the blogging wagon during most of the pregnancy. But a lot was going on besides being pregnant. My hubby is an Army veteran and was (and still is) dealing with a service connected disability. We had just recently moved back to Minnesota after living in Texas for 5 years. We had to move in with my parents (ugh!) and were working on getting a place of our own, which we did, thank you God! Hubby was on the hunt for a job. So, a lot was going on, and I took a hiatus from blogging. But like I said before, whatever it is now, I need something for me. So I am trying my hand at blogging once again. I don't anticipate I will have a lot of readers/followers, but I am doing it more so for the therapy of writing! So, hello Blog World! Here I come!