Watch and comment below.
I can't find the commercial we saw on the TV, but it seems that over the course of three weeks they will have infants, toddlers, pre-teens, teenagers and even elderly people. Should make for some good TV!
Maybe I should make my friend from last weeks post watch it with me!
Your thoughts?
May 29, 2008
May 23, 2008
A Question from a Friend
I was asked a tough question by a friend and wanted to seek your wisdom, oh great internet friends! Here's the question:
"how did you know you were ready to have a kid? i want kids, i'm just trying to make sure that now is the right time for them. how did you know you were ready to not have a life anymore (and you can't say you didn't have a life anyway).
my wife is ready. i'm just trying to make sure i'm mentally ready (not fiscally ready)"
Since I'm asking for your wisdom, I will share some of our story.
We talked about having children before we dated. We talked about it again before we married, and a bit after our wedding. When we went to visit Anny's brother and his wife one spring they shared with us that they were expecting! Great excitement for them, but it also made something click in Anny's head. We had more frank and honest discussions in the weeks that followed. I will not get into the tough stuff about getting from "trying" to "having" a baby in this post, but let's just say the Abby's cousin was almost four years old and had a sister by the time Abby rolled around.
Factors that we discussed in decision making:
Money: Honestly, this was always my first argument. It's expensive to have a child, moreso than we thought even. We cut back on some things and consolidated others.
Our Relationship: We were best friends before we began dating. We got closer then. By the time we were ready to add a third party to our party, we both wanted to be sure that we were solid with each other.
Time: We didn't ever spend a whole lot of time doing things that would be affected by a child. We don't do spontaneous trips to Niagara Falls or take lavish vacations. Our trips are almost always planned well in advance and involve a trip to see family.
Energy: We're not old, but I have a condition that makes me drained on occasion. This was a major concern for me in our discussions, and continues to be from time to time. I have had to learn to "fake" being awake, especially in the middle of the night. This is not an issue for most 30 year olds, but it's something that we had to consider.
What things did you have to come to terms with? What conversations did you have? What were heated parts of your decision process? Where did you decide to disagree but move on?
I think that my friend might be looking for reassurances that he would be a good father (which he would) but want to give him some food for thought. I'm not going to respond to him until after the holiday weekend, so please ask others to pop over here and share some wisdom.
"how did you know you were ready to have a kid? i want kids, i'm just trying to make sure that now is the right time for them. how did you know you were ready to not have a life anymore (and you can't say you didn't have a life anyway).
my wife is ready. i'm just trying to make sure i'm mentally ready (not fiscally ready)"
Since I'm asking for your wisdom, I will share some of our story.
We talked about having children before we dated. We talked about it again before we married, and a bit after our wedding. When we went to visit Anny's brother and his wife one spring they shared with us that they were expecting! Great excitement for them, but it also made something click in Anny's head. We had more frank and honest discussions in the weeks that followed. I will not get into the tough stuff about getting from "trying" to "having" a baby in this post, but let's just say the Abby's cousin was almost four years old and had a sister by the time Abby rolled around.
Factors that we discussed in decision making:
Money: Honestly, this was always my first argument. It's expensive to have a child, moreso than we thought even. We cut back on some things and consolidated others.
Our Relationship: We were best friends before we began dating. We got closer then. By the time we were ready to add a third party to our party, we both wanted to be sure that we were solid with each other.
Time: We didn't ever spend a whole lot of time doing things that would be affected by a child. We don't do spontaneous trips to Niagara Falls or take lavish vacations. Our trips are almost always planned well in advance and involve a trip to see family.
Energy: We're not old, but I have a condition that makes me drained on occasion. This was a major concern for me in our discussions, and continues to be from time to time. I have had to learn to "fake" being awake, especially in the middle of the night. This is not an issue for most 30 year olds, but it's something that we had to consider.
What things did you have to come to terms with? What conversations did you have? What were heated parts of your decision process? Where did you decide to disagree but move on?
I think that my friend might be looking for reassurances that he would be a good father (which he would) but want to give him some food for thought. I'm not going to respond to him until after the holiday weekend, so please ask others to pop over here and share some wisdom.
May 22, 2008
Beach Trip - Gramps Birthday Surprise
Last Friday we made an overnight trip to surprise my grandfather for his 76th birthday! (I thought it was 75, but was corrected over the weekend.)
Things did start on a sour note Friday when I got a call from Abby's daycare that she had a fever and was just not being herself. I was at work, but hopped in the car and headed off immediately. When I got her home I gave her Tylenol and a cold bottle (of milk, not beer!) and took some of her clothes off. She cooled down within a few minutes and played happily for the next hour and a half until Anny got home.
We decided that Abby would be fine, especially if she took a nap. A two and a half hour car ride should do the trick - and it did!
Since this was a surprise visit, I decided to skip our normal "halfway there" call. When we did arrive, I just let our dog in through the front door. The thought behind this was that if his dog went crazy with barking, she would do it at Rusty (our dog) not at Abby, which could have presented a problem. It worked perfectly.
We arrived early enough to take Gramps and Grammy (HIS mother!) out for a proper birthday dinner. He had planned on soup from a can, which is not acceptable in my book! Two of my aunts arrived later in the evening, after we had gone to bed.
Saturday we went to one of Gramps' breakfast hang outsThe Kannery. Amazing breakfast sandwich! Abby was still not at 100%, but we decided that since we were so close to the shops, we would take a look at the sidewalk sales going on. Good idea! Abby fell asleep pretty quickly, so we got a walk, she got sleep and everyone was happy.
We were also too close to the beach to pass it up, so we took Abby down to the water. She was not really awake yet, but we did grab some pictures. I wish that she would have been feeling better so we could have gone back. The water was still freezing, so we'll have to go back for a day this summer and do the beach trip right.
From May 2008
We had a good time and Gramps was truly flattered. He was so giddy that he called on Sunday to thank us for our surprise trip.
This weekend will be different. Lots of hanging around the house and cleaning. Probably another test run with the Cupcake Cake. More on that next week, hopefully with pictures!
Things did start on a sour note Friday when I got a call from Abby's daycare that she had a fever and was just not being herself. I was at work, but hopped in the car and headed off immediately. When I got her home I gave her Tylenol and a cold bottle (of milk, not beer!) and took some of her clothes off. She cooled down within a few minutes and played happily for the next hour and a half until Anny got home.
We decided that Abby would be fine, especially if she took a nap. A two and a half hour car ride should do the trick - and it did!
Since this was a surprise visit, I decided to skip our normal "halfway there" call. When we did arrive, I just let our dog in through the front door. The thought behind this was that if his dog went crazy with barking, she would do it at Rusty (our dog) not at Abby, which could have presented a problem. It worked perfectly.
We arrived early enough to take Gramps and Grammy (HIS mother!) out for a proper birthday dinner. He had planned on soup from a can, which is not acceptable in my book! Two of my aunts arrived later in the evening, after we had gone to bed.
Saturday we went to one of Gramps' breakfast hang outsThe Kannery. Amazing breakfast sandwich! Abby was still not at 100%, but we decided that since we were so close to the shops, we would take a look at the sidewalk sales going on. Good idea! Abby fell asleep pretty quickly, so we got a walk, she got sleep and everyone was happy.
We were also too close to the beach to pass it up, so we took Abby down to the water. She was not really awake yet, but we did grab some pictures. I wish that she would have been feeling better so we could have gone back. The water was still freezing, so we'll have to go back for a day this summer and do the beach trip right.
We had a good time and Gramps was truly flattered. He was so giddy that he called on Sunday to thank us for our surprise trip.
This weekend will be different. Lots of hanging around the house and cleaning. Probably another test run with the Cupcake Cake. More on that next week, hopefully with pictures!
May 21, 2008
Wordless Wednesday V3
Here is this week's Wordless Wednesday entry:
I'll post about last weekend tomorrow.
See more WordlessWednesday at www.wordlesswednesday.com
 |
| From May 2008 |
I'll post about last weekend tomorrow.
See more WordlessWednesday at www.wordlesswednesday.com
May 16, 2008
Shhhhhhhh!
Today my grandfather (Gramps) is turning 75. Sevent-Five! We're pulling a surprise trip out to see him for part of the weekend. Hopefully we'll also be able to hop over to the beach for a little bit. I really want to see Abby's reaction to the waves crashing now that she is more aware of what's going on around her.
I've made him a CD of "Bob" songs and "Beach" songs that I've collected through various Abby music-hunting activities. We also printed one of our favorite pictures to give to him.
Should be fun! (and here's hoping that he's not reading my blog today!)
I've made him a CD of "Bob" songs and "Beach" songs that I've collected through various Abby music-hunting activities. We also printed one of our favorite pictures to give to him.
Should be fun! (and here's hoping that he's not reading my blog today!)
May 14, 2008
Wordless Wednesday v3
From our trip to the Zoo last weekend:
More WordlessWednesday folks are here: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/.
 |
| From May 2008 |
More WordlessWednesday folks are here: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/.
May 13, 2008
Music Needed!
Friends -
Abby's first birthday is coming quickly! Less than a month as of today. We're hvaing a family party for her, but I'm still going to make a playlist. I am most curious about kids birthday songs. I really want to avoid the R. Kelly birthday song, as it is far too dirty.
So far I have:
"It's Your Birthday" - Justin Roberts
"My Best Day "- Trout Fishing in America
Anything else in the genre?
Any other songs that a kids birthday would need to be complete? Any other children's music that needs to be on my radar?
Abby's first birthday is coming quickly! Less than a month as of today. We're hvaing a family party for her, but I'm still going to make a playlist. I am most curious about kids birthday songs. I really want to avoid the R. Kelly birthday song, as it is far too dirty.
So far I have:
"It's Your Birthday" - Justin Roberts
"My Best Day "- Trout Fishing in America
Anything else in the genre?
Any other songs that a kids birthday would need to be complete? Any other children's music that needs to be on my radar?
May 07, 2008
Self Sabotage?
We all know that if a drug user knows of an upcoming drug test they will either stop using for just enough time to clear their system or try to mask the drugs. It happens in sports with Steroids and HGH. But my real question is: Have you?
Kind of like brushing your teeth extra hard before a dental visit, I have noticed that I will do certain things prior to doing a sample, even though I know that the test is for MY benefit, not the doctor's.
I know I'm not supposed to have potassium. It's good for most of you reading this blog, but because of my kidneys I am supposed to shy away. Do I still have an occasional french fry*? Absolutely. Potato chip? Sure. Guacamole? Had some last night.
In addition to potassium I was on (and probably will be after the summer) meds to keep my cholesterol in check. It's one of those side-effect-but-not-completely-kidney-related issues. I could keep my cholesterol in check by cutting out foods that are on the high side, but I don't. I am better than I used to be, but no where near what would be best for me. For anyone, really. (On this one, we should all strive to be better about the cholesterol thing)
When I know that I'm going to make a stop by the dreaded Quest Diagnostics, I will intentionally skew my diet to be sure that I don't have something that will rock my system. No steak for me. No sneaking french fries. I have been known to put off a test because I wanted an extra day.
I understand that it is not a true random sample, but I still do it. I think it's exactly like the dentist thing. You don't want to seem like you don't ever floss, so you floss for a week trying to make up for it. It does not work, they always know you don't floss, but at least you've tried.
But I haven't tried. I have tried to stop eating junk. The reality though is that I can't eat junk right now because my desk is empty except for gum and raisins. I would love to tear through a bag of Cheetos, and would only regret is to a small degree later. I've tried to get into shape, but every time I get winded I give up way too easily. Part of it is that I worry about the repercussions later - if I over-do it now, I will not be able to function at my meeting tonight. Deep down I know that if I dropped a few pounds I would have MORE energy for meetings all the time, and for playing with Abby.
So why do I do it? I really don't know. I am mostly blogging about it in an effort to call myself out, but also to see if I'm alone in this.
Do you do this? Do you do other things to prepare for a doctors visit? (Preferably something that will help me out, too!)
*An occasional fry does not mean "order of fries." It's typically two or three stolen from another plate.
Kind of like brushing your teeth extra hard before a dental visit, I have noticed that I will do certain things prior to doing a sample, even though I know that the test is for MY benefit, not the doctor's.
I know I'm not supposed to have potassium. It's good for most of you reading this blog, but because of my kidneys I am supposed to shy away. Do I still have an occasional french fry*? Absolutely. Potato chip? Sure. Guacamole? Had some last night.
In addition to potassium I was on (and probably will be after the summer) meds to keep my cholesterol in check. It's one of those side-effect-but-not-completely-kidney-related issues. I could keep my cholesterol in check by cutting out foods that are on the high side, but I don't. I am better than I used to be, but no where near what would be best for me. For anyone, really. (On this one, we should all strive to be better about the cholesterol thing)
When I know that I'm going to make a stop by the dreaded Quest Diagnostics, I will intentionally skew my diet to be sure that I don't have something that will rock my system. No steak for me. No sneaking french fries. I have been known to put off a test because I wanted an extra day.
I understand that it is not a true random sample, but I still do it. I think it's exactly like the dentist thing. You don't want to seem like you don't ever floss, so you floss for a week trying to make up for it. It does not work, they always know you don't floss, but at least you've tried.
But I haven't tried. I have tried to stop eating junk. The reality though is that I can't eat junk right now because my desk is empty except for gum and raisins. I would love to tear through a bag of Cheetos, and would only regret is to a small degree later. I've tried to get into shape, but every time I get winded I give up way too easily. Part of it is that I worry about the repercussions later - if I over-do it now, I will not be able to function at my meeting tonight. Deep down I know that if I dropped a few pounds I would have MORE energy for meetings all the time, and for playing with Abby.
So why do I do it? I really don't know. I am mostly blogging about it in an effort to call myself out, but also to see if I'm alone in this.
Do you do this? Do you do other things to prepare for a doctors visit? (Preferably something that will help me out, too!)
*An occasional fry does not mean "order of fries." It's typically two or three stolen from another plate.
Wordless Wednesday V2
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| From May 2008 |
May 06, 2008
The Text Debate
What do you do when you get a Text Message from a stranger? In the past I've simply ignored them. Something was different on Saturday, though. Maybe it was the weather or just my chipper mood from doing manual labor, but I thought that I should reply.
(Anny would say "only you would do that" and I think she might be right!)
I just didn't want someone to think they were being ignored by a lover, friend, child or parent. If they sent the message into cyber-space, they surely expected that it was received by the intended person. I could not let someone feel down on a nice day.
Here's the text from said message:
Some Guy: Whats up with u?
Me: Who is this?
SG: Dis ur boy rell..who dis?
Me: Wrong number.
Rell: Wrong number.what u talking bout? who is this?
Me: Rob.
Rell: My fault son
Me: No problem. Have a good day.
Rell: Same 2 u sir.
Yes, instead of doing the "sorry, we're not interested" I decided to be nice to a stranger. Okay, I was bored at a traffic light, but what's the difference?
What do you do when a text message is mis-directed and ends up on your phone?
(Anny would say "only you would do that" and I think she might be right!)
I just didn't want someone to think they were being ignored by a lover, friend, child or parent. If they sent the message into cyber-space, they surely expected that it was received by the intended person. I could not let someone feel down on a nice day.
Here's the text from said message:
Some Guy: Whats up with u?
Me: Who is this?
SG: Dis ur boy rell..who dis?
Me: Wrong number.
Rell: Wrong number.what u talking bout? who is this?
Me: Rob.
Rell: My fault son
Me: No problem. Have a good day.
Rell: Same 2 u sir.
Yes, instead of doing the "sorry, we're not interested" I decided to be nice to a stranger. Okay, I was bored at a traffic light, but what's the difference?
What do you do when a text message is mis-directed and ends up on your phone?
May 05, 2008
I HATE Secrets
I know too much. It's not even that I know too much, really, I just know too much about one specific thing:
Mother's Day Gifts.
Yep. I have pre-shopped for Mother's Day. This means that I have several items that are stashed all over the place so that I don't ruin Anny's First MD.
Here is the reason that I'm a terrible gift giver. I can't keep gifts to myself. I never should have ordered things three weeks in advance. It will be really hard to keep things out of her hands for another six days.
The reason that I'm a great gift giver is that I am creative about it. I know what Anny wants, even before she does.
Take last years Anniversary Gift as an example. I gave her a nice necklace that goes with more outfits than she could have imagined. I could not leave it at that, when there was a nice pair of earrings to match. Solution? I know, grab the earrings for her "push present" in June. It's only a couple of months from March to June.
Nope. I gave her everything - all at once. When it came time for the big birth day in June I found myself just gently reminding her that she would get nothing to celebrate, as she had already gotten them months earlier.
So here I sit. Something in my bag. Something in my desk at work. Something in my night stand. Just hoping that I can keep myself together enough to not ruin her special day.
One guy I know has bought his wife a potted plant online. It arrived last week, so now he has to keep it watered enough not to die, but keep it hidden from the sun enough to not bloom too early. Wow. One rule I have is to not give live things if I have to keep them a surprise.
**So as to not give you mothers out there any ammunition against your significant other, while there are several gifts, they are all small and not expensive.
Mother's Day Gifts.
Yep. I have pre-shopped for Mother's Day. This means that I have several items that are stashed all over the place so that I don't ruin Anny's First MD.
Here is the reason that I'm a terrible gift giver. I can't keep gifts to myself. I never should have ordered things three weeks in advance. It will be really hard to keep things out of her hands for another six days.
The reason that I'm a great gift giver is that I am creative about it. I know what Anny wants, even before she does.
Take last years Anniversary Gift as an example. I gave her a nice necklace that goes with more outfits than she could have imagined. I could not leave it at that, when there was a nice pair of earrings to match. Solution? I know, grab the earrings for her "push present" in June. It's only a couple of months from March to June.
Nope. I gave her everything - all at once. When it came time for the big birth day in June I found myself just gently reminding her that she would get nothing to celebrate, as she had already gotten them months earlier.
So here I sit. Something in my bag. Something in my desk at work. Something in my night stand. Just hoping that I can keep myself together enough to not ruin her special day.
One guy I know has bought his wife a potted plant online. It arrived last week, so now he has to keep it watered enough not to die, but keep it hidden from the sun enough to not bloom too early. Wow. One rule I have is to not give live things if I have to keep them a surprise.
**So as to not give you mothers out there any ammunition against your significant other, while there are several gifts, they are all small and not expensive.
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