My Nervous Tick

Do you find yourself doing something when you are bored or stressed or thinking? I have realized that I have a thing with my thumb. I guess I always knew I did it when I was stressed out but then I have realized lately that I do it more often than that. I thought about it more when Reed started to do it, then I found myself doing it. Could it possibly be an inherited trait? Anyway, this is what I do:

I tuck my thumb into the rest of the fingers. I do it when I'm cold, nervous, stressed, eating food, thinking, waiting. The other thing I do is pick at the side of my thumb with my forefinger on the same hand. I know things are bad in my brain when I've got red and bleeding spots on the side of my thumb.

I noticed that Reed tucks his thumb into his fingers when he eats too! He's done that right from the start!

What is your thing?

Auntie April came to visit!

One of my best friends, April, came to visit last weekend. Reed absolutely loved her (still does I guess). He loved her long blonde hair and would pull on it and just light up when he saw her. She was so much fun and got him a really fun toy. They were two peas in a pod, just having a ton of fun together. He misses her!



We went to a baby clothing store and got a lot of really cute stuff, here is one of the overalls we found! Every kid has to have a pair of OshKosh pinstripe overalls! I think he may be channeling some riverdance here?


And this one was just cute!


Cheers~

Good Luck With That

Probably one of my least favorite sayings ever - Good Luck With That. It's really just mean and frankly, I never have a comeback when someone says that to me.

Person: Meg, are you going to give birth naturally?
Meg: Yes, I'm going to give it a try!
Person: Good luck with that...

Why do people choose to say things like that? Instead, shouldn't the answer be - "good luck, I really hope you can do it, I couldn't..." But people would rather let you know that they really don't wish you luck...

Should the appropriate response be something like "Thanks!" in a super cheery voice and a big smile? Kind of like when you wave at someone that just flipped you off?

Don't touch my fries

I have a thing about my fries. I like fries a lot. I love them in fact. I'm very protective of my fries. I don't share. Always, I order my own fries at a restaurant, often times, it is an extra side dish for me. Fogg knows now to ask if he can have any, and if so, which ones can he eat. It's fairly unacceptable to me to just reach over and take one of my fries. It chaps my *you know what* when someone just takes one. But I'm willing to let it go for just one. But then if you have the audacity to reach over and take another, then, I'm starting to steam a little about it.

Last winter, I was up at Snowbasin working and had my usual lunch - tomato bisque (best in the world if you've never had it) and fries. I have special system with my fry sauce making. If you don't know what fry sauce is, because you must not live in Utah, here is the simple and delicious recipe: one and a half part ketchup, one part mayo, and a splash of BBQ. So I've got my fry sauce going, which at Snowbasin is two packets ketchup, one packet mayo and a little bit of BBQ. I've skillfully made my double batch of fry sauce and have my soup and fries displayed to eat. A friend (obviously not a close enough one to know my fry issue), sits across from me. He reaches over and takes a fry. I don't say anything. He reaches over and takes another fry (while I've got a mouth full of delicious soup, so I couldn't block). Then he reaches over and picks up a fry and dips it in my fry sauce! Never once did he ask if he could have any fries. We are now way too deep into this thing for me to stop him. So I sadly kissed half my fries good bye...

And just last week, I was sitting at my desk at work eating lunch and a coworker walked right up to my desk and took a fry. I didn't even move my body as to make it easier for her to take one. She walked away - again, I just let the one fry go. She walks by again, takes another - and dips it in the fry sauce!

What is it that makes people think it is ok to take someone else's fry? You wouldn't reach over, grab a fork and twirl up some spaghetti now would you? So why is the fry an acceptable item to take without asking? Now, others may not be as peeved about a fry being eaten from right under their nose, but I do not like it.

Consider yourself warned if you encounter me and a plate of fries...

Non-Offensive Words That Offend

I listen to a radio show in the morning where they occasionally do a listener poll. A couple of weeks ago, they did a poll of non-offensive words that offend you. It was comical to hear what people had as words they really don't like to hear. I've been polling people in my life the same question. Most people have a word right off the bat, others need to think about it. But once the discussion starts, it usually lasts awhile, each person thinking of new words that they really don't like. Here is a list of words that people have mentioned lately:

• Moist
• Panty (pantyhose)
• Puss
• Curd

Here are some that I particularly do not like:

• Wound
• Engorged

What word is non-offensive that you cringe to hear?

Vote for Reed

Vote for Reed in the Gap Casting Call. You can vote every day. Not like I think we are going to win the fan favorite votes (currently the front runner has like 6000 votes!). But this is really a casting call and the finalists get money and all kinds of goodies. The winners (baby girl, baby boy, girl and boy) all get a photo shoot, more money and more goodies. Of course I'm biased, but Reed is certainly the cutest one!

Vote Here!

Cheers~

The miracle of TV

So I was cleaning yesterday and Reed was being a little needy. I thought that I would try something new - TV. Up until now, we've only ever had on our "adult" shows - news, sit coms, dramas, crime shows, etc. Reed hasn't shown a bit of interest in the box above the fireplace that makes pictures and noises. So I flip to Nick Jr. (my new best friend) and up comes some show called Yo Gabba Gabba. I'm not sure what that means or even what the premise of the show is but it's got these 5 colorful characters and of course songs and kids' voices (along with annoying adult voices with over exaggeration and inflection). Reed stopped in his tracks and stared at that for the full half hour. In fact, just a commercial was on when I turn the channel and he was instantly interested in the commercial because of the colors and noises (again, a child's voice). Then when the show came on, he was hopelessly entertained. He even had "TV coma" as exhibited below:


It was crazy to watch how he was soaking in every moment and every color and every sound. I got a nice 1/2 hour to get some cleaning done and I knew exactly where he was. Sometimes, he would even start dancing his feet and waving his arms when the music was just too much for him to handle - he just had to move!

Also, he was just super happy yesterday, he did two laps around the main floor in his walker. This picture below, I was on my computer and he walked right up to me and started smiling - I couldn't resist taking a picture of his happy demeanor.


One last thing, I just entered Reed into a contest for a Gap photoshoot and if you win, he would be a model and get lots of prizes. And frankly, my kid is the cutest of them all! :) So, please, go to family.go.com/gapcastingcall (I think) and search for mmfogg. It isn't posted at this very moment (Sunday afternoon) but keep checking and vote for Reed!

Cheers~

baby things I've learned

When I was pregnant, I felt the need to have EVERYTHING that you could possibly get for a baby. I needed the sheet sets, washed and put on the crib. I needed educational toys and stuffed animals. I needed a swing and bouncy seat. I queried those around me with children as to what I needed and didn't need. Some people said "you gotta have the boppy!" and some others said "you have to have a wipe warmer!". Some things I got, some things I did not get, some things I was going to wait and see. So from my long history of four months as a mother, here are the things I did end up needing and things I didn't. Now, here is my disclaimer - every baby is different, every parent is different and every situation is different. So don't take what I'm saying as gospel, this is just what I've learned for me.

Things that I definitely needed:

• a million burp clothes
• a play mat
• Shout - for stain removal
• incline sleep positioner (helps to prevent rolling over and eases your mind)
• extra set of sheets
• multiple changing table covers
• pacifiers (mam are my favorite ones by far, and they are cute)
  
• a glider chair
• lots of blankets (I got lots and didn't think I'd use them and have used every single one)
• a bottle warmer
• a walker
• the pack and play (perfect for main floor sleeping and changing)
  

Things that turns out I didn't need:

• a boppy (though I used it when nursing in the middle of the night and few times after, it's not necessary for me)
• the swing and rocking chair. We've used it but it's not Reed's favorite thing and we could have lived without it.
• as much butt cream and shampoo as I got (I use it, but I'm sure there will be plenty for the second kid...)
• baby bjorn - use it sometimes, Fogg likes it better than I do
• shoes - they are so cute but Reed has never worn them!

Thanks all I can think of now.

Cheers~

bookworm

I've never been much of a reader. Until about 5 years ago. My childhood, my mom and brother read a ton, but I was never much fond of it. I would struggle through the novels that we were assigned during school. Can't say I actually read much of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" but I claim to have read it. Then right after I got married, Fogg and I were walking through Costco and I came upon "The DiVinci Code" by Dan Brown. I decided to buy it because of all the hype that he had. I read that book in like 3 days, staying up late to read just one more page. After that ended, I felt lost without a story to escape into. So I asked my mom what books I should read if this type of book was one I liked. She recommended a couple of authors and I tried them. I made a rule early on that I would immediately stop reading a book if I was not enjoying it. There is no point in wasting my time when I'm reading for pleasure. I read an author named J.D. Robb (which is actually Nora Roberts but she does a different series under a pen name). I love J.D. Robb books.

They are a series and the main character is a cop lady, named Eve, in the future (like in 2060). Somehow the world is very different just 50 years from now, like flying cars and any food can be ordered up at any time from wall units). But she lives with the richest man in the world who owns most of it, but used to be a criminal. Anyway, I love living vicariously through these books, to have anything you want whenever you want it, an endless amount of money and resources.

For a good read, check it out, you'll fall in love with the characters and the stories. Good gifts for me - hint, hint, wink, wink...

Cheers~