Wheelchair Madness

I was courteous when I saw that 2 wheelchairs were about to get on the bus. I got up, pulled the seats up to make room for them and then moved my stroller as far out of the way as possible. Little did I know I'd be listening to the lady complain for 40 minutes about things that were out of my control. What I did control though, was my temper. I was proud of myself...but another part of me feels like I should have just punched her.

Here's what she complained about:
1) The priority seats were made for wheelchairs not strollers. The petition that allowed mother's with infants to have the right to the same priority seating as people in wheelchairs is unfair.
2) All strollers on the bus should be folded up. (Yeah, maybe when you have a small stroller with a toddler init. But not an infant and a car seat attachment)
3) She kept sliding out of her wheelchair because she was unsafe. (Unsafe isn't the word I would use. Maybe if she'd stop eating babies, she would fit in her wheelchair)
4) Transit should make seats for carseats in the back of the bus. (Moron)
5) People with strollers don't want people in wheelchairs on the bus. (I had no problem with it, until this encounter)
6) She carried everything when she had kids, why can't mother's do that nowadays. (Because it's not 1950 dillhole)
7) Handi-Transit wasn't an option because it is for seniors. (Bullshit - I looked it up when I got home...she's just lazy)

I think she was just milking her disability. I understand that she needed room on the bus, and I tried my best. But it was cramped. When I take the bus, I know it may be uncomfortable and packed...but I just sick it up. This lady obviously didn't know how to do that.

It made me so angry that she expected me to fold up my stroller. If I had done that I wouldn't have been able to carry everything I had. Stroller, car seat with my child in it, diaper bag and my purse. When she gets a little older and can walk...then yes, but not now. The whole time she kept calling mom's with strollers "you people". I don't know what it is about those two words...but that made me even angrier.

Bottom line is - if you would like people to be sensitive to your needs, be sensitive to theirs. Don't repeatedly complain about things that are out of your control. You'll just piss the people off around you to the point that they would feel happy beating you just so you shut the fuck up.

Pregnancy - Tidbits People Don't Talk About

When my husband and I first decided to start "trying" (ha ha, I always found it funny when we used this word in place of procreate, reproduce, copulate...), I really didn't know what pregnancy would be like. To put it plainly, I just knew I was going to gain weight, have great hair, feel uncomfortable, have trouble sleeping, endure pain at the end during labour...and bring home an addition to our family. I figured I would just take it as it came. Like I try to in most situations in life.

Aside from being very ill one day (before I knew I was pregnant), after I had a couple glasses of wine the previous night, I had hardly any side effects. Well, at least when you compare with other peoples' pregnancies. At 4 months along, I started to feel acid reflux coming on and I couldn't drink hot beverages because they made me nauseous. What I didn't see coming was emotional retardation. This is a side effect of pregnancy that no one really goes into detail about. For me, not being able to control my emotions is the worst thing. I was not myself at all. When a pregnant woman says "it's the hormones talking", she is not just finding something to blame. She's being honest.

Thankfully, emotional retardation only lasted 2 weeks. After that, I just had to get over being embarrassed that I said things that were out of my control.

Then, there's the H word...haemorrhoids. I really don't think this needs explanation. Although, I would like to point out that when you push out a baby...these also get pushed out. Thankfully...you can't feel them for at least 4 weeks after delivery.

The last thing that took me by surprise was post-partum hair loss. I knew I'd lose hair...but I had no idea how much. It was everywhere. Normally when you have long hair it finds it's way around the vacuum cleaner brush, in the dishwater, in the occasional meal and in tufts under the bed. At the peak of post-partum hair loss, there was not an inch of floor spared...we found it in ice cubes, weaved into clothing, clogging every drain, in the toilet and when I finally found a piece in my daughter's diaper I began wearing a ponytail to restrain it.

But when it comes down to it, this little girl was worth it. She is beautiful and truly one of God's gifts to us in this harsh world.

Middle Finger Photo Opps

When you have a baby, you tend to take a lot of photos. We already have so many and Calleigh is only 3 months old. Upon trying to catch that gorgeous smile or crazy facial expression...I have caught her middle finger creep up in the cutest of poses.

The one finger salute, the bird and flipping off are all short terms to explain the usage of said finger. The gesture may be of Roman, Greek or Mediterranean origin. In Rome it was used as an insult and in the Mediterranean world, it was used to divert the threat of the evil eye.

The origin of using the Digitus Impudicus (indecent finger) is not known for certain. But, it is a gesture meant to belittle another. Making them ones sexual inferior.

It's ridiculous really. Every man and woman knows what this finger gesture means. If we have a clear line of sight, we can deliver this message to anyone and everyone. And my child has discovered it much too early.

Cake Cake Cake

As a child, I always appreciated the cakes my Mom and Aunty would make for birthdays. And as I grew older, and thought of having my own family someday...I hoped I could make those same memories for my children.

So, over the last few years I have made a few cakes. Some decorated with icing and some with marshmallow fondant. I have gotten pretty good at putting cakes together for birthdays. And recently, I got the chance to make one for a baby shower.

Since this baby shower was for one of my closest friends, I enjoyed making this cake even more. I was especially happy when the baby arrived at the shower wearing a shirt with a similar design on it. What are the odds?!

Baby Shower Fun

My close friend recently had a baby, so I decided to plan a baby shower for her. I wanted it to be a little funny...not just your average Baby Shower. So I planned a game that I thought would guarantee a laugh from most people in attendance.

Pin The Sperm On The Egg
This is basically
"pin the tail on the donkey",
but altered to be the perfect
baby shower game.

It went over pretty well. Most people got up to try it out.

Broken Family History

I come from a divorced family. Essentially this means my family is broken. When I was 13 and my siblings even younger, Mom sat down to inform us of the changes happening in our household. The major one being that Dad would no longer be living with us. After so many years of hearing "it'll be okay" from my parents on different occasions...Mom was saying that our household was broken and unfix able.

It has been many years since this happened. Yet this brokenness has come back to bite me in the ass a few times. Like a publicly known skeleton in our closet. It comes out to show it's ugly head during the most important times in our lives.

For instance, on my wedding day. I wasn't nervous about the new life I was starting...I was nervous about my parents and their significant others being in the same place at one time.

The latest, was with the birth of my daughter. Both my parents are dating/living with a significant other. The thought had crossed my mind about the "grandpa" and "grandma" titles. But I don't quite feel comfortable having my daughter apply the new additions to my parents' lives these family titles. This is nothing against the people in question. This is that 13 year old girl in me crying out. Begging me to hold on. Except I don't know what I'm holding onto. I have no illusions of my parents reconciling. They aren't even on speaking terms.

Is this right or wrong? Who is to say? Who makes the adjusted rules for broken, then somewhat mended family's? Life is so hard already, I don't need this frustration. But it is here...and I have to make a decision.

It's times like these when I remember the days when I would say "I want to be a hermit or a truck driver when I grow up". Just so I could have less human interaction. I really hate dealing with people sometimes...they just make things so complicated when they don't need to be.

The significant others in this case need to be sensitive of the skeleton in our closet. But I have yet to see this happen. I am not even sure both my parents understand my frustration. They are, after all, experiencing a different side of this whole situation.

Espresso Pooper

This baby just doesn't know how to keep it in her diaper. Some days I don't know why I bother dressing her. Almost every day she poops all over the first outfit I dress her in. What a baby!

From across our 2 bedroom apartment I can hear her fill her pants. Today I was sitting with her and she rumbled in my lap. As she pushed I could see her onsie puff up on her back. Poop all the way to her ear. I find myself wondering, "is this normal?" I'm not going to complain though. She doesn't spit up or puke much...so we're lucky. It also helps that she sleeps 7-9 hours straight a night. What a blessing she is...so happy I can have a great night sleep so I can enjoy my maternity leave taking care of this cute little babe of mine.

Dogs - Oh How I Dislike Them

For some reason, I have always despised dogs. Growing up, the only pets I really had were goldfish...oh, and a kitten for about a month. I had to give the kitten away once my Mom discovered it in my room.

Some people treat dogs like they are people. Well I have news for them. THEY ARE DOGS. No, a dog doesn't need its own seat at the dinner table. No, a dog doesn't need to wear a sweater when there's a chill in the air. No, a dog doesn't need to share your ice cream...and no, it's not ok to have your dog lick your face.

I guess I just don't understand that bond people have with a family dog.

That last one really gets me. It's so gross it makes me gag. These people never stop to think about where that tongue has been. Forgetting that a dog licks its ass with it. GROSS! I look away when a dog is about to lick someone's face...just like I look away when homosexuals kiss. It's just not a natural thing to me (if you don't like this statement, complain about mine on your own blog). Therefore, I do not want to see it. 9 times out of 10, the dogs' tongue ends up licking their teeth too. Come on people...if you need your teeth cleaned, try a toothbrush. You'll get less hair in your mouth.

Recovery

Calleigh is now 5 weeks old and we're both doing great. I almost feel back to normal. I had gained 40lbs during my pregnancy and I am already 40lbs lighter. Crazy!! I guess it helps when you have a big baby. Nursing has also helped my body heal.

This beautiful baby girl of ours is so healthy and strong. She amazes us on a daily basis. I waited so long to be a mom and I love it.

No...I don't miss work or my coworkers at all.

I enjoyed designing my own baby announcement and am thinking about what I will do once this year is done and I have a 1 year old running around the apartment. I will work my old job part-time from home...and I am thinking about starting up a website so I can design baby announcements, birthday invites and other printed materials. I love designing...and I have a year to improve on what I already know.

My Baby Girl Has Finally Arrived!

Calleigh Rabecca-Lynn was born at 6:25am on February 12, 2011. She weighed 9lbs 11oz and was 22" long.

Calleigh is my first child. So, I didn't know exactly what to expect when it came to labor. I assumed it would be painful and difficult. My attitude was simply this - I wanted to trust that my body knew what it was doing. God made it for this purpose. There was no way I was going to worry about labor when I really had no clue what it would be like for sure. I would take everything as it came. One contraction at a time.

After taking it one contraction at a time - 36 hours later Calleigh was finally born. Around hour 26 I had my first drug...nitric oxide. It made me feel loopy, so I passed on having anymore. Hour 28 came and so did the anesthesiologist. I wanted an epidural at that point, but they would have given me one anyways. Calleigh's heart rate would drop each time I my body would push...I just couldn't help it. An epidural was administered and I was moved to a sterile emergency room. During the journey to see my beautiful girl I also had a couple toppers in my epidural line that made me feel practically nothing, my water was broken, an episiotomy was done and Calleigh was vacuumed out. By 6:25am the nurses removed the cord from her neck and I heard her first cries. I was so tired...but what an amazing experience!! The whole time the doctors, nurses and midwife were ready to do a c-section. I am so happy that didn't happen! That was scarier to me than any of the drugs and even pushing her through a natural birth.

When you have complications, you lose your private room. So after the birth, we went to our shared room. Our roommate snored like a trucker all night and half the day. I hardly had any rest during our 3 day stay there. And when Feb. 14 came, I insisted that they discharge me. They told me I had high blood pressure...and I responded with "I have high blood pressure because I want to kill my roommate." The nurse was surprised at my comment, but we were discharged that day.

Within an hour of being home, even Calleigh's body language changed. She was more relaxed. And now we have this beautiful baby girl to raise. She's healthy and happy and already sleeping through most of the night.