I love God's timeliness with messages to me.
First, I would like to confess something to all my lovelies out there on the interwebs.
I do not read my Bible every day. I, in fact, rarely read my Bible.
This is a constant struggle for me for a couple of reasons.
1) Finding time. It is not a struggle for me to find the time to read. While I'm fully awake, I know, rationally, that I could get up 30 minutes early and get my daily word in. And then that time comes. And immediate gratification by staying in the warm bed under the covers just outweighs getting up.
2) Sleepiness. When I wake up, reading is not the first thing I want to do. I'm still sleepy and I struggle to stay concentrated enough to absorb the message. And after I'm done... I want to go back to bed.
3) Comparing myself to others. I am a competitive person by nature which means I can make anything a competition. But competition tends to just be an incessant game of comparing myself to others. And what do I get? I don't measure up to those that are actually reading their Bibles everyday. So I constantly beat myself up over it, tell myself I'll get up in the morning, then I don't and instead stay under the covers, then I feel guilty... you see my process.
And lo and behold! God got on to me for this.
I know. You're shocked.
So for today's lesson in "Rikki get your act together then share it with the world because they too are struggling with it, I just know it":
Galatians 4: 5-6
Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor.
I recieved this word through a series of events I won't bore you with now. But, I did have this urge to read the Bible. I mean, I needed it. Almost like you are thirsty for water. (If you've had that feeling too, and wonder why you are weird, it is because God has a message for you. Funny how that works.)
So I open my Bible and decide I need to skim through Galatians. Well Galatians is short but it packs a wallup. Go read it. You'll see.
I ended up reading the entire book. Before you get all impressed, it is 6 chapters long. One chapter of Harry Potter took longer to read.
But when I got to Chapter 6: 4-5, I actually giggled out loud. Justin thought I was crazy.
But how many of you are guilty of it? Constantly comparing yourself to others... and getting one of two results:
1) Not measuring up, effectively stirring the cycle of low self-esteem/failure.
2) Becoming prideful. (Because let's face it, you'd never be like THAT person.)
I know I struck a nerve with that last one. Because you didn't think that was coming.
Both of these ways are sinful. And keep us from the joy of God. And if you know me, you know how awful I am in both of these areas.
But what God shared with me and continues to reveal to me as I meditate on these verses, is that to compare ourselves to others and stack ourselves against them is only telling God that we aren't pleased with His creation. That we don't trust Him that we are beautiful creatures of Christ, just as the other people are.
I'm reminding myself constantly now that God made me who I am for a reason. I may not be a great housekeeper and I may not be a marathon runner and I may be just a bit snarky at times... but dammit... I'm beautiful and I have so many God given talents that my "shortcomings" don't matter. So why continue to let them hold me back?
I'll pursue my relationship with God at my pace and I'll leave it between me and God if it is good enough.
I'll put my confidence in God that my son is developing on time for his life and stop making sure he is still "ahead" in these areas and not "behind" in those.
I'll embrace my strengths at work and use my God given talents to make the differences God gave me the strength to make without bringing myself down with what I don't do well.
I'll love others just as God taught me too and stop pointing out to myself how I'm better at them that this but worse than them in that.
And I'll mess it up. Because I'm human. And I serve a forgiving God that will work with me to get back on track.
Isn't that great? Happy testimony Tuesday!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Blogging from phone: Take one.
Taking down wallpaper just may be the stuff hell is made of. We thought we'd be done today. We were wrong. Just when I thought I couldn't curse the bastard that put that mess up any more, I get into the master bathroom.
Sailors haven't experienced thoughts as unholy as mine as I continue to steam and scrape my life away. Cranky doesn't begin to describe my mood right now.
But on a higher note, we are going to end up with one kick awesome (thats for you Mr. Allen) bathroom. Our floor/tile guy is amazing and is giving us a really good deal ona really cool concept.
More to come later.
Sailors haven't experienced thoughts as unholy as mine as I continue to steam and scrape my life away. Cranky doesn't begin to describe my mood right now.
But on a higher note, we are going to end up with one kick awesome (thats for you Mr. Allen) bathroom. Our floor/tile guy is amazing and is giving us a really good deal ona really cool concept.
More to come later.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Testimony Tuesday
God has been telling me for a little while that blogging could be a way to witness to others. Now I do not consider myself an "evangelical Christian," at least by the stereotype anyway, but I do like to live by example and spread my testimony when possible and will make an impact.
This is how "Testimony Tuesday" was born. Expect it every Tuesday. This will be a tool for me to keep on track with the many blessings God has given me and will be a good way to share to those unknown on the interwebs something that may be pertinent to them at the time.
Topic of today: Worry.
I have had ample opportunity to worry over this past year. Having a kid gives you that sort of access. And I have worried. I'd like to say that I haven't but truth hurts sometimes.
I have worried over fevers, and infected eyes, and breastfeeding, and formula, and daycare, and croup, and big ole heads, and specialist appointments, and milestones. Then I've worried about promotions and whether they would happen, buying houses and if we'd find the right one, and if my car would be dependable... There is always something.
As most of you know, my husband struggles with anxiety. He is an amazing man, and I honestly don't tell him that enough, and I am super proud of him. He has made great strides in his anxiety and to be honest, he has earned the right by human standards to worry (I'll leave it to him to share with you the ins and outs of his official "certificate to worry" he earned in his childhood).
But alas, we are both sinning by continuing to worry. Matthew 6:25-34 clearly states:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
I challenge you to read that again. And again. Looking back on all the things I have worried about, it was when I finally let them go and gave them completely to God that all of the sudden they worked out.
Sam's big ole head: I knew he was fine. But I allowed the enemy in and doubt began to fester. What if I am wrong? Why does he have to see a specialist? Blah blah blah. And then, one day I gave it to God. I told God that I knew he loved Sam more than I ever could, and since I knew how much I loved him, that I knew there was no way God was going to allow this mess to continue. And I thanked Him for that promise. And it was hard. But I did it. Two days later we were in the pediatrician's office being told he was normal and we no longer needed to see a specialist. Amen? I think so.
Buying a house is a pretty big deal. When we first starting looking, we found this house in a great neighborhood for a great price. But I worried. What if it had problems? Could we afford it? What work needed to be done? Could we afford it? Can my family live on ramen and hot dogs? We looked at this house on two different occasions and on both occasions I would lose sleep at night worrying about it. Neither of those times worked out. We started looking at houses again in January. I made a commitment to not worry about it. We found a house we loved in a neighborhood we loved for a price we loved. We were told it wouldn't work out. Buying directly from the seller never works. This won't work. That won't work. I never worried.
If you know me, you know spending money is a creative way to torture me. It makes me sick, literally. When we bought a car, I darn near threw up right there on the showroom floor. Spending money stresses me out. I have been cool, calm, and collected throughout this buying process.
Until I allowed myself to worry about the roof. And I had a hysterical breakdown, thought about not buying the house because of it... a whole bunch of garb for nothing. What was that? The devil getting his thorny little foot in the door. That's it. You know what? When I decided to not worry about it anymore, all things fell into place. Praise God? I believe so.
We did buy the house. We are working on the house now. It is a beautiful happy home that is going to be home for quite some time. And I love it. And I'm not nervous. I'm excited to go there. I'm excited to make it into exactly what we want. No fear. No worry. Praise God.
So my challenge to you is to release what you are worrying about to God. Right now. If you catch yourself worrying about something (because the enemy will bring pictures of it back to your brain), give it right back to God. It is foolish to continue to lose sleep and worry over even the smallest things all the way to the big things. Because God has already given us His promise that He will take care of us just as He takes care of the birds in the air.
If this is an area you struggle with, I have a small mini book I can email you that has a lot more information in it that is really remarkably helpful.
This is how "Testimony Tuesday" was born. Expect it every Tuesday. This will be a tool for me to keep on track with the many blessings God has given me and will be a good way to share to those unknown on the interwebs something that may be pertinent to them at the time.
Topic of today: Worry.
I have had ample opportunity to worry over this past year. Having a kid gives you that sort of access. And I have worried. I'd like to say that I haven't but truth hurts sometimes.
I have worried over fevers, and infected eyes, and breastfeeding, and formula, and daycare, and croup, and big ole heads, and specialist appointments, and milestones. Then I've worried about promotions and whether they would happen, buying houses and if we'd find the right one, and if my car would be dependable... There is always something.
As most of you know, my husband struggles with anxiety. He is an amazing man, and I honestly don't tell him that enough, and I am super proud of him. He has made great strides in his anxiety and to be honest, he has earned the right by human standards to worry (I'll leave it to him to share with you the ins and outs of his official "certificate to worry" he earned in his childhood).
But alas, we are both sinning by continuing to worry. Matthew 6:25-34 clearly states:
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
I challenge you to read that again. And again. Looking back on all the things I have worried about, it was when I finally let them go and gave them completely to God that all of the sudden they worked out.
Sam's big ole head: I knew he was fine. But I allowed the enemy in and doubt began to fester. What if I am wrong? Why does he have to see a specialist? Blah blah blah. And then, one day I gave it to God. I told God that I knew he loved Sam more than I ever could, and since I knew how much I loved him, that I knew there was no way God was going to allow this mess to continue. And I thanked Him for that promise. And it was hard. But I did it. Two days later we were in the pediatrician's office being told he was normal and we no longer needed to see a specialist. Amen? I think so.
Buying a house is a pretty big deal. When we first starting looking, we found this house in a great neighborhood for a great price. But I worried. What if it had problems? Could we afford it? What work needed to be done? Could we afford it? Can my family live on ramen and hot dogs? We looked at this house on two different occasions and on both occasions I would lose sleep at night worrying about it. Neither of those times worked out. We started looking at houses again in January. I made a commitment to not worry about it. We found a house we loved in a neighborhood we loved for a price we loved. We were told it wouldn't work out. Buying directly from the seller never works. This won't work. That won't work. I never worried.
If you know me, you know spending money is a creative way to torture me. It makes me sick, literally. When we bought a car, I darn near threw up right there on the showroom floor. Spending money stresses me out. I have been cool, calm, and collected throughout this buying process.
Until I allowed myself to worry about the roof. And I had a hysterical breakdown, thought about not buying the house because of it... a whole bunch of garb for nothing. What was that? The devil getting his thorny little foot in the door. That's it. You know what? When I decided to not worry about it anymore, all things fell into place. Praise God? I believe so.
We did buy the house. We are working on the house now. It is a beautiful happy home that is going to be home for quite some time. And I love it. And I'm not nervous. I'm excited to go there. I'm excited to make it into exactly what we want. No fear. No worry. Praise God.
So my challenge to you is to release what you are worrying about to God. Right now. If you catch yourself worrying about something (because the enemy will bring pictures of it back to your brain), give it right back to God. It is foolish to continue to lose sleep and worry over even the smallest things all the way to the big things. Because God has already given us His promise that He will take care of us just as He takes care of the birds in the air.
If this is an area you struggle with, I have a small mini book I can email you that has a lot more information in it that is really remarkably helpful.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sam's 14 month old babble
This post serves nothing more than a milestone marker for me. Sam's 15 month check up is coming up soon and the doctor always asks milestone questions and I always freeze and forget things to mention. So here goes...
Sam is...
walking
standing up without hanging on to something (new development as of today)
waving bye bye
dancing (I cannot describe how precious this is)
building things with big leggos (one of his favorites)
Sam is saying...
Dada
Mama
Paw Paw
Ball
Milk (Mill)
Here
Up
Please
Thank You
Bye Bye (this one we are really good at)
Hi (while pretending to be on the phone)
Night Night (ni ni)
Amen (min)
Note on his personality:
This boy is so giving. I have made mention of this before (he loves sharing his cheerios with mama and dada). But he is so much more giving than I have seen any other kid be. He will take a break from eating to offer you food. He will stop playing to bring you a toy. He will chase you down in the house to share his food with you. He goes above and beyond.
The other day, a kid at daycare who is a few months older than Sam wanted something to drink. His drink wasn't in the room at the time but Sam had one. Unprompted, Sam stopped drinking his and offered it to the other little boy.
Words cannot express how thankful I am that he is already showing his generosity. This is something we pray for every night. Every night before bed we pray for a number of things, but one is that God continues to lead his mama and dada to raise him into a compassionate and wise young man. With that comes generosity.
I'm such a proud mama.
Sam is...
walking
standing up without hanging on to something (new development as of today)
waving bye bye
dancing (I cannot describe how precious this is)
building things with big leggos (one of his favorites)
Sam is saying...
Dada
Mama
Paw Paw
Ball
Milk (Mill)
Here
Up
Please
Thank You
Bye Bye (this one we are really good at)
Hi (while pretending to be on the phone)
Night Night (ni ni)
Amen (min)
Note on his personality:
This boy is so giving. I have made mention of this before (he loves sharing his cheerios with mama and dada). But he is so much more giving than I have seen any other kid be. He will take a break from eating to offer you food. He will stop playing to bring you a toy. He will chase you down in the house to share his food with you. He goes above and beyond.
The other day, a kid at daycare who is a few months older than Sam wanted something to drink. His drink wasn't in the room at the time but Sam had one. Unprompted, Sam stopped drinking his and offered it to the other little boy.
Words cannot express how thankful I am that he is already showing his generosity. This is something we pray for every night. Every night before bed we pray for a number of things, but one is that God continues to lead his mama and dada to raise him into a compassionate and wise young man. With that comes generosity.
I'm such a proud mama.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Our Adventures in Mysterious Croup/Virus/Radiator Thingies
Our story begins Sunday night (that is almost a full week ago).
Sunday night, I kept hearing Sam on the monitor waking up. I was wondering what the deal was but we negligent to get up because if he knows you are awake, there is no way in hell is going back to sleep. But then he starts making noises that I had never heard before so I got up and went in.
He was struggling so hard to breath. He had the "barking like a seal" cough but it was accompanied by deep wheezing and obvious struggling to breath. This ranks right up there with one of the scariest moments of my life. Thankfully I had been warned by the lovely Susan Mack (best babysitter ever!) so I knew to go outside in the cold air as fast as I could get us there. I grabbed a blanket and out we went.
He started breathing a lot better and when he was no longer making "noise" to breath, I brought him back inside and he got to sleep with me and Justin the rest of the night. 14 months old and the first time he has EVER slept in our bed. We held out as long as we could.
The next day we take him to the doctor, but not our "OMGTHEBESTDOCTORSINCETHATONETHATINVENTEDPENICILLIN" but "justanotherdoctorthatworksintheclinic". She agreed he had croup, gave him two days of steroids and said he should be a lot better in a few days.
Monday night: Sleeps a little better. Ended up in bed with us again. (I liked it. A lot.)
Tuesday: Coughed a lot but I no longer got him confused with a seal performing for fish. Progress.
Tuesday night: Slept in his crib all night. Only woke up to fuss a bit.
Wednesday: Coughed a lot. Sounds really rattly. Scared the babysitter. I left work early to go get him. He was playing and acting fine. (More on Wednesday later).
Wednesday night: Slept in his crib all night. Barely woke up at all.
Thursday: Still making weird noises making us think we are not getting better and he may be struggling. Decided to steam the hell out of him and if no improvement go to the doctor the next day (doctor agreed b/c he is amazing and talks to us on his personal cell even on his days off... seriously, other than the penicillin guy... this one is the best).
Thursday night: Slept all night without waking at all.
Friday morning: Woke up making the same noises from the previous days. We go to the doctor. Dr. Amazing takes xray and says we are clear of anything major, most of the noise is from his nose and all that mucusy mess. But he has a "raging ear infection."
Am I surprised by this raging ear infection? Nope. He has been a mucus factory for the last three days, he is cutting at least 5 teeth right, if not more, and that is not exaggerating, and he has been sick since Sunday. So lots of antibiotics are in our future. Cool.
He is still rattly this morning but at least I know now that we should be on the upswing. Dr. Amazing is not convinced this is croup now because it isn't following the right pattern. What likely happened is he started with croup, steroids took care of it but another upper respiratory virus took over and here we are.
Now let's travel back to Wednesday, or as I like to refer to it, the day Satan tried to take over. I went to the new house (we closed on a house btw) to show someone we were going to hire to take down the wallpaper. He looks at it, gives me a bid, says it was going to take 6-7 days to complete. I am thinking "totally worth the money because taking down wallpaper sounds like a creative way to torture me for state secrets."
Then I leave. I'm on Shackelford turning on to Financial Parkway (for those not from Little Rock, literally the busiest intersection in Little Rock) and my car starts smoking. I look down and I am running hot. In the red hot.
HOLY SHIT! That's exactly what I thought. I turned the car off and turned on my flashers just hoping someone doesn't plow into to me. And I commence bawling like a baby. I am certifiably hysterical. I tried to call my mechanic (who is our maintenance guy at work but he seems to have adopted me and my car troubles as he put in a new radiator the week before because I had a hole in mine). I can't get a hold of anyone, my car won't start now because it is too hot, I'm praying someone doesn't hit me.... it was quite stressful. Finally after the nice man behind me came to check on me, the car starts and I can move it from the charging cars and angry Little Rock people.
I pull over in a bank off of Financial Parkway and one of my lovely co-workers comes to get me. And she brought the mechanic! What is the major problem?
The hose clamp went bad. That's it. That is a max $5 fix. THANK GOD!
I was able to get the appreciation lunch purchased and back to work. Then the babysitter called and was worried about Sam. I had another mental breakdown (because I can't handle much more) and decide to go get him. I get there and he is fine, just making the same noise he has for the last three days. I am convinced this was just God giving me the rest of the day off because He knew I needed it.
And I had to call and tell the wallpaper guy that we were going to do it ourselves. After the car scare, I really need to save that money to get the car to a dependable point that I don't get stranded on the interstate on the way to work.
So look forward to lots of before and after shots of the house. COMING SOON!
Sunday night, I kept hearing Sam on the monitor waking up. I was wondering what the deal was but we negligent to get up because if he knows you are awake, there is no way in hell is going back to sleep. But then he starts making noises that I had never heard before so I got up and went in.
He was struggling so hard to breath. He had the "barking like a seal" cough but it was accompanied by deep wheezing and obvious struggling to breath. This ranks right up there with one of the scariest moments of my life. Thankfully I had been warned by the lovely Susan Mack (best babysitter ever!) so I knew to go outside in the cold air as fast as I could get us there. I grabbed a blanket and out we went.
He started breathing a lot better and when he was no longer making "noise" to breath, I brought him back inside and he got to sleep with me and Justin the rest of the night. 14 months old and the first time he has EVER slept in our bed. We held out as long as we could.
The next day we take him to the doctor, but not our "OMGTHEBESTDOCTORSINCETHATONETHATINVENTEDPENICILLIN" but "justanotherdoctorthatworksintheclinic". She agreed he had croup, gave him two days of steroids and said he should be a lot better in a few days.
Monday night: Sleeps a little better. Ended up in bed with us again. (I liked it. A lot.)
Tuesday: Coughed a lot but I no longer got him confused with a seal performing for fish. Progress.
Tuesday night: Slept in his crib all night. Only woke up to fuss a bit.
Wednesday: Coughed a lot. Sounds really rattly. Scared the babysitter. I left work early to go get him. He was playing and acting fine. (More on Wednesday later).
Wednesday night: Slept in his crib all night. Barely woke up at all.
Thursday: Still making weird noises making us think we are not getting better and he may be struggling. Decided to steam the hell out of him and if no improvement go to the doctor the next day (doctor agreed b/c he is amazing and talks to us on his personal cell even on his days off... seriously, other than the penicillin guy... this one is the best).
Thursday night: Slept all night without waking at all.
Friday morning: Woke up making the same noises from the previous days. We go to the doctor. Dr. Amazing takes xray and says we are clear of anything major, most of the noise is from his nose and all that mucusy mess. But he has a "raging ear infection."
Am I surprised by this raging ear infection? Nope. He has been a mucus factory for the last three days, he is cutting at least 5 teeth right, if not more, and that is not exaggerating, and he has been sick since Sunday. So lots of antibiotics are in our future. Cool.
He is still rattly this morning but at least I know now that we should be on the upswing. Dr. Amazing is not convinced this is croup now because it isn't following the right pattern. What likely happened is he started with croup, steroids took care of it but another upper respiratory virus took over and here we are.
Now let's travel back to Wednesday, or as I like to refer to it, the day Satan tried to take over. I went to the new house (we closed on a house btw) to show someone we were going to hire to take down the wallpaper. He looks at it, gives me a bid, says it was going to take 6-7 days to complete. I am thinking "totally worth the money because taking down wallpaper sounds like a creative way to torture me for state secrets."
Then I leave. I'm on Shackelford turning on to Financial Parkway (for those not from Little Rock, literally the busiest intersection in Little Rock) and my car starts smoking. I look down and I am running hot. In the red hot.
HOLY SHIT! That's exactly what I thought. I turned the car off and turned on my flashers just hoping someone doesn't plow into to me. And I commence bawling like a baby. I am certifiably hysterical. I tried to call my mechanic (who is our maintenance guy at work but he seems to have adopted me and my car troubles as he put in a new radiator the week before because I had a hole in mine). I can't get a hold of anyone, my car won't start now because it is too hot, I'm praying someone doesn't hit me.... it was quite stressful. Finally after the nice man behind me came to check on me, the car starts and I can move it from the charging cars and angry Little Rock people.
I pull over in a bank off of Financial Parkway and one of my lovely co-workers comes to get me. And she brought the mechanic! What is the major problem?
The hose clamp went bad. That's it. That is a max $5 fix. THANK GOD!
I was able to get the appreciation lunch purchased and back to work. Then the babysitter called and was worried about Sam. I had another mental breakdown (because I can't handle much more) and decide to go get him. I get there and he is fine, just making the same noise he has for the last three days. I am convinced this was just God giving me the rest of the day off because He knew I needed it.
And I had to call and tell the wallpaper guy that we were going to do it ourselves. After the car scare, I really need to save that money to get the car to a dependable point that I don't get stranded on the interstate on the way to work.
So look forward to lots of before and after shots of the house. COMING SOON!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Diaper Cream Analysis and Invention
(I'm so one of those uncool mothers... as if it weren't official before..."
My son has his first go round with the "omg... flesh eating diarrhea turned my booty to pepperoni pizza sans the cheese!" virus. You are welcome for the pretty accurate description.
He has had diaper rash before. Nothing compared to this demon though. Let me give you the "before" thoughts on diaper cream.
1.) Desitin STINKS! Literally and figuratively. I have no idea why people buy it. It smells awful. It sticks to your hands much better than it sticks to the baby's booty. And... well other than covering the redness for the full 10 seconds it lasts, I have no idea what it is actually supposed to do.
2.) Butt paste. I have to admit, when I went shopping for it, I giggled a lot. I'm totally the mom that would jump on the "butt paste" wagon just to be able to say "butt paste is the best!" And I really wanted it to be true. Turns out, it doesn't stink as badly as Desitin. Works a little bit better than Desitin. But sticks to the booty about as long. Not worth the money. My honest opinion about why it is so popular... If it is called "butt paste" it appeals to our junior high selves and let's be real, its more fun to buy. Whoever marketed this is genius. I'm thinking of inventing a lip balm that is called "Baby Butt Lips". You'd buy it. Don't act like you wouldn't.
3.) Balmex. In my opinion, the best over the counter there is. This stuff is a bit harder to rub onto the tiny tushee... but guess what? It sticks! And what now? It gets rid of the diaper rash! HOLD. THE. PHONE. You mean it does what it advertises that it should do?! Remarkable.
This brings us to Friday. Balmex rocks. All others fail miserably.
Then the pepperoni pizza booty enters the game. My son is screaming in agony as I poor cold water over his bottom. No wipes. Just water. That hurt him. Tear my heart out and play soccer with it. OMG
So... I thought, $40 copay for the after hours clinic is SO WORTH the prescription Nystatin (sp... dunno... don't care... wanted it). So we go.
And while waiting, my son goes all exorcist on me and I leave in two hospital gowns (one for the front... one for the back... no one wants to see anything I've got hidden underneath) and Sam in a "Arkansas Children's Hospital" onesie. Oh... and we got the prescription.
You can only give the cream 4 times a day. We follow directions. He had diarrhea at least 12,456 times that day. Does. Not. Compute.
So what's a girl to do for the other 12,452 diaper changes? (The math is right. Trust me.)
Enter Rikki. You see Vaseline has lots of great qualities... namely keeping the putrid mustard gas filled diarrhea from contacting already sensitive skin.
But it doesn't "heal." My trusty Balmex does.
You know what else does? Hydrocortizone cream.
A couple of spoonfuls of Vaseline. A couple of spoonfuls of Balmex (Skip the tube. Get the small tub of Balmex. It is worth it.) And a squirt or two of Hydrocortizone cream. Stir that around with a butter knife (or something else more genius) and VIOLA! Stamps out pepperoni butt.
Of course, the Nystatin played its vital role. But I slathered the other stuff on there like I was buttering a roll on Thanksgiving and MAN! Did I ever see much improvement!
That is all for my tails of butt creams, rubs, ointments, and salves.
Let the arguing ensue... I know there are die hard people out there who support the "lesser-than" diaper creams. This is just my experience.
My son has his first go round with the "omg... flesh eating diarrhea turned my booty to pepperoni pizza sans the cheese!" virus. You are welcome for the pretty accurate description.
He has had diaper rash before. Nothing compared to this demon though. Let me give you the "before" thoughts on diaper cream.
1.) Desitin STINKS! Literally and figuratively. I have no idea why people buy it. It smells awful. It sticks to your hands much better than it sticks to the baby's booty. And... well other than covering the redness for the full 10 seconds it lasts, I have no idea what it is actually supposed to do.
2.) Butt paste. I have to admit, when I went shopping for it, I giggled a lot. I'm totally the mom that would jump on the "butt paste" wagon just to be able to say "butt paste is the best!" And I really wanted it to be true. Turns out, it doesn't stink as badly as Desitin. Works a little bit better than Desitin. But sticks to the booty about as long. Not worth the money. My honest opinion about why it is so popular... If it is called "butt paste" it appeals to our junior high selves and let's be real, its more fun to buy. Whoever marketed this is genius. I'm thinking of inventing a lip balm that is called "Baby Butt Lips". You'd buy it. Don't act like you wouldn't.
3.) Balmex. In my opinion, the best over the counter there is. This stuff is a bit harder to rub onto the tiny tushee... but guess what? It sticks! And what now? It gets rid of the diaper rash! HOLD. THE. PHONE. You mean it does what it advertises that it should do?! Remarkable.
This brings us to Friday. Balmex rocks. All others fail miserably.
Then the pepperoni pizza booty enters the game. My son is screaming in agony as I poor cold water over his bottom. No wipes. Just water. That hurt him. Tear my heart out and play soccer with it. OMG
So... I thought, $40 copay for the after hours clinic is SO WORTH the prescription Nystatin (sp... dunno... don't care... wanted it). So we go.
And while waiting, my son goes all exorcist on me and I leave in two hospital gowns (one for the front... one for the back... no one wants to see anything I've got hidden underneath) and Sam in a "Arkansas Children's Hospital" onesie. Oh... and we got the prescription.
You can only give the cream 4 times a day. We follow directions. He had diarrhea at least 12,456 times that day. Does. Not. Compute.
So what's a girl to do for the other 12,452 diaper changes? (The math is right. Trust me.)
Enter Rikki. You see Vaseline has lots of great qualities... namely keeping the putrid mustard gas filled diarrhea from contacting already sensitive skin.
But it doesn't "heal." My trusty Balmex does.
You know what else does? Hydrocortizone cream.
A couple of spoonfuls of Vaseline. A couple of spoonfuls of Balmex (Skip the tube. Get the small tub of Balmex. It is worth it.) And a squirt or two of Hydrocortizone cream. Stir that around with a butter knife (or something else more genius) and VIOLA! Stamps out pepperoni butt.
Of course, the Nystatin played its vital role. But I slathered the other stuff on there like I was buttering a roll on Thanksgiving and MAN! Did I ever see much improvement!
That is all for my tails of butt creams, rubs, ointments, and salves.
Let the arguing ensue... I know there are die hard people out there who support the "lesser-than" diaper creams. This is just my experience.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Little Things in Life
I'm feeling rather emotional at the moment. I found out last month that one of my dear friends (Who lives far away and I haven't actually spoken with in months... but one that I will always consider "dear" regardless of life circumstances) has stage 3 brain cancer. She is my age and one of the most beautiful people inside and out that you will ever have the pleasure of meeting.
I've spent the last 45 minutes or so catching up on her blog. She uses her blog as an outlet and a way to manage her perspective. Anyway, just the thought of how real life gets just all of the sudden did a number on my emotions.
I have to say, being a mother in general has done a number on my emotions. There are so many times (and this really could be daily) that I just watch him doing the simplest things and I want to cry. Just because I'm so proud of him being so wonderful. How can one little human be that wonderful?
For instance, this morning, he didn't feel good. It was apparent he wasn't his normal jolly self. He wanted to be held and carried around, but I had to get ready somehow. So I got him a bowl of cheerios and his sippy cup of milk and sat him in the floor. He looked so happy (of course! it was food!) and I thought to myself, "What is ten minutes? I can sit and play for ten minutes..." So I did.
As we were sitting in the floor, he grabbed a handful of cheerios (he doesn't understand one at a time quite yet) and started to shove them all in his mouth. I said, "Sam, can momma have some cheerios?" And he continued shoving them in his mouth. I said, "So momma can't have one?"
This sweet little angel looked at me, spit some cheerios into his hand, and offered them to me.
How sweet is that?! He is a ripe bold 13 months old and wanted to share his cheerios so bad with his momma that he spit them out and offered them. I laughed and laughed. And politely declined.
We spent the rest of the time feeding each other cheerios. He was intent upon feeding them to me so I was equally intent on feeding them to him.
Back to the full circle of things, it breaks my heart to think Danielle may never get to experience moments like this. I feel comfortable typing my true feelings because if you know Danielle, you know she prefers candidness and full disclosure. She is such a strong person, if there is one person to kick this crap in the bunghole it will be her. She'll do it.
But she fully understands her diagnosis and odds. And my heart hurts for her all the way down here in Arkansas. And just reading about her story has put so many things in perspective for me today. I was offered the chance to go feed the homeless tonight with my church. And I'm going to. Me, Justin, and Sam are going to go share a little moment with some amazing people.
If you are a praying person, go ahead and add my sweet friend to your list. I promise she is just as amazing as I have described.
If you aren't a praying person, get on board. You are missing out on something amazing.
I've spent the last 45 minutes or so catching up on her blog. She uses her blog as an outlet and a way to manage her perspective. Anyway, just the thought of how real life gets just all of the sudden did a number on my emotions.
I have to say, being a mother in general has done a number on my emotions. There are so many times (and this really could be daily) that I just watch him doing the simplest things and I want to cry. Just because I'm so proud of him being so wonderful. How can one little human be that wonderful?
For instance, this morning, he didn't feel good. It was apparent he wasn't his normal jolly self. He wanted to be held and carried around, but I had to get ready somehow. So I got him a bowl of cheerios and his sippy cup of milk and sat him in the floor. He looked so happy (of course! it was food!) and I thought to myself, "What is ten minutes? I can sit and play for ten minutes..." So I did.
As we were sitting in the floor, he grabbed a handful of cheerios (he doesn't understand one at a time quite yet) and started to shove them all in his mouth. I said, "Sam, can momma have some cheerios?" And he continued shoving them in his mouth. I said, "So momma can't have one?"
This sweet little angel looked at me, spit some cheerios into his hand, and offered them to me.
How sweet is that?! He is a ripe bold 13 months old and wanted to share his cheerios so bad with his momma that he spit them out and offered them. I laughed and laughed. And politely declined.
We spent the rest of the time feeding each other cheerios. He was intent upon feeding them to me so I was equally intent on feeding them to him.
Back to the full circle of things, it breaks my heart to think Danielle may never get to experience moments like this. I feel comfortable typing my true feelings because if you know Danielle, you know she prefers candidness and full disclosure. She is such a strong person, if there is one person to kick this crap in the bunghole it will be her. She'll do it.
But she fully understands her diagnosis and odds. And my heart hurts for her all the way down here in Arkansas. And just reading about her story has put so many things in perspective for me today. I was offered the chance to go feed the homeless tonight with my church. And I'm going to. Me, Justin, and Sam are going to go share a little moment with some amazing people.
If you are a praying person, go ahead and add my sweet friend to your list. I promise she is just as amazing as I have described.
If you aren't a praying person, get on board. You are missing out on something amazing.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Update from the Turners
It has been a while since I updated and that is for good reason. Things are crazy busy at work, I've been traveling for work, and we are in the process of buying a house. Lots to do!
Oh yeah, and Sam started walking. That was pretty great! I was convinced the kid was going to wait until I started my week long adventure away from home but he started walking about 3 days before I left. But when I left, he was just okay at it. Now? Lordy! He still falls but its only when he gets excited. I left town with a baby and came back to a toddler! And I'm convinced he grew an inch while I was gone too. That sounds like I'm exaggerating but the kid could walk underneath our desk when I left and when I got back it was hitting him in the forehead when he tried!
So... work: It is so close to official that it hurts but I will be moving to an Assistant Director for Residence Life position at UALR effective July 1. I AM SO EXCITED! Seriously, it is ridiculous how excited I am. But I currently work at a small department and that means, if I want the promotion, I get to start working on it long before the pay increase takes place. This is totally fine with me (hello job security!) and this job is everything I love about my current job and more.
Oh... and I get to move OUT and into MY OWN HOUSE! Not that I don't love my current situation but I want so badly for Sam to have a yard and space to play inside as well. We close on this lovely house on March 15. Say a prayer for me! This house is down the road (just the right distance away) from Sam's grandma and papa. It is also down the road from a park. Wonderful neighborhood and right down the road from the softball fields (this is excitement for momma more than anyone).
And let me take a minute to tell you of the sweet wonders that are Sam. Seriously, this could be the sweetest kid ever. When he is ready for bed, it becomes apparent just because of how much he slows down. So I say, "Night night Sam?" and he'll say, "Nih nih". So I get him ready for bed, brush his teeth, and read him a book. Then I say, "Tell daddy night night." And most of the time he says, "Nih nih," waves, and tries to give Daddy a kiss. Then we go into his room and stand by his crib to pray. Before we pray he lays his head down on my shoulder. When I'm done praying, I say, "Amen." and most of the time he says, "min." Then he lays down in his crib, I cover him up, and say night night. And he doesn't fuss at all. Just goes to sleep.
How. Freaking. Precious!
Melt my heart Mr. Turner. Melt my heart.
And a video I may or may not have shared...
Oh yeah, and Sam started walking. That was pretty great! I was convinced the kid was going to wait until I started my week long adventure away from home but he started walking about 3 days before I left. But when I left, he was just okay at it. Now? Lordy! He still falls but its only when he gets excited. I left town with a baby and came back to a toddler! And I'm convinced he grew an inch while I was gone too. That sounds like I'm exaggerating but the kid could walk underneath our desk when I left and when I got back it was hitting him in the forehead when he tried!
So... work: It is so close to official that it hurts but I will be moving to an Assistant Director for Residence Life position at UALR effective July 1. I AM SO EXCITED! Seriously, it is ridiculous how excited I am. But I currently work at a small department and that means, if I want the promotion, I get to start working on it long before the pay increase takes place. This is totally fine with me (hello job security!) and this job is everything I love about my current job and more.
Oh... and I get to move OUT and into MY OWN HOUSE! Not that I don't love my current situation but I want so badly for Sam to have a yard and space to play inside as well. We close on this lovely house on March 15. Say a prayer for me! This house is down the road (just the right distance away) from Sam's grandma and papa. It is also down the road from a park. Wonderful neighborhood and right down the road from the softball fields (this is excitement for momma more than anyone).
And let me take a minute to tell you of the sweet wonders that are Sam. Seriously, this could be the sweetest kid ever. When he is ready for bed, it becomes apparent just because of how much he slows down. So I say, "Night night Sam?" and he'll say, "Nih nih". So I get him ready for bed, brush his teeth, and read him a book. Then I say, "Tell daddy night night." And most of the time he says, "Nih nih," waves, and tries to give Daddy a kiss. Then we go into his room and stand by his crib to pray. Before we pray he lays his head down on my shoulder. When I'm done praying, I say, "Amen." and most of the time he says, "min." Then he lays down in his crib, I cover him up, and say night night. And he doesn't fuss at all. Just goes to sleep.
How. Freaking. Precious!
Melt my heart Mr. Turner. Melt my heart.
And a video I may or may not have shared...
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