What Makes a Good Parent

This is an interesting point of view regarding what makes a good parent.

We were out tonight having a celebration dinner. We were celebrating Paul being free from his current job. Today was it - hurray! But I digress...

So we're sitting there at this restaurant with our sweet Jadyn sitting up in a high chair at the end of the table. (OH MY GOSH! She's sitting up in a restaurant high chair already!!!) As usual I had her dressed in a very cute outfit. Now, Jadyn will simply beam with smiles for anyone who so much as glances at her. Typically folks stop to talk to her because she's so pleasant and, frankly, so adorable.

Tonight there was no end to the attention she was getting. At one point this obviously upscale southern woman came by and immediately got sucked into the cuteness vortex that was emanating from my daughter. She made the comments we most often hear:
"What beautiful eyes!"
"She's so well-behaved."
"What a big smile!"
"What a cute outfit!"
Then she said something I have never heard before.
"I love it when parents dress their children well. You are good parents."

Hmm. So. Because I dress my child in clothes that a) are clean, b) match, and c) are reasonably in style, I must be a good parent. I may be the type of parent who sits her in front of the TV for 12 hours a day, feeding her nothing but pixie stix, but hey, she's dressed well so I'm obviously doing a good job. Maybe I let her play with scissors or ride in the car with her rolling around on the floorboards, but at least I put a bow in her hair that matches her onesie, so sign me up for Mother of the Year.

Tomorrow I'm going to strap her to our dog and let her ride him around the back yard. But she'll look adorable in her pink striped romper with her name embroidered on the front, so it's all good.

I heart Dooce.

I love reading Dooce - I know, I know, that in no way makes me special among the blogging community. And there are times I don't agree with her views on certain issues.

But this - well, I couldn't have said it better.

http://www.dooce.com/archives/nubbin/04_27_2006.html

Thursday Thirteen!




Thirteen Things I'm looking forward to 1. Paul's new job starting Monday. 2. The weekend. Since it will be the weekend between jobs for Paul, it's the ONE weekend when no one can call him into work. 3. Mother's Day. It will be my first one being a parent of an extra-uterine child. No idea what to expect but it's a milestone I've been looking forward to for quite some time. 4. Memorial Day weekend. My parents are meeting us at our place in Alabama. They haven't seen Jadyn since January and she's changed SO much. 5. Jadyn saying, "Mama." I know that once she starts saying it she won't stop, but I still can't wait to hear it the firs time. 6. Getting out of the rental house we're in. Hopefully this summer we'll sell our home (that is currently being rented out), buy one in this town, and get out of this place. 7. Getting rid of our home phone. It costs more than it's worth and we can save money by getting rid of it. 8. Having a date night with my hubby. It's been too long and we're overdue. 9. Seeing "The DaVinci Code" movie. I read the book, and while I don't really believe much of the "theories" behind it, I still found it a good read, so I'm interested in seeing how it converts to film. 10. Seeing a live production of Rent. I loved the movie but have been told several times that it doesn't in any way replace the live show. 11. The next 3 new episodes of Lost. Yes, I'm hooked. And I can't wait to find out who "Henry" really is. 12. Going out on the river on our friend's boat this Sunday. I hope it's good weather! 13. My next baby. No, I'm NOT pregnant, but I look forward to having at least one more someday. Links to other Thursday Thirteen! (Place a comment and I'll add you here.) 1. Princess Jemmers 2. Jen 3. astrocoz 4. lifecruiser 5. tlc 6. present storm 7. undercover angel 8. trinity13




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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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The Daily Battle

Ok, so I need some helps from you mommies.

Every day, at every meal time, I put Jadyn in her high chair and she usually sits cheerfully as I bring her food. I feed her the first 4 or 5 bites of whatever solid food I have chosen, and she does fine. Then all of a sudden she's fussing to the point of crying after every bite, but she keeps opening up her mouth for more. She seems kind of angry or maybe in pain. She arches her back and turns her head away, but then comes back for more. Now, she only does this with solid foods (ANY kind), not with liquid.

So I ask you, oh collective mommies of more experience, what the heck is going on? Is she tired of the chair? Does it hurt to swallow? If that's the case, how come she'll take her formula just fine? And why does she do this after the first few bites? I'm at a loss and I can't find anything online that speaks to this specific issue. Please, ladies, I need help!!!

Mountains

There are days when I think the only thing I ever get done is laundry, and even then it's not finished. Today is looking like one of those days.

How on earth does a person so much smaller than me generate so much more laundry than I do???

Finally Friday

Hallelujah, I made it to the end of this week. Big props to all you single parents out there and military parents who deal with being alone in the great parenthood experience. 4 days was plenty for me. I'm glad Paul is back home - not just because I can't sleep well without him, but because I simply can't get much accomplished when I have it all to do myself.

Paul asked me if I missed him, and it was odd to say, "Not really." See, during normal life we don't get a lot of time to talk. That's partly due to his soon to be former job, and partly to being so wrapped up in parenting that we sometimes forget to take time for us. But while he was in the hospital and my friend watched my daughter, we had a lot more time to talk. We talked about current events, music and movies, our friends and church, and all sorts of other things. Paul's little pause gave us time to just BE together, and while it made home life crazy for me, I'm thankful that we had the opportunity to reconnect.

Thursday Thirteen

Ok, so I've been reading Princess Jemmers, and she does this Thursday Thirteen thing. I like it, so I'm gonna do it too. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. :) So,without further ado, I present for the first time to you my very own

Thirteen Things about YankeeAmanda 1. My husband Paul got out of the hospital today after a bout of cellulitis. It's icky. 2. I am exhausted since I have not slept well without Paul here. I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight. 3. My good friend Amy kept my daughter Jadyn for the 5th day in a row. She rocks. 4. We had church staff meeting today, as we do every Thursday. It was especially entertaining and energizing. 5. My job is challenging me in all sorts of new ways and it's very exciting stuff. 6. My friend/coworker Martha inspires more every day to shut my yapper. 7. I don't like the rental house in which we currently live and I'm hoping we can be out of it by August. We'll see. 8. I started a new blog at Xanga and I really like it - better than Blogger - so we'll see which one I stay with. 9. I would love very much to get rid of our cats. They were fun till we had a baby, and now they are just eating, pooping, shedding, meowing machines. Their cuteness is greatly overshadowed by the amount of money and work it takes to keep them. 10. Last night I gave myself bangs. I'm still not sure if this was a wise decision, but too late now. Good thing hair grows. 11. I have discovered that the amount of laundry generated by a person is inversely proportional to their age, at least until they enter geriatric years, then it is likely to become directly proportional. 12. I could wallpaper a room with the credit card applications I get in the mail each month. 13. I have a huge inventory of Mary Kay products that I'm trying to get rid of. Half price. Links to other Thursday Thirteens!. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!) Emily tlc trinity13 Karen

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Change of Venue

So, Paul is changing jobs. He's leaving his current position and going to work for a competitor. It's good because it means we don't have to leave our friends and our church. We are expecting that he will be able to spend more time at home - there have been several days when he's only seen Jadyn 10 minutes all day, and that's hard on all of us.

Also, he is out of the hospital and doing fine. Hallelujah!

Life's Little Pauses

I've noticed that there are times in life when God is trying to get you to slow down a little and experience life rather than rushing through it. And sometimes God won't give you a choice.

Very early yesterday morning Paul woke up with a fever. Since he was an understudy for an actor in a skit at church, he felt compelled to get up and go anyway. After all, it was Easter Sunday and that's the ONE Sunday you're supposed to go to church, right? Anyway, I gave him some Tylenol and off he went. By the time Jadyn and I got there a few hours later, his fever had broken and it seemed like nothing more than a passing fluke.

Then at lunch he was dizzy and pale. That was a clue that I honestly should have taken more seriously.

So it was Sunday afternoon - family nap time. I woke up to the bed shaking - I don't mean just a little quiver, but like one of those vibrating beds that work by putting quarters in the little box. It was Paul, shivering like crazy. His fever had returned and it was climbing. Since it was Sunday and I live here in Outter Jabip, there are no "doc-in-the-box"es open anywhere.

Then I did something they tell you never ever to do. I woke the baby. I had to. Paul was getting worse and I wasn't sure he should be driving, so she would have to come with us.

Turns out Paul has cellulitis. He's had it before but never like this. He's been admitted to the local hospital and will be here 2 days at least, maybe 3.

Much thanks at this point to Jadyn's "aunt" Amy and her family for keeping Jadyn when I'm with Paul. Man, that's what small groups and community is all about.

So there's a lot of stuff not getting done right now. Laundry, cleaning, work stuff, life stuff. Time to slow down.

Blessed and Grateful

Today I am feeling very blessed and thankful for my life. I have been blogrolling - that's when you click the little "next blog" link at the top right of the screen, just to see what you'll find - and reading linked blogs from those I already read.

Some of the linked blogs are written by women still struggling with infertility. My heart goes out to them, as I remember those long and painful years of waiting and wondering and arguing and negotiating with God. Now that Jadyn is 7 months old, it almost feels like all those years it was someone else going through it. I'm a different person now in so many ways.

I came across a blog last night that had me bawling. Nova's Heart. It's the story of a little boy who was born with a congenital heart defect. God took him home at just 4 months old. He was so beautiful and my heart simply ached for his mother. I can't imagine having to go through something so awful. I cried at the very thought of losing Jadyn. Life would never be the same without her.

So today I am feeling very blessed that God sent us Jadyn and that she is vibrant and healthy and beautiful. I also recognize that she ultimately belongs to Him and if He wants her back, all I can do is trust in His love for both of us.

Spring into Summer

See the date? April 14, right? Supposedly this is spring, which is typified in most places by moderate temperatures. Yeah, well, not here. Today we were at Jadyn's first Easter Egg Hung (pictures to follow on her blog) and I was slathering her with WaterBabies sun block. Why? Because it's sunny and 89 degrees outside. And on Tuesday it will be 96. 96??? In the middle of April? Good grief! I think we skipped spring all together and have jumped right into summer.

I shudder to think what it will be like here in August. And the thought of our power bill as we run the air conditioning makes me quiver in terror.

So, if you're not down here in the gulf area like us, how's the climate where you are? Are you already having to crank up the AC and drink gallons of iced tea? Or are you still wearing sweaters and boots?

The Thing About Things

We have accumulated entirely too much stuff. Most of it was inherited. Some of it we purchased for ourselves. An increasing amount is for Jadyn. I don't get it. She's 2 feet tall - how come I am losing square footage like crazy to her stuff?!

First it was an entire room of furniture, which I completely understood. I never had new stuff as a kid so I wanted her to have a set all her own. But then there was the pack 'n play and swing. Then the portable swing. Then came the exersaucer. Then the high chair. Then the jumperoo. Good grief, it's no wonder I'm feeling like I live in Babies R Us!

I heard recently you can donate goods in value of up to half of your income every year as a tax break. Hmmm....I gotta get that value chart and get busy....

Deal or No Deal

Ok, so America's new favorite game show, Deal or No Deal, is our newest "appointment" tv show. Here's the deal.

There are 26 cases carried by impossibly, inhumanly beautiful women. There are varying amounts of money stashed in each case, from $.01 all the way to $1 million. The contestant chooses one case and keeps it. He is hoping that his case has the million in it. The only way to find out if that's true is to open the other cases. So the cases are opened at intervals (6 at a time, then 5, then 4, etc), and at these intervals, there is a banker who will make the contestant an offer to buy his case back. The banker is playing the odds so that he will pay the lowest amount possible. The contestant is hoping to open cases with small amounts, because at these intervals, the offers go up or down based on the odds of walking away with a lot of money. The contestant is asked, "Deal or no deal?" At this point he may say DEAL and accept the offer, or NO DEAL, at which point he needs to open another interval of cases.

The thing I like about this game is that it doesn't take any trivia knowledge or quick thinking or eating slimy things. It's about luck and timing. You open all small amounts, your offer goes up. You open big amounts, the bank offers you piddly amounts. And it's so easy to root for these folks who come on the show with support from friends and support and tell the host, Howie Mandel, about what they dream of doing with the money.

Anyway, if you haven't yet, I suggest checking it out. It's clean, fun and intense tv.