My little guy is almost 2!

On Thursday we officially enter the terrible twos. YAY! I'm actually excited! Lately, I've been relishing the challenge of figuring out how to reason and discipline Dominic. (yes, I have no life) Each time I do something right, and Dominic seems to understand and is on the same page, I get so excited. I must be a pretty good mom. I know there will be (and have been) days where nothing seems to go right and I want to have tantrum right along side Dominic, but I will have to remember the little steps we have taken in the right direction.
He's growing up so fast. Before you know it, he'll be in preschool, and then kindergarten, and we'll stop right there for now.

Holidays and Illnesses

Why are the holidays right smack in the middle of cold and flu season? Not only is it inconvienent to travel (with the possibility of snow and ice), families get together in one big room and share all their germs with each other. Dominic is going through all types of symptoms. He had a fever for 36 hours, then he vomited one morning, now he's working on cold symptoms. He has the runniest nose ever (for the past 24 hours) and now he's developing a cough. Pain in my patookis! (you can tell I'm trying to cut out the cussing) I feel so bad for the little guy. He won't eat or sleep and when he cries it makes him more miserable (since he is so congested), but there is little else he can do. I am not a fan of the post holiday illness. And we still have Christmas coming. It'll be great, Dominic will finally be healthy by Christmas and we'll have to start all over again.
As I've said before, such is life!

Struggling with a toddler

How do you tell the difference between your child ignoring you and a hearing loss? Should I really expect him to listen to me at age 22 months? Am I expecting too much already? My main concern is the random running away from me. It's great that he is gaining independence, but shouldn't he be able to understand that when I say "stop, turn around, and come back"? Does he understand and he's just testing his boundaries? Do I punish him for not listening? And if I do, what is an appropriate punishment for his age? It's very frustrating right now.
The crazy thing is, this is my favorite age. I love watching him learn things and do things on his own. I love the excitement when he discovers something new. I love that when he's in the middle of doing something he suddenly decides he needs to give me a hug and kiss. He is the best kid in the world (could I be biased...nah) and I love him so much! I just wish it was easier to make him listen.
Oh, well. Such is life.

a lumpy mess

I got the lump removed from my breast a couple of weeks ago. The surgery was pretty easy (I didn't even have to go under) and I recovered really quickly. My only issue was that I wasn't allowed to carry over 10 lbs. Well, my son is pushing 30 lbs. and he wasn't a fan of me not picking him up. I have discovered my son's true temper. He never really had a temper tantrum before (well, I thought he had, but to my dismay, I found out his tantrums could be worse). Oh, well, such is life.
Now, I've found another lump in my shin. I found one earlier this spring, and the doctor wasn't concerned, so I've ignored it. Now I found another small lump about 2-3 inches below the other one. I just got rid of one lump and now another one has to appear. Seriously? Right now I'm more annoyed then anything. I'm not a fan of random things that don't belong growing inside me.

Sahm too "financially dependent"

My blood was boiling this morning when this woman who wrote "The Feminine Mistake" and said that stay at home moms are too financially dependent on their man and are statistically more sick and depressed then working moms. She pretty much said that your childrens' lives shouldn't come first, or even second. She made it sound like that even if you decide to work part time, but your husband is the breadwinner, you are an idiot. I was sooooo pissed.
One, just because I don't actually make the money, doesn't mean I suddenly became an idiot. I may be financially dependent, but I am financially responsible. I know where every penny is spent and saved. If my husband left me (by either of the dreaded d's--death or divorce), I have a plan in my head in place, knowing how distraught I would be if either happened.
And where did she get a statistic that sahm are more depressed and sick? What a stupid statistic! I know too many working moms who would love to stay at home with their kids. I know I am incredibly lucky to be able to spend so much time with my son. Of course I have those days when I wish I had a job to go to, but we all have days when we wish we were not doing what we do.
I'm not saying that being a sahm is for everyone. Every mom knows what is best for her family. Don't listen to the so called "experts" who think they can write books on the subject, just do what you do best and love your kids.
I'm officially off my soapbox now.

29 and getting a mammogram

Tomorrow I'm getting a mammogram for the 3 (yes freakin count them--3) lumps the doctor found in my breasts today. I had only found the 1. More then likely they will be benign masses, but I still have random things growing inside me. I'll have a surgical consult in a week as well. I really don't know what I'll do. I guess I just have to find out what the lumps are and whether surgery is really an option. I want to have more kids and I want to be able to nurse them. After I'm done having kids, I could really care less about my boobs. If they need to go, then so be it.

Crazy day

We went to my in-laws this weekend. The weekend was ok, but the drive home was disasterous. Dominic was acting a little clingy and crabby, but I assumed it was because he was tired and needed to be home. Not more than an hour into the trip, he threw up...and threw up. How that much puke could come out of such a tiny tummy I will never understand. Luckily, we weren't in the boonies yet and pulled off the interstate and cleaned him and the car and carseat at a truck stop/gas station. Its ironic that a truck stop with showers has no towels. They didn't even have paper towels for sale. Needless to say, we used up all the paper towels in the mens and womens restrooms. Meanwhile, Dominic thinks he feels better and wants to run around. Then hour 2 (I guess hour 3, since it took an hour to clean the car and Dominic, and get gas), I sit in back with Dominic and I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach. I'm thinking "Great, now I'm going to get sick" Tony keeps driving and I just look to the horizon, since I sometimes feel carsick (but really haven't since I was a kid). We stop for lunch, and I find out why I feel lousy--I got my period. YUCK! So I drove the last 3 hours with my heated seats (to help with my lower back pain) and the a/c blasting. With an hour left, Dominic decided to scream continuously while we were stuck behind a guy driving 50 mph. Yikes! What finally calmed Dominic down was the Barenaked Ladies childrens album "Snacktime" He loves it! And its hilarious! One of my favorite songs is "Raisins" It begins "Raisins come from grapes; people come from apes; I come from Canada." It's goofy fun. I highly recommend it. Thank you BNL!!!
We finally got home and its been uneventful since. Hopefully it stays that way.

A woman VP?

As I was watching Y & R today, CBS came in with the report that John McCain had picked his VP. I was a little upset since I wanted to know if Victor was alive, but since I've decided to pick who I would vote for president, by their choice of running mate, I got over it quickly. Then they announced that Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, was McCain's choice. Who?? From where?? I'm so confused.
As I listened to her speak, many thoughts went through my mind. 1) Wow, she's green (and not environmentally) 2) She seems likable 3) She's going to run around the country campaigning with a 4 month old, with down's--sounds tough 4) Can she really get Hilary supporters?
I think I kind of like her. The problem is the I think part. I really don't know a lot about her and I'm not sure if 2 months of campaigning will give me enough info. To be honest, McCain is pretty old and if he dies in office, is Sarah Palin ready to take over? I don't have enough info yet.