Thursday, October 30, 2008

This gap is driving me nuts!----------------------------------------------->

I am sort of a perfectionist. I like things organized and clean, and precisely placed. This little "marginal error" with my profile picture, has been messing with me. I spent days trying to figure out how to fix it with no results. Finally, I had my computer genius little brother fix it for me. It was wonderful. Relief from the torture of viewing my blog and being able to see nothing but a big space under my profile picture! I need it to line up perfectly!! :) Man, was that a problem solved.

The next day, it was back to this! This big gap is going to drive me into complete insanity for sure, and there is nothing I can do to fix it, unless I learn how to fix my html, and then do it every single day. What is with this? It began a couple of weeks ago. I hadn't made any big changes to my page or anything. My photo just decided to separate itself from my "about me" text. Is it ashamed of me? Is my blog trying to tell me something?

See.....I'm already a little more insane....I think my blog is trying to communicate with me!

p.s. My brother fixed the gap again, so this blog post might not make any sense to you. Let's hope it stays that way.

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Friday, October 24, 2008

It's an Alien!!

I realize that it has been awhile since I have talked about my pregnancy. I am entering my 7th month, and the baby is so much more active than ever before. I am always shocked to see my belly moving in all different directions. It really is like that scene in the movie Alien!! I think it is so awesome to watch, but if I could see exactly what the baby was doing in there, I might freak out. Sometimes I try to picture a little baby, stretching it's arms and legs, and spinning and turning. Ewwww.....oops, I mean...Awwww. It is beautiful and gross at the same time.

I am finally getting her crib tomorrow. It is my first item to fill the baby room. I spent months looking for the perfect crib, bedding and mattress. I found a fairly inexpensive all organic mattress online, and the site offered free shipping! Sweet! If anyone wants to know where I found it, let me know. I'm in major nesting mode, and it's great. I am getting so much done lately. My house has never been so clean and organized! Projects excite me. How long will it last? If I could only have this much energy all of the time! -sigh-

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Work Stinks!

I am a massage therapist. I work at a hotel and spa that is located five minutes from my home. It is very convenient. I don't love massage as a career, and it is not something I look forward to doing, but, it helps pay the bills. I NEED to work. Since I am part-time, I don't get maternity leave, so my plan was to try to work until I pop and then go back the week after. I don't know if I will be able to do this, it depends on my physical capabilities. Anyway, my husband and I need the money so badly right now, and can't afford for me to take time off.

Well, recently my work has been under new management. All of a sudden, what used to be the perfect part-time job for a mom, has turned hellish! Originally, we only had to come to work when there was an apppointment booked. If nothing books, we leave early, or come in late, it is wonderful. I was looking forward to coming home in between clients to be with my new baby. Unfortunately, that is all changing. Now, they are wanting their commission only employees to be at work for their entire shift, without hourly pay. They want us to go marketing around town in our down time.....WITHOUT PAY! This is ridiculous! I feel this is wrong in so many ways. I will not stand for it.

Now what do I do? I make a little money outside of that job, doing some side work, but not enough to pay my bills. I am so worried, because now I am going on 7 months pregnant, and desperately need to find a new place to work. I do not have a college degree, only a massage certification, so there is not much that I am qualified to do. Massage does however, allow me to work shorter hours with larger pay. In order to make what I make doing something else, I would have to work full-time.

I was really looking forward to having time to be with my baby. My dream is to be a stay-at-home mom, but I don't know if I will ever be able to do that. All of this is making me severely emotional. I really hate when things don't go according to plan! Argh.

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Friday, October 17, 2008

Chemical Free Kids

I am a big believer in all natural, organic product usage, especially when used on or around children. Our lives are bombarded by chemicals, in our shampoos, cleaning supplies, etc. I came across the book: Chemical Free Kids-Raising Healthy Children in a Toxic World by Dr. Sarah Lantz. I am ordering this book! You can only order it through the authors website, but check it out, it is very informative.

http://www.chemicalfreeparenting.com/

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A Case of the Blahs

Argh. I am having one of those days. Everything seems to feel more stressful today. Maybe it is the cloudy skies, or the brisk air that is making me want to stay in bed all day? This morning I was up at 5, trying desperately to get one more hour of sleep, but only thinking about bills.

So, I apologize for not having a great story for everyone today. Oh wait! I do have a short one:

The other day, a solicitor came to my house and asked me if my parents were home!! I know I look young, but seriously??

Argh! I hope this day gets better.

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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

A beautiful day.




Yesterday was the most perfect day. Sunny, not too hot, not too cold. Perfect. My husband and I decided to take our two little dogs for a walk in a nearby forest preserve. These are some photos from our adventure, and one more of my little Chihuahua because she looks so darn beautiful. She is a sun goddess.

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The MommaMissy Club

So, I decided to type MommaMissy into a google search. I actually thought that I would be the only person in existence who had come up with this name. Obviously, I was wrong. There are MommaMissy's everywhere, and I am nowhere to be found.

I know I am new to this whole "blog" thing, but really?? I was saddened by this. Do I need to come up with a new name for myself?? This name has a special place in my heart.

One of my favorite meals to prepare (which also happens to be one of the easiest!) is pasta. I make my own sauce, and my husband loves it. I pulled the basic recipe from the way my grandma used to make it, and jazzed it up bit. I am very proud of my sauce, and every time I make it, my husband exclaims in an obviously fake Italian accent "Momma Missy's paseta saucaaa!". It always makes me smile.

So, I have decided not to change my username, but instead to start a club....The MommaMissy Club. Anybody wanna join? :)

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Saturday, October 11, 2008

Oooops. A rant.

I don't want to bore you with my rant, but I do feel that I have something I need to get off of my chest.

Women have been working so hard to become equals. We wanted to have careers, be respected by our men, and our husbands.....etc. I get it.

I believe we have accomplished this. Some women hold down jobs, and some women have successful careers. But doesn't this make it difficult for women to have families too?? I think so, and I believe this is the reason:

Women changed their role, but men never changed theirs.

All we ended up doing was adding more work into our schedules. Like it wasn't hard enough being a housewife....now we have to be career women AND housewives if we decide to have a family. Sometimes I wish I had had the option to decide which one I wanted to be. Not many families can afford to have a mother stay at home anymore, and more and more children are spending the majority of their first years of life away from their parents. I am saddened by the way things have become.

Most men still believe women need to withhold their household duties. So, after a long day of work, men get to put their feet up, and women still have to be mom's and caretakers. I am not saying all men are like this....but many women that I have spoken to about this, do feel over worked and under appreciated. At first, I was upset at the men for being so arrogant, and thinking that they didn't have to cook or clean because it wasn't their job.....but, it isn't their fault at all. They are just maintaining their old fashioned role. A role that may have been taught to them by their parents, at a time when stay at home mom's were more common.

Now what do you we do? How can I get my husband to step outside of his role, and how can I balance the role of housewife, mom, and working woman, without losing my mind?

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Thursday, October 9, 2008

Random Morning Memories

OK. So, I had this perfect blog figured out at 4am, but now that it is 9am, I can't remember what it was about. It is this pregnancy amnesia thing I have been hearing about!

I was however, remembering the days of living in Chicago in my early twenties. I used to ride the red line train to the loop in the mornings. Now, the L train in the am, is something different than any other time of day. Everyone is silent, the air is filled with the smells of coffee and newspaper, and people are slowly falling back into a dreamy land of big yards and the sounds of birds instead of sirens. The train was wonderfully peaceful, with the exception of the hum of the train, and the occasional loud screech. It was comforting. Ah! no traffic and a comfy plastic seat. Fantastic!

But then, in the midst of my moments of peace, the door would open to the L car, and in would walk a homeless blind man, with his walking stick and plastic cup that had a small layer of change at the bottom.

"Good Morning Everyone!" he would yell, each word sounding like he was sounding it out slowly and perfectly, or as if he were reading it off of the backs of the sunglasses that covered his eyes.

"Can I have your attention.....please.?!" "I am homeless......". Ching, ching, ching, he would shake his cup and start to walk down the aisle. I would watch everyone around me turn stiff and bring their feet in as close to their bodies as possible. He would walk by, swaying his stick in wide figure eights, hoping to catch someones foot and know they were there to shake his cup at them. Everyone was tense, and never made eye contact with anyone else, especially the blind man, which is funny because he would never know if we had been staring.

Suddenly, everyone in the car had narcolepsy, and would have a sleep attack at the same time. The blind man would walk down the aisle, almost falling with every jerk of the train, repeating his lines "Good morning everyone". Finally he would reach the end of the car and touch the exit door handle. The passengers would wake up and go back to slouching and stretching their feet out into the aisle.

Then, oh wait, no!, he's turning around! Damn. Back to the fetal position, he's coming back again! I can't believe it.

He always got more money the second time around! Genius. He really had this down. If begging for money were a business, he would be corporate.

I never gave him money though, and I should have. The more I rode the train, the more I realized that everyone would be expecting him by a certain time. I started talking about him to my friends and they all knew who I was talking about...."the blind man on the red line in the morning", "Oh yeah, that guy!". He became part of my routine, a comfort of sorts.

I wonder if he still rides? I would love to find out. Although now, with the economy the way it is, he might have had to start working nights.

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Wednesday, October 8, 2008

All hail the natural birth!

I am keeping my fingers crossed. Let's keep praying that my delivery goes as quickly and easily as I am imagining it will. If I visualize it perfectly, maybe I can make it happen that way, right? Well, let's hope so.

I have much respect for women that make the choice to birth naturally, and stick to it in the moments where it feels like you are going to explode. There are some natural pain relief techniques that I am putting my hopes into, and I figure I should share them. In 4 months I will be able to test them, and let you know what worked for me and what didn't, that is if everything goes according to plan.

First of all, I highly recommend making a Birth Plan. I found a great template at justmommies.com , that will give you some guidance when coming up with one. I have an uncontrollable need for preparation.

I also suggest getting a book on herbal remedies for children. This will come in handy, and it takes away the need for doctors to gladly write out prescriptions for everything. The one that I purchased is called Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Zand. It is an A-Z reference guide that is super easy to follow. You might find you have just what the doctor ordered right in your own kitchen!

Massage, massage, massage. As a massage therapist, I completely understand the benefits of a good massage. During labor though, will it really help me relax? Here is a massage oil combination that is supposed to aid me in relaxation and help me gain confidence during labor. Simply add a few drops of jasmine oil into a tablespoon of a base oil (I find almond is best, but any oil will do, even olive oil). Start sitting down with your partner and figuring out what massage techniques feel good. Hands and feet are great areas that stimulate relaxation, the low back, and shoulders and neck. Shoulders and neck are most easily accessed when you can sit on a chair facing backwards.

Acupressure is something else I might be trying for pain relief. These points include the ear lobe, the point in between the thumb and index finger, all along the spine on the lower back, and the end of the little toe. Apply direct pressure to these points with your thumb.

Herbal medicines can also be taken. There is a wonderful list of them in the book Natural Mothering by Nicky Wesson. This book will be my natural birth bible. It is an all natural solution to everything labor related, and then some.


I am ready for my Lamaze class! I can't wait!

I need all the help I can get.

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Is it nine months, or nine days?


Ten months after this picture was taken, we began the adventure of a lifetime. Nine months of pregnancy sounded easy enough. I could not wait to get pregnant. Don't get me wrong...I am so fortunate. I love being pregnant, so why am I feeling so scared and stressed, instead of excited and ecstatic?

I am flooded with feelings. Nine months sounded like more than enough time to prepare for such a life changing event. In the beginning of my pregnancy, days felt like weeks. I could not wait to get a big round belly and feel the baby start to kick. Somehow, my life has fast forwarded to week 24, and I am not ready at all! I am not sure how I am supposed to turn into mommy 16 weeks from now! My thoughts are this: "AHHHHHHHH!"

My baby is kicking me because she knows I am talking about her, which she does often. I have no furniture, 2 outfits that are decorated with baby phrases, and an empty room that begs me to fill it as soon as possible. Where can I find that magical money tree?? Yes, to add to the stress of becoming a parent for the first time, knowing that I might need to use super absorbent paper towels as diapers is very unsettling. I have a feeling that everything will come together, but I can't shake the fear. Nine months of pregnancy is starting to feel like nine days of pregnancy. Before I know it, I will be blogging while the baby is napping (hopefully).

My determination for a natural birth is what I should be focusing on. Yet another thing to plan and prepare for. I have 4 more months to sleep late and sit on the couch for extended periods of time, then it is Momma Missy for the rest of my life.

I am starting to wonder how women get through this. There is so much time to wonder and analyze how things might be, and I really have absolutely no idea what it will all be like. The anticipation is killing me, but at the same time, I think I can wait.

Am I a pregnant mess, or what?!

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