Summer Fun

Well it's beginning to look like Summer is here, yay! Hubby is working lots and very long days which is great although sometimes it feel like I never get a break. We finally made a purchase of a new vehicle so I am no longer stuck at home or only with activities within walking distance. Since we have purchased the car I feel like we have been going no stop though catching up on a bunch of visiting and things that have been put off. There is one trip that we haven't made yet and it makes me anxious even thinking about it and discussing it with hubby causes an argument...my dad's.

I have the daughter guilt...it is the worst. I want to go and get it over with but in the same sense I am not looking forward to the lectures I will be getting, cause there is no way they will ever not bitch about how I have not brought my daughter out, how I am still breastfeeding, how we are too overprotective etc. It wouldn't be them if I didn't hear them complaining about how everyone does them wrong.

I also have the wife guilt...do I disrespect my husband wishes because I should have a say too? When his mom was alive we didn't take our daughter there because we didn't want her around the smoke and his mom had stuff laying around that we wouldn't want our daughter to get a hold of, and his mom was more then okay coming to our house, she never once moaned and groaned about coming to our place cause she got to see her granddaughter, yet we get the exact opposite from my family. Not to mention the whole dog thing...hubby is terrified that our wishes won't be respected and that the dogs will be brought out and then we will be leaving on bad terms.

I always feel like I am torn when it comes to this situation, one, I don't want to have to choose, two, I am not a child anymore I don't need to be lectured and three, times have changed, what worked for them and their child (my half brother) is not what I want for my child.

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Election Time

Well the time is coming near where we have to make a choice as to who we want to run our province and I am at a loss... Who to chose?

The Liberals:
They have some major mistakes under their belt in the last two years as our government, billion dollar mistakes...but they seem like they are on a path to try and redeem themselves well at least not get any worse.

The NDP:
Used to be my favourite party under Jack Layton but Andrea Horwath just doesn't seem like a go getter. She just doesn't seem to be fighting very hard and at times seems like she only makes changes when she is pressured to do so.

The PC:
Oh god I don't even know where to start with this one... Okay I do :) Tim Hudak creeps me out, just something about him doesn't seem trust worthy. There are so many other battles that could have been picked before the election was called and it just seemed like his dramatics with libel suits and calling names covered up what was really going on. Since the calling of the election he was the first one with a platform which he should have thought more carefully about because this Million Jobs idea SUCKS!! Cut 100,000 jobs and then you have those people now trying to get these jobs that he is creating and those numbers are still a figment or imagination right now.

My Opinion:
What we need are jobs yes...lots of them but we also need to make sure that the people who have these government jobs are being held accountable and that they are doing the work that is expected of them, otherwise free that position up to someone who is willing to do the job. Over the years you see many people who have been burnt out working hard taking on extra tasks to keep their jobs so that they can afford to live, why aren't we looking at the cost of living?

Healthcare is another issue, I live in a town where we have one walk in clinic for over 100,000 people, in the event of an emergency we might as well just head to the hospital cause we have a better chance of getting seen. Our family doctor is fantastic thankfully and his appointment system allows for us to drop in most days, but for other we know that is not an option they have to wait weeks or hope they can get to the walk-in an hour before it opens.

These are just a few thoughts, my thoughts... I just don't know which way to go it feels like I don't have many options maybe something miraculous will happen in the next two weeks to sway my vote one way or the other.

Trying to feel pretty again...

Well I am doing my best to feel somewhat normal again since having my daughter almost 2 years ago, it is not easy. I see celebrity mom's looking fantastic a week after giving birth and I am envious but then I remember that I don't have lots of money for a home gym and a personal trainer.

So recently I went out got my hair cut shorter and put in some highlights. I am trying to get motivated to get out walking more and eating better to lose some weight. While putting my plan into motion I was given the opportunity to try  new #imPressManicure nails from Influenster and BroadwayNails. I don't have time to go to a nail salon and get my nails done and from having had them done before I know the pain and cost of having them filled and removed.

Here is my experience with my #imPressManicure...

Received my sample in the mail Friday and after reading direction I decided to apply them after my daughter had gone to bed as it says not to expose them to water for at least 30 minutes and with a toddler I am constantly washing something. Application was easy and took very little time.

Saturday Morning we had plans to drive to the next city over and visit some friends and family while getting in a little shopping. Chasing after my toddler all day I didn't lose a single nail and they still felt very firmly attached.

Sunday I took my daughter to the zoo and to visit more friends, still throughout the day they were fine. After a very messy dinner I hauled my daughter off to the bath which was a marathon bath was probably playing in the bath for over a half hour. After my daughter went to bed I noticed one nail was starting to lift so I decided to remove them which was super easy. I didn't even need chemicals nor did my fingers feel bruised like with salon nails when they pull off.

All in all I found the quality to be fantastic, received many compliments on the nails and the design. I recommend these to anyone who wants the look of salon nails without all the cost and hassle of having to go to the salon, or someone who wants temporary nails. As a mom of a busy toddler they were great and didn't scratch my daughter. She wants to put them on now! :)

Home Again...

Stay-at-Home Mom Part II

Well my turn at going back to work was short lived...hubby went back to work and is commuting almost an hour away and with his hours and my hours daycare just wasn't an option.

I am so happy to be at home again but now it is a matter of finding some income while working at home. Everyone always suggests taking in people's kids but I am just not in a space where that would be good for them (no fenced yard, busy street) that and I have a hard enough time keeping my own daughter busy.

So what we've been up to...we spent the last two weeks being sick and recovering. DD was suppose to go have her dental work done but that got rescheduled until July because the anesthesiologist doesn't want to do when she is under two. We are still working on getting DD to talk more but she likes to do more actions and sounds then talking, lol. When I tell her to say the word she just smiles at me and laughs so at least I know she understands me. I am not going to worry too much yet and hopefully she will come around soon. With me being home I am going to try and take more opportunities to get her our socializing and maybe that will get her talking more.

In sad news...

Hubby's mom passed away in February...he found her and is still trying to deal with it. He is constantly worried about his own mortality and leaving us behind. I don't know how much help I am because it is not a topic I want to think about often. The good thing that came out of it is that he is back in contact with some of his family and we will hopefully be spending Easter with his sister.

My Family Drama...

Well my dad and step-mom came to the funeral to show support which they did for hubby but me I got a lecture...I was truly pissed off and still kind of am. I got told how I am doing my daughter a disservice cause she doesn't go out, so they think cause we don't go to their house. DD did not want to go to them and played shy because she doesn't know them, I mentioned that they were always more then welcome to stop by (this is the first time we have seen them since just after DD birthday in June) but my dad says he doesn't want to come sit around my place there is more to do at his place yet all we do is sit around when I have visited him and I told him that.

I don't know what more to do with them, I want them to be a part of her life but I can't deal with being lectured at every opportunity. I can't believe it is come down to this, they won't be a part of her life if we don't go out there, and this stubbornness is why they don't have a relationship with their other grand kids.

Co-Sleeping

Alright I am just going to put it out there...we co-sleep with our daughter and we are fine with it. If your not okay with it then that is your problem. I am so sick of anytime I say I am having issues with DD's sleep pattern everyone always says "is she still sleeping in your bed?"

First off that is not what is the issue, she sleeps fine in our bed it's just getting her to nap that is the issue it's the fact that she would rather nap at 4 pm (or later) and then stay up all night. Why does her sleeping in our bed have to be the cause or to blame? I feel like it is just another battle of parenthood that I am having to deal with and frankly I am getting sick of it.

If it's not the co-sleeping, it is the breastfeeding and if not that it's that she is very attached to me and my spouse. I know I had all these fantastic ideas of how things would be, but there not and at the end of the day my baby is happy and healthy, she would warm up to people more if she saw them more often and if they just gave her time to warm up to them rather then just writing her off and calling her a "sucky baby".

Do I just surround myself with overly opinionated people or is this a normal trial of parenthood?

Back to Work

Well for financial reason I have had to venture back into the workforce, not exactly excited about it but I will do whatever I have to do support my family.

I am still breastfeeding and so far it has been not too bad cause I am working midnights. She takes a while to get to sleep at night but hubby has been averaging 9:30-10:30 which is pretty good considering she usually goes to sleep on the breast.

We have gotten her teeth situation on the go as well and she goes into get the work done on March 25th. We are a little more relaxed knowing that the dental office we are going to has the Chief of Anesthesiology as the person who will look after that.

It has also been a busy month as my hubby has had a loss in his life. This past Friday he had stopped over to see his mother as he often did and found her deceased. It has been difficult for him but I can only hope that the reconciliation with his family will help him get through this. I suspect that he will have a rough week coming as he finalizes clearing out her apartment.

Anyways have to get ready for work but I thought I would write a quick update for everyone. :)

Overprotective?

Why is it when I don't want to take DD to family members houses or let them babysit (while I go no where) they call me overprotective?  I have no need to leave her with people as this is the reason I chose to be a stay at home mom while I can. She is also only 18 months! Not exactly sleepover age.

 I find it easier to have people over to my place where I know what she is into and I have child locks on everything. She is also at a stage where she is shy around everyone and doesn't want to go to people she rarely sees but I am "spoiling her" or she is being miserable. Let's not forget that I am still breastfeeding and that "should be stopped for everyone sake" even though it is recommended to 2 years and is very good for her health-wise and is only non sociable because people are uneducated.

Some of my family stop visiting because they just forget to stop by, apparently, but if you want to be a part of your granddaughters life why wouldn't you make the effort whether or not it means you have to go out of your way? I am the bad person for not taking her places too when we only have one vehicle and and it's not here most of the time. I can call and ask for rides but then I need the carseat which is in our one vehicle and I don't like to be a bother and when I want to go home I have to wait until whomever is ready.

I feel like it is a constant battle as to what we did when we were being raised and what people did with their kids and well "nothing bad happened to them". Also just cause you won't smoke when she is there the fact that you do smoke in your house means there is nicotine and other toxins on the stuff in your house. I know this as I was a smoker before too, and I don't want my daughter around it, she deserves better then what we had as kids.

I can't wait for the holidays to be over...

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