Now Wandering Through the Land of Erin...

My Mom has said hello to the world of Technology!
Welcome, Mom!!!!

She has an email account too!!!

And She reads my blog!

It all started when she got a new laptop after Thanksgiving. It's beautiful. 17" screen... so nice! Anyway, she's been getting on the Internet and looking at QVC and playing all sorts of games.

Her ultimate goal is for us to all get web cams and then we can "Skype" back and forth. (Not sure if I spelled Skype right, but for people like me... it's web chatting.)

So... my mom is now on line. :) And when I was last home, we logged onto Facebook so she could check out all of our photos (especially my brother's) and see what my aunts and cousins were up to in Texas. Then she said she wanted to see my blog. So I showed her. And she seemed interested. Then she was like, "Well, how am I going to find this again." I added it to her "Favorites."

So... time goes by and Mom and I are talking on the phone like we do every day (yes, I talk to my mom every single day if possible. I remember my mom calling her mom every day. It's what we do. And I think I am better for it.) And she mentions my blog. I tell her to look it up. She says she doesn't know how. I gently remind her of her Favorites side bar. "Ok," she says. Onto another topic.

I called Wednesday. She and my Aunt Linda were reading my blog! Apparently they enjoy it now that Mom can find it. :) It's a discussion topic. Ah... technology is a beautiful thing. And what they say about new tricks... anything's possible. My mom wants us all to have web cams after all.

Welcome to the Land of Erin, Mom and Aunt Linda!!!! So glad you could join the party!!!

Thank God...

I used to wonder if I was being paranoid.

I read all of the research I could find on SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.) It was an unknown cause of death in a baby. They go to sleep and never wake up again. It's like the Native American belief that your spirit travels while you sleep... except that these little babies forget to come home and instead head north, to Heaven. And you hope that's exactly what happens, that the tiny soul sees a light, becomes distracted, heads towards the light and are enveloped in loving arms to be taken care of until their parents can hold them again.

When Weston was baking away in my womb, I worried every single day about his health. If my diabetes was hurting him more than it was hurting me. If he wasn't kicking enough, I'd roll around or poke him until he responded back. I read everything I could find on SIDS. One of my classmates told me never to get the monitors with video, because I would spend all night watching him sleep once he arrived. So... in accordance with my paranoia, we purchased an Angel monitor system, 2 monitors for the parents, a base for his room, and a special pad that sits under his crib mattress. This special pad monitors the baby's breathing, if no breathing movements are detected under the mattress for 20 seconds, then all the alarms scream. I know... it's gone off multiple times because we forget to turn it off when we pick him up or his wiggles his way so far into the corner that he's out of range. (We've moved the pad higher up to avoid his wiggles.) I am grateful everyday for this monitor. When he's asleep we keep the house between 63 and 68 degrees, no crib bumpers, no puffy blankets or loose clothing. We followed all the rules to avoid SIDS. And I am so grateful that they worked.

But... then again, who knows what could have happened? SIDS is given as an answer whenever there is no reason for a baby to have passed away in his/her sleep. Why am I writing all this? Today of all days? A friend's neighbor's 4 month old daughter went down for her nap at daycare on Monday. She never woke up. The obituary is beautiful, even if it should never have existed. Her parents and my friend now have to explain to two three-year-old little boys what happened to this baby and where she went. Her family will always be missing a piece of their world. They will always wonder... what she'd look like, grow up to be, what her laugh would sound like as a toddler?

The passing of this little girl makes me so incredibly sad. For her mother, I could cry for days just for her mother. Her little brother will be so confused. This baby lived in a very close neighborhood. Her loss will be felt by so many.

Her passing also makes me look at Weston. I have been getting so frustrated with him lately. The constant whining and tantrums, the crying... it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how exhausted I am. Or how stressed I am. None of it matters. Because I have my little boy today. I get to talk to him, have him throw himself at me when I get to daycare, and he can run his cars up and down my body going "Beee...beee...beee" as much as he wants. I am so very lucky to have him. And I will strive every single day to remember that.

Tah-dah!

So... I had to get a new phone. My old phone kept turning itself off randomly when it was slid open or closed, and the battery only lasted 10-12 hours when fully charged. I took it in, and was told I would need a new battery at $50 or I could call insurance and spend $50 on the deductible for a new battery and maybe a new phone. Or I can upgrade my plan, extend my contract 2 more years and get a new phone.

I chose the new phone.

(Look! It's got a Qwerty keypad! Like the big kids have!)

A new battery in the old phone would not have fixed the problems. My old phone was discontinued, so the insurance possibility was a refurbished phone... um, no.

So, I stopped by the store, had a nice chat with the Drake Poli-Sci Senior, and picked out a new phone. In red. Which apparently, red is not a preferred color; most people want blue. eew. I originally was looking at a phone with a touch screen... it was pretty cool. And apparently if I got a bundle pack (Bluetooth earpiece, case, and car charger - all needed) then I got the phone for free (without any mail-in rebates, etc.) Phew. Well... here's why I didn't get the touch phone. Other than the touch screen, it was pretty much the same as this Pantech Reveal. So here are the major differences according to the Drake Senior:

1. Samsung Touch Screen Bundle cost: $120. Pantech Reveal Bundle cost: $70.

That's a huge difference. $50... That's dinner at Ohana Steakhouse for Scott and I with tax before tip. No drinks.

2. Drake Senior had met Weston. He heard about my text-fiend 17-month old. He said that a touch screen may not be the best idea for Weston. It probably wouldn't last long.

Hmmmm... $50 more and $50 every time I'd have to file an insurance claim because Weston broke the touch screen?

Choice made.

Hello Pantech Reveal in Red. I'm your new Mommy.

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Do you like the glitter?

Cause I do.

I think it's Fabulous!

We're on our Way!

Scott and I are each getting versions of this. But we haven't exactly got the "HI!" yet. Though Weston has improvised with, "Mommi-Ami" - I'm Japanese now. :)

so long tree... Hellllooo Castle Weston!

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I had 4 goals this weekend.

1. Remove all Christmas from our house and reorganize in totes to be placed back into the garage for storage. (The Christmas tree would be in it's own tote.)

2. Put away all of Weston's old (too young) toys while he's napping and put half his toys in his trunk, thus beginning the toy rotation process.

3. Put away all of Weston's clothes that he has outgrown. Anything 12 months and smaller goes into the green totes.

4. Make a decision about how to spend my birthday money: bling or body?

I accomplished only 1.5 of these goals in 3 days. Sad. I know.

1. We got the tree down and put away - mostly. The bottom of the tree is too long for the largest Rubbermaid-ish container than Walmart had. (How is it that fake trees can outgrow their boxes?) hmm... ok. Also, It got too dark for Scott to put everything up in the garage, so we have Rubbermaids scattered in the spare room and the garage.

2 and 3. I tried to put Weston's toys away. It doesn't work. The minute he sees you putting something in a box, he wants it. Now. He will play with it forever. So, I needed to do this while he was asleep. He took naps Saturday, but we were running around town. And then he napped yesterday while I was at brunch with my sorority sisters. (Yes, I said brunch. Doesn't it sound fabulous? It felt fabulous and tasted fabulous. The only thing to make it better would have been Mimosas, but at $4.50 each and tons of carbs, I didn't do it.) And Weston would not go to sleep, so the toys are still out. I never even made it into his room to do his clothes. Not once. I can't even remember changing more than 2 or 3 diapers this weekend. Obviously my husband rocks.

2a. I put up the Castle that my parents got Weston for Christmas. It's a tower, about 4' across. It's taken the place of the tree and it's pretty cool.

4. My birthday money... I spent the weekend looking for a Wii Fit Plus. After being denied by Walmart in Altoona and Sam's Club, I was starting to feel like this was a sign that I should get the Bling. But then, after brunch, I stopped by the Super Target in Urbandale. They had 7 Wii Fit systems. And a new U2's greatest Hits, U218 Singles, which is super-fab. It has all of the songs I know, and none that I don't. Since this is one of the 3 super cds that I need to complete my ultimate Nostalgia Collection, I took this as a sign to buy the Wii Fit and listen to my iPod while working out. :)

So... we now have a 5' tall, 4' wide Castle tower in our living room amongst the scattered toys. Once this is either cleaned up or shoved to the side, I am hooking up the Wii Fit. And I will blog about my usage. I will. Because I am going to use it. My Bling money has to make a difference somewhere if not on my wrist!

More Flair

I made Shannon send me more pictures of her Flair gifts. I really think she should go into business, and that it should be called Flair!

Hmmm... maybe we could do something together. She makes the gifts and I do the invites, stationary and cakes. And our friend Jason could be the event photographer. I'm seeing all sorts of fun here!

Anyway, here are some more examples:

Shannon made this for Weston for Christmas! Love it!
This was made for a baby Hawkeye who lives in another state.

Shannon is a Social Worker (Advocate) by day. She made DV Awareness shirts to be worn in display windows around Des Moines. They made a huge statement.

Another of the DV (domestic Violence) recognition shirts.

For her Secret Santa gift, Shannon branched into decorating Coffee Mugs. Pretty cool, and considering what I paid for a fancy decorated mug from a local shop in Des Moines, pretty cost effective too.