Monday, April 27, 2009

Confessions of a Bed-Wetter

I know what you’re thinking. She’s pregnant and she’s now wetting the bed. Um… NO. And, if that were the case, trust me- I wouldn’t be posting it on the internet. That would definitely fall under the TMI category. You’re welcome. Just so we’re clear- I’m not currently peeing in the bed.

Now….

Jon and I were discussing the baby having hiccups in utero.

Me: My daddy used to scare me by yelling at me for something I didn’t do. That was his way of getting rid of my hiccups. Of course, he also used to spank me for wetting the bed.

Jon: You were a bed-wetter?

Me: Yeah, until I was six. I think it had something to do with having to share a bed with my two sisters.

Jon: So, that was your way of marking your territory?

Me: I guess so. We moved and I stopped wetting the bed.

Jon: You were a bed-wetter… wow, I’m learning all kinds of deep, dark secrets about you.

Me: I wouldn’t really call it a deep, dark secret. It’s just not something that comes up in conversation.

Jon (re-enacting an early date conversation): So, what kinds of things do you like do? Well, I wet the bed when I was a kid.

Me: Exactly.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Egging My Own House

Something has happened to me during the last several months of pregnancy. I’ve gotten lazier. The piles of laundry are higher, the layers of dust thicker, and there are more piles of clutter in my house. My once task-oriented, productive personality has been replaced with someone who would rather lie on the couch, eat ice cream and watch TV. I still make the bed every morning (I haven’t gone THAT crazy), but my “neat freak” tendencies have been put on the back burner. Don’t get me wrong, it still makes me twitchy to see the light from the TV reflect off the table dust and my skin still crawls in the midst of a room full of clutter. It’s just that finding the energy to do anything about it is nearly impossible.

Honestly, I don’t tolerate lazy very well, in myself or in others. So, I’m starting to feel judgmental about my own. I know I’m eight months pregnant, but some women are still playing tennis and snow skiing at this point. A little housework doesn’t seem like too lofty a goal.

Yesterday, I decided to motivate myself back into a productive lifestyle… right after a short nap when I got home from work. I allowed myself 30-40 minutes to rest when I got home, then I got busy. One of the obstacles I’ve felt is being too overwhelmed with the amount of stuff there is to constantly do at home. I feel like it takes hours of my time to make any headway. So, I tried a new strategy. I threw some laundry in the washer, grabbed the egg timer from the kitchen, went to the bedroom and set it for 15 minutes. In that time, I made the bed (from my nap), picked up all the clutter, dusted the furniture, and vacuumed the floor and baseboards. The ticking of the egg timer kept me on task so I wouldn’t get side tracked (deciding it would be a good time to flip through that magazine beside the bed). In 15 minutes, the bedroom was clean!

Next, I tackled the bathroom. Let’s face it- if you’re going to spend extra time cleaning anywhere, it should be the bathroom. So, I gave myself 20 minutes there- that included cleaning the shower/tub. It was then time to cook dinner, so I moved to the kitchen. Since the laundry had finished in the washer, I loaded and started the dishwasher. Then, I started dinner. As dinner cooked, I cleaned the kitchen and accomplished both tasks at once. I decided that was enough productivity for one day, so we ate dinner off of paper plates (something we may be doing more often). Even though I didn’t clean the entire house, it felt good to have some rooms cleaned and I can do the others in the next couple of days. I’ll be using the egg timer again as a motivator. If you have some cleaning strategies that work for you, I’d love to know what they are. Who knows, I may find my inner “neat freak” again!

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Putting the Foot Down on Weird!

One of my co-workers e-mailed this to the staff. It’s so weird that I had to share it with all of you. I didn’t believe it at first and had to actually watch my foot to make sure it was happening. Have fun.


This will boggle your mind and it will keep you trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but you can't. It's programmed in your brain!

1. Without anyone watching you (or with someone watching you if you don’t mind looking crazy) and while sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and move it clockwise in circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.


I keep thinking I can outsmart my foot, but even pregnancy brain is no excuse on this one.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Two Funny Bunnies

There are many reasons this week is special- the least meaningful of which is that I get to pull out my favorite Easter-related cartoons.

This is my favorite.

And what's not funny about this?


For the record- my Holy Week/Easter reflections and celebrations aren't all this shallow. But, I'm also not above laughing at an Egg Ho cartoon. Happy Easter.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Is 37 the new 90?

Today is my 37th birthday. I could feel discouraged with the thought of drawing another year closer to 40, but I haven’t. I still feel young, am healthy, and I’m pregnant for the first time and have felt great throughout the pregnancy. Jon and I recently went through physicals for a new life insurance policy and I received “preferred” status, which gave me a significantly lower premium. So, I’ve been feeling pretty good about myself.

Until this came in the mail yesterday…



Now seriously. I know that I’m moving around a little slower these days, but that’s what being 7 months pregnant and carrying around an extra 30 pounds of weight will do to you. I CAN still GET around. I initially thought the flyer was some kind of mailing resulting from our life insurance policy, but then I noticed it was addressed to my maiden name. Someone said, “at least it’s not from AARP.” Is that a good thing? AARP would just imply I was old- this implies I’m old AND immobile.

Here are some quotes from the flyer: (these are some gems)

“Make breakfast in the kitchen, go outside and get the newspaper… it’s always a good morning once you call The SCOOTER Store.”

“Visit the neighbors, play with your grandchildren, work in the garden… go to church without feeling like a bother to friends or family.”

“Go out to dinner, attend evening events, be part of life’s celebrations… at The SCOOTER Store we can make it happen!”

Happy Birthday to me.