This and That and Some Other Stuff

Posted on September 15, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

We’ve been without pacifier since Friday. I didn’t expect to just pull it away from Libbie completely; however, like her mother, I think she doesn’t understand things in small quantities. I know as soon as she sees a paci again it will be all she talks about. So we just cut it off cold turkey.

It has not been a walk in the park.

She (technically) only had it for naptime and bedtime since 12 months (when I wrote this post). But lately it seemed like she was asking for it ALL THE TIME. I was exasperated. So we told her, “Pacifiers are for babies” and took it away.

It’s night 6 … and she’s wailing in the crib. I want to cry too.

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And now, for a few things that will make me some pennies but hopefully be helpful to you, more importantly!

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Savvy Source is sort of like Groupon, only aimed entirely to family-friendly activities. They’ve just launched their program in 20 cities. Not Chattanooga, of course (sigh), but the cities do include Nashville and Atlanta. These offers last a few days and give you a good discount on some great family-friendly activities in your city (or a city near you)! You can sign up to get emails when new offers are available.

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I LOVE Heavenly Homemakers. Laura is an incredible, godly woman who also happens to be raising (and homeschooling) four sons AND feeding all of them whole foods. Right now, she’s offering her e-book on Gardening and Preserving the Harvest for just $5! So if you’re into canning … as I one day hope to be … I know it’s a great resource from a great person. Use the code PRESERVE at check-out.

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I thank you for your continued support here at Vanderbilt Wife. I appreciate every time you click on one of those affiliate links! Because it helps pay the bills in a little bitty way. But more, I appreciate your emotional support when I write stuff like this and don’t even know what I’m trying to say. Y’all are awesome.

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In case you missed me chatting about these on Facebook or Twitter, I had two guest posts up yesterday at two sites that mean a lot to me! The first was a sort-of testimony at (in)courage, a blog I just adore. Secondly, I talked about being a new mom and needing a mentor at the ParentLife blog. You need to click over to that post just to see the picture of days-old Libbie with a scrunchy sleepy face. But it’s also important because I am now MANAGING their blog! It’s been very exciting and fun, and I hope you’ll subscribe to see all the great parenting advice flowing from there.

I think that’s PROBABLY enough jibber-jabber for tonight. Thanks for putting up with me.

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I Miss Back Then (?)

Posted on September 13, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

Do you remember back when you could sleep as long as you wanted on Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon?

When you could eat breakfast without little hands grabbing for it, even though they’ve just eaten everything else in the refrigerator? Back when I was pregnant with Libbie, I never would have imagined not fueling up for the rest of the day. I was hungry, therefore I ate. Now, sometimes it’s too much trouble to take three bites of a granola bar.

When you could fit two or even three people in the backseat of your car, you didn’t have to pack diapers to leave the house, and cutting through the living room did not involve wading through a sea of Little People, blankets, puzzle pieces, and baby dolls?

Laundry day was once a week, you wore clean clothes and high heels to the office, and the words pacifier weaning (or blankie weaning) had never crossed your mind.

You were never embarrassed because your child was trying to climb on the table at a Mexican restaurant while wailing at the top of her lungs (not that it’s ever happened to us … yesterday).

And yet

And yet ….

There were no sloppy wet kisses on the lips, or after-bath bear hugs, or tiny toes to tickle.

You didn’t spend half the day laughing at a toddler learning to talk and her hilarious combination of words into sentences.

You and your spouse didn’t look at each other with amazed smiles, thinking, “THIS is a combination of our DNAs. We sort-of MADE this little, laughing, wriggly thing.”

What did we laugh about as we fell asleep? Whose shoes were we constantly searching for? And why, on God’s green earth, wasn’t my house clean?

Some days, the Old Life seems peachy-keen. But I’ll take this side any day. There’s a lot more laughing, a lot more love, and a lot more pink.

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Notes to My 23-Week-Pregnant Self

Posted on August 27, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

1. Eat. Please eat! Yes, I know you have a toddler running around like a crazy person. But forgetting to eat breakfast is not doing anything good for you or your baby. Eating something other than EasyMac is also preferable.

2. Taking naps is not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of a growing baby. You may not get as much housework/blog work/freelance work done, but if you are SO tired you are not being a good mom.

3. It won’t kill Libbie to watch TV while you lay on the couch. But saying “no” to Ernie and Elmo every once in awhile does her some good. Let her play with her babies and read books instead.

4. It takes energy to gain energy. Yes, I know you feel like crud. But getting up and picking up a few things WILL give you motivation to do more. I promise!

5. Keep up with the dishes. Cause when they pile up, they smell. Baby Boy does not like bad smells. Also, the ants like dirty dishes.

6. Find some way to get rid of the ants.

7. Remember that holding a sweet little baby in your arms is worth the fatigue, aversions, sweating, and stretching of your body. Remember this?

Sincerely,

Yourself

Added to 7 Quick Takes Friday at Conversion Diary.

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Pregnancy Update: 21.5 Weeks

Posted on August 15, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

This has been a really rough week, so perhaps the worst time to write an update. But just in case you’re wondering, here’s where we are with this pregnancy!

I will be 22 weeks on Wednesday. So far, everything has been healthy with baby. Momma has been sick, tired, tired, sick, and more tired. For a few weeks in the second trimester I felt the amazing, Superwoman vibe. It is GONE.

The past week I’ve been so painfully tired I have slept at every available opportunity. Except at night, when I toss and turn like a crazy woman. It doesn’t matter how tired I am, I can’t seem to get to sleep at night.

This does not bode well for my house, which is a disaster; my cooking, which has been minimal this week; or the rest of the pregnancy, as Mr. V goes back to work full-time this week. (He’s worked sporadically throughout the summer, but his in-service days start Monday, I believe.)

I am definitely wearing maternity clothes–about two weeks ago I caved to all maternity–and I am showing a little. Because of my weight I definitely don’t show as readily as thinner women, but I can tell and I think most other people can, too.

My back problems are not nearly as bad this pregnancy, probably due to the fact that I’m not at a desk all day. If I sit at my computer too long (or in the church pew), the tailbone pain definitely flairs up. I also have the awful acid reflux I experienced with Libbie. Another full head of hair?

I haven’t experienced many food cravings. I like sugar, a lot. I would probably feel better if I did not indulge this craving so much. Other than that, I am just hungry. Almost constantly.

I am seeing a midwife with this baby, and I am hoping once again to have an unmedicated birth. If this is going to happen, though, I need to exercise. I know my body is not ready for birth at this time because I have been dreadfully lazy (see: sick, tired).

Baby Boy sort of has a first name but not a middle name. We’re open to (rather traditional) suggestions, if you have any! First name has two syllables, our last name has two syllables. (No, it’s not Vanderbilt!)

I haven’t taken any belly pictures this time around … am too preoccupied with running after my current rascal.

So, how many of you are pregnant too? Want to commiserate?

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Nesting and Heat Make a Girl Very Tired

Posted on July 7, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

My house is no longer simply a nest; it’s a bona fide three-story bird condo.

So, it’s 900 degrees outside. I’m pretty sure it’s only 850 degrees inside our lovely 1950 home. (If someone would like to come install ceiling fans, I’d be much obliged.)

And yet my nesting is on, full-force.

Last week my husband and a combination of houseguests moved every stick of furniture in our house into another room (with the exception of Libbie’s room–wouldn’t want her to have to endure TOO much change). Today I decided I desperately needed to do some once-a-month cooking. I’m not quite insane enough to attempt a whole menu by myself, but I am going to try to do quite a few dishes. So I printed recipes. Made a list. Shopped. And were I not pouring buckets of sweat, I would be totally ready to attack in the kitchen.

Have I mentioned I have 300 loads of laundry to do? We still need to rearrange closets? Oh, and I have a toddler I’m supposed to, you know, check on occasionally?

I’m ready to check into a mental institution. As long as they need their floors mopped and dust bunnies cleaned up.

Here are the recipes I’m attempting over the next two days. I am preparing to revel in the bliss of a stocked freezer!

Tomato Basil Hamburgers x 2 *
Grilled Chicken Pesto Wraps x 2 *
Black Bean and Mango Chicken Salad x 4 *
Stuffed Buffalo Chicken x 2 *
Italian Flank Steak Pinwheels x 2 *
Ravioli Lasagna x 2 **
Toddler French Toast Sticks
sausage breakfast burritos
Grilled Chicken Pasta Alfredo – to take to a new mom

*from the Summer 2010 Once a Month Mom menu
**from the March 2010 Once a Month Mom menu

Have you done any freezer cooking lately?

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A Letter to My Most Hated Organ

Posted on June 29, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

Dear Gall Bladder,

If all of this pain is truly your fault, I just want you to know that I hate your guts. Well, I guess that would mean I hate my own guts?

You already know I have a low pain tolerance. And, dear Gall Bladder, that I am 14 weeks pregnant. Which means I may not be able to DO anything about your insistence to torment me.

GB, I cannot keep this baby healthy and eat no fat for 26 weeks! This is insane. Please quit your lolly-gagging and start working properly.

Thanks.

Your Owner

I’m having an ultrasound tomorrow morning to determine what’s going on with my gall bladder or if that’s even the problem. Please keep me and Baby the other “Vanderbilts” in your prayers–I’ve been a big waste of space since Friday. I hate it!

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Yawn…

Posted on May 25, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

I’m in Pennsylvania with Libbie this week, visiting my parents and sister; and my birthday is tomorrow; and our flight here stunk; and I am really tired–which all seem like good reasons to take a “vacation” this week from blogging. See you next week!

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7 Unconnected Thoughts

Posted on May 20, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

My big plans for tonight are: watch Jeopardy (it’s the Tournament of Champions and I don’t know the answers to ANY of them!), wash my husband’s pants so he has some to wear to school tomorrow, and perhaps take a bath. Wednesday nights are my night to myself, as Mr. V goes to play trivia with friends. I am such a party animal.

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I haven’t talked a lot lately about being the housewife I’m not. That’s probably because I have been having such trouble keeping house lately it’s not funny. Having a toddler who pulls out everything I put away immediately? It’s extremely tiresome. I’m trying to get used to it.

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I found a whole stack of envelopes of pictures yesterday from when I was a summer missionary with IMPACT Virginia, along with some other memorabilia I had forgotten about. I don’t know why these things were in my gift-wrap box under our bed. I enjoyed looking through the pictures but all I could think was DANG I was cute at 19! Why did I think I was so fat? Sigh. Isn’t it always like that? [This picture is missing Abby.]

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Foods I wish I did not know existed: peanut butter M&Ms, lemon sugar cookie ice cream from Publix, Sonic limeades. Foods I wish Libbie did not know existed: Goldfish, pretzels, anything that ends up dumped on my living-room floor and is impossible to get up.

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Last night, I had a Dr. Pepper way too late and couldn’t get to sleep. Then, every time I would almost drift off, Libbie started crying. I got up, checked on her, put her in long sleeves, patted, checked diaper, put on CD, etc, etc! At that point, I came back into our bedroom, tripped over everything, threw myself in bed, and got very angry. Mr. V asked me what was wrong, I told him. I then proceeded to put in earplugs and decide he could deal with it since it was 1 AM and I had yet to get any sleep. Today, I asked him if she cried much afterward. He has NO RECOLLECTION of any of this. MEN!

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We discovered last week that the tree in our backyard is a Red Mulberry tree. It is bursting with fruit and the birds are going crazy over it. I actually did some research and shared it on Suite 101.

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My friend Angie Smith is going to have her baby Charlotte tonight due to some complications. Please pray for her peace. I don’t know what it’s like to lose a child, but I do know that the Holy Spirit intercedes when we don’t know what to pray.

Speaking of Angie, I recently picked up the issue of HomeLife in which she had an article. I cried when I saw the ad for I Will Carry You. I sobbed through her article, even though I know her whole story from real life and from Angie’s blog. I am honestly afraid to read I Will Carry You. Have any of you read it yet? (I wrote a little bit about going to Angie’s daughter, Audrey’s, funeral here if you weren’t reading way back then.)

I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy

Added to 7 Quick Takes Friday at Conversion Diary.

This post includes Amazon affiliate links. Read more in my disclosure policy.

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A Free Weekend

Posted on March 22, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

Want to know how much time you waste on the Internet?

Vow to have a computer-free weekend. I did, from Friday late afternoon to 48 hours later, on Sunday afternoon. (Except for one teensy e-mail check on Sunday.)

gratuitous Libbie picture

I was flabbergasted at how the time went more slowly and how much I was able to accomplish. Here’s what I did this weekend:

Coupon shopped at Target and Bi-Lo.
Scrubbed the kitchen floor on my hands and knees (after sweeping AND Swiffer vacuuming it.)
Changed sheets and washed them on our bed and our guest bed.
Did a whole lot of laundry.
Took Libbie to a new-to-us park.
Watched my March Madness bracket go down the drain.
Kept up with the dishes.
Made peanut butter cookies. (Oops.) (I slightly modified the recipe from Baking: From My Home to Yours and THEY ARE DIVINE.)
Read an entire Jodi Picoult novel.
Played on the floor.
Made an Easter card for my MIL from Libbie.
Tried to scrapbook until my glue exploded all over the living room.
Went to a church we loved!

I don’t usually get anywhere near that much accomplished in the span of two days. It really opened my eyes to what life could be like. I’m going to try to do a better job monitoring my time online.

When I did come back, however, I was SO blessed by the comments I got on my last Losing It 10 post. I hope this site is a ministry to you … because you all are water to my soul.

The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Proverbs 20:5, ESV

This post includes Amazon affiliate links. Read more in my disclosure policy.

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A Laundry Experiment

Posted on March 18, 2010 by vanderbiltwife

Perhaps I’ve never made it totally and thoroughly clear that I really hate to spend money. My parents think I am slightly hilarious. Honestly, I was never this way until about two years ago, when I started thinking seriously about being a stay-at-home-mom and needing to cut back our budget.

One thing I’ve always hated buying, though, is laundry detergent. It’s so expensive! So, for pretty much our entire marriage, I’ve used Arm & Hammer. I think it works well, they have an unscented/undyed formula that I’ve been able to use for Libbie’s clothes, and it’s the least expensive decent brand out there.

We’ve reached the point in toddlerhood, however, that I am surrounded by stains. Spaghetti sauce on the shirt. Blueberries on the pants. Applesauce in her hair (too bad laundry can’t take care of that). I’ve taken to soaking things in OxiClean overnight, but sometimes those stubborn stains linger on. It kills me to see stains on clothes that are brand-new–or even just new to us!

So when Mr. V came home with a sample of Tide Stain Release, which has been heavily promoted online and on TV, I decided to do a little test drive. I’d not bought any yet because of the high price, even with coupons. But I decided if it could truly get out tough laundry stains that OxiClean couldn’t, I would cave and buy some.

Here are my BEFORE specimens:

Grease stains on my favorite ~~maternity~~ long-sleeved t-shirt (had been soaked in OxiClean and battled before to no avail)

Food stain (peanut butter?) on brand-new Gymboree shirt (not yet washed, sat in dirty clothes for a week)

Bib with spaghetti-sauce stain (fresh)

Shirt with snot on it (just keepin’ it real!)

Not sure if you can tell, but this brand-new Gymboree shirt has some sort of bluish spot from its first run in the washer. I was distressed!

So I threw them all in the washer, normal cycle on warm with regular detergent and the Tide stain release packet. Here’s how they turned out:

My shirt wasn’t perfect, but the bigger spots seemed to be gone. I could at least wear it in public again!

The collar of the shirt was clean as can be!

The bib wasn’t perfect–but it WAS spaghetti sauce. It did get a great deal of the stain out.

As expected, this shirt was fine. It’s so cute I just need to show it off.

I forgot to take a before picture of this one, but it had some spots on the bottom (mac and cheese) that hadn’t come out after one round in the washer. Beautifully clean!

Aloha! No blue to be seen!

The one thing I did NOT like was that the tabs are heavily scented–and now so are Libbie’s clothes. She’s not shown any skin ailment or anything, but she’s also never worn clothes that have been washed in scented anything. I am hoping it doesn’t bother her.

So, Tide won me over. Not saying I’m going to fork over the money for regular Tide detergent, but I’ll be purchasing some Stain Release tabs when they go on a good sale and I have a coupon. Gotta keep up the battle against toddler stains!

This is linked to Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries.

This experiment was entirely of my own initiative and is not associated with Proctor and Gamble in any way. If you want to try some, you can find a coupon for Stain Release from P&G here.

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