Before I was a Mom:

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn’t worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom:

I had never been puked on. Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom:
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests. Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late h ours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom:

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn’t want to put her down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn’t stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom:
I didn’t know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn’t know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn’t know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn’t know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom:

I had never r gotten up in the middle of the night every
10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn’t know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Okay.  The lemon story Nate Morabito did this past week was fascinating and really gross at the same time.  Since his story, I have passed on the lemon in my water and tea.  I haven’t eaten seafood yet, so I don’t know what I’ll do in that situation.  Maybe I’ll buy lemon juice in the little plastic lemon at the grocery store, and take it with me.
Usually, I don’t over-react to stories like this, but when fecal bacteria and YEAST was found on the lemons, I decided to hold off on the garnish for a while.

What was your reaction to the story?  Let’s hear it!

My son is very excited.  He can’t wait to go to ‘big school’.

As his mommy, I’m torn.  On one hand, I am excited for him to begin this new chapter in his young life.  He is going to experience so many wonderful things, make new friends and learn so much. But this next step is a doozy for me.  I’m not ready to send him off to school. 

I’m really not worried that it makes me sound old (I don’t think it does).  I think it’s hard to see my ‘baby’ boy as a big kid, and ready to go to school.

I am excited, however, to watch him grow intellectually as well as physically this coming year. 

There are a lot of changes to come.

With a big smile, and a little tear in my eye, I’ll be ready for them!

We did a story last night about trade ministry leaders in Japan complaining about Crocs.  Evidently, the trade ministry received 65 complaints of Crocs wearers (and similar shoes) getting stuck in elevators.  The people at Crocs say (and the folks in Japan neglected to mention), is that the Japanese government has asked the escalator industry to improve awareness of safety issues. 

I guess that means they need to post those “escalator guidelines” at the entrance of the escalators like we see here in the states.  So, maybe people who ride escalators in Japan need to be taught how to pick up their feet when they step off the escalator!

For some reason, I found this story amusing.

I own a few different styles of Crocs, and I find them rather comfy.

Do you wear Crocs?

I am very excited for Saturday’s March of Dimes March for Babies at the Appalachian Fairgrounds in Gray!  I think the walk starts around 10am.  Please come out and show your support for the babies (and their families) in the Tri-Cities who need a little extra to help them grow big and healthy!

If you would like more information on the March of Dimes, log on to http://www.marchofdimes.com

Have a great weekend!

Some people there are struggling for some sort of normalcy, though their lives are changed forever.  I admire the strength of the faculty, staff, students and community for trying to continue with their lives, yet never forgetting the tragedy that took so many from the campus family.

Feel free to add your comments.

I am torn between keeping her on the stage 3, and starting to grind up our food.  I’m not sure her tummy is ready for that yet.  She still gets a little gassy with corn and bananas, so I think we’ll stick to the baby food for now.

When did you start feeding your kids ‘big people’ food?  Did you try the jar food?  Did they like it?  Tell me your experience!

I hope you have a great weekend!

I also want to start doing some springtime educational activities with Jaxon, so I went to my trusty search engine and found Familyfun.go.com

There are so many different activities, crafts, etc.  It will keep you and your children busy and having fun!

Are there any springtime outdoor educational activities you like to do with your kids?

I forgot how much I miss out on while I’m at work.  My husband kept telling me how he loved having me home at night.  He said it felt like we were a ‘normal’ family!

Do you or your spouse/significant other work a different shift?  If so, how do you handle family activities?