This post from Rixa got me thinking the other day. The post brings up the topic of breastfeeding in church. Rixa is also LDS so our frames of references are the same/similar. I was going to just comment, but before I knew it, my comment was turning into an essay. So I decided it was something worthy of a post.
Most mothers I know, go in to the Mothers Lounge to nurse and change their babies. I have only seen a mother nurse outside the Mothers Room a couple times. In our ward, we typically have several babies at any given time and there has been more than one occasion where I have been one of four or five women in the room, where there are only two chairs. Even though there is a speaker that enables us to hear the talks from Sacrament Meeting, it doesn't mean we will hear, either because we are chatting or there is a crying baby or whatever.
I always nursed Jilly in the Mothers Room. Always. Toward the end of our nursing relationship, I thought about nursing her in Relief Society, but never did because I felt a little uncomfortable with it myself and didn't want to offend any one else. But I have learned and grown a lot since then. Toward the end with Jilly, I started getting lazy and it was easier to hand her a bottle that she could feed herself, than to sit down and nurse her. She accepted either one just fine, so it didn't matter too much. When I was pregnant with Jason, I knew I wanted to be more dedicated to the nursing relationship. I want to nurse him longer (ideally 15-18 months, maybe more) and give him less formula overall. Because I already know how to nurse and am comfortable with doing it around others, I knew I didn't want to sequester myself while nursing the same way. Plus, let's face it. With your second child, you learn to multi-task while taking care of the baby, rather than stopping and taking time out to nurse or soothe your first baby.
I serve in the Primary organization. So for almost 2 hours, I am helping with the kids, conducting, leading music, teaching, and quieting wiggly ones. I often keep Jason with me, unless I am teaching. He usually nurses during Sacrament Meeting and again during the third hour of Church. If he wants to be fed during Primary, I usually just nurse him right there, with my nursing cover. It makes it so much easier for me. I can still be present in what is going on, answer questions, even give stern looks and instructions to settle down. ;-) I don't conduct or lead the music while I am nursing, not because any worry about exposure, but more out of comfort, because my arms get sore holding him without support! If I was in Sunday School or Relief Society, or serving in Young Women, I think I would do the same. Sacrament Meeting is the one place I don't regularly nurse in.
I have nursed once or twice in the chapel, during Sacrament Meeting. But I usually go to the Mothers Room. My husband and I have differing opinions on nursing during Sacrament Meeting. I want to do it, he thinks I shouldn't. He is in total agreement that it is quite appropriate to nourish my baby, the way Heavenly Father designed. His argument is that other people may be offended by me doing so, and even though I may be 'right', if I do something deliberately knowing that it may cause offense or distract them from their worship, then that is wrong and that sin is on me. I feel that I am magnifying the divine body that Heavenly Father gave me. He designed my body this way and intended for babies to nurse. I feel like that is glorifying my spirit, rather than doing something wrong or dirty. If I am doing what He intended, then I feel it is completely appropriate to do so during Sacrament Meeting, in the chapel. There are probably people in our ward (I'm assuming older folks) who would be shocked and possibly offended, but I don't care too much. That sounds awful and quite callous of me. I feel like I am justified spiritually in doing so, and if someone is appalled or offended then it is their problem to sort out and I would be happy to have a constructive conversation with them about it.
Another of the reasons I would prefer to nurse in the chapel is that I tend to lose out on the spiritual 'meat' of the meeting when I am in the Mothers Room. Just the disruption of getting up, gathering the diaper bag, walking out of the chapel, then coming back and doing it all again, takes away from my focus, as well as those around me. By nursing right there in the pew, there is minimal distraction and upheaval for myself, my baby (he often nurses to sleep, so the less movement, the more likely he is to sleep better), my family (Jilly won't freak out when I walk away, Steve doesn't have to be climbed over), and everyone else in the chapel. Since I am in Primary, and we are teaching young kids, I don't always get spiritually fed with more grown-up doctrine. Sacrament Meeting is my place for that nourishment.
I have a feeling that if someone was to notice and have a problem with that it would mostly come from a place of ignorance- it's just something they haven't seen much of. And just because someone hasn't seen something before, is not a good reason for me to not do it. In fact, it's a good opportunity for education; an example to children and youth about how to feed a baby, the way God intended. I am quite careful to be discreet and not flashing my breast for everyone to see. With the way the pews are set up in the chapel, most people wouldn't be able to see what exactly I was doing anyway. I think I will just do it from now on. If someone has a problem with it, they can speak with me, and I would love to talk about it. I feel the same way about this, that I do about being asked to nurse in a restroom at a restaurant. I believe it is not only okay, but should be encouraged. After all, I nurse at home with no problems, and we have been told that our homes are second only to temples in sacredness.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
My Birth Dream
Yesterday my friend Stephenie gave birth to her second child, a daughter named Eden, at her home. Within hours of the birth, she was online posting her birth story. What an amazing story it was! She had endured a long, traumatic and dramatic birth with her first child in a hospital. This birth took less than 1/10 of the time of her son Keagan's. After reading Eden's birth story and being inspired by it, I had a dream about the upcoming birth of my second child. I often dream about giving birth and breastfeeding, but it usually happens with no warning (I don't previously realize I'm pregnant or in labor) and I never feel a connection to the baby once it's born. This dream was much different. Here is what I remember about it:
I think I was in a hospital setting, it was definitely not my home or my family's (where I do plan to give birth). My mom, sister and step-dad were all there, but my husband was not. I'm not sure if Jilly was around or not. In the dream, I was laboring, with an understanding of what was going on. The midwife or nurse checked my progress and told me I was 6cm dilated. Almost immediately after that, I got up from the couch, and my water broke. As soon as that happened, I felt a great deal of pressure; there was no longer a cushion of the amniotic sac. I started saying, "Ow! Ow!" My mom understood what I was feeling since she had given birth three times, but Katie and Paul were confused. In an effort to explain the feeling to them, I said, "It's like a watermelon sitting on top of a Dixie Cup, trying to come through. In fact it's almost exactly like that, in terms of size." My mom then ammended my statement slightly, "Yes, but in this case the Dixie cup stretches to accomodate the watermelon." Very shortly after that, I was sitting on the toilet, urinating, or so I thought, when I got this feeling that I needed to reach down and check on the baby. Sure enough, my hand felt a head coming out and with that realization, the baby came slipping out right into my arms. I pulled the baby right up to my chest, utterly astounded at what had just happened! Once the baby started coming out, I didn't feel any pain, but I could feel the baby coming out of my body. Someone then reminded me to look to see if it was a boy or girl (because we still don't know). I looked between the legs to find, I had another little girl! I was surprised but overcome with love for this daughter who was just born into my arms. We all took a few minutes and then I realized, with a shock, that Steve was still at work and had missed the birth of his daughter! I quickly called him and told him he needed to come see his daughter. He said, "Yeah I know Jilly wants to see me, but I'm busy. I'll be there soon." "No, not Jilly. She's fine. I mean your other daughter. She just arrived!" His reaction surprised me, first he was really angry that we hadn't called him earlier, but I tried to explain to him that it happened really fast and we didn't have time. I was unsure whether or not he was being sarcastic; he does that sometimes. But after a couple minutes, he calmed down and said he'd be there shortly. I went back to looking at my baby. She was really really skinny and all wrinkled. Her eyes were very big and she, honestly, wasn't that cute. It dawned on me that the reason she looked that way was because she was a preemie (she had a classic preemie look); I had just given birth at like 26 weeks or so. The midwife I wanted to have at the birth hadn't been there either. I got really worried about the baby, but she was apparently doing fine. Later in the dream, I came to get the baby from another room and she had plumped out all sweetly and was much cuter. There was more to the dream, but after this it went off in a strange direction.
Soon after that part of the dream, Jilly woke me up. She had ending up in bed with me this morning, and was doing her best to make sure I was aware it was daytime. But all I wanted to do was escape back to the dream, so I could see and be with my baby girl. I was still in awe of what I had just dreamed. Now, most of the details of the dream were directly lifted from Stephenie's story, so I don't take them to mean anything in particular. But what surprised me then and continues to do so now are the feelings that I had during the dream. I was so in love with this baby and completely at peace with my decision to birth that way. I felt inspired and connected, not only to the baby, but spiritually as well. I never have strong feelings like that in a dream, so it was quite different. Also, in my dreams about childbirth, I never know who the baby is. It isn't quite my child, I don't feel a connection to it. But in this one, I knew it was my daughter and I was so thrilled to have her there.
I don't know if this is a sign that this labor will be short and I will have a girl, but I do feel so much more secure with my decision to have a home birth. I can't say that I've felt any promptings against this decision, but the feelings I felt during this dream were more of a confirmation. My mind has worked itself through a labor and delivery (at least in part) and I feel like I have a better idea of what to expect. I know, it sounds farfetched to take all that from a dream. But why not? It's not the dream itself, it's the feelings. Like I keep saying, it wasn't one of my normal dreams. This was different. And I have to assume it was different for a reason. Now I am so anxious for this baby to arrive! I am excited to go through labor, not just as a means to an end, but I want to experience the process in a more first hand way this time. I have been fairly sure that we are having a boy, but after this dream, having a girl seems right too. I want to know if Wildcat will be a son or a daughter.
I think I was in a hospital setting, it was definitely not my home or my family's (where I do plan to give birth). My mom, sister and step-dad were all there, but my husband was not. I'm not sure if Jilly was around or not. In the dream, I was laboring, with an understanding of what was going on. The midwife or nurse checked my progress and told me I was 6cm dilated. Almost immediately after that, I got up from the couch, and my water broke. As soon as that happened, I felt a great deal of pressure; there was no longer a cushion of the amniotic sac. I started saying, "Ow! Ow!" My mom understood what I was feeling since she had given birth three times, but Katie and Paul were confused. In an effort to explain the feeling to them, I said, "It's like a watermelon sitting on top of a Dixie Cup, trying to come through. In fact it's almost exactly like that, in terms of size." My mom then ammended my statement slightly, "Yes, but in this case the Dixie cup stretches to accomodate the watermelon." Very shortly after that, I was sitting on the toilet, urinating, or so I thought, when I got this feeling that I needed to reach down and check on the baby. Sure enough, my hand felt a head coming out and with that realization, the baby came slipping out right into my arms. I pulled the baby right up to my chest, utterly astounded at what had just happened! Once the baby started coming out, I didn't feel any pain, but I could feel the baby coming out of my body. Someone then reminded me to look to see if it was a boy or girl (because we still don't know). I looked between the legs to find, I had another little girl! I was surprised but overcome with love for this daughter who was just born into my arms. We all took a few minutes and then I realized, with a shock, that Steve was still at work and had missed the birth of his daughter! I quickly called him and told him he needed to come see his daughter. He said, "Yeah I know Jilly wants to see me, but I'm busy. I'll be there soon." "No, not Jilly. She's fine. I mean your other daughter. She just arrived!" His reaction surprised me, first he was really angry that we hadn't called him earlier, but I tried to explain to him that it happened really fast and we didn't have time. I was unsure whether or not he was being sarcastic; he does that sometimes. But after a couple minutes, he calmed down and said he'd be there shortly. I went back to looking at my baby. She was really really skinny and all wrinkled. Her eyes were very big and she, honestly, wasn't that cute. It dawned on me that the reason she looked that way was because she was a preemie (she had a classic preemie look); I had just given birth at like 26 weeks or so. The midwife I wanted to have at the birth hadn't been there either. I got really worried about the baby, but she was apparently doing fine. Later in the dream, I came to get the baby from another room and she had plumped out all sweetly and was much cuter. There was more to the dream, but after this it went off in a strange direction.
Soon after that part of the dream, Jilly woke me up. She had ending up in bed with me this morning, and was doing her best to make sure I was aware it was daytime. But all I wanted to do was escape back to the dream, so I could see and be with my baby girl. I was still in awe of what I had just dreamed. Now, most of the details of the dream were directly lifted from Stephenie's story, so I don't take them to mean anything in particular. But what surprised me then and continues to do so now are the feelings that I had during the dream. I was so in love with this baby and completely at peace with my decision to birth that way. I felt inspired and connected, not only to the baby, but spiritually as well. I never have strong feelings like that in a dream, so it was quite different. Also, in my dreams about childbirth, I never know who the baby is. It isn't quite my child, I don't feel a connection to it. But in this one, I knew it was my daughter and I was so thrilled to have her there.
I don't know if this is a sign that this labor will be short and I will have a girl, but I do feel so much more secure with my decision to have a home birth. I can't say that I've felt any promptings against this decision, but the feelings I felt during this dream were more of a confirmation. My mind has worked itself through a labor and delivery (at least in part) and I feel like I have a better idea of what to expect. I know, it sounds farfetched to take all that from a dream. But why not? It's not the dream itself, it's the feelings. Like I keep saying, it wasn't one of my normal dreams. This was different. And I have to assume it was different for a reason. Now I am so anxious for this baby to arrive! I am excited to go through labor, not just as a means to an end, but I want to experience the process in a more first hand way this time. I have been fairly sure that we are having a boy, but after this dream, having a girl seems right too. I want to know if Wildcat will be a son or a daughter.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Planning a trip!
The past week or so, I've been trying to plan ahead for a trip we're taking in May. My sister Katie is graduating from WSU (hooray for graduating, even if it is from WSU) on May 9th and we're all going over to Pullman for the ceremony. It's funny. I don't typically think of our family being that big, but it has definitely grown in the last 4 years! Instead of it being just my mom and us three kids, we now have added Steve, Paul, Juliet and Jilly. Also, my Auntie Karen comes down from Edmonton, Alberta for these graduation-y events. So total, there will be 9 of us! That's a lot, especially considering Katie will be moving home (at least for a few months) right after the ceremony. So there will be 8 of us traveling for the weekend, then Katieand all her gear coming home on Saturday. Quite the caravan load coming across the state.
I've been stressing a bit about such a long road trip for our family (it's typically a 5-6 hour drive, but add in graduation/weekend traffic plus our issues and it could easily be more). Normally, I enjoy road trips and wouldn't mind this at all. BUT it seems each one of the three of us (Halls) have some issue that will contribute to making it a little more difficult. Steve hates being in the car, pretty much any time, but especially for long periods of time. Poor guy gets a bit claustorphobic and thus likes to stop every hour to get out and walk around. Me, I will be 7 months pregnant at the time and my bladder will be at less than normal capacity. Plus, sitting for that long can get quite uncomfortable with all the added weight and pressure. And Jilly? Well, she'll be 2 1/2. I think that's all I need to explain for that one. ;-)
But there are a few bright points that will make the trip easier. We're going to try and leave around Noon on Friday, so we don't get to Pullman too late. Steve normally gets off work at 2:30pm, so I'm hoping that he can get off just a couple hours early without having to take any vacation time. Next, we have great Air Conditioning in our car. Jilly gets really upset in the car if she is too hot, so the A/C will help keep her comfortable. Really, I am so grateful that we have a very good, reliable car, that I don't have to worry about taking over the mountains and completely across the state. We get great gas mileage too. Another thing, we'll be traveling during nap time. I think our loyal friend, Mr. Benadryl, will make an appearance and help coax the Beanie Beast into peaceful slumber at least half the way (hey- I can dream, right?). I was talking to some friends about the trip and Heidi asked if we had a portable DVD player. I said, "No, but I wanted to ask around and borrow one if I could." Well, she has one and offered to let us borrow it for the trip. Hooray! I think that will make things easier on Jilly too. Granted, she is only 2 and sometimes a movie can't hold her interest for the entire length. But stuck in a car with no other options, I think it will help a lot. We'll surely be filling our cooler with lots of snacks and drinks for all of us.
And the best part is on Saturday, we'll probably be caravan-ing it back. There will be three cars and 9 people total, eight of them being adult drivers. That means there will be lots of people willing to come and sit with Jilly for a spell, or better yet, take her in their car and let her parents be alone. ;-) It also means that we can stop occasionally and switch around, so no one has to drive the entire time. I think it will be quite manageable with all the (abundantly willing) help. It's lucky Jilly is as cute and adorable as she is. Everyone always wants to be with her, which makes things so easy on us as her parents. Since Katie's ceremony is at 8 or 9 that morning, we'll probably be leaving Pullman around 12 which will give us plenty of time to get home at a leisurely pace.
I have to say I am really looking forward to this trip. It'll be fun to get out of town and see the place where Katie's been going to school for 2 1/2 years. I've never been to Pullman, so that should be interesting. And the part I am really looking foward to is that it will be May in Eastern Washington, which means it should be sunny and warm! Wahoo!! Ultimately of course, this is a great thing for Katie and something that deserves a lot of celebration! Hooray!!! She actually beat me to a Bachelor's degree. Congrats to her for sure.
I think I've thought this out fairly well and will continue to do so. But if anyone has any awesome suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them!! :-)
I've been stressing a bit about such a long road trip for our family (it's typically a 5-6 hour drive, but add in graduation/weekend traffic plus our issues and it could easily be more). Normally, I enjoy road trips and wouldn't mind this at all. BUT it seems each one of the three of us (Halls) have some issue that will contribute to making it a little more difficult. Steve hates being in the car, pretty much any time, but especially for long periods of time. Poor guy gets a bit claustorphobic and thus likes to stop every hour to get out and walk around. Me, I will be 7 months pregnant at the time and my bladder will be at less than normal capacity. Plus, sitting for that long can get quite uncomfortable with all the added weight and pressure. And Jilly? Well, she'll be 2 1/2. I think that's all I need to explain for that one. ;-)
But there are a few bright points that will make the trip easier. We're going to try and leave around Noon on Friday, so we don't get to Pullman too late. Steve normally gets off work at 2:30pm, so I'm hoping that he can get off just a couple hours early without having to take any vacation time. Next, we have great Air Conditioning in our car. Jilly gets really upset in the car if she is too hot, so the A/C will help keep her comfortable. Really, I am so grateful that we have a very good, reliable car, that I don't have to worry about taking over the mountains and completely across the state. We get great gas mileage too. Another thing, we'll be traveling during nap time. I think our loyal friend, Mr. Benadryl, will make an appearance and help coax the Beanie Beast into peaceful slumber at least half the way (hey- I can dream, right?). I was talking to some friends about the trip and Heidi asked if we had a portable DVD player. I said, "No, but I wanted to ask around and borrow one if I could." Well, she has one and offered to let us borrow it for the trip. Hooray! I think that will make things easier on Jilly too. Granted, she is only 2 and sometimes a movie can't hold her interest for the entire length. But stuck in a car with no other options, I think it will help a lot. We'll surely be filling our cooler with lots of snacks and drinks for all of us.
And the best part is on Saturday, we'll probably be caravan-ing it back. There will be three cars and 9 people total, eight of them being adult drivers. That means there will be lots of people willing to come and sit with Jilly for a spell, or better yet, take her in their car and let her parents be alone. ;-) It also means that we can stop occasionally and switch around, so no one has to drive the entire time. I think it will be quite manageable with all the (abundantly willing) help. It's lucky Jilly is as cute and adorable as she is. Everyone always wants to be with her, which makes things so easy on us as her parents. Since Katie's ceremony is at 8 or 9 that morning, we'll probably be leaving Pullman around 12 which will give us plenty of time to get home at a leisurely pace.
I have to say I am really looking forward to this trip. It'll be fun to get out of town and see the place where Katie's been going to school for 2 1/2 years. I've never been to Pullman, so that should be interesting. And the part I am really looking foward to is that it will be May in Eastern Washington, which means it should be sunny and warm! Wahoo!! Ultimately of course, this is a great thing for Katie and something that deserves a lot of celebration! Hooray!!! She actually beat me to a Bachelor's degree. Congrats to her for sure.
I think I've thought this out fairly well and will continue to do so. But if anyone has any awesome suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them!! :-)
Monday, February 2, 2009
Movie Survey
Apparently, if you've seen more than 85 of these movies, then you have no life. I guess I really have no life...
(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(X) Fight Club
(X) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
Total: 7
(X) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
(X)Napoleon Dynamite
( )Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( )Anger Management
(X)50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
(X) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 12
(X) Scream
(X) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(X) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie
(X) American Pie 2
(X) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 18
(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
(X) Harry Potter 5
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
(X) The Village
(X) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 26
(X) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
(X) Signs
(X) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(X) 13 Going on 30
(X) I, Robot
( ) Robots
Total so far: 31
( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(X) Along Came Polly
(X) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(X) Joe Dirt
( ) KING KONG
Total so far: 36
( ) A Cinderella Story
(X) The Terminal
(X) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
(X) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(X) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(X) Flubber
Total so far: 42
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(X) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 44
(X) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(X) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(X) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 49
( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Seven
(X) Ocean's Eleven
(X) Ocean's Twelve
(X) Bourne Identity
(X) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
(X) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
(X) The Fog
( ) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 55
(X) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
(X) Rush Hour
(X) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 60
( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(X) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(X) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
(X) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 67
(X) X-Men
(X) X-2
(X) X-3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
(X) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
Total so far: 78
(X) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
(X) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
(X) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 82
(X ) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(X) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 88
( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(X) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far : 89
( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 92
( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
(X) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
Total so far: 94
( ) Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(X) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) The Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
(X) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 96
(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X)Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 102
(X) The Matrix
(X) The Matrix Reloaded
(X) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
(X) Evil Dead
(X) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Total so far: 108
Not to mention there are at least 10-15 more that I have seen lots of parts of, but never all the way through. I've seen a lot of movies. But I bet my sister has seen (i.e. owns) more. ;-)
(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest
( ) Boondock Saints
(X) Fight Club
(X) Starsky and Hutch
(X) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
( ) Airplane
Total: 7
(X) The Princess Bride
( ) AnchorMan
(X)Napoleon Dynamite
( )Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( )Anger Management
(X)50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
(X) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Total so far: 12
(X) Scream
(X) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
(X) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
(X) American Pie
(X) American Pie 2
(X) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
Total so far: 18
(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
(X) Harry Potter 5
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
(X) The Village
(X) Lilo & Stitch
Total so far: 26
(X) Finding Nemo
( ) Finding Neverland
(X) Signs
(X) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(X) 13 Going on 30
(X) I, Robot
( ) Robots
Total so far: 31
( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(X) Along Came Polly
(X) Deep Impact
( ) KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
( ) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
(X) Joe Dirt
( ) KING KONG
Total so far: 36
( ) A Cinderella Story
(X) The Terminal
(X) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
(X) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
(X) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving X-MAS
(X) Flubber
Total so far: 42
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle
(X) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
Total so far: 44
(X) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child's Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
(X) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
(X) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
(X) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
Total so far: 49
( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Seven
(X) Ocean's Eleven
(X) Ocean's Twelve
(X) Bourne Identity
(X) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
(X) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
(X) The Fog
( ) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
Total so far: 55
(X) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
(X) ET
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
(X) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds
(X) Rush Hour
(X) Rush Hour 2
Total so far: 60
( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
(X) She's All That
( ) Calendar Girls
( ) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(X) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
(X) The Terminator
(X) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
Total so far: 67
(X) X-Men
(X) X-2
(X) X-3
(X) Spider-Man
(X) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can
(X) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
(X) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
(X) Shrek 2
Total so far: 78
(X) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
( ) Old School
(X) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf's Tribe
(X) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
Total so far: 82
(X ) Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring
(X) Lord of the Rings The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Total so far: 88
( ) Baseketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(X) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
Total so Far : 89
( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
(X) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
Total so far: 92
( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
(X) Chronicles Of Narnia The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
Total so far: 94
( ) Kill Bill vol 1
( ) Kill Bill vol 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(X) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) The Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave aka the Day of the Woman
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
(X) Army of Darkness
Total so far: 96
(X) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
(X) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
(X) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X)Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks The Battle For Endor
Total so far: 102
(X) The Matrix
(X) The Matrix Reloaded
(X) The Matrix Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
(X) Evil Dead
(X) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
(X) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal
Total so far: 108
Not to mention there are at least 10-15 more that I have seen lots of parts of, but never all the way through. I've seen a lot of movies. But I bet my sister has seen (i.e. owns) more. ;-)
Monday, January 19, 2009
Appetite for Destruction: Life with a 2 year old
Why is it that 2 year olds feel this insatiable appetite for destruction? You can guess Jilly is feeling better because she's been ripping things apart and throwing them on the floor again. Crazy kid. In the living room, we have a bookshelf which is completely hers. On the top shelf, it has all of her books. The other three shelves have her toys in various baskets and containers. Next to the bookshelf, we keep our extra carseat, mostly to block her from getting behind the couch. Well, she now loves to climb into the carseat and stand there while using those chubby little arms of hers to sweep her books onto the floor. Usually this is after she has pulled one or more of the toy baskets of the shelf and dumped them ceremoniously onto the floor. So we have piles of tiny little toys on the floor, covered by layers of books. That was the first thing she pulled today.
Next, she took these "disco ball" necklaces she got in her stocking and decided they were best used as wrecking balls. She stood in front of the kitchen counter (the backside where there is a wall) and just swung the balls, slamming them alternately into the wall. It's a good thing they're just cheap, hollow plastic, otherwise they might have done some damage!
After she got bored with that and dropped them right there, she moved in to her room, where I was on the computer. She started going through the desk drawers, despite my repeated warnings, "Jilly, get out of there! Close that drawer!" and me closing it myself several times. She eventually pulled out a pencil and wandered away with it before I noticed it was in her hand. Sure enough a couple moments later, I hear the tell-tale scratching noises of the pencil coloring on the wall. Good grief, kid!!
By that time, I needed something else to distract her. So I decided it was time for a bath. Now, Jilly LOVES baths. She would live in the bath full time if we would let her. She splashes and plays and doesn't mind if the water gets cold. Plus she stays fairly contained. It's easy to have her in there for an hour or two, allowing her parents to get things done around the house or on the computer or whatever. Before I worry anyone, I don't just plop her in there and run away. We keep a close eye and ear on her for sure. I make sure I either hear her make a noise or go and check on her every couple minutes, so she's not unsupervised. Anyway, she was having a blast as usual while I was on the computer. Then something sounded fishy. I listened a little closer and sure enough, there it was. The sound of water being poured, with gusto I might add, onto the bathroom floor. ARGH! It took 4 towels and the bathmat to soak it all up. It was covering half the bathroom floor. For heaven sakes child!!! I have a rule that if a towel goes on the bathroom floor, it gets washed, not just hung up to dry. So this meant another load of laundry (I was already washing her bedding, which she's leaked on overnight). At least they're just towels and it was rather simple to clean up.
Now, I know this is all normal behavior of 2 year olds. But it drives me nuts! She'll take a previously clean and tidy room and turn it shambles in minutes! Then go off to another room (to do the same) because this room is now cluttered and boring to her. Anyone have a trick to get her to sit down and actually play with her toys, rather than just throw them around? I'm contemplating just putting them all away, since she only throws them on the floor anyway. But that seems a little mean, and then she'll have more "incentive" to destroy something we actually use, like the dishes or computer or something. Steve is going nuts with this as well. I can't wait until she outgrows this phase... Please tell me it won't be too long! :-)
Next, she took these "disco ball" necklaces she got in her stocking and decided they were best used as wrecking balls. She stood in front of the kitchen counter (the backside where there is a wall) and just swung the balls, slamming them alternately into the wall. It's a good thing they're just cheap, hollow plastic, otherwise they might have done some damage!
After she got bored with that and dropped them right there, she moved in to her room, where I was on the computer. She started going through the desk drawers, despite my repeated warnings, "Jilly, get out of there! Close that drawer!" and me closing it myself several times. She eventually pulled out a pencil and wandered away with it before I noticed it was in her hand. Sure enough a couple moments later, I hear the tell-tale scratching noises of the pencil coloring on the wall. Good grief, kid!!
By that time, I needed something else to distract her. So I decided it was time for a bath. Now, Jilly LOVES baths. She would live in the bath full time if we would let her. She splashes and plays and doesn't mind if the water gets cold. Plus she stays fairly contained. It's easy to have her in there for an hour or two, allowing her parents to get things done around the house or on the computer or whatever. Before I worry anyone, I don't just plop her in there and run away. We keep a close eye and ear on her for sure. I make sure I either hear her make a noise or go and check on her every couple minutes, so she's not unsupervised. Anyway, she was having a blast as usual while I was on the computer. Then something sounded fishy. I listened a little closer and sure enough, there it was. The sound of water being poured, with gusto I might add, onto the bathroom floor. ARGH! It took 4 towels and the bathmat to soak it all up. It was covering half the bathroom floor. For heaven sakes child!!! I have a rule that if a towel goes on the bathroom floor, it gets washed, not just hung up to dry. So this meant another load of laundry (I was already washing her bedding, which she's leaked on overnight). At least they're just towels and it was rather simple to clean up.
Now, I know this is all normal behavior of 2 year olds. But it drives me nuts! She'll take a previously clean and tidy room and turn it shambles in minutes! Then go off to another room (to do the same) because this room is now cluttered and boring to her. Anyone have a trick to get her to sit down and actually play with her toys, rather than just throw them around? I'm contemplating just putting them all away, since she only throws them on the floor anyway. But that seems a little mean, and then she'll have more "incentive" to destroy something we actually use, like the dishes or computer or something. Steve is going nuts with this as well. I can't wait until she outgrows this phase... Please tell me it won't be too long! :-)
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Sick Jilly, but Mama doesn't mind
The past week has had some days that I don't look forward to as a mother, but I actually kind of enjoy when they come. Jillian has a cold and has been running a fever off and on. You can tell she has a fever, because she gets quite lethargic and subdued and just kinda lays around. At first I thought she was teething (getting those super fun 2nd year molars), because she had a clear runny nose, was chewing on her hands and just a little fever. Then she started having diarrhea, but I was attributing that to too much apple juice. Now I'm convinced she has a cold. The snot has got cloudy and her fever is much more obvious, and the diarrhea isn't going anywhere. Poor kiddo. I always feel bad she doesn't feel well, but honestly, it's not hard to handle.
She has got to be one of the world's easiest kids to deal with when she's sick. She mostly just sleeps and lays around. She is very undemanding, and she loves to cuddle. This is quite a difference for us, because normally she doesn't like being cuddled. When she's sick, it's pretty much all she wants to do. Last night she kept following me into the kitchen (where I was trying to cook dinner and do the dishes) and kept demanding to pbe picked up and held. It melts my heart that she comes to me to make her feel better, to offer some degree of comfort. At the same time, it was hard because I had to keep sending her back to her daddy, because I was busy. I was able to spend quite a bit of time with her though, just chilling on the couch. And I really enjoyed it. I love cuddling my little girl and having her just lay with me and relax, especially when I know she feels like crud.
Today she's spending the day with her daddy and will get some good cuddle time in with him. I'm hoping she gets better fast. But if not, we'll keep giving her Children's Motrin, getting her to drink as many fluids as possible and cuddling the heck out of her. You gotta use these opportunities while you still can, right?
She has got to be one of the world's easiest kids to deal with when she's sick. She mostly just sleeps and lays around. She is very undemanding, and she loves to cuddle. This is quite a difference for us, because normally she doesn't like being cuddled. When she's sick, it's pretty much all she wants to do. Last night she kept following me into the kitchen (where I was trying to cook dinner and do the dishes) and kept demanding to pbe picked up and held. It melts my heart that she comes to me to make her feel better, to offer some degree of comfort. At the same time, it was hard because I had to keep sending her back to her daddy, because I was busy. I was able to spend quite a bit of time with her though, just chilling on the couch. And I really enjoyed it. I love cuddling my little girl and having her just lay with me and relax, especially when I know she feels like crud.
Today she's spending the day with her daddy and will get some good cuddle time in with him. I'm hoping she gets better fast. But if not, we'll keep giving her Children's Motrin, getting her to drink as many fluids as possible and cuddling the heck out of her. You gotta use these opportunities while you still can, right?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
