Thankful Doesn't Even Begin to Describe It

This post doesn't have anything to do with Seth; it's about some things I've been thinking about lately and felt like sharing. Since I can remember, I've always tried to think of one thing I'm thankful for each and every day. As fortunate as I am, I could probably think of something new every day, but there are several that always come to mind. Of course, the first is that I am so very lucky to have been born in a country that allows me to practice my religion of choice. Many others cannot say the same and I am humbled by those that are brave enough to go oppose their government to practice it anyway. Would I do the same if I were in their situation? I certainly hope so, but pray that that day will not come for many, many years.

I'm also very grateful for our freedoms in this country (which we wouldn't have if it weren't for our troops!). Unfortunately, the United States courts have made some very poor rulings in the past which I believe surpassed the rights of freedom and became crimes themselves. The one that I've been dwelling over lately is the woman's "right to choose" aka infanticide. President Obama has "softened" on his decision of abortion and late-term abortion in the hopes of coming to a compromise. As a friend of mine commented, "What are we going to do in this compromise, half-kill the babies or kill just half the babies?" Because it's really that simple - killing is killing, there is no compromise and what a stupid thing to say. So I have a proposition for President Obama:

The average time spent on death row for a person who has committed a violent crime is anywhere between 10 and 20 years. Then, of course, they get their time in court to defend themselves, using an attorney usually paid for with our tax dollars. So, why then is an INNOCENT baby (fetus for those who use Obama-speak) allowed weeks or maybe months to live before it is violently killed? Let's give them at least the same benefit that criminals get, 10 - 20 years, to see if there isn't someone in this world that may love them and want to keep them in their lives. Maybe the parents don't want it, but there are many out there with big enough hearts to love a baby who is not their own. Maybe it will have a birth defect of some sort, but aren't we all "disabled" in some way, shape or form? And who made us so perfect that we know who will be a valuable person to this world and who won't?

There are some who say abortion isn't murder, because the baby hasn't breathed air yet. But can a mother honestly say her baby isn't "alive" when she can feel it move inside her, kick her, hiccup in her? Can she honestly say it doesn't have feelings when loud noises startle it and it jumps or the simple fact that when the baby is born, that it feels comforted when it is put back into the conditions of the womb where it felt safe? How can anyone look at this picture and not believe these things? So let's give them their time to live and defend themselves the same as we do for criminals. It's sad that this country gives more thought to defend and protect those who harm others than to our own babies.

The second, and last point I'll ramble about today, is all this complaining about the recession. I'm not arguing that it isn't here. Many, many people are out of jobs and are feeling the pressure that it brings. However, it's not nearly as bad as what it could be. Ask people from two generations ago what the Great Depression was like. People were literally starving, not just missing a meal. Soup kitchens and bread lines were a way of life, of survival. Shoes were a luxury. If you wore them out, you lined them with cardboard or newspaper. People wasted away with little hope that things would improve.

One generation ago - many people still struggled. Some people are embarrassed that their backrounds are full of "blue-collared people," but I couldn't be more proud. I look at my parents and their siblings and see what lives they've made for themselves. Their standard of living has improved greatly. For some time, my mother and her family lived on one meal a day - pinto beans and potatoes. They didn't even have real dishes to eat them off of when they were young. School wasn't nearly as important as making money, which they all started early on. Chicago was a fortunate place for finding work if you didn't mind working hard. They stood out in the cold, heat, and rain selling flowers or picking up whatever other odd jobs they could. They helped pay rent and bought their own belongings - not fancy toys, but hygiene items and other necessities that we take for granted. My mom eventually worked two jobs just to make her half of the bills when she moved out.

Then there's my dad. He won't talk about his childhood, but I'm very proud of what he did. He was one of those naturally popular guys in high school, a freshman who made Varsity football and who all the girls adored. But when his parents were having too much trouble making ends meet, he got a night job in a factory until he couldn't juggle it and school anymore. He dropped out when he was just a sophomore and began his career in construction. I can tell you just from observing, construction is not an easy field and it's not something that any bum off the street can do. It's a skill and a very fickle field. It's not uncommon to be laid off for three to four months out of the year. But my dad did it, taking on many injuries that will probably never heal.

Then I was born and my parents, young and naive, learned that life could be even more difficult. I was a financial burden (as all babies are at first), my mom developed her blood disease, and my dad was laid off. My dad did everything he could to make money and my mom scrimped and saved just to live day by day. It got so bad at one point they had to sell off their furniture to ensure I had food, even if they didn't. My parents didn't graduate high school and they certainly aren't rich, but they made it through the rough times, mostly unscathed, not by relying on the government and handouts, but by pure grit and by coming together as a family. Now that is awesome and something to be proud of.

People today are complaining because they can't take their annual vacation or because they have to cut down on eating out or maybe even so much as cutting down their cable package. Of course, I'm being somewhat sarcastic. There are people who are suffering and I hope that they can get back on their feet and surely deserve some help. However, we can't look to President Obama to save us all. He's already spent enough that our children will not ever earn their Social Security and we can only hope that our grandchildren may. I guess what I'm really saying on this subject is that if we pull together we won't need to cry out for government aid. Help a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a stranger for that matter. It's how our country was founded and it's how it should be. We're much stronger than we know, and I know this because He will never give us more than we can bear. So get some grit, People!

Say Ahhhhhh!

While Seth and I were playing today he started to chew on my finger like normal, except that it wasn't! I felt something a little sharp and checked to make sure he didn't have anything in his mouth. He did - and does! My little boy cut his first tooth! Ok, it's just the tip and you can see just a bit of it, but I'm super excited! My baby's growing up!

We Be Swingin' in the Spring(in')!

It's kind of difficult to keep up with these blog posts. Most day-to-day things would be boring to anyone but Michael and I, so I don't bother writing about them. Then it takes me several weeks to get anything to write about, and lately they just haven't been super thrilling things. So basically I have a few weeks of things to add to this post.

I'll start with Seth's picture. This was Seth's first time going to the park! I put him on the swing, but he didn't seem interested or disinterested in it. He looked around, but seemed sort of bored, so we mostly just walked around. He was content with this and we walked four laps before it started to get too hot for him and we went home.

The hat he's wearing is from Dollywood, where we went the week before. He has such a small head that no hat seems to fit him! This one is an infant hat and it fits his head great, but the earflaps don't cover his ears, so I think I'm just going to cut them out. Anyway, we weren't sure what to expect bringing Seth to Dollywood, but he surprised us and did really well. Sure, he fussed a bit, but he usually does more than that at home, so we were pleasantly surprised. It wasn't the most fun trip for Michael and I because we obviously couldn't ride rides together, but it was a fun experience nevertheless.

As far as Seth's accomplishments go, he's been in a "fine tuning" stage for a while - nothing really new, but improving on what he's already done. For example, he's been rolling for a while, but now instead of rolling from his back to his stomach, he rolls across the livingroom! And now when he kisses you, you don't end up with a ton of slobber on your cheek, just a sweet little kiss. He's doing better with eating and seems to really enjoy it now. His menu includes: peas, green beans, sweet potatoes, pears, apples, bananas, and, of course, oatmeal. I make his food, which is really easy, and it saves a surprising amount of money. I can't believe Gerber rips people off like that!

Seth's sleeping is still a bit of an issue. On a good day I can get him to take an hour nap in the morning and a half hour in the afternoon. He wakes up during that hour, but is fairly easy to get back to sleep. I've stopped stressing over how he should sleep. I'm not looking up baby advice on the internet or in books and I'm not asking people's advice. I was letting it get to me too much and that shouldn't be the focus of my whole day. Maybe he just doesn't need to sleep much. So, I count myself lucky that I get what I can get. It now allows me to take a shower and do a couple of quick chores. Hopefully he'll realize sleep is a good thing as he gets older and will extend his nap periods, but for now I'm thankful for those 90 minutes.

Our Little "Jigger"

Not much has happened over the last two weeks. Michael and I both got sick and it really wore us out. Thankfully Seth didn't get it and has been his usual cute self. He's holding his own bottle and is becoming more independent in putting his paci back in his mouth himself. I bought him a Jumpin' Johnny at the Duck Duck Goose sale and he did not care for it at all at first, but now he really seems to be enjoying it. Here's a video of Seth doing his version of an Irish jig (I know it's sideways, but it won't let me fix it - live and learn!).

This Sunday is Easter and I'm looking forward to seeing Becca again. Unfortunately, I have to miss Michael's family's dinner because it's so close to my mom's dinner time. She's hosting this year and I offered to help, but I'm sending my big and little man to visit and they'll just meet up with us later.

I also found a job this week. It's in the evenings, mostly when Seth is sleeping, so I won't miss much time with him. Michael will be putting him to bed a few nights a week now and hopefully they'll have good Daddy-Son time. I was just so bored staying home all the time, I needed something to feel productive, but I didn't want to work full time and miss out on Seth growing up. I looked for part-time evening jobs, which of course are limited, and got lucky with the movie theater. It's low pay, but it's convenient, should be fun, and will give me interaction with other people. As it is, my main company is Seth (although a good listener, not so much on chatting back) and Michael (who can be quiet and often brings work home). My first day is tomorrow evening and I'm hoping it will go well. It seems odd that they would start me on a Friday night, presumably the busiest night of the week, but we'll see how it goes. Anyway, that's it for now! Happy Easter!

Happy Half-Birthday!

I've been putting off adding this latest blog because I'm still waiting on a few pictures of Seth. However, I suppose I can always add them later. I also took Becca to get pictures taken for her "8th grade graduation." Ok, maybe that was just an excuse to get her pictures taken, but she probably wouldn't have agreed if I had said it was just for fun. This way she actually was excited and decided to dress up. Now that's a first!

Seth is doing well following his vaccinations. He had a slight fever for four days, but stayed in a pretty good mood. He's started something new this past week that I want to share. Now I know it's probably wishful thinking, but I'm going to go with it. I think Seth is kissing now! Michael and I kiss him all the time and I think he's picked up on it. He'll grab my face with both of his little hands and pull it towards him and plant a big wet smooch on my cheek! And sometimes he'll pull my face towards him and turn his head so my lips touch his cheek! I know he's probably just exploring, but I love it! It's so sweet. He's also taken to sucking on my chin, which isn't as sweet as it is yucky, but I love him and let him do it. I'm sure he's learning something from it - at least I hope so.

Michael is still being great and we're taking turns sleeping on the couch so that we can each have a restful night every other night. We're putting Seth down to sleep without his swaddling now, which means he wakes up several times a night to several times an hour, depending on how fidgety he is. Last night he did well for me and slept from 8:00 until 3:45 and then stayed up, but at least I got four hours of straight sleep! I hope he does as well for Michael tonight.

That's about it, other than my many grumblings regarding our Celebrident, but most of you hear enough of that, so I won't bother in here - at least for today.

Oh yeah, Spring is here! Yay!

Catching Up

It's been over a month since my last post. We've jumped from Valentine's Day to St. Patrick's Day! But this time I actually have a good excuse for why I haven't kept my promise of updating Seth's life. Our computer got a virus about a month ago that essentially locked it up and then Michael had to reformat it. Unfortunately it's not back to 100% and I'm stuck using the Xbox connection and doing this on the floor! It's a pain (literally), but I need to fill this blog in with some exciting new details.

As you can see, Seth can now roll over! About two weeks ago all the practicing paid off and he decided he wanted to do it on his own. The video is actually his third time doing it. Since then he has been rolling over just about every time we lay him down. It's actually a chore to keep him on his back long enough to change his diaper. He's actually rolled from back to tummy to back a few times, too.

Seth has also discovered the range of his voice. Every morning we wake up to the chattering of our little monkey squealing, squeaking, and cooing. He's very happy during that 5:00 hour (thank goodness for that time change - it was 4:00 hour)!

Other news: he likes to really grab a hold of things now, especially hair and glasses; he likes his exersaucer and is starting to stand well in it; he likes to sit outside and watch the cars go by; he loves to be tickled; EVERYTHING goes in his mouth (but mostly my fingers for some reason); and he is getting to be a tall boy (6-9 months fit him in length, but just barely).

This blog, though overdue, is short because I'm tired and uncomfortable. Michael, my wonderful husband, has been helping with this the last three nights by allowing me to sleep on the couch while he stays in our room with Seth. Seth has a habit of fussing/waking up frequently through the night and, as a mother, I hear each and every sound. Needless to say, the last six months have been full of interrupted sleeping and I have been in a perpetual state of exhaustion/zombie mode. Michael, as a father, can sleep through all of Seth's fussing/waking so he came up with this idea for a break for me. It's working, because I'm sleeping wonderfully! Every morning I feel a little bit better! I'm hoping that I'll be immune to Seth's fussing when I go back in there so that I can know the feeling of rest again.

Anyway, I'll hopefully be posting another blog soon. Seth gets his six month pictures taken on Thursday and his check up on Friday, so I should have some interesting news to tell.

Mommy's Little Valentine

I've had a lot of great Valentine's days, but none beats this one. Not only do I have one great man to share it with, but I now have two! In actuality I really had three because I got to see my uncle, as well.

Seth is doing great. He's eating baby food well now and he really likes peas! Good for him, because I'm not too big into veggies. We're going to try green beans on Tuesday. This little experiment with food is going to be a fun one. I love watching his expressions when he tries something new. I have the sneaking suspicion that he will like most foods.

Tummy time has become a bit more interesting lately. Seth still doesn't move his arms or roll over on his own, but if he has something solid by his feet, he'll push himself off and can move between six and eight inches. He also likes to reach out for things more now, mainly the wipes box (it's bright red).

Seth has been fairly fussy this past week or so, which at first I attributed to his vaccinations, but that time has come and gone. Then he was keeping a slight fever, and I thought that may be the reason. Michael and I now think that he's teething even though he doesn't seem to be too sensitive about his mouth yet. So who knows, maybe we'll see a tooth soon.

Other than that, not much has been going on. When he's happy, Seth can crack me up with his giggles. This is the first picture I was able to take that captured one of his happy moments. In most of his other pictures he's so serious, but he really does laugh and smile a lot - I'm just not fast enough to catch him.