Metal Mama

After these next two days at work I will still be 2 oz. shy of having 60 frozen ounces of breast milk. I have been pumping very faithfully this week and had a lot of great opportunities to do so. More so now that Erik seems to be on a regular breakfast schedule. Its great, when he goes down for his nap he has already slept through a feeding so I can pump while he naps. Oh I love having a stock pile of breast milk. It makes me feel much more confident about wanting to go out and do things during the week... Although now that I know 60 ounces is attainable I am probably going to become OCD about the issue. Hopefully not as I love offering my baby the boob!

Seriously I am one lazy gal, I do not know what I would do if I actually had to get up in the middle of the night to make a bottle. Erik's crib is right next to our bed, not that he uses it at night because we are still co-sleeping.

Co-sleep. That is the term I like, and one I've become fond of using... there are however some WEIRD ones out there. Communal Bed. Family Bed. Sleep Sharing.

1. Communal Bed sounds dirty and whorish.

2. Family Bed, what is that? Like an over sized "day bed"? Geez.

3. Sleep sharing? Give me a damn break. I don't share my sleep, just my bed thanks!

Upon completing this short little rant I knew I just had to post a picture of cleavage to accompany my rave about having 60 oz. Anyhow, not wanting to use pictures of my own cleavage I turned to photobucket. I had no such luck as I knew exactly what I wanted. A very simply picture, preferably black and white, and just enough room to fit "Hooray for boobies" on it somewhere. Preppy b!tchez need not apply. Well, thats pretty much all I found. Nasty, brightly colored flat chested preps. Ug. Who knew that a photobucket search for clevage could be so difficult. Any metal looking/liking chick with a rack would do. HAH. Did I grow a dick? I sound like a man. Well. Last resortedly I turned to Miss. Ashlie, AKA z0mbiegirlfriend who has recently posted a kick ass picture of herself on her myspace profile! Thanks to gimp for making a slight manipulation possible, and Ashlie & her cleavage too. *Posted with z0mbie permission*

Labels: 40 oz. to Freedom, 60 oz., Ashlie, breast feeding, Breastmilk Storage, cleavage, co-sleeping, experiene, metal mama, ounces, z0mbiegirlfriend

I took one of those silly little tests to see if I am what the test is. Hah, hardly. Do I really need a test to tell me that I am not a slacker mom? No, thats for sure, but I had enough time to kill so why the hell not. Truthfully it was something I did when I was pregnant with the idea of motherhood in mind and decided to do it again and see if I got the same thing. Ironically enough I did.

My results:


Your quiz score makes you: Pretty in the City Mom

You might have a subscription to both Parenting Magazine and Vogue. While picking up a darling Easter outfit for your tyke at Bloomingdale's you're tempted to grab a pair of Manolo Blahniks for your own tootsies. You are a fabulous mom, and you take care of yourself fabulously, too.



If you'd like to find out if you are a slacker mama go to --> http://www.areyouaslackermom.com

Pretty much, in a nut shell, thats is. Thats all I've got for the moment. Skot and I just watched Rocky Balboa... AWESOME!!!!

Labels: links, metal mama, pretty, Rocky Balboa, Sex and the City, Slacker mom

First thing. Something that has recently been on my mind and annoying the sh!t outta me;

I work next weekend. I work Saturday & Sunday, 6:45am-3:15pm and on these days I wake up around 5:20am so that I can nurse Erik, get up & have coffee, get ready and half dressed, and then nurse him again before heading off to work. After work, on these days I go home and nurse Erik for as long as he desires; about 40 minutes or so, and then he naps for at least an hour or so. This equals me arriving home around 3:15pm nursing for an average of 40 minutes, which brings us to 3:55pm and a 1 hour nap brings us to 4:55pm, though he usually gets awoken by something... outdoor noises, one of the cats, himself, who knows. On days that I work the following day I try to get to bed early because I don't like going to bed early, and I don't like getting up very early either; at least not 5:20am - early. Anyhow, if I have the following day off it doesn't really matter, however, sometimes Erik is in need of a bath, I have to prep his bottles for the next day, and gather all my breast pump pieces as well as bottles for the next day at work.

Ok, situation is this;

Next Saturday, Skot's mom is having this end of summer cook out/get together... When we were originally asked to attend there was no set in stone date so we said, "sure, we'd love to, just let us know when." Now that we know when; Saturday from 3pm-6pm or so, I don't really feel like attending. My reason being that I don't feel like hurrying to pack us all up for an outing, and heading up there around 4:55pm. I won't not feed Erik before, and I won't cut his nap short (not that this has been asked of me, but just throwing that out there)... I don't feel it is worth it for the stress of the rush that would result on my end. I just don't think it sounds fun, fair, or like something I should have to do. I strongly encouraged Skot to attend regardless and those get gatherings are usually quite fun, I told him he could always catch a ride up there with his dad or sister as well, but I didn't feel like I wanted to really do. Of course he was disappointed, but understood, but still does not want to go as we will not be attending as a family, and he thinks that everyone just wants to see the baby anyways; this is probably true.

Now, my dilemma is this; next Sunday my friend Abbie is having a birthday party for her son, Braxton. I consider her to be a good friend; she is someone I met through a mutual friend of ours but I have hung out with her without that said friend, she was a huge help to me while pregnant as I could always go to her with the most stupid sounds questions, and she was just there to talk to. Anyhow, upon receiving the invite for all of us to Braxton's party I accept with the understanding that we would be late as I work until 3:15-ish and would need at least 1/2 hour to feed the little guy and probably a nap (for him), she said whenever we showed up was fine but if we were late we might miss cake; hey thats fine with me.

Skot feels its unfair that I made plans for Sunday after work, yet don't want to go to his mom's cook out. Is that fair? Am I being unfair? WTF? I can't please everyone so I might as well just work on pleasing myself.

Moving on from stressful sh!t.

I've been reading this blog called Miss(ed) Manners for a short while now and am loving it. *All Hail Judith Martin & Emily Post. I remember researching Miss Manners when I was in 5th grade or so. At the time I thought, "wow, that old lady sure must have a lot of time to waste, all that talk about etiquette, now I appreciate her world wide education as I strongly feel that some people have absolutely, without a doubt, NOT A DAMN CLUE as to etiquette and general manners. Well anyways, point is; this blog is great! Check it out at: http://missedmanners.wordpress.com/

Things in the world according to Erik are wonderful, as the usually are. He's tapered off eatting like a little piggy, well, he still eats like a little piggy but I think having rice cereal & apple sauce for breakfast satisfies him greatly; he has been taking longer more (almost) scheduled naps, and seems more tired come bed time. All of the above I am greatly thankful for.

Further more... life throw shitty situations at wonderful people. Things are going great for me and the family at the moment, but I know a few people out there who just got served a heaping helping of crap. *BIG METAL HUGS* to Steff, MrResident, Jody, and Brieanna.

Labels: blogs, Erik, friends, lucky, metal mama, miss manners, planning

(Straying a bit from the mental mission of Metal Mama for 30 minutes)

Very "Simply Vera" the line is called; and from mesh camisoles, pleated skirts, and textured coats to gold signature rings, open toed heels, capri leggings, and hobo bags.... "Expect Great Things?" www.kohls.com and welcome the designers new line.

Its really quite something. At first I seriously thought "a fashionable sell out"? I have since decided otherwise, perhaps it was a few of the eye catching pieces I feasted my eyes upon and didn't have a heart attack over prices. Upon doing a search from price range highest-lowest I did discover the most expensive now available item is an 18K Gold over Silver Smoky Topaz Cuff style Bracelet; quite lovely but not my cup of tea, and surly not for $675.00. Skimming the pages I've found the most expensive, but not too over the top, and marked down piece of attire; a Vera Wang Beaded Pintuck Dress for $110.40. Quite lovely. GO VERA WANG!

Another way of thinking that assisted in persuading my own thoughts otherwise was the concept that a well known fashion ICON has designed a line exclusively for Kohls (other icons, models, and athletes, have done similarly so at other retailers, look at Target and even Wal/KMart). Vera Wang has made is possible for us country folk get a little city style. Its not like us farmin' type folk frequent NYC to drop $700 on a pair of D&G shoes (Hail Ms. Carrie Bradshaw).

Thats about the 30 alloted minutes I gave myself to pull away from hades and be feminine...

*Puts on a metal face*

All Hail, Vera Wang!!!!

Labels: D andG, feminine, hades, kohls, metal mama, NYC, Sex and the City, Vera Wang

So we went to my mom's house on Sunday night and oh jeez, was it ever horrible. I just about had a nervous breakdown cause of her and her god damn stupid shit. I so badly want to say that I hate her, but those words are harsh to use against a mother... Even though she is FUNKED in the HEAD. Seriously. I hate spending the night at her house and I never will again. Never is a long time, but I really have no desire to spend any amount of time with her in the near future.

Of course Skot things I should just, "DEAL" and that I need to learn how to cope with my anger. Well I try, and the more I try the more of a breakdown I seem to have when I feel I am no longer strong enough to try. Whatever, either he'll someday understand I am not that mentally and emotionally strong enough to just bottle all my frustrations up and deal, learn how to be normal, or not let things bother me. Things bother EVERYONE, just certain things really drive me over the edge... I think the way I was raised has a lot to do with that. My mom was rather a hypocrite... I strongly feel you should practice what you preach and if you can't then don't preach it. Right?! I mean I hate to listen to people making lots of noise when they eat, I hate seeing people talk with their mouth full, and I absolutely hate it when people scrape their forks on their teeth, seriously I just want to tell them to eat their food NOT THE FORK. These are things my mom always instilled in me that were rude, and not acceptable, not to forget cleaning your teeth out with your tongue, making weird noises with your mouth; its just not lady like... There are utensils for this... A tooth pick or brush. I seriously think the reason that I am aware of half these annoyances that a lot of people do is because of her. I am not trying to blame it on her, more or less I am just saying that if you are going to instill in someone that a certain behavior in unacceptable then you should not be guilty of it yourself. I was always on top of my mom for picking at her teeth at the table, and my gram for using her tongue to get something out of her teeth; her retort these days is that she has false teeth, GUESS WHAT LADY? I have a false tooth as well, GET OVER YOUR OLD FASHIONED SELF.

People are constantly trying to find away to point the finger at everyone but themselves, you may think that I am guilty of the same thing for forming this realization about ALL of my pet peeves however I do not think that is true.

Anyhow, another thing in which I can thank my lovely mother for is making the appointment for me to get my car in the shop on Monday. I dropped my car off at 2pm just to find out that my last oil change; about 4 or 5 months ago, in which she brought me in to pick up my car, I had my debit card in hand ready to pay for it until she says, "Oh don't worry about it, I will put it on my bill." She has a tab with them as she has bought all her cars there and has been a friend and customer to the owner for about 12 years. Its quite the nice accommodation to have. None the less I was greatly appreciative of the fact that my mom volunteered to pay for my oil change.

WELL! To my GREAT effin' surprise, upon dropping my car off and making payment arrangements as we had no idea what was wrong with it I came to find that the day after when my mom stopped in with the check to pay for her oil change that she told the owner, her friend, that it would be ok to stick MY oil change on a bill in MY name... YEAH! OUTRAGEOUS, huh? She could have told me about it, I mean unfortunately I only talk to my mom like all the time. Did she ever mention it. NOOOOO! WTF? I mean if she couldn't afford it, whatever, I never asked her to cover it... I JUST DO NOT GET HER.

Ug... that was just a miniature expense on top of the $408.50 for breaks, and my exhaust leak, inspection, etc.

I was so wound about her actions and my financial situation that I just lost it at her house and started crying... I was so upset with her, and that my car needed that much work (can't complain, first big repairs its needed in two years). I felt like an absolute horrible mother. I was so upset that I didn't even want to feed Erik, or pick him up. I just let Skot tend to him for a few hours. It wasn't really that I needed a break from him, I wanted a vacation from life.

I changed my myspace status today to "116 miles = my 40 oz. to freedom". It was 116 miles from Vegas to have dinner with the SM girls, to my mom's house, to Sarah's (to pick up our lawn chairs), to the gas station. The entire way there I drove myself crazy by imagining the conversations that my mother would start with me and how to avoid being embarrassed by her obvious forgetfulness, and ways to change the subject away from a conversation that she has already had 3 times with me. Seriously I just do not know what to do with her and I get myself so worked up before I even get there. I absolutely dread going there, I am so wound up and tense by the time I get there my blood pressure must be absolutely through the roof. NOT HEALTHY. I am just at odds with myself against myself.

OMG, people really piss me off. I was browsing the new threads in my mommy forum this morning when I stumbled upon new news. I believe the thread was calling "Lesbian Couple Suing Over Twins," something along those lines.

A lesbian couple from Melbourne Australia is suing Dr Robert Armellin, who performed the IVF on one of the women; reason being? TWINS? How damn selfish is that? The normal person might not think too much of it, but factor in that together, the two women make over $100,000 a year! Yea, must be nice, right? Well, to top that all off, the couple is suing this poor doctor for more than $400,000 (the cost in which they figure to raise one of the girls until she is 21). Did I mention already that the two girls are 3 years old?!

Jeez. Society makes me sick and these lesbians effin' annoy me.

Read more:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22439270-2,00.html

On a happier note, if you live in the Hartford Connecticut area you can pick yourself up a deal for $54.oo for CoF tickets to see them at the Webster and at a Meet & Greet before the show!!!

Bad-ass-ness.

Labels: experience, Lesbians, metal mama, news, society, suing, twins, Webster Theater, work Cradle of Filth

Great song, but unfortunately that is not the subject of this blog.

2am was the time I woke up. Now 2 hours and 14 minutes later I sit here fully know that my hope has been smothered. I have to work today. My shift starts at 6:45. Due to my timely routine of nursing Erik, eating, getting ready, and again nursing Erik, it actually take me almost an hour and a half to get ready; thankfully he is a light eater first thing in the morning. Today is going to be difficult.

Work doesn't drag by as badly as some might think. 11:30am-12:30 pm, and 2:00pm-3:00pm are the sucky never ending, hour of nothingness.

54 minutes till my alarm clockS will be going off. Wooh!

Erik has been sleeping through the night now and then. The first time he did it was about a week and a half ago after a long evening at the local fair. Poor little guy was wiped out. He had a blast though and man, he loved the lights on all the rides!

I've got a nice short week this week, then the weekend. Saturday I am meeting Nicole & family, and Teah & possible family at Applebees for a nice dinner. It will be so nice to see everyone at once... I've been looking forward to it for awhile now!

I have not the slightest clue why I could not get back to sleep. Well, ok, truthfully it is probably several things. My mom and her new job training... she has been unemployed long enough and its time she got her shit together. Normally this would be none of my business but I have made it my business. When my grandmother is in the condition she is and complains about the things she does, it makes me extremely unhappy with my mothers lack of motivation. God damn, you an effin' adult, act it. I also worry about finances, even though we are doing fine. We get by check it check but everything gets paid for, and as always Erik comes first.

Oooh, my little Erik. He is simply amazing. I never thought I would be able to love one person so much, so deeply and he doesn't even speak yet. Although he has been saying Uma for awhile and the other afternoon he said hi. It was more of a akagoogaakee. hi. goohahke. It was cute, lol, I hope someone gets a kick out of my baby talk break down!!!!

Well. I think I might just get a jump start on the morning and getting ready. I already know its going to suck so I might as well prepare myself for that as best as possible.

Labels: Applebees, Erik, finances, metal mama, sleep deprived, Sleepless, talking, work, worries

Ever since becoming pregnant I anticipated my labor and delivery as I thought it would forever, at least until I conceive again, end the nagging questions such as, "When are you due?" "What are you having?" "How many months along are you?" "What are the names you've picked out". Oh how wrong I was.

With labor and delivery comes a new batch of annoyances; granted I will never grow tired of talking about my little boy, not even when he is not little any more, but these prepartum questions have been replaced with postpartum ones, "What is it?" "How long were you in labor?" "Did you do it naturally?" "Did you dilate on your own?" "Did you tear?"... All kinds of shit. I was guilty of all these before I actually experienced it. I think curiosity fuels an uneducated mind. Now, I have a much better understanding of what is not acceptable, but more well tolerated, to ask a new mother and what will likely piss her off on the inside as she hides her true feelings in a somewhat talented, mature manner.

I remember one pay day when I stop in Hannafords to get diapers and some other groceries; of course I have grown to tolerate any trip everywhere usually taking an additional 5-10 minutes longer as everyone in the world loves babies and must stop and talk to them along with making the most hideous faces that sometimes you really wish would freeze, a woman was asking the normal postpartum q's. She seemed nice. Not too nosy, not to invasive, but then she did the unthinkable. As we said our good byes and out seas separated she glanced at my stomach region. I seriously feel like she did so to almost check, no rather, clarify in her mind weather I was being truthful or not when she asked if I gained a lot of weight through out my pregnancy.

I'd like to close this post with a wonderful link:

http://thinkitinkitpublishing.com/bookstore/

Is your child bored with all the traditional bed time stories? Think it, Ink it has handed the reigns over to the kids themselves. With Think it, Ink it, your child becomes the writer and illustrator, ultimately the CREATOR.

People say creation took 7 days... I don't buy that whole sch peel, but I think in less than 7 days you and your child could create a wonderful masterpiece that will last as long as your love for one another; Forever!!! Check it out!

Labels: baby, experiences, Ink it, metal mama, motherhood, newborn, Observation, Think it, where to buy

Ok, the title isn't really related to anything you might normally find in this blog but whatever.

Erik and I went for a walk today it was so refreshing to smell the fall season quickly approaching. Oh yes, back to the clog-verse. It was a term I'd like to think that I coined; Converse clogs, and their impostor's. I unfortunately own a pair of the impostor. Hanes actually. Anyhow while we were walking and I was being blinded by the sun I was looking down at my feet and just happened to thing. Rip off Con's, clogs... congs? No, CLOGVERSE! Haha, I was richly amused by my own wit.

Moving on, we ventured to the cemetery actually. Yes, the death yard itself. There is a small open area across from the one just down the road from us so we ventured there and laid in the grass for awhile. Freaky? Not really, weird perhaps, but I think weird and freaky were understatements in the mind's of the elderly couple that drove past us pointing. Old bags. Ug. We had quite a nice time. We laid together and watched squirrels play and vocally argue, and just watched the clouds and traffic pass us by. Right as I was thinking it was time we should be going Erik pulled at my shirt and snuggled up to my boobs, I thought perhaps he could hold off just 5 minutes until we arrived home, but he must have read my mind as he looked up at me and gave me his oral cue. So, there we laid, in a small green field shielded by the stroller, a diaper bag and his blanket I nursed him. I'm thankful it was daylight as it was relaxing enough that I could have easily passed out with him. It was so nice to be able to lay there feeding him, naturally, surrounded by so many natural things. Ahhhhhhhhh. What a nice little get away.

Erik had his check up yesterday. Its sad that my mind is frazzled enough at the moment that I don't remember if I already blogged that or not. Anyhow, Erik tried Rice Cereal for the first time today. I went out and bought him some bowls and spoons as all the other sets people have bough us are really for "big boys" if you ask me... Seriously do you need a bowl that big for 1 Tbsp. of dry cereal mixed with breast milk?

In case I didn't blog this yesterday Erik weighted in at 16 pounds 2 ounces and he is exactly 28 inches long! No wonder why he is wearing his 6-9 month clothes! He's a tall little fella!

Labels: accomplishments, breast feeding, check up, nourishment, thriving

Yesterday Erik turned 4 months old. Its amazing how fast time flies when you have a little one in charge of your life. He really is in charge. Everything revolves around this little guy. Where we go, when we go there, and why we go there. Last Saturday for example, it was Vag. night (I think we should totally change the name as there is an increasing number of penis's that attend), and I was going to bring Erik so that Kate could officially meet him. Erik had no intention of attending Vag. night. So Skot watched him for a few while I went out... I felt so horrible for leaving him, but Skot reassured me it was ok.

Travel wipe cases. I have actually been using ours a lot lately. I think the big motivator behind this decision was the fact that the box of wipes took up too much room in the diaper bag, I got sick of forgetting it, and then forgetting to take it back out and bring it up stairs. The only part I don't like about using this little case is that often times I forget; as I am not in the habit yet of checking it before we leave, is changing Erik while we are out and realizing UT OH! e only have like 3 wipes left!

We went to the fair twice this week. Oh my, Erik loved it, especially once it got darker out and all the lights on the rides were turned on. Thought Skot and I are surely not ride people we just had to walk through all of them so Erik could see the lights! We went into the Maple & Dairy barns as well. We also walked through the Cattle & Forrest/Agriculture Barns. It was fabulous. I got to pet cows!!! They were so cute, and some of them were so big that it was just plain effin' scary!

Erik is thriving wonderfully. Out of curiousity Skot and I measured him the other day. Erik is 26 inches tall. He is wearing mostly 6 months clothes but some 6-9 month PJ's just to ensure his long little legs can fully extend; other wise he gets very upset.

Nothing else is really too new here. I went to a job interview that I thought would be my golden egg, thought it turned out the opposite. Great pay, wonderful facility, HORRIBLE JOB; a desk job. I made the quick realization that I am far from a desk person.

Nicole, Damian, and Boston are going to be vising here next weekend. I am so excited; I have yet to meet this growing little boy, and I have not seen Nicole since her baby shower! Its my weekend off, and I hope we can go to Today's Child Thrift Store together... I love baby shopping!

Labels: 4 months, Boston., check up, clothing, Fair, metal mama, thrift store, thriving