One, the layout is different. I know most of you said you liked the old one better, and I did too, but if I made the post titles too long it overlapped, and that drove me NUTS. And, with this layout, I can put back up things like the swidget and the my playlist, which I missed. (Though, please note, I made it so the playlist will NOT autostart. I know a lot of you read this at work, so I didn't want music blaring and all that. If you want to listen to it, you'll have to hit the play button yourself.)
I need to pimp swagbucks again, quickly. I'm not going to get into the deep details, I've talked about it before. If you haven't joined, you should. You win bucks by using their search engine (they also give out "codes" and if you shop online, you can sometimes go through their links and earn bucks that way too) Anyway, then you use the bucks online in their store. It's legit, I've gotten tons of amazon cards from them (at least 50 bucks worth, if not more) as well as restaurant.com gift certificates. Sometimes it takes a little while to save up the bucks, but if you're searching anyway, you might as well get something for it. Sign up through my link and I'll also earn any bucks you win (up to 1,000 bucks I believe)
Also, ebates is a good thing for any of you who shop online frequently. You get five bucks for signing up, and then if you go to their website and shop through their links, you can a certain amount of cash back. Sometimes it isn't much, 1 or 2% of what you're spending. Sometimes it's more. But again, if you're shopping anyway, you're getting money back, and that's always nice. Sign up through my link, and I get 5 bucks for every member: http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=yVeVNA%2BxNf8PgHgixqDiyQ%3D%3D
Just so you guys know, I will never refer you guys to anything I myself don't use. Everything I use is legit. I seriously LOVE saving money, I consider it my job since I don't work outside the home. A lot of things I hear about come from this great blog called Freebies4mom. Look her up on facebook, even if you're not a mom!
Moving on. Saturday, I spent the WHOLE day with my in laws. Can you say UGH? My father in law is doing OK. Still not eating like he should, but... I mean, I can't really do anything about that and I'm tired of letting it get to me. My mother in law? Sucks. It could be worse, I've heard some horror stories lately, she's more annoying that anything. But it's SO exhausting being around her. It's just non stop questions about EVERYTHING I do, or if Cayden is OK, if he's hot, if he's cold, if he needs changed, if he's hungry. "You need to watch him!" Over and over. And just... Dumb ass questions. I've started just being totally sarcastic to her. I mean, I know it's not the most mature way to handle it, but it's fun for me. Like she asked me if my Mom played with him when he was over at her house. And I was like, no, she just locks him in the closet. Like what the hell? Then, the icing on the cake? We told her we were going to church on Sunday. She told me not to bring Cayden because they'd brainwash him!
My view on religion is kinda... My own view. I won't go into it, I hate sparking political debates, but I just feel that personally Church isn't where I tend to find God. I wanted to go because sometimes it's nice to go, to pray with some other people, and hear stories.... But Mary Anne implying that they'd brainwash Cayden? First, that's just idiotic, secondly it just kills me that she repeatedly implies over and over that I don't want the best for my son.
Then she brought up more kids. And I told her we weren't having any more. Which is mean, but it's like, really, the only reason I don't want to get pregnant, is her. I wouldn't let it stop me from getting pregnant, but... I really don't think it's her business whether or not I decide to have more kids. She only had one, and if she wanted lots of Grandkids, maybe she should have made more of her own children to create them. I just shared so much of my last pregnancy with everyone, I was really open about it and all "You guys can come over any time" and invited everyone to a 3d ultrasound where we found out the sex. I just think this next time I want it to be more private. My hope is to get pregnant this month, so that I can tell everyone around Mother's Day. I'll a little shy of 12 weeks then, and usually we all get together for a lunch (Jeremy's parents and my Mom) I want to bring Cayden in tee shirt that says "Big Brother" and see how long it takes them to notice. Of course, I realize that you make plans and God laughs, so I'm just hoping He thinks mine is a good idea and will play along :-) Honestly though, you guys will probably be the first to find out. I'll probably come on here screaming about it. Anyone have any cute ways to tell my husband? Last time I was just so shocked and excited I kinda blurted it out to everyone. This time I want to do something more special. I hope it's this month. I really do. I started cramping a little today, which I took as a good sign. IF I cramp, I normally don't cramp until RIGHT when my period starts (literally, I feel cramps, I run to the bathroom with a tampon.) I googled it (google is both a blessing and a curse!) and it could be implantation bleeding. I dunno, it's hard living in a world that's so technically savvy, because I google and read articles on EVERYTHING. And they all vary. Some are very optimistic, some are not. I've never been so in tune with my body... It's like at the end of my pregnancy... Every twitch, every pang, every little move is a sign.
Here's my question though, has anyone out there find out they were pregnant and had NO pregnancy symptoms? And, anyone with multiple children, were your pregnancy symptoms the same with each pregnancy?
Let's see, what else is going on? Health care passing. Which, I don't really want to talk about, it tends to spark SO many debates, and really I'm sick of the whole thing. And I can't debate either, because I haven't really looked into the specifics. I agree overall that we NEED health care for all. EVERYONE'S basic needs SHOULD be met. People should have food, clothing, shelter, and health care. Again, I haven't read about it much, I don't know if this is the plan for us. But I am a fan of Obama. I have to applaud him for trying to DO something.
So that's my little song and dance on that.
21 comments:
Hey L:
2 babies here totally different preg. sry:) if i had the second one first im sure i wouldnt have had two lol
hope you everything goes well:)
I'm actually hoping for two different pregnancies... Or rather, at least start to pregnancies. I'm not getting the same "symptoms" as with my son :-)
Laura,
Kudos to you on trying to keep mum with your MIL. I can understand how hard it is and wish you all the patience in the world. As to your plans for when you annouce/are pregnant again...I love the idea! I'm no where near becoming pregnant but already know that I'd do it on a holiday where it looks like a normal gift but inside is baby clothes just to see how long it takes my parents to figure it out. :) As to your husband...maybe you could do the same thing? Have your son walk up to daddy in his 'big brother' shirt, or slip something cute to him about 'Our Family of Four.' The best part is that you'll be able to be in on it and figure out how you want to do it. Best of luck!
Best of luck to being pregnant!! With my son, to let my (then) husband know I took him lunch, which was not unusual, and when he started to eat I handed him a "napkin" it was actually a bib that said i love my daddy. With my daughter, he (present dh) went to the dr. with me to find out. Both pregnancies were the same for me though.
Okay, I'm going to be the one to dip into the controversial issues here...
About religion, it's very easy to become "brainwashed" (not the word I would choose, but it's what your MIL said) by it. When you go to church they say everything as fact, not as something you have the ability to decide on whether you believe it or not. For a small kid, that can be confusing. If you want to bring your child to church, but don't necessarily want them to believe every single thing said, you have to let them know that religion is something you can pick and choose what to believe.
The same is true about politics. Most kids just believe whatever their parents believe because that's what they hear all the time. The whole thing is that kids need to be taught to think for themselves... which is more easily said than done. In school there's always a right and wrong answer, in the real world they're constantly subjected to others ideas as if they were fact, etc.
And on the topic of "health care", I'm very against it. The bill is more about health INSURANCE than health CARE. I'm not going to get into it because this isn't a political forum and I know the strong views I have on this topic can upset others.
I think it can become very easily to be "brainwashed" about.. Well, anything. It's easy to get caught up in the hype and the stories and all that.
As I said before, I don't love church. It's just not where I tend to feel God. But what Jeremy's Mom said pissed me off for a couple of reasons:
One: If I choose to raise Cayden going to church every Sunday and all that, it's my right. When he's old enough, he can make his own decisions, but right now, it's mine.
Two: That she'd think I'd actually let my son be "brainwashed". I've been to churches before that REALLY creeped me out. I mean seriously left me with this icky feeling under my skin. I wouldn't take my son to a place like that.
This Church was really nice. I mean first, they didn't need a lot of slideshows playing and a huge choir and all this other showy stuff, and secondly, they were one of the "come as you are" type of churches. Gay, straight, black, white, old, young, believer or non-believer, you were welcome to be there.... I liked that. I think some churches focus too much on what you're doing wrong, what you should be doing, how you're going to hell, rather than being loved and accepted.
Again, I probably won't go every Sunday, but every once in awhile, it's nice.
My story: I had no symptoms that I was pregnant, only that my AF was one day late (which was not abnormal). My brother was coming into town and I wondered if I could have a drink with him, so I took a test and it was positive. I've only had this one pregnancy (I'm 7 months right now), so nothing to compare it with :) Good luck! And I told my husband I was taking the test, so he knew right away with me (I was also a bit worried I could misread the test, being so excited).
Hey Laura - I've never been pregnant so I have no first hand knowledge, but it always seems like people say they are different. My BF had a much harder, much sicker (SORRY!) 2nd pregnancy and she started showing much sooner. And I say keep using Google, better to be "over informed" :-) Good Luck!
Controversial topics - I think I'm along the same lines as you with church. It's about your relationship with God, not what a church wants you to believe. And it is def your right to choose for your son before he can make that kind of decision on his own.
Health Insurance - Like Jillybean I won't get way into bc I'm totally against it to. But I will say that people should read more about before they approve or disapprove. Does everyone know it is government MANDATED not government provided? HUGE Difference!
Jennifer
PS: Read the blog samstermommy.blogspot.com to see a super cute way they told their out of town grandparents about their 2nd pregnancy. I think it was posted about a month ago.
Currently pregnant with first child...
No symptoms really...
starting a blog about it.
here's the link http://hannahsjellybean.blogspot.com/
Just started so may be a little slow...let me know what you think.
As for church, I heard that before, from an ex-boyfriend...I do think in the beginning it does brainwash you a little ( but no more so than TV or music) but as an adult we have the option to find out the truth for ourselves it just a matter of whether we go do research or not. Besides you are Cayden's mom anything you don't want him to adopt you can control.
Like Delia said, TV and music can "brainwash" you to an extent as well. Church, itself, isn't bad. I'm agnostic (I don't know whether there's a god or not, but I don't believe in organised religion) but I do think that religion can teach you great things. You just need to teach your child to think for himself and not just believe everything he sees/reads/hears/is told/whatever.
I actually have the opposite problem, Laura. My husband's family is all fairly religious. His mother and step-father are more of a Christmas/Easter kind of family (though, they made all three of their children get confirmed), but his father and step-mother go all the time and actually work at a bible camp during the summer. When my husband and I first started dating I kept getting grilled by his family members on what religion I was and "what do you mean by agnostic?" and it was quite overwhelming.
I have a feeling that when we move back home (his family is in MN and we currently live in TX) I'll be berated with "when are you getting him baptised?" and all that. Which, I'm fundamentally against baptism for multiple reasons.
Totally off topic there lol
See, I'm not super religious. I do believe in God, I believe in a higher power. I especially believe in Angels (or the fact that there's someone watching over us.) I've been in too many near misses NOT too. But some religious people drive me nuts. I hate when they use the bible to propel hate. I actually don't even really believe in the bible. I think it's a book, with stories, some of them are good stories, but over all to me, the whole thing seems to kind of contradict itself, and I just can't fully believe in it.
I haven't gotten Cayden baptized. I myself have not been baptized. The God I know would not send me to hell just because I haven't had some water dumped on me. I've toyed with the thought of getting him baptized, but honestly... If he wants it, he can have it done when he's older.
For me, I'm a big believer in choice. You can make whatever decision you want, but for every decision, there are good and bad consequences.
I just got back from taking Cayden to the zoo. We were only there for an hour and a half, but for some reason I am exhausted. It's super hard to motivate myself to go to the gym.
Interesting conversations. Church, I don't go unless a friend invites me and usually enjoy it. I don't like the hell and brimstone sermons at all. I prefer more upbeat and positive sermons. and yes the "wholly roller" churches I do thin brainwash. Anyone who get so caught up in a sermon and starts speaking in "tongues" is not talking god's language they are just nuts lol. I consider myself spiritual not religous. Religion has caused so many wars through the years. And how can 1 particular religion be the right one when there are so many. Anyway more modern churches are nice and don't push too hard. I went to a church when I was a teenager with a friend that in the Sunday school class which was made up of all girls we were basically told that if one of us was raped it'd be our own fault for what we were wearing. I never went back to that church. Too much info on the internet oh hell yes. I haven't been feeling good, and since my doc can't satisfy my whining I am constantly looking to the internet for answers and found I have symptoms of so many things, heart disease, diabeties, thyroid problems, only all my tests for things are negative lol. What I have is GAD. Anyhoo on to healthcare. I just don't really know what all the controversy is on the healthcare bill. I mean my hubby needs insurance, I can't afford it through my work, he works part time right now so it's not offered and the kids are easy to get coverage for. So yes something needs to be done. And why all the rumors and political crap I don't get. Why can't our elected officials work together for the good of the country and stop trying to sabotage each different party member. In other words our elected officials need to grow up lol. Pregnancy. I think with both my kids I had symptoms that I was going to "start" and just never did. The morning sickness came after I found out.
I'm debating on church right now, too. I was raised Catholic but haven't been to church on a regular basis in years. I do pray, though, so I agree that you don't necessarily need a "church" to have faith. Debating on the baptism thing -- I know my family would prefer our child be baptized.
Pregnancy -- I'm due in July with my first. My symptoms were actually a little cramping and the absence of sore boobs.
Google and such: It's driving me insane as you can find about a million different answers for every situation, especially in pregnancy. It freaks me out.
I switched my blog to try to help get me through the end of this journey. Laura's comments are great! You should write a book on pregnancy!
http://1life1day.blogspot.com/
My issues on baptism are, for one, that I don't believe in original sin. I can't imagine a baby having anything they need to be absolved of. And two, when you baptise your child you're saying in front of your family, friends, the church, and God that you're going to raise your child in the particular religion of the church you're having him or her baptised at. And I won't be raising my child with religion. If he decides later in life that he wants to go to church I'll be all for it. I went for a year when I was about 13-14 but realised it wasn't for me.
On the health care bill, there are a few major issues with it. First is that health insurance is now mandatory. It's illegal to not have it and if you're caught without it you'll face a fine and (I'm not sure if they removed it from the final version of the bill or not) jail time. Another issue is that, as stated by the Constitution, the federal government is not allowed to force the people of this country to buy a product from a private company. It also states in the Constitution that the health and welfare of the people lies in the hands of the state government, not the federal -- there's a reason why so many states are filing law suits against this bill. Financially, if you aren't insured at the moment because you can't afford it, you probably still won't be able to afford it after all this legislation goes through.
I have more information, but my son just woke up. I'll try to post more later.
I was raised in an Agnostic household, but many of my peers were Christians. My parents always gave me the choice. I remember once when I was 8, all my friends were going to church on Christmas Eve, and I wanted to do it too, so my (very agnostic) parents gave me the newspaper listing all the Christmas Sermons and told me to pick one out and we would go.
I remember really loving the singing, but when they started talking about the bible? I was like "I'm 8, and I can't even believe this crap, how can so many people get so crazy over this?"
I didn't ask my parents to take me to church again.
I think like someone said above (and kind of what you said Laura), I believe in some sort of higher being . . . whether its GOD or a few gods, or angels or whatnot, but I am strongly against organized religion. Too many people are going crazy, fighting and killing over these pieces of FICTION.
Anyways, that's MY opinion.
As for health care, I'm in Canada, where health care is universal. We don't pay when we go to the doctor, etc. It's all I've known my whole life, and sure there are some grumblings about waiting lists, etc, but I think overall it's a great system.
Since the US is so advanced, I'm always shocked to hear of the almost old fashioned system.
I don't know what the new bill really benefits, but I hope it's a step in the right direction.
So the US can catch up with us super smart Canadians :)
I think the only difference btwn my first and second pregnacies were I threw up slightly less the second time (like I could eat one meal everyday instead of every two days) and I didn't cramp the second time. I honestly couldn't believe I was late because I was pregnant until I decided to rule it out with a test.
I have a wonderful m-i-l who loves me like her own daughter, but she could never butt out when my kids were babies. She even went so far as to tell my s-i-l that I was making my son gay because he slept in the bed with us (and my husband held no culpability in her eyes...also said s-i-l is gay). I think they just can't help it, and it's best to ignore it when you can, and ask politely for it to stop when you can't.
I've only heard bits about the bill, I'm Canadian too. We pay alot less out of pocket it's $57.00 a month for a person or $114 for a family... but I'm sure we are paying alot through our crazy income taxes... whatever, overall its an aswome system. And you're too poor to pay the fifty bucks a month you don't have too, but you're still covered (of course theres more paperwork then just that)
Americans are going to have to pay alot more out of pocket...
I LOVE that people who use tanning salons have to pay an extra 10% is there anything like that for smokers?? I just read a quick article about that the other day.
I actually think part of the bill will be improving many people's lives. I have a friend who has CF and she has been having a hard time getting coverage because of her long stints in the hospital. She just graduated college so she now has to get her own health insurance. Now that they cannot deny you for a pre-existing condition she is very excited. Granted it won't start for four years but still. I can see the downsides but my personal believe is that if it can help people who have pre-existing conditions, then I'll be okay with it.
Have to comment on the above comment regarding the Constitution not allowing the government to force us to buy a product from a private company -- how then do you explain the legal requirements to have car insurance? Mortgage requirement to have home owners' insurance?
If you don't see this as an issue of basic human decency (access to affordable health care, that is), why not see it economically? One reason premiums are so high is b/c many people without insurance use the emergency room as their primary care. We end up paying for that through increased premiums. If these people have access to affordable care, costs should go down.
Of course, I see it as an issue of basic decency. I've had two minor insurance issues -- rejected for disability ins. b/c I saw a chiro a few times and couldn't see my OBGYN after a car accident b/c of ins. issues -- I can't imagine what people go through with a major issue!
On the Religion topic I have to say this I am a christian. I know there is a God. And I do try to follow the bible because God is not going to let you try to figure it out for yourself without a guide because it really would go all to hell. I do try to go to church but its all about finding the right one to go to. The Church I go to I do feel connected to him.
But what people consider as being good is not good in God's eyes. You can do all the charity giving you like but if you don't believe in him and live your life according to his will and not your own you will never see heaven.
Oh I don't know if anyone will check back here, but I am so confused over the healtcare LAW, as Matt Louer(SP??) pointed out this morning, but my hubby is uninsured and I can't afford to put him on my policy. My kids are convered through the state, but I make too much to get coverage for hubby. A system like Canada and European countries have, what really is so bad about that. Why do us Americans have such a fear of socialism. I bet the best economic system is a combination of solialism and capitalism. And I will keep my opinions of Ms Palin and her tea party crusade to myself lol
On smoking I smoke and I know all of us smokers pay out the ass in taxes for our idiotic habit.
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