I heard this term the other night when I was watching Dr. Phil (something I hardly ever do ironically enough). He was discussing the roles of mothers: working outside the home versus remaining at home to only raise the children. He said that because of the way things are going, there are now "economoms" who are forced to go back to work because the fathers aren't working anymore. I feel that I have always been supportive of the overall feeling "whatever is best for you and your family." I can't make a decision for other people to say they should go to work to make a better living for their family or to stay home to nurture their children. I still feel that way. However, I can see how my own personal emotions toward being a working mom has changed.
After I got laid off, I went through a depression, partially brought on by pregnancy hormones. I ALWAYS saw myself as a working mom. Part time preferably, but definitely someone with an outlet. However, I found a way to fill my time until I got so pregnant I couldn't do much anyway. Then after Kaleb was born, I realized just how much I want to be a stay-at-home mom and not work outside of the home. I basically refused all offers and opportunities for work until I went into Brilliant Sky, the toy store I now work for. Ammon and I had a great feeling about me going back to work part time. However, since I have gone back to work, I feel myself torn. I really enjoy my work and I'm good at it and I feel a renewed sense of belonging and community. BUT every time I have to say goodbye to my adorable baby, who is always in GREAT hands, I am close to tears. I miss him so much! If the store does well during the holidays, it will stay open permanently and I know my manager would keep me on if that's the case. Financially, I'm still receiving unemployment so working right now is basically just extending my unemployment, not bringing in extra money. I don't plan on quitting and overall I am comfortable with my decision, but I wanted to get everybody's input on being a working mom or stay-at-home mom and pluses or minuses or how they "deal" with it. Then maybe I won't feel like such an "economom" who is forced to work. What do you think?
Monday, October 19, 2009
So Far Away...
Now you'll have that song stuck in your head for the rest of the day... Mwahahahaha. Anyway, Ammon left this morning for the Navajo Reservation to do some concrete work. He is going to be back on Friday, then gone again on Monday for another week. I can't say that I am thrilled at the prospect of being alone for five whole days, but at least I have a ton of friends and family nearby and my cute little Kaleb to always keep me company. I'm more scared for Ammon since the reason he quit doing concrete work was because it absolutely killed his lower back. On friday, he did a job for the same company down in Tucson. They picked him up at 3am and he was back at 3pm, in bed at 6pm and didn't get back up till 8am. That's gonna give you an idea of how tough the work is. I'm so proud of him though. It's something he REALLY didn't wanna do, but because it's a bit of extra money, my sweety is making the sacrifice. Plus he has been so focused and humble in trying to find a job... any job, and being a terrific Mr. Mom while I'm off working. My husband aint perfect, but he is awesome, so I just wanted to take a moment to brag!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Da Kaleb and His Bear
I totally forgot to add the most adorable thing... we've had two little teddy bears in Kaleb's crib since he was born. More for decoration than anything, but lately we have been using one of the bears as a cuddle toy when Kaleb is put down for a nap. He has a hard time sleeping without a pacifier in his mouth and if we don't give him the bear, his hands will rip the pacifier out and he will get restless and not sleep. Anywho, so the other day, Ammon went in to get Kaleb up from his nap, and as he picked him up out of the crib, the little bear came with him. Kaleb had a vice-like grip on the little bear's arm it was dangling at his side. So SWEET!!!!
Kaleb at Four Months
We finally had another doctor's appointment to get the stats on Kaleb and... (drum roll please)... he is now 18 pounds, 14 oz. (97th percentile) and 26.5 inches (90th percentile). He is our big little boy. We are getting to the point where we are considering putting him in the "Up to 30 pounds" infant car seat since he is getting so close to his "up to 22 pounds" limit on the one we're using now. Our doctor reassures us that the more active he gets, the more his weight will stabilize, but I will believe that when I see it. Especially since neither of his parents' wieght stabilized till they were adults (HA, that's a joke, son). As it is, he is still wearing half of the clothes he was wearing at 2 months.
A funny little thing about Kaleb lately is his recognition. He now knows who mommy and daddy are (or at least that we are his two peeps), and so whenever someone else holds him, and he notices Ammon and me apart from him, he starts to cry. (sorry, grammas!!) The doctor said that reaction is more normal at 6-9 months... which means it's probably gonna get worse before it gets better. OY!! In addition to that, Kaleb seems to recognize that I am a source of food and has often taken to very purposefully sucking on my face or neck or arm if it's available. Kind of funny! Thankfully I am nursing less now since I'm working and I plan to have Kaleb weaned by the end of the month so this won't get into a bad habit!
In fact, the picture below is at three months:
And this is him at four months:
A funny little thing about Kaleb lately is his recognition. He now knows who mommy and daddy are (or at least that we are his two peeps), and so whenever someone else holds him, and he notices Ammon and me apart from him, he starts to cry. (sorry, grammas!!) The doctor said that reaction is more normal at 6-9 months... which means it's probably gonna get worse before it gets better. OY!! In addition to that, Kaleb seems to recognize that I am a source of food and has often taken to very purposefully sucking on my face or neck or arm if it's available. Kind of funny! Thankfully I am nursing less now since I'm working and I plan to have Kaleb weaned by the end of the month so this won't get into a bad habit!
Kaleb has really blossomed this month as far as his physical abilities. He really enjoys tummy time now and has even rolled over a few times both from his back and from his tummy. Burping has become a lot more difficult since he will straighten his body in protest whenever he is still hungry. So now I tend to burp him while he is standing.
Plus, as I mentioned in my last post, Kaleb is starting to sit on his own. Below is the link to our latest video of him. He is more slouching on his own than sitting, but you gotta start somewhere. You will also notice the drool, which has doubled this month. His sleeping and napping have been pretty eratic over the last few weeks also, so I'm hoping that means a tooth will be breaking through soon... but I'm not holding my breath.
Post Media Blackout Update
As I mentioned before, we went a week without any media (radio, tv, internet and movies) for an entire week (except for those two movies that happened to be on at a relatives house while we were there) and I have to say it has really impacted us. Here are some of the things we learned or experienced:
1. We CAN turn the TV off if there is nothing interesting on. Now that the blackout is over, we have the tv on about 1/8th as often as it was before. I used to have it on all morning with all the usual news programs and then we would have it on almost constantly from 3pm until 9pm. Most of the time it was just on for noise. This past week, we watched our favorite show The Big Bang Theory, a few episodes of Mythbusters and then one morning of Regis and Kelly. Now we actually turn the TV off if we're not watching it. Go figure.
2. I like my husband a lot more when there's no media around. That whole week, Ammon didn't really act differently, but if there was something he did I didn't like, I handled it a LOT better. Although... it may have helped that I didn't have to repeat myself a bunch cuz the TV wasn't distracting him ;-)
3. Kaleb is a lot of fun! He really likes to watch tv, so I tended to let the tv placate him (even at this age, isn't it horrible!?!?!) But media-free week forced us to entertain him a lot more and play little games with him. Now I can't nurse him in front of the tv right before bed because he will not settle down for the night. The tv is just too interesting to him.
4. I HATE 1000 piece puzzles!!!!!! I started getting into puzzles that week, but now I'm sure I want to stop at 750 pieces or at least not get a 1000 piece puzzle that is a painting. All the brush strokes make all the tiny pieces look the same!!!!
5. I CAN beat Ammon at a strategy game. Othello. Nuff said.
Some other tidbits about our lives:
I REALLY like my job, and the manager and co-workers seem to like me. I have torn feelings every morning I work, having to leave my adorable baby, but I feel this is where I need to be right now. Plus, it has been a great boost in my self-esteem to have an external "project".
Ammon is still having a hard time finding work. He is applying like crazy at all kinds of random places, but he has gotten no responses... not even for a seasonal position. Let us know if you hear of anything.
We caught mouse number seven last night. Thankfully they never go near our food that we can tell. ARGH!! It's so crazy nasty!!!
1. We CAN turn the TV off if there is nothing interesting on. Now that the blackout is over, we have the tv on about 1/8th as often as it was before. I used to have it on all morning with all the usual news programs and then we would have it on almost constantly from 3pm until 9pm. Most of the time it was just on for noise. This past week, we watched our favorite show The Big Bang Theory, a few episodes of Mythbusters and then one morning of Regis and Kelly. Now we actually turn the TV off if we're not watching it. Go figure.
2. I like my husband a lot more when there's no media around. That whole week, Ammon didn't really act differently, but if there was something he did I didn't like, I handled it a LOT better. Although... it may have helped that I didn't have to repeat myself a bunch cuz the TV wasn't distracting him ;-)
3. Kaleb is a lot of fun! He really likes to watch tv, so I tended to let the tv placate him (even at this age, isn't it horrible!?!?!) But media-free week forced us to entertain him a lot more and play little games with him. Now I can't nurse him in front of the tv right before bed because he will not settle down for the night. The tv is just too interesting to him.
4. I HATE 1000 piece puzzles!!!!!! I started getting into puzzles that week, but now I'm sure I want to stop at 750 pieces or at least not get a 1000 piece puzzle that is a painting. All the brush strokes make all the tiny pieces look the same!!!!
5. I CAN beat Ammon at a strategy game. Othello. Nuff said.
Some other tidbits about our lives:
I REALLY like my job, and the manager and co-workers seem to like me. I have torn feelings every morning I work, having to leave my adorable baby, but I feel this is where I need to be right now. Plus, it has been a great boost in my self-esteem to have an external "project".
Ammon is still having a hard time finding work. He is applying like crazy at all kinds of random places, but he has gotten no responses... not even for a seasonal position. Let us know if you hear of anything.
We caught mouse number seven last night. Thankfully they never go near our food that we can tell. ARGH!! It's so crazy nasty!!!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Pre- Media Blackout Update
So next week, we will be going without TV, movies and computers (except to look for a job for Ammon). Our bishop has asked us to spend that time on improving ourselves and our relationships by preparing for general conference next week. Ammon blames me for this because of something I said during ward conference. What can I say? I speak my mind and we need all the blessings we can get right now.
I'm gonna give a quick update on us: Ammon was laid off last week from his job, which wasn't too terrible a loss since they were giving a rollercoaster of drama, including going a month without being paid and even jipping him on five hourse of pay on his last paycheck. Come to find out, that last paycheck bounced today. As if we didn't have enough money problems!
Coincedentally (sp?), I got a part time job at the new toy store in the Superstition mall called Brilliant Sky (where Kaybee used to be, next to Payless). I have really enjoyed it so far and look forward to having a little outlet for my creative energy. Come by and see me soon!
We caught ANOTHER mouse yesterday. I think that makes five this summer!
Also, Ammon and I have new callings. We are now our ward's activities directors and I'm kind of looking forward to it. Ammon is glad to finally have a break away from primary (after 7 years of teaching). I was a little sad since I had only been with the Young Women a year, but this will allow us BOTH time to be spiritually enriched on Sunday in new ways, baby naptimes allowing.
I started The Chronicles of Narnia last week (thanks for the suggestion, Liz) and have gotten through the first two books already. Fun, light-hearted reading with a great lesson are always winners to me!! I did finish a novel a few weeks ago that I had been reading for almost two months (hence why I haven't done a book review). It was so dissapointing, I didn't want to dedicate a whole entry just to that. So all I will say is Dean Koontz' Strangers was 'just ok'. Too long for a boring ending. Usually I like his stuff but this one was "EH" (shrugging shoulders). Read Lightning if you want a good Sci-fi mystery by the same writer. That's his best work.
Of course I can't have a general update without mentioning our little cuteness. We have gotten Kaleb to sit on his own a lot lately. Never for more than thirty seconds, but still, we were very excited to see him so independent even for that short amount of time. Should have a video after our media blackout (cameras aren't banned).
I'm gonna give a quick update on us: Ammon was laid off last week from his job, which wasn't too terrible a loss since they were giving a rollercoaster of drama, including going a month without being paid and even jipping him on five hourse of pay on his last paycheck. Come to find out, that last paycheck bounced today. As if we didn't have enough money problems!
Coincedentally (sp?), I got a part time job at the new toy store in the Superstition mall called Brilliant Sky (where Kaybee used to be, next to Payless). I have really enjoyed it so far and look forward to having a little outlet for my creative energy. Come by and see me soon!
We caught ANOTHER mouse yesterday. I think that makes five this summer!
Also, Ammon and I have new callings. We are now our ward's activities directors and I'm kind of looking forward to it. Ammon is glad to finally have a break away from primary (after 7 years of teaching). I was a little sad since I had only been with the Young Women a year, but this will allow us BOTH time to be spiritually enriched on Sunday in new ways, baby naptimes allowing.
I started The Chronicles of Narnia last week (thanks for the suggestion, Liz) and have gotten through the first two books already. Fun, light-hearted reading with a great lesson are always winners to me!! I did finish a novel a few weeks ago that I had been reading for almost two months (hence why I haven't done a book review). It was so dissapointing, I didn't want to dedicate a whole entry just to that. So all I will say is Dean Koontz' Strangers was 'just ok'. Too long for a boring ending. Usually I like his stuff but this one was "EH" (shrugging shoulders). Read Lightning if you want a good Sci-fi mystery by the same writer. That's his best work.
Of course I can't have a general update without mentioning our little cuteness. We have gotten Kaleb to sit on his own a lot lately. Never for more than thirty seconds, but still, we were very excited to see him so independent even for that short amount of time. Should have a video after our media blackout (cameras aren't banned).
Monday, September 21, 2009
More Kaleb Cutenes
Here is a picture of a cute little vest outfit Llama and Eric got for Kaleb. I just love it!!! Even if the tie is too small for his neck folds. Thanks a bunch, guys, for all of the awesome clothes!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY6kE378pZY
Plus, we got video of Kaleb's first REAL laugh. Sorry I started the video pointing at the dishes, but the camera was in our office, on the other side of the house from the nursery, and the baby monitor was on in the kitchen. I wanted to get as much as I could. Hope you like.
Let the Games Begin
Lately, Ammon and I have been getting out the board (bored?) games and spending our evenings in strategic warfare. Ammon has the Lord of the Rings version of Monopoly, Risk and Chess. We started with Monopoly and Ammon kicked my trash. Below was the scene as I surrendered (Ammon was on the right... Obviously).
Then after I cooled down, I suggested we play Risk. Ammon made short work of me even more quickly and cruelly! Below is my last stand. I was the green soldiers. Don't see any green soldiers? That's because there is only one and he is at the top left of the board. It made be sad. But I had Kaleb's love to make me feel better!!!!
Then after I cooled down, I suggested we play Risk. Ammon made short work of me even more quickly and cruelly! Below is my last stand. I was the green soldiers. Don't see any green soldiers? That's because there is only one and he is at the top left of the board. It made be sad. But I had Kaleb's love to make me feel better!!!!
How Many Eggs?!?!?!
72
6 Dozen
Our chickens are giving us an average of a dozen eggs a day! The madness!!!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
New videos of Kaleb
This is a video of Kaleb screaming. We think it's his way of saying "I want ATTENTION" cuz he does it when he is happy and when he is frustrated. You also get to hear his other cuter cooing too. Plus, this shows how much Kaleb has learned to love playing with blankets. Be warned, the video starts right in the middle of a scream, so prepare yourself:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWW3L4tjOBY&feature=channel
We finally got a video of Kaleb standing. It's so funny to see his short chunky legs holding up that long torso. Notice that I only help him balance and don't hold any of his weight. Usually when we do this is when he starts screaming to say "Look at me", but of course he stopped right when we started recording.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkfTWWcvy84
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWW3L4tjOBY&feature=channel
We finally got a video of Kaleb standing. It's so funny to see his short chunky legs holding up that long torso. Notice that I only help him balance and don't hold any of his weight. Usually when we do this is when he starts screaming to say "Look at me", but of course he stopped right when we started recording.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkfTWWcvy84
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