On Becoming Baby Wise

On Becoming Baby Wise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam, M.D.

I first heard about this book and its principles from our good friends, Jenny and Stuart, but have since heard about its use from several other families, all with wonderful things to say about it. I have also heard some people tell me how dumb they think it is, but when questioned farther, they can't tell you much because they a.) haven't read it, or b.) haven't tried it. So the only thing I felt I could really do was to read it for myself and see.

This book just made sense. The principles seem sound and I can't say anything else other than it just made sense to me. Why wouldn't anyone want to try this? Putting your baby on a schedule will help train their bodies to eat and sleep normally. I really wish I could give you a more elegant synopsis, but it really does seem that simple. Now, I realize raising a newborn is in reality anything but simple, but this system does seem to give great guidance as to what is best for babies. And with most babies sleeping though the night by eight weeks or so, why not?? I really don't understand why anyone who would actually read this book would have a problem with its principles. Scheduling your baby is not detrimental to him/her, but beneficial. The authors do not want you to be clock-watching crazy parents. They encourage some flexibility and understanding when things don't go according to plan.

I actually put off reading this book for quite some time because to me, it just looked boring. I like to read non-fiction, but lets face it, most non-fiction can really put you to sleep! This was definitely NOT the case with this book. It was well-written enough to hold my attention. Each chapter was broken down into manageable categories, which also helped. I read this book in one evening and one afternoon.

I am definitely willing to try the principles in Baby Wise and am actually a lot more hopeful now than I was before reading the book. Before reading it, I thought I had absolutely no idea how to handle a newborn baby. Now I can safely drop the absolutely and say that I have no idea how to handle a newborn baby, but I do know where to start. Hopefully mother nature will take me the rest of the way.

Here is a popular blog that seems to be very helpful: Chronicles of a Babywise Mom.

Drumroll Please...

It's a Boy!!

Back-to-School Goals - Update

So two weeks into the school year, I wrote a post mentioning a few back to school goals. Here were the goals:

 

1.) Love first. Teach second.

2.) Stay on top of filing.

3.) Respond to emails ASAP instead of putting them off.

4.) Grade and record papers ASAP so they don't pile up on me.

5.) Make better use of my planning time. (this is when I am going to try and make most of my copies, since the line can be bad in the mornings and afternoons)

6.) Umm, it seems like I had so many more than just these five... oh well!

 

Needless to say, I am not doing too well. 

 

#1 is obviously the most important goal to me, but some days I struggle with it. I know it may sound easy, but it can actually be kind of difficult. You can get so caught up in what you have to get done and what the kids have to know and be able to do, that you have to remind yourself that they are real kids. More than math, they need love. That is the most important thing and that is what is going to make them see Jesus in me more than anything else. The more difficult kids are often the ones that are the hardest to love and they are the ones that need it the most! This is a goal that I have to work on everyday and will probably need to work on everyday until retirement.

 

#'s 2-5 are all goals that just have to do with time management and organization. I do think that I am making better use of my planning periods, which helps with the other goals, but I still have a long way to go! I don't always answer my emails right away and yes, papers always seem to pile up on me. And filing? Well, I am no better at that than I was last year. It really is a weakness.

 

Here are some things I am going to do to help me meet these goals:

• Write them down. Then post them in a place where I will see them everyday, like the bulletin board by my desk.
• Clean off my desk every afternoon before I leave. This will help me get off to a good start in the morning. You will not believe the mess that accumulates on my desk during the school day!
• Make a schedule for all of the things I have to do each week, like planning, grading, newsletters, emails, etc. Maybe this will help me get it all done instead of saving it to the last minute. Kind of like a to-do list for each planning period of the week. 

Going Bananas

Confession time...

I love bananas. But I especially love bananas when they are at that perfect stage where they are not mushy, but they are not too hard either. You know, right before they start to get a little too ripe. And bananas are really good for you too. A great source of vitamin C and dietary fiber, not to mention good calories for energy and loads of potassium. The potassium is especially good for mommas-to-be since muscle cramps, especially those awful charlie horses, can be a real problem! 

Anyway, here is what drives me bananas. I am really working hard on only grocery shopping once a week. If you want to eat a banana everyday, this is next to impossible! Monday I went to the store and only bought three bananas because I knew they wouldn't last more than three days. I even bought three that looked a little greenish. Tuesday's banana was okay, but not great. Today's, Wednesday's, is already looking spotted and feeling too mushy. I don't even want to think about Thursday's. I may just eat it tonight to keep from having to suffer through a bad banana. 

So what I  want to know is, has anyone discovered a way to keep bananas fresh? Do any of those baggy thingys really work? Any tips at all?? I know this is a silly post, but I'm desperate over here! 

Blubber by Judy Blume

• Good Book
• Everyone can relate to one of the characters - bully, bullied, bystander...
• Some of the bullying seemed a little extreme to me. I guess it happens though.
• Teachers are portrayed as lazy and uncaring. Never know what is happening. Disinterested. Sadly though, I guess some teachers are like this. 
• Some language that is not suitable for younger or immature students. 

Cardiologist = Pleasant Surprise!

As I mentioned before here, my OB wanted me to see a cardiologist just to have some tests run. This is only because I have had a pre-existing condition, not because I am having problems or because she thinks I will have them. More of a better-be-safe-than-sorry kind of thing.

So last week I went to see a cardiologist here in town to have an EKG and and a Cardio-Echo done. The EKG is no big deal - you just lay on a table and have a bunch of sticky things with metal pieces put on your chest, arms, and ankles. Then they connect the metal pieces to a machine using big plier-looking things. Once you're all hooked up the test only takes about 30 seconds. They just monitor your heart rate and print out a piece of paper that looks like you just took a lie detector test.

The Cardio-Echo is basically just an ultrasound of your heart. They use really cold jelly and rub a wand over your skin over the area they want to see. But unlike some ultrasounds, the Cardio-Echo can actually be a little painful. They have to push really hard to see through some of the tissue and they sometimes have to jab really hard at your ribs. Zero fun. 

Anyway, as the man was looking up at the bottom of my heart via under my ribs, I warned him that if he got any lower we would be able to see my baby on that screen. He laughed and told me we would do that next. It's a good thing I was in a cardiologist's office, because I just about had a heart attack on the spot! Seriously, my heart started beating so fast that he had to stop the test and let me calm down a bit. I was just so shocked! I had no idea when I woke up that morning that I would have the chance to see my baby. Talk about a pleasant surprise!

I wasn't able to see a whole lot because that is not really what the equipment was designed for. And since I was only 16 weeks, he couldn't really tell the gender. But I'm almost glad for that since Jeff wasn't even with me. That was the worst part. It was amazing to see our baby, but I really wanted the daddy there with me to see it too. It was an awesome thing to see, though. I enjoy seeing other people's ultrasound pictures, but let's be honest, they all look alike to me. Not this one. I know you may argue that it had to look just like everyone else's, but no. The baby I saw on the screen was the most beautiful baby I have ever seen in my life. I cannot wait until I get to see it again in a few weeks, when Jeff gets to see it for the first time. And I definitely cannot wait until I can hold it in my arms! At the risk of becoming sickeningly sappy, I will stop here. I'm already crying in anticipation anyway! 

No More Jeep Payments!!

Have I ever mentioned before how much I really HATE debt?? If you know me personally, you know this is true. I just can't stand the thought of so much of my money going out every month to pay for things that I purchased forever ago! It is so stupid and I hate it and I wish that I had never borrowed money for anything in my life. But, I did and now I'm paying the Stupid Tax for it. Every month. 

But, things around here are changing. Although we are not perfect with our money, we do have a plan. A written budget each month that tells every dollar where to go. A debt-snowball, designed to help us pay off our debts in the fastest way possible. Yes, some months we really stink at it, but most months we do okay. I can definitely tell we are making progress. Thank you, Dave Ramsey!

We made some big progress this week when we paid off our jeep. It's exciting to have that weight off of our shoulders and to have an extra 200-something a month - even if we don't really have it in a way that lets us spend it, but in a way that lets us pile it towards more debt. It's a good feeling that makes you want to keep going. If it feels so nice just having that extra a month, imagine what we will feel like when we are DEBT FREE and get to keep a lot more of our money! (Even though most days it feels like that time is very, very far away.) It's also a nice enough feeling to make me never want to borrow money for a car ever again. Monthly car payments don't have to be something that I have to live with. : )