All About MEme: Deal Breakers

 

with MommyBrain and SupahMommy

I rarely watch talk shows.  Because of my awesome nap-taking daughters, this past week was an exception to the rule.  I watched Dr. Phil give a nice lady the what-for because she carries around a 20-item dating checklist ... and asks her dates to read it and check it off ...and wonders why she's still single.  Ummm, hello, I'm fairly certain her deal breaker list IS a deal breaker!  Seems this was a popular topic ... another day I watched Oprah, and that hottie friend of hers Nate was match-making ... for a lady that had an absolutely CRAZY list of deal breakers.  Normal things like "no kids" and "never been married" ... I guess those things are normal ... compared to "never drinks from a straw."  I laughed aloud when she actually admitted that drinking from a straw is a deal breaker. 

And then, Supah dropped this delightful prompt on me.  What crazy hang-ups do I have?  What are my deal breakers?

First of all, if an item of food is past it's "best by" date - even by a day - that's a deal breaker.  My husband disagrees with me on this one and claims there is a margin of error built in to those expiration dates.  I do not budge on this one!

Okay, just thought you should know that about me ... and now here are my relationship hang-ups ... I could only really think of three ... because I only dated a few guys in high school and then met my husband ... and he's perfect ;)

I discovered my first deal breaker in high school.  I dated this guy I've known since elementary school.  He is a truly sweet guy and a great friend.  I was totally into his friend but ended up dating him instead.  We had a lot in common and always had fun together.  He was such a gentleman and pretty cute, too. Here it comes ... BUT ... he had spit strings. Little spittles in the corners of his mouth.  When he talked the strings stretched and sometimes broke. I couldn't take my eyes off his mouth ... not in a good way.  And I could not bring myself to really kiss him.  He'd lean in for a kiss, and I'd dodge with a quick, polite peck.  I assumed if that much spit managed to escape his mouth - via the sides of his lips - a real kiss would involve more drool than a teething two-year old ... deal breaker.  Poor guy borrowed my physics notebook to study for a final exam and found a break up note inside ... I know, that's just not nice!

From excess saliva to pubic hair ... or at least the kind of hair that looks like it belongs below the belt but somehow landed on your head.  I think I dated a few charity cases in high school.  And I know I dated a few for the wrong reason.  My friend was interested in Mr. Pube Head, and for some reason that sparked my competitive spirit.  I went after him and won.  My prize ... an overly sentimental, mixed tape making, gas station rose buying, not funny ... guy with the kind of hair on his head that had no business being there.  It was just B-A-D bad ... and a deal breaker! 

From pubic hair to public cheeks.  I spent a summer living (in sin) with my then-boyfriend (now-husband) and his roommate - we called him Dick Skip (behind his back) as a shortened version of his real name.  He was a little odd and sometimes gave me the creeps.  Dick Skip invited me to spend the afternoon at the beach while my boyfriend was working.  We put our towels in the sand, laid on our backs, and started soaking up some rays.  I had my eyes closed and tried to ignore his attempts at conversation. A little while later, I heard him rustling around but didn't think much of it.  Deciding it was time to flip over and give my back some sun, I sat up, opened my eyes, turned to look at water, and got an eyeful of bare butt cheeks. My male roommate had taken off the swim trunks he wore to the beach and stripped down to a black thong!  Ummm, guy in a thong ... in public ... with another guy's girlfriend ... deal breaker!

And finally, while I was typing this, Natalie and Chad were having a tea party when I discovered this deal breaker ... Natalie put an apple in her cup and said, "I's dinking apple juice."  Chad followed her lead, picked up an nearby item, and said, "I made ball juice."  As far as I am concerned - that - in any context - is a deal breaker!  CPV, of course, quickly realized what he had said and cracked up laughing ... hee, hee!

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Now it's your turn.  Link up so I can stop by your place and read about your deal breakers!

All About MEme Prompt 1.25.10

 

with MommyBrain and SupahMommy

THAT'S A DEALBREAKER LADIES! 

This week we want you to share with us your own personal experiences with "dealbreakers."    You don't have to be a 30 Rock Fan to know what  DealBreaker is!  

Example:  You know that hot man candy dude who took of his shirt at the beach when you were 23-  only to reveal a DEALBREAKER kermit the frog tattoo or rampant wolf like back hair? 
       

* collective gasp with a side of  shudder....

 

Yah.  Those. 

A.   List of your top 5  relationship dealbreakers.

B.  Tell us about a time you experienced a DealBreaker.

You remember how this works right?   
Think on it.   
Write a post.   
Come back on Monday and link up!

xoxox©

supah  and MommyBrain

ESP: Six Weeks

Current Weight: 7  pounds

EAT:  From an eating standpoint, the past ten days have been very different.  At her one month check-up (10 days ago), the pediatrician deemed her weight gain (6 lbs. 9 oz. at that point) significant and consistent.  Enough that I got the go-ahead to stop the pumping, stop the bottle-feeding, stop waking her for feedings, and breastfeed exclusively and on-demand.    What a relief!  I was so happy to finally be released from the pump prison!   The best part, though, the switch has been nothing but successful!  I am amazed by how well my little baby transitioned from chugging a bottle to sucking the ... well, I don't want to get graphic, but you know. 

And I would say that she's even better at nursing than NHV ... not that I am comparing or making it a competition.  It just surprises me because I've heard so much about nipple confusion and babies who refuse to nurse after drinking from a bottle for extended amounts of time.  Even more impressive, CJV goes for decent stretches in between feedings ... 2, 3, 4, even 5 hours.  NHV nursed all the freaking time ... like every hour and a half to two hours ... longer stretches were rare rather than the norm.

In the past few days, I have noticed an increase in spit-up ... but I think that's normal at this point.  I just hope it doesn't last as long as it did with Natalie.

SLEEP:  Charlotte continues to be a pretty darn good sleeper.  (Gosh, I hope I am not totally jinxing myself here!)  And her periods of alertness are definitely increasing.  She's not great at putting herself to sleep; she fights it a little.  She doesn't really cry or fuss ... just gets that wide-eyed stare, classic overstimulation.  But the 5 S's ... swaddle, side, shush, swing, and suck ... are pretty fool-proof in triggering her calming reflex.  Of course, CJV still prefers to be held while snoozing - she's a newborn afterall, but she can also sleep for good stretches in her bassinet ... if the planets align just right.  The Ergo carrier has been invaluable during the day.  Charlotte will sleep in there while Natalie and I go about our business.  When she does get really tired, the stork bites on her eyelids get darker.

PERSONALITY:  I know I am completely biased, but geez, this baby girl is so very sweet!  She's very calm and mellow ... the majority of the time.  Even when she does get upset, Charlotte is quick to soothe and overall very content.  I love all the baby sounds she is making now ... aaaaahs and ooooohs and sighs.  Although she honks less, there are still plenty of grunts and snorts.  If she's waking up and feeling hungry, she tells me with a series of stretches and grunts.  She also has the best sleep grins.  I am still waiting on the real thing, but in the meantime, I cannot get enough of her little grins! 

Charlotte's favorite things (aside from the girls) ... her binky, my face, when I sing, "Hey, hey pretty Charlotte," the Fussy Baby poster next to her changing table, a foam wedge, and the fan in our master bathroom.

And I'll leave you with one more photo ... her little outfit, a gift from my friend Sarah Lou, says, "Whoooo's the cutest?"

You are Charlotte Jane.  You are.

Getting Older and Riding the Bus

This past fall one of NHV's good buddies started going to preschool two days a week.  Often times - on the days he was at preschool - Natalie would ask to play with O.  I'd have to explain to her that O was at school, so he couldn't play today.  Inevitably, that explanation would prompt Natalie to inquire about this whole "school" thing. 

She'd say, "Owen go to cooool to-day? I go to cool, too?  I wide de bus to cool?"

And I'd always reply, "When you get a little bit older, you'll go to preschool.  And mommy will drive you; you won't ride the bus."

"Na-nee wanna wide de cool bus."

It cracks me up that her understanding of school is closely related to her desire to ride the school BUS.

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Well, yesterday morning we attended our first preschool open house (yikes! I am so not ready for this!).  After breakfast I told Natalie about our big plans for the day, and she was beyond excited ... like to the point that waiting 8 months to actually start going to preschool is likely to cause her serious mental and emotional anguish ... and to drive me crazy! 

As I was rushing around to get us ready, Natalie had a ton of questions ... or rather the same few questions ... asked over and over and over again. 

Top on her list, "I older now?  I go to precool yike O-wen?"

And then, "We wide de bus to cool dis mow-ning?"

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Again this morning, NHV expected to go back to preschool.  We aren't even registered yet.  Heck, I haven't even decide which school she'll attend.

"Mommy, I go to cool dis mow-ning?"

"No, baby, not today."

"I not older anee-more?"

Oh, the adorable confusion!

All About MEme: Supah's Book Club, Part 1

 

with MommyBrain and SupahMommy

 

You can consider this my own personal couch jumping incident ...

First of all, can we talk about my awesome PhotoShop skillz?! I give full credit to Supah for being my inspiration.  But the skillz, those are all mine.  I am especially proud of this one because the idea was hatched at 2:30 am while nursing my sweet CJV.  And the logo was created at 3:00 am ... while sitting on the floor in my walk-in closet so I could hear CJV if she needed me but have enough light to see what the heck I was doing.  Sleep deprivation conjures up all kinds of delightfulness ... a whole lot of crap, too ... but this is delightful!

Anyhoo, on with the interview ...

What are you currently reading?

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss

I am only 25 pages in.  The main character is an old (and very lonely) man.  I have a thing for old guys; they are just so endearing.  He feels invisible and does things to get noticed ... like posing nude for a drawing class.  Whoa, did that create some unwanted visuals!  But I like his gumption ... and that's a word I've never thought to use before now.  Ultimately, this is a book about a book (my friend Terri would love it!) ... a book written by the old man that somehow helps another lonely soul.

When do you find the time to read?

Right now, I am not really finding time to read. I can't keep my eyes open once I crawl into bed at night.  And spare minutes during the day are rare to say the least.  When I was pregnant - just a short time ago - and enduring twice weekly doctor's appointments, I read almost a book a week.  I don't make time to read, but if I find time, I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing.

Where do you do most of your reading?

Now, currently, because I am house-ridden with children ... in my bed with my eyes closed ;)

In the past, when I had a life ... on the beach ... oh, I've done some great reading on the beach.  In an airplane/port ... unless there's someone interesting to talk to.  And I love sitting outside to read.

How do you choose what you read?

I think you already know this about me.  I judge a book by it's cover.  (I kind of feel the same way about blogs, but that practice does not translate into how I choose my friends, though!)  The overall design of the cover has to be appealing to me.  It's not one certain thing that I look for ... the cover could be pretty or interesting or weird.  As long as it catches my eye, I'll give the book a try.

I don't stick to one author.  In fact, I prefer to read virgin first-time authors.  There's something about knowing this is a person's first attempt that intrigues me.  I've found that well-published authors can fall into a rut ... like they've been type-cast or their publisher has too much control or they aren't willing to break the mold of their first successes.

I also love book recommendations.  And the website paperbackswap.com has a cool feature that suggests books you may like based on your browsing history.

From where do you get most of your books?

My friend Tammy loans me a lot of books.  And we both share a love of used books stores and the occasional trip to Good Will.

But most recently, I've been using a website called paperbackswap.com.  I trade the books I've already read for a book that someone else has already read.  Pretty cool, huh?  All I do is pay the shipping (media rate) for the book I send, and in return the other person returns the favor.  You can even print postage right from the website.  If you haven't checked out this site, you really, really should.  What a great way to recycle a book!

What do you do with a book after you've finished reading it?

If the book makes me think of a specific friend, I pass it on.  I love knowing a friend is reading and enjoying a book that I gave her.  And right now I have about 10 books listed on paperbackswap.com, which will earn me credits to get more books!

QUICK UPDATE ... after reading comments from BJ_Mama and Amber, I did a little research ... it turns out that I can earn book credits for referrals to paperbackswap.com.  I seriously had no idea!  But if you do decide to join and use my email address - dverhoff (at) gmail (dot) com - as your referrer when you register, I'll use those credits to get Newbery Medal winning books to donate to a local children's charity - yes, paperbackswap has children's books, too

What are your book (reading) quirks?

I must finish a chapter before putting down a book.  It really bothers me to stop mid-chapter.  If it can't be avoided, I'll reread the whole chapter rather than picking up where I left off.  I prefer books with short chapters ;)

Most of my books are used, but I love the smell of a new book.  I just close my eyes, flip those pages, and breathe deeply ... it's one of my favorite smells.

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Now it's your turn to play along ... my favorite part of all this mayhem!

• Put together a post that remotely resembles an answer to the prompt.
• Be sure to copy/ paste/ post our super fabulous button thingy (at the top of this post) on your post somewhere! (That's how we'll grow and we THANK YOU 100X for helping!)
• Come back here and link up with Mr. Linky! (If you can't see it at the bottom of this post, hop over to Supah's place and link up there.)
• Visit the 3 blogs above your name if you have time and leave them a comment!! (This is the secret to growing a blog!) ... and if you're first, ... well then aren't you special! You'll just need to visit the 3 below your when name when they appear and leave a comment!

All About MEme: Prompt for 1.18.10

 

with MommyBrain and SupahMommy

 

Total web-domination has really gone to Supah's head.  Following in the footsteps of some other famous lady, this week SupahMommy (with a lot of help from MommyBrain) is launching her very own Book Club!

We are assuming you, occasionally, have the time and motivation to read something other than each other's latest blog posts ;) 

Tell us about yourself as a reader ... of books.

Imagine you're being interviewed by Oprah Supah ...

Ummm, yeah, we know you're excited.  

But let's try to keep the crazy to a minimum, 'kay?

You know Oprah Supah asks the tough questions ... 

What are you currently reading?
When do you find the time to read?
Where do you do most of your reading?
How do you choose what you read?
From where do you get most of your books?
What do you do with a book after you've finished reading it?
What are your book (reading) quirks?

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Think on it and come back Monday to Link up!

Next week's Oprah All About MEme ... Part 2 of Supah's Book Club

A Day in the Life

woke up to a hungry baby and nursed in bed
made old fashioned oatmeal with peaches and cinnamon
negotiated with my two-year old to just try a peach
watched a glass bowl hit the floor and smash to pieces
counted to ten and took a few deep breaths
told my daughter I didn't want to see her right now
sent "bad girl" to her room
cleaned up oatmeal, peaches, and glass
heard a tiny voice say, "Sorry, mommy.  Love you, mommy."
felt marginally better
answered a call from my BFF in Colorado

got all three of us ready and out the door by 9:45 am
held CJV and entertained NHV during a newborn hearing screen

shopped for groceries with little one snoozing in the Ergo
answered endless questions from a curious toddler

got all three of us back in the house
made lunch
nursed a very hungry little one
unpacked and put away six bags of groceries

turned on Sesame Street right at noon
cleaned up the kitchen

put both girls down for a nap
visited with a *good friend
worked on the newsletter for my moms' group

changed a diaper (or two or three)
nursed a still snoozy newborn
ate a snack ... yogurt and granola

gave a snack to NHV ... raisins
convinced toddler to ditch the diaper and use the potty
cleaned up a pile of poopie from the floor

played stacking cups and pegs and puzzles

hid from daddy when he got home

ate a delicious dinner - thanks to my *good friend
nursed ... again
watched Wheel of Fortune and solved every puzzle
enjoyed goofy playtime with CPV and Natalie

overheard daddy say, "Your presence is required in the living room.  We have toys to pick up."

to which Natalie replied, "I open-ing presents?"

checked email ... considered Twitter
typed this post

nursed ... again ... and enjoyed the sleep grins of a milk drunk baby
watched Grey's Anatomy
went to bed