Stress and fight or flight

You know what the hardest things about keeping a blog about things you find that inspire you? Finding the time to write the things down as they happen.
Because if something happens that is inspiring, and you don't write it down RIGHT AWAY, it no longer seems inspiring enough an hour later.....and then the game of "oh, that wasn't inspiring enough for me to write down really anyway" happens and then it never gets written down.

I don't even know if I'm making any sense....but this I do know: I'm awake before my kidlets and I'm reading something inspiring and I'm sitting down to write it down, and it's amazing.

Since August, I've been suffering from infrequent heart palpitations. This is something that came on completely unexpectedly and freaked me out...
Especially when I happened to be at the doctor while they were happening and I ended up being ushered to an EKG, bloodwork and then scheduled for an Echo-cardiogram. Thankfully, my heart has no physical abnormalities, there's nothing technically "wrong" with it. So why am I having this issue?

Stress.

I've made lists in my head and hurried through them too many times. I've put a ton of importance on small things. I've tried to control things I can't control. I've worried about so many little things that I've turned into big things. In short, I've sweated about the small stuff. A lot.

No,
A ton.

And according to the doctors, all of this un-needed stress I have put on myself (which is HIGHLY common in women, the over-achieving-trying-to-please-everyone-at-every-second lot that we are) is taking it's toll. They prescribed me something, I didn't take it. I wanted to see if I could control this without the meds. So I researched. And I came up with things like drinking a glass of grape juice, taking magnesium, lavender essential oil (holy crap, that stuff is amazing) and meditation to name a few. And they've helped. I'm figuring out the triggers, learning how to cope. It may be something I struggle with for a long time, maybe not. Only time (and my ability to de-stress) will tell.

Why am I telling you this? Because I was just reading an article about people who went on a retreat in order to "heal" themselves from whatever ailed them. Some of the people had chronic pain (think fibromyalgia) others were unsure of their path in life, some were stuck in unhealthy patterns etc. The woman with fibromyalgia was highlighted for a minute as she brought up all the conflict in the world in the midst of the calm she was feeling.

The author (Martha Beck) pointed out that this is one reason why the woman has fibromyalgia to begin with: because she is continuously tensed for flight, her system exhausted by stress hormones.

I read that and a HUMONGOUS light when on in my brain.
That's me.
I'm the one who is continuously tensed for flight.
I'm continuously exhausting my body with stress.
My heart knows this and recognizes this...and I think I'd even go so far as to say that I'm in for even bigger health issues if I continue on the path of flight and stress.

She then goes on to tell about how this doesn't happen to animals. Animals are alert, but always have a quiet mindset.

"When danger appears, they notice it immediately. 

When peace is available, they accept it. Always."

Another light bulb moment for me. 

When danger appears (for me "danger" means a situation that I would find reasons to stress over), taking notice is an ok thing to do. But dwelling on it? 

Not ok. 

I'm going to work on this. For reals. 

Cause not only is my body reacting to my frequent stress of anything "dangerous" but I have 

3 perfect little people who look to me to set an example for them.

And I want that example to be of peace, not crazy stress. 

I hope you are having a great day. 

And if you aren't, change it =)

(This post is linked with Parenting BY Dummies for Wordful Wednesday)

 

Wordful Wednesday: Sometimes I get tired, then I remember

I spend my days either nursing a baby, holding a baby in my arms or walking around with a baby in a sling of some sort. I'm kind of one of those "attachment parenting" types, the kind that doesn't like to put the precious babe down unless I have to. This isn't everyone's style, and what works for one doesn't work for another, and I get that. This isn't a post about parenting styles though. It's a post about how tired I am at the end of the day from choosing to carrying around said baby and how bad my feet, knees and back hurt and how sometimes I just can't hold in the complaining. But today, I've had an epiphany and have decided not to complain anymore.

Why?

Because this is my last baby. And it won't be long before she's big enough to sit by herself and play. And she won't want to sit and nurse for hours on end. And she won't want to be carried around in a sling. This is all kind of hitting me now.

I should be savoring every minute I get to spend cuddled up with this little woman. Because she's the last baby that I'll get to do it with.

It's kind of sad. But also so exciting to move into a completely different part of my life. The part where I am actually raising kids, and teaching them what is right and wrong, and watching them grow and learn and make mistakes and have huge amazing accomplishments. As someone once said to me, it's a 3 ring circus and we're all in a different ring at the circus, and I'm moving from the ring where I'm pregnant and having babies to the ring where I actually start watching them grow up.

I could go on and on about how all of this is making me feel. But that would take a lot of my time {and yours} to just ramble and ramble and there's a couple of crazy boys getting a little too rough in the wrestling arena to my right {no, we don't have an actual wrestling arena......but we should}
so I'll just say thanks for stopping by!
And now I'm going to go referee a match.

(this post is linked with parenting BY dummies for wordful/wordless wednesday)
 

Wordless/Wordful Wednesday: A slumber party

We've got a newborn in the house

We call her out little smug...cause she's so smug

and a 2 year old with a high fever in the house
It's raining outside
So we had a slumber party in the living room
last night.
Proof:

This is obviously not the child with the fever

Maybe we were just being lazy
And didn't want to wake up a million times
to check on the feverish one
But I'd like to think we're awesome
Cause what kid doesn't like
a slumber party?

{here's to a healthier day......thanks for stopping by!}

{oh! how could I forget, I'm linking up with Parenting BY Dummies for wordful/wordless Wednesday!}

 

Wordful/Wordless Wednesday: Gwen!

1 week ago today 

2.29.2012 

(she's a leap year baby!!!)

Our little girl, Gwenyth, was born! 

Born 9:42 AM to the song "She's so Heavy" by The Beatles =)

7 pounds 7 ounces (our smallest baby!)

20.5 inches long and a full head of brown wavy hair

I'm a proud mama =)

linked with parenting BY dummies for Wordful Wednesday!

Wordful Wednesday: if men got pregnant

So, I'm almost 4 months pregnant. Thankfully I'm over the all-day nausea, but the exhaustion I'm stuck with for the next 5 months at least. Last night, while putting my feet up after a looooong day, I was complaining to my husband about how exhausted I really am. He said to me "do you think I could do it?" and I said "there is no way in hell the whole wide world you, or any man for that matter, would be able to handle being pregnant for 9 (really 10) months." He smiled and chuckled, for some reason he thinks this conversation about men being pregnant (which we've had at least 5 times in the last 3 months) is rather hilarious. So, I decided to do a bit of research to see what other men and women say about men getting pregnant and how things would be different. Here is what I came up with:

From an article by Joyce McFadden titled "The Reality Index, If Men Got Pregnant"
She asked the question to veterans: "If men got pregnant instead of women, how to you imagine things would be different?"

Some of the answers:
"I think our species would become extinct! I don't think men, in their current state, could handle all that comes with being pregnant!"

"Morning sickness would become a disability!"

"We'd have government paid maternity leave (more like Europe), breast feeding would not be a taboo thing since men like to brag about size. I bet men would be showing their goods to the world all the time."

Next question: "If men gave birth instead of women, how do you think things would be different?"

Some answers:
"It would be the end of the human race."

"I think they would actually do a good job. I think it would become a sport. They would make it competitive and use it as a badge of honor. We would have much more favorable laws, too, regarding maternal health care."

"Better insurance. More screaming."

And from a website called Funny2.com:
If Men Got Pregnant:
 Maternity leave would last for two years with full pay.
 There'd be a cure for stretch marks
 Children would be kept in the hospital until they were toilet trained.
 Fathers would demand that their sons be home from dates by 10:00pm.
 Women would rule the world!

So, do you have any thoughts on this? Maybe you think I've got it all wrong and men would be total champs at the whole pregnant thing, or maybe you think I've hit the nail on the head. I'd love to hear your thoughts (or jokes, or snide comments or sarcasm....)

Thanks for stopping by!
(This post is linked with Parenting BY Dummies for Wordful Wednesday!)

Wordless Wednesday

Wordful Wednesday

10 Things I Never Knew Until I Was Mom

(In no particular order, because that would take too much thinking and prioritizing)

1. I could smell, hear, and clean up throw-up and not throw-up myself.
2. I could go all day, rather productively, on 3 hours of sleep.
3. I am capable of being extremely selfless.
4. How exciting tractors and trains are.
5. Other people's opinions regarding parenting seem to matter now, though I try to ignore them.
6. Going to the bathroom by myself is a total luxury. Who knew?
7. Vinegar cleans almost anything.
8. I can carry a baby, a toddler, my bag, a backpack, a juice cup and hold a dog leash all at the same time.
9. My kisses can heal (literally, they make things "all better!")
10. Everything I do has a direct impact on someone or something.

(This post is linked up with Parenting BY Dummies for Wordful Wednesday!)

Wordful/Wordless Wednesday

Let's talk about Caleb a bit shall we?

• Caleb turned 1 in April.
• He started walking a week before his birthday.
• He has a new scrape, bump, bruise etc every other day. 
• He can communicate what he wants pretty darn well.
• He thinks pinching is a form of love and it's my fault. I've been squeezing his legs since he was born and therefore he tries to squeeze me any chance he gets. His hands just happen to be smaller so it is never a squeeze, always a pinch.
• He gets scared if the TV goes black, whether it's transitioning from a preview to a movie or if it gets turned off. It's probably the single thing he's afraid of. Weird, I know.
• He is the biggest daredevil I know. Proof:

That's right, he is standing on top of a train. A train that has wheels. A train that you're supposed to sit on and wheel around the floor.
But what does Caleb do with it?
He stands on it.
Frequently I find him doing this. My reaction: "Caleb! What are you doing!!! Ahh!" and I rush to grab him before it slips out from underneath him.
This is just one example of how brave and adventurous he is.

In other words, I'm totally in for it.

(This post is linked with Parenting BY Dummies for Wordful Wednesday!)

Wordful Wednesday (a guest post!)

Today I have a guest poster, none other than my wonderfully smart welsh corgi, Samson. Take it away Sam!
----------------------------------------------

Hi Everyone!

My name is Sam, but sometimes my mom calls me Sammy.....or Samantha (which is kind of embarrassing). Today my mom asked me to share some of my dogly wisdom with you, so I'm going to take some time away from chasing after my boys and searching for the damn dang gopher in my backyard and do just that.

I've learned a few things in the 21 years I've been in this world (I think that would be 3 years to you humans) and most of them I've decided could make this world a better place if all of you people who walk on two legs (because I'm a person too, I just walk on four legs) knew them too, so here they are:

• When someone is having a bad day, be silent and sit close by
• When a loved one comes home, always run to greet them
• Remember the nice things and quickly forget the rest
• Let others know when they've invaded your territory, it saves time and energy
• No matter how often you're reprimanded, run right back and make friends
• Avoid biting when a simple a growl will do
• Take lots of naps, and always stretch real good when you wake up
• If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it
• The most important things in life aren't really things at all (ok, a ball is pretty important I guess....so I make exceptions here and there)
• It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice

Ok, enough of this typing thing (it's really not that easy with my furry hands), I've got a floor full of lunch scraps from the boys to clean up. I hope you all have as great of a day as I will....every day is a great day when you're a dog!


(Some of these words of wisdom were found on this website, I must give credit where credit is due!)

(This post is linked up with Parenting BY Dummies for Wordful Wednesday)

Wordful Wednesday

Last week I wrote about the 10 Things I am currently sick of.
Today, I am going to write about the 10 things that make me HAPPY!
So, here they are, in no particular order!

1. OWN. As in Oprah Winfrey Network. I don't get the channel, but this month for some awesome reason I am getting a free preview. And I.Love.It. I can't get enough. It makes me happy.
2. Babies dancing. My oldest, Elliot, is quite the dancer. His little brother Caleb is starting to follow in his footsteps and it is hilarious.
3. Dessert. I don't think I need to elaborate on that one.
4. Reading a good book and getting to the really really good part where you just want to scrunch up and hold your breath and ignore the world until you finish it.
5. Old people holding hands. Love this. Also in this category, old people who take pride in how they look. Old ladies wearing makeup and jewelry makes me so happy. Old men wearing a cool hat and nice shoes makes me happy.
6. Unpacking the last box. There is ONE more box tucked away in a closet in our house, we've lived here for a year and a half. I'm going to unpack it someday soon (and probably donate everything in it since I've gone without it for so long), and it will make me very happy.
7. A Christmas Tree all lit up and providing the only light for the room. This is happiness. I hear the Charlie Brown gang singing in my head as I write this.
8. Buying new clothes and immediately going home and trying them on again.
9. When the music that you have to listen to while on hold is actually pretty awesome.
10. The hubs. Today is our anniversary but he has to work a double. After he left for work this morning, I heard a loud knock on the door. I went to answer it, no one was there. But on the step? Flowers and a card addressed to "my beautiful wife." Precious. Wonderful. He makes me happy.


What about you? What makes you happy? Share!
And a big congratulations to Dana for winning the My Memories giveaway! Thank you to everyone who entered!!

Wordful Wednesday

10 Things I Am Currently Sick Of (in no particular order):

1. Flies. They are everywhere. This time of year, the flies take over my back yard no matter what I do. I have a fly swatter permanently affixed to my hand.
2. Sappy 80's music. I don't think I need to elaborate on that one. (Ok, I'll elaborate once: "I want to know what love is" by Foreigner...)
3. Housework. It's overrated. I just want a vacation from housework.
4. The Buzz Lightyear toy that is sitting on the floor in my living room yelling: "To infinity, AND BEYOND!" (He seriously does yell that last part)
5. My hair. I want a haircut. It's been about 8 months.....maybe longer.....
6. American Idol. I know people love that show. I'm just not one of them.
7. Lowes (the hardware/home improvement store) calling me every other day to let me know about the deals they are currently running.
8. Plastic grocery bags. I have the reusable bags, I just never remember to take them with me to the store. Plastic grocery bags are taking over my pantry.
9. Dog hair. I love my dog. He is seriously the perfect dog for our family. He just happens to shed more than any dog in the universe.
10. Did I mention the flies? I've had to stop writing this about 5 times to swat them. Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.

While this post may be about the things I'm sick of at the moment, I just wanted to let you know I'm not sick of YOU =)
Thanks for reading! I love your comments!

(Don't forget about the giveaway coming up! Friday is the day!)

Wordful Wednesday

My latest obsession: starting up a business.
Not just any business.
A business that I thought of, that I've been researching every-single-free-minute, that I'm really excited about.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce you to my obsession:

DIY DeeJays.

That's right. Do-It-Yourself DJs.

Here's the deal: the hubs and I happen to own some sound equipment. When we got married, we couldn't afford a DJ (holy cow DJ's are expensive!) so we decided to put this sound equipment to work for us. We hauled it all to the wedding venue, put a wedding playlist on an iPod, enlisted the help of a friend to announce the first dance, toasts etc, and VIOLA! We were our own DJs...and we didn't have to pay anyone a penny.

Over the past few years, I've had a few people ask us about how we did it etc. and I've reminisced about our genius idea. Then I had another genius idea: what if we rented out our equipment? There has to be a need for a more affordable alternative to hiring a DJ right? I'm thinkin' so!

Enter DIY DeeJays (I love the name.....what do you think of it though?)
I've already ordered the business cards and started the webpage (which is in the transition of publishing so I can't show it to you, but I will, promise!) I'm currently in the process of getting a business license, designing business cards and flyers, making lists of all the venues and event planners I need to contact to get on their vendor list etc. It's a lot of work and a lot of fun (I've always loved doing research and making lists!) and I'm obsessed with it. Seriously, I talk about it with the hubs every chance I get.

So, what do you think? Do you like the name? Do you think it's a good idea?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Have a great day!
(This post is linked up with parenting BY dummies  for Wordful Wednesday!)

Wordful Wednesday

Today I'd like to talk about the hubs.
                     The hubs and I met in high school, it's a good story actually.
I was a junior, he was a freshman, and we both happened to be auditioning for a little play called "West Side Story." I was sitting watching the male auditions and this tall, skinny, blonde haired boy got on stage and started singing "I've got the World on a string" by Frank Sinatra.

Before I go any further, you need to know that I l.o.v.e. Frank Sinatra.

Ok, so as this tall, skinny, blonde boy is singing (in his very nice voice) my heart starts to go pitter patter and I lean over to the girls next to me and ask them who he is. They tell me his name (which happens to be Ian by the way) and then proceeded to make fun of me for making googly-eyes at a freshman. I vowed then and there that this 15-year-old boy who could sing like Frank Sinatra would be mine, all mine.

Cut to a few months later, and he was :)

We got married 7 years after we met and I still love it when he sings Frank Sinatra.

This was a picture we took while we were supposed to be taking engagement pictures =)

Why do I tell you this story?
              Mainly because I'd like to point out what an old soul the hubs is.
I mean, what 15 year old boy sings a Frank Sinatra song for a high school audition?
This old soul of his was one of the many things that attracted me to him......but for some reason, the older we get, the more annoying the old soul part of him seems to be :) 

honeymoon! (Cozumel)

Sometimes he talks like we're 80 years old! Sometimes he talks about "really immature" people and I ask how old they are and he says "oh, like 26" and I reply: "ummm....you're 27........they can't be that immature can they?!"
His reply? "Trust me. I know these things."

Because he's an old soul. He just knows this stuff.

Yeah. He also enjoys things that people in their 70's enjoy. NOT THAT THIS IS A BAD THING (Grams.....) it's just kind of weird. He gets along way way way WAY better with people older than 60 than he does with people his own age. He's an old man trapped in a young man's body.

But really, no matter how weird or silly or odd I think it is. I kind of love it......

(This was a writing prompt from Mama Kat and I am also linking up with parenting BY dummies for Wordful Wednesday!)

Wordless Wednesday

It's been way busy around here, so besides these words right here (and maybe a caption or two), I'm going wordless to show you just how busy we've been =)

first haircut!

first raised bed! Garden here we come!

Small and silly things {why are they so powerful?}

Sometimes the smallest and silliest things can make my whole day either amazingly wonderful or completely miserable. The most common small and silly thing that does this to me?

The scale.

Yes, THAT scale. The one that is sitting in my bathroom. The one that I occasionally sit a 5 lb. weight on top of to make sure it's accurate. The one that is dusty because I refuse to clean it. The one that comes out of its hiding place too often for me to count. Yes people, that scale.

Today, that scale said I gained weight. Yesterday it said I was losing weight. Yes, I am one of those people that weigh myself everyday........and I average it at the end of the week to get a better picture of what all those fluctuations really mean. Usually, at the end of every week, I'm moving in the right direction, which would be down just in case you weren't sure. This wasn't the case last week. I went up, 1 whole pound. This has been following me around like a plague for the last few days.

The other side of this story is if the numbers were going down on the scale and I was losing steadily, then I would be elated. So extremely happy and proud of myself I would be telling anyone and everyone who would listen (and even if they weren't listening, I'd tell them). This brings to mind a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:

When some external event raises your spirits 

and you think good days are preparing for you,

do not believe it. 

It can never be so. 

Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.

I'm 29 people. This isn't the first time I've read this quote or heard something about not relying on others or things for your happiness. But today, when I read this quote, it was different. You know how you can hear something 15 times but it's the 16th time you actually "hear" it, yeah. That.

I really think it's human for us to let outside circumstances dictate our moods. I mean, my 1 year old took his first steps almost 2 weeks ago and it made my whole day (the next day I weighed myself and forgot all about the happy excitement of the day before). My 2 year old told me I was the best mommy ever and I was on cloud 9 (the next day we needed new tires on the car and couldn't really afford them and I felt like a dark cloud followed me the whole day). I think you get my point. I'm human, you're human, we're all human.

But maybe we could try and remember that peace and happiness comes from within.....maybe, just maybe we could do that?

Is there anything in your life, good or bad, that controls your mood?
I'm all ears =)

(Linking up for Wordful Wednesday with Dumb Mom at Parenting by Dummies)