Wednesday, January 27, 2010

I'm making my comeback

As sort of a way to ease back into blogging without actually having to write anything myself, I'm borrowing this from a post from babycenter.com because I thought it was pretty funny. Number 6 is my favorite. If one more person tells me how hot I'm going to be this summer, I might scream!
Dear Non-Pregnant Person, I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm. If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice. 1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is "Congratulations!" with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you an ass. 2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase "my baby". 3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in #2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it. 4) The body of a pregnant women should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman. 5) Likewise, no women wants to hear comments on her weight- ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is "You look fabulous!". 6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. 7) There is a reason that tickets to L&D are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their delivery. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. 8) Like everything else is life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to "help out". If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it. 9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping. 10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less. Sincerely, Pregnant woman

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Ideating

I am reading some counseling mumbo-jumbo tonight and just thinking about what it all means.... In this particular text, "Characteristics of the Effective Clinician" (which I'm not creating a reference page for because this is my blog and and I don't want to!) it is talking about characteristics of leaders in mental health and basically what makes good role models in the field. I was thinking that I would love to be a role model in the field eventually, maybe speak at conferences, etc. But, to quote Solomon in Ecclesiates, "there is nothing new under the sun". All this is to say that there is nothing I can go out and talk about that hasn't already been discussed. There's nothing new in this field. That is why every counseling text book and journal article is filled with citations of other texts and articles.
People are people and we can develope as many new theories, identity models, and stages as we want, but when you're face to face with a client during a counseling session, it's going to come down to sin and redemption. Now I know that's not the answer that everyone is looking for, but to be an 'effective clinician' the human being is the key.... not the newest theory.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentlness, self control - now those are some "theories". Back to the basics may be the best way to progress yet...
Lastly... I'm posting one of my favorite commercials ever:
Have you ever felt like this guy that walks into the room? What a great way to portray the need for action rather than idleness.... anyway, I've always like this so I thought I'd share! Now go and do!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

BBQ, Beating Memphis, and our Bulldog

What do these things have in common? Our awesome Labor Day weekend, that's what! We enjoyed a great cookout at our neighbors, the Burton's house. There were lots of friends, the food was great, and Lila was supporting her favorite team, the Rebels. We call her the "Rebulldog" (pronounced "Rebel Dog"). She was such a good sport to endure the heat with her jersey on, so we let her go home at half time. Good job though, Lila, you pulled the Rebs through to victory 45-14 over Memphis! Even little Houston Burton had his Ole Miss jersey on. Afterall, he was named after Coach Houston Nutt. It's no wonder we get along with our neighbors so well...

Friday, September 4, 2009

Gotta love Mississippi

On our way home from our yearly florida family vacation we stopped at a gas station north of jackson... It was one of those places where you could get almost anything. My dad thought it was a particularly nice place and told me he wanted to buy a new hat, some $5 tools, and maybe even take home the dog that was sitting out front of the store because "he looks like he'd be good at chasin' rabbits."
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The first half of today

7:45 - Alarm goes off. Snooze. 7:50 - Alarm goes off. Snooze. 7:55 - Alarm goes off. Snooze. 8:00 - Alarm goes off. Snooze. Now awake. 8:05 - Alarm goes off. Finally get up and go sit on the back porch and read. 8:20 - Jump in shower. 8:30 - Halfway dry hair, grab Lila, run out the door. 8:40 - Drop off Lila at vet for bath b/c she can't be at home when the exterminator sprays. New person working at desk.... takes forever to "check in" for her bath. 9:05 - Arrive at work with fur all over me & wet hair falling out of pony tail. Coffee. 9:10 until 12:00 - deal with re-doing 50 different things that other people have screwed up: Trying to cancel an Aflac meeting that I did not request, my school book being canceled and them not telling me - for 13 days, a frame I ordered for someone that bought a pic from me came in and it's the wrong size (after ordering it a month ago).... etc. 12:00 - 12:25 - Pay office bills. Plan tenant eviction for afternoon. Ponder how I am going to do all my class homework without the book that was supposed to be in already, which I now have to re-order. 12:25 - Head home 12:30 - Met exterminator at the house. Kill spiders. 12:50 - Drive back to pick up Lila from vet. 1:00 - Got the little pumpkin from the vet, then they realized she was way overdue for her vaccines. 1:15 - Held Lila while she got her shots, her nose spray stuff (which ended up being blown out onto my face), and her fecal exam... 1:30 - Held Lila while they trimmed her nails 1:35 - Held Lila while they weighed her. 45 lbs. 1:40 - Checked out, bought heart worm meds, paid for all of the above - $130 something onto credit card. 1:50 - Drove BACK home and dropped off Lila at the house, gave her cool water. We were so firsty and sweepy after such a long day... 2:00 - Drove through Mickey D's for some fries.... starving. 2:10 - Back at work almost 2 hours later. 2:15 - 2:50 - Phone ringing non-stop... needing to start eviction process... writing this to vent about this day... Just figuring someone else needs to know about it too. :)

Thursday, August 20, 2009

HELP!

I am the world's worst at waking up in the morning. I could sleep through most anything, and probably have…. Storms (slept through one just this morning), fire alarms in a dorm (once in college the fire alarm went off in the early morning, and I incorporated it into my dream that my computer was making noises at me!), multiple alarm clocks, people in the room while I'm asleep… you get the picture.

So, this morning I slept through my cell phone alarm. I probably accidentally turned it off the first time it beeped. Unfortunately I didn't wake up until 9:20, which is about 30 minutes after I'm supposed to be at work. Uh oh. You can see why I need help… In my defense, I have been sinus-y and I took two Benadryl last night to help me stay asleep and not cough all night. They worked! The reason only my cell alarm was set was because last week in the middle of the night, while coughing, I reached for my water and knocked my alarm clock off and it broke. I'm in the market for a new one and am open to any suggestions! I told Stephen I need one that makes me run into the kitchen and make my coffee before it would shut off. Wouldn't that be genius?

Here is one alarm clock I am thinking about buying - http://www.clocky.net/ It's the cutest thing!

After you snooze once, it rolls off your bedside table and starts rolling around your room making noises until you turn it off. That alone, I may be able to sleep through. What would wake me up are my animals FREAKING OUT at the thing rolling around the room making noise!

If you have some other ideas… let me know. Like I said, I'm open to suggestions!

Thanks!

Just for fun – here are some of the random places I have fallen asleep:

-In the shower while standing up (which didn't last long)

-An Ole Miss Football game during half time.

-The Louvre in Paris.

-A Widespread Panic concert (I did NOT pass out, I went to sleep because I was tired after taking mid-term exams my freshman year in college).

Do I have Narcolepsy?

Thursday, July 9, 2009

I’m feeling old… and also some funny “college non-necessities”!

I was on hold on a phone call a moment ago and while I was waiting I was going through my mail. I came across a Bed Bath & Beyond catalogue. It happened to be their "Back to College" edition. I remember how excited my mom and I were when we headed to Target or Bed Bath & Beyond to look at door room stuff for the first time. I couldn't get enough of it. Not only is it exciting that you're about to go off to college, but it also marks the beginning of being on your own, choosing for your self, and becoming an adult. It's hard to believe a twin sized comforter and some new picture frames can symbolize so much!

I think BB&B has gone a little overboard though. Here is a list of items (for sale in their catalogue) that I did NOT take to school with me my freshman year… or ever:

  1. "Foldable Keyboard" – why would you want or need to FOLD your computer keyboard?
  2. "Laptop Lock" to lock up your laptop or monitors… anchors to bed post - this is the present day equivalent of the pocket protector.
  3. "Homedics SoundSpa Fusion Alarm Clock Radio" which plays nature sounds – If you've got your eyes closed and you're listening to nature sounds, it won't matter. You'll never be able to get past the dorm smell to pretend you're at a spa.
  4. "Digital Coin Counting Money Jar" – I hate to tell you but any spare change you've got is going towards laundry.
  5. "Snuggie" – do not get one if you plan on going through rush. You're 18, not 80.
  6. "Moshi Interactive Voice Response Alarm Clock" which says "Hello Moshi, set alarm" and "Alarm is set to 6:30 am" – in the event that you're too drunk to read numbers (in which case you're not waking up at 6:30 am anyway).

Aside from those items… it made me miss going off to college & adventure that it is. I can't believe how fast it went by. EIGHT years ago I was getting ready to move to Jackson as a freshman at Millsaps. It really feels like that was only about 3 years ago. I spent so long looking forward to it then it was just gone in an instant and I was thrust into the REAL real world in what felt like a matter of minutes! Going from saying "I graduated last semester" to all of the sudden realizing "Did I really graduate 5 years ago?" makes you feel quite old!

At least I start grad school in the fall… maybe people will think I'm just 22 ; )