5.15.2013

Wednesday Walkabout #38!


Welcome to the another week of Wednesday Walkabout! Thank you so much for hanging out with us, linking up, and reading new blogs.  =)






A little info about the Walkabout:

This is a weekly linky party with myself and 3 other co-hosts. The idea? Just put your URL in the linky (it can be a specific post or your "homepage"- whichever you prefer), visit a few other blogs, and possibly make some new friends. Easy peasy, right?!

Oh, and you only have to link up with ONE of the co-hosts. =) 

There are just a few quick rules we've set for the linky party...

1. Please follow at least ONE hostess, and let us know you're a new follower and how you follow!

Sarah - G.I. Joe's Wife (That's me!)
Chantal - Scattered Seashells 
Jane - Poppiness 

Mystery Host: Alex - Munchkins and the Military

2. Try to visit 3-4 blogs that interest you. Take some time and let them know where you came from.

3. Grab the button from my sidebar and spread the word! (Not required, but just cool if you do.) The more, the merrier.



Thanks for stopping by! Happy blog-hopping!









5.09.2013

"Keep in Touch"

We all say it. Most of us probably mean it. Half of us fall of the wagon and lose touch with once-close friends. Sadly, it's far too easy to do in these busy lives we lead.

I often wonder why I lose touch with friends I once spent so much time with. We shared memories, good times, and bonded. Weeks, months go by and....nothing. It's not like this is something entirely new to me, but that doesn't really make it any easier.

For the most part, I'm a people pleaser. I want people to like me {even though I'm terribly awkward sometimes}. I want people to want to spend time with me, spontaneously or not. I mean, I don't want to hang out with all people, all the time {hi, introvert over here!}, but I do want friends that I can spend time with. So, when friends leave or move on, it's often difficult for me to accept that I'm no longer a part of their life.

There are few people that I've actually been great at keeping up with. However, these are the people that also keep up with me. You see, it's a two-way street. It can't be wholly one-sided. Recently, I've felt very one-sided in a couple friendships. Reaching out, sending emails, cards, etc., only to barely receive a "thank you." Maybe it's unintentional. Maybe it's got nothing to do with me. But the over-analyzing, introvert me thinks, "it must be me." And then goes on to try and figure out what I did wrong to cause this problem in the first place.

Basically? It's more than a little hurtful. If I reach out {which does take a lot for me -- #introverprobz}, then it means I want to maintain a close relationship with that person. It doesn't mean I just want to keep in touch for the sake of knowing what that person is up to, and nothing more. It means I genuinely care. To not have that reciprocated is frustrating and upsetting.

For the past couple of weeks, Mrs. C has called a time or two. They moved from Hawaii a few months before we did, and I think we've done very well at keeping up with each other. We text, call, and have even Skyped once! {Which was a totally new experience for our relationship, considering we'd lived within 30 minutes of each other for 3 years.} I had honestly worried when they moved that we'd somehow lose touch. At least so far that hasn't happened, and I'm very thankful for it! I'm really thankful that she remembers to call me, too, because I can be very bad about that sort of thing. 

How do you keep in touch with friends who have moved away or moved on? Are you good or terrible with keeping in touch?

5.08.2013

Wednesday Walkabout #37!



Welcome to the another week of Wednesday Walkabout! Thank you so much for hanging out with us, linking up, and reading new blogs.  =)






A little info about the Walkabout:

This is a weekly linky party with myself and 3 other co-hosts. The idea? Just put your URL in the linky (it can be a specific post or your "homepage"- whichever you prefer), visit a few other blogs, and possibly make some new friends. Easy peasy, right?!

Oh, and you only have to link up with ONE of the co-hosts. =) 

There are just a few quick rules we've set for the linky party...

1. Please follow at least ONE hostess, and let us know you're a new follower and how you follow!

Sarah - G.I. Joe's Wife (That's me!)
Chantal - Scattered Seashells 
Jane - Poppiness 

Mystery Host: Lisa - Sorority Life to Army Wife

2. Try to visit 3-4 blogs that interest you. Take some time and let them know where you came from.

3. Grab the button from my sidebar and spread the word! (Not required, but just cool if you do.) The more, the merrier.


Thanks for stopping by! Happy blog-hopping!







5.07.2013

I Have a Bean

Today we had the, um, pleasure of taking Charlotte to the doctor for a well-baby visit. Yaaaaay. I've pretty much dreaded these visits from day 1, and they've only gotten worse as she's gotten older. 

See, here's the thing: I have a bean.

Little miss Charlotte was born weighing in at a whopping 5 pounds, 5.4 ounces. Oddly enough they had diagnosed me with gestational diabetes, which usually translates as "you're going to have a huge baby." Not so in my case, and part of me truly wonders if it was a misdiagnosis in the first place. Anyways.... She's been tiny from the start.

Even before we left the hospital she was gaining weight. The day after, she had surpassed her birth weight by a few ounces. (Hooray for breastmilk!) 

Somewhere along the way (around 4 months, I think) our pediatrician started to get "fussy" about her weight. Our first pediatrician pushed formula on me, and I all but told her to shove it. The second was much more kind, but still showed obvious concern. I get that it's their job to be concerned if their patient isn't healthy. But she is healthy. 

Come on. Look at that face!

She's always met developmental milestones, although sometimes she does things at her own pace. She's never had any kind of health problem, aside from jaundice at birth and reflux. That's it. And her reflux was never bad enough to keep her from gaining. She always gained something, just never enough for a doctor to be happy.

At first it really, really, really stressed me out. Which, if you're a breastfeeding mama, you know that stress only causes more problems with feeding and the amount of milk they get. The first time it was mentioned, I did everything I could to up my supply. I pumped, I supplemented using our freezer stash, I took fenugreek....you name it. And then when my baby was stressed out from me being stressed out, I said enough. I still took fenugreek, but I stopped freaking out so much. 

More recently, I have come to accept the fact that I have a bean. She will probably always be small. Doctors are going to guilt-trip or give really unhelpful advice, much like I received today. 

"You just need to feed her more. She should probably have 1-2 more snacks a day."

Sure. Because a snack is going to make her gain by leaps and bounds!! Plus, I'd like to know when the heck I'm supposed to fit one of those in during her schedule.... Morning: nurse, breakfast, 1.5 hr of play time, nap. Afternoon: nurse, lunch, 1.5-2 hrs of play time, nap. Evening: nurse (sometimes), snack, play, dinner, nurse, bed. I mean, maybe another snack after lunch? But I feel like that might be pushing it. She eats very well at meal times, and she often eats more than I think a baby her age normally would. *sigh* Just what do you do with that kind of advice?

Clearly we don't feed her or give her anything fattening. *eye roll*
P.S. This is one from our trip to Arkansas!

She eats. She nurses. She snacks. She plays, grows, and develops. I don't know what more they want from her. She's different. Sure, she's in the 0% for her age group. So what? All babies are different and therefore grow and develop differently. 

I mean, really. Does this look like the face of a kid who isn't well-fed?!

If I had any reason to believe she was sick, I would worry. But I don't, so I'm not. And all the worry-wart doctors can kiss it. =P 

Gosh, it feels freeing to finally say that! 

P.S. In case you're wondering, my awesome, 13 month old bean weighs 14 pounds, 6 ounces and will probably be surpassed in weight by her 11 week old cousin in no time flat. But that's ok. =)

5.02.2013

Popping In

I'm alive. 

We took a road trip to Arkansas to visit family.

With Joe's parents.

With my parents.

I'm still recovering.

We have no groceries.

I've been back and forth to the clinic since we got back. 
(Don't worry, everything's peachy.)

I have a ton of pics to edit from said trip.

So that pretty much sums it up.

I'll return at some point with an actual update. Promise. :)