Special Gift

So, I am working on a special gift for my father. Well, truth be told it is for the whole family (all though much less for me than for my mother, father and brothers, but more on that later). I am scanning old slides that my father has into our computer and I am going to make a book for him or a DVD, the end matter is less important - what is important is that I am going to be able to get him to relive his memories of our childhood - and of some of his newlywed years before kids. See, his birthday is coming up soon, and I wanted to give him something special and Brendan and I were going to buy a new printer, so we bought a new printer, scanner, etc... and it can handle slides!!!

I am so psyched - I have spent all morning scanning slides into the machine and I am still only 1/2 the way through this box and he has like 40 boxes. Needless to say - his gift will only be the starting point as I won't have the time to scan all of the boxes before his b-day, but none the less, I can't wait to see his face. Here's a sample picture!

New Year's Resolution

So, I've done it! I have officially started the groundwork on my new store - or boutique as I am finding is the popular term. Motherhood and Apple Pie is becoming a reality. I have a business plan ing progress, I have started researching vendors, I am moving a head with a full head of steam and - I am psyched!!

I still have some issues that I need to work out. I am trying to find vendors that will drop ship so that I don't have to maintain an inventory, and I am trying to find a company to develop my website w/o breaking the bank, but other than that I am truly on my way.

I have to apply for my tax id #, but I plan on getting the paperwork together and filing ASAP! and then there is no stopping me.

I am not sure that my DH is behind me 100% on this - I think that he thought that it was a bee in my bonnet and that it would go away, but - it hasn't - two years have gone by and I am finally doing something about it.

I have met a number of women who run their own businesses, and I have tapped them for advice and reccomendations - they have been more than helpful. I have a list of products that I would like to sell and am in the process of getting the catalogs and information on retailing from the vendors.

Ahhh - so much to do, so little time, but I hope to GOD that it is going to be worth it!! Wish me luck!

Happy Holidays

So, Christmas is over and it is now time for the New Year. My New Year's present is going back to work! I am somewhat excited about that, and somewhat not. I am worried about leaving my daughter w/ my mother-in-law and I am worried about finding daycare - which hasn't worked out quite yet, and I am worried about having lost time at work and not being the same person when I go back. I worry a lot if you haven't noticed....

A year or two ago, I read an article in NY Magazine titled Empire of the Alpha Mom (http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/features/12026/) and after reading it I had decided that I wanted to be an Alpha Mom - described as in total control - able to work and parent good kids. Managing a household and a career, etc. "The latest model of mother is not different from Betty but better, stronger, faster. If she seems frightening, perhaps it’s because she’s so unlike our own mothers and operates so counter to both instinct and emerging wisdom. To all the best-selling scolds who say that Mother should slow down, that we expect too much of her, the new, improved Mama says, if anything, the goalposts have been set too low. With the right planning, resources, and work ethic, you can, too, be a perfect and fulfilled woman, raising a perfect and happy child

Now, I am scared that I won't be able to do any of it well.

So work is two days away and I am going to have to figure it out....

So, I think...

So, I think that I want to start my own business. I have been tossing ideas around for at least 2 years now, and now that I have a baby, it makes sense that it is a good time to think more seriously about it.

I have been thinking that I would like to open my own internet based store that will sell specialty children's items. Bedding, clothing, toys, etc. The idea being that I will only sell things that I like/love. But, I have no clue how reasonable that idea really is. I mean I have looked around - there are a lot of internet stores that sell children's products. I have so many questions - how do you manage an inventory, how do you market yourself, how do you get the capital to build your website, etc...

I don't want to quit my day job or anything (at least not at the moment), but I want to be able to make some extra money and to really get my feet into something that I enjoy doing and that is mine.

I don't know if a store is the right thing for me, but I keep on thinking about it, so that must mean something right?

Breastfeeding in Public

So, I have given this a lot of thought. The reality is that before I gave birth to my daughter and chose to breastfeed I probably thought that the idea of feeding your child in public was gross - but now that I am breastfeeding a child - I have a different opinion on it.

Now - don't get all blustery on me until you hear what I have to say. I am still uncomfortable w/ the idea of having my breast bared to the world, however, I see nothing wrong w/ throwing a blanket over my shoulder and feeding my daughter most anywhere. I might draw the line at the dinner table in a restaurant or in church, but other than that off the top of my head I can't think of that many places it would be wrong.

I mean - the reality is that no one can see what you are doing, they can't see your boob. It is only what lies in their imagination that is upsetting to them.

I was in the mall with my darling husband the other day - and he was embarrassed by the fact that I pulled the stroller up to a bench, took out my blanket, threw it over my shoulder and fed our daughter. He wasn't comfortable w/ the idea of it even thought I had the stroller in front of me, so most people unless they were really looking wouldn't have even known that I was feeding our daughter.

So, if please accept my apologies if I ever looked at you oddly when you were feeding your child in public - I guess it's one of those things - if you have never been in the situation you don't know what you would do. Now I do.

Cloth vs. Disposable

Yes, I use cloth diapers. No, I don't wash them myself, I have a diaper service. Is it obvious that I have gotten some amount of grief about the use of cloth diapers. Is it obvious that my mother-in-law how I love dearly is anti cloth diapers. Yeah well, I am still using them - and the daycare even said that they would take her w/ cloth diapers so I guess that's a sign of the times.

I am not sure that I like cloth diapers - sometimes I think that using disposables would be easier - sometimes I think they have the same level of difficulty - it depends on the day. The only thing I don't like is having to put on the vinyl panties - today I forgot and while we were sleeping she peed on her pants - I woke up to a warm hand - I guess it could have been worse - but all because I was to tired to remember to put on her vinyl panties. That and the fact that she doesn't like to be wet - so you have to change her more than if she were wearing disposables.

Sometimes I want to cheat and put her in a disposable at night - but I truly believe that it is better for the environment so why would I believe that and yet put her in a disposable? Better question is why do I feel like that would be cheating? Who do I think I would be cheating? Who do I think would be mad at me if I put her in a disposable? I know that darling husband doesn't care, so why do I?

No clue - but I am going to continue using cloth diapers - so get over it people - it really isn't that big a deal!

Muffin Top

I have this thing called muffin top since my daughter was born - it's when your stomach grows over the top of your pants - strongly resembling a muffin top! I am trying to get rid of it - but it is really discouraging. When I stand up, I don't have the muffin top - my stomach actually looks fairly flat, but when I sit down - it just blobs out and over...I hate it!

I know that it's normal to not have your pre-prego body back after 8 weeks, but I must admit that somewhere deep down I thought that I would. I thought that I could do something different that would put me in perfect shape as soon as she came out.

Alas - that is one more thing that I was wrong about.

And it's all my fault. While I was pregnant I was too worried about something happening to my baby so I didn't work out after about 8 weeks. Now I am paying for that - although I guess since she came out healthy and I had a healthy pregnancy that I should be too upset about it - but I think that I was a little obsessive about not working out - I just had a lot of anxiety about having something happen to the pregnancy or the baby - now I am worried that I won't ever get my body back!

So I have gone to the gym the past 3 days and although it hurts it makes me feel like I am doing something to help with the problem...I just hope it helps!!!