Jumperoo

Oh the Jumperoo.  Best.  Invention.  Ever.

Kaylee absolutely loves to kick.  So we always knew we would have to get her some kind of contraption that would allow her to kick.  Now that she can almost sit up on her own, her Grandma got her a Jumperoo.  She was hesitant at first, but now she loves it!

And what makes the Jumperoo even better is that it helps her stomach and back muscles.  The more she uses it, the better she is when we try to sit her up on her own.  Now, it takes her a little bit before she inevitably topples over sideways or falls forward onto her belly.

And watching her in the Jumperoo is hilarious.  We stick a pillow under her feet so that she has something to kick since she is still a bit small for it.  When she realized that there was something underneath her that she could kick, she went nuts.  Now when we smile and talk to her, she gets all excited and bounces up and down.  It is the cutest thing to watch.

Besides being adorable, the contraption also keeps her entertained.  When I need to, for example, do some work for class (papers, posts, blogs, projects) or maybe have some lunch, it keeps her busy just long enough for me to get a little something done.

I love the Jumperoo and I think it was a great purchase.  I hope Kaylee continues to love it as much as we love watching her in it!!

Video Games

Today, I want to bring up the topic of playing video games.  I never used to play any video games, except the occasional game of SSX Tricky on the Playstation in my parent's basement.  I just loved the snowboarding.  But when I met my husband, everything changed.

Of course, I thought Plants vs. Zombies was such a stupid, pointless game.  But what happened?  Mike got me to try it and then I was hooked.  How about Left 4 Dead?  I thought that I would never be able to play a game like that.  I'd never been into shooting games and I figured running into a crowd of zombies might freak me out.  It was creepy just watching Mike play that game.

But....one day, he got me to try it.  And yes, I was horrible.  I didn't play for a while after that, but then Mike decided to buy the game for me.  Of course I had to give it another try then.  And the more I played, the better I got.  And the more I enjoyed it.  So we were able to play a video game together and we both had a great time.

We stopped playing the game together for a while when our daughter Kaylee was born.  Mike would occasionally ask me to play, but I was exhausted and never felt like playing.  But Kaylee is 6 months now and lately we have been playing Left 4 Dead 2 after I put her to bed.  I am really glad that we started again because now I remember how much fun we used to have.

When you marry a gamer, this is something to keep in mind.  Playing video games with your significant other is a good idea.  It allows you both to have some fun and it does not have to be extremely time-consuming if you don't want it to be.  It also shows your husband/wife that you are interested in what they enjoy doing.  I love playing Left 4 Dead with my husband.  And according to him, that makes me a pretty awesome wife.  And I like being awesome. 

Early Internet

I'm finding that the history of early Internet is not keeping me interested for very long.  I keep trying to write this paper, but my mind starts to wander.  Apparently, I would rather do anything else right now...like blog...

Maybe I am going about this the wrong way.  There are no specifications, so maybe if I tried to transform the paper into something I find interesting, like specific parts of Internet history, then I will be more apt to actually sit down and write more than a couple of sentences.  This is definitely an idea worth looking at more closely.  I wonder if it will work...

Negotiating a Price for a House

Buying a house, as I mentioned in a previous post, can be extremely stressful.  Once you get deeper into the process, things become more complicated.  One thing that I think could be easier is the part where the buyers and the sellers negotiate the selling price of the house.

Our buying agent told us that houses usually sell for 97-98% of their asking price.  His aim was to do better than that.  We had a price point that we could not go over.  And obviously, the sellers had a price point that they would not go under.

So negotiations begin with us making an offer that is far below anything we know would be accepted.  As buyers, we do this knowing that they will hopefully come down a bit in price, then we will come up, then they will come down, etc.  Eventually, we will meet in the middle and all will be good in the world.  This is just ideally what will happen, but it is not always the case.

In our situation, it is obvious that our top price possibility was the sellers lowest price that they would accept for their house.  So after much back and forth, which only took 2 days since we were all pretty committed to making this sale happen, we finally came to that middle number that we could all accept.

My question is, why couldn't we just skip the in-between stages.  Obviously, they had a number in mind and so did we.  The bidding was just a waste of time.  I know that people want to get the most for their house.  But if a couple bids low on a house, then they are obviously not willing to pay the full asking price.  It would be easier to just sit down and work it out if that is possible, especially if there has not been any other offers for the house and the sellers are paying 2 mortgages because they have already moved.

After all is said and done, we will end up paying about 96% of the original asking price for the house.  So our buying agent got exactly what he wanted and did his job well.  We are happy and now we just have to worry about the inspections going well.  And if everything works out, we will be moving our family into our very first home within the next few months.  It is crazy and exciting!!  :-)  Yay!!

Finding New Books

There are so many different websites that help people to find books to read that are similar to books that they already know they enjoy.  Some of these include: Whichbook and What Should I Read Next.  However, I've tried these sites and I don't love them.  They're okay sometimes, but definitely not my first choice.

Where do I go to find new books??  I use Amazon.  I have to say, it is the best.  You can narrow things down by category and easily find tons of books that will fit what you're looking for.  And every time you are looking at a book on the page, you have "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" and "Tags Customers Associate With This Product."  These are extremely useful.  You also have reviews, which generally give you a pretty good idea of whether or not you will like a book, if you know what to look for when you read them. 

Some people say that they do not want to just trust other readers when they are looking for new books that they might like.  But it really is the best way to find something new to read.  If you and another person both love the same book, chances are that there will be other books you will both love.  Also, I prefer reading the reviews of people who have actually read the book than having something like Whichbook or What Should I Read Next connect some dots and give you books that might be similar to the book you liked, but it also may be missing a key element.  You might like vampire books, but hate a specific series because it just isn't the same in terms of writing, myth, etc.

When I'm searching for new books to read, I usually go straight to Amazon.  And most of the time, I find a plethora of new reading material to keep me busy for quite some time.  Gotta love Amazon!!

Buying a House

Buying a house for the first time inspires a lot of emotions:  it's exciting, nerve-wracking, and it kind of makes you crazy.  Not crazy in a bad way.  Crazy in a "I can't believe this is happening!" kind of way.  Seeing house after house can be a little overwhelming, until all of a sudden, you walk into a house and it is somehow different. 

For some reason, everything you see in this one house seems perfect.  You start to see the possibilities, picturing your bed here and your television there.  Wondering what it would be like if you ripped up those carpets and had the hardwood floors that you know are lingering underneath.  What could you do to that sunroom with the pellet stove?  Don't you just love that fridge?  And the house comes with all the appliances?!  All these thoughts float around in your head while you are looking at the house, when you are lying in bed that night, and as you look at all the houses thereafter.  This house is always in your mind.

Then, you start to think about finances.  How much is it?  Can we afford it?  How much will it cost to heat it in the winter?  Air conditioner in the summer?  How much should our down payment be? 

If you decide to make an offer, where do you start?  How low is too low?  I mean, you don't want the offer to be insulting.

Once you make an offer, then you have the house inspections.  Which are more expensive than you thought, but obviously worth it when you're spending so much money on a house.

In the end, buying a house is a crazy, nerve-wracking experience unlike any other.  But it's also something amazing and wonderful.  Something that brings you into the next stage of life.  Something that allows you and your family to grow into a whole new life together.  It's overwhelming for a reason.  So that it is taken seriously and with the proper amount of thought and caution.

But when all is said and done, it is an exciting step to take with the person you love.  Your family is possibly buying the house that your children will grow up in.  And it's just awesome.

Eureka

Simply because it is Monday and this happens to be on my mind, I figure that I might as well share.  I am severely disappointed in Fox and SyFy...and not just because they made the decision to change over from Sci-Fi.

Let us rewind just a little bit.  Way back when, Fox cancelled an amazing show called Firefly.  Granted, I never watched the show when it was on TV, but that is beside the point.  Once I was introduced to the show, I was hooked.  And then...I ran out of episodes.  So I watched the movie Serentiy, which was based on Firefly.  And then that was over.  I found myself furious that Fox would cancel such an amazing show, especially considering the ridiculously large fan base who, like me, are STILL outraged that the show was cancelled.  We still hold out hope for a comeback.  But it seems like Sci-Fi is simply no able to keep amazing shows running.

Fast forward to the present.  Once again, I am in love with a show on what is now called SyFy (::sigh::).  My husband and I religiously watch Eureka because it is action-packed and hilarious.  We love the town; we love the characters; we love everything.  You know what we don't love??  The fact that SyFy is cancelling Eureka.  The show was supposed to be all set for a 6th season (of course, they still intended to cancel it after that).  But now there is not even going to be a 6th season.  They have decided to wrap things up with the 13-episode 5th season.  All the wonderful story lines, all the amazing characters...Done.  This saddens me today, Monday, because Eureka is on tonight.  It is the next to last episode of the 4th season.  The only thing positive about the 4th season ending is that I have all the time between now and the premiere of next season to look forward to more Eureka.  Of course, once the next season begins, that will be the beginning of the end.  Oh SyFy, why must you torture me so.

Top 5 Things About the Kindle

At first I told my husband that I could never get a Kindle.  I wasn't willing to give up my wonderful paperbacks.  I loved the feel of them; I loved having one in my purse at all times; I even loved the smell of them.  Then I started saying, "well, maybe I'll get one at some point...but not now."  Soon, I decided I wanted one for Christmas.  When I got it, I figured that I would still carry regular paperbacks around sometime.  However, almost a year later, I have become quite addicted to my Kindle.  It is probably my favorite electronic device.  Why?  Well here are some of the top reasons I believe the Kindle to be absolutely amazing:

1. Book Storage

I used to love having a paperback in my purse because I never knew when I would want/need something to read.  With the Kindle, I have the ability to carry literally thousands of books with me.  And I get to choose which one I want to read while I am out and about.  The Kindle has the ability to store thousands of books.  No matter what mood I am in, there is something in my Kindle that will suit me.  It also allows for me to read some books that I would otherwise put off reading simply because I did not want to carry them around.  I do not mind reading extremely long books, but it is not always convenient to carry huge books around with me when I am traveling.  For example, I always wanted to read Jane Austen's Emma, but the copy I have was huge.  When I got the Kindle, I read Emma and absolutely loved it.

2. Battery Life

I have the Kindle cover that has a built-in LED book light.  And I have a tendency to read a lot at night before I go to bed.  Even using the Kindle to power the book light, the battery still lasts for a few weeks before I need to charge it.  Also, since the Kindle uses micro USB to charge, I don't always need to have the specific Kindle charger with me.  I can use the charger for my phone or my husband's phone, since all use micro USB.  It is extremely convenient.

3. Sample Chapters

I love the fact that Amazon lets you download sample chapters to the Kindle.  As is often the case, I tend to read a lot of books from the same authors.  So if I see a book that I have never read, then I can download the sample and get a taste before I decide to buy it.  Also, Amazon suggests books I might like based on what I have already downloaded.  So I can download the sample chapter of those books before spending money on something I may not like in the end.

4. Ability to Search in the Book

It is great to be able to take a book, perhaps for a class, and search for a specific passage.  Sometimes, if you have to write an essay, there is a certain part of the book that you know would be perfect for a quote.  But if you are not sure exactly where the passage is, it can be quite difficult to find.  But with the Kindle's search feature, it is nice and easy.  All you have to do is remember some kind of key word in the passage and you're all set.

5. Free 3G

I bought the Kindle that was a little more expensive, but included 3G.  And you do not need to pay for it each month, like you do with the iPad.  Granted, using the Internet on the Kindle is not exactly easy or fun most of the time.  However, the most important use of Internet on the Kindle, in my opinion, is the ability to buy more books from the Kindle store.  Obviously that was Amazon's thought as well, considering this is where most of their money is made with the Kindle.  Although the 3G is not amazing for surfing the web, it works extremely well when it comes to launching and browsing the Amazon Kindle Store.  No matter where I am, I can get onto the Kindle Store and find new books to download.  For me, that is worth spending the extra money to have 3G capability.

My husband and I are renewing our vows in October and I have been trying to make planning the event as easy as possible.  But no matter how hard I might try, not everything is in my control.  For example, I can send self-addressed self-stamped envelopes for the RSVP's, but I cannot make people send them out.  Granted, I made the RSVP date one week before I needed the actual numbers, so I knew the RSVP's would be a problem.  Let's face it, they always are.  Going into this weekend (the RSVP date was Friday), I have still not gotten RSVP's from upwards of 40 people.  Herein lies the problem.  Even though I have heard from some of these people, saying that they are coming, I have not gotten their RSVP.  Obviously, I have issues with being a bit of a control freak and I don't like not having a physical RSVP.  To me, the RSVP says to me that they have taken the time to mark the event on a calendar and will not forget about it.  The people who simply tell me they are coming are those I worry will forget.

I'm so excited for the renewal and I wish I could just fast forward past all the planning.  Doesn't planning just drive you nuts sometimes?!?!  I love planning and organization, but I feel like since it is an event that I am planning for myself, I am far too involved to be doing all the planning without going nuts.  Hopefully, I will get all the RSVP's and the event will go off without a hitch.  Let's face it, what are the odds of that happening.  However, whether or not things go wrong, I know that on that day, I will not care in the least.  Because I am celebrating my life with my wonderful husband and our lovely new family.  The event doesn't need to be perfect, as long as we're all there.

Top 3 Unexpected Things About Being a Stay-at-Home Mom

1. Time Consumption

Everyone knows that babies are hard work.  But what I didn't expect was that Kaylee (who is now 6 months old) would occupy every second of my waking (and sometimes sleeping) hours.  This was especially true due to the fact that once she was past the "I sleep all day, every day and anywhere you put me" phase (which lasted a mere couple of weeks), she refused to sleep anywhere but in my arms.  And even that was a trial in itself.  Just to get her to nap, I felt like I had to have 6 arms so that I could pat her back, hold the pacifier in her mouth, rock her, and maybe rub my tummy and my head at the same time while hopping on one foot.  At least, that's what it felt like.  Things got a bit easier when I decided to crib train her.  Well, they got easier for me.  She definitely wasn't happy about it at first.  But even though she cried almost nonstop for that first couple of days, it was worth it in the end.  I now have a little time to myself each day while she happily takes her naps in her crib.  My biggest piece of advice to new moms would have to be: put them in a crib for naps.  Maybe by the time they are 2-3 months old.  It really will be worth it.  Having absolutely no time to yourself WILL drive you crazy.  Even with her napping in the crib, it has already taken an exorbitant amount of time to write this short paragraph. 

2. Exhaustion

Right along with time consumption, comes exhaustion.  If you have a fussy baby (or a colicky baby, as they like to call it), this is especially true.  Kaylee was fussy all the time.  So besides having to hold her for all of her naps, she also refused to be put down any other time of day.  As she got older, when she started to play with toys, she always had to be held.  Occasionally, she will play alone on her activity mat.  But it's not something to count on.  So by the end of the day, I found that I was physically and mentally exhausted from holding her and entertaining her all day long.  Not to mention the fact that I nurse her and that can be exhausting too.  She was only 6 pounds 7 ounces when she was born, so she had to eat frequently to get her weight up.  And since breastmilk metabolizes faster than formula, she continues to eat just about every 2-3 hours.  By the time my husband gets home in the afternoon, I'm ready for a nap.  But he has worked all day and wants some "me time," which is the same thing I want.  So when I finally crash at night, praying that Kaylee will stay asleep for a few hours at least, you'd think I would fall asleep the second I hit the pillow.  Nope.  Us crazy females always have ten million thoughts going around in our heads.  I wish I could turn my brain off at night, but it doesn't work that way.  As a result of the ridiculous time if takes me to fall asleep, my exhaustion carries on into the next day, thereby continuing the never-ending cycle.

3. Being There for Every Amazing/New/Exciting Moment

Now that I have discussed some of the unexpected and not-so-pleasant moments of staying home full time with a baby, I think it's time for something to make expecting moms happy, something to really look forward to.  Perhaps I should have listed this first!  Once Kaylee started to be awake more and really began to observe her surroundings, I realized that I was the one who got to see everything first.  When she saw something for the first time and really examined it, I got to see how she would react.  I got to figure out what her favorite toy was from day to day.  Because, of course, it could change any day.  Every time she did something, a facial expression or making a funny noise, everyone was so excited and they would comment how they had never heard it before and oh wasn't it just adorable.  And I would get to say "oh yeah, she started doing that a few days ago."  It amazes me each and every day that she can change so much in such short time spans.  One day she will be completely silent and the next she decides she wants to spend all day making hilarious noises that make absolutely no sense but are the cutest sounds I've ever heard.  I get to see it all.  And I couldn't be happier about it.  Being a stay-at-home mom has its ups and downs, but I have never regretted it for a second.  Seeing Kaylee smile and laugh, even if only briefly throughout the day, makes everything worth it.  She is my little girl and even though she is 6 months old now, I still hesitate before I leave her for any length of time.  Even if it is just to run to the store while she stays with Grandma.


           

Let me begin by saying that I have no idea what to do with this Blog.  I have never blogged before because I don't usually consider myself as having anything interesting to say most of the time.  However, I will do my best to come up with thoughts that will interest and intrigue.

One thing that I will admit today is that I promised myself that I would never get a Twitter account.  To be honest, I have never seen the point in them.  In general, I don't post many Facebook status updates, but instead use it to keep in touch with people and look at pictures of my nieces.  So obviously, I have no idea what to do with a Twitter.  But when I signed up for my account today, which is for the same class as this Blog, I found something interesting.  I poked around and decided to follow some Twitter accounts concerning parenting, just to have something to follow, considering I have a 6 month old daughter.  Then, I noticed a Groupon was posted by MomsWhoSave that was for Mixbook, a website that I have used several times because they do great photo books.  I shared the coupon with my husband and my family because it was a great deal.  All of a sudden, I realized that my Twitter account had proved itself useful the first day that I had it.  I guess I should not have been so quick to judge.  I still don't see the point of sharing countless status messages each day, which so many people do, but I guess I can see how Twitter can be used in other practical ways.  Perhaps it will prove to be useful more often than I think.