Day 21: One of your favorite TV shows.
I would have to say Grey's Anatomy (my roommate freshman year of college got me hooked on it). I think it's a great show and can't wait for next season. I also love American Idol and So You Think You can Dance.
I know this is short today but I am super tired! It's been a long day and I'm hoping that I have good news to share tomorrow! :)

Day 20: How important you think education is.
My education at KSU has been great for me. It's exposed me to different viewpoints and to things that I had not considered before. It's so easy to get along with people that think the same things as you do, but it's a lot more fulfilling to be around those who challenge you.  I found this great quote that I feel at least somewhat describes what college and its experiences taught me.
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.- Will Durant
This was very true in my case. I definitely had some ignorant assumptions when I came to college. Looking back, I think of some of the things I used to say and I'm amazed that I could make such assumptions. But life is a learning process and I have definitely learned a lot during my college education years.
I hope everyone's week has gotten off to a great start!

Day 19!

Day 19: Disrespecting your parents.
Well, becoming a parent has changed my perspective a lot on this. Not that I ever thought it's okay to not listen to your parents or at least pretend to take their advice. :) I never realized how challenging it would to be a parent and Madelynn is only 9 months old! While I love being a mom to her, it does get hard sometimes. I found this great quote that showed the high ideals I had while I was pregnant!
Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories. ~John Wilmot

So I guess the point I'm trying to make is that it's important to be understanding of your parents. You never realize the stress of being a parent until you actually have children. Whether it's worrying about health concerns, sleeping issues, there is a lot to think about as a parent. While there is a lot of joy in having children, it's definitely not the easiest thing I have ever done. After having Madelynn, I realized just how much my parents actually loved my sister and I because it is a difficult adjustment. However, looking at Madelynn definitely makes it all worth it! :) Be nice to your parents and hopefully if you have kids, they will do the same!

Happy Memorial Day tomorrow and remember to thank those who are serving/who have served our country!

Day 18: Your beliefs.
I am Catholic but I don't feel it matters what religion you are. I found this video posted on a friend's Facebook page and I think it describes what I think perfectly. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGvZ9aXg5Xs&feature=related

Also, I think it's important to recognize that people do and should have the ability to make their own decisions about what they do or do not believe. Being Catholic is something I have chosen and helps me in the life I live every day. It's definitely a support system for me but I know it's not for everyone. It's not up to me to be judgmental towards others and the decisions they make. A holier than thou attitude is actually extremely annoying to me. In my opinion, a better message would be acceptance of who a person is.
Obviously, being Catholic and/or religious often brings up the issue of abortion. I want to preface this by saying that my intent is not to be judgmental of others who have had abortions. Life is full of hard decisions and I've never been in the position that I would have to make such a decision. I can't imagine how difficult it would be. Especially after having my own baby. However, I think it's important to discuss and not avoid the issue. This is something that I am often in conflict with. I do believe in a person's right to choose, but at the same time shouldn't the baby have a choice? I guess I have trouble because I can see how it should be the woman's choice but also that it is ending a life that doesn't get a choice. A lot of the times, abortion is painted as a black and white issue but it's definitely not. After doing some soul-searching and deep thinking, I would say that I am pro-choice but I still find it difficult to say that (you have no idea how hard it is to say that!). After looking into what some pro-life advocates say about women and the choices they make, I'm amazed at how it places all the "blame" on women. That definitely furthers my belief that we do live in a sexist society (among other things). It's quotes like these that make me extremely angry and sad to think that a person can be this narrow minded:
"If women were in charge, abortion would be a sacrament..."
Carter Hayword, Episcopalian priest at the 1985 National Abortion Federation (NAF) convention. National Abortion Federation Update, Fall 1985, page 7

"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become lesbians." Pat Robertson, Christian Coalition

It's very difficult for me to say that I am pro-choice, especially given my background of a Catholic. But as I said previously, it's not up to me to judge others on the decisions they make. That's definitely not my role. Just think how much better a place the world would be if we could be accepting of others and not make assumptions. There is always a reason for peoples' actions. The following quote makes sense to me and what I believe but still takes into account that there should be a right to choose.

"I think we have deluded ourselves into believing that people don't know that abortion is killing. So any pretense that abortion is not killing is a signal of our ambivalence, a signal that we cannot say yes, it kills a fetus, but it is the women's body, and therefore ultimately her choice." I believe that very firmly. You look at the ultrasounds and there's a fetus with a heartbeat and then after the procedure, there's the fetus, usually in pieces, in a dish. It was alive one moment and it's not the next. I don't believe it's a painful experience for the fetus because its nervous system is not "wired" so that it can feel pain at that point. I don't believe, as some anti-abortion people would have you believe, that there's a 'silent scream.' But it's very clear to me that it's killing a potential life. And I found that hard at first."
--Faye Wattleton, former director of Planned Parenthood

So, therefore I hope this makes sense. I always feel nervous talking about sensitive topics such as this, but I think it's important to discuss it. “Too many people in America believe that if you are pro-choice that means pro-abortion. It doesn't. I don't want abortion. Abortion should be the rarest thing in the world. I am actually personally opposed to abortion. But I don't believe that I have a right to take what is an article of faith to me and legislate it to other people. That's not how it works in America.”

iilana Senator John Kerry quotes (American Senator, b.1943)

Day 17: Your highs and lows of the past year.
Highs:

• Becoming a mom and watching her grow/change everyday!
• Graduating from KSU
• Getting a job offer!

I try and find something to celebrate about each day but those are all I can think of right now!

Lows

• Sometimes being a stressed out parent and wonder why I am responding this way :(
• Not getting a job that I really wanted
• Being sleep-deprived

So, I know my blogs probably aren't that interesting. If anyone has any ideas about what to do for blogs, I would love to hear them! After I get done with this, I was thinking of doing some reviews of books I have read recently. Let me know and have a great weekend!

Day 16: Your views on mainstream music.
I love a wide variety of music! I probably tend to listen to more mainstream music since I don't download songs and the only time I really listen to anything besides kid music is when Madelynn is asleep in the car. :)

Madelynn slept amazing last night and I really hope this continues. For some reason, this has been a struggle lately. As a parent, sleep is highly valuable and I become a little grumpy when I can't get a decent night's sleep!

Madelynn is also getting over a cold, so I'm hoping we can go to playgroup this morning and to storytime at the library on Saturday. The Manhattan Public Library has an excellent children's program and the summer program starts at the beginning of June. I'm so excited to go with Madelynn because I think it's great for both of us!

Day 15: Your favorite tumblrs.
I'm not going to lie, I had no idea what this meant. I thought I was going to be talking about my favorite alcoholic beverage :) Good thing I googled it!
I love Facebook, so that would have to be my favorite. I love to know what is going on with people that I don't get to see as much as I would like to. And seeing pictures is another thing I like about Facebook.

On a side note, I'm still applying for jobs. A blessing is that there are a lot of social work jobs available to apply for. I did get one job offer but Jon and I are still discussing whether I should take it or not. It would mean moving, which is something we are willing to do but we would prefer to stay in this area. The job offer is in a town that doesn't have a state university that offers the same majors as KSU in Manhattan, so it's a lot more expensive to attend since the colleges are private . This is a big decision and Jon wants to go back to school in the fall at K-State (I'm so proud of him for wanting to do that because I know it would not be easy going back!). We will also have a lot more costs now that I am out of school (childcare costs, loan payments, etc.). It's hard not to immediately say yes to the job offer, but there are a lot of important factors to consider. When I get the job offer, I felt like Sally Fields during her Oscar speech- You like me, you really like me! :)

I hope everyone's week is going well!

My Internet wasn't working so 2 updates in 1!

Day 13: Somewhere you'd like to move or visit.
I really like Kansas and wouldn't mind staying here! :) There are lots of places I would like to visit but one that comes to mind is New York City. I think it would be fun to a visit a city that's upbeat 24/7 and maybe relive the party life a little bit! :)

Day 14: Your earliest memory
This is kind of a random memory. I was probably about 5 and I had set my alarm but it didn't go off. Our babysitter was there and I refused to get out of bed until my alarm went off.

Hope everyone's week has started off well!

Day 12- Bullet your whole day!

• 6:30 am: Madelynn woke up and nursed
• 8am: Madelynn ate breakfast; she had bananas with apple and blueberries, mixed veggies, and whole wheat cereal. I had Kix and two tangerines for breakfast.
• 8:15-9 am: Madelynn and I played.
• 9:15 am- 10:15 am: Madelynn nursed and then took a nap for about an hour.
• 10:30 am- 11:30 am: Madelynn and I played!
• 11:45 am- Madelynn and I ate lunch. Madelynn had peaches as her finger food and the rest was the same as breakfast! I had a sandwich with mayo, cheese, and bbq chicken deli meat on whole wheat bread, a peach, and tortilla chips. I also had a Sierra Mist.
• 12 pm-1pm: Madelynn and I played. I tried to lay her down for a nap on her own but that only lasted for about 15 minutes.
• 1:30 pm: I laid down for a nap with Madelynn- I think it's bonding and I'm going to miss it when I'm not a stay at home mom anymore! However, after only being asleep for about half an hour my neighbor's dog wouldn't stop barking and woke both of us up. I was not too happy.
• 2:15pm: Madelynn nursed and we read books while Madelynn did tummy time.
• 4:45 pm: Madelynn took a 30 minute nap and nursed when she woke up.
• 5:30 pm: I ate an early dinner. I had a hard egg sandwich with tomatoes and two tangerines. Madelynn ate a little before 6pm. She had sweet potatoes as her finger food and instead of wheat cereal, she had oatmeal cereal. The fruits and veggies were the same!
• 6:15 pm: I let Madelynn "choose her" meals for tomorrow. I hold out 2 fruits and veggies and let her pick! :) It's kind of fun and Madelynn smiles every time I do it!
• 6:30pm: Madelynn and I played until 7pm.
• 7pm: Madelynn nursed.
• 7:30 pm: I've been trying to get Madelynn to sleep through the night. A nurse told me that I can feed her some cereal right before she goes to bed and that might help. Her bedtime is around 8pm, so hopefully this will do the trick!
• 7:50 pm: I put Madelynn in a Pampers (we use Parent's Choice during the day but they don't do too well all night) and laid her down to sleep. Said a quick prayer to keep her safely through the night and gave her kisses. She sleeps with her stuffed dog, Violent. Violet plays lullabies, which helps Madelynn fall asleep most nights.
• 8:10 pm: Madelynn is asleep! :) Now it's time to relax!

Have a good week everyone!

I don't have an iPod! :)

Day 11: Put your iPod on shuffle and list 10 songs that pop up!
Well, I don't have an iPod but I can talk about songs/artist I like right now. These are in no particular order.
#1- Adele. I love her voice!
#2- Christina Perri
#3- Haley Reinhart on American Idol. I was so sad that she didn't make it to the finale! I think she channels my inner rock star! :)
#4- The Fray
#5- Adam Lambert- Whataya Want From Me but also his take on Mad World. That was one of the best performances on American Idol I've ever seen! Can you tell I'm a big American Idol fan?
#6- Just being general on this one. I really like 90's rock music!
#7- Sappy on this one. Madelynn and I listen to her Pooh CD while we are driving places! She really likes it or at least I think she does. :)
#8- Alanis Morisette
#9- Jewel- Pre-country!
#10- Green Day

Well, there you have it!
So on a side note, there is the possibility of a lot of changes coming up for our family. I've started the job search and have two interviews next week. Jon and I are going to look at daycares for Madelynn, which I'm kind of excited for because I think it will be good for her to be around other children. It also makes me nervous because I want to make sure that she is still being played with, read to, and so on. I feel like I will be giving up alot of control over what happens in Madelynn's day to day life (which I am). I've been able to make sure she makes it to playgroup at least twice a week and that we go to storytime at the library. I've learned developmentally approriate activities for her from Parents as Teachers. However, I have found a daycare provider that has training in these areas and has been a daycare provider since the 1980s. That makes me feel better and I can't wait to meet her! I'm so excited to start this next part of our lives, just a little nervous at the same time! :)

Love! :)

Day 10: Discuss your first love and first kiss.
Well, my first kiss was during eighth grade at the park and then I didn't have another kiss until I was a junior in high school...Yes, I was kind of a late bloomer but I was kind of nervous about boys in general while I was growing up! :)

I would rather talk about my first love! :) It was Jon and we met my freshman year of college. Things moved pretty fast for us but I think that tends to happen when you meet the right person. It's nice knowing that I can be myself around Jon. In previous relationships, I wasn't able to do that. I can be the stressed out mama who is job searching and has a couple interviews next week. Or the now sleep-deprived mama because Madelynn has stopped sleeping through the night. He loves me no matter what and I will always love him.

Happy Friday, everyone! Have a good weekend!

Day 9

Day 9: How you hope your future will be like.
Well, I hope to have a job I love. I've applied for 6 jobs in the past month so maybe one of those jobs is my dream job! :) I want Madelynn to grow up healthy and happy. I eventually want to settle down so Jon and I can buy a house! In about three years, Jon and I would like for Madelynn to have another brother or sister! I'm just excited to live life and see what it has in store for our family. There are bound to be surprises and difficulties but it's definitely worth it! Happy Thursday, everyone!

Day 8!

Day 8- A moment you felt most satisfied with your life!
It would definitely be when Madelynn was born. I know some people say that they loved being pregnant and things like "I loved you the moment I found out I was pregnant with you". Maybe I'm just not sentimental but pregnancy was not fun! I was in a lot of pain and didn't sleep well from about 5 months on, especially towards the end. I think I had trouble visualizing Madelynn inside of me even though I saw her in sonogram pictures. Maybe the next time, I will enjoy pregnancy more since I now know the end product is so amazing! :) I don't think it really set in until Madelynn was born that Jon and I actually made a beautiful human being. It was such a surreal moment when she was born. I remember hyperventilating after she was born because I couldn't believe that she was actually here.

"When we choose to be parents, we accept another human being as part of ourselves, and a large part of our emotional selves will stay with that person as long as we live. From that time on, there will be another person on this earth whose orbit around us will affect us as surely as the moon affects the tides, and affect us in some ways more deeply than anyone else can. Our children are extensions of ourselves."
-- Fred Rogers
Parenting is a challenge at times but everytime I see Madelynn laugh, smile, or do something new, it helps me remember why Jon and I decided to become parents in the first place!

Day 6 of 30 Day Challenge!

Day 6- Your zodiac sign and if you think it fits your personality.
This is a description I found online of my sign Virgo:
Virgos are often put down badly by many astrologers and written up as being fussy and narrow-minded. But when a Virgo shines, there is practically no sign to match their inner light. An in-tune Virgo is a treat to meet. When a Virgo is confident within themselves they are the most successful, structured and creative of all the signs.

Many Virgos can be found working in the "service to others" industries, ranging from welfare work, doctors, school-teachers through to practising natural forms of healing like massage, herbal remedies etc. One of the most magical characteristics of the Virgo is no matter how many times life or romance turns sour on them, they still manage to maintain faith in others, refusing to become cynical. There is ingenuity around this sign, a kind-heartedness, which unfortunately is sometimes played upon by others for their advantage. Virgos can often become victims of relationship power-games, where they are mistreated.

Creative and sensitive, Virgos are delicate people who, like rare and special orchids, require individual treatment to fully blossom into their true unique beauty. Shy, they are happy to allow others to take centre-stage and often generate their time and energy into making those they love happy or successful.

Virgos are givers and when the chips are down and you need a friend, the one available during those testing times when you need advice or companionship the most, is likely to be a Virgo. Virgos understand human frailties better than most, because they are so deep and reflective themselves. With a Virgo in your life you have someone who understands and cares and any romance or friendship based upon these qualities is certain to be mutually rewarding.

I would have to say this is accurate in who I am as a person. I'm not sure how it's decided what Virgos are like but it describes me well! :)
On a side note, Madelynn is starting to pick up food and feed herself! It's amazing how fast they learn. Have a good night!

30 Interesting Things about me!

Day 6- 30 Interesting Facts about me!
Well, I will try to get to 30 but no guarantees! :)
#1- I'm related to William Wallace or who was made popular by the movie Braveheart!
#2- I have degrees in social work and gerontology.
#3- I sleep best on my left side.
#4- In my free time (which means when Madelynn is asleep!), I love to read books!
#5- I've never done drugs.
#6- I'm Catholic.
#7- I love to take an afternoon nap with Madelynn!
#8- I believe that reading a book to a child is one of the best things you can do for a child!
#9- I also believe that playing with a child is so important for their development!
#10- I went to college for 5 years.
#11- I did my social work internship at a domestic violence agency.
#12- "Live and let live"
#13- Being judgmental of others never gets anyone very far in life.
#14- I believe in love.
#15- I think things are easier said than done.
And Madelynn woke up from her nap so I'm done! I will try to finish later but no guarantees! Have a good Monday, everyone.

Day 5!

Day 5- A time you thought about ending your own life.

So I have trouble putting personal aspects of my life on the Internet. It makes me feel uncomfortable. I would rather have a talk face to face about these topics. So I'm not going into too much detail, but this is something I have considered before.

What is important to recognize is that "Life is good" ( this is something my friend said to me and I think it's very fitting!). I just think about all I would have missed. An amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, and everyday things that I take for granted but that are so important! I wouldn't have graduated from college yesterday. I'm so lucky and blessed to live my life! So I like quotes and I found one that seems to relate to what I went through and how my life is now.

"Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing. Use the pain as a fuel, as a reminder of your strength." -August Wilson

Retry

Apparently, the blogger website was updating and deleted my blog so I had to do it all over again! Nothing is going to stop me from blogging. So I'm kind of swamped today and tomorrow with graduation, so I'm going to combine 2 days into one of the 30 day challenge! :)


Day Three: My views on drugs and alcohol
Drugs: I've actually never tried any type of illegal drugs so it's not something I know a whole lot about. I could maybe understand it on a recreational basis but addiction is a very scary and powerful thing! I have seen it affect the people who use them on a regular basis and those close to them negatively.

Alcohol: I don't drink a lot since I am nursing and a parent in general. I've had a lot of fun at college parties and it's definitely something I miss (although I wouldn't trade being a mommy for anything!).  Probably too much fun :) But I had great experiences with friends that I will always remember from those parties!
To be honest, I can't be as carefree as I was back then because my life has completely changed from what it was. It's hard for me to be away from Madelynn for more than a few hours but it's also important for me to take time for myself and Jon to be "adults". So to wrap this up, I believe alcohol is okay as long as it's in moderation and it's for fun!

Day Four: Views on Religion.
"To each his own". I am Catholic but that is where my life has lead me. There are parts to the Catholic Church that I do disagree with and it's something that I'm willing to acknowledge. Every person has different experiences that lead them to what they do or do not believe.
This is a video that I have seen that I feel accurately describes how I feel about religion in general. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGvZ9aXg5Xs&feature=related
This is how I choose to live my life and others have the right to live their life the way they choose.