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General | No Comments »

I have passed my 29th birthday and the world didn’t end! Ok, so I didn’t really think the world would end when I turned 29. In fact, I’ve decided that it isn’t so bad. Besides, I’ve decided not to focus on my negative feelings about turning 30 next year and focus on all the things that may take place this year. In other words, I’m going to enjoy my last year in my 20’s.

Tim McGraw’s song “My next 30 years” has been running through my head for about a month now, and while I haven’t finished my “first” 30 years of life yet, the song has much more meaning for me now than it ever did before. For those who aren’t familiar with the song, here are the lyrics:

I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years I’m gonna have some fun
Try to forget about all the crazy things I’ve done
Maybe now I’ve conquered all my adolescent fears
And I’ll do it better in my next thirty years

My next thirty years I’m gonna settle all the scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear
Figure out just what I’m doing here
In my next thirty years

Oh my next thirty years, I’m gonna watch my weight
Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late
Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers
Maybe I’ll remember my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family and hang out with my wife
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here ,In my next thirty years

In my next thirty years

There’s something to be said about crying less, laughing more and conquering our adolescent fears. I guess turning 30 would be one of those fears for me. I think for me the biggest line in that song is the first:

I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age

It’s time for me to stop worrying so much about how old I’ll be next year, or the year after, and just enjoy the age I am now. It all goes by so fast. In 10 years, I’ll wish I was still 29, I’m sure. So, I have decided to enjoy my life, just as it is. I can’t spend my days worrying and fretting about how old I am. Age is just a number, after all. And every minute spent fretting about how old I am is a minute I don’t have to spend enjoying my kids.

So, here’s to 29! Here’s to the last year in my 20’s. I might miss my 20’s, but I’m looking forward to my 30’s

birthdays | 2 Comments »

I took Zach to the doctor today for a checkup. He’s been on an anti-diuretic since early November to help him stop wetting the bed. Well, really, it’s to sort of stall the bed-wetting until his body can mature to the point where he doesn’t need it anymore. Please know that this was a last resort for us. I tried everything short of the bed-wetting monitor, which is not an option for us due to dh’s schedule. We’ve been dealing with this now for 4 years. I let it slide for 2 of those, thinking he’d grow out of it by 6. When 7 rolled around and he was still wetting the bed, I felt exasperated. He started to express that it was bothering him and I knew it was time for help. We tried cutting off drinks at a certain time, waking him up in the middle of the night, pull-ups…it seems like we tried everything. We finally went to medicine. We were really not left with any other option.

Anyway, we started with one pill, then a month ago went to 2. Today we decided to go to 3 pills a night. The good news is it seems as though we might be on the other side of the hill. He told the doctor that he does sometimes get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. This is a HUGE step forward, since that has been our biggest problem. He is such a heavy sleeper that we have a hard time even waking him up. The doctor suggested that it’s probably those last few hours of deep sleep when the medicine has mostly worn off when he is probably wetting the bed.

I am hopeful that increasing the medicine will work. I’m also hopeful that we’re on the down-side of the hill and that he’s maturing physically to the point that his bladder is catching up to the rest of his body. I wish I knew if this was a result of his prematurity or if he’s just another statistic. Yes, that sounds bad, but the stats are:

* Five to seven million kids in the United States wet the bed.
* 20% of 4- to 12-year-olds wet the bed.
* Bedwetting is more common among boys than girls–about 2/3 of kids who wet the bed are boys.
* 72% of kids who wet the bed will outgrow it by the time they’re 11–99% by age 15.

Here’s to keeping our fingers crossed!

Family, life, the kids | 2 Comments »

I sit here, a week removed from my 29th birthday (yes, the actual, official, FIRST 29th birthday), and stew on the number that represents my age…or that will in a week. I’ve always been one who thought age was just a number. But I must admit that I don’t want to turn 29. And it really has nothing to do with being 29. It has everything to do with turning 30. I have no idea why the thought of turning 30 bothers me so much. Brian saw 30 come and go without so much as batting an eye. It didn’t bother him. I think he’s lucky!

I think it has bothered me a bit more as of late. I know there won’t be any life-altering reality that hits me when I turn 30. I won’t be getting married or having any more children. I’ve already hit that stage in life. So what is it about 30 that bothers me so? Maybe it’s the thought of coming out of the 20’s, where everyone is young and fun, and into my 30’s where everyone is grown up and responsible. Maybe it’s that 30 sounds, well, old. It isn’t old, of course. I wish I could say for sure what it is. I’m hoping that as that day approaches, I will be less bothered by it than I currently am. I do have one thing going for me, though…I might be approaching 30, but I look like I’m 23! I’m sure I’ll appreciate that as time goes on.

I came across a blog post written by Towanda Long, albeit from 2007, with 3 pieces of advice for turning 30. I thought it was good advice, and some I should probably adhere to. I’ll share it here

Don’t beat yourself up. VERY, and I do mean very, few people have accomplished their list of things to do before reaching 30.

First of all, life happens. Being laid off, choosing the wrong companies, and personal relationships that don’t work are natural learning experiences. Secondly, at the age of 18, do you REALLY know what you want to be when you grow up? Ummm, probably not.

Life experiences are priceless. Being book smart is great. But trust me, life experiences are the best lessons you will ever receive. So, instead of looking at what you did not accomplish, look at what you’ve learned – about yourself and about life.

Look not only at your experiences, but those of your friends. These lessons, if you let them, will help you live a fulfilling life into your thirties and beyond.

Enjoy every stage of your life. I know this one sounds like the politically correct answer, but it’s true. Whether it’s the freedom of being single or the awesome feeling you get from seeing your baby for the first time, there is beauty in each phase of our life.

Don’t work so hard towards a future goal that you miss the beauty in living right now.

birthdays, life | 1 Comment »

Alex can be such a goober sometimes. I snapped this this morning while he was “supposed” to be watching the Berenstain Bears….

Family, life, memes, the kids | 4 Comments »

I don’t know what it is about Monday’s. There must be some unwritten rule about how you must be tired on Monday. It just never fails. If it’s a Monday, I’m super tired…much more so than any other day of the week. But I am looking forward to this week, at least I hope. I am hoping to be able to switch hours with someone at work and go back to Indiana later this week to meet my new niece. She’s 4 months old now (or will be on Saturday) and I have yet to see her any other way than webcam or Facebook pictures!

She’s getting SO BIG! When she was first born, I thought she looked a lot like our mom, which I guess would mean she looked a lot like my sister. Now, though, I think she looks like my bil. She’s so cute! I want someone to invent a way to reach through a computer screen and grab what’s on the other side and bring it back to you. I would likely never give her back, though If I can’t somehow get rid of my hours this weekend, I’ll have to wait until April…when she’ll be almost 7 months old! Such is life when you don’t live near family, I suppose. We make the best of it. It just makes it that much more special when we do actually get to see our families.

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

Family, Heather, blogging, life | 1 Comment »

I know I’m 10 days late, but I haven’t had a blog to really wish anyone a Merry Christmas or a Happy New Year. So, fwiw, Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

I have a brand new theme, too. I kind of like it. I can’t get the rotating header to work, though. My pictures aren’t showing up I’ll work on that. I have some really cute ones of the boys

Have you made any resolutions for this year? Have you broken any of them yet? lol. This year, other than my standard “I resolve to lose weight” (which I did last year…15 pounds!), I have made a resolution of a different kind. I am resolving to be a better child of God, which I am sure will lead to the rest of that resolution…to be a better wife, mother, sister, daughter and friend. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I am looking forward to finding out

Christmas, Holidays, New Years, life | 1 Comment »