Speed Bump

So far physically, I have had NOTHING to complain about as far as being pregnant goes. I have been humbled and grateful to have escaped many of the pitfalls that I know countless scores of women have experienced.

Until now. Turns out I have not escaped anemia. And may I just say that it's for the birds. My late and much beloved gramma, among numerous other health complaints, suffered from anemia as well. In that pithy, no-nonsense way she had, she would always say "I'm good for crap." Yup. Couldn't have said it better myself.

Thank God for Manny, who has been taking such good care of me and happily pulls double duty around the house while I am able to accomplish the coefficient of jack and squat. And thank God for my mom who has been keeping us fed even though she hates to cook.

Reliable Resources Needed

As baby's birth day gets nearer and nearer, I am increasingly mindful of a small problem that made me extremely apprehensive about becoming a parent in the first place. Have I mentioned that I have never been a "natural" when it comes to kids? Interacting with kids has always been uncomfortable for me. As an only child with very little extended family, I never had much exposure to adults interacting with small children. Except for what I remember of certain things my own parents did, I am clueless.

This is going to sound really pathetic, but does anyone have any good resources they can recommend for interacting with babies and toddlers? (Extra points for ones that aren't going to make me feel like a complete idiot.) I'm thinking of subjects along the line of songs, finger plays, etc? Also, any materials that deal with proper training and discipline? That will not be necessary for the very young infant stage, but I always liked to read ahead and be prepared. Does anyone know if there has been any such publication from a solid Lutheran perspective? I've noticed that there are numerous parenting books from a supposedly "Christian" perspective, but I also know that there are bound to be more land mines amongst them than not.

Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

Recession: Male vs. Female?

I saw this article on the MSN homepage yesterday. The gist is that men, and by extension families with males as sole breadwinners, are feeling the economic slowdown more keenly than are females in general. This is due to the heavy concentration of male workers in the construction and manufacturing industries.

I think there may be something to this. While Manny and I are far from having to stand in the breadline (thanks be to God), he has had a marked reduction in hours this year compared to years past. The company that I work for has had to lay off almost all of its tradesmen this month due to lack of work. Contracts that were once a sure thing are suddenly being canceled due to lack of funding.

I'll let the economists argue over whether or not this is a slowdown or a recession. But regardless of what anyone calls it, the result is the same - belts and pocketbooks will be tightening. Not an entirely bad thing in my estimation. It tends to get the creative juices flowing at least.

On Dust Bunnies

I know that dust just is. It is on and in everything. And I know very well that most of it comes from our very own selves. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

I am not a dust-o-phobe, but I guess you could call my relationship with dust neurotic at best. I really hate it. Sometimes I think maybe there is a deeper philosophical root to my dust aversion. Maybe it brings home the fact that "to dust we shall return" and I naturally rebel against that. But what it amounts to is when I see dust motes dancing in the sunlight, it is much akin to hearing nails scrape against a chalkboard.

I have been a Swiffer duster user for the last few years now. I suppose I bought the hype that a Swiffer will trap and lock dust and then blissfully remove it from your life. That's what I like to hear. Die dust bunnies, die. And get out of my house. But now that prices are going up on EVERYTHING and the income in this house is going down significantly, I'm looking for ways to cut costs wherever possible. Throwing away used Swiffer dusters seems like tossing money right in the trash. And I'm not entirely sure that the whole "trap and lock" claim is all it's cracked up to be.

So what is your preferred dusting method? Wet or dry? If wet, do you have a make-it-yourself spray or solution? (Once upon a time my mom and I used to dust her house with Pledge and a good old fashioned rag. Neither one of us uses Pledge or Endust anymore because we figured out the fumes bothered our sinuses.) If dry, what do you do to make sure that you're actually defeating the dust instead of just shooing it off the furniture for a while?