Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Pediatrician

My husband and I are getting ready for the birth of our son, and as part of that process, we face the daunting task of finding a pediatrician to care for our itty bitty.  Our appointment with the pediatricians we hope will be a good fit is set for May 28, and I have been working on putting together a list of questions for the doctor with whom we will be meeting.

We chose to interview this particular office because they have 8 doctors on staff, a daily walk-in clinic from 8 to 9 a.m., and their office is in the same building as my OBGYN and right across from the hospital where our little man will be born.  They also were all very nice to me on the phone, which was a huge factor in me deciding to meet with them.  Any time a doctor's office staff is rude or pushy, I run the other way.  If the doctor is willing to tolerate that in the people who often are responsible for first impressions, then he or she is probably rude or pushy, too.

Below are the questions I came up with so far.  Please share any other suggestions or experiences in the comments.

1. Participation with insurance.  This one is huge, of course.  If the office does not participate with your insurance, you probably want to look elsewhere.
2. Travel preparation services.  Because the hubby and I travel a lot, we want to make sure that we choose a doctor who will be able to help us prepare our son for international travel in the years to come.  Obviously, we will not be taking him to any high-risk areas when he is very small, but any time you go to another country, it is good to check into any possible health risks.  Having a doctor who is well-versed in travel health is essential for traveling families like us.
3. Vaccination schedule.  Different doctors have different schedules for vaccinations.  It is good to know what you should expect for your child such as how often vaccinations will be given and at what age they will be administered.  Also, be sure to ask about how flexible the doctor is on the schedule and whether you can spread the vaccinations out more over time.
4. Recommended vaccinations.  I plan to get most, if not all, of the recommended vaccinations.  My father nearly died from polio when he was a baby, and in this global age, an outbreak of deadly disease is only a plane ride away, especially with so many people deciding not to vaccinate their children against diseases that still exist all over the world.  However, it is still important for me to know exactly what vaccinations are recommended by my baby's doctor, as well as which ones he or she may think are less important.  If nothing else, I want to make sure that my child gets protection against the horrific diseases that could easily make a comeback in this country, especially since there are now so many potential carriers.
5. Internet appointments and resources.  I hate the telephone.  If I can avoid using it, I will.  So one thing I love in a doctor's office is the ability to contact them via the internet, at least for general things.  HIPAA laws prevent some communications, but doctors who are willing to at least allow patients to request appointments via the internet are always going to get an extra vote in my book.  If I can also ask a general question via email and see whether I really need to be concerned about some issue with my child, even better.
6. Ability to get same day appointments.  If your little one does get sick, it is important to know how long you should expect to wait before getting an appointment.  If the practice is too busy, you might end up having to wait a day or two before you can get in to see the doctor.  When your child is suffering, that is an eternity.
7. Frequency of recommended appointments.  Different doctors recommend seeing children on different schedules for wellness checks.  Be sure to find out how often your doctor will want you and your little one in there.  World of Pediatrics offers printable forms for each recommended wellness visit.
8. Other office locations.  Usually you can find this information online, but if your pediatrician does not have a website, make sure to ask if there are any other office locations.
9. Cloth diapering.  If you plan to use cloth diapers, ask the doctor how familiar he or she is with cloth diaper specific issues such as topical creams, antibiotics, and rashes.
10. How to contact during non-office hours.  Finally, make sure you know what to do if you need the doctor during non-business hours.  Is there someone on call?  Also, if you are choosing a solo practitioner, find out who will cover the doctor's duties when he or she is on vacation or otherwise unavailable.  Make sure you get contact information before you need it.

Earn Money for Your Writing and Work from Home!

If you like to write like I do, the idea of finding a paid writing job sounds ideal, but unfortunately, the competition for such positions is fierce.  That is why I love Examiner.com!  Examiner.com is a website that brings together the work of many different local writers from all across the country and helps to promote it.

Because the website management promotes the site and site content, writers get much better earnings on their writing than they do when starting out with a blog.  Earnings can vary depending on a variety of factors, but I am currently earning about 1/2 a cent per pageview, which is significantly more than what I earn writing for Spare Time Super Mom.  I also earn incentive pay for certain types of content.  For example, you can currently earn $2.00 per list article that you create.  An example of a list article is shown here.  You can do 3 per week, so as long as you get the lists done, you earn a base of $6.00 per week.  Each view of the items in the list then count as a pageview, so the earnings can stack up pretty quickly on these.

Since I am trying to find a way to make some extra cash from home so I can spend more time with my son when he arrives, I am trying to focus more on Examiner.com as a job rather than a hobby (although it is definitely both!), and I have really seen my pageviews and earnings increase as a result, even after just a few days.  My topic is Herndon Wedding Planning, and I am committing myself to writing at least one article every two days from this point forward, at least when I am at home.  (I do leave for Spain and Ireland in a few days, so I may not be able to keep up while I am away, but when I get back, I plan to be all over it!)  I would like to eventually get to two articles per day, and I have some plans up my sleeve to help me get there.

There are a ton of topics to choose from, so whatever your hobbies, interests, or areas of expertise, I am sure there is something for you.  Go ahead and browse the site for available topics, but make sure to come back here before you sign up because Examiner.com pays $50.00 per referral.  If you sign up through my referral link and get approved, I WILL SHARE $10.00 OF THE REFERRAL FEE WITH YOU!

Examiner.com also provides access to a ton of photos that are free to use for your articles on their website, as well as the comprehensive Examiner University, where writers can learn about all kinds of topics to improve their writing and their earning potential.  They have a vested financial interest in seeing their writers do well because the more you earn, the more they earn.  Their support for their writers is awesome!

It is really easy and, of course, FREE to sign up, and they usually process your application within about a week or two.  If you do submit an application, please email me at sparetimesupermom@gmail.com with your name and topic choice so I can watch for your application to get approved.  Happy writing and happy earning!

6-Year-Old's Fundraiser to Help a Friend is a Huge Success

6-year-old Dylan Siegel is showing that you don't have to be a big kid to make a difference.  When he found out about his best friend Jonah's rare liver disease, he told his parents that he wanted to help.  They encouraged him to help raise money by holding a bake sale or setting up a lemonade stand, but Dylan decided to aim higher.  He told his mother that he was going to write a book and sell it to make money, and that is just what he is doing.

With help from family and friends, Dylan's parents helped him to publish his book, Chocolate Bar, and it began to sell.  As more and more people have heard about this amazing tale of friendship between two little boys, sales have increased.  Dylan's goal is to raise $1 million for research towards a cure for Jonah's illness, which is known as Glycogen Storage Disease.

For a minimum donation of $20.00, you can get a copy of Dylan's book by visiting the Chocolate Bar Book website.  This is an awesome way to donate to a great cause and help to encourage both of these boys to always look around and see what they can do for others.  It will also make a great teaching tool for your children as you read it to them and remind them of the very important principles that these two boys are teaching us: the importance of being a real friend to someone and that anyone can make a difference if he or she is determined.

 

More 4 Mom Giveaway

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and
A Ladybug on The Go

This Giveaway Event is all about MOM!  Let's celebrate every mother we know by getting the coolest gifts out there.  
***2 Winners***

HGTV Home Furniture Giveaway

Spare Time Super Mom is pleased to bring you an awesome giveaway from 

HGTV HOME FURNITURE and Cheap is the New Classy!

Check out the official hashtag on Twitter: #hgtvgiveaway

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win this beautiful Bombe Chest with a retail value of $999, absolutely FREE!

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30 Before 30 Challenge: #6: Watch AFI's Top 100

# 6 on my 30 Before 30 Challenge list is "Watch every movie on the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Movies list."  (Since the list changes every so often, I used the 2007 edition.)  This, along with a trip to the Grand Canyon, will probably be one of the most difficult since I am not much of a movie watcher. They better all be fantastic if they made the list!

Fortunately, I have seen a few of them, which will make completing the whole list in the next year a little easier.  As I complete the rest, I will cross them off the list.  As of my 29th birthday, I have seen a little more than 1/4 of the Top 100 list.*

#	MOVIE	YEAR
1	CITIZEN KANE	1941
2	THE GODFATHER	1972
3	CASABLANCA	1942
4	RAGING BULL	1980
5	SINGIN' IN THE RAIN	1952
6	GONE WITH THE WIND	1939
7	LAWRENCE OF ARABIA	1962
8	SCHINDLER'S LIST	1993
9	VERTIGO	1958
10	THE WIZARD OF OZ	1939
11	CITY LIGHTS	1931
12	THE SEARCHERS	1956
13	STAR WARS	1977
14	PSYCHO	1960
15	2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY	1968
16	SUNSET BLVD.	1950
17	THE GRADUATE	1967
18	THE GENERAL	1927
19	ON THE WATERFRONT	1954
20	IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE	1946
21	CHINATOWN	1974
22	SOME LIKE IT HOT	1959
23	THE GRAPES OF WRATH	1940
24	E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL	1982
25	TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD	1962
26	MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON	1939
27	HIGH NOON	1952
28	ALL ABOUT EVE	1950
29	DOUBLE INDEMNITY	1944
30	APOCALYPSE NOW	1979
31	THE MALTESE FALCON	1941
32	THE GODFATHER PART II	1974
33	ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST	1975
34	SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS	1937
35	ANNIE HALL	1977
36	THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI	1957
37	THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES	1946
38	THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE	1948
39	DR. STRANGELOVE	1964
40	THE SOUND OF MUSIC	1965
41	KING KONG	1933
42	BONNIE AND CLYDE	1967
43	MIDNIGHT COWBOY	1969
44	THE PHILADELPHIA STORY	1940
45	SHANE	1953
46	IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT	1934
47	A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE	1951
48	REAR WINDOW	1954
49	INTOLERANCE	1916
50	THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING	2001
51	WEST SIDE STORY	1961
52	TAXI DRIVER	1976
53	THE DEER HUNTER	1978
54	M*A*S*H	1970
55	NORTH BY NORTHWEST	1959
56	JAWS	1975
57	ROCKY	1976
58	THE GOLD RUSH	1925
59	NASHVILLE	1975
60	DUCK SOUP	1933
61	SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS	1941
62	AMERICAN GRAFFITI	1973
63	CABARET	1972
64	NETWORK	1976
65	THE AFRICAN QUEEN	1951
66	RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK	1981
67	WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?	1966
68	UNFORGIVEN	1992
69	TOOTSIE	1982
70	A CLOCKWORK ORANGE	1971
71	SAVING PRIVATE RYAN	1998
72	THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION	1994
73	BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID	1969
74	THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS	1991
75	IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT	1967
76	FORREST GUMP	1994
77	ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN	1976
78	MODERN TIMES	1936
79	THE WILD BUNCH	1969
80	THE APARTMENT	1960
81	SPARTACUS	1960
82	SUNRISE	1927
83	TITANIC	1997
84	EASY RIDER	1969
85	A NIGHT AT THE OPERA	1935
86	PLATOON	1986
87	12 ANGRY MEN	1957
88	BRINGING UP BABY	1938
89	THE SIXTH SENSE	1999
90	SWING TIME	1936
91	SOPHIE'S CHOICE	1982
92	GOODFELLAS	1990
93	THE FRENCH CONNECTION	1971
94	PULP FICTION	1994
95	THE LAST PICTURE SHOW	1971
96	DO THE RIGHT THING	1989
97	BLADE RUNNER	1982
98	YANKEE DOODLE DANDY	1942
99	TOY STORY	1995
100	BEN-HUR	1959

* These are the movies I have seen as of my 29th birthday.  Only 71 to go!

1. Citizen Kane
2. The Godfather
3. Casablanca
4. Gone with the Wind
5. Schindler's List
6. The Wizard of Oz
7. Star Wars
8. The Graduate
9. It's a Wonderful Life
10. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
11. To Kill a Mockingbird
12. All About Eve
13. Double Indemnity
14. The Godfather Part II
15. The Sound of Music
16. A Streetcar Named Desire
17. Rear Window
18. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
19. Duck Soup
20. American Graffitti
21. A Clockwork Orange
22. Saving Private Ryan
23. The Silence of the Lambs
24. Forrest Gump
25. Titanic
26. Platoon
27. The Sixth Sense
28. Goodfellas
29. Pulp Fiction

Woolzies Dryer Balls Giveaway from Sparkle Me Pink

Woolzies GIVEAWAY - Sparkle Me Pink - Ends 4/30

Hosted by Sparkle Me Pink 

Co-hosted by  Charlotte Raynor Writes & Simply Sherryl

Woolzies Dryer Balls are 100% Pure New Zealand Wool & Eco-Friendly 

Woolzies are made to eliminate:

 Static Cling

 Dry your clothes a little faster

 and are 100% natural so they are totally  reusable up to 1,000 loads!

You will save yourself time, energy, money and static with these !

Check out Sparkle Me Pink's Full Review HERE

I have been dying to try Woolzies Dryer Balls.  They are cloth diaper friendly, and I will definitely be using them when Baby Boy arrives in a few months! 

Giveaway will run April 15th - April 30th at midnight

Cloth Diaper Giveaways from Around the Web! (4/14)

Below is this week's list of cloth diaper giveaways, as well as other mama and baby gear from various sources.  Good luck to everyone entering this week's giveaways, and don't forget to bookmark this page and come back throughout the week for updates and to complete your daily entries!

If you would like your giveaway added to the list, please email me a link at sparetimesupermom@gmail.com.  Thanks!

Spare Time Super Mom Giveaways (available on my blog but not always hosted by me):

Kobo Arc Tablet - Ends 4/15

3-Month Subscription to Conscious Box - Ends 4/24

Autographed Copy of College Bound - Ends 4/25

HUGE CLOTH DIAPER PRIZE PACKAGE - Ends 4/27

Cloth Diaper Giveaways:

Sweet Pea Cloth Diaper - Ends 4/14

SoftBums Diapers, Wipes, and other prizes - Ends 4/14

Rebel Cloth Diaper Cover - Ends 4/14

Thirsties Duo Fab Fitted and Duo Wrap - Ends 4/15

BumGenius Prize Pack - Ends 4/15

Imagine All-in-Two and $30 Chelory Gift Certificate - Ends 4/15

6 Little Monster Cloth Diapers and Other Prizes - Ends 4/15

5 Fitted Diapers, Cloth Wipes, and Nursing Pads - Ends 4/15

BumGenius All-in-One and Rockin' Green Soap - Ends 4/15

6-Pack of Blueberry Flats - Ends 4/15

Geffen Baby Quick Absorbers and Wipes - Ends 4/15

Rebel Cloth Diaper Cover - Ends 4/16

Gro-Via Newborn All-in-One - Ends 4/16

Rebel Cloth Diaper Cover - Ends 4/16

Three Best Bottom Shells and 10 Inserts - Ends 4/17

Various Prizes from AppleCheeks - Ends 4/17

Smart Bottoms Too Smart 3.0 - Ends 4/18

2 New Bummis Potty Pants - Ends 4/18

Sloomb Snapless Multi Fitted and Wool Longies - Ends 4/18

Mother-Ease Swim Diaper and Flexi-Specs - Ends 4/18

Charlie Banana 2-in-1 One Size Diaper - Ends 4/20

Orange Co. Fitted Diaper - Ends 4/20

Kawaii Heavy Wetter - Ends 4/23

Little Bee Co. Bamboo Diaper - Ends 4/23

Glow Bug Cloth Diaper - Ends 4/23

Sweet Pea Newborn Cover - Ends 4/24

Thirsties Duo Hemp Prefold - Ends 4/24

2 Glow Bug Cloth Diapers - Ends 4/25

Gen-Y Universal Diaper Cover - Ends 4/26

Peachy Green Sprout Up Shell - Ends 4/26

Imagine Baby All-in-Two - Ends 4/27

K.I. Baby Blues Wool Soaker - Ends 4/29

3 Thirsties Duo Diapers, 6-pack of Wipes, Booty Luster, and Booty Love - Ends 4/29

Cherry Blossom Babies Diaper - Ends 4/29

Other Giveaways:

$25 Gift Certificate to Kissed by the Moon - Ends 4/14

$25 Gift Certificate to Mama's Emporium - Ends 4/15

Woolzies Dryer Balls - Ends 4/15

Woolzies Dryer Balls - Ends 4/15

Woolzies Dryer Balls - Ends 4/15

Woolzies Dryer Balls - Ends 4/15

Woolzies Dryer Balls - Ends 4/15

Pink Lining Blue Butterflies Poppins Diaper Bag - Ends 4/15

$50 Gift Certificate to Pish Posh Baby - Ends 4/15

Leachco Nursing Pillow - Ends 4/15

$25 Gift Certifcate to Dearest Diapers - Ends 4/18

Custom Wool Longies - Ends 4/20

$25 Gift Certificate to Kelly's Closet - Ends 4/20

$200 Gift Certificate to Organic Eco Baby - Ends 4/22

$27 Credit to Dutch Baby Cloth Diapers - Ends 4/28

Pomona Pants - Ends 4/29

$25 Gift Card to Selected Retailer - Ends 4/30

30 Things I Want to do Before I Turn 30

Today is my 29th birthday, and with the close of my 20s just a year away, I decided to make a list of things I have meant to do for awhile but keep putting off, with the goal of completing all of them before I turn 30.  As I complete them, I will cross them off the list and write a quick post about each.  The list is an idea I have seen a number of places, but I could not tell you where the idea originated or even where I first saw it.  Please feel free to use any of these ideas for your own list!

1. Run a half-marathon.  (I was planning to do this Labor Day weekend of this year, but when I got pregnant, I had to postpone.  It's going to happen this year, though!)
2. Visit the Grand Canyon.  
3. Fly first class.  (This one is going to be happening at the end of this month, thanks to my hubby!)
4. Find a church I love in Virginia.
5. Take a cake decorating class with my mom.
6. Watch every movie on the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Movies list.
7. Get back to my wedding day weight.  (Yikes, long way to go, especially since I have 3 more months of growing a baby before I start my diet!)
8. Make something on my sewing machine.  (Hello, homemade cloth diapers!)
9. Complete the 100 pushup challenge.
10. Get a full month's worth of blog posts finished and scheduled ahead of time.
11. Become a volunteer.  (I am on my way to this one!)
12. Read 50 books I have never read before.
13. Collect 15 bottles of wine that I have not yet tried and save them to drink in my 30th year.
14. Own an aquarium with at least one fish in it.
15. Get a massage.
16. Take a picture every day for a month, then make the photos into a photo book.
17. Send Christmas cards in time for Christmas.
18. Find makeup that works for me and learn to apply it properly.  (Yes, I know I am a little late to the game on this one, but better late than never.)
19. Make homemade pickles.
20. Make homemade wine.
21. Make a homemade cake with fondant icing (and then eat it!).
22. Get 5,000 Facebook followers for my blog page.  (Yowza!  That's a lot.)
23. Kiss my husband in the rain.
24. Put together a recipe list of at least 30 easy and fast recipes.  (These don't have to be my own.  They just have to be recipes that are fast so I can feel like I know what I'm doing in the kitchen from time to time.)
25. Visit Monticello, Mount Vernon, and Great Falls National Park.
26. Turn one of my photographs into a canvas print and hang it on the wall in our house.
27. Do a one-week juice fast.
28. Own 20 different cloth diaper prints, including at least one I made myself.
29. Write to my Compassion children once a week for at least a month.
30. Publish a devotional e-book.

My Favorite Book

Day 13 of the April Blog Challenge from Green Moms Network:

Today's writing topic is "My Favorite Book or What I Read."  I recently posted a book review of Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray, which is my all-time favorite book.  I originally read it when I was in 9th grade.  Our teacher told us to choose a book that would challenge us from a list he provided.  We would be required to write a short paper on whatever literary work we chose.

I was always an avid reader, but Vanity Fair was very long, and I thought that it would challenge me.  I was right.  It took me forever to read, and the night before our papers were due, I stayed up almost the entire night finishing the book and then writing my paper.  My mom came in around 4 a.m. and told me just to skim the rest of the book, but I refused because I felt I should finish it.

And finish it I eventually did, just in time to peck out a quick paper on the computer, print it out, and fall into bed for about an hour before I had to get up and rush off to school.  When the other students in the class and I got our papers back a couple weeks later, we compared grades in the way that high schoolers tend to do.  Every single person in the class had an A.  Someone turned to the teacher, remarking on the grades, and asked, "Did you even read these?"  His response:  "I skimmed them."

After that experience, I harbored a good bit of resentment towards Mr. Thackeray's masterpiece, and I did not touch it again for another six to seven years when it showed up on a reading list in a college English course.  This time around, having the benefit of more maturity and improved reading skills, I fell in love.  The book has such a satirical charm to it that just makes me want to go back in time and hang out with William Makepeace Thackeray, maybe get a beer or something and just make fun of the world with him.

Even though Thackeray pokes some pretty wicked fun at his contemporaries, a group made up of authors whose works I have also thoroughly enjoyed, he does it in such a brilliant and charming manner that I feel as though not one of them could really be angry with him (although if memory serves, some of them did manage to be in spite of it all).  There is just something so delightful in reading it.  To me, it represents the Victorian age equivalent of a modern-day Not Another Teen Movie, but, of course, with much less crude content.   

It is the kind of book that is so much fun to read, I have to read it again every couple of years even though I know exactly what is going to happen in every scene.  It is an absolute delight to read.  If you have never read it, do it now.  If you have read it, read it again.

My Conscious Box Just Arrived!

I got my first shipment from Conscious Box today! I was so excited to get it because I love surprises. When I saw the box, I admit that my first thought was, "It's so small!"

I was surprised to find all of these goodies inside when I opened it:

Check out all of the goodies I got, then head over to the Conscious Box giveaway to enter to win 3 months free to try it for yourself!  Here's the rundown of what I got:

1. 2 Speed Fast-Melt Dietary Supplement Tablets
2. 1 Seventh Generation Mandarin Facial Cleansing Cloth (This is going on the plane with me when we head for Spain later this month!)
3. 2 Blackberry Pomegranate Antioxidant Max Green Tea Bags
4. 6 EarthRise Spirulina Natural Dietary Supplement Tablets
5. 1 bottle of Vitamineral Green Superfood Complex (20 grams)
6. 1 7 mL sample pack of TotLogic Body Lotion
7. 1 bottle of Ecos Lemongrass Laundry Detergent (which smells AMAZING!)
8. 1 Coromega Omega-3 Squeeze Pouch (650 mg of Omega-3)
9. 1 MRM Whey Protein Shake Mix (Rich Vanilla)
10. 1 Chocolate Covered Active Greens Organic Food Bar
11. 1 Lafes Winter Mint Lip Balm (I'm in love with this after one use!)
12. 1 Pouch of NurturMe Plump Peas Dried Organic Babyfood
13. 1 Materne GoGo Squeez Applesauce Pouch (I ate it.  It was amazing.  Gotta love that the ingredients listed are: Apple, Apple Juice Concentrate.  That's it.)

My Favorite Movie

Day 12 of the April Blog Challenge from Green Moms Network:

Today's writing topic is my favorite movie or movie genre.  I do not really have a favorite movie genre, and I really don't even like to watch movies that much, partly because they all seem so trite and predictable and partly because I just don't like to sit for that long.  I do much better with a 45-minute television show on Netflix than with a movie that is 2-3 times as long.

I do have a favorite movie, however, and it is has been my favorite for a long time.  The movie is called True Stories, and it was made in 1986.  It is a ridiculous, off-the-wall movie that manages to simultaneously be goofy and charming.  The first time I saw it was when I was in high school, and I immediately fell in love.

I get so irritated with movies these days because they are SO predictable.  Not long ago, my sister brought the movie Return to Me for me to watch.  Within the first five minutes of the movie, I paused it and told her exactly what would happen in the rest of the movie.  It was just that obvious.  Romantic comedies in general tend to be the worst of the lot.  It always seems to be the same plot:  Boy meets girl.  Boy loves girl.  Boy and girl have horrible misunderstanding that culminates in break-up.  Boy or girl has to race against time to dramatically declare his/her undying love, and in the end, they are reunited.  Gag.

True Stories is not that kind of movie.  It is full of fresh and ridiculous lines, characters, and scenes.  In fact, the only problem I have seen is that people tend not to like the movie because they claim it "doesn't make any sense."  To me, it makes perfect sense.  To quote a line from the movie, it is "a celebration of specialness."  It looks at a small, non-descript town that would otherwise be ignored and makes the viewer recognize how even tiny towns are home to unique and amazing people.  I think the reason people do not always get what makes this movie so special is because they are so accustomed to movies that do not require them to think or to expect something unpredictable.

If you have never had the good fortune of seeing this movie, I hope you will take the time to do so.  It is subtle in many ways, so make sure you can watch it when you are not distracted or you will miss a lot of its humor and charm.  Most importantly, do not try to make it something it is not.  Just sit back, watch, and let the movie happen.  You can rent or buy it from Amazon for download or on DVD.  Once you watch it, I would love to hear what you thought.  Please come back and visit this page and leave a comment with your impressions or send me an email at SpareTimeSuperMom@gmail.com.  I hope you love it as much as I do!

Pregnancy No-No's that I Miss

I am six months pregnant, with little man due exactly 3 months from today.  Sometimes, I think ahead to when he will arrive, and although I can hardly wait, I feel as though I am really going to miss these pregnant days, too.  There is just something about being so connected to him and feeling all those kicks and squirms and hiccups that is just amazing.

So, in the spirit of the grass being perpetually greener on the other side of the fence, and in an effort to cheer myself one day when I look back and reminisce about how amazing pregnancy was, I am going to focus on making a list of all the things I miss now so that I can remember to fully enjoy them once my son is born.


Coffee.  

This is definitely the one thing I miss more than anything else.  I do occasionally have a cup if I am in really bad shape or if I need to be alert to drive, but I always limit myself to one cup a day.  Before I got pregnant, I was drinking between 8 and 10 cups a day, and now I often find myself thinking that if I could only have all the coffee I want, I could do anything.  I have started putting together a hospital bag list, and the first thing I put on there was my coffee pot and some coffee.  When I get the green light, there will be no burnt hospital coffee for this girl.

Running.  

Yeah, it's going to be really important for me to remember how much I missed this when it comes time to start running again.  I quit smoking a few years ago and started running again.  It was really hard at first because I was in terrible shape, and my poor lungs were filled with poison and tar.  But with time, I was able to really get back to where I used to be as a runner, and I was able to run the whole way through a 5K on Thanksgiving Day, 2012.  But I was also about 6 weeks pregnant at that point, and that was the last major run that I did.

I did do some research initially to see whether it would be okay for me to keep running.  Everything indicated that exercising during pregnancy is generally okay for women with no complications, but it also said that when exercising, pregnant women should not exert themselves to the point where they are unable to talk comfortably while engaging in physical activity.  Unfortunately for me, I have experienced shortness of breath during my pregnancy, and even long sentences leave me gasping for air.  So, no running for me until baby boy arrives.

Walking up the stairs without feeling as though one of my lungs has collapsed.

See Running, above.

Sleeping.

People like to encourage me with optimistic reports of sleepless nights after their own children arrive or declarations that I "will never sleep again" or "won't know what tired is until that baby arrives!"  However, along with an extreme case of shortness of breath, I have also become an insomniac since the beginning of this pregnancy.

People have tried to diagnose the problem as being anxious about the baby, being excited about the baby, or  being uncomfortable.  But none of these are accurate.  I am not anxious about the baby.  I trust in God, so I am anxious for nothing.  I am excited, but when it's 4 in the morning, and you're still tossing and turning, you tend to feel more frustration than excitement about anything.  And yes, I am uncomfortable now that I am getting so big, but that does not explain why I wasn't able to sleep when I was freshly pregnant and not suffering the discomfort that I am now.

I really believe that after little man arrives, I will be sleeping better than I am now, especially because I consistently speak blessings of good sleep over him.