Image Campaign

When I first started working at my hospital they were rolling out a new "image campaign" for our hospital. Our hospital is the only level 1 trauma hospital in the state so it's where all the shooting or stabbing victims are taken; And for a long time had a very scary reputation. For a while everyone was like "If I ever get sick don't take me there, thats where they take all them gang bangers." And with Jackson having the 14th highest crime rate in the nation, we can all see why.

Anywhoo, a few years ago we got a new CEO and members of administration, and they wanted to start promoting our hospital as a preferred choice over the bad reputation and rumors we were known for. So they rolled out our new "image campaign" as they called it. They started displaying our doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers on large billboards around town. They all had the header: "My passion is......" and then it would say something like "patient care" or "helping families in need" you know, normal stuff like that.

So, to help generate a sense of fun and togetherness between my floor's staff, I came up with the idea to create our own image campaign for our floor. For lack of a better title I simply called it "the 4 south image campaign."

I ran around taking pictures of everyone acting silly and told them they had to pose for pics for our new campaign. We ended up having a lot of fun. You'd be amazed how just a silly camera can bring folks together! I mean, people who don't even like each other would huddle up and smile for a picture. Here are a few of my favorites:






But seriously, I work with the greatest group of peeps. They are not just good at their jobs, they are great! We're the best and we know it! And we can have fun while doing it, as you can see! Some days are so hard we have no idea how we can get through even one more hour much less an entire day. But we work well as a team and are there for each other and we get through it. I love y'all 4 South! Y'all Rock!!!

Here are a few more just random pics I took:
We were all making fun of the patients who will go outside and smoke with their highly combustible oxygen tanks.





Thats me resuscitating Carley my bestest friend.

The Angels of 4 South??


XOXO~
Jen and Ron

So, Funny Story....

So there I am, feeding Evan via boob, and I have the TV on the Disney Channel, and the Little Einsteins were on... And you know how these kid shows will tell the kids to talk back to the screen? Well in this particular episode of Little Einsteins the little characters were being very persistent in trying to get me to copy them. They kept saying "Say it louder! Say it louder!" And it was like they KNEW that I wasn't copying them. So I gave in and loudly exclaimed "Crescendo!" Which totally frightened Evan and he jerked back almost completely severing the boob from my bod as he choked a little! OMG who knew Disney could be so dangerous?
XOXO~
Jen

Love this commercial II

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

Fourteen Week photo

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

I'm da boss

Even though some might think it weird, I have decided "This is my blog and I shall do with it as I like." And I would like for it to be a time line of our lives. Therefore, I shall be adding post in my blog in order as they happened. I will post date them for around or the exact dates when they actually occurred. Little "Easter Eggs" if you will. Hidden treasures for the reader to find. Because that's just how I roll baby.

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

Shopping on Saturday

Ron is out of town for a bachelor party, leaving us for the first time. It was rather cute when he was like "I'm gonna miss my lil man" I know moms are like that but I didn't know dads were like that too. It's really cute.

So today my bestie Carley and I went to Target because she needed to get her nephew a gift for his 2nd birthday party. Let me tell ya, Jackson can be a scary place sometimes. As we were waiting for our Starbucks mocha frap and coffee, we watched a very entertaining chain of events unfold basically right at our feet. Right at the front door by those metal detector looking things, we saw 2 rather large police men taking down this scrawny Micheal Stipe looking fella. But they didn't really seem to have a good handle on the guy cause he just kept wiggling loose. It was like he was a slippery bar of soap that just kept popping out of their fingers. Funny that I used that analogy because the Starbucks lady who was less than phased by the whole thing announced that he does this all the time. Then the kicker....


"He likes to steal soap." SOAP Really? Out of all the goodies @ target and you choose soap? I don't know how to react really. Should I feel sorry for this guy cause he can't afford soap or is he just a kleptomaniac and it just happened to be soap today.

Anyway, after all that we were in the toy isle and I found this.....



Remember Jack in a box? Who doesn't love Jack in a box? I had to have it! Especially since I am collecting vintage style toys for E~man. I already have this:


and my sister got me some really cute wooden blocks and I knitted him a sock monkey. I just love vintage toys. I think target has a whole collection of classic toys which I will be frequenting in the future I'm sure. What others am I forgetting that I need?

Day 3 & 4

So I only worked till 1 on Wed, well I was supposed to, some heffer held me up because she can't prioritize or multi-task. I digress; Anyway when I finally got home Evan's Nanny said that he did better with the bottle. But he still didn't eat much. But I am assuming that meant that he didn't cry as much at the bottle. Then yesterday he latched right on the bottle the first time she offered it, like he has always done it! Twice! Lil conman!

Then Daddy/Ron gets home... same thing like an ole pro. This is both good and bad news. Good because now I can go on a date or to a movie or something without worrying the whole time that my kid is screaming his head off. Bad because now I don't have and excuse to have Ron bring him up to the hospital to see me. And I did ask Ron to bring him up and see me anyway Thursday. To which Ron texted me: "Nope, we're not coming we don't need you anymore." Even though he was just kidding, I feel like this is the first step in him not needing me anymore. Another new/weird feeling as a parent. Happiness and sadness all in one.

XOXO~
Jen

Time for another round of What 's that tune stuck in Jen's Head

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

Ok So We didn't GO!

So we didn't go to the Parade. Ron made me feel like a liar, so thats why I am writing this post. My house is a wreck right now because we are doing some home renovations, and I just really wanted to get some more done on our house. So shoot me!

Plus the parade wouldn't have been THAT much fun for us. Now that my sis and her kids are in ATL it just wouldn't have been as fun without them. Nobody throws beads to the sober 30 yr olds. No they throw the beads to the little kids, the drunks, and the silly teenage girls dressed like sluts (yes the "Halloween slut rule" does apply to the St. P. parade here in Jack-town.) Plus I don't really want beads. I mean I do at the time, then I get home and I'm like "What the Hell am I gonna do with these things" I don't want them in my house. And honestly, we would have been worried the whole time that the beads would have pelted E-man in the head.


(My niece and nephew a couple of years ago @ the parade.)


I usually DO go just for the "people watching" and that is SO much fun. I mean it's Mississippi. Think mullets, mustaches, and cut-off jeans! Plus THOSE people now have an excuse to dress up! It's a recipe for disaster, and even better people watching. Almost as good as the State Fair. Almost. Nothing is that good. The Fa-reaks come out for state fair! And thats award winning people watching folks!

Whats up with that?

Please tell me why it was SNOWING in Mississippi on Sunday, and today I smothering in this heat? What up with that? Seriously I could not get comfortable today I was so stinkin hot!

But seriously, this weather makes me wanna go walking with my stroller around the block. So we did and I had my heart rate monitor on so I could be motivated by how many calories I was burning. But idiot me forgot to turn the thing on. Duh! Oh well even though there's no documented proof, I did work out today. Plus lugging around a 13 lb 3 month old probably helped me burn a few extra calories. I say lugging around because on the way back towards the house E-man decided to fuss. So I carried him while Ron pushed the stroller. Yep, the 3 month old definitely wears the pants in our house!

Oh well. He will really show us who's boss tomorrow. I go back to work again and we haven't been "practicing" with our bottle. We tried a few times yesterday and today and he has been hell on wheels. Let's all pray that he's good for the sitter tomorrow and she doesn't quit!

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

Hell Hath Frozen Over

My Web designing sister is asking ME advice on how to do things for her blog. I Googled every thing I have done with this blog and I bet you $5 I will vaguely text her instructions and she will come up with something AMAZING. As for now I will act real smug and gloat in all my glory. If I have any readers, check out her blog: Spilt MOO Juice.

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

Thirteen Week photo

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

Look who came to dinner

Ron, Evan, and I went to dinner tonight. All you can eat seafood buffet! Ron's idea. It was a small hole-in-the-wall kind of place. I don't think the place even had a real name, just "Seafood Buffet". But the real problem was staring me right in the face, literally. The walls were covered with decapitated deer heads. This lil guy watched me eat my catfish. He made sure I cleaned my plate.

Couple of memorable moments at the ole buffet: 1) I guess I was so baffled over the restaurant's lack of name that when the waitress asked what I would like for dinner, No Lie, I said "I'll have the Catfood special" Umm really? I ordered Catfood? We all cracked up and I desperately hoped the little girl wouldn't actually bring me catfood. She was kinda ditsy. She asked if Evan was going to need something off the menu or if we brought something from home.
2) Ron of course ordered the buffet, and he found this:

Yeah, FROGLEGS! G-R-O-S-S!!!! He only took a couple of bites because of my complete hysteria and disgust he kinda lost the urge to eat them. Thank goodness. I really hope my kid doesn't inherit his dad's adventurous palate.

Evan's First Flip

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

Mal's St. Patrick's Day Parade

This is me 1 year ago @ the famous St. P Parade. I look @ this picture and feel sick. I feel sick cause I probably thought I was fat when this picture was taken. I would give anything to look like that again. I don't think I could get 1 boob in that shirt now! Yet again another piece of humble pie served since pregnancy.
I look more like this now:


Anyway, we will be taking Evan to his first St. Patrick's Day Parade tomorrow. Thanks to Jill Conner Browne of the Sweet Potato Queens (Pictured above) our Parade is famous nationwide. I remember going to this parade ever since I was a little girl. When I was little, I always wondered about the ladies with the big boobs and butts and then a few years later, the men who dressed like the Queen's and called themselves "the Wannabe's." It always seemed like an inside joke that I wasn't privileged to know, but desperately wanted to. It wasn't until her book came out that totally understood it all.



So this Saturday we will be in downtown Jackson. Ron and E will be dressed in Green. I will be in my usual sweet potato queen pink and green. Who knows I may "pink" my dog again. Pray for good weather.

Day Two

Today was not as bad as yesterday. Still painful mind you, but not as bad.

Yesterday when I called Evan's nanny to check on him, he was sleeping. I was surprised because every time I call when Ron has him, he is crying. So you can imagine my shock when he wasn't crying for the nanny. It's not that I WANTED him to be crying, But I really was convinced that he would be. So I have been terrified that nanny would quit the first day because of the excessive crying. It was just kind of a weird emotion to experience. On one hand, I was sad, like "Awww, he doesn't need me" but at the same time I was relieved just for the sitter's sake. I don't know, I can't describe it, it was just a strange emotion to experience.

And then today, I called and he was a little fussy and I could hear him through the phone...... Ummmmm whatya know? JUST as painful! And weird. I burst into tears both times. I couldn't help myself. (But I totally did that thing where your on the phone with someone and you're crying but you don't want them to know, so you disguise your voice and pause a lot like your thinking and NOT crying like a big fat baby. Or am I the only one?) But like I said, It wasn't AS bad today. Plus knowing that I don't have to be back at work until Wed helped too.

Evan on the other hand was still being stubborn; But he caved a little. He ate 1 oz for his sweet nanny. And then 2 oz for Daddy (AKA Ron, still weird for me to call him that). So thats 3 oz in 8 hours. That's better than yesterday's 1 oz in 8 hours! I guess we are just late bloomers at the Landreth house.

First Day Back

So yeah~ Today sucked.

And, I have a HARD job. Both physically and mentally. What other kind of job can you have where you get 12 hours to finish your work, and that is NO where near enough time to get everything done?

Working on a Neuro floor can be very interesting though. With a Neuro floor, it's like babysitting a bunch of drunks all day long. For example, Last night they had a patient, that sneaked out of his room wearing only his BVD's, had plastic knives clinched tightly in both fists, dripping blood from the IV that he CHEWED off, sliding in and out of the other patients rooms and mumbling to himself. He never hurt anyone, but a code white (aggressive person/fight)was called, and security guards had to tackle him. Just another day at work! And this is everyday y'all! (for you Carley)


First St. Patrick's Day

But back to my baby... Ever stubborn, he refused to eat for the sitter and my husband. He decided to stick it out and just wait for me. Ron eventually brought him up to see me at work. We have a very nice breastfeeding/ pump room and it's not far at all from my floor. We had a great visit and I begged Ron not to take him home, to just stay at my work and play. But for some reason he wouldn't. Who knows?



When I got home Ron and Evan had a basket of tulips and candy for me. Sooooo cute! They made the end of a bad day just a little sweeter!

(P.S. Sometimes I wish we were Play-doh people and Evan was a Play-doh baby and I could squish him into me and we could be stuck together and so that way I can bring him to work. Because I need him that close to me at all times. Weird? Thoughts?)

XOXO~
Jen

Back to Work

Tomorrow I start back to work.
WAAAAA!!!!!

I am scared and excited all @ the same time.It just feels unnatural to leave him. But leaving him won't be the hardest part, it will be staying away that will be hardest for me. When I'm away I miss him so bad! Even when it's only a few hours. But We are lucky, we have a sweet lady that will be coming to our house to watch him, and she has made this a lot easier on us. I know he will get individualized attention here at our own house than at daycare.

wish me luck, maybe I can sweet talk Ron into bringing him by for a visit.

Love this commercial

Twelve Week Photo

The Winner Is..............

Platex LATEX nipples!

After 8 hours of silicone nipples! So newsflash, Evan did pick up my stubbornness and "lil man" held out for 8 hours. Thank goodness for Ron's determination, because I wanted to cave. I never wanted to wimp out so bad in my life! I AM WEAK!!!! I had to leave the house several times to collect myself. I could not stand it! I knew I had a simple answer to his problem right under my shirt and It would be so easy to fix everything, but I couldn't. It was torture.

We have been "practicing" with Evan for a week now. Because when I go back to work, Evan will be with the sitter from 620- 3,4, or 5 which is when Ron gets off work. So this past week, as soon as Ron got home from work I would leave, and since I will be working 12 hour shifts I would have to find something to do until about 8, which is when I normally get home.

I was always was a phone call away in case Ron needed help. Usually "shopping" at Walgreen's. They probably recognize my face by now and wonder why I'm always there. And that's exactly where I went during the "stand-off". Stalking the Easter candy isle. Because the only thing that I can think of to calm my "I'm torturing my baby" blues is Reece's peanut butter Easter Eggs. Mmmmm... The best part of my horrific day.

So anyway, When I finally decided to return home, Evan was still fighting the bottle. It had been close to 8 hours and I was ready to throw in the towel. I told Ron that we would start again tomorrow, but I couldn't do it anymore. He just insisted that if we didn't stick to our guns, that the sitter would definitely be a goner. So, remembering what I had read on a lot of Mommy forums, I said "Let's try a Latex nipple." Bingo! latched right on. Now I'm not sure if he just finally just gave in to hunger, or it really was the latex nipple.He did seem want to eat from the silicone, but it was like he just couldn't figure it out.

I had been researching for a while what was the best bottle for a breastfed baby, and most sources said the Playtex Natural nurser with a Latex nipple is the closest to a mother's breast. But we have tried it and he never latched on. All we knew is that he did latch on ONCE to a Dr. Brown bottle. So we were persistent with the Dr. Browns. Now I feel bad I didn't try this sooner. But I was in panic mode. Anyway, it's day 2 and he only put up a very small fuss for this mornings bottle. Hopefully he is this good for the sitter Wednesday.

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

The Stand-off

Today Ron and I will do our first bout of "Tough Love." I have exclusively breastfed Evan for 3 Months now and it's time to go back to work. We have been experimenting with different bottles and nipples with Evan for months now and he just will not take any of them. I go back to work next Wed and I am terrified! He throws a fit when you even try to give him a bottle. What if the babysitter quits the first day because of Evan's excessive crying over wanting the boob?

So today being Saturday, we decided to have a stand-off. We are going to dedicate the whole day trying to get him to take a bottle. Come hell or high water, this child WILL eat from a bottle! We are armed with Dr. Brown bottles, a Nuk bottle, Platex latex and silicone nipples with the drop in liners, an Evenflow bottle, Breastflow bottle, Avent nipples, and a Platex Ventair. May the best bottle win.

It's about 10 now and we don't know how long this fiasco can last. All I know he has inherited everything else from me, I'm hoping he managed to pick up Ron's ease of persuasiveness and not my hard-headedness. If he does have my hard-headedness, then he will definitely be a force to be reckoned with! Wish us luck!!

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

Splish Splash Video

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

How Cute is that Baby in the Bucket?

The first time Ron and I saw the Wash Pod, we were watching The Soup, and died out laughing! What a ridiculous idea! "It's basically a mop bucket!"

Then, when I was researching the best bathing products via Amazon, I ran across the ole bucket again. I started reading the customers reviews and was blown away. Everyone loved the ridiculous bucket, AND it soothed colicky babies! Well I had to buy it. So I gave it to Ron as a birthday gift, because he is very practical and doesn't understand why I would pay $20 for a bucket that "you can get at Lowe's for $5?"

But it IS different than a mop bucket. it has a sturdier base so it doesn't tip over, and it has a squishy seat for his cute hiney. Being submerged in the water is supposed to soothe colicky babies because it reminds them of being in the womb.

Evan didn't care for it during his first bath, but he didn't care for any other "first" bath either. Now he loves it and cries when I take him out. I don't care how strange my bucket looks. It gives me a sense of security when bathing my super slippery baby and he loves it!

Mommy Bloggin

OMG!~ My favorite mommy blogger: Blair from The Heir to Blair commented on my page! I feel like I just met a celebrity! Even though I never talked to her. She is the #1 Mommy blogger and she read MY blog and actually took the time to comment! Even though my blog needs some "fattening" up, (b/c I haven't typed much in the past) she still said she reads mine! Isn't that great? Well... if everyone read her blog as religiously as I do, then you would agree this is great news! I feel like I need to post more so I don't disappoint. So I promise to TRY to post more on my blog.

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

This Commercial is totally stuck in my head

Eleven Week Photo

XOXO~
Jen and Ron

Cloth Diapers

Ron and I have been cloth diapering for a couple of months now. We love them and think they are a great investment and an environmentally friendly/responsible option to disposables. Plus Evan's little hiney is so stinkin cute in them! Especially when he only has a t-shirt and baby legs! Our only problem is this: living in Mississippi, there is no where to buy them. We have done a lot of research online and have ordered them and had them shipped. If I could open a cloth diaper store here in Mississippi I would. I would also carry Moby wraps, they don't sell them here either. Also, as I found out yesterday...Not many daycare centers (if any) will use cloth diapers. Apparently, they have a policy about how to "dispose of fecal matter." Most days I really do not like living where we are so far behind everyone else.

Anyway, I am slowing building up my "stash" as they call it. To date we have 5 BumGenius 3.0, 4 BumGenius 2.0, 2 GDiapers, 1 Flip, 1 Econobum, 1 Babykicks, 1 Smartipants, and 2 Fuzzibunz. Now I have my sights set on GroBaby diapers. I have been wanting to order these as well, but they are a couple of dollars more expensive than these others and I just haven't bitten the bullet yet. So now I am trying to win some. All I need to do is write a blog post about how I began cloth diapering. So here we go.....

I had thought about cloth diapering when I was pregnant. Our friends Chris and Charlotte had neighbors who were a little farther along than we were; and they told us that they would be cloth diapering and using disposables when they need to go out or have a sitter. Honestly, (and probably like many people are thinking about us) I thought they were a little weird. But I kept thinking about cloth diapers so I Googled them. They were so cute! And not at all what I thought they would be like. I guess I was so used to what my mom and grandma told me about what cloth diapering was like for them, that I just assumed they were a hassle.

I knew I wanted to try them but then I became nervous and overwhelmed about a) how to use them? b) if they leaked? c) how many to buy to start with? d) how to wash them? e) what do you do with them when they poop in them? Then, while asking our friend Ashlie (who lives somewhere way cooler: Colorado) advice about baby slings, she mentioned how she was obsessed with baby-wearing, strollers and cloth diapers. So I picked her brain for any info I could. She gave me a ton of info, websites, and then sent me one of her cloth diapers. Even then, I was still skeptical. But I kept up my research and looking at pictures of those cutie patooties in cloth diapers, and eventually I was HOOKED!!

We started our collection by using a Target giftcard from our baby shower and ordered our first 2 BumGenius 3.0 diapers. As soon as they got here I knew I needed more and I needed them YESTERDAY! Since then, I have been online shopping sales and reading reviews and slowing ordering 2-3 diapers at a time, totally resisting the urge to buy 30 in one sitting. I am totally obsessed with cloth diapers and trying different brands and adding them to my stash. Who knows how far I will let this obsession take me? I have already done away with paper towels and paper napkins in favor of cloth!

Ten Week Photo