A smattering

I guess that is what you would call this post. Part update, part random thoughts from the last week. A smattering.

For the update...
I really hate to complain about being pregnant, but I must say that the 1st trimester is a real buzz kill.
First there is the possibility of something going wrong. Having already suffered a miscarriage this is always in the back of my mind and I am always on pins and needles the first trimester and constantly worried that I am doing something to endanger the pregnancy. Then there is the fact that even though you are tired and feel sick all the time, you don't really look pregnant so some people don't really get it.
Other favorite first trimester aliments:
- My nipples feel as though someone is using a cheese grater on them 24/7.
- I feel extremely "backed up" and bloated but can't ever do anything about it.
- Adding to that problem... I just got some prenatal vitamins with extra iron to hopefully give me more energy however, that extra iron is killing my digestive system
-Water makes me nauseous but I'm supposed to drink a bigillion glasses of it a day. I've tried lemon and anything and everything to make it better and it still makes me want to gag.
-I am so tired all I want to do is sleep all day long and my very active toddler is not down with this plan.

Hopefully I only have a few more weeks left of this fun!

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A little gem from work:
Last week we had a large party come in. They took up a big portion of the back of the restaurant and apparently two young women snuck in when I wasn't looking and sat near the party. One of the girls came up to the front and asked for a manager. She complained that she was sitting at her table for 15 minutes and that no one had come by to take their order. I went over right away, apologized, and asked what I could get them to drink.

Imagine how baffled I was when they told me this,
"we're not sure, can you give us a few minutes"

Totally true story.

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At one of our baby showers for Jack, guests were instructed to bring a book instead of a card.
This is, in theory, a sweet idea.
What actually happened though was we got 6 copies of Goodnight Moon and since all of them were written in we had to keep them all.
Yesterday I pulled some of them out and was reading one to Jack when I reread a message from a family friend. It was a very sweet message but several times throughout it she refers to us or Jack as special. Except she put special in quotations. As in "You have such "special" parents and you they are so lucky to  you as have such a "special" son."
Is it just me or does that word take on a completely different meaning when you put it in quotations?

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Does anyone else not understand the purpose of the new Zyrtec commercial? I'm talking about the one where it is 3 co-workers and they are talking about how you can't take Allergra with Orange Juice. When I first saw it I actually thought it was a commercial for Allergra and they were alerting customers about taking it with OJ. But after seeing it for the 4th or 5th time I realized that it was actually a commercial for Zyrtec.

I guess I didn't realize that the market of people that take their allergy medicine with OJ was so big that Zyrtec feels the need to capitalize on it. What's more is that this seems to be their only case for choosing their product over Allegra. 

Maybe it's just me, but I think they need to fire their marketing people.

Feel free to share your smatterings with me!!!

Guest Post: Kate from Mommy Monologues

If you read my last post about how I am having the dreaded 1st trimester energy drain, then you know how truly grateful I am for this guest post from Kate over at Mommy Monologues. And if you are reading this and are interested in guest posting yourself then PLEASE send me an email...like right now. I'll take all the help I can until I can get into the 2nd trimester and get my mojo back!

Toddlers. You gotta love 'em.

Several months ago, I met an awesome woman, Karen, in the library. Her son, Thomas, is almost two months older than my son, Lboy. She & I are relatively the same age & we parent very similarly. We became friends almost instantly & at a time when we both needed one the most (we both live away from extended family & friends. We were both lonely!)


Today, we decided that we were going to attempt to load the boys up in their respective strollers & then head out for a walk. We thought we'd get some sun, we'd hang out, we'd let the boys have some fun together....only....


They are 2 years old. And mine is definitely in the "terrible twos." He has figured out that he is his own person & he has likes & dislikes outside of what I want for him--like getting along with other kids & sharing (I don't demand much right now. :)


And he has hit this stage where he grabs as many toys as he can & he gets very, very, very territorial about his own stuff. Thomas is in the same phase right now.


Mostly, Karen & I spent our day refereeing the two boys.


"No, no honey. You have 6 trains. Let Thomas have 3 trains & you have can have 3."
"No, no sweetheart. You can't have the truck while Lboy has the truck."
"No, no boys. You can each sit on the picnic table bench. It doesn't have to be a wrestling match."


Then as the afternoon went on we just kind of threw our hands up in the air & decided we would just have to let them figure it out. They spend a good deal of time together throughout the week, so they need to get along.


Lboy decided at one point that my lunch plate got on his nerves. So he picked it up & threw it. THREW IT. I saw the look on his face, the look that said, "I wonder how far I can push her over the edge." Needless to say, he ended up in time out. And he wailed. And he screamed. And he acted as though I was the biggest betrayer of all betrayers.


Then it was time for the visit to end. My kid is screaming his guts out crying because he had just gotten out of time out. Her kid starts screaming because he couldn't take the trains home with him.


And as soon as Thomas & his mom get out the door, Lboy starts shouting, "Thomas! Thomas! Don't go! Don't go! Come back Thomas! I want to play with THOOOOOMMAS!"


You know, the Thomas he had just spent an hour & a half stealing toys from, the Thomas he had screamed at every.single.time he came near him because he thought he was after a toy, the Thomas that he thought shouldn't come within 50 feet of me....yeah that Thomas.


Toddlers. You gotta love 'em.


It's a cute phase when they're happy, but when they aren't? It's exhausting!

How did/do you handle the terrible twos?

Static

Blog friends,
I am in the funkiest funk there ever was.
I blame the 1st trimester. We are not friends and never have been. I actually set out to write a whole post about our volatile relationship, but she's got such a hold on me these days I can barely make sense of the static in my head.
I feel like I am walking around in a nauseated haze these days.
And I feel bad because I know that my blogging is suffering.

I am hoping that much like my first pregnancy, the 2nd trimester will bring out a renewal of energy and inspiration. But until then I hope you'll bear with me.

And ride out this static with me...

Friday Funday

I'm cheating a little bit this Friday.
Technically it is Blog Boycott Day. Invented by Liz at A Belle, a Bean, and a Chicago Dog, it is a day where you give up blogging and spend it interacting with all your Twitter friends.
I love Blog Boycott Day because it gives me a chance to direct my attention to one specific place.
But today I am diverting my attention for just a moment to tell you that I am so excited to be over at Mommy Monologues today as Kate's Friday Featurette.
So head on over there and check out my post.
I'm talking about Murphy's Laws of Parenting and why even though we bought Jack this:

He still prefers to play with this:

And don't forget to Tweet me up for Blog Boycott Day!
@MamaInsomnia

Guest Post: A Belle, A Bean & A Chicago Dog

When I started blogging, a little over a year ago, my priorities were a little askew. Like many new bloggers I was torn between writing for myself and writing to get readers. In the beginning I was obsessed with getting new followers and comments on my blog. I tried everything and anything to attract new readers- linky parties, giveaways, blog hops, reading and commenting on other blogs. But somewhere down the road I realized that even though my GFC numbers were going up, I still didn't feel connected to my readers.
And then it dawned on me.
Having followers is very different than having a community.
Followers may read once and never come back. But a community of readers, read and comment on every post. They are there to bounce ideas off of. To answer your techy questions. To inspire and encourage you.
About a year after I joined Twitter I was lucky enough to find Liz from A Belle, a Bean, and a Chicago Dog. The fact that she was a former Chi-Town girl is what initially attracted me to her blog, but the content and her down to earth writing is what kept me coming back for more. And the real kicker was when I started talking to her on Twitter, she actually Tweeted me back.
Since then Liz has become one of my favorite Tweeps. In addition to just being fun to chat with, she has become an extreme source of inspiration and support. 

I am very excited to have Liz here today talking about what it takes to grow and nurture your community. If you read her blog regularly you know that she is full of useful tips and tricks. When she is not giving away this useful information on her personal blog, A Belle, A Bean, and a Chicago Dog she is working with Kirstin from Taming Insanity on their latest venture, Eli Rose Social Media Consulting. When I switched over my blog from IMO to Mama Insomnia, Eli Rose was crucial in making the switch smooth and seamless. Their professional advice was key to boosting my stats and has taken my community to a whole new level.

So without further ado, please welcome Liz....

I'm pumped to be hanging with some fellow Insomniacs today! Angie was so kind to ask me over to her digs to talk about growing a community around your blog. While it's a process that takes some time to really develop, I feel like growing a community basically boils down to 2 key things.


1. Determine your preferred form of social media, and then utilize it to its fullest potential. I'm a big believer that you aren't being effective with your time or efforts if you are trying to participate in multiple social media sites all day, every day. Also, I don't think there is 1 tool that is best suited for everyone.

Early on in my blog career, I spent considerable time over at The BlogFrog. In fact, many of my current readers have told me they initially found me over there. It didn't take long for me to catch the Twitter bug, though, and in my mind, Twitter is where it's at! I can interact with bloggy friends on Twitter, I can promote my posts easily on Twitter, and I genuinely enjoy using it as my preferred social media tool.

But as much as I swear by Twitter, I know many people who swear by Facebook. You need to utilize whatever social media tool that works best for you.

Some things to consider: Where do you spend most of your time? What tool do you most prefer to use? From where do you get more traffic? What tool is easiest for you to use to interact with your readers?

2. Build engagement with your readers. In order to create a "sticky" blog reader - meaning they return to your blog time and time again - you need to engage and connect with them on a more personal level. If you think about the blogs you love to read, you probably love them because you can identify with their stories, you feel like reading a post is like having a conversation with that blogger, and you feel vested in their lives and their families.

To build engagement with your readers, there needs to be interaction that occurs beyond the comment section of your own blog. One way to do so is through social media (which I talked about above) and the other is through visiting your readers at their own blogs.

This approach for building engagement is one that is met with some resistance. Bloggers, in general, often lament about how much time reading and commenting takes. Also, there are many people who would say they don't agree with the "a visit for a visit" mentality.


While I do not think that anyone should be forced to read something they don't enjoy, nor do I think any blogger needs to respond to 100% of the comments left on their blog, I do think taking the time to read someone else's words is essential to forming a connection. If you have a group of dedicated readers who keep coming back to your blog, post after post, it's because they can identify with you, and chances are you will identify with much of what they say, too.

Something to consider: If you went to a party and met a bunch of new people, would you leave the party saying you had a really great time because of the people you hit it off with or because of the people who never spoke to you even when you tried to make polite conversation?

I liken building a community to forging friendships; there is a give and take from both sides. Showing people that you appreciate them stopping by and that you care about what they have to say, too, makes all the difference in growing a strong blog community.

How have you helped your community grow?

Meh

Today officially kicks off my Birthday Week. I know it's official because yesterday my email inbox was inundated with free stuff. Did you know that if you sign up for email's at your favorite restaurants, they send you free stuff for your birthday? My personal favorite is Red Robin because they send you a certificate for a free burger, but most places offer a free dessert or appetizer. All good in my book.

Normally, I revel in my Birthday week but this year I feel very indifferent about it. Probably for the following reasons:
-31 is an odd number and odd year birthdays suck. (I had mono for my 21st birthday)
-lately I spend most days trying to stay awake whilst also fighting the urge to vomit. When I am not doing that I am in the bathroom peeing for the 597th time.
-I have a full social calendar this weekend. Unfortunately, not a single plan is for me or my birthday. Friday night, I will be knee deep in cupcakes and the chocolate covered pretzels I am making for my sister in laws baby shower. Saturday, I will be in Kentucky for Kevin's company's awards dinner. Normally that would be fun because of the free open bar all night, but since I cannot partake, it will just be boring schmoozing with people I don't know. And Sunday, my actual birthday, I will be driving home and going to my sister in laws baby shower. I'll probably be asleep by 7:30.

So I am officially rescheduling my birthday to Monday April 11th, and extending my birthday week by one day. During this week I reserve the right to:
*Sleep whenever and however long I want
*Eat whatever I want
*Not clean a single thing in the house.
*Not change a single poopy diaper (provided Kevin is home)

I'm still  brainstorming this list so I also reserve the right to make revisions & additions.
All suggestions are welcome.
Also, as a present to myself I am taking the week off. The lovely Liz from A Belle, a Bean and a Chicago Dog will be guest posting for me on Wednesday and then Friday I am over at Mommy Monologues as the Friday Featured blog. It is also blog boycott day, so when I am not knee deep in the 60 cupcakes I have to make, I'll be tweeting. Come say hi! @MamaInsomnia

Have a great week!!

The 5 Most annoying people on Facebook

I used to be BFF's with Facebook. I was sucked in like everyone else and spent most of my free time "liking" peoples statuses and playing Farkle into the wee hours of the night. One of my dear friends used to text me and tell me to meet her in the Uno lounge on a nightly basis. I hope you aren't too overwhelmed by my coolness. But then I found Twitter and started giving Facebook the cold shoulder. I still check it daily and use it to connect with old friends here and there, but ever since my parents "friended" me it just hasn't been the same.
I also began to realize that a lot of my facebook friends fell into 5 annoying categories.
Are you friends with any of these people? Or worse...Are you one of these people??

#1 The Over sharer: No detail is too personal or mundane for this friend. When they aren't grossing you out with pics of their latest "minor procedure", they are updating their status with each and every detail of their daily encounters.  Even though you haven't seen them in years you still know that their daughter has IBS, their dog has an undecended testicle and their dishwasher is on the fritz...again. They check into foursquare every time they go somewhere and tag everyone with them. They also post pictures daily of their pets, children, surroundings, household projects, and said medical procedures.

#2 The Complainer: This person just can't catch a break. They post numerous status updates a day telling everyone how much their life sucks. Every few days this person will post an update saying that they feel "incredibly blessed" or "So lucky for wonderful friends and family" or my personal fav "I really feel like things are starting to turn around". This post is inevitably followed by 10 more updates saying how miserable they are at their job, relationship, or life.These people are also Debbie Downers on other peoples updates and like to burst other peoples bubbles. Complainers are the driving force behind the campaign for a "Dislike" button.

#3 The Facebook Fanatic: You sometimes wonder if this person has a life because they seem to spend every waking moment on Facebook. Your news feed is littered with numerous posts about the hidden jewels they found or the Fouls they are raising in Farmville. When you post an update, they have commented on it no sooner than the moment you've hit send. Their profile lists 78,963 Facebook Fan pages that they belong to and you have 903 notifications from them asking them to join along. Their status updates usually include some facebook activity they are participating in such as " Can't sleep. Need more Farmville Fouls...please message me if you have any". They haven't met an update or comment that they didn't "like" and they are often not tagged in pictures because they don't get out much.

#4 The Faker: Most often this is a person from high school that was shy or a bit of a poser. But now they have an AMAZING life and have friended everyone from their class so they can show how successful they have become.This person's soul mission is to make their life looks like a dream come true. They have the perfect family, perfect house, and an easy breezy life. Their wall isn't full of conversations with friends but rather full of pictures from their latest vacation or the latest social event they are attending. They don't post status updates often, but when they do it is all sunshine, rainbows, and gummi bears. It is very specific so that all their everyone can comment on how jealous they are. These updates usually go something like this: "OMG!! I have the greatest husband EVER!!!! He finally got me the new Coach purse I wanted!!!" or "6 more days until my exotic Caribbean vacation!! Time to go shopping!!!!" They frequently over use exclamation points, ALL CAPS and overly posed pictures. They hardly ever comment on other peoples updates because they are too busy enjoying their fabulous life.

#5 The Obscure Referencer: This person has never had an actual profile pic of themselves. As a matter of fact all of their photos are a symbol or artistic picture. Their status updates often seem to be in  secret code though you are not sure who they are speaking to because no one ever comments on them or posts on their wall. When not speaking in code, all other references come in the form of quote or song lyric. They offer almost no detailed personal information and instead list their hometown as "Area 51" and their school as "Sweet Valley High". Though it says you have 45 mutual friends you often wonder if you really even know who this person is.