Ask Jamie: Baby Names

Anonymous asks:
Have you started thinking about baby names??


Yes, I've been thinking of names since I was 9!! :) Probably even earlier. I've loved a variety of names over the years -- Kordell, Kendall, Kerrigan, Addison, Clark, etc. But when we finally became serious about getting pregnant, Mike and I figured out all of the names we really liked before our first IVF cycle and decided to go with names with meaning and with a history in our family. Not much has changed since that initial name discussion that took place over 4 years ago! I even planned for the possibility of twins. Infertility and IVF do that to a girl....

Plus, I've had a fascination with twins my entire life. When I was little, I had twin troll dolls -- one boy, one girl -- named Michael and Michelle. Just like I've always thought I would be infertile (for no good reason), I've also always thought I would have twins and I've written about this several times on the password protected blog.

Well, as it turns out, my "sixth sense" was right again -- and I am pregnant with twins. Luckily, I'm prepared with a variety of name combinations. :)

Two Boys

Anderson James "A.J." - Anderson is Mike's mom's maiden name. James is Mike's dad's name and Mike's middle name.

Owen Philip - Owen is Mike's best friend's name. Philip is my Grandpa's father's name and my mom was named after him - her real first name is Phylis even though she goes by Cindy (the name of the family dog).

One Boy - One Girl

Anderson James "A.J."

Clara Jane (I think I will call her Clara, but she can go by "C.J." as well) - Clara is Mike's maternal grandmother's name. Mary Jane is Mike's paternal grandmother's name. Jane is also the name of my favorite high school teacher and one of Mike's aunts.

Two Girls

Clara Jane

Anna James - Anna is my grandpa's mom's name. James is decribed above.


or

Addison Jae - I always thought that my first pregnancy (ectopic) was a girl and associated this name with that -- however, it is still a name I really like. Addison is after the street that Wrigley Field is on. Jae, is a take on my name. Addison Jamie just sounds odd to me.

What are your thoughts on my name selections? Do you like them? Do you hate them? Do you think my child will be teased forever? Do you prefer Anna or Addison? Feel free to share your opinions (good and bad) in the comments below.



Friday's Feature at Sticky Feet Part Deux is Ask Jamie. Feel free to email me or leave a comment with any question you would like for me to answer. Anything is fair game!

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SurfShelf is God's Gift to Me!!

I'm an Internet addict. When I'm not taking care of Bo, I'm typically working on the computer in some capcity. Whether it is grading papers for my online job, writing blog posts, responding to emails, editing photos, or reading blogs, I typically fill my "Bo-free time" with computer usage.

In many ways, this is a good thing. I love the computer and I love that I have the opportunity to work from home on the Internet. But, being on the computer is a very sedentary hobby. Or at least it use to be, until this box arrived in the mail on Tuesday.

The SurfShelf mounts on nearly any elliptical, treadmill, stairstepper, or stationary bike! We have both an elliptical and a treadmill at home but chose to mount the SurfShelf on our treadmill for numerous reasons. Here it is, all setup and ready to go!

I'm the type that needs to be distracted while working out. If I'm just walking or ellipticaling and watching the time go by, well, time seems to go very slowly. Over the years I've tried many things to distract myself. At EIU, there were mounted TV's that were great! At our local gym, I always brought a magazine for my time on the cardio machines. Since I began trying to meet my fitness goals at home, I've used books on CD, the TV, and magazines. But the SurfShelf, my friends, is the answer to all of my prayers.
I tried the SurfShelf out last night (isn't this the most attractive picture of me ever? haha! Obviously, I don't worry too much about my looks when I'm working out at home...) and I absolutely love this!! I was able to easily scroll through my Google Reader, check the status updates on Facebook and Twitter, and even type a Tweet, all while walking. I don't think I could type while running, but I could definitely read or watch a DVD. I don't see myself grading essays on the treadmill either (too much concentration) but for every day surfing, this is perfect! Now I have no excuse not to walk! I can surf and exercise at the same time!!

SurfShelf has graciously agreed to giveaway one SurfShelf to a lucky reader! All you need to do is head over to SurfShelf and then leave a comment telling me about how you would benefit from this product.

For additional entries:
1) Subscribe or Follow Sticky Feet and then leave a comment stating that you are a subscriber. (Yes, if you already subscribe that qualifies you for 2 entries -- simply leave two comments, one of which states that you are a subscriber.)
2) Follow me on Twitter and leave a comment stating you did so along with your twitter name. (Yes, if you already follow me, just leave another comment stating you do so!)

3) Tweet about this giveaway and then leave a comment stating you did so.
4) Add my button to your sidebar, then leave a comment stating you did so. Click here for the code and instructions.
5)Email 5 of your friends and tell them to enter the giveaway. Be sure to send a carbon copy of the email to me at stickyfeet2 at gmail dot com. Then comment stating you did so.
6) Write a post on your own blog about this giveaway and comment back with the permalink to this post.

Winner will be selected via Random.org on March 10!

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Wordless Wednesday: Cleaning Out the Fridge

We recently moved the baby gate so that Bo has free range in the kitchen. There are many moments where I wonder if this is a good thing -- usually as I am redirecting him and trying to get him to leave the cabinets closed and the melon ballers in the drawer. That said, Bo loves to have a bigger area to run around in and thoroughly enjoyed helping Daddy clean out the fridge on Saturday.

For more Wordless Wednesday, head over to 5 Minutes for Mom.

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Tuesdays with Dorie: Caramel Crunch Bars

I'm back at it, after missing two weeks in a row, I managed to bake my Tuesdays with Dorie recipe this week! Woo hoo! Thanks to Whitney of What's Left on the Table? for choosing this week's recipe - Caramel Crunch Bars.

First, I blended the sugars and butter and put the dry ingredients in a separate bowl to add in just a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Mike got busy chopping the 9 oz. of bittersweet chocolate required for this recipe. That's a lot of chocolate!

I added the dry ingredients and the chocolate and ended up with this beautiful shortbread dough.

I spread the dough in the pan and patted it down with my fingers.

After the shortbread was baked, I added the chocolate on top, stuck it back in the oven to melt and spread it across the top of the bars. We could not find toffee bits so we crunched up Heath toffee bars and I sprinkled those on top.

The resulting bars were very rich and chocolaty but won a thumbs up from around the table here at Chez Sticky Feet.

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Shell Shocked - Top 10 Reasons I'm Worried About Having Twins

Even though my beta numbers indicated that I could be pregnant with twins, I hadn't totally prepared myself for the idea. I remember being a naive infertile and praying for twins -- an instant family. And then Bo was born and I realized how much work one child can be...

As the days pass, I'm getting more use to the idea, but there are about a million reasons why a twin pregnancy scares me. Heck, a singleton pregnancy still scares me, but with twins, there just seems to be so much more on the table.

It isn't that I don't appreciate this. I do. I know that children are a blessing. But I'm also not Octomom. I realize that there are numerous challenges that face us in the coming months if we truly are blessed with twins. I'm not naive enough to think that just having children is a solution. We have to be able to take care of these children and give them all that we can. Which isn't as simple as putting a Lunchable in front of them and turning on the TV.

So, instead, I worry. A lot. It's what I do. And here are my top 10 reasons I'm worried about having twins.

1. Complications.

Twin pregnancies have a great deal more that can go wrong. There is a possibility I could be put on bedrest. The pregnancy itself is much more risky.

2. Child care.

Taking care of one newborn is a lot of work. There is no doubt about that. Taking care of two newborns and a child who won't even be 2 yet -- well, that is insanity.

3. Outside help.

My mom is great and I really appreciate that she watches Bo for a few hours every day while I work. That said, those few hours always seem to wear her out. While she is very excited about the idea of twins I don't think she has really thought about what that will mean. Other than my mom, there is no one else to help. Sure, the in-laws will visit, but it isn't the same as day to day help that will allow me time to work (and breathe -- but that is probably asking too much...)

4. A Mother's work is never done.

I remember the frustration that built within me when Bo was a newborn. The fact that I was the one getting up at night, caring for him all day, not to mention doing laundry, putting dinner on the table, and working part-time. While Mike got to sleep and go to work. Work seems like a break compared to parenting. And it's not that Mike isn't a good Dad. He is. He is very helpful. But when children are born, Mom just takes the brunt of it. While Dad's life changes in some ways, Mom's life is totally different. Mom is the one who has to worry about where the child is constantly. Mom is the one who gives up her career. Mom is the one who loses her body for months (in my case, we're going on years...). It did get better as Bo has gotten older and even easier since I stopped breastfeeding. But add two newborns to that mix and it's obvious that we have to live in a place where Mike can be home more if I'm not going to totally lose my mind.

5. The thought of never being able to leave the house again.

How will I ever go anywhere? I won't be able to just run to the store with three kids until they are much bigger. I am not sure I even have the arm strength to carry the two bucket car seats, plus, with both of those, how will I even hold Bo's hand?? Ugh.

6. Money.

We've been both lucky and smart in that we've already started college savings for Bo as well as other types of investments so that he will be able to go to a good school and have a decent car when he turns 16. Money will become much more difficult to come by not only for things like college and cars, but for everyday essentials if we add two additional children to our family. I know that we will be able to provide the basics, but I have always wanted to be able to give my kids more than that. I want them to wear nice clothes, go on fun vacations, and not have to worry about where the money for college is coming from.


7. Housing.

We will definitely need a bigger house. We will need at least 5 bedrooms (one for each child, one for us, and a guest room for the in-laws - plus living area for my mom, depending on what she decides to do). We will need a bigger eating area with room for more high chairs. I will need an office if there is any hope of me trying to get work done with three little ones in the house. Most likely, before these babies are born, Mike will be transferring somewhere which will give us the opportunity to look for this bigger home. However, bigger homes cost more money which conflicts with all of the money we need to be saving for college funds.


8. My career.

On the surface this may seem like a selfish reason, but truly it is not. In order to have all the money we will need in #6 to care for these children in the way that I deem appropriate, I'll need to return to work even more rapidly, but at the same time how on earth do I do that with three small children at home? I'll have to make pretty decent money to justify childcare costs for three children. Not to mention I at least want to attempt to breastfeed for the first year, which makes returning to work more difficult.


9. Sleep.

Until you have a child, it's impossible to understand what a gift sleep is. And we've been lucky that Bo has become an amazing sleeper. How on earth will I manage to balance the needs of three children, a home, work, plus find time for things like sleep, exercise, etc.? There will be no sleep. There will definitely be no such thing as "me time."


10. Logistics.

I just don't see how it will be possible to do anything with two newborns and a nearly 2 year old. I am going to be totally housebound for at least the first year. This does not thrill me. Not to mention the extra set of arms I'm going to need to acquire. And the challenges of tandem breastfeeding and entertaining a 2 year old at the same time. It should be quite the experience.

Everyone I talk to is "so excited" for us. And yes, on the surface, twins are quite exciting. But I don't think many people really think about the actual changes and challenges that twins will bring to our lives. Will it be worth it? I'm sure it will. Will I want to jump off a cliff at some point during this journey? I'll bet you $100 dollars I will.

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Good Morning, Bobo!

Just a short video clip to share of Mike and I getting Bobo up a little bit after 8 this morning. He does a great job of playing for a few minutes before we get him up. This morning, he was "reading" a book in his crib. I love his big grin at the end. :)


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Bo - 1 1/4 years (aka 15 months)

Bo,

You seem to become cuter and more ornery every day.

Your eating habits are still stellar and you love almost anything we put in front of you. Current favorites include: fresh blueberries, banana, mashed butternut squash, and pasta. We never hesitate to take you out to eat and you are very well behaved as long as I keep the weird little dried fruit bits coming your way until the real food arrives. On Sunday morning, you really enjoyed some of Daddy's French fries for breakfast! And didn't want to eat your pancakes without syrup. You also love spicy foods -- chili is a fav - and don't really enjoy foods that are more bland - like mashed potatoes.

You truly have been an amazing sleeper. I've gotten up with you less than a handful of times since you turned 5 months old and you go right down for the night at 7. You usually wake up in the morning between 7:30 and 8 and will play on your own for a little while before I come to rescue you. Your smile when I open your door in the morning is so cute. Usually you're playing your music machine and looking at the book I put in your crib the night before.

Naps, well, they aren't as great, but I can't complain too much since you sleep so well at night. We've tried to transition to one nap and some days you do really well taking only an afternoon nap at 1 o'clock. Other days you're really fussy by 10:30 so we put you down then and then try again in the afternoon at 3. Some days this works. I think you're just in that odd in between stage right now. I hope that one day you'll take a solid afternoon nap -- we're working on it -- and wake up happy instead of crying from this nap!

We are still using the paci for naps and night and I'm not sure when I am going to be brave enough to wean you from it. You absolutely love it and I think it is a big part of the reason you've been such a phenomenal nighttime sleeper. You're so cute, I'll pick you up with the paci in your mouth and tell you to drop it in your crib. You'll pull it right out and throw it in the crib. It may be one of those things you just have to see, but it truly is quite adorable.

Staying still for diaper changes and getting dressed has become quite the challenge. Your changing table is right by a window and you want to roll over, stand up, lift the blind, and ogle at all of the cars going by. I finally found a paci clip that is made of wooden beads that will distract you. If I let you hold that, I can usually get through an entire diaper change. It's truly the small victories...

You love bath time and will splash around forever if I'd let you. You love having water poured over your head and laugh and giggle the entire time -- even as the water gets in your eyes. You've always been this way. Maybe you're destined to be a swimmer. You've inherited Mommy's dry skin so I always have to slather you with lotion after your bath -- Daddy hates this! Brushing your teeth has been a challenge recently as you want to do it yourself. Unfortunately, you manage to chew on the brush more than actually clean your teeth but you hate it when we try to help.

You are definitely understanding a lot of what we have to say now and will follow simple commands. "Bring Mommy a book." "Put the block in the basket." "Give Elmo a hug." are the types of commands that you easily respond to. You love Elmo and love to watch Sesame Street. We watch it every night after your pjs are on and we're waiting for Daddy to get home. Your whole face lights up when you hear the theme song and you point to all of the characters as I say their names. Elmo has definitely won your heart.

Daddy likes to let you watch SpongeBob (I think because he finds it humorous). When the pirate comes on at the beginning you have the silliest grin on your face. SpongeBob doesn't hold your attention like Elmo and Sesame Street do and usually you run around and play while Daddy watches you and SpongeBob simultaneously. :)

You are definitely a "Daddy's boy". If Daddy is around you don't want anything to do with Mommy. You want Daddy to pick you up, to read to you, etc. I think a lot of this is because you only see Daddy about 15 minutes each day during the week right now. We hope you get to spend more time with Daddy soon.

Reading is definitely your favorite activity. We read and read and read. Many of your books I know by heart. And you want to hear the same books over and over and over. You love the picture books, enjoy Curious George, anything with the Disney Cars characters, and Mommy's old Little Golden Books.

Mommy bought you your first toddler sippy cup recently and it has Lighting McQueen on it. You're fascinated by cars and the characters from the movie Cars -- even though you've never seen the movie (but you do have a few Cars books). Grammie bought the movie for you for Valentine's Day so we will have to find time to watch it soon. I'm sure you'll love it!

Your favorite word is still "car" and you love to look out the window and point to the cars going by. I would say this is your second favorite activity after reading. Other words that you use consistently include, "cat", "juice", "shoes", "uh oh", "yes", "dada", and you're starting to say "mama" as well. I wish you were saying more words but I'm not too worried about your language development. It's obvious you understand what we are saying, you just haven't chosen to say it back yet. I'll admit I'm excited for you to have a language explosion.

You spend time with Grammie every day while Mommy works and love "going bye-bye". You start waving as soon as I grab your shoes and jacket -- even if it's just to say "bye-bye" to the cats. You and Grammie have lots of fun together reading books, watching cars, chasing each other around the kitchen island, playing with Grammie's cat (Princess), and spreading your toys all over the living room. I pack your lunch for you every day and you eat with Grammie. At least that's one less time I have to clean the floor each day!

You ride really well in the car, but for long rides you still prefer to have Mama in the backseat next to you. Otherwise, I just have to climb over the seat about a million times, which drives me crazy! We went to St. Louis 2 weekends ago to see the Hunn family and you did really well despite all of the people that were there for Catherine's 2nd Birthday.

This past weekend, we visited Grandma and Grandpa and you spent two nights with them while Mommy and Daddy celebrated their anniversary. Grandma and Grandpa enjoyed having you visit and took you shopping. They bought you a cute new John Deere shirt. They also took you sledding in the front yard and some of the pictures are just adorable. Last weekend was the longest Mommy has been away from you (36 hours) and you did really well. Mommy and Daddy didn't really know what to do with themselves for all of that time. We've obviously forgotten how to relax and what to do without you in our lives. It's impossible for us to even remember what life was like before you were around. We say to each other often, "What did we use to do?" We had so much free time before we had you -- but obviously we wouldn't trade you!!

I worry that you aren't socialized enough because when we have others over to our house you can be pretty clingy. But at the same time, you did just fine at the Hunn's house. Needless to say, I'm looking into some activities for you. If we move to the Champaign area I have several ideas ready to try to expose you to other children a bit more. Hopefully that will help with your language development as well.

You may have heard a silly rumor as Mommy is already complaining about how fat she feels -- but it looks like you may have a few siblings in late September or October. Right now, I can't imagine loving another baby as much as I love you. But everyone tells me that I will. There are going to be a lot of changes in a very short time, but I have no doubt you'll be a great big brother!

You are my sunshine! I love you!
Love always,
Mama

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