Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Email Subscription!

I was recently given a link to Feed Burner, hosted by Google (who also hosts my email and blog). It offers the opportunity for my readers to email subscribe to my posts!

I know I only have a handful of followers. However, my stats, comments, and Facebook 'Likes' indicate that many more people read my blog. And, you may be wondering what the perks are of "Following"' my blog, besides making my day! To be honest, if you don't have a Google or Blogger Account, there aren't many (but, I love it anyway!!). :) 

Also, if you are linking to my blog from Facebook, you may not always see the newest posts on the newsfeed. So, here is your chance to stay connected or up-to-date! (If you want to, that is...)

Subscribing couldn't be more simple! I just did it and it worked great! The only annoyance is one of those squiggly word boxes...sorry! Those are tough sometimes!

All you have to do is scroll to the bottom of the page, to the Subscribe Via Email section, enter your email, and click 'Subscribe'. 



Google will then walk you through the entire process. Any email account will work: hotmail, yahoo, msn, etc.

And, as you know, Google is a safe and trusted Internet source.  The only person who will be able to see your email address is me. If at any time you change your mind and want removed from the emailing list, you can take yourself off immediately.

I would enjoy having subscribers and I hope you like the 'instant' updates too.  If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Otherwise, you can email ilovelucyjean(at)gmail(dot)com.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Paranoia, Paranoia...

...every body's comin' to get me.

As I have previously confessed to my blog readers, I am a paranoid person. The worst. Annoyingly paranoid sometimes.  To boot, my cup often remains half empty. (I'm working on it though! We'll call it somewhat of a New Year's Resolution.)

Any-who, instead of channeling all of my paranoia toward Lucy, I've moved to illnesses. I've never been a hypochondriac; it is the whole idea of, 'it couldn't happen to me.'  Well, lately, I have had these eerie feelings like, "You know what? It could happen to me!" Perhaps now that I am moving out of my young adulthood, into actual adulthood, I am losing my "invincibility."

I had told you about the lump/bump on my breast. And, I strongly encouraged everyone to get questionable things check out.  Well, I didn't exactly listen to my own recommendation...

I have had a weird mole on the back of my leg, more specifically a place that touches the tanning bed. Yes - I tan in a tanning bed occasionally (I know; I know). It has bothered me for years.  Semi-recently, I read another blog about a young mother who had a mole on the back of her leg, put it off, and when she finally went in, she had stage 4 lymphoma.  Yikes!

The mole never seemed to fit into a conversation with my doctor or I would forget about it at during the appointment.  As more time went by it started to really bother me. I would be feeling sick and I would start to blame the mole.  Or, I would be achy and I would blame the mole.  Everything that was wrong with me was somehow related to that thing!  (This may sound somewhat familiar. I used to think everything I felt meant that I was pregnant.)

I had the flu and it passed. I had a sinus infection, gave it to the entire family, and it has almost passed too.  Then, the bumps. I was itching my hand one night watching TV, looked down and I had red bumps all over my thumb.  They itched and then began to hurt and even sting a little. I let it go for a week and a half, and three fingers, before giving in and going to the doctor. Don't fret; they weren't gross or I would have gone sooner.

Ends up, I have a form of Eczema. Joy!  Since when did I become such a medical case?  Good news is: it isn't contagious, isn't a big deal, and it will come and go.  Also, it should stay on my hands and not really move to other areas of my body.

And, I finally had the mole looked at!  It doesn't need to come off right away; but, my doctor wants to remove it next month, just in case.  Whew. That will be nice!

My level of paranoia has gone down; but now, something new happened...

Today, I was sitting on the floor, holding Lucy, and along came a little boy.  He calls Lucy his girlfriend, although she is a year and a half younger. It's cute. He will even come up to her and give her kisses on the cheek sometimes.

Anyway, today, he was super affectionate. He bent over, gave her a kiss, very close to her mouth. This time, he kept his eyes open, unlike before (haha). He then stood back up, smiled at me, put his finger in his nose, pulled out a booger, ate it, and ran away.

"Hmmmm......gross"...that was about the reaction I had. I don't know what to think. How am I supposed to feel about this one?  Technically my paranoia should be off the charts. Why isn't it? He ate his own booger less than 2 feet away from me. 

I guess I figure with DayCare this type of thing happens all the time.  Plus, the little boy is clean, he just apparently eats his own boogers...

I should be freaking out right?  Or not? Should I worry about Lucy getting sick and germy?

Heath laughed when I told him. I don't think he's too concerned. 

What do you think? Is my paranoia radar broken today?

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

What's in a name?

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." - William Shakespeare

Now, I must say right away that I love Shakespeare. And, I love Romeo & Juliet.  And, yes, my lust for Leonardo DiCaprio only reinforces the situation.

I am a sucker for a 'smooth talker.' 

My husband on the other hand is not so favorable of the author. He complains that ol'Billy Shakes is too wordy and a whole lot of complicated. Perhaps it is the little princess in me that imagines a fairy tale where 'it is the East, and I am the sun.'  Either way, I love it.

If Lucy were called by any other name, would she be the same?

Lately, I started wondering about name meanings and if it has an impact on parents naming their children. We didn't really consider the meaning of 'Lucy' when we named her.  Nor, did we look up the meaning of her middle name, 'Jean.'  All we knew was I loved Lucille Ball, Jean was both of our mothers' middle names, and we thought it was adorable. :)

According to BabyCenter.com:
Lucy - meaning light
Jean - meaning God is gracious

I like those. I could see myself picking those for meaning as well. But, again, we didn't.  And, I sure hope mine and Heath's parents didn't pick names based on meaning!

Cori - meaning from the Hollow
Heath - meaning wasteland

Okay, so Heath's is worse than mine. But, it is obvious they just went with what sounded good.

What does your child's name mean?  Did you base your decision off of that meaning?  Will you do things differently with future children?