moodiness

I recently started taking minerals and vitamins to help with my moodiness (which I don’t think I’ve discussed…). Ever since having Little T, I’ve had horrible mood swings. As soon as I stopped breastfeeding, I started getting them the week before my period. Nothing has changed…well except that I had a baby. I guess my hormones are out of whack. I get mad and sad and a whole-lotta other emotions for one week each month. I’m not use to this…very uncharacteristic of TigerMom. So first I decided to take calcium with vitamin D – most of the women in my family have VitD deficiency and osteoporosis so I figured it couldn’t hurt. I noticed a difference in my sadness within a couple of days. Most women in my family also suffer from depression and anxiety. But I don't think that is it since it is only during this one week a month. I am going to try to drink more milk and now that the weather is nice go outside for a while and get some sunshine in addition to the multivitamin and calcium that I am now taking. But the other mood swings didn’t go away. So I Googled it and found suggestions on taking Calcium, Magnesium, and B6 during PMS can help. So I added Magnesium and B6 and within a day, I was back to my old self again. I am back to my old self again. Perhaps these changes had something to do with the amazing weekend I just blogged about. I don't really know, but I am happy to be me again.

Amazing Weekend

This past weekend was one of the best weekends I've had in a very long time. It was relaxing and fun - we spent a lot of time outside together as a family. Mr. T and I enjoyed a beer on the deck and soaked up the sunshine while Little T played in the yard. We took a morning trip to a wildlife refuge and saw all types of animals and birds. Then we had lunch at a cafe on the water. I did work for an hour or so but it didn't even feel like work! We even got some stuff done around the house...but once again it didn't feel like work.

This week Little T and I are taking a day off for my birthday. We will go to a play-date, have lunch, nap, and then head to one of our local favorite places to see animals and walk around. Mr. T might be able to meet up with us to see the animals - we aren't sure yet.

Rude neighbors!

Yes, I am going to post about my rude neighbors who think only of themselves. They litter all over the neighborhood, are loud and obnoxious, park their car on the sidewalk in front of their home so others can’t use the sidewalk (when there is parking available – too lazy to walk across the street I guess), let their kids run around without supervision (they are really young and should get some type of supervision so they will stop running in the streets and running up to dogs in the neighborhood - the kids actually don't live here and neither do their parents they are just here all the time visiting I guess), and most recently have started parking their car on the sidewalk in the yard of their neighbor who moved out of state but still have their house for sale. HOA is doing nothing about it. I let the out-of-state neighbors know - really how do you sell a house when a car is parked in the front yard. So now I am venting here. Of course we plan on picking up trash in the neighborhood, but geez…

Okay...rant over.

My review didn't quite match up...

I recently reviewed a manuscript for a journal. For the first time my review didn't match up with the editor's review. For the first time it didn't upset me. I read the other reviews and learned from my mistakes. I discussed this with the editor of the journal. I am proud of myself and how I handled things.

Set a date!

For my dissertation proposal defense!

Yippee - crowds cheering - music playing - champagne being passed around!

Now onto passing my defense!

Picking a date

for my defense is turning out to be a harder task than I imagined. So far I've sent out several dates but none of them work for all of my committee members. I just sent out two more weeks of dates and times so hopefully something will work.

I did send my dissertation prospectus to my committee this past Friday. For several minutes I sat staring at it wondering if I should hit the "send" button. But I did and now it is in their hands...well at least until my oral defense. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I sent it, but I will admit I was very nervous.

Last week was insanely chaotic. Mr. T was gone all week. Little T was in school her normal hours so we spent time together Tuesday morning at our playdate and of course before school and all afternoon when she got home. She only goes to school part time most weeks. She was wonderful - she slept well - she ate well - she didn't fuss over having a sitter one night that week. She was great.

We had a large program event one night last week, which is why she had a sitter. But she was only awake for one hour of the sitter's time there. I helped to organize this event and was so worried things weren't going to turn out. It was a student-organized event for our program and something we've never done before so we were treading on unconquered waters so to speak. I presented a couple of times and was in charge of half of the event basically. I also made lots of salad  and they were very pretty - I wish I would have taken a picture of them. The food was late and we ran out of silverware - I didn't eat since I was a bit nervous and since we weren't sure we were going to have enough food. 25 more people showed up than we expected. It turned out wonderfully! I've received two personal messages from two pretty important people in our program about what a great job we did and also some kind words about me as a person. It really meant a lot. It was something I needed for my own confidence and motivation through this entire process.

I also had proposal deadlines and some other deadlines last week. They were met at the last minute, but on time indeed. I don't like working until the last minute...procrastination is definitely not my thing and yet I keep finding myself at the end of the deadline. 

My college roommate was in town this past weekend as well. She had a wedding party here in town (turns out her fiance is from Tigertown - small world, huh?!?!). They came over Friday afternoon for drinks and then we hung out Saturday night at the party. So another sitter for Little T, but she did well. She loves hanging out with people :) It also gave Mr. T and I some time to talk and just be adults. We even mentioned that we should have had the sitter come earlier so we could have gotten a drink beforehand just the two of us. So it was a crazy week but all went well and we survived. This week is also busy but hopefully not as chaotic.

Crazy week

So far it has been a really crazy week...but pretty productive so far. I hope that continues. School stuff and dissertation stuff this week. Trying to set a date for my proposal defense and none of the dates seem to be working - put two more out there so hopefully...

Will be back later soon hopefully...

Early Celebration

Since Mr. T is going to be out of town this week, we celebrated Valentine's Day yesterday. We don't usually do much...make dinner and spend some time together. Usually I get flowers, which I love! Yesterday I surprised Little T and Mr. T with a special dinner and then we hung out. We all exchanged cards and they gave me flowers (that Little T picked out). After Little T went to bed, Mr. T surprised me with a massage! So we hung out and then had dark chocolate kettle corn in bed while watching True Blood...man-o-man that's a good date!

Nervous!?!?

I am really close to setting a date for my dissertation proposal defense. Actually, I should be finished with revisions by the end of the weekend and then I am going to have someone read through it for typos so the end of next week. My major prof asked me today when I was setting the date. But I am nervous.

Why am I nervous?!?

I think part of it has to do with the fact the I actually set a date for this past summer but I had to cancel it. I wasn't ready and it would have been disastrous. What if this happens again? I know that I am leaps and bounds more prepared than I was the last time, but still.

Maybe I am nervous because the day has finally come...after I pass this defense I get to move onto the next step...a step I've been waiting for a long time.

Maybe I am nervous because that is what I do...I worry...I get nervous.

Sushi

I wish I could eat sushi daily...even weekly. Yum.

Mr. T and I met for lunch and had sushi. It was nice. We talked and just enjoyed lunch.

Welcome Home!

Wrote a post for this and published it but it seems to have disappeared...

We had a great weekend! Didn't get to spend the quality time I wanted with Mr. T, but that is to be expected when you vacation with 6 other couples. We had a wonderful, long weekend filled with friends, good food, skiing, conversations, music, and laughter. I didn't get as much sleep as I wanted, but I got more than I have been and feel rested!

Now back to school...

To-do list:

1. Prepare for school event next week
2. Set proposal defense date for dissertation - once I get feedback from my advisor I will set a date. She told me last week, I would have the feedback early this week so yay!
3. Program blog stuff
4. Conference proposal stuff due early next week
5. Side-job stuff

Weekend Trip!

Looking forward to our trip this weekend. There is a lot of traveling involved but we leave tonight so Little T will sleep most of the way there. We will make the rest of the trip tomorrow with some friends. My parents are so excited to keep Little T for the weekend. I know she is going to have a blast!

Looking forward to some R&R with Mr. T and our friends.

Finally got some good sleep last night even if Little T still woke up at 5:30am.

Talk to everyone next week!

Exhaustion

I am exhausted.

Little T has been waking up at 5:30am for almost two weeks now. We don't know why or what to do. We are thinking it is her eye teeth coming in, but who knows. I know it isn't good for her. She is exhausted but she isn't napping any longer or going to bed earlier. Things were going so well 7p-7a and an hour+ nap. 13 hours of sleep was great for her.

Fortunately, Mr. T wakes up with her as well and we switch. On a lot of days, one of us wakes at 5:30 and then we switch at 6:30 and the other sleeps another hour.  But I am so tired today. I can barely keep my eyes open. Caffeine isn't helping much, plus I don't sleep well when I drink it past lunch.

I'm not sure I've been this tired in a long time. Maybe I'm lacking VitD or Iron...will try to take a vitD supplement and see if that helps. Or maybe I'm not sleeping well? I try to go to bed before 10pm but I rarely fall asleep then. I've started reading instead of watching tv that late. I even took a nap today.

I feel like a Whiny- McWhinerson for even writing this post.

*Sigh*