I'm giving up (for the most part) on this text version of my blog. Not to mention, I just downloaded the updates for Windows Live and I am now a Movie Maker junkie.

SO!

I need your questions. Serious, funny, preferably not perverse or completely idiotic because those will be skipped anyhow. I'm gonna give Vlogging a go and I need a starting point. So, ask me in my FB inbox, ask me here, just please be considerate.

THANKS YO.

What Women Really Want

Believe it or not, it's not "for a guy to be a complete asshole 24/7". TURN OFF.

Building on a few conversations here and there with my best friend, this is what I've derived (so far) concerning what women really want.

• Smile. There's nothing more attractive and comforting than a shining, toothy grin.
• Hugs. Good ones, and don't make us ask for them. They're a hot commodity and are reassuring.
• Surprises. Small, simple, unexpected changes in the routine are fantastic. Go to the dollar store and buy some candles, bust out the fancy china (i.e. anything that ISN'T a paper plate), and make a simple dinner. Make it like a fancy date night, but at home. That's a wonderful way to make a girl like you a whooole lot more.
• Romance. Dance with us under the stars with no music, or just in the living room to some mushy love song. It melts us. THIS IS A BIG DEAL and it makes us say nice things to our friends about you.
• Hard work. A man that works hard and takes pride in what he does is so, so sexy. Yeah, a job is a job, and hardly any of us LOVE what we do, but seriously, don't come home and bitch about it every night. If we wanted to hear another chick bitch about working, we'd call our friends up. Plus, we love a rugged man. ;)
• Dinner dates. We looove to be wined & dined. Well, not all of us can drink legally yet, but take us out for some iced tea and a nice t-bone steak. It's a nice break from the monotony.
• Girls' days. Sacrifice your Saturday afternoon and beer money to send us to get our hair done or our nails did once in a while. I'm the first chick to say that I don't expect a man to pay for this crap every 2-3 weeks, but once in a while, SPOIL US.
• Listen. I know this is a hard one, especially when we whine. My recommendation is that you suck it up and don't change the subject to a similar experience you've recently had and start whining yourself. Follow the advice you always see in the movies: smile, nod, and interject an "I understand" or "how do you feel about that?" every once in a while.
• Compliments. Ooh doggy, this is a good one, probably should've been on top of the list. Compliment us on how we look, particularly when you can see that we've put effort into looking good for you. Examples of this are: doing our hair a different way, doing our makeup, putting on a bra and getting out of our pajamas. Maybe not so much that we begin to expect it, but when you unexpectedly say "you look so beautiful, baby," it's a win win situation.
• Be witty. THIS DOES NOT MEAN BE AN ASSHOLE. We like it when you can make smartass comments about things other than what's important to us.
• Support us. When we tell you about a major goal or plan we have, don't shoot us out of the air. Ask us for details, tell us ways to improve on our ideas, and be positive about it. Even if you're just pretending.
• Communicate. Talking is a huge thing. Understanding is a huge thing. Not blowing your top off in a difficult situation is a HUGE THING. When you start doing that, we lose confidence in being able to turn to you in hard times. Learn how you communicate most effectively. In sticky situations, take a break and come back with a positive, reassuring attitude.
• Remember. Important dates, your anniversary, her dog's birthday - they all matter. Take 5 minutes and pick up a card and some flowers. And to touch again on the listening thing, when she tells you she "really wants ___" for her birthday, or she'd "really love to do ___", write it down on a sticky note and put it in your wallet for Christ's sake. IT MATTERS.

So, this is all I have to say now. This doesn't apply to all broads, cause some bro hoes just really aren't romantic at all. For the hopeless romantics, however, following this list might bring you some success.

:)

Childish Is As Childish Does

I'm sick and tired of bullshit. There's no other way to put it. I'm tired of everyone's bullshit - even my own. I don't know who I am anymore, or what I'm doing. My life cannot remain stress-free for more than a week at a time, be it the fault of someone else or my own damn fault (and it seems that more often than not lately, I'm stirring shit that shouldn't be stirred). I used to pride myself on not being a jealous person, slow to judge, loving to everyone, and an open-minded, warm, welcoming person to be around. Now, I'm cynical, I'm angry, I jump to conclusions with no safety net to catch me - and every time, that sudden stop at the bottom hurts more than anything. I'm creating a havoc in my life that I'm slowly losing control over, and I don't know how much longer I can expect this to continue without serious repercussions. It's taking a huge emotional toll on me. I am in a constant personal state of turmoil, which makes me and everyone else around me miserable.

Now, I don't think that all my madness is unwarranted. I think that given past transgressions against me, it would be impossible for me to continue in the way that I used to be, at least at this point in time. My issue is that I can no longer let anything go - I've let myself become so hurt and hardened over every single thing that's happened, that when some insignificant bump arises in my life, I make it into a problem that is way bigger than it ever should've been (and therefore MUCH more difficult to overcome).

I'm not handling this life as well as I originally intended to - then again, who ever really does? This situation was more or less thrown upon both my husband and me, and neither of us has shown any great deal of maturity, professionalism, or progress concerning it. Neither of us has been successful in handling this well. The biggest concern that I will always have is that Lilla is well provided for, and that she sees happy, loving, productive parents setting a fantastic example for her. We aren't doing well at that. I don't know what to do for myself anymore - I am the only person that can change me, and I am the only person that I can expect to change. I really need to do a lot of work on myself. I'm just so disappointed that it's ever come to this, and that I ever let myself change in these ways.

You live and you learn.

Negative Feeding Negative

I've noticed lately that negative people will be negative, no matter what. There's nothing you can do to fix it. They might seem stoked temporarily about things, but they'll always slum back down to their little Debbie Downer ways. Be careful how involved you let people get with your personal matters, because it won't be as easy for them to see things improving as it is for you. I've made this mistake in sharing details of my marital issues in-depth with my family members. At the time, it always seems like a relief to be able to vent everything and anything to someone else who you know will (likely) be on your side of things. Unfortunately, what you'll find (as I have) is that when all the drama passes and things become wonderful again, the people you shared with are likely to remain skeptical and very negative about the situation. No matter how much you tell them, they still only know the situation in a superficial way. They aren't there every second of every day to see the dynamics of how things change. This goes for any personal details in your life.

I've only found one person, one, that can be completely non-judgmental about how situations fluctuate from day to day in my life. I've known her for 13 years, and she's not related to me at all. I do consider her blood, though. She's treated me better and stood by my side through more than most of my family has, without fail.

Short post: my point here is to grow up and not spread your dirt everywhere. You'll regret it later, because even though it seems like a relief at the moment, you'll notice that as time goes on and things change, peoples' perceptions of the situation don't. Keep ya bidness to ya self.

Stevie G's Tips For Moms-To-Be

I figured I'd take a more lighthearted approach to my post this time. I have a few friends who are on the verge of having some babies, so I'm gonna give y'all MY personal advice for what to do to soak up this experience. Now remember...it's me we're talking about here.

BEFORE HAVING THE BABY

- Everyone will tell you to sleep now while you can. They never spoke truer words to you. Don't overdo yourself now. You'll soon fondly remember the nights that you may have caught 4 hours of sleep without waking up to pee or feed a screaming child.

- Ask for the big things on your registry. Bouncers, swings, stroller/car seat combos (don't get cheated out of that piece of heaven). Be very explicit that you DON'T NEED A YEAR'S WORTH OF NEWBORN CLOTHES. They really do outgrow them in a month. Unless you plan on changing your kid 8 times a day so they can wear all those clothes, it's unnecessary. And ask for LOTS of diapers...newborn size, and then the next size up.

-  Do everything you can to keep your head level. You only THINK you're stressed now.

- Seriously, take advantage of your nesting instincts. "Cleaning" will quickly become a four letter word for you when you're pulling your hair out over your baby. If you're like me and don't know much about birthin no babies, you're gonna want to veg out for the first few weeks and figure that kid out.

- Have someone there that can HELP you with things like cooking meals and doing your laundry for you. All that will come in time.

- Back to registries: I would recommend asking for Moby wraps or sleeper sacks. You'll hate your life if you have to lug a car seat everywhere. Keeping the baby on you is so much more convenient.

LABOR AND BRINGING THE BABY HOME

- Don't be a hero. If you're about going without pain meds, I completely support your decision. I went in with that mindset. But let me make this point: there is no need to stress yourself and the baby out because you are trying to put yourself through excruciating pain to prove something...to who? They made epidurals and Stadol for a reason. SHIT HURTS.

- Don't expect your boyfriend/husband to be much support. I know the shows on tv show husbands helping their wives through the whole thing. They're also over 30 and already have other kids. Young guys are bad at that concept. Adjust now.

- Don't be fooled into thinking your baby will stay as quiet as they are for the first two days. They're sneaky snakes.

- ASK FOR SOCKS. Oh man, I know at least for me they gave me the Pillow Paws socks with the grippies on the bottom. I'm wearing them right now. Steal those suckers. Best decision I ever made.

- Make your own decisions about how to feed your baby. If you plan to formula feed, stick to your guns. It's your decision. Don't let people make you feel guilty for how you raise your kid. They'll do that...it's your baby, you raise it how you see fit.

- Make an extra bottle before bed. You'll love this piece of advice at 2 am when you don't have to take the extra time to make it then. Quiet babies are lovely babies at night.

- Don't try to be Supermom. If your house gets a little messy, dinner isn't made every night, laundry piles up a bit, trust me, IT'S OKAY. Men have a warped idea of what you should be capable of at first. Tell them to shove it. I say you have one month of leeway. After that, you should be more used to your baby, and then you really should pick up the pace again. Otherwise you'll become sedentary and it gets ugly from there.

- Ask for help if you need it. Your baby can tell if you're stressed, and it isn't good for either of you. Like I said, veg when you can for the first week or two. Having someone around to lighten the load will do wonders for keeping you out of that "psycho new mom" stereotype.

That's it for now. Just some friendly reminders for the first month of trying to learn your new little ball of drool. Just be full of love and patience. The little baby is learning right along with you. :)

One Day At A Time

Well, I think I might have finally figured out this mobile blogging thing. Maybe. I guess if you're reading this, then it means I have. I've been out of commission lately since my computer decided to self-destruct. But, I can assure you, plenty has been going on. Of course, most of you know I now have a two month old daughter, who just so happens to be the light of my life. She's wiggling around on my chest as I type. She's getting feistier every day, and her personality is definitely starting to shine through. Talk about a good baby, though.

Otherwise, things are starting to look up for us. I guess living this life has taken a bit of a toll on our young marriage. When my husband got back from basic, I knew he had changed. I guess I didn't realize, or didn't want to realize, just how much. Of course, I'd done my fair share of changing as well, but not in nearly the same way. I think he had been away for so long from the way things were with me, that coming back and having a very pregnant wife and looming PCS was a bit of a shocker. Things got real super quick. Since then, honestly, we have struggled to keep it together. We have dealt with infidelity, insecurity, lying, childishness. You name it, we've done it. And it's been both of us, not just one or the other.

As soon as I had Lilla, things seemed to get exponentially better between us, which I didn't expect. But that only lasted for a little while. The usual stresses obviously set in. Luckily I've had my father steadfast by my side, who has been a tremendous help. Without him, I'd be in a much worse way. But Daddy can only come to the rescue so much. At some point, we have to deal with our issues on our own. The past 5 months have been an incredible roller coaster of emotions and have pushed us to our limits emotionally and every other way. It's almost sent me back to Florida, more than once.

What we have both come to realize is that we have a terrible time communicating honestly with each other. I don't feel that I can communicate my needs to him and be taken seriously. He feels like he shouldn't communicate most of his needs to me, because "men don't do that". There's a lot more to it, but that's the basic idea.

To keep from boring you to death, here's my basic idea for the day: if you're married to the military, or you're a married/committed servicemember, TALK. Be able to talk to each other. If you don't feel able to, you aren't going to be successful in your endeavors or your relationship. When you and someone you love are part of this life, sometimes you're all the other person has. You're taken miles away from everything that's familiar, and expected to simply carry on as if nothing has changed. Your partner in life is supposed to be someone you can confide in, trust, and tell things to that you wouldn't trust to anyone else. Go to a counselor if you need help sorting out your frustrations, etc. and can't do that on your own. There's nothing wrong with it. The stigma of counseling being for people that "have something wrong with them" needs to be thrown out the window. Don't give up just because things get ridiculously hard at times. If it wasn't about this, there'd be something else in life that would be extremely trying at some point.

Case and point, I'm doing everything I can to improve my marriage for the sake of our daughter, and because I love my husband to the ends of the Universe and back. Don't let the stresses eat at you until you feel hopeless. Talk to someone outside the situation, whether it be a trusted friend, family member, or a therapist if the situation calls for it.

One day, you'll be able to look back and laugh.