SailorGirlfriend.com Blog

My husband purchased a oil-free infrared fryer earlier this month and it's one of the best purchases he's ever made. We used it to cook our ham. The crust is crispy and the inside is so juicy. See the picture below. 

When I was a senior and about to graduate from my university, I applied and got interviewed for a Corporate Management Trainee position for Global Hyatt. It's kind of like being an extern except you get paid anywhere between $30,000 and $35,000 a year (this was in 2006). You learn all the operations of every single department of a Hyatt hotel but your direct boss is the Human Resources Director. After being accepted, I was so thrilled. I actually had a plan after I graduated college. Only 1% of all applicants got accepted at that time so it's a true honor. Another bonus was they gave me four locations to choose from: San Diego (home), Dallas, St. Louis or Washington DC. 

I chose Dallas, Texas since I knew it wasn't going to be as cold as St. Louis or Washington DC and is far away from home but close enough where a flight isn't that long. I wanted to get away. I actually lived with my parents while going to college because my mom had a death grip on me and would not let me live on my own. So, this was my real first time out of the house.  After making this decision, I've signed the papers to 6 months of training and rotated around each department. Every head of the department really knew me and I've shadowed them all. Then after many months of training, I got really depressed. 

I moved out to Dallas at 22, about 5 days after I graduated with my bachelor's degree. When I turned 23, I had no real friends to celebrated with. I was a fresh college grad in an unfamiliar city with unfamiliar people. My parents decided to fly out there to celebrate with me. I'm glad they love me so much that they were afraid I'd be alone but I really wanted to fly home to see my friends. Anyway, long story short. They thought they were doing me a favor by surprising me and coming to visit me uninvited. It was the saddest birthday I ever had. Here I am, having dinner in a suit (I worked earlier that day) with my parents on my 23rd birthday. It was lame. I actually shed a tear while looking out the window while my parents weren't looking. They were so proud of me because I had a career plan right out of college and became a manager at a hotel, strutting a suit every day. They didn't know that I wasn't happy. 

The young crowd at my work were not in management positions so I wasn't allowed to socialize with them outside of work. I actually got in trouble for it when my mentor at the hotel found out that I went to a party with them. Every Corporate Management Trainees (CMT) is considered a manager. And unfortunately, most of the people my age are not managers. I had a few who were but they hated me because I was a goody tissue. That is another story in itself. I was a goody tissue at work and that's not a good quality to have if you want to make friends at work with the younger people. I've changed a lot after that, of course. 

After almost 6 months of training, I gave my HR director my 2 week notice. He was shocked. I was really well liked by upper management and I've always expressed a positive and happy attitude at work. I've excelled and impressed the General Manager and was the favorite CMT by many. The problem is, outside of work, I didn't have much of a social life. I missed my friends and I missed my beach. 

As I'm reflecting all of this 7 years later, I can honestly say that I regret not sticking it out a lot longer. I should have shoved my social life aside and toughen up. I could've gone really far in the hotel business. Life works in weird ways though. You give up something and then you discover something else. For instance, if I had not moved back to San Diego, I would not have met my loving husband and gave birth to an adorable son. 

For all you CMTs or potential CMTs out there, my biggest advice to you is stick it out. I know the tough part is adjusting to your environment, especially if you took the option of moving out of the state. Give yourself at least a year. You're going to hate it sometimes but you really don't want to make a rash decision like I did. Then, if after a year and things don't get better, then figure out plan b. 

Happy graduation everyone and congratulations on your next chapter! 

My newborn is no longer a newborn now that he is 3 months old so I've been doing some reflecting. A lot has changed about me, from my hair to my way of thinking. I put him first before my needs and I am glad to do it. I just want him to grow up happy and strong. Here are some obvious things I gave up after giving birth to a baby, and these are things many moms have done:

• I no longer have long hair. I now understand why so many moms get a bob after giving birth. My baby is getting to the point where he would grab my hair now and when I had long hair a few weeks ago, it was so easy for him to pull on it. Sometimes it would get tangle around his fingers and he doesn't know that he's hurting himself when he's pulling my hair. I had it in a ponytail all the time too and it got so heavy that I started getting a headache. So then I decided to cut 5 inches of my hair and now have a shoulder length mane. However, I still tie it into a ponytail every day to keep my hair out of his face when I hold him.
• I still don't sleep on my stomach, even though I'm not pregnant anymore. Sleep, what sleep right? Anyway, I am currently breastfeeding my baby and sleeping on my stomach is something I love to do but can't because I have milk ducts in my breasts that I need to make sure I don't plug them. If they get plugged, there is a chance I can get mastitis and get sick. This also can decrease your milk supply, which means less food available to the baby. I'm not sure how long I'll be breastfeeding for but the goal is at least 6 months. Hopefully, my supply will be good for a whole year.
• I don't wear my engagement and wedding rings as much.  When I am home, I take my rings off because I don't want to accidentally scratch my baby's face or body. Now, I understand why I see some moms only wearing their wedding band when they are out. I used to think that maybe some of them didn't have an engagement ring because they weren't sporting it. Boy, was I a naive newlywed! Most of the time, when I am out, I now only wear my wedding band now too. My engagement ring is now only worn on special occasions with my wedding band.
• I still don't drink that much caffeine. I love coffee and teas and even though I'm not pregnant anymore, I only limit myself to a cup every week or so. I don't want it to be in my milk supply or affect it. I heard it can decrease your milk supply. Since my baby comes first, I prefer to deprive myself of coffee than to deprive my baby of food. Yes, there is formula but as the health professionals say "breast is better". Breast milk is organic, easily digestible and decreases the baby's chances of getting allergies, asthmas, diabetes and other illnesses. It keeps my baby's immune system stronger. 
• I don't work anymore. My husband and I both agree that one parent should be at home to take care of the baby because there is no better care than a parent's care. If we both work and put the baby in daycare during the day, both of us will be so tired to give our baby the best care at night. And since my husband's occupation is enough to pay the bills, there is no need for me to work so I have the luxury of taking care of my own baby myself; and not give him to some stranger. People ask if I miss working or if it makes me feel less accomplished. I don't know if they forget or maybe if they've never taken care of their own babies but it's a lot more work than people think! When the baby is 3 or 4, then it's less work but right now, he is still a baby. Being at home also makes it easier for me to breastfeed him and I'm not as stressed so my milk supply continues to produce continuously. 

My 3 month old baby has been pulling his ears a lot whenever he gets sleepy. I'm so worried. It just started to tear a little. I would put neosporin on it and hope it would heal. I've been trying to get him to not tug on it as much when he gets sleepy by covering his ear with my hand when he reaches for it. We were going to go to the doctor to get it looked but I had a feeling that most likely, he will just say to "leave it alone". It's just like a millimeter tear on the top. 

I realize that baby do pull on their ears a lot but I wonder how often it tears? My husband tried putting some bandage tape over it. I just feel so sorry for him. 

Anyone have the same problem? We are going to our 4 month check up in a few weeks so we'll see if it gets better soon.

Ever since I met my husband in 2010, he's given me an Easter basket every year filled with candy. This year he topped it off with an Easter chick with bunny ears. It's animated and sings one of my pop star's famous song: "baby baby". Yes, I am a Beiber fan. I like his music even though I don't like his personality. It's amazing that my husband found an animated stuff animal that did this. Check it out believe. It's cute!