"Lounging with Lion"

At nine months, Ezra...

...will no longer eat Gerber peas; homemade peas, yes

...loves to eat a handful of sweet potato puffs

...is down to two naps a day (power nap-style)

...loves any and all grocery carts, especially those at Costco

...loves to jump off the side and go underwater at the pool

...is pulling himself up on things and will stand on his own for a few second

...still avoids our stairs

...understands "no-no, baby"

...eats three solid foods a day

...plays with Z at daycare; the teachers say they crawl and chase each other around, play peek-a-boo and apparently crack each other up

...is loved a ridiculous amount.

Oh for the love of Pete

Signs from God that slimmer jeans are in my future...

1. There are actually 46 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Eve this year. Yeah, so that would mean 46 Days of Activity. Off to change the sidebar.
2. This article.

Onward!

Love/hate Friday

a la Love is Blonde...


Love: Looking at wedding photos and pics of E on my desk when I'm randomly bored at work

Hate: That it's only 22 degrees outside and about to get colder, despite appearing sunny and less windy.

Love: That today's pair of nylons have yet to run. 1 out of 3 this week is so-so odds.

Hate: When trying to get a bagel this morning, they were out of blueberry, cinnamon raisin, french toast and sesame. ??

Love: Received free coffee card from bagel place due to being out of practically everything.

Hate: Sore inner thighs. Like hobble-to-copy-machine sour.

Love: The promise of firmer inner thighs. Perhaps. Maybe.

Hate: Needing to dig up stock info. this evening to give to accountant tomorrow.

Love: The looming promise of a tax return. Holla.

Hate: Nebs (actually, more of a Hate for E)

Love: E's cough is sounding less and less grody.

Hate: Meeting that was actually cancelled has apparently been put back on calendar. 15 minutes before starting.

Love: Meeting is conference call so I can actually multi-task under the guise of participating

Hate: New meeting scheduled for 3pm. Said meetings are notoriously boring.

Love: Tomorrow is Saturday and I have lots of lovely things planned for the weekend

Hello? Is it me you're looking for?

E turns 9 months old on Saturday, and T and I are beginning to wonder if perhaps E has a future as some sort of engineer/techie/smarty boots nerd-type person. He loves (in no particular order):

1. Remote controls
2. Phones, all sorts
3. Flashlights
4. Alarm clocks
5. Cameras

Of course he also loves pacifiers and playing with Tupperware, so maybe his recreational enjoyment of techie things is not a good indicator of where he'll end up in life.

T and I have often discussed our hopes/expectations for E as he grows older and thinks about his future. Growing up, T's father made it absolutely known that all of his children will go to college (or, "university" as they called it). I disagree with this mode of encouragement, but I can't question that it worked for T and his siblings. All four of them have advanced degrees beyond undergraduate institutions (and not at shabby schools either).

I don't remember my parents providing the same type of mandate. I think early on they knew I was interested in higher ed, knowing then that I wanted to be librarian. So, they took me on college tours, helped me apply and generally encouraged me to go wherever I would be happiest.

Not sure where I'm going with this, other than while we both want the best for E, we have differing points of view as to how this can be worked towards.

While listening to the Diane Rehm show on NPR today--they were doing this story on planning for college as well as some of the issues surrounding families today in figuring out how to pay for it. Two of the guests on Diane Rehm's show provided these statistics (no sources, sorry):

College graduates earn approximately 1.3 million more dollars in the course of their lifetime than non-college graduates.

50-60% of all college attendees drop-out at some point and never return to any institution to attain a degree.

Hmmm.

Anyway, in an attempt to tie in the title of this post with the post itself, I leave you with some pics of E stalking our phone and being duped by the one we bought for him instead...

Random useless tidbits

Whenever I get my Southern Living magazine in the mail, I tend to mutter, "Bastards!"

See, I don't do any living in the South. I do the bulk of my living in the Midwest (although, Midwest Living is even more boring to read). The poor folks at Cottage Living, which I adored, have gone under. In exchange for no longer being able to receive that magazine, they swapped my subscription out with Southern Living. Gag.

I just checked the label on the front and it appears that I'll be receiving Southern Living until December 2009.

Bastards.

****

Am still digging the new lipstick.

****

I am going to a baby shower on Friday for someone that I work with. I have been looking forward to this for way too long. One, I love showers when I am not the focus of the attention. Hello! Punch and cake. (I really love punch.) Two, I love giving gifts. For this particular shower, I decided to put together a small basket of "must have" items. Or, the items T and I have come to deem as must-haves.

They are:

1. This snot sucker. This one puts the wimpy hospital ones to shame. It doesn't play around.
2. A burrito
3. Happiest Baby on the Block
4. Kimono style t-shirts
5. Johnson and Johnson Lavender lotion
6. Child-size wooden hangers from IKEA
7. Medela steam bags

Seriously, each of these items made things so much easier for us. Ach. I hope it's not too narcissistic to think she will enjoy them just as much.

****

I've realized that Chinese food is good in theory.

After eating it, I feel yucky.

****

I have informally signed up for this. Am going to try and put a handy calendar-countdown thingy on the side.

Here's to 40 days of sweating to the oldies (not really, but I have a soft place in my heart for Richard Simmons).

I've heard that it takes 30 days to make/break a habit, so 40 should really seal the deal.

Yeah, for motivation via Jesus.

****

After cleaning our house, R always leaves a note asking me to "give her a quick call." While I appreciate her communication, the conversation always turns to her saying, "You know, some of the things I do at your house I don't do at the others that I clean." Thanks? Okay? I never know how to respond. Is she just giving me a heads up? Is she asking for more money?

In true avoidance fashion, I just didn't give her a "quick call" this week.

****

I have switched pharmacies. The members of K family are on a number of drugs and I was using the pharmacy inside one of hospitals downtown to get our fix. The pharmacy is on the way to and from work so it was seemingly perfect.

Except that the people who work there are asshats. Seriously, they're just rude and unsmiley and provide some of the worst customer service I've ever come into contact with.

So, I switched to a grocery store here in town where the pharmacist is nice and they have weekend hours.

****

Lastly, a pic of E from this weekend. I was wrapping the shower gift on the dining room table and upon coming back into the room after darting out for a second, saw this:

On tippy toes, with little fingers gripping the table; trying so hard to see what was up there.

Ach, so sweet.

Kiss my grits

February 24, 2009

Dear Winter,

Why are you being such a douchebag? I am done with you. You are dead to me. Take that back, I'd like you to be dead to me but you keep flinging snow and cold wind my face. Is it spite? Is it because I was so happy with pregnancy glow last winter that I didn't really give you the loathing you so amply deserve? Or is it because you know that some of my pants are tight and you're relishing the squeezyness of it all.

Whatever the reason, you suck and this has to end. Do you know how much it costs to dryclean a sweater? No? Well, too much. And I'm tired of wearing them. Plus some of my sweaters are itchy and on the dry skin that your weather causes, this is not good.

I get that you leaving means I have to shave my legs. I get it. I promise to be better about that if you just warm up a tick. Really.

Best (wait...no...WORST),

K

Nooooooo!

Lip gloss and bacon

Written on an old envelope that I carry around in my bag, I have down a bunch of products that I read or heard about and am interested in buying. Most of them I read about in Allure and for the life of me if I don't write something down, I will forget about it.

Side note: When I was pregnant, my brain turned to the consistency of tapioca. I could. not. remember. a. thing. Nothing. I even sometimes found myself jotting down conversations so that I could remember what was discussed. So sad. The brain has since firmed up a tick.

Anyway, I was at Target with E on Saturday and after I'd grabbed everything that was needed, decided to pull out my envelope and see if I could find something on the list.

I went with the Cover Girl Outlast Lip Color since I knew Target would probably carry this. I had noted the "Nude" color, but since I am mucho pasty right now (winters in the Midwest are not kind on the skin) decided to go with "Natural Blush" for a bit of color.

Gave it a go this morning and love it. It turns out being more of a stain since it's thinner and not sticky like a gloss or thick like a lipstick--but I love it. My only beef is that it involves two tubes, but I'm sure I'll get over it. I think this will be perfect for summer when I don't want my lips all gummy in 85 degree heat and humidity.

I recommend.

In other news, yesterday was T's birthday. I cooked him a tasty breakfast that involved bacon. Ahhh, bacon. I love you so.

Apparently, E got the dominant bacon gene as evidenced in the photos below.


Bacon caught unawares. E moving in for the kill.

Denied. Harsh.

Bacon spotted again.

E gets points for persistence.

As I was explaining to loveball last night on the phone, I don't think I can give E bacon quite yet. Despite only having two teeth, it's so salty and fatty that I can't be good for him. Shoot, it's not good for adults. Plus I know that once he gets a taste of it, it'll be all over.

All in due time, my boy.

Together you and me

A questionnaire...


What are your middle names?

Louise and James. Which, when typed next to each other, makes it appear as if we're 83 years old.


How long have you been together?

Holy crap, 10 years! We met in 1999 and dated for 3 1/2 years. In May, we'll have been married for six.


How long did you know each other before you started dating?
Uhh...a week? We started dating right after meeting.


Who asked whom out?
T asked me out, in a very suave fashion, mind you.


How old are each of you?
T is 41 (as of Sunday!) and I'm 33.


Whose siblings do you see the most?
Probably mine. My two brothers live in town and T can't escape our family without it appearing obvious. T's two sisters and one brother are ridiculously smart and are off either being educated or educating others.


Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Hands down, being perpetually tired. We were huge sleepers pre-E and despite his ability to sleep a good 6-8 hours uninterrupted a night, it's but a fraction of what we used to get. This never-feeling-fully-rested thing makes everything touchier.


Did you go to the same school?
No. T went to boarding schools growing up and we both went to different undergraduate and graduate institutions.


Are you from the same home town?
Nope. T grew up in Uganda and Kenya and I grew up in the Midwest. T came to the Midwest for college so that's how the distance was narrowed.


Who is smarter?
Hmmm. T is finance, economics, spreadsheet-smart. I'm literature, Jeopardy, random tidbits-smart. We both laugh at the Daily Show, so that works for us. Frankly, I'm just hoping that my abhorrent math gene does not get passed onto E.


Who is the most sensitive?
T. Crikey. I sometimes (with love!) call him "my flower."


Where do you eat most out as a couple?
If we've managed to snagglepuss some time away sans E, we to like to head to an area restaurant where I can get lobster bisque and crab cakes and T can eat fish without me complaining about the smell.


Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
Rome. It was by far one of the dirtiest cities I've ever been too, but it had the most beautiful people I've ever seen. Seriously, not one ugly folk in the group.


Who has the craziest exes?
Eh, I couldn't say. None of mine were really crazy, just kind of dick-y. And I figure the bulk of T's exes are a few continents away, so I'm not too concerned.


Who has the worst temper?
We both get angry about different things at different times. T gets immediately hopped up if it pertains to me or E getting hurt. Oh, and about bad customer service. I tend to get rowdy if I feel like he's not listening to me and I've repeated something a million times.


Who does the cooking?
I'm more apt to crack out a new recipe and give it a go. T does a lot of cooking for himself when I'm not home for dinner since we have different tastes.


Who is the neat-freak?
Me. In a bad way.


Who is more stubborn?
T. Although, he'd probably say I am. Again, we're stubborn about different things while being very decisive on what we want and don't want/like and don't like. We're already seeing this trait in E; not so much the being stubborn, but the very clear messages on how he's feeling at any given time.


Who hogs the bed?
I do. But it's just because the middle is closer to T.


Who wakes up earlier?
I do. I am very much a morning person and would love nothing better if my schedule at work was switched from 9am-5pm to 7am-3pm.


Where was your first date?
At a tapas restaurant here in town. When we go there now, we still point out the table where we sat. And I remember how much I liked the look of this man since he had as much enthusiasm for dessert as I did.


Who is more jealous?
Maybe T, although, that was only something that would only occasionally crop up when we were dating. Not so much now.


How long did it take to get serious?
A month or so. I knew he was a good seed from the start.


Who eats more?
Ach...we both eat a lot. It takes very little encouragement from the other person to have a snack or tasty Lunch Part II.


Who does the laundry?
I do because all of my clothes have special needs. T is great about sharing in the folding and putting away.


Who's better with the computer?
T, who also has a Nerd Closet at home full of old gadgety things that he likes to putz around with.


Who drives when you are together?
T, only because I hate hearing him complain about my driving (which is perfectly fine, thank you).

Where's Waldo?

Can you spot the baby?



Almost...



Ah ha! Spotted.

E is tres speedy now that he's zipping around and crawling. Have momentarily been tempted to put a bell on him so that I know what's going on.

In other news, this weekend I put away a lot of the "baby" toys that were in our living room. Lately, he's been interested in toys that deliver a little bit more bang for their buck. So, I pulled out some new toys that he received as gifts before he was born and tucked the older ones away. We also ventured out and bought a few new toys: an activity table that he can stand at since he loves to stand and be active; a plastic hammer that can be used to pound blocks through their matching slots and a cell phone that lights up and says letters and numbers.

The activity table is a big hit and does way too many things to even seem right, but he likes it.

*Please note: It may appear that E is always playing in the dark in our living room, however, I promise--we do pay the light bill. It's just the jenky flash on our camera. Or the jenky operator of the camera. Depends on the day.

And here it Wednesday

And that's all I've got to say, really.

T is working late (hello? who schedules a standing 5pm meeting?) out of town and my parents are in Mexico and decided against ending their vacation early to pick-up E from daycare as they usually do on Wednesdays. While Wednesday is my usual working out day, today it is me and E in the evening. Perhaps we'll hit the library for some new books. I am going to need to gauge the status of things upon pick-up. Sometimes E is super chipper; sometimes he looks so done, put a fork in him. We'll see what 5pm brings.

Red Door's nanny is out with the plague so our lunch date was cancelled and this leaves me with scrounging for lunch on my own. Or spending money on much needed items (new kitchen trash can, Burt's Bees chapstick, two picture frames) at Target. Hmmm.

Along those lines, we had professional pictures taken of E when he was almost 6 months old. T and I kind of decided to go the route of springing for two nice sessions at 6 months and 1 year rather than doing the monthly tracking of advancing cuteness. Anyway, the pictures turned out fabulous despite the 15 minute session and E horking into his Baby Gap button down shirt. So, the picture frames I need to buy at Target? They're for the copies of the family photo we ordered for the grandparents. Intended as Christmas gifts. Not only two months overdue, but E looks so different. Ugh. Am slightly embarrassed about sending them out.

It is gray and drizzly and kind of warm (40ish) here. February and March leave me feeling toyed with. What's up with the random 55 degree day? What's up with the snow storm two days following? The good news is that I am not really tempted to buy new clothes since trying to loose some L Bs. Or 25. Crikey that seems like a lot of weight.

I gained a ridiculous amount (almost 60...okay 59 lbs.) while pregnant; lost 55 while out on maternity leave due to taking a lot of walk, being too busy to eat and breastfeeding; then gained 10 of it back because it became too cold to walk, I was too guilt-ridden to leave E and work-out and was able to finally have time to eat food. So, aside from wanting to lose weight--my body shape is kind of weird. Bigger in some areas, smaller in others, squishier in some, stronger on one side (left, due to carrying a 25 pound baby). Sigh. The bod is in a weird place. But the trainer continues to hand me my ass on a platter after each session, so that has to be helping.

I am expecting some big phone calls soon. They are:

1. From Live! with Regis and Kelly telling me that E is a semi-finalist on their Beautiful Baby search. I felt all stage-mom-esque and creepy about sending in his photo and full name and address, but I happen to think he's freakin' cute and the winner gets $125,000 for college. Holla.
2. From HGTV telling T and I that we're the lucky winners of their 2009 Dream Home. Despite adoring pretty much everything about it, we would so sell that bad boy. Furnished, even.
3. From something else that I don't feel comfortable mentioning here, but trust me--I so know they're going to call.

Can you even imagine if all phone calls/emails rolled in? Holy crap on a stick. I'd feel dubious about all those good things happening at once. I mean, I'm a good person and all--but that's a lot of nice things to happen all at one time for one person. Just sayin'.

Just realized a 1pm meeting I had was cancelled. Nice.

Okay, I'm off to pay T's speeding ticket ($115!) from last week, and...you know...maybe do some actual work at this here job.

Things I love so much it might be considered inappropriate

1. My king size bed
2. French onion dip
3. Dark chocolate
4. A new pink Longchamp bag I'm saving for spring
5. Hearing the garage door open when T is home for the day
6. The belted shirt dress
7. Hot showers
8. Movie theater popcorn with butter
9. New calendars
10. Bacon
11. The scene from Napoleon Dynamite where Uncle Rico chucks a steak at Napoleon and Kip responds with, "That's what I'm talking about."
12. E's face when he sees me first thing in the morning
13. Laying out in the sun
14. Angel food cake
15. US Weekly
16. Malted milk balls in the shape of Easter eggs
17. Melted cheese
18. Green grass
19. New car smell
20. Payday
21. When I'm thinking of a song that I'd like to hear on the radio and that exact song comes up next
22. Vacuuming

Those kids today

Something that really bothers me? When older adults make sweeping generalizations about the behaviour-dress-attitude-driving of their younger counterparts.

Generalizations themselves are kind of ass-y but I've been known to make a few of my own ("Everyone on this road is driving like a douche!"). I guess what really gets me are when they're attached to young people because so rarely is it an accurate tag to place on so many a head.

A co-worker is forever complaining about the younger students and their senses of entitlement and their laziness and their general lack of upstanding-ness. Whatever. I feel like saying something, but given this particular person have decided to choose my battles.

My dad complained about this exact same thing a few weeks ago. "Those Millenials. They don't know how to do a thing if it isn't done for them and they act like you owe it to them each time." But instead of letting it pass, I broke it down for him, "First of all, do you even know how old this makes you sound, Old Man Smithers? And I can't even tell you how many professional adults I've helped at Workplace who act as if I owe them the world. Please."

My mom seconded this motion.

Old Man Smithers, indeed.

The weekend via checklist

Friday

Feel exhausted yet light on feet that teaching is done for the term?
Check!

Race home to see T and E and wonder about state of house?
Check!

Think of parents who are enjoying sunshine and fruity drinks courtesy of Mexico?
Check!

Feel crazy jealous?
Check!

Try to give E a bath and have the entire event dissolve into hysterics?
Check!

Post new pictures and update tidbits in E's baby book?
Check!

Crawl into sheets and feel happy the past few weeks are behind us?
Check!


Saturday

Feel happy that E slept-in (until 7:15am)?
Check!

Pack up T and E and head to Babies R Us and Target and Costco for a multitude of baby paraphernalia (for E) and fish (for T)?
Check!

Eat a cupcake (courtesy of R) in the car whilst running errands?
Check!

Brush cupcakey crumbs off of T's coat before heading into Target?
Check!

Wonder when I last shaved my legs?
Check!

Spend lovely Valentiney evening chatting with T, eating pizza and drinking wine?
Check!


Sunday

Weigh self in morning and note weight loss of 4 pounds this week (holla!)?
Check!

Take E swimming and then work-out?
Check!

Have ComeToJesus with T over his workload?
Check!

Try to give E a bath in the kitchen sink and have him think the Earth is imploding in horrors?
Check!

Hang-out with work friends and eat copious amounts of guacamole while watching W.?
Check!

Nebs and Steve

On Tuesday, our pediatrician told us that E has RSV. And croup. A visit to the pediatrician again yesterday confirmed that the RSV had gotten worse and is now being kept company by a bacterial infection in his lungs ALONG WITH an ear infection.

For the love of Pete.

I try to keep a level head when wrestling with this business, but--to be completely honest--internally I feel like I'm going off the reservation and on a quick trip to Crazy Lady Town.

It's not so much juggling a sick baby because, all things considered, E was in pretty good spirits, but it was juggling sick baby, work responsibilities and an out of town husband. Oh, and a daycare that got rowdy on my ass for bringing E in while he had RSV despite the pediatrician confirming on Tuesday that was no long contagious. Boo hiss.

Anyway, RSV basically makes E sounds like he's worked in a West Virginia coal mine for the bulk of his life and smokes 2 packs a day. But, they gave us a nebulizer to do at home treatments and the little poofs of medicine every 3-4 hours have really helped.

And also given him the penultimate rage. The rage, I tell you.

E gets so completely pissed that he has to sit still for 15 minutes that I'm pretty sure he's damned me and T all to hell.

Anyway, the nebulizer--which I now call Nebs in my head--is doing its job and with any success, E should be in the clear by Sunday. But, hey!, watch your back! Because apparently he could catch RSV again anytime between now and April.

Sweet Jesus.

Nebs looks exactly like T's CPAP machine--affectionately called Scuba Steve--for his snoring. So, like father like son.

Time is ticking until I get some sort of breathing apparatus of my own. I'm more than willing to breathe in poofs of Tylenol PMs, if such a things exists.

Parenting conundrums

While pregnant with E, I only occasionally thought about what kind of parent I wanted to be and what kind of child I wanted to raise. What mainly occupied my time was thinking about who E was going to look like and whether I should have waffles or coffeecake next.

It's really only recently that I've really been trying to pinpoint how I want to raise E. What kind of little boy/adult man do I want to put out in the world?

When I think about what I want to E to be like when he's older, I've often told T that I just want him to be a kind person. Kindness is so underrated. To have a kind child would mean that he'd help others when he saw that they were struggling; that he would be sensitive when a friend was hurting; that he would want to express appreciation when given something. I think kindness covers a lot of ground in the world.

Along those lines, I want to E to appreciate what he's been given; to not take things for granted. While I don't want E to struggle, I think there's something to be said for not always getting everything you want, when you want it. I'm still feeling out how to pick and choose what to give E and what to hold back on. What to go overboard on and what to just simply skip over. I'm wondering if this is one of those things where you just have to wing it as children get older.

Unfortunately for E, so much of this parenting-gig is me winging it.

****

I find myself smiling (and, undoubtedly, looking like a fool)at and wanting to chat with many of the parents who are in E's classroom at daycare. However, so many of them seem not interested. How can this be? Our children are together for 8 hours a day! Don't you want to know me?

As I type this out, I'm realizing that this is seeming a little ridiculous. Why would they want to know me? I don't know.

I guess my interest lays in the fact that I'm kind of interested in who they are. E loves his Infant Room pals and so that makes me interested in knowing where his pals come from.

Perhaps I have too much time on my hands.

****

While I love buying clothes for E, I am alternately very tired of buying clothes for E. Newsflash: He keeps growing out of them! I have five bins of clothes that no longer fit him. He's only 8 1/2 months old!

Pre-pregnancy pants aside, I guess I'm just not used to the concept of "growing out of things."

****

I washed and put away E's Bjorn yesterday. And I felt sad. I love the Bjorn. E was in it pretty much daily from Week 2. We'd take 2-3 walks during the day; I'd pick up the house; I'd put him in it and lay on the couch with him on my chest to take naps; we'd while away the hours at Target or Costco. He was close. He was snuggly. But at 22 pounds and lots o' inches, it now feels like I'm getting the scoliosis by doing so.

I think I felt sad because it meant that it was one way that E was no longer a baby. Sure he's a baby in lots of other ways (see: plugs and trying to drink humidifier water), but no longer small enough that I can carry him around in the Bjorn.

****

E is now officially clapping.

And I find myself endlessly amused by this.

Le Small Fry

At what point do you think he'll no longer let me dress him in onesies that say Snuggle Saurus on them? Next month? 2nd grade?

Okay, not a picture of the Small Fry. But T is officially dropping it like it's hot. E has been pulling himself up on the side of the crib and peering out through the door. We thought it best to lower the crib so that he doesn't pull a Shawn Johnson and flip over the side.

Yesterday evening, clasping his apple.

E just discovered that pulling things from low-lying areas is great fun. I was putting away his laundry while he played on the floor. It made me realize how big he's getting that he can do this. It made me happy and broke my heart at the same time.

And then he made a beeline for the humidifier and tried to drink the water, so--you know--clearly I still have to keep an eye on him.

Can I get "Holla!" for procrastination

It is important to know that at this particular time I am struggling with productivity. I have sorted some papers and cracked out a few highlighters; even made a few notes for when I do start working, but until then...I blog for the masses.


Or at least, for the 4 of you who read this nonsense.


On Friday night I made Mushroom Bourguignon. It rocked steady all night long and it received T's equilvalent of the Michelin Star rating--two thumbs up. I stumbled across the recipe on Smitten Kitchen which I so recommend.


I also rented a load of movies from Blockbuster. We've discovered that the good thing about never going to movies is that as a result Blockbuster holds a veritable pirate's booty of options. I grabbed "Max Payne," "Pineapple Express," "Vicky Christina Barcelona" and holycrapIcan'trememberthelastone. Hmmm. Oh well. James Franco in "Pineapple Express" made me laugh/cry, but the rest of it wasn't that great. I recommend it if you're in the mood for a good pothead movie.


What else?


It's supposed to be 59 degrees here tomorrow. I may crack out a tank top in celebration.


You may notice to the left that I have a handy new feature about my lunchbox (and, yes, that is my actual lunchbox). This is to encourage me to bring my lunch and eat a tidgy more healthy. I figure if I'm accountable to you clowns for noting what I'm eating than perhaps I'll do better. Or not and I'll just lie about it. Which works for me, so be awares.


Alright, so this is getting a little ridiculous and I suppose I should do some work...

My morning

I've been up since 4:00am. My head is foggy.

E has a sporadic cough, and at 3:58am he coughed himself awake. Between 2:00am and 5:00am he is in his lightest sleep so anything--creaky floors, our alarm clock, coughing, apparently--has the potential of waking him up.

I put him back in his crib after being unable to rock him back to sleep and while also clarifying for him, "We are SO not getting up to play, Mister Man." At this point it was 5:03am. He chatted for a bit to himself and then passed back out. I tried to as well, but knew that I'd have to get up in 45 minutes (T was traveling).

Anyway, so T and I both got up and tippy-toed around the upstairs while E slept and slept and slept. I putzed around:

• Sorted dry cleaning to drop-off
• Two loads of laundry
• Got completely ready
• Loaded the car with all of our things
• Read the newspaper

While reading the newspaper, I found an article that my mom pointed out that referred to and quoted Dr. Eccentricbutfreakishlysmart (EBFS) regarding Nadya Suleman, the woman who recently gave birth to octuplets as a result of IVF. The article also happened to quote another physician who happens to be in the same practice as my Favorite OB/GYN of All Time. While pregnant with E and making the rounds of the doctors at that practice (which they make you do just in case Favorite OB/GYN of All Time isn't on call to deliver baby), quoted physician was my least favorite. He was ick. And had cold hands. And bolted out of the room before I could ask questions. Not a fan. I never went back to him.

Anyway, E finally woke-up at 7:45am and after getting him dressed and reading a book we headed out the door.

I made it to work early and subsequently had several interactions with a co-worker that left me wanting to work with my door closed.

Also, just realized that I forgot cough drops. I think I have some in my desk drawer and while they're not covered in some sort of fuzz, they are old enough to probably no longer have a eucalyptus soothing effect.

Oh well.

I have a lot that I need to get done and very little resolve to make it happen.

Things that I have decided to feel positive about:

• Our cleaning person, R, is coming today.
• T and I made it through a pile of movies and while none of them were great, I feel a sense of accomplishment over watching them.
• I actually remembered to bring my lunch. Usually I make it and then forget it.
• Thursday evening marks the end of my teaching for this term, so I am happy to get that behind me.
• Friday brings a Reacquaint Appointment with Dr. EBFS. Should be interesting to hear what he has to say about things for us.
• A hair appointment with a new stylist tomorrow. Am fickle and have switched yet again.

Onward, Monday!

Random useless tidbits

Have decided to give New Dentist the slip and promptly make him Old Dentist #2. Friends have recommended their own dentist, so I'm going to be in the interview process for awhile.

****

E received his first Ouchie Report from daycare yesterday. The explanation of what went down kind of made me smirk in a mom-who-smirks-at-her-injured-baby kind of way, "E.K. crawled into the corner of the changing table with his head." So matter of fact.

They iced the forming goose egg and gave him hugs and by the time I got home last night, it was a slight bump. This morning--pretty much gone.

Am thinking of investigating in one of these to protect his noggin.

****

Unsavory things that I have happened to me as a mom:

1. Needing to use my mitten as a kleenex
2. Having poo escape a diaper and roll across the nursery floor
3. Being spit up on and having it pool in my bra
4. Having a baby sneeze in my ear

****

I work late on Thursday evenings and when I come home I rush upstairs to see E:



View from his door.

Wait...what is that in the background...on the table...

AHHH! Clearly some sort of deranged lion. Given to us by A (aka loveball), this is one of E's favorite toys. For the life of me I couldn't figure what made this lion so craaazzyy looking, but then figure out it's because his mane is too long. I'm tempted to give it a trim.

E now sleeps with his biscuits in the air. You may also kind of notice the bump on his forehead. Poor buddy.

****

This summer we are taking two family vacations: one to the beach for a week in July with the entire collection of my Dad's side of the family. Aunts, uncles, cousins, babies, Grandpa--all in all probably about 25+ of us. We're renting a huge house and it should be rockin'.

A week after that I head to DC for a law librarian conference (aka Land of Middle Aged White Women) and T and E are coming with me. Workplace does a good job of setting us up in a nice hotel with a healthy per diem, so minus the flight--it's almost free for them to join me. I can't wait to hit the zoo and see the sights with my two favorite brown men.

I would love, finances permitting, to take a toasty vacation next winter. It's about this time in Michigan that the. weather. absolutely. sucks. So, I think it would be fun to take a trip and let E's mom get some sun on her pasty biscuits (and encourage her to stop talking about herself in the third person), let T relax a bit away from work and all Excel spreadsheets and let E have fun in pool.
We shall see what next winter brings.

****

I have a punch card with my favorite coffee place in town and when you order 12 coffees (or for me: a grande mocha, fat free, sugar free with no whip)--your next one is free.

When it's time for me free one, I always up the size. I feel slightly duplicitous in doing so, because, you know; it's not my usual size. But, hey, it's free! Give me the big one!

(That sounded dirty.)

****

Next Friday means good things: a) I am done with teaching my assigned classes for this term, and b) An appointment with Dr. EBFS.

****

I adore the color the pink. I have a pink bike, a pink tennis racket and a pink toothbrush.

When registering for wedding items, I tried to add the pink KitchenAid Stand mixer to our line-up but it was nixed by T (went with royal blue instead).

I recently became infatuated with this. I so don't even need a new phone, but I may or may not have gasped when I saw it on the tv which caused to T to roll his eyes in a dramatic fashion.

He so doesn't get it.

Anti-Dentite

This morning I went to a new dentist. Old Dentist was 30 minutes away yet super stellar in his dental advice.

Side bar! Remember that Seinfeld episode where Jerry's dentist starts cracking Jewish jokes even though he's not Jewish? And when Jerry complains to Kramer, Kramer says, "Jerry, you're an Anti-Dentite. A raaaabbbid Anti-Dentite!" Ha! My brother A and I sometimes say this to each other because it cracks us up like that.

Anyway...

Old Dentist was great and nice and friendly and always remembered tidbits about me even though I only saw him twice a year. This impressed me. But, dude, 30 minutes away? And only open 7am-4pm--I can not swing those hours. Also, according to Old Dentist and his army of hygienists, I was one sneeze away from having all of my teeth fall out because of my crap gums. Flossing is for wusses.

So, I bailed. And found New Dentist who is only a few minutes away from where we live currently.

New Dentist came recommended from someone I used to work with. However, after this morning, am not impressed with New Dentist. At all.

Reasons:

1. His hygienist put her boobs on my shoulder. Not her fault, perhaps, as the close proximity of my shoulder to her chest as she peered into my chompers was inevitable. However, it still was more intimate that I cared to get with a stranger.

2. His hygienist was also the receptionist. This meant that she had to pop-out and answer the phone while cleaning my teeth.

3. I didn't get a reminder phone call about my appointment. Now, I'm an adult and I write things down and remember stuff and whatnot, but I have come to rely on the reminder call and consequently got all weirded out and self-doubty when I didn't hear from them.

4. New Dentist was not friendly.

5. New Dentist told me I had "perfect gums." Old Dentist told me I had "gums that needed work." I'm siding with Old Dentist on this one since I know that I never floss and I know that they're sometimes cranky after I brush. What kind of bozo calls them "perfect"?

6. New Dentist told me a story of how two of his sons each chipped a tooth when they were younger. One with a hockey stick; the other in art class. His response to the one? "Please don't people it happened in art class. That's embarrassing." What the...?

Side bar! This reminds of the time I was in a meeting talking to a woman about her young son who was trying out for football and she said, "Well, he also wanted to do dance but that's so gay! He's not a fairy." I really don't understand people. Freakin' let your six year old son dance if he wants to.

Anyway...

So, now I don't know what to do. Do I go crying back to Old Dentist and face his tough love on my gums along with the ridiculous drive? Or do I stay with cootie New Dentist who thinks my gums are heaven but is kind of a putz?

Or...do I find New Dentist #2 in town.

The drama that is my life. I tell you.

Whirling dervish

Our mornings at home run like a finely tuned machine. Or perhaps like a well-choreographed water ballet; everyone turning and swirling in perfect time without whacking their partner in the melon.

6:00am
Baby wakes up
Wake up T; rush into shower before he knows what's what
Speedy shower (that never involves shaving)
Slap on lotion, wonder at sad state of skin, promise self to do mud mask at night
Do hair
T wrangles E into a clean diaper and back into our bed for wrestling
T rushes into shower while I play with E; get him lotioned and dressed
T gets dressed while E plays on the bed; I get dressed and put on makeup
7:00am
T leaves for work
I feed E, pick up the bedrooms, throw on lipstick, wash the bottles, get the bags ready
8:00am
Bundle everyone into coats and car seats
8:05am
If wearing heels on that particular day, spend a minute panting heavily in the car as juggling baby is tricky in tall shoes.
8:20am
Drop E off at daycare
8:40am
Pick-up mocha
8:45am
Sink into office chair and begin day

When T is traveling for work, I am without a partner in the morning. Therefore, I'm usually left flailing wildly. And a little sweaty and flustered. And tired.

5:00am
Wake up before baby
Creep in super-stealth fashion to his room to close door and avoid all creaky parts of wood floor
Shower, do hair, do makeup, throw on robe, open drapes, get bags and car seat ready downstairs, wash bottles
6:00am
Baby wakes up
Wrangle E into clean diaper, play on our bed
Get E lotioned and dressed
Feed E and play some more
Pick up bedrooms, throw on lipstick
8:00am
Bundle everyone into coats and car seats
8:05am
Sigh heavily in car and anticipate T's return home
8:20am
Drop E off at daycare
8:40am
Pick-up mocha
8:45am
Put head on desk in dramatic fashion and anticipate 5pm

The real kicker is that before I had baby I was often late for work. At 9am. Silly girl. What the heck was I doing in the morning? Oh, I know--waking up at 7:45am, drinking chocolate milk, shaving, watching the Today show. Just basically chillin' like a villian. And then sauntering into work.

While home on maternity leave I found that finding time for a shower was no big deal because, you know, I had all day to fit it in. These days, finding time to clean my body is often the single thing that causes me the most fits. Especially if on a timeline for work or some other event. It's tricky, yo.

Never did I think that hygiene would confound me so much, but that's where I'm at.

Great / good / suck

Great:

Drinking a mocha from my favorite spot
I'm pretty sure E is saying "yeah" and "hey"
E slept 8 hours last night without. a. peep. Shout out to J.C. on that one.
Husband who always takes out the trash
Keeping thoughts of evening walks in my mind
Schedule/routine getting back on track
Thinking about lovely tax returns


Good:

January is over, yet March looms
Time with trainer v. cost of trainer
New shoes that aren't too pinchy
AFLAC
Coupons from Target



Suck:

The fatty gas bill we got in the mail last week. Ooofff.
V. rowdy guts after a too tasty dish
Overhanging nervousness over teaching new class
Nefarious mouse under kitchen sink
No time to patch hole in kitchen wall
Bending over and consequently busting a hole in the butt of your tights
Husband who travels a lot for work

****

Contest/giveaway announcement!

Deanna is the winner of the cute Isaac Mizrahi clutch. Yeah for her!

And a yet-to-be-decided runner-up prize is going to Fanny for her observation that the "Juno" line was incorrect. Hey, when I said my family recited movie lines--I didn't say that we were always accurate.

Because who doesn't like a giveaway?

Okay, so because the tone of yesterday evening's post was rather bleak...I've decided to lighten things up a bit (and take a break from doing my craptastic work) with a contest! And giveaway!

Holla!

My family is notorious for reciting movie lines and I don't doubt that this is rather annoying to the poor saps who try to watch a movie with us.

In this vein, I've listed lines from 9 movies that I like. Post your answers in the Comments section to the movie titles by midnight on Monday. The person with the most right will win this:

A brand new Isaac Mizrahi silver clutch. It's cute and thin and perfect for when you don't want a bulky purse.

Onward!

1) "How about 'no!,' you crazy Dutch bastard."

2) "What's the matter, Junebug? Did you hit somebody with the Previa?"

3) "There used to be nothing wrong with the name; until that no-talent ass clown came along and started winning Grammys."

4) "Silver tuna tonight, Marv."

5) "Neil Patrick Harris just stole my car."

6) "We've got no jobs. We've got no food. Our pets heads are falling off!"

7) "Who dat? I ain't never seen hair that color before. Do you know a dyed haired woman?"

8) "Marcie Dahlgren-Frost. Dahlgren is my maiden name, Frost is my married name. I'm single again, but I never bothered to remove the Frost. And I get compliments on the hyphen. "

9) "If you have poo, fling it now."