(both the child and the portraits)
It's hard to remember your first pregnancy detail by detail unless you wrote everything down.
I couldn't remember when I started feeling nauseous or headache-y. All I remember is when it passed. I was around 16 weeks, and I woke up one morning and was like "WOOOHOOOO, I can move mountains! I can kick your ass! I am all-powerful woman growing a HUMAN!" I felt great then and for the rest of my pregnancy minus the normal aches and pains. The first trimester, I know I only threw up once or twice but had an overall yucky feeling and was incredibly tired. I remember not being able to stay awake past 9 pm no matter how hard I tried.
And though I'm only 6 weeks and some along now, I was feeling pretty good. I knew it would end. And it has. Today, I feel like ass. Big hairy goat ass. I woke up with a headache so after taking Charlotte to her dayhome, I came home to work. I sat at my computer and my head was pounding, so I went to lie down. I slept fitfully, with weird dreams about not being able to run fast enough, getting my bike stolen, being lost on a highway with steps along it - very bizarre, and woke an hour later, showered, and tried to resume work.
Since then, about two hours ago, I have had my head in the toilet no less than three times.
And please, don't think I'm complaining about this pregnancy instead of being grateful for it; it's not like that at all. I'm incredibly happy and would stick my head in a toilet for the rest of my life if it meant having a wonderful healthy family. I'd just make sure to tell you about it. ;)
I posted this a few months ago, but lost it in the move, so here is my baby shaking her money maker at 11 months old.
Ten things I'd rather do than take a 19-month-old to get her Christmas pictures taken ever again:
1) Pry my eyes open with toothpicks and be forced to watch House of Wax with Paris Hilton.
2) Have my lips sewn shut and simultaneously be thrown into a vat of chocolate.
3) Pluck out every body hair with rusty tweezers found in the bottom of a hooker's drawer.
4) Eat mushroom a la mode with mushroom gravy.
5) Stuff tampons up my nostrils and blow milk out of my nose and see if they expand enough to rupture membranes.
6) Lick Robin Williams' arms.
7) Sleep with Steve Buschemi.
8) Run over my foot with an 18-wheeler carrying heavy bags.
9) Smoke apple cinnamon potpourri with a Mr. Potato Head pipe.
10) Rip off my left arm and beat myself about the head with my good one.
Ok people, the feeds are now working 100%. If you look out the window to your left, you will see some subscribing buttons for you. Please keep all arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.
Be back later with a real post!
I go into the office on Mondays which pretty much sucks Sasquatch testicles as it is, but to make matters worse, it seems to have been raining every Monday for the last 80 weeks at least. This, of course, means that Asshole Von Jerkface must drive 35 miles per hour. In front of me. This morning's 56 mile commute took me just over two hours.
Add to the fact that I had to pee so bad, I seriously contemplated shoving one of Charlotte's diapers down my pants, and I was already a miserable misanthrope at the ripe hour of 9:30 am.
But I made it to the bathroom and got my decaf and settled into my desk, ready for the day? And I open my email and my Google reader (some of you said you were having issues adding this site - please try now; it works for me) and there were 87598745894 million unread blogs. And I get all sweaty and nervous. I have to work! But I need to read! Because if I don't read them now, they will just double up by the time I get home! And then I won't have time to comment! And then people will think I'm a bad blog friend and I NEED to know what's going on with Catwoman's Little Man or Madame Queen's Punkin. Or see Mishelle's new pics or die from cuteness over Swistle's kids. And what if Caley had the baby?!?! (she hasn't yet, by the way - but go look st her belly pic; I swear I can see the kid doing his taxes in there) But seriously people? Am I the only one that thinks you all have a meeting somewhere and decide to write posts and exactly the same time on Sunday night/Monday morning? So, here's the deal: If I suck commenting on Mondays, it's either because I'm super busy, or I've been arrested for kicking Mr. BMW in his face.
Look left - like my new ticker thing? Kinda creepy huh? According to my newsletter, Spawn Part Deux (any clever names for my lentil-bean-sized embryo?) is working on brain development this week. So, what I'm getting is that I should lay off the huffing? ;)
P.S. If you haven't already updated your blog rolls and links, I still have a whole jar of Fluff!!!
P.P.S. Off to watch Chuck - anyone else obsessed with this show? Did you see that kiss last week? OH sweet baby jeebus it was hot. I wasn't sure who I wanted to be in that scenario more - Chuck or Sarah.
Thanks to the wonderful Peggy, who runs Jaxdesigns but is recovering from a hard drive failure, I am no longer going to be the search hit for all the weird d1aper1ng det1$shes, which was totally freaking me out.
I am now Diary of a Modern Matriarch.
The old website will be forwarded to the new one for a few months until everyone has a chance to update their blog rolls and such (Hint: Please update your blog rolls and such.) (Pretty pretty please?) (There may be a fluffernutter in store for you if you do) (And maybe a shiny nickel.)
When I transfered my old posts over to the new site, I lost all the comments, so I am saving the posts on this page until Peggy sees if there is a way to migrate them over as one. Then, once we get that squared away, all these posts will be deleted so that they don't point to my new site.
I so hate perverts for making all this work for me.
Thanks again, Peggy!
Before I go stuff my face at not one, but two, houses later today, I figured I'd jump on the bandwagon, but with a twist. Sometimes realizing what you are not thankful for helps you remember why your life is so good.
So here are things I am NOT thankful for.
1) The Wiggles.
2) Relatives that live far away (Mark, get your ass back here soon! We miss you!)
3) Mushrooms.
4) The Writer's Guild Strike. I swear if Agent Booth goes away, I will cry like a sissy schoolgirl.
5) Bills.
6) Slow drivers.
7) Jerkface people who are rude to cashiers/waiters.
8) The aches and pains from working on the basement.
9) Mike having to work tomorrow.
10) My metabolism, which on days like today is my arch nemesis.
11) PAP smears.
12) My daughter's penchant for the phrase"no, NAH-NICE!"
13) My allergies.
14) Never sleeping past 6:30 a.m. Even when I try.
15) Did I already say The Wiggles? Cause I'm really really not thankful for them.
See, feel better? That's such a small list compared to what I am thankful for.
Have a great holiday everyone (except for my friends in Canada, who had theirs already, which I so don't get on so many levels. I mean, isn't Thanksgiving celebrating the conquest of the American lands, stealing them from Native people, and raping their people? Did you guys do that too?)
Holy crap, could I be more bitter about the origins of this holiday? But I am happy with what it has evolved to: a day to eat, drink, and be merry with family, damnit.
And I make one kick-ass coconut cream pie (and a sugar free pumpkin pie which would fool anyone for my diabetic mother and father-in-law!! I seriously like it better than the regular kind).
Ok, I'm really leaving this time.
Go forth and be ye chubby.
Charlotte's First Thanksgiving, 2006, Six-months old
Pre-turkey:
When I started this blog and bought the domain name, I thought for days of an appropriate title. I needed something that would define who I was - a mother, a wife, an editor - and reflect that my life, though wonderful, is a wee bit on the chaotic side.
I figured this title works because I have a baby in diapers for at least another year, plan on having more kids who will also be in diapers, hence the name. But I guess I didn't think far enough into the future. At some point, my children will be out of diapers and then, really, does the title still work?
More importantly and the real reason I am beseeching you, is that did you know there is a feti$h about diapers? as in being "diapered"? I didn't. For crimeny sakes people, what isn't out there? The point of this is that many search strings for such "things" brings people to my site, where I post pictures of my child. Do I want such people here? Not really.
So, I've pretty much made up my mind that I want to change the title of my site, but this is a HUGE pain in the hinterlands. 1) I have to think of something ALL over again. I think I just want to change the "Diapering" part. 2) I have to get a new domain name and forward people from this site to the new one and so suck at all stuff technical. 3) I have to beg and plead for people who like me enough to change the links on their blogrolls. 4) I have to contact my site designer and ask her to change the masthead.
Argh. Hmph. Why must perverts ruin my day?
Any advice? What other work could I use in place of the "Diapering" - I like the alliteration, so maybe it should start with a D or M and have the same syllables. Help? Please? With cream cheese and a cherry?
Right around the time my daughter turned a year old, she decided she was not a big fan of pants.
And whenever I could, I would give her "hieney time" letting her run around with her little dimpled tush in the breeze, letting her revel in her purity and enjoy feeling free.
I was tagged by Caley for this meme. I usually don't do these, and it's nothing personal against people who tag me, so don't feel bad. I just usually don't have time. But this is perfect since I need a pretty brainless Saturday post.
What I was doing 10 years ago: I was in my senior year of high school at the Marine Academy of Science and Technology. Yes, I'm a dork. I went to a Navy ROTC specialized high school in the marine sciences. You'd think I would have went to college for science or biology at the very least. Nah, I decided right around this time ten years ago I wanted to major in English and be a writer. If only I knew that degree would get me nowhere fast, paying my bills paycheck to paycheck ten years later, I may have stuck with the sciences.
What I was doing 5 years ago: I had just graduated college and started the same job I have now as an Editorial Assistant for a technical publishing company. Now, I've moved up the ranks some and am an Associate Editor with three of my own journals to publish each year totaling upwards of 3500 pages/year. I don't like my job very much, but I am pretty good at it, I like my colleagues, and I have great flexibility, being able to work from home 3 days a week.
One year ago: I was doing exactly what I'm doing now, except Charlotte was six months old and I thought it would be nice to host Thanksgiving so that both sets of grandparents could spend her first Thanksgiving with her. It was a nice day when all was said and done, but I think I'm still a little tired from it.
Yesterday: I got Leo and Charlotte all ready to go - Leo in his carrier and Charlotte all bundled up in her pink sparkly poofy coat. I dropped Charlotte at her dayhome and then took Leo to the vet. It was the day he was to lose his kitty man bits. Then, I came home, worked for 30 minutes, then went to the allergist where I begged and pleaded for them to help me. She sent me home with saline and rhinocort and told me to just keep trucking and it would get better in the winter. She also said I could use bendaryl and Afrin if it was really bad. Then I came home where the Air Duct cleaning people were already here. Mike took the day off so I wouldn't have to be home alone with strangers, which always freaks me out for some reason. I went to the basement office and started working. The good news is that there is no mold in our walls as I feared. The bad news is that when the guys pulled the filters off, there was literally 2-3 inches of dust stuck to them. They were totally clogged and the guys said the unit wasn't even moving air. They changed the filters and spent hours about the house removing vents and cleaning ducts. When they were finished, they had to put some sanitizer in the vents and, though safe and approved by the EPA, we had to leave for two hours. So Mike and I packed up our laptops and went to Barnes and Noble, where we paid for internet for two hours. Then, he went to get Charlotte from her dayhome and I went to get Leo from the vet. Charlotte did not nap well, so we had a rough night until bath and bedtime. Then I worked for a little while and we ended the night with some matrimonial bonding. You're thinking naughty thoughts aren't you? Nay, nay. We played Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii. Mike bought it for me for my birthday, knowing I love all things Mario. It may actually be funner than the matrimonial bonding you were originally thinking of. Well, maybe.
5 things I would do if I had $100 Million: Quit my job, open a restaurant, invest and set up college funds, start a charity, and hire house staff.
5 places I would run away to: The Big Island of Hawaii, the Adirondacks, Costa del Sol, Australia, Greece
5 TV shows I like: Bones, House, Chuck, Lost, and Scrubs.
5 things I hate doing: Driving in the left lane behind Gramma McGrannypanties, dusting, holding my baby down while she gets shots, watching my husband play video games while I edit, paying bills/balancing the check book.
5 biggest joys of the moment: That my family is healthy and happy, that I can eat my face off for Thanksgiving next week, cold weather is coming so my allergies should be better, the duct cleaning people who made a huge difference in my house, and the chinese food I will be ordering tonight for dinner while Mike is out all day at his friend's house for a Game Day.
I'm supposed to tag five people I think: Michael C, Catwoman, Anglophile Football Fanatic, Steph, and Madame Queen.Mike met me at Panera across from the doctor's office so he could take Charlotte while I went into the ENT. I walked in, filled out my paper work. Congestion? Check! Loss of smell and taste? Check! Agony enough to annoy the hell out of your husband and friends because you won't stop complaining about how you can't breathe or smell or taste? Check!
I was confident he'd find something and would make me better. He stuck cotton balls soaked in something up both my nostrils to "decongest me" so he could get a better look. Then, he stuck a camera tubey thingie up both nostrils, and with the sweetest voice he could muster because he knew how upset I was, said "Aww, honey, I'm sorry. You just have really terrible allergies."
He said that due to the warm fall in NJ, that the leaves are lying on the ground, molding in the extra high temperatures. This is why I've been so bad the past few weeks. Also, we had a flood in our basement a few months ago and now I'm convinced that even though we killed the mold on the floor and such, it is living in our vents and we are breathing it in, and since I am allergic to dust and mold, I am faring the worst. I called a Air Duct company and the woman on the phone and I talked like we were old friends. She felt terrible for me and is going to send someone to look at everything tonight. Then, we are going to set up a day for them to come clean, sanitize, and figure out our whole air duct system since we have no clue how to use it (there is some electric air cleaner contraption in the basement that we don't know how to work or even if it does).
So, I suffer. We do what we can in the house to minimize the allergens for my issues and for the health of everyone else. He says I can take one bendryl every night before bed to help "calm down the inflammation" but right now, nothing else is worth trying. He also gave me this saline stuff to shoot up there, which I suppose is the same as what I'm doing with the neti pot.
I left the office happy I found such a great ENT, who reminds me of Egon from The Ghostbusters. But I also left in tears, which if you have allergies like mine, is apparently the worst thing ever. By the time I met Mike at Toys R Us (where else would he be?), I was a red-eyed, snot-nosed mess. I can't stop sneezing. I can't stop blowing my nose.
So I made myself cookies and ate spoonfuls of batter. Way to wallow.
Ok, I have a few things rolling around in my brain that need to be disucssed amongst the group.
So, let's start with replying to comments. I'd love to reply to each and every one of you personally, by email, but some of you who are logged in through blogger do not have your email settings to allow me to do this. Hence, when you comment me and I click "reply," all I get is a "noreplycomment" yadda yadda. If you want me or anyone else to be able to reply to your comments, you have to go into your blogger profile and click "Show my email address." Then, when a comment pops up in my inbox, and I hit "reply," I can email directly to you! Thanks to SciFi Dad for that tip!
Along the same vein, do you guys backtrack to posts to see if I've commented back to you? I used to do this - reply IN the comments, but then I realized that most people probably don't backtrack to re-read them. Am I wrong?
How would you prefer your comment to be acknowledged? I hate to NOT write you back. You've taken the time to come and read and comment and I want to return the respect; I just haven't figured out what works best for the masses yet.
Moving on....Do any of you use Google Reader? Or Bloglines? Any preference? I use Reader to access all my blogs, but have found that sometimes when it updates them and I go to the blog, there is already a bazillion comments and it has been posted for a while. Which leads me to believe that Reader is slow on the uptake? Anyone else have any input?
Some of you asked me about the Neti Pot for my congestion issues. It's basically a little teapot that you stick in one nostril, tilt your head and pour, and it comes out the other nostril, flushing your sinues along the way, clearing out debris, allergens, and reducing congestion. Click on the link to read an article from Oprah and see it performed. There is also a video from one of the makers (I use a plastic one by SinuCleans in case you care)
I've been using it twice a day and it clears me up for the time being, but I think my issue is much more underlying than can be helped with a saline wash. It does feel funny for like half a second but then pours right through. You have to be careful with how you tilt your head because it can come in the back of your throat and it's like swallowing salt water. There are all sorts of studies that have proven that saline washing of your sinuses helps prevent sinus infection and reduce allergies. I mean, it can't hurt right? I would definitely recommend it to someone who has congestion issues, though I fear I may be beyond hope and need a nose transplant.
My appointment is tomorrow and you better bet your bottom dollar there will be tears. Doctors ALWAYS listen to women in tears. I miss the way food tastes. I miss the way my voice sounds. I miss sitting on the couch and watching TV without having to blow my nose every five minutes.
Ok, I'm done whining. I'll let you all know how the appointment goes tomorrow.
81. I bite the inside of my lip. It's like uncontrollable when I'm reading or sitting in the car. Sometimes I do it so much, it bleeds. Gross, I know.
82. I have an unnatural fear of hippos. I realize I won't come into contact with very many in New Jersey, but they just creep me out. And they are the number one animal killer of people in Africa. Swear.
83. I have all these really cool innovative ideas and things I'd like to invent or stores/restaurants I'd love to open but I have zero business sense.
84. I don't believe in ghosts.
85. I support our troops but not this war.
86. I was bald until I was around 18 months old, which is probably why my baby has little wispy nothings on her head at the same age.
87. The only time in my life I ever remember being scared was when I thought I was miscarrying at 7 weeks.
88. I can read a book in a day.
89. I was 308 pounds when I graduated college.
90. I love broccoli and spinach on my pizza.
91. Ever since being accordioned in a small car when I was 18, I have only and will only own SUVs. I don't care if they guzzle gas if they save my life or the life of my family.
92. I am obssessed with finding the perfect pillow. I hate big fluffy pillows and too-squishy pillows. I need the perfect size, perfect firmness, and they usually end up being the cheap Target brand that I like. Mike calls them my "turd pillows."
93. My best friends and I have known each other for 15 years.
94. My dining room is a brick red and I love it.
95. I love antique books and try to collect cool titles or first editions or really old books when I go upstate NY.
96. I am a terrible swimmer and would probably die if I got lost in the ocean.
97. I read ALL the Babysitter's Club books when I was a kid. I would buy it the day they came out and lock myself in my room and not come out until I finished it.
98. I love Indian/Asian food and culture.
99. I have to shave my legs at least every other day or they itch and make me crazy.
100. I never leave the house without makeup, even if it is only mascara and lip gloss. I feel nekkid without it.
That concludes the 100 most useless things you ever wanted to know about me.
After allergy testing, trying different medications, and overdosing my poor body on OTC decongestants, I finally made an appointment with an ENT for Thursday morning. I can't breathe, like ever. It drains me. It makes me tired and what's worse, is that when I'm stuffy I can't sleep. I hate breathing with my mouth open and fight it tooth and nail. Some nights, I will take nasal spray just so I can function the next morning, but I know better than to use those more than one day at a time because the rebound congestion is worse.
My primary doctor thought maybe I have an underlying infection so I have been on antibiotics since last week and nothing has changed. Last night I was so clogged, I felt like my face was going to explode. Mike had to keep pausing the DVR because he couldn't hear the TV over me honking into tissue after tissue. My nose is raw, my head is heavy, and my body is poisoned with too many meds that don't work.
So, I am going to see an doctor who specializes in all things schnoz, and hopefully he can figure out what the hell is wrong with me.
I mean, sure I have allergies to dust and mold, but who doesn't, and I am definitely worse in our hoouse, but we have done everything possible. We have an air filter, hypoallergenic bedding, pillows, and mattresses. We vacuum and dust and wash our sheets in hot water once a week. We're doing everything humanely possible.
The worst part of this whole thing, ya know, other than the lack of AIR, is that I lose my sense of smell, and with it, goes my taste. Do you know how depressing it is to try and eat dinner and not taste a damn thing? I am literally getting quite sad over this and just don't see an end in sight.
I am done with OTC meds - they barely work anyway, and why put stuff in my body if it doesn't help. Nasal spray is a last resort. I even tried those breathe right strips, saline wash with a neti pot twice a day, steam baths, and NOTHING works. I am at wits end. Truly.
I was wary going into paintballing. We woke up and the weather was cold and rainy, not what I was hoping for. No one backed out so the game was still on.
We get there, get geared up, and get ready to pop a cap in some asses.
Don't I look tough with my camouflage and my PURSE? Cute, eh? We did leave it in the car though. But not before taking a picture with Mark, who had his own camo gear and his own gun. Needless to say, I picked him for my team.
And needless to say, we won. A lot.
My favorite was when I shot my husband right between the eyes, and it exploded into a perfect splatter. If only I could have had my camera on the field, but I didn't want to get it ruined. Another friend took one right in the man area and went down, hysterically grabbing his crotch with one arm while raising his gun in surrender with the other. I got shot dead center in my stomach by my own flesh and blood, my sister. And I also got hit once on the face mask, but that doesn't hurt at all since it just explodes. So in over two hours, only getting shot twice was a bonus. I did have to surrender once because my loving husband was a few feet outside of the bunker I was hiding in and kept shooting at me. I had no escape. If I stuck my head out to see where he was, I could have gotten shot in the face. Didn't sound like a fun option. So, despite sticking my gun out and shooting randomly to try and hit him, I never hit him and had to surrender. I few times, I ran out of ammo and then you have to surrender. Mike got hit the most, and though he is a good player, we all attributed it to his size. I mean, it's kind of hard to be stealthy when you are 6'4 and not a tiny man.
My favorite of the day had to be Bridget (in the pic with me up top). She can be slightly girly sometimes, so I expected her to be a sissy and scream and run around. But, she kicked ass! She went all military on me. She'd be like "Take my gun, it's got more rounds. I'm gonna run flank left. When Pat pops up, shoot him. Cover me, I'm going in!!" I damn near died. And she took the two hits in her leg like a champ, though they were bruised and red later.
My sister was complaining that her only hit was on her ass so she didn't know what it felt like. Mike offerered to shoot her. She turns her face away and says "OK, do it" Then, she changes her mind. She yells "No No NO." She thinks Mike has acquiesced but as she turns, he shoots her anyway. She collapses amidst screaming and laughing. I laughed so hard I may have peed a little. (Eff you Kegels).
I had more fun than I thought I would. The weather turned out pretty decent and even though it was chilly, with all the padding, we were even a little sweaty. We're already talking about when we're gonna go next.
After we were done, we celebrated with rice krispie treats, which the genius that I am had the forethought to make. I mean, I know that when I am done shooting people, the first thing I want is a marshmallowy treat. Wouldn't you?
Then we all headed home to get ready to go to dinner. People came over to my house for snacks and drinks before hand. We went to my favorite Thai place where I stuffed my face on Pad See Ew. After a few drinks at the house, and some bottles of wine with dinner, I asked Amy to take a picture of Mike and me.
Take one:
Take two:
Three times a charm:
Thanks everyone for coming out with me!! I had fun shooting you!
(in front of the party store next to the restaurant - The Bamboo Leaf is less neon)
My mind is so overwhelmed with deadlines, house projects, whiny toddlers, lawsuits, the holidays, money issues - everyday life stuff - that I can't form a coherent thought from start to finish. Seriously. Every time I start to think about something, a small garden gnome named Seamus comes and steals my thoughts, giggling with glee as he tosses them in the crapper.
So, today you get bullets. They're whimsical. They get to the point while having no point; they're beautiful like that.
How we celebrated the birth of our daughter (she was conceived in Hawaii):
61. I love peanut butter. So does Charlotte. We go through a huge jug every couple of months. It seems like we always need peanut butter, scooping spoonfuls as a snack.
62. I played soccer growing up and can't wait to coach my kids' teams. I'm gonna be THAT mom.
63. I went to a military NROTC high school.
64. I wish I had gone into a more creative field, like photography or graphic/web design. I feel like I'm wasting part of myself at my current job.
64. I work all the time and feel like I can never catch up.
65. I used to read murder/crime thriller books all the time but lately they've been disturbing me.
66. My favorite flowers are lillies - day and calla.
67. "Italian" people who pronounce words like "mutzarell" and "rigut" annoy me. Real Italians don't speak that way.
68. I am awesome at Wii golf. Waaaaaay better than my brother-in-law. (Hi Mark!!)
69. I love cooking but do more of the homey foods, like meatballs and chili while Mike handles the gourmet stuff.
70. I love Blue Moon on tap. We are thinking about getting a kegerator just so we can always have it.
71. We chose Charlotte's name because we were flying to Charlotte, NC the day I found out I was pregnant.
72. I want to write a tween science fiction book. I have the first two lines. That's all.
73. I miss laying in bed all day watching movies.
74. Clutter makes me nervous.
75. I know all the words and songs to Elmo in Grouchland.
76. I wear a size 11 shoe. Mike wears a size 15. Our kids are going to be able to ski barefoot.
77. I love medical mystery shows on the Discovery Channel.
78. I am so high-strung I annoy myself sometimes.
79. I would love to move and try living in a different state/country but I couldn't leave my family or friends - they are my support system.
80. I once had a conversation with a lamp in college and understood every word.
Today was my birthday.
I didn't remind anyone, didn't make a big deal about it, didn't even tell people that don't know me well.
I used to keep a countdown to my birthday on the calendar. I loved my birthday. If you asked me what my favorite holiday was, I'd have told you My Birthday. Because it is all about me - no one else - just me. And I would have big parties and go places and have hooplas. When I turned 21, we partied for a week straight. I'm not kidding. In the course of seven days, we did Atlantic City, Philly, NYC, Hoboken and other local bars/restaurants. I danced on tables. I sang karaoke. I had fun.
No countdown this year, last year, or the year before. I kind of hoped it would just pass by unnoticed, but the phone keeps ringing and the email keeps dinging. I guess people do like me.
Since becoming pregnant, my body, my life, everything I am, is no longer for me. When I was pregnant, I breathed and ate for the life growing inside me. Last year, though we went out to my favorite Thai restaurant, I knew I couldn't drink too much because the baby wasn't sleeping well and I'd pay for it the next day. This year, I worked all day to catch up on the overtime I missed this past weekend.
My wonderful husband left work early to go to the food store, and prepared one of my favorite meals - homemade butternut squash ravioli in butter, walnut and cranberry, with a pear gorgonzola salad and fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil. My brother-in-law Mark (Mike's brother) who is in town from Colorado and my best friend (who is also Mark's girlfriend - we're a sordid bunch) came over and we had a few drinks and ate a very awesome home-cooked meal.
We had a few games of Wii bowling and golf, of which I won both (sissy bitches) and now the night is winding down while watching Willow, one of the greatest movies ever made.
It has been a good birthday, as they all are. Because I am loved and well taken care of. Even if I don't want to focus on me, my family and friends make sure that they try and make it special.
I've just kind of resigned myself that with each passing birthday, time is passing. I am not "old" by any means and realize I have my whole life ahead of me and every other cliche you can think of. But it is all just going so fast. Each time summer ends and fall begins, bringing it with my birthday, I can't believe another year has passed and that winter hangs in the air.
I am getting older, and with that, so is my sweet baby. Watching her grow is one of the most beautiful things. Yesterday, she was this tiny peanut baby that fit in Daddy's hands.
It's 8:30 pm on Sunday and we just settled down after one of busiest weekends.
Lauren's wedding was gorgeous - she looked stunning and everything went off without a hitch. One thing I learned this weekend is that I should never, ever, under any circumstance, think for a hot second that I can keep up drinking with a bar full of Brits. I cannot. Nor can I keep drinking after we close the bar down and all go back to our room until 4:30 am without having some serious pains when we wake up at 8:30 am.
I am exhausted.
I have been trying to catch up on all your blogs but the task is daunting and my bed is calling. So if I haven't commented or returned emails this weekend, please don't hate me.
Here are some pictures from yesterday to hold you over until I am back to my loquacious self.
As you all know, I have this wedding I am in on Saturday. It's a rather big deal.
The rehearsal and dinner are tomorrow night. Sitter? Check. Cousin Michele is coming over.
The hair and makeup are at 9 am on Saturday. Sitter? Check. Daddy will be home.
The ceremony is at 2, arrival to Lauren's moms at noon. Sitter? Check. Mother-in-law will come.
The reception is at 5. Ends at 10ish. After-party at the Sheraton. Sitter? Check. MIL is staying overnight so Mike and I can stay out.
Sick baby so that the entire weekend as I know it may be comprimised? Check. Yellow snot is present.
Why today? I guess today is less worse than if it were tomorrow, but I got the phonecall to pick Charlotte up from her dayhome this morning no more than 30 minutes after I dropped her off. She seems in good spirits and when she sneezes goop, yells "boogahs" and runs over to me so I can wipe her nose, and she even blows it.
My hands are already raw from washing them about 12 times today and it's only 9 am. I realize that there is probably little I can do to with a snotty goopy baby to prevent me from getting sick, but I can try, right? I also started the Airborne, Zicam, Vitamin C trifecta and hopefully, this will stave off any cold/illness for this weekend.
I am not an antibiotic person. The baby has never had them and I have only used them once or twice in the last ten years for serious issues - like preventing spinal infections, strep, and such. I am of the mindset that most antibiotics do nothing for "colds" because they are viruses, and all we are doing is building our bodies up to be useless to fight infection on its own and become immune to the use of antibiotics when we actually do need them.
So that being said and in addition to fluids and saline drops in her nose (which I might as well behead Elmo in front of her for the sheer horror this causes her), does anyone have any home remedies to help a sick baby get better quicker or prevent me and Mike from getting it?
Seriously? This weekend is a big deal for us. It is important for me to be there for Lauren but I am also looking forward to getting away for the night, celebrating with friends, and sleeping in past 6 am with my husband. And now I worry this is all going to be comprimised. What if we get sick? What if the baby gets worse and I can't enjoy myself because I'm worried about her?
Oh, and the reason there are no Halloween pics up from yesterday is because I lost my camera somewhere between my moms house, Mike's car, and this house. Awe. Some.
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