Baby's 1st blog post

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Clearly, she said she loves me and appreciates proper punctuation. She is also quite fond of the space bar - she so likes her space.

Why?

Why is it impossible for me to throw out the heel of the bread when I first open the package. I am just going to throw them both out at the end. I guess I kind of see the heels as the book ends of the bread, bread ends.

Life in Color: Blue

Blue

Life in Color: Chartreuse

Okay, finally finished the first set. This was harder than I thought. But it's good practice for me on my photography. So I present to you:

CHARTREUSE

What's in the letter J?

Stolen/borrowed/whatever from TwinsMom. This should be interesting. I think hers was easier.

Using the first letter of your first name, write 10 things that mean something to you.

"J"

Jazzy: Well, it's one of my nicknames and it's important to me to live up to my name, so I try to be jazzy at all times, or at least some of the time, because being jazzy all of the time would be annoying.

January: The month my daughter was born and my life changed forever and for better.

Okay, I'm pulling out the dictionary, because really, how many things start with the letter "J".

Jalopy: My old car. It wasn't a total jalopy, but close to it and getting closer everyday. Some days I really miss that car...

Jaunt: I really do love to take little jaunts to new places. Of course I don't normally call them jaunts, I call them drives or trips like a normal person of today.

Jewels: Now what woman doesn't like jewels? Even Savannah is already enamored with my jewelry. Boy are we in trouble! My favorite jewel is of course my beautiful engagment ring that hubby picked out all by himself.

Jest: I have been known to say funny things and I love a good laugh. A good sense of humor makes life so much brighter.

Judaism: I am half Jewish, or part or still learning who I am, but part of my family is Jewish and they mean a lot to me.

Jellybeans: I loooooove me some jelly beans, but JellyBelly only please!

Java: java, coffee, nectar of the Gods, whatever you choose to call it, it helps get me through the day.

Jeans: There is nothing better than a good pair of jeans--comfortable with just the right amount of sexy. The kind you can wear with a t-shirt or with a cute top and it's all good.

Caption this

I am working on the color photo montages you have requested. It's taking me longer than I thought and some of you threw in some rather interesting colors to challenge me. In the meantime, caption this picture.

Four Months

Dearest Daughter,

Four months have passed and I can hardly believe how you are growing and changing. Before my eyes you morph into a new being each day.

You have discovered your hands and are starting to discover your feet. You like to see if you can get both hands in your mouth and constantly have a face full of drool. You have accidentally rolled over a couple of times and it amazes me. You have recently found your voice and are not afraid to use it. You talk to me while I work and have great conversations with Daddy. Your talk makes me laugh and that makes you laugh. I could go for nights with no sleep as long as you show me that smile. I could live on your smiles and I do.

You love to stand up with my help and will walk if encouraged. That scares me to death. I cannot even begin to imagine how my life will be affected when you are mobile. You are a very active child. You hate just sitting and most of the time we have to walk around with you to entertain you. You get bored very easily as well. You are usually not content with just sitting, but must stand. You kick your legs so much while in your crib that we cannot keep a blanket on you nor can we keep you facing in one direction. I fear and look forward to when I will have to chase you around the house. I don't see how I will ever get anything done.

You do not like to be restrained at all and rarely do not protest at least a little when I put you in your car seat or even your swing. You will be a free spirit I think. Not wanting anything to hold you down or in.

You love looking at yourself in the mirror and will smile and laugh at yourself. I will put you in your on the bathroom counter while I get ready and you love to entertain yourself in the mirror.

At times you are very serious and I can constantly see your little mind taking in your surroundings and learning from them. You sometimes stare off into space, but even then I can tell you are thinking about something.

Your hair is falling out and you hardly have any on the right side of your head. You have a nice comb over on the other side and we call you Trump Jr sometimes. Your new hair is coming in much lighter which makes sense since both Daddy and I were tow headed.

You have recently started grabbing your ears with both hands all the time. The doc says nothing is wrong so that is good, but it is rather strange behavior.

Your Daddy and I love you very much and cannot wait to see what the next month, days, weeks bring.

Love,
Mommy

Life is better in Color

I was just over checking in at Amber's place and she had her monthly Flickr photo contest submission up. It gave me an idea. Give me a color and I will do a photo montage of all things that color. I will do the first commenter's color first and follow in order of comment/color. Remember, I do things in the time frame of having of four month old, but I promise your color photo montage will get posted. Let's say 10 pictures for each color. Pick your color...

Leadership

Always do the right thing in any situation. You never know who might be looking to you for leadership.

This thought came to me the other day as I drove down a very busy road near our house. I watched as a couple cars pushed the limit to make it past a school bus as it slowed down for a stop. As I looked in my rear view mirror, not many cars behind me were slowing down. I started to stop and the cars around me started to stop. Would they have stopped if I hadn't, who knows? But some times we watch those around us to see how we should act or react.

A friend recently sent me a video clip of a news program that was doing some experiments to see how people reacted to a little girl being kidnapped. The experiment was set in NYC and a 7 year old girl was acting like she was being taken while a man reprimanded her for running off. The little girl kept screaming, "You're not my dad!" over and over. For hours they acted this scenario out and no one did a thing. People gawked and stared, but did nothing. After about 3 hours finally two guys in their early twenties and another guy in a car finally did something. The mother of the little girl watched the whole thing in horror.

So many times we watch those around us to see how we should act. We wait for someone else to rush to the rescue. We say to ourselves, "someone else will help them, I don't want to get involved." It's so sad, but it is true.

So do the right thing, be a good leader, you never know who might be watching, especially our children.

Busy beyond belief... just living

I'm still around and read your blogs on occasion when I have time, but have been neglecting to fill you in on anything here.

Pretty much the same old same old going on here. Went to NOLA this past weekend for my cousin's engagement party.

Here are some pics from the weekend. The city is definitely different. About 25% of the businesses were open and many restaurants have limited hours due to lack of staffing.

Email Archives

This one came today from her. Laughed my butt off. I wish.

Martha Stewart vs. Maxine

*Martha's Way*
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

*Maxine's Way *
Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake! You are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it, anyway!

*Martha's Way*
To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

*Maxine's Way *
Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix, keep it in the pantry for up to a year.

*Martha's Way*
When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.

*Maxine's Way *
Go to the bakery! They'll even decorate it for you.

*Martha's Way*
If you accidentally oversalt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix-me-up."

*Maxine's Way *
If you oversalt a dish while you are cooking, that's too bad. Please recite with me the real woman's motto: "I made it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes!"

*Martha's Way*
Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

*Maxine's Way *
Celery? Never heard of it!

*Martha's Way*
Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

*Maxine's Way *
The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust so I don't.

*Martha's Way*
Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

*Maxine's Way *
Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink!

*Martha's Way*
If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

*Maxine's Way *
Go ask that very cute neighbor if he can open it for you.

*Martha's Way*
Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

*Maxine's Way *

Leftover wine???????????

The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket.

Do you realize that in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos?

Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than in a Hyundai.

Drinking makes some husbands see double and feel single.

Living in a nudist colony takes all the fun out of Halloween.

After a certain age, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you are probably dead.

As usual, if you don't forward this to 10 of your friends within the next 5 minutes, your belly button will fall off. Really... it's true! Have I ever lied to you?

So not those kind of people

So awhile back, I mentioned that I got a new car. When we bought this car, both Hubby and I worried that people would think that we, gasp, had money. We have some money so to speak as in, we live day to day, but we do not have MONEY, despite the car I now drive. When we bought the car, at a great deal because the guy was leaving the country, the key fobs were not in the best of shape, but hey, no big deal. When I say not the best of shape, I mean one key really works well and is taped together so the keyless entry works.

So today I decided to call the dealership to find out what a new one would cost.

$271.86 + tax and then $45 service charge to program it to the vehicle. Huh!?

We are soooo not Lexus people. We can't even afford to buy the key. ;-)

Picture Meme

You asked, you shall receive.

Beth asked to see my sock drawer. It's a little scary, but here you go. I think the pantyhose are about to go in the trash, now that I don't have to go into an office. Yippee!!! RIP Pantyhose.

Meeta wanted to see the contents of my fridge and my kitchen table. Behold the organization.

Cori requested itsy-bitsy piggie Savannah toes! Behold the cuteness, ignore the sock fuzz.

Leah wanted to see Savvy's room, which is actually done except we don't have a mattress for the crib yet.
JuJuBee wanted to see Savvy herself in all her glory! Here she is next to the giant Pez her Winna got her.

Happy Monday

Yesterday was one of those days where you want to crawl into bed and go to sleep in hopes of waking up in the next day. Savvy got some shots on Friday and was a crab most of the day, refusing to nap and screaming whenever I put her down. Normally she is a very happy baby and only cries when she is hungry or tired. That behavior makes it very hard to do anything at all.

I took her for a walk and she liked that. Getting the stroller out of the car, I managed to open it on my finger. Like, I got my pinkie caught between one pole and another as it tried to open almost breaking it, my finger, not the stroller. I jumped around the driveway in a manner that made the neighbors look at me funny -- the kind of little dance you might use to bring forth rain. Later as I tried to adjust the walker, I got another finger caught in between one part and another and couldn't get it out at all without a little maneuvering. At this point I just looked up at the ceiling and asked God for a little break as tears streamed down my face.

I am also dealing with a breastfeeding issue that I won't go into detail on, but let's just say that I cry when she feeds on one side.

Add to all this that I have had a cold sore for the last two months. I haven't had one in like 5 years, so I guess God thought I was due. I'm sure it has something to do with the stress of being a new mom, but good grief, I adjust pretty well. I miss kissing my baby and my husband. A lot!

I have also been dealing with a family matter that has caused many a bad dream and has to be resolved after two months. I'm tired and emotionally drained, but hope to deal with that this week and move forward towards a resolution that will work for both of us.

This morning looked like it was going to present another day of awfulness when I went to shake the creamer and the top opened, spraying vanilla creamer all over the floor. Add mop to my list of things to do today.

Savvy is in her crib crying because she has yet to nap today and needs one badly. I am working or so it appears.

May today be better than yesterday. Happy Monday.

Politically Correct

This one was too good not to share before I deleted it from my inbox today.

Politically Correct Expressions

Due to the climate of political correctness now pervading America, Kentuckians, Tennesseans and West Virginians will no longer be referred to as "HILLBILLIES." You must now refer to us as APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS.

And furthermore...

HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT WOMEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:

1. She is not a "BABE" or a "CHICK" - She is a"BREASTED AMERICAN."

2. She is not a "SCREAMER" or a "MOANER" - She is"VOCALLY APPRECIATIVE."

3. She is not "EASY" - She is "HORIZONTALLYACCESSIBLE."

4. She is not a "DUMB BLONDE" - She is a "LIGHT-HAIRED DETOUR OFF THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY."

5. She has not "BEEN AROUND" - She is a"PREVIOUSLY-ENJOYED COMPANION."

6. She is not an "AIRHEAD" - She is "REALITY IMPAIRED."

7. She does not get "DRUNK" or "TIPSY" - She gets "CHEMICALLY INCONVENIENCED."

8. She does not have "BREAST IMPLANTS" - She is"MEDICALLY ENHANCED."

9. She does not "NAG" you - She becomes "VERBALLY REPETITIVE."

10. She is not a "TRAMP" - She is "SEXUALLY EXTROVERTED."

11. She does not have "MAJOR LEAGUE HOOTERS" - She is"PECTORALLY SUPERIOR."

12. She is not a "TWO-BIT HOOKER" - She is a "LOW-COSTPROVIDER."

HOW TO SPEAK ABOUT MEN AND BE POLITICALLY CORRECT:

1. He does not have a "BEER GUT" - He has developed a "LIQUID GRAIN STORAGE FACILITY."

2. He is not a "BAD DANCER" - He is "OVERLY CAUCASIAN."
3. He does not "GET LOST ALL THE TIME" - He"INVESTIGATES ALTERNATIVE DESTINATIONS."

4. He is not "BALDING" - He is in "FOLLICLE REGRESSION."

5. He is not a "CRADLE ROBBER" - He prefers"GENERATIONAL DIFFERENTIAL RELATIONSHIPS."

6. He does not get "FALLING-DOWN DRUNK" - He becomes"ACCIDENTALLY HORIZONTAL."

7. He does not act like a "TOTAL ASS" - He develops a case of RECTAL-CRANIAL INVERSION."

8. He is not a "MALE CHAUVINIST PIG" - He has "SWINE EMPATHY."

9. He is not afraid of "COMMITMENT" - He is"RELATIONSHIP CHALLENGED."

10. He is not "HORNY" - He is "SEXUALLY FOCUSED."

11. It's not his "CRACK" you see hanging out of his pants - It's "REAR CLEAVAGE"

Another Cleaning out the inbox find... Virtual Bubblewrap

http://www.virtual-bubblewrap.com/popnow.shtml

Pop away!

Cleaning out the inbox

I told you there would be no specific day for these, so here you go with the next installment of "cleaning out the inbox." Now remember, I didn't write and I don't necessarily agree with it all. This email reminded me of when I used to visit my Mom in New Mexico as a kid, other kids would ask me if I rode a horse to school. At that time I had never even ridden a horse period.


Sent: Fri 3/1/2002 12:57 PM
Subject: FW: TEXAS PRIDE

When you're from Texas, people that you meet ask you questions like...."Do you have any cows?"

It's nice to be able to say yes.

They ask you, "Do you have horses?"

Yup.

Bet you got a bunch of guns, eh?

Of course.

They all want to know if you've been to Southfork.

They watched "Dallas".

Have you ever looked at a map of the world? Heck, yes you have.

Look at Texas just for a second.

That picture, with the Panhandle and the Gulf Coast, and the Red River and the Rio Grande is as much a part of you as anything ever will be. As soon asanyone anywhere in the world looks at that they know what it is. It's TEXAS.

Pick any kid off the street in Japan and draw him a picture of Texas in the dirt, and he'll know what it is. What happens if I show you a picture of any other state? You'll get it sooner or later, but who else in the world would? Even if you do, does it ever stir any feelings in you?

In every man, woman and child on this little rock the Good Lord put us on, there is somewhere in them a person who wishes just once he could be a real live Texan and get up on a horse or ride in a pickup or dance at a dancehall.

Did you ever hear anyone in a bar say, "Wow....so you're from Kansas. Cool. Tell me about it."?
There is some bit of Texas in everyone. Do you know why? Because Texas is Texas. Texas is the Alamo. Texas is 183 men standing in a church, facing thousands of Mexican nationals, fighting for freedom, who had the chance to walk out and save themselves, but stayed.

We send our kids to schools named William B. Travis and Bowie and do you know why? Because those men saw a line in the sand and they decided to be heroes. John Wayne paid to do the movie himself. That is Texas. Texas is Sam Houston capturing Santa Anna at San Jacinto. Texas is Juneteenth and Texas Independence Day. Texas is huge forests of Piney Woods like the Davy Crocket National Forest. Texas is breathtaking mountains in Big Bend. Texas is shiny skyscrapers in Houston and Dallas.T exas is the uniqueness of Austin. Texas is a world record bass from places like Lake Fork. Texas has the best colleges around. From College Station to Lubbock and everywhere in between. Texas is Mexican food like nowhere in the world, even Mexico. Texas is larger-than-life legends like Willie Nelson and Buddy Holly, EarlCampbell and Nolan Ryan, Denton Cooley and Michael DeBakey, Lyndon Johnson and Presidents George Bush, father and son. Texas is great companies like Texas Instruments, Dell Computer and Compaq. Texas is huge herds of cattle and miles of crops. Texas is skies blackened with doves and fields full of deer. Texas is the best Barbecue anywhere. Period. Texas is the nicest people you'll ever meet. Anywhere. Not to mention, the prettiest girls. Texas is a place where the streets are deserted during church. Texas is the best music, with the best musicians in the world. Texas is beaches, deserts, lakes and rivers, mountains and prairies.

If it isn't in Texas, you don't need it. No one does anything bigger or better. By federal law Texas is the only state in the U.S. that can fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. Flag. Think about that for a second. You fly the Stars and Stripes at 20 feet in Maryland, or California, or Maine, and your state flag, whatever it is, flies at 17. You fly the Stars and Stripes in front of Pine Tree High in Longview at 20 feet, and the Lone Star flies at 20 feet. Do you know why?
Our capitol is the only one in the country that is taller than the capitol building in D.C. We signed that and the flag height in as part of the deal when we came on. That's the best part right there....when we came on, Texas was its own country. The Republic of Texas.

Aren't you proud to be a Texan?

You should be.

Cleaning out the inbox

I decided to hop on BlogExplosion just to see what I might find and came across a blog where she had posted something she found while cleaning out her inbox. It triggered something and since I post so rarely because my brain has been fried by my dear daughter, I thought I would try something. Each week, I am not going to specify a day because then someone might hold me to that, I will pull something from the depths of my email and post it. So for the first installment of CLEANING OUT THE INBOX, here you go:

Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2000 01:01:58 EST
Subject: something worth reading

The Awakening
A time comes in your life when you finally get it. When in the midst of all your fears and insanity you stop dead in your tracks and somewhere the voice inside your head cries out - ENOUGH! Enough fighting and crying or struggling to hold on. And, like a child quieting down after a blind tantrum, your sobs begin to subside, you shudder once or twice, you blink back your tears and through a mantle of wet lashes you begin to look at the world through new eyes. This is your awakening.

You realize that it's time to stop hoping and waiting for something to change, or for happiness, safety and security to come galloping over the next horizon. You come to terms with the fact that he is not Prince Charming and you are not Cinderella, and that in the real world there aren't always fairy tale endings (or beginnings for that matter, and that any guarantee of "happily ever after" must begin with you. And in the process, a sense of serenity is born of acceptance.

You awaken to the fact that you are not perfect, and that not everyone will always love, appreciate or approve of who or what you are -- and that's OK. (They are entitled to their own views and opinions.) And you learn the importance of loving and championing yourself, and in the process, a sense of newly found confidence is born of self-approval. You stop bitching and blaming other people for the things they did to you (or didn't do for you) and you learn that the only thing you can really count on is the unexpected.

You learn that people don't always say what they mean or mean what they say, and that not everyone will always be there for you, and that it's not always about you. So, you learn to stand on your own and to take care of yourself and in the process, a sense of safety & security is born of self-reliance. You stop judging and pointing fingers, and you begin to accept people as they are, and to overlook their shortcomings and human frailties and, in the process, a sense of peace & contentment is born of forgiveness.

You learn to open up to new worlds and different points of view. You begin reassessing and redefining who you are and needing, and you begin to discard the doctrines and values you've outgrown, or should never have bought into to begin with, and in the process, you learn to go with your instincts. You learn that it is truly in giving that we receive. And that there is power and glory in creating and contributing, and you stop maneuvering through life merely as a "consumer" looking for your next fix.

You learn that principles such as honesty and integrity are not the outdated ideals of a bygone era, but the mortar that holds together the foundation upon which you must build a life. You learn that you don't know everything, it’s not your job to save the world, and that you can't teach a pig to sing. You learn to distinguish between guilt and responsibility, and the importance of setting boundaries. You learn that the only cross to bear is the one you choose to carry, and that martyrs get burned at the stake.

Then you learn about love. Romantic love and familial love. How to love, how much to give in love, when to stop giving, and when to walk away. You learn not to project your needs or your feelings onto a relationship. You are not important because of the man or woman on your arm. You learn to look at relationships as they really are and not as you would have them be. You stop trying to control people, situations, and outcomes. You learn that just as people grow and change, so it is with love, and you learn that you don’t have the right to demand love on your terms just to make you happy. And, you learn that alone does not mean lonely. And you look in the mirror and come to terms with the fact that you will never be a size 5 or a perfect 10 and you stop trying to compete with the image inside your head and agonizing over how you “stack up."

You also stop working so hard at putting your feelings aside, smoothing things over, and ignoring your needs. You learn that feelings of entitlement are perfectly OK, and that it is your right to want things and to ask for the things that you want, and that sometimes it is necessary to make demands. You come to the realization that you deserve to be treated with love, kindness, sensitivity, and respect and you will not settle for less. And you allow only the hands of a lover who cherishes you, to glorify you with his or her touch, and in the process you internalize the meaning of self-respect.

And you learn that your body really is your temple. You begin eating a balanced diet, drinking more water, and taking more time to exercise. You learn that fatigue diminishes the spirit and can create doubt and fear, so you take more time to rest. And, just as food fuels the body, laughter fuels our soul, so you take more time to laugh and to play.

You learn that, for the most part, in life you get what you believe you deserve, and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for, and that wishing for something to happen is different from working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success, you need direction, discipline, and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it's OK to risk asking for help. You learn that the only thing you must truly fear is the great robber baron of all time, FEAR itself. You learn to step right into and through your fears, because you know that whatever happens you can handle it, and to give in to fear is to give away the right to live life on your terms. And you learn to fight for your life and not to squander it living under a cloud of impending doom.

You learn that life isn't always fair, you don’t always get what you think you deserve, and that sometimes bad things happen to unsuspecting, good people. On these occasions you learn not to personalize things. You learn that God isn't punishing you or failing to answer your prayers. It’s just life happening. And you learn to deal with evil in its most primal state-- the ego. You learn that negative feelings such as anger, envy, and resentment must be understood and redirected, or they will suffocate the life out of you and poison the universe that surrounds you. You learn to admit when you are wrong and to build bridges instead of walls.

You learn to be thankful and to take comfort in many of the simple things we take for granted, things that millions of people upon the earth can only dream about; a full refrigerator, clean running water, a soft warm bed, a long hot shower. Slowly, you begin to take responsibility for yourself, by yourself, and you try to make yourself a promise -- to never betray yourself and to never, ever settle for less than your heart's desire.

And you hang a wind chime outside your window so you can listen to the wind. And you make it a point to keep smiling, to keep trusting, and to stay open to every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can. To every wonderful possibility. Finally, with courage in your heart and with God by your side, you take a deep breath, and you begin to design the life you want to live as best as you can.

Picture Meme

A while back, like before I had a kid and my memory was wiped clean, there was this thing called a photo meme. I am resurrecting it here. This is how it works. Leave in the comments what you would like to see a picture of and I will post one. Your wish is my command, well kind of. Keep it clean and give me some time, a week or so and I will post your requests. Be as creative as you like, I need some excitement in my life!

FLYing High!

I recently discovered www.flylady.net and WOW! I cannot recommend her enough. She has gotten me so organized and my house so clean, if you knew me, you wouldn't believe it. This really is saying a lot. I have never been much of a homemaker or a cook or a good cleaner. But now, I have been cooking every night. My house is clean. I plan out my meals and go grocery shopping ONCE a week. I do laundry every other day and fold it and put it away. I make my bed every day. I haven't made my bed everyday since high school when I was forced to in order to live under my parents roof.

I am still working on the office but it is almost done. And when it is, I will share pictures of my wonderfully clean house. Now where is that duster!

Photo Scav.

The Chaos of Life

Well I am back to working. Part time from home only, but it's another serving on my plate of life. I think I am handling it all pretty well. Thanks to FlyLady I might have a hope that I will keep my house clean. The past two weeks I have slowly been cleaning my house from top to bottom.And I mean cleaning! I am in the process of tackling the office/guestroom which is a feat because not only is it those two things, it also housed all the boxes we haven't unpacked from when we moved in as well as anything that was in the the former guestroom, now the baby's room. Oi!

Two Months: The things I forgot to tell you

Two months has come so quickly. You had your two week check up and here are the results:

11 lbs 6 ozs (75%)
24 inches long (95% duh)
Head circumfrence: Round

The doc says that you will probably teeth early. Holy Moly. In fact you may have already started. Look up there and see how old this child is. Two months! You are a bubble blowing, slobbery mess all the time. The problem (like there is only one) with you teething this early? Your hand eye coordination is not yet such that you can hold a teething ring or anything else you might like to chew on except your hand. Your hand, which you can occassionally find and rarely can keep in your mouth, because, hey I'm only two months old and haven't realized that my hands are attached to my body and are here for my chewing enjoyment. Bah!

Doc also says you have eczema. I thought it was just baby acne. Hopefully it willheal quickly with the lotion she told us to use. Bah again.

Since you were born, you have held up your pointer finger while eating or falling asleep and now sometimes while you are playing. You hold that little pointer up as if to say, "ummm, one more thing..."

You have started to coo some and "talk" to us. We copy everything you say. I am teaching you how to dance. Your movements are a little jerky, but you are getting the hang of it and love to dance with me. People tell me you are starting to look more like me now than your father. Either way, you are beautiful and I love how each new day brings new things to your life and to mine.

Ongoing Love,

Momma

Two Months

Dear Savannah,

You turn two months old today and wow has time flown by. My pregnancy is just a small memory in the past and I can hardly imagine my life before you were in it. How to put into words all that you are to me and your father is hard to do, but I will try.

You make up every waking (and some sleeping) moments of my day (and night). You are starting to settle into a "routine", and I use that term loosely. I am getting better at distinguishing your cries although sometimes you still seem to cry "for no reason." We are getting on a better sleep schedule, meaning you will actually sleep some and sort of consistently during the day. Now that I have said that, it will all be screwed up. You have gone a few nights up to 6 hours of sleeping. I wake up thinking that I slept through a feeding. You are also having more awake time that is not spent crying. You will play on your play gym for 30 minutes or so and enjoy it or sometimes you will just sit and study everything around you. You will even enjoy your swing more now although I don't think you fully appreciate the fun of it all. You hate to be held in a cradle position, preferring to be held so that you are looking over my shoulder. This makes for a lot of back pain for your father and me, but that is okay, we will learn. You love to look out the big back window and will cry when moved from this postion. You hold your head up so well, sometimes bonking me in the lip or eye as you bobble around because you will not rest your head.

You are starting to smile in response to your father and me, not just smiling while you fall asleep. I love, love, love to make you smile. It is such a beautiful smile you have. You still want to eat ALL THE TIME. The doctor said to not let you eat more than every two hours. Sometimes getting you to go that two hours is like torture, for you and me both. You are such a good little eater, taking after your father who eats like a Hoover. You hold your top leg up while you eat like a little lever, occassionally kicking me in the side for your enjoyment. Sometimes you spill more than you swallow so I have to wash your neck and ears frequently to keep you from smelling like sour milk.

Your eyes are turning an amazing shade of purply blue and I can't wait to see what color they end up. Hopefully they will be closer to your daddy's pretty light blue than mommy's storm blue. You are so long and weigh a good 12 pounds or so. We go to the doctor for your two month check up tomorrow and will see how much you really weigh and how long you really are.

Everyday is different with you and that is okay. It keeps me on my toes as I am sure you will do for me all your life. I try and cherish every moment, knowing that soon you will not let me hold you while you sleep or kiss you all over whenever I want. I try not to jump ahead to when you will leave for school or learn to drive or go off to college. I know these things are far away, but I also know that time moves quickly sometimes. I want to remember every moment with you.

You are so precious to me and I can't wait to see how you grow in the next month. Mommy and Daddy love you very much.

Love,
Momma

Movies

Name the last really good movie you saw.

The Tween Generation

First off let me say how much I hate the word tween. But the power was proven on the nightly news, if their info is correct. It seems the person who holds the attendance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is Hilary Duff. Not George Strait, the King of Country. Hilary, a tween idol, I suppose. Marketers have been targeting this age range for years now and it's obvious it is working. The sadest part, it's not their money they are spending. So basically, kids are telling their parents where to spend their money.

I have a question

No really, I do. I have been taking some video with my digital camera and I don't know how to get it to my family so they can share in Savvy's cuteness. I don't have a CD burner, I know, I'm stuck in the old days. Is there a site like flickr or somewhere, where I can share my videos or post them to my blog somehow? Can anyone help me?

I have an answer or two

Christine asked: Okay - what is your favorite color to dress Savvy in? (Before my daughter was born I rejected pink for lavenders and yellows, but after she was here I found pink was my favorite!) What is your favorite part of motherhood so far? Your least favorite?What is the best piece of advice about having an infant did you receive? And what was the worst?(If that is too many questions, just pick your favorite one.

I really dislike pink, but have found that I do dress her in pink a lot, because after all she is a girl and she is cute in pink. Pastels in general make me puke, but a baby looks good in pastels and it's a good thing because it's hard to find primary colored clothes for infants. I love her in white though. I don't really have a least favorite, but I suppose that I would not dress her in black even though I love black for me. Black is not for babies.

My favorite part of motherhood so far is breastfeeding I think. I love that quiet time you get with her. Only you the mother can feed her baby this way and it creates a bond that she won't have with any other person. One of these days I'm going to answer the door with my boob hanging out though.

The best piece of advice I received about having an infant is probably to sleep when she does although this is easier said than done. I do try and nap when she does, but because it is so random when she sleeps, I generally end up doing things around the house, taking a shower or checking email.

The worst piece of advice I have received is that it's okay to let them cry if you need a break. It's not that it is bad advice, but again, it's easier said than done. We have tried the cry it out method a couple of times and it just tears me apart, so we are done with that. When you need a break, hand her to someone else. But sometimes that has to wait until someone else is there.

Becky originally asked: how do you reference a specific blog or article in a post. I have figured out how to reference people, but I can't figure out how to zero in to a specific post on that person's site . But she got the answer to that from the wonderful Duke of Earle. So I will answer her next question, Have you had your first mommy margarita yet?

I tried to have a margarita at Jennifer's b-day party last weekend, but it was too strong and I don't think I would have been able to walk had I drank it. Now, wine on the other hand, I partake in a glass about every other day. Probably too much, but a girl needs a break.

Bekah asked: What has surprised you the most in this first six weeks??

Hmmm... The first couple of weeks were actually really easy. She slept most of the time and I didn't mind the night feedings because she went right back to sleep. I think as an expecting mother, you expect the first two weeks to be the hardest. They weren't for me. The two weeks following those were probably the hardest because the first two were so easy and then it got harder when she wasn't sleeping consistently and I didn't have as much help around the house and I was having to do more.

Tiff asked: How many times a day do you find yourself smelling Savvy's head? More than I can count. I love her head. And her cheeks. And her nose. All the way down to her toes.

Leslie asked: Did you ever think you could love something so much? No, I didn't. Plain and simple, there is no other love like it. I have wanted to be a mother my whole life and now that I am, there is nothing better. I have learned (just a little bit) though that along with that love comes great fear. I have chilled out a little bit, but those first few weeks, I couldn't watch the news without thinking of how I would manage if one of those awful things happened to my baby. I found myself tearing up over stupid commercials about children. I worry constantly that she will suffocate in the crib or one of those other many accidents that you think can never happen, but do. Fear takes on a whole new dimension when you have children, but so does love.

John Duke of Earle, the ever wise one simply stated, "Jazzy,That raised hand with the little clenched fist? That's not a question, it's a symbol of BABY POWER! Watch out for her when she gets older."

Funny he should say that. Usually when she does this, I not only ask her what her question is, but I speak what I imagine is in her mind, "Power to the Babies!" Oi!

Angela Marie asked: How and why did you quit smoking? Isn't motherhood great (even with all the spitup and pooping)?

I quit smoking cold turkey about 4 years ago this month. I knew that smoking affected my fertility and a friend had recently gotten pregnant and I guess it triggered something in me and I just quit. I had three cigs left in my pack, I smoked them and haven't touched one since. I always knew that I wasn't a lifetime smoker, despite the fact that I smoked for almost 10 years. I knew as soon as I got pregnant with my first child I would never smoke again, or so I hoped. I am so glad that I quit back then and not when I got pregnant, I think it is easier that way.

Motherhood is fabulous! Even with all the poopy action!

Got more questions? Keep 'em coming!

You in the back, what's your question

Savvy has a way of raising her hand over her head while she sleeps in such a manner that both her father and I look at her and ask, "yes, what is your question." It is the cutest thing. She will be fast asleep and all of a sudden from her side all the way up, she raises her little hand very slowly, clenched tightly in a fist up over her head. So today, I ask you, my few and far between readers, what is your question? I haven't done a Q&A in awhile so ask away. Whatever you want, I'm here for the asking.

Empty Nest

The people two houses down recently moved out. I certainly don't miss the cars and trucks coming by at all hours of the night. Theirs was the hang out house and boy did they have a lot of friends. What is sad is that the house now sits empty. The house right next door to us is also empty and has been since we moved in. It is strange how you can tell an empty house from a lived in house. There is just something lonely that emanates from an empty house. Know what I mean?

Mothering

I'm here. I'm mothering.

Happy Heart Day and Birthday

Happy Valentine's Day to all who acknowledge it and a more important, very Happy Birthday to my Hubby. My all your hearts be happy today.

The Short Story

Any mother knows what it is like trying to get things done with a new baby. So needless, to say, my blogging time has been cut into quite a bit. I would post more frequently and longer posts, if only I could remove my daughter from my top half for long enough to do anything at all.

Still adjusting to new motherhood. Some days are better than others, but all in all, I would say we have it pretty easy.

I did finally get my hair done, Amen. It's the little things in life, really.

Bang, Bang

I haven't had bangs since I was a little girl, except if you count when all my hair was shorter than those bangs you see there. It looks better when it's clean, but alas, when does one find time to shower with a one month old. Yes, can you believe she is already a month old as of yesterday. Boy how flies time.

Sisterhood

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Tibby to Bailey

"Are you afraid?" Tibby asked.

"Not of dying really," replied Bailey. "It's more that I'm afraid of time. Of not having enough of it. Time to figure out who I'm supposed to be. To find my place in the world before I have to leave it. I'm afraid of what I'll miss."

We do not regret the things we did so much as the things we didn't do.

Just Curious

Does anyone use BlogClicker or BlogExplosion anymore?

AGH! I've been Tagged

Because I love her so much, I will acknowledge the tag. My five most guilty pleasures in completely random order.

1. Gummi Bears. I love me some gummi bears.
2. Showers have become a guilty pleasure. It's the only place I get to be alone now.
3. Shoes and Purses. I know that's really two, but I'm lumping them into one because I can. I never seem to have enough of either in black. My husband would argue that I never need another pair of black shoes or another black purse. I just can't help it.
4. Smelling my baby's head and kissing her cheeks. This is a new one for me, but I cannot get enough.
5. Reading blogs. I could do it for hours, but I don't have hours. I cannot even make it through half my blogroll in a day.

I won't bother tagging anyone. If you like it, steal it and leave a comment to tell me where to look.

Two weeks and one day

Savvy turned two weeks old yesterday and on some levels it feels like she has been here forever and on other levels it feels like it is all so new still and I can't believe she belongs to us. I am living my life in two hour intervals it seems most of the time. We took her out to dinner on Saturday night and then she and I had our first solo outing on Sunday to meet my parents, aunt, uncle and Nana for breakfast. It felt so good to drive the car. The little things we take for granted everyday are brought into perspective when you have a child.

We are both doing well. She is a really good baby. She has been a little fussy from what we think is gas/constipation. She grunts and grunts and makes faces and doesn't always go to the bathroom. She still likes to save up her poo for a 2 hour time period per day. I guess that is okay.

I'm about to say something that may horrify many of you mothers. Please look away if it is too awful for you. Here we go...

I fit into my prepregnancy jeans!!! I couldn't believe it. Please don't hate me because I'm jeanful.

And now for what you have really all been waiting for, cuteness in pictures.

Advice from Momma

To my dear Savannah, always remember these things. These are things I hope to teach you as you grow. I will add this list to my sidebar and continually add to it, I hope, if I can figure out how.

• Don't judge others too quickly, lest they do the same to you.
• But, generally, you can judge a person by how they treat a waiter, their mother and a valet.
• You are the only one responsible for your actions. No matter what. Live so that you are proud of yourself and your decisions.
• Be accountable always for your actions. Admit when you are wrong and stand up when you are right.
• Live in such a way that God would be proud of you.
• Stand up for what you believe in. Those beliefs may change over time and that is okay too.
• Live your life so that you have no regrets. Our experiences, both good and bad, make us who we are each day.
• Life is full of change. Be flexible and go with the flow-it is so much easier than fighting change.
• Happiness comes from within. No one has control over your emotions except you. With each experience, you have a choice as to how you will react to it. Choose wisely.
• Love yourself above all else. If you don't love yourself, you cannot fully love someone else and you cannot let someone else fully love you.
• No matter what, your father and I will always love you.
• Always use kind words when speaking of others. You never know one's current situation and we do not want to be hurtful.
• Sometimes a new hairdo can change your whole outlook.
• But, always remember, beauty comes from within. If you are beautiful on the inside, it will shine through.
• Remember, there are always consequences for our actions. Make decisions based on the consequences.
• Do the things you want to do today. When you are old, you will not regret the things you did so much as the things you never did.

The Arrival of Savannah Leigh

The Birth Story of Savannah Leigh

Born January 15, 2006
4:24 PM
8 lbs 6 ozs 21 inches long

I was officially due on January 8th so was a week past due and scheduled to be induced on Monday, January 16th. In the week between the 8th and the 16th I had grown tremendously and was starting to be tired of being pregnant, mostly because of the worry of being past due more than anything. Each day brought new worry that he/she wasn't okay. (We didn't know she was a girl and were positive that she was actually a boy- insert God laughing here). I was also worried because my Mom was scheduled to fly back to NM on Monday and had run out of time off, so she had to go back regardless. I could not imagine the birth of my first child without my mother there. Other than avoiding an induction, this was my top priority (other than the obvious of a healthy baby). The other main factor was that my doctor had been out of town and was getting back on Sunday. I really wanted her to deliver our baby and not the doctor on call.

On Saturday I thought it might be possible that I was leaking fluid so we took a trip to the hospital, but it was a false alarm. We visited with friends who just had their baby at the hospital and then came home to wait some more.

I woke up at 4:30 am on Sunday, January 15th to a pretty hard contraction. I had been having contractions off and on for about a week and a half. Most of the time they were not painful, but occasionally I would have a painful one. I laid in bed for about a half an hour and kept having contractions so I finally got up and moved to the couch. I started keeping track and they were about 6 minutes apart and pretty strong. I wasn't in too much pain, but they were making me take notice. I went outside and took some pictures of the sunset, wondering if today would be my baby's birthday. At about 8:30 I woke up my husband and told him that my contractions were pretty regular and that this might actually be it. He got up and we took a shower. My Mom was up by the time I had blow dried my hair and we called the doctor. The doctor said to go on in to the hospital and get checked. As we gathered up our stuff, I hoped that this would not be another false alarm.

We drove to the hospital with my contractions getting closer to 5 minutes apart. We arrived at about 10:30 am. It took a little while to walk in as I was beginning to be in a lot more pain. When we checked in and they put me in a triage room and checked me I was at 3 cm and 100% effaced. This was about where I had been at my last doctor's appointment on Thursday so I was somewhat disappointed. They were having trouble getting my contractions to show up on the monitor as well as keeping a good reading on the baby's heartrate. Her heartrate was good, they just couldn't get the monitor in a good place. My MIL arrived shortly after we did. We called my Dad and StepMom and they called back shortly to say they were delayed because their waterbed had sprung a leak. We joked that their water had broken. The nurse told me to walk around the hospital for an hour and come back and get monitored again. The hospital was pretty quiet so hubby and I walked the halls, stopping with contractions for me to hang on his neck and make it through the contractions. They were getting worse and I was praying that all this pain meant that I was progressing.

We went back to triage when the hour was up and got hooked back up to the monitor. They were still having trouble getting the contractions to show up on the monitor. I don't know if they didn't believe I was having contractions, but I was very vocal about the pain I was in, so I don't know how you wouldn't think I was in labor. When the nurse checked me I was still at 3cm, but she gave me a 3-4 cm when she saw the look on my face. She said they would monitor me for a little longer and then I would either have to walk some more or they were going to send me home. Hubby couldn't believe they would send me home in the pain I was in.

About 5 minutes later I felt this kick and then a gush of fluid. My water broke!!! Either my Mom or my MIL went and told the nurse and her response was, "Instant admission". Unfortunately, the hospital had gotten busy and they didn't have the staff to staff all the rooms, so they didn't have a room available for me. At this hospital we labor, deliver and recover all in the same room. I didn't really care at this point although we had up to 7 people in our little triage room at a time and it was tight. At some point my Dad and Stepmom showed up, but time had ceased to be something real to me. I was in a lot of pain and was having severe back labor. Each contraction may have had a beginning and an end, but the pain never stopped. They still couldn't get them to show up on the monitor. I was getting lost in the contractions and having trouble focusing some. My dad, stepmom and MIL took turns applying pressure to my back, while I focused on my husband and my mom talking me through each contraction. I guess about 12:30 pm I couldn't take it anymore. I was dreading each upcoming contraction and couldn't do it anymore and certainly couldn't imagine doing it for hours, so I broke down and asked for the epidural. Someone went to the tell the nurse and she said she would get it going. At some point she came in and started my IV. I moved during the first try so she tried two more times before she got it. I hate IV's and the pain of the IV on top of the contractions didn't help. The nurse came back and said it would be a little bit for the epidural because a lady had come in full dilated and ready to deliver and there was also an emergency C-section and only one anesthesiologist on that day. The nurse offered me IV drugs for the pain, which I really wanted at the time, but hubby and I had discussed and we really didn't want to do this for the sake of our baby. The less medical intervention the better so he promptly said no. At the time I really did want something, but I am really glad we didn't do it. I just kept saying, "Where is my freaking epidural?" and hubby kept saying, "It's coming."-

At some point they finally moved me to a room and my Mom called my doctor. She had told us to call her because she really wanted to be around for "the party". About 3:30 pm the anesthesiologist finally came in. They made everyone leave except my hubby. Thank goodness they let him stay otherwise I don't think I would have made it. The epidural didn't hurt a bit really. Pain is relative during the labor process. Funny, on the way to the hospital I said something to the affect of I couldn't imagine the amount of pain you had to be in to actually want someone to stick a rather large needle into your spinal canal. Now I knew the level of pain and I didn't care if you had to strap me up by my heels and beat me to take away the pain, I just wanted it gone. Pretty quickly the epidural kicked in and the pain went away.

Right after the anesthesiologist left, my doctor came in. I hadn't been checked since before my water broke so the nurse had just finished checking me and I was at a blessed 9cm and completely effaced, no cervix to be seen hardly. The doctor then checked me and said that I was at 10 cm. She said that the next contraction we would see how I could push. At some point in this process, my doctor mentioned that she had given blood and hoped that she didn't pass out. I told hubby to be ready to catch our baby just in case. They were still having trouble getting the contractions to show up on the monitor and by now I couldn't feel them any more. The next contraction I pushed and the doctor said, "Whoa, look at all that hair on that head. Let's go ahead and have a baby." She got prepared and we started pushing. I pushed three times per contraction. Because the contractions weren't showing up on the monitor, the nurse had to feel my stomach to see when one was started. During the contractions I heard my Mom open the door and ask if they needed help. I thought she just wanted to really be in there (which she did, of course, but apparently the call button light was on outside the room and no one had come to help. My Mom was a midwife for many years, an RN and is currently a nurse practitioner in women's health so she could have helped, but I really just wanted me and my husband in there for the birth of our first child. I pushed through about 5 or 6 contractions and there she was. Hubby says he was the one that told me it was a girl. She was placed on my belly and she was so beautiful. She was wide eyed and just looking around. I think asked why she wasn't screaming. I needed her to scream so that I knew she could breathe. They wiped her off and then she let out a little wail and then quit crying again and just was taking it all in.

I cried and hubby cried and they whisked her across the room to clean her up and check her. Hubby went with her. The family was chomping at the bit to get in so I told them they could let them in. It was a zoo. I was still splayed wide open and had torn a little bit so the doctor was sewing me up. My mom, dad, stepmom, MIL, Bekah as well as my husband, the doctor and a variety of nurses were in the room. I just laid there looking towards my baby, tears in my eyes. The experience was so surreal. It happened so fast, yet took so long.

The grandparents passed her around while I got stitched up the rest of the way and then she was handed to me so I could feed her. She latched right on. The nurses were so impressed with her and everyone kept telling me how beautiful she was. She hardly cried at all while they were cleaning her up and even during her first bath, we hardly heard a peep.

I am so blessed to have this wonderful, amazing new life intertwined with mine. I am blessed to have wonderful family and friends that love me and her to no end. We have had so much help at home that I find myself saying, I can do this, no problem, but at 4:00 am I sometimes forget that.

There are a lot of interesting numerical correlations with Savvy's birth. My sister and I were born four years and 8 days apart. Savvy and her twin cousins are exactly one year and 8 days apart. My mom went into labor with me at 4:30 am and had me at 4:36 pm the same day. I went into labor with Savvy at 4:30 am and had her at 4:24 pm the same day. My birthday is December 13, Hubby's is February 14 and Savvy's is January 15, 13,14,15 and December, January, February. Don't know what it all means, but it is interesting.

Today Savvy is a week old. As I type this she is laying on her Play Gym fast asleep. I cannot get enough of her. I miss her when I sleep. Her father is the same way and my heart bursts just a little when I see him with her. There are so many things going through my mind as I come to terms with the fact that I have joined a group of people that is so special, Mothers. I am a Mother and will always be a Mother. Having Savvy has changed my relationship with my parents already. I immediately respect them more and understand their protectiveness throughout my life. I am a worrier at heart, but hope not to worry myself to death, but don't see how. I cannot imagine anything ever happening to my little girl. At night, every little noise makes me sit up in bed and check to make sure she is okay. How I will ever move her to another room, I do not know. I currently have a cold and am so afraid she will get it. I can suffer, but I do not want her to suffer.

She is already so strong. She can lift her head and throw herself off my shoulder. She can even lift her head while laying on her stomach. She hardly cries at all, except if she is very hungry or very poopy. She can projectile poop like you would not believe and she likes to store up the days' poop and let it out in little bursts all in about a 2 hour time period. She can even pee like a boy. She has what we call the pee and poop show about once a day, where she waits for you to take off her diaper and then lets it all loose at once. It makes me laugh so hard, I almost pee my pants every time she does it.

Thank you, God for the blessing you have bestowed upon me. May I make you proud.

Rumor dispelled

I will get around to posting the birth story soon, but to dispell the rumor, I did not go natural. I begged for that epidural. They made me wait for it, but once I got, boy was I a happy camper. That is the best thing that was ever invented!

Home sweet home

We are home and all doing well. Thank you for all the well wishes. Will post the incredible story soon.

A day of fulfillment

A pictures that says it all.


Hi Everyone...Bekah here.

Just a brief note to let all know that Jazzy and baby girl are doing well....very well.

I was able to be outside the door as this new life was brought into our world. I was able to experience the formation of a new family as Jazzy, her hubby and family met their new baby for the very first time. I am honored and touched beyond words to have been able to experience their very intimate, private moments that have connected me to this little girl and family in a very profound way.

This afternoon I saw what I can only describe as a life fulfilled. As I watched Jazzy hold her baby close and nurse her for the first time, I saw Jazzy become a mother. I saw all the years I've known her flash before me in this one moment and I saw her as she has always wanted to be - a mother holding her new infant in her arms with her loving (and oh! so! wonderful! husband) looking over her shoulder. This is what she has spent her whole life waiting for, I knew that for sure.

I can't do justice to the "wholeness" of what I saw today. I can only say that it was beautiful and wonderful and hopeful and makes me believe in God so strongly that it rocks me to my soul.

I'll let Jazzy post her own birth story and thoughts, but I wanted to share mine with you, and Jazzy.

Thank you for letting me part of this wonderful new beginning. I love you all, I'm here always and God Bless You.

It's a GIRL!

She's here! She's here! Its a girl!!!!! She was 8.59 pounds and born about 4:30 this afternoon and from what I understand she did all of it natural! Go Jazzy! If she got meds it was RIGHT at the end!

CONGRATULATIONS Jazzy! Congrat's Jazzy's hubby! Yeah! The baby is here!

I'm going to try to go see her tomorrow. Someone will post pics soon!!!!

~Em~

Baby Update

This morning, they went to the hospital around 9:30am. Jazzy was 3cm dialated.

At 2:15pm they were putting her in a room (I guess the hospital is slammed) and she's about 4cm
dialated. She's in alot of pain but her mom said that everything was fine. Her dad and stepmom had just arrived, so all the parents are there.

From various sources we are being kept informed and someone will be passing that along to you, here in Internet Land. In the meantime, say a prayer that all goes well for mama and baby.

~Em~

The baby's coming! The baby's coming!!!!

Hi! This is Em from Giggling Universe. Thought everyone would be glad to know that about an hour or so ago Jazzy and her hubby headed for the hospital. Her contractions are about 5 minutes apart and getting pretty intense.

Either Bekah or I will update as we know more!

No baby

I'm beginning to sense a theme to my posts. No baby.

Update

Still no baby. He/she is snug as a bug in a rug and ain't coming out yet. I had my last doctor's appointment today and all still looks good and despite contractions and losing my plug, no progression. Still 2 cm and 80% effaced. So unless I go into labor between now and Monday, they will induce on Monday. It is starting to feel like we will never have this baby, but I guess really by Tuesday we will have a baby, because he/she has to come out sometime.

Baby update

Well, apparently my womb is a great old place to hang and the baby is perfectly happy there. I haev tried telling him/her that it's not that scary out here and that he/she will have a lot more room out here than in there, but he/she is stubborn like me and therefore responds by kicking me in the ribs.

Went to the doc today. No progress at all. Bummer since I have been having all these contractions that don't seem to be doing anything at all. My non-stress test was very good, the baby reacts the way he/she should and I am healthy and the baby is healthy, so we will continue to wait. She did strip my membranes, which didn't feel so hot at all. Haven't seen it do much of anything yet. Will try some home remedies possibly this week and see if we can't kick start this here party.

We did set an induction date for next Monday. I have to call at 5 AM to see if the schedule will fit me in, but at that time I will be a week post date and will be considered a medical induction rather than an elective induction. My doctor will also be back in town which is good. If this baby comes while my doc is out of town, I'm not going to like it, so kiddo, you have til Wednesday and then you have to wait until late Sunday. Just kidding, you come whenever you are ready and Mommy and Daddy will roll with the punches.

My Mom is scheduled to leave on Monday as well. If we have to induce she will push her flight back one day, but that means she won't get to spend much time oohing and aaahing over the baby and generally getting to spend time with all of us as a family. Because she is in women's health and used to deliver babies, she is a valuable resource and I would like to have her here at least for a little while after the baby arrives to assure me that I am doing okay as a Mother.

Anyways... that's the update. Will keep you posted.

No Baby Yet

Well, today is my official due date and no baby yet. I have been having more frequent contractions, but nothing consistent. I go to the doctor tomorrow morning and will get a non-stress test and a check up and will talk about next steps.

I feel fine, but am ready to meet this baby and know that the outcome of birth is all going to be okay. We are all expecting that every day is THE day, but not yet.

I just realized that this coming Friday is the 13th, which would be funny if the baby was born then because I was born on Friday the 13th. I know most people shy away from all things 13, but I love that number so it would be a great thing for me.

Will try to update tomorrow so you guys aren't waiting on pins and needles.

Hook Em! Baby!

After much hype and much yapping about USC being the best team, blah, blah, blah, the Horns showed up in full glory, played an awesome game and won the National Title! What a great game, and despite the jumping up and down and pacing in the fourth quarter, I did not go into labor. Maybe today?!

After my doctor's appointment on Tuesday I am at 2 cm and 80% effaced. Zero station and still the kid is as happy as can be in womb. Heart rate is good, by BP is good and we are just trucking along. My Mom arrived yesterday and so now I am really ready to have this baby! Let's go, anytime now. I did have more frequent Braxton Hicks during the game, but managed to sleep through the night. Blessings all around.

So, still waiting on baby, but no longer waiting on a National Championship. Hook Em!

Calling all Mommies and Daddies

I want to hear your birth stories. Leave a comment or post on your own site and leave a comment telling me you posted. I want to hear what it was like when you first went into labor. What was it like on your trip to the hospital or to the bedroom if you stayed at home? How did you deal with the pain? What was it like the first moment you saw your baby? Tell me all about it. Daddies, give me your perspective on the whole birth experience. How was it for you?

Since you are probably wondering...

No baby yet. I go back to the doc today and will see where I am at. I still feel great mostly and still would like to wait until my Mom gets here next Wednesday, but whenever this baby is ready, we are. The new moon is this weekend, so hopefully we can make it through that until next week. My mom arrives on Wednesday. Which is a really busy day. I'm not sure what time she comes in, but the Rose Bowl is that day, Hook Em! and I hope to be watching some of that.

In other news...
Christmas was wonderful. We stayed at our house and my MIL and Grandmother in law came and stayed with us for 3 days over the holiday. We did Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and my Dad and Stepmom came up for dinner. It was nice having everyone at our house together celebrating the holiday. My Dad and Stepmom are Jewish, but they came up anyways because I wanted the family dinner all together. My brother went home with his girlfriend for Christmas, so we weren't going to do Hannukah on Sunday even, so it was nice to have as much family together as we had.

We just relaxed and had fun. I didn't have to lift a finger. My MIL and grandmother did all the cooking, cleaning and even some laundry.

Now I am just wrapping things up at work and waiting and waiting and waiting. Every pain or discomfort I get, I go, "Is this it?". I'm ready for the next step in the journey to motherhood. Bring it on.

Peace, Joy and Love to All

Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hannukah. May you be with family and friends and be surrounded in love. May you be safe and happy and healthy this season. May all your wishes come true or at least one good gift be given and received.

God Bless!

And she keeps on talking...

The light and fluffy first:

Doctor update.: 1 cm, 70% effaced, baby happy inside Mommy. Mommy happy about baby happy inside!

Regarding my post below. It was a moment in which I had something to say and I said it and I meant it. Well, now I have more to say. As many of you know, I am half Jewish and half Christian. The half that is Jewish is larger if I may say so in terms of my faith and belief, but the Christian half exists and is growing due to being married to a devout Christian. With that said, I don't want to cause any controversy and I completely respect the holiday that is Christmas. The majority of this country is Christian. Majority wins in general. I think it is a little late for the marketers and media who made Christmas into such a "Hallmark" holiday and the such are now trying to reverse that direction and try and take the real meaning out of it. Christmas is a national holiday. Has been for years. It has always been Christmas Vacation and find me a calendar anywhere that says "Holiday" on December 25th instead of Christmas, and well you can color me red and green and put me on the corner to sing. (???) Get over it.

Now being Jewish and at one time not being married to a devout Christian, I have always had a problem with the assumption by the general public that all people believe exactly as they do. I don't have a problem with people saying Merry Christmas at all. Never have. But for people to assume that one has the same religious beliefs as you is something that bothers me. I know that these two feelings conflict with each other. I really love the Christmas season, which also happens to be the Hannukah season, (Hannukah starts on Christmas day this year) but Jews don't go around assuming everyone else is celebrating Hannukah and wishing everyone a Happy Hannukah. No, Jews tend to reserve saying Happy Hannukah to people unless they know they are in fact Jewish and in fact celebrating that holiday. Again, the majority of this country is Christian and therefore, it might be a good assumption that the person next to you is in fact Christian and does in fact share your religious beliefs, but again, we are assuming something.

I liken it to someone walking around all day on their birthday wishing other people a happy birthday. Now I may be celebrating my birthday, but that doesn't mean you are celebrating yours. Probably quite a stretch I'm making there, but I think you get my drift.

So again, I do not have a problem with Christmas. I love Christmas. I celebrate Christmas. I also celebrate Hannukah. I respect that this country was founded on Christian (Judeo-Christian if I may) values and again, because the majority of this country is Christian, well majority tends to rule in most situations, so why should this be any different. For this reason, I personally choose to say Happy Holidays unless you have first told me Merry Christmas and then I will say it right back to you and mean every syllable.

So with all that silliness, I wish you a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hannukah, a Happy Kwanza or whatever this season means to you. I will not project my merriment of my holiday(s) on you if you do not want to be projectiled upon.

I'm just sayin'

Not to jump into the controversy fully, but if it looks like a Christmas tree, has twinkly or not twinkly white or colored lights, dependent on your choice. If it has ornaments and stars and presents under it - it's a Christmas Tree. Calling it a Holiday Tree is just stupid. If you believe in Christmas you call it a Christmas Tree. If you don't believe in Christmas, then you don't really call it anything. And if you are truly offended by a tree with round balls all over it? You have bigger problems to deal with.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. Regardless of whether you believe in ducks or not.

I'm done... for now.

out.... of.... breath

Is it just me or is it wrong to have to rest after putting on your socks and shoes? Hmm?

Just around the corner

Well, the end is drawing near. Or so they tell me. 37 weeks and counting. I am 1 cm dilated and 60% effaced and go back to the doctor tomorrow. I am very conflicted about this whole birth thing right now. You see, I really want this baby to wait until about January 5th to arrive. This is for a variety of reasons. One of which is that my Mother comes on the 4th. The main reason though is that I do not want my child to have to share his/her birthday with the holidays. My birthday is in December and too often it gets forgotten or glossed over or wrapped into the Christmas/Hannukah celebrations. People are traveling or are sick or are just plain wrapped up in their own holidays at this time of year, which is over course understandable. But I want to be able to have a birthday party for my child and have his/her friends be in town and able to attend. I don't want my child's birthday getting lost in the shuffle.

On the other hand, I cannot wait to meet this little one. I am dying to know if he/she is a he or a she and to start calling him/her by their rightful name. I'm not totally miserable yet, so I am not at the point where I am moaning, "get this baby out of me," but I am at the point where I want to go to the next step. I want to hold my baby and step through to the mommy side of life. I don't know that I am fully prepared for what comes next, but are we ever fully prepared for anything in life? I mean really, with so many unknowns and curve balls in this life, how can we ever truly be prepared? But I'm ready and willing and waiting for the time when the little one decides to make his/her appearance. Whenever that may be, Mommy is as ready as she can ever be.

Christmas Spirit Meme

Stolen from Cori. See, I can get into the Christmas Spirit!

1) What is your favorite Christmas scent? Pine Needles

2) What do you think is the most enjoyable thing to do in the snow? Sled

3) If you were a photographer who was given the chance to go back in history to capture a Christmas photograph, where would you go and what would it be? Hmmm... Maybe the first one ever.

4) Regardless of monetary value, what is the single most meaningful Christmas gift you've ever received? I think this year's gift of my baby will be the most meaningful gift ever.

5) If, like Santa, you could take a night flight in a sleigh over any city in the world, which city would you choose? Taos, NM, because that is where my Mom, Sister and Nephews are.

6) What ingredients go into your favorite Christmas drink or beverage? Hot chocolate with a dash of peppermint schnapps (I agree with Cori)

7) Do you prefer blinking or non-blinking Christmas lights? All of the above.

8) Out of all the musical instruments, which one do you think is the most appropriate for the Christmas season? Bells

9) At Christmas time, which do you honestly enjoy more, giving or receiving? Giving

10) Do you have any ethnic or ancestral traditions that you honor during the Christmas season? Well, for Chanukah, we light the Menorah every year. For Christmas we don't really have any ancestral or ethnic traditions

11) Everyone in the office has been asked to place an ornament on the company Christmas tree that best represents him/herself. What would your ornament look like? An elephant. I collect them and so people associate them with me usually. And right now, I am as big as an elephant.

12) If you could spend Christmas in any European country, which one would it be? any one would do for me.

13) If snow could fall in any flavor, what flavor would you choose? A crisp vanilla, (again Cori's answer)

14) What is the longest line you can remember waiting in during the Christmas season? Right now they are all long. I'm a last minute shopper so I get stuck.

15) If you could indulge in only one type of cookie this holiday season, which cookie would you be eating a lot of? Just one, and if you could. Gimme cookies!

16) What gift have you wanted for years but still haven't received? Not sure. I have wanted a shower radio forever, but my parents gave me one this week for my birthday, so that's done.

17) What aspect of preparing for Christmas do you like the most? Decorating the tree and finding all of my favorite ornaments that my Mom has. Only at her house does this work. I love decorating the tree though.

18) What is your favorite Christmas decoration in your home (your tree doesn't count!). I have a cute little snowman with a carrot nose that I love.

19) If you had a great voice and could record a Christmas duet with any famous singer, whom would you choose as your singing partner? hahahahahaha, IF I had a great voice, hahahahaha

20) If you could take a scenic drive anywhere in America this holiday season, where would you most want to drive? Again, Taos, NM to see my nephews at Christmas.

21) What is the biggest change in your life since last Christmas? I'm about to have a baby. I'd say that's a pretty big change. I also in the last two months, started working from home and got a new car. Lots of change.

Cankles, Sausages, Belly and New Car Goodness All Rolled into one

Behold... the cankles and the sausage toes. I believe I am retaining all the water used to shoot The Perfect Storm. Agh. Note the nice little indentions where my fuzzy socks were.

And the belly. My shirt says Special Delivery. I love this shirt. 24 days left til due date!

And of course, my favorite picture of the day, my beautimous new car! I never thought I would drive something this nice, ever in my lifetime. Wowee Kazowee!

And so, my outlook on life is a little better than it was at 4:00 this morning when I wrote that depressing, ba humbug post below.

We are going to get our tree tonight and dammit I will enjoy it all! Ho, Ho, Ho!

Lazy/Ba Humbug Fa la la la la

This time of year always seems to get me in a funk. I don't know why and I try desparately to not let it happen. The holidays always seem to sneak up on me somehow. I say "holidays" because I in fact celebrate Hannukah and Christmas, so to me they are "holidays" as in multiples rather than an avoidance of the true nature of what Christmas is all about. (I'm tired of the atheists being offended by a God they don't believe in, but that is for another post.)

As a child Hannukah was always a time filled with fun and laughter and family. We had big family gatherings at my grandparents house and all eight days of Hannukah we were given gifts. As a kid, this of course is the best thing ever. My brother and I were fairly spoiled with gifts we had asked for and gifts we didn't even imagine to ask for, but that we loved. But, alas, I also got Christmas. Now the other side of my family, the side that celebrates Christmas, wasn't quite as high up on the economic scale and therefore the gifts were usually of a different level. But, Christmas was not without joy. Depending on which parent I was travelling to see of course.

Perhaps that is the core of my unhappiness at this time of year. From the time I was four, I have been flying back and forth between Texas and NM and sometimes Mexico or some other random place my Mother decided to move her nomadic self to, but generally it was New Mexico or Old Mexico. Never were the holidays a nice relaxing fun time. Invariably, my Mother would always search for the cheapest flights which of course meant leaving at un-Godly hours and layovers in airports across Texas. I know the inside of every airport between Houston and Albuquerque as well as the Cancun airport and the Belize Airport. Sometimes layovers would be hours long and other times, I would have to rush from gate 1 to gate 15438 at DFW in less than 15 minutes. As a 13 year old alone, dragging your luggage while crying through the airport on New Year's day (because of course that was the cheapest flight) is not a good childhood memory. I digress.

Christmas on that side of the world was usually filled with decorating the tree all together and remembering all our favorite ornaments as we pulled them out of their protective paper. In the good years, my sister and I would both be with my Mother and actually get to share in the holiday cheer. My gifts that I remember most usually consisted of books and practical things. My grandmother gave us each a book that looked like it had lived 1000 years, a slip of some sort and a variety of shampoos and lotions from hotels that she had visited. Our stockings always contained a piece of fruit. And for some reason, from the time we started wearing it, every year, I would get my sister make-up. This thought dawned on me the other day right before her visit. I don't know why I always bought her makeup. I would buy those big packs with all kinds of stuff in them. Perhaps I was remembering times when I wasn't beating her up and was actually doing sister things like doing her makeup and her hair. Perhaps, I wanted her to remember those times rather than the ones when I locked her in a room from the outside. Who knows, but I hope she never thought that I bought her all that crap because I thought she needed it. She doesn't. She is so beautiful and always has been.

I digress again. Now, for some reason this time of year is always so trying on me. Starting Thanksgiving weekend we have our wedding anniversary, my step-mother's birthday, and of course Thanksgiving. A couple of weeks later, we have my birthday, then my sister's birthday on the 21st and then of course Christmas. Normally Hannukah is thrown somewhere in the middle of December, but for added fun this year, it starts on Christmas Day. So needless to say, the holidays sneak up on me. Christmas/Hannukah are a little more than a week away and I have bought half of the gifts I need to, we have no tree and no real plans for the holiday other than I am trying to get all the family, Christian and Jewish alike to celebrate at our house, like never before, so that the dear pregnant woman does not have to travel across town, twice. Oh yes, did I mention that? I am 9.5 months pregnant. Add that to the mix, and I am a rolling ball of fun. The unknown of it all. When will this baby decide to come?

Every year at this time, we seem to have something big come up that causes hardship on us. Two years ago we got married Thanksgiving weekend. Not really a hardship, but anyone who has ever planned a wedding that included a mixed family, not only divorced, but religiously different as well as 250 guests, knows, that it is not exactly a day at the park. Last year at this time we bought a house and this year, well we are being forced to buy a car, which Insurance God's willing, will happen today. Throw into this mix, the setting up of a home office, with all the troubles that go along with it, hubby being gone on a three day business trip and the nursery, or rather the room with all the baby crap in it, has yet to be finished. And although I appreciate all the kindness my family has shown by doing things to make the nursery perfect, they are not done and I cannot control them and alas, it is driving me crazy, because WHAT IF THIS BABY COMES TOMORROW! Add in some other family drama or trauma, your choice and I just don't have it in me to be all holiday cheerful.

As an adult, and a now married, soon to be parent, I have always wanted the holidays to be a wonderful time, where we are happy and merry and the tree is up right after Thanksgiving and all is well. Where I buy the perfect gift for everyone, including those in my family who are impossible to shop for because they don't want anything, but they do, but it's only something really expensive and really difficult to buy. I want the big family sitting around the tree on Christmas morning, opening all of their perfect presents and the smell of pancakes in the background. I want the perfect little picture, but alas, I cannot build it. I'm too tired.

Last year when we went to pick out our tree, hubby and I got into a fight about which charity's we should donate to instead of buying each other gifts. We were fighting over charity! I won't go into the details... I had tears in my eyes as we picked out our tree. This year, we still have no tree and although we hope to go get it tonight, the idea of doing so after a day of buying a car, trying to finish shopping for gifts (whilst pulling the money for said gifts out of my ass) and trying to set up the printer/scanner/fax/copier that I finally got after working from home for two and half weeks, which of course didn't come with all the necesarry parts, well...the thought of going to buy a Christmas tree after all that, just makes me tired. And then the jaded part of me says, why bother? It will only be up for a two weeks at the most, or invariably, it will be up forever because this baby will decide to come smack in the middle of my holiday misery. Which of course if that happens, good, bad or indifferent, will of course make everything listed above a mute point and I will be happy to just have a healthy, happy baby.

So needless to say, I'm lacking in the holiday cheer department. I'm also writing this wonderful post at 4:30 in the morning and have to get up and be productive tomorrow, but hey, that's what I do these days. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and any other holiday you may celebrate. May you be having a wonderful, happy, funfilled time!

Unattended Children