They Start Them Younger and Younger...

Some of you may know that Brian is a high school wrestling coach. He's great at it. He really takes it to heart that he can make a difference in these kids' lives. And he truly does. The kids (for the most part - when he's not making them do a million sprints and push-ups and other insane things) really love him and look up to him. I can't say enough about the fact that Brian really cares about these kids and wants them to succeed. Not only in wrestling, but in life. It sounds really cheesy, but it's true, so I don't care.

Anyhoo, Tucker has been to the mat club that Brian helps coach, but he's never been to a wrestling match. That is, until last night. I think he enjoyed himself. He kept looking up at the people in the bleachers and smiling at them as they yelled at the kids on the mat to crossface this or move your leg that. It was pretty cool. I took a few pictures.

Please excuse the sores around his little nose.

Wheeeeee

I'm very excited to say that I won a contest! I can't tell you the last time I won a contest. It may have been never.

Thanks to Marty and all the other women over at Triangle Mamas, I entered to win a book and CD by Bill Leslie. From what I've listened to online, his music has a Celtic flavor and is just beautiful. Very soothing. Check out more about him here.

I can't wait to receive my treats and tell you all about them.

Thanks again, Triangle Mamas!

Weekend Fun

So this weekend was pretty busy! I hosted a shower for an old colleague of mine. It was a lot of fun and I'm glad everyone seemed to have a good time. It was a coed affair, and I also extended the invite to kids of attendees. It was cool. The kids were small enough to have fun playing with Tucker's toys. Tucker loved being around the kids (who were all girls, mind you). Until, that is, he was tired and needed a nap. But that kid is such a charmer.

The shower lasted about three hours and I was glad to see that the turnout was small but meaningful. If you know what I mean. I got to see some people I hadn't seen in a long time, and I got to meet a couple of people who were pretty damn cool.

The rest of the weekend was filled with running errands and pretending that I have a clean house. My downstairs - spotless. Upstairs, on the other hand, is an utter mess and I'm embarrassed by it. I need to have time to declutter, and I am - slowly but surely. But I feel like I have so many papers - and just stuff in general - that I can get rid of. Anyone have a massive shredder I can borrow?

Oh, and then this morning, Brian walked into Tucker's room and found Tucker STANDING UP in his crib. Time to lower the mattress!

A Real Conversation

This is a conversation I just had with a coworker. I can't really stop laughing about it.

D and I, talking about a mutual acquaintance's mother:

Me: Is she Israeli?
Him: No, she's Mexican.

Aaaaaand scene.

Brings Back Memories

I kind of love this. No, scratch that. I DEFINITELY love this.

Animal wild!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ju75XsCO4o

Check This Out - It's Funny!

This is my company's version of a Christmas card this year. It's really funny. Called Northern Exposure, it's a celebrity/gossip blog focused on the North Pole. Check back for updates.

www.northernexposuregossip.com

Trouble

Oh, we're in trouble. Tucker figured out how to climb a step. He hasn't managed to try going up our staircase yet, but he did climb the two steps to the landing that leads to our staircase.

I feel like two weeks ago, he was just scooting around. Now he's a fast crawler. And he's got the red knees to prove it.

Good Genes (And Jeans)

I had a pretty fun weekend. I didn't sleep a lot, which is a shame. Because I'm really tired.

Thanksgiving was generally pretty fun. I'm sure Brian would agree that it wasn't the most relaxing time at his parents' house. It was cool to see everyone, though. Too bad Tucker woke up after a nap that lasted less than an hour. He was charming, of course, but really tired.

The rest of the weekend I tried to tidy up the house a bit and also start doing this whole recycling thing. I know, I'm a bad person for not recycling before this, but hey, cut me some slack, Jack. I'm trying here. So I'm working on a way to make it easy to plunk bottles and cans in one recepticle, paper in another, and general trash in yet another. I'm just trying to figure out whether those plastic Gerber baby food containers are recyclable. They have the right number in their recycle triangle, but I am still unclear about whether or not my county takes them. If anyone knows the answer to this question, that would be fab.

I bought a pair of jeans at Old Navy - the skinny kind. I quite like them. In trying on the jeans, I realized how much I really need to get rid of my little belly pooch. It's really unattractive and makes me find myself repulsive. Sad, isn't it?

Then today I took a gift card I had from Banana Republic and got another pair of jeans and a cute little sweater. Who doesn't need a cute little sweater? There's always room. And the jeans? They are seriously awesome. Given the fact that the jeans I've been wearing for the past 10 years are not kind of wearing through in the crotch, I needed another pair. It's just not really appropriate to wear them to work, although I still do. But these new Banana jeans...they are a GREAT replacement. Let's just say...they're bananas.

Happy Anniversary To Me! (And My Husband, Too)

I have been married three years today. In some ways it seems like it went by in no time, but in other ways it seems like we've been married for much longer. Which isn't a bad thing.

I love the family we have created. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Is Thanksgiving REALLY This Week?

I can't believe it's almost Thanksgiving. As in, two days from now, it's Thanksgiving. It doesn't seem possible. This year has flown!

I'm really looking forward to watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It's kind of a tradition. I think it really started one year at my friend Rachel's sleepover party. In fact, Rachel's birthday is today! We watched the parade on TV and ever since then, I've had to watch it every year from start to finish. It is so cheesy but it is totally great. I don't know why I keep blathering on about this, but I can't stop!!!

When I had my internship in New York, the parade went directly down our street. We all worked on Thanksgiving, which they do every year, and people brought their kids in to watch the parade from our windows. It was kind of a dream come true for me.

I think for the first time ever, I might do the whole Black Friday shopping thing. The whole getting up at 3 a.m. thing. We'll see. My cousin Bonnie and I were talking about it today at lunch and she sort of talked me into it. Sort of. Speaking of Bonnie, she was featured on a segment on the Rachael Ray Show today - the "Rach to the Rescue" segment. It was pretty awesome. She learned how to prepare a real Thanksgiving meal. As in, one that doesn't come from boxes! Everyone should check out the clip at www.rachaelray.com!

That's about it. This is kind of a lame post, but I'm tired. Word.

Wow, I Haven't Posted In Awhile!!

I don't know what that's about. I would really like to post more frequently. So, here I go.

Random things that are going on...

Brian's birthday was Friday. I took the day off. Brian is THE worst person to shop for. Tucker and I agree on that. Neither of us could find ANYTHING to get him!! It's really impossible. So we decided that Tucker is going to get him a chalk rack that he wants to for his pool table, and I'm going to get him the jeans and hiking boots he wants, whenever he gets around to picking them out. Because so help me if I pick them out myself. He is so damn particular.

Next comes our anniversary, which is the 26th. I think that's the day before Thanksgiving. I think. So, again, I have no clue what to get my husband of three years. Did I mention that he is the worst person to shop for?

Tucker is seven months old! He's scooting/crawling all over the place. I think now would be a great time to baby-proof things. I'm pretty sure babies shouldn't be around plastic bags. Yeah. Other than that, we've discovered that Tuck is quite the comedian. He really loves to make people laugh. For instance, he makes this certain noise that never fails to get me laughing, and he loves it. He keeps doing it until he gets tired of my laughing, and then he crawls away. Usually to find a shoe to chew on. Again with the baby-proofing...

Hmm, what else? Oh yeah, my boss is no longer in her position at work. In fact, she's no longer at my office period. Let's just say there was a mutual agreement that everyone should move on. I miss her. :(

I think that's it for now. I promise to blog more frequently, because I know all you tens of readers are really clamoring for the next installment. Cheers!

Big Boys Don't Cry...Much

Tucker is a whopping 17 pounds 15 ounces! He is 27 1/2 inches long! I don't know where he came from since Brian and I are short peeps. My grandfather was a big guy, though, and Tucker has really taken after him in looks and build. So I guess I do know where he comes from...

When my mom came into the delivery room after Tucker was born, apparently she thought, "Oh my G-d, my father has been reincarnated." I'll have to scan a picture of my grandfather from when he was little and compare it to a picture of Tucker. It's pretty uncanny. At least I think so.

Tucker's six-month appointment included some shots as well as an oral vaccination. The doctor gave him the oral one first, and he HATED the taste of it. So he cried and cried during that. Then came the shots. He cried for a couple of seconds after they each went in and then I picked him up...and he stopped crying. He was his usual smiley self after that!

He got a little cranky after his second nap of the day, but after he ate, he was up for playing as usual. I love that boy.

Half a Year

Yesterday, Tucker turned six months old. I know it sounds cliche, but I really can't believe how fast time has flown. I also can't really remember what life was like without him. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have known that boy all my life.

He's starting to do the rocking-back-and-forth-on-all-fours thing, which will lead, I'm assuming, to his crawling sometime soon. Brian and I think he looks like he's humping the floor, which provides endless hours of amusement. And he looks so happy doing it, which makes it all the more hilarious.

He's also saying "Mmmmm" when I feed him solid food. I say it, and then he says it back. It's really cute. I'm guessing he doesn't really get the connection and is just copying me, but still.

He also grabs my face and puts his mouth over my nose, mouth and forehead. I think he's kissing me. At least, that's what I choose to believe.

Oh, AND he's sitting up straight! It's so funny to see him do that. I don't know why. It's just amazing to think that six months ago, he was this tiny, scrawny little thing. Tomorrow is his six-month doctor's appointment and I am so curious to see how much he weighs, the little piglet.

Amazing What a Little Time Will Do

My sister went back to work today after being on maternity leave for 3+ months. She says she's doing well and that everyone is being really nice. I'm sure it can't be easy, though.

I remember my first day back to work. Hell, it wasn't that long ago, but it feels like forever. I cried pretty much all day. I've got no shame. I cried as soon as I walked in and saw my boss. G-d bless her, she just walked up and gave me a hug. It was definitely appreciated. Every time someone asked me how I was doing, I would cry. Ugh. What a day.

I cried a lot that first week, and felt really sad for the next couple of weeks, too. But after that, I started to feel much better. It helps that I really love all the people in my department. They made it much easier to come to work every day.

And now? I'm SO excited to get home to see my baby. His smile when he sees me walk through the door is the best gift I've ever gotten (although, Brian, if you're reading this, I'd love a nice pair of diamond earrings).

So what I'm trying to say is, I never thought it would be true, but it actually DOES get easier. This working mom thing.

Fabulous Weekend

Yes, I realize it's Wednesday, but I'm just now getting the time to post about the fabulous weekend I had in New York City with my sisters-in-law.

We stayed with my SIL M's parents' friends in an amazing loft in Chelsea. It was beautiful, really eclectic and large. We had our own room away from our hosts' bedroom, which was good because we poured ourselves into bed around 3 a.m. Sunday morning. I haven't done that in, well, years.

SIL T and I each brought up a bottle of champagne. We cracked both of those open on the train ride up, which was at 7:04 Saturday morning. I couldn't believe I was actually doing that! What, was I back in college? (Although in college I would have been cracking open a beer instead of a bottle of champagne.) By the time we got up to NYC two and half hours later, we were tipsy, tipsy, tipsy.

We made our way to our Chelsea accomodations and proceeded to open another bottle of wine with our lovely hostess. She had a fantastic New York accent and liked to talk politics. Turns out she's stumping for Obama. Did you know he's a smoker?? I had no idea.

Our hostess was going to the gym, so she left us to our own devices. We got ourselves together and went shopping. We shopped all. day. long. It was fabulous. We also had a really overpriced lunch in Soho, but that's okay. We had a good time. M and I got fabulous dresses to wear for our big Saturday night out - Nobu at 6:15.

The three of us got back to the loft and started to get ready. We had some wine and cheese with our hosts and then had to drag M out of the apartment. She was running a bit late. So we didn't get to take pictures of ourselves all dolled up. Which is really a shame, because we looked hot.

We made it to Nobu and had the most fabulous meal. It was seriously the best meal I've ever had. We got pretty drunk at dinner, and noticed a group at the table next to ours. M asked T to go ask the group where we should head after dinner. Next thing I know, the three of us are crammed at their table, each taking a shot of saki. The group was two local couples and they were sweet as can be.

M went to the ladies room with the two wives and suddenly T and I were being propositioned by the husbands. I felt bad for the wives, truthfully. Especially since one offered me a bit of her chocolate cake. But oh well. We took the group up on their recommendation to go to Tenjune in the Meatpacking District.

We.Had.A.Blast. We got more wine and met different people. We all ended up talking to this guy from London who was in town on business. He was my age, so it wasn't creepy. The two of us talked about music mostly and he told me abou this girlfriend. I showed him pictures of Tucker. He was really lovely. One highlight of the night is when M gave me some Tic Tacs. She put some in her mouth, and then immediately spit them out and threw them over the bar's railing onto some people below. It was pretty funny.

After we accidentally got into a Lincoln Towncar instead of a regular cab to get home, we got into bed. I think I managed to wash my face. I was sure I was going to throw up the next morning...But I didn't! We all woke up with headaches, but generally felt pretty okay. We had bagels with our hosts and then went out to shop some more. We were all pretty tired at that point, so we stopped for lunch and sat at the bar (and drank water) for a couple of hours. By then, it was time to get ready to get back to the train.

All told, it was really a fabulous weekend. I'm so glad I went with the girls. It was funny, people kept acting so surprised when we said that we were sisters-in-law and that we all got along. I guess that's a rarity these days. Anyway, I can't wait to do it again next year.

But boy, did I miss my husband and little babe.

Sharp Little Suckers, Aren't They?

Last night Tucker was biting down on my finger as usual, but this time I felt something sharp when he did so...

A tooth! A tooth is popping through! I couldn't believe it...we took him to the doctor a couple of weeks ago for his first cold and I asked her if she felt anything tooth-wise since I could tell he'd been teething for awhile. She said she didn't feel anything and didn't think that he'd get any teeth for a little while.

I guess those things just pop up overnight! My little babe is growing up...

Feeding Time!

Tucker is eating real food! And by real food I mean the mushed up variety that comes in cute little plastic containers. Yes, I want to get around to making my own baby food for him, but I just haven't yet. But I will. Because it's so practical and fun to put them into the little ice cube trays for easy dispensing!

Anyway, we started with rice cereal quite a few weeks ago and he did pretty well with it. He didn't know what to make of it at first and got this really sour look on his face which was so funny. But he figured out what to do...

As an aside, I tasted the rice cereal and BLECH. Cardboard city.

So once Tucker mastered the rice cereal, we decided it was time to move onto veggies. First up...sweet potatoes. He loved them! And especially loved taking pictures of him with the orange goatee he inevitably ended up with at the end of a feeding session.

Now we're onto carrots and he likes those, too. I figure they taste pretty similar to sweet potatoes, right? And the orange goatee remains...I'm downloading pictures when I get home so I can post them.

I'm Trying...

...to figure out the Google Reader feature so that I can be cool enough to let the world know which blogs I follow. I am coming up against some errors, so if your blog isn't up there and you're offended, don't be. I'm trying to work it out.

When You Call Someone in the Middle of the Night, Can You Make Sure You Get the Number Right? Great, Thanks

I awoke from a (fairly) sound sleep early this morning to my cell phone vibrating across the room as it was being charged. I always get so nervous when my phone rings in the middle of the night. It's never a good sign.

Me (groggily): Hello?
Asshole: Shavonne?
Me (groggily getting pissed): No.
Stupid asshole: : Oh! I'm sorry!
Me (awake, heart beating, PISSED): click

Is there a reason why people don't double check the number they dial in the middle of the night? Maybe it's because they should be asleep...

An Anomoly...Or Not.

I was walking back to my office from a client meeting yesterday. It was a beautiful day, although it was hotter than the 70 degrees the weatherman predicted. Needless to say, I smelled like B.O. by the time I got back to my desk.

As I was walking along Pratt Street, which is a main thoroughfare downtown, I could hear the faint beginnings of Bonnie Tyler's epic ballad, "Total Eclipse of the Heart." I searched the line of cars stopped at the red light to see where it was coming from.

Imagine my surprise when I realized it was coming from a tricked-out black Ford sedan, complete with a spoiler on the back. Do people even care about spoilers anymore??

But wait, it gets better. There was an arm casually hanging out of the driver's side window, on which a huge black spider web was tattooed. And of course the guy was smoking a cigarette.

And BLASTING "Total Eclipse of the Heart." With great speakers. It was so interesting. I heart Baltimore.

Motivation? What Motivation?

So a week after blogging with much gusto about my motivation for organizing my life, I am totally UNmotivated now. I still want to make this a goal. It's really important to me. But I can't seem to find the time to even attempt to walk into my closet.

See, I have this little thing called a baby now and he takes up all of my waking hours when I'm at home. I'm so thrilled to have him! I'm not complaining. But I need some kind of balance so that I can do little things like housework and still manage to spend as much time with him as humanly possible.

Because there's the guilt factor I have for being away from him for 11 hours every weekday. Sigh. However, he deserves to have a clean, orderly household in which to grow up. And a fun household. Emphasis on the fun.

I just drank a beer. That's why this post is kind of ramble-y.

Motivation...and GO

I went to acupuncture last night. It was heavenly. I love getting stuck with needles. Actually, I don't love the getting stuck part (some points actually hurt!) but I love the feeling right after I get stuck. I know this probably sounds hokey, but I can feel the energy becoming unblocked where the needle goes in. It's pretty awesome.

As I lay there last night with the regular needles coming out of my feet, shins and wrists, and a couple of new ones in points on my nose (for sinus issues, thankyouverymuch), I kept thinking about how I want to be more organized in my life. So when my acupuncturist came back in to take the needles out and check my pulse, we talked about it.

We talked about the fact that I'm not an organized person by nature. I have always wanted to be organized, but I have trouble finding the motivation to actually be organized. I think having a child might be the motivation I need.

See, all I want to do when I get home is play with my baby, eat dinner and go to sleep. And by the time I am ready to go to sleep, it is all I can do to force myself to brush my teeth and wash my face. So I have got to think of some tactics to put into place in order to create, well, order in my life.

I think first I will start by organizing my closet. And actually doing laundry on a regular basis.

Next, I will meal plan more. That is, I will take the time on the weekend to think about what meals I want to make for the week, create a shopping list and go shopping based on that list. Period. No roaming the aisles aimlessly anymore.

After that, I don't know! But I really want to make this a serious goal. I go back to acupuncture next month and I want to be able to report on my progress to my beloved acupuncturist.

I Want To Eat Him

This little boy is just delish. Sigh.

There Is Nothing Hotter...

...than getting out of the shower to hear the sound of the vacuum running downstairs. And the the clink, clink, clink of the clean dishes from the dishwasher being put into their rightful places in the cabinets and drawers. And the rustling of papers being straightened on the coffee and kitchen tables.

Talk about hot and bothered! There's nothing better than hearing your husband clean up the house...without any prompting from me WHATSOEVER!! He's turning into quite the Mr. Mom.

Resolve

Ever since I was pregnant with Tucker, I didn't think much about fat and calories. I'm not saying that pregnancy gave me the leeway to eat whatever I wanted - I would still think about nutrition most of the time - but I'm saying that I didn't worry if I went to Starbucks and got a full-fat chai latte. Or used butter when cooking. Or (gasp!) real sugar.

So I guess I got used to this style of eating. And now it's time for me to un-get used to it. Because while I've lost a lot of the baby weight, I'm still not back down to my old weight. And I'm feeling blech.

So back comes the reduced fat foodstuffs. Back comes the Splenda. Skim milk in my chai. But I think I'll stick with real butter.

Connect The Dots, La, La, La, La

I'm having a problem with acne lately. I had a nice, big, red pimple smack dab in the middle of my two eyebrows. It was really lovely. Upon closer inspection of it, I realized that I really had to tweeze the stray hairs around there. Ugh. I've never waxed my eyebrows in my life, and now this? Stray hairs that could one day connect to make a unibrow? NOT GOOD.

So that zit left town. But now I have one, literally directly under it, on the underside of my lower lip. And it's a goodie. By goodie I mean that it's a whitehead that isn't quite ready to be popped, but once it is ready, it'll be one satisfying mothereffer.

I just feel gross.

I've Become a Coke Addict

Coca-Cola, that is. And not that diet shit either.

I prided myself on not drinking soda. And now I need the caffeine. Does that make me weak?

Kind of an Older Picture, But...

Here's one of me and Tuck.

Why I'm Now On Crazy Pills

So at the beginning of July, I had a mole removed from my right shoulder. It hadn't been there forever, and I would freak out about it on and off. So finally, I decided to stop being such a baby and get it removed. My doctor didn't think that it was anything to worry about, but he sent it for biopsy anyway since that's what dermos do when they remove any skin growth.

Fast forward a week, which is also my first day back at work. I get a call from the dermo's assistant, who tells me that the lab called and my mole came back as 'atypical.' Which means it had to get sent for more tests at another lab so that they could determine exactly what 'atypical' meant. I freaked out on the assistant, and repeatedly asked her if I was going to die. She assured me that I wasn't going to die, and I calmed down.

Fast forward two weeks from that day, when I get a call from said assistant again. She said that the doctor wanted me to come back in to have more skin taken from around where the mole was taken because they want to make sure it's all gone. She told me that what I had was benign, though.

So, fine. I go back to the dermo, who shows me the pathology report from my mole. It said that my mole had characteristics of this one specific kind of growth, but that there could be a component of melanoma. Well. I went bananas. I cried. I asked if I was going to die. I kept saying, "I'm a new mother. Am I going to die?" They repeatedly - and I mean repeatedly - assured me that I would not die from this. Even if it was melanoma, it was caught very early. And since the lab couldn't even definitively say that it was melanoma, it most likely was not. The doc said that the lab had to put that in the report to cover themselves just in case.

Well. I was beside myself for a week. I couldn't eat. I couldn't be alone. I couldn't focus at work. I was a wreck. I called the dermo's assistant a couple of times to have her tell me that I wasn't going to die. She did. She was very sweet. I heart her totally.

I visited my primary care physician because I was such a wreck that I had to go on psychotropic drugs. She prescribed them and assured me that she thought everything would be fine.

I visited my acupuncturist for some calming effects. She was great. I heart her totally.

And then the dermo's assistant called to tell me that what I had removed was in fact benign. I could have grabbed her through the phone and kissed her. WHEW. But I still need those drugs.

And the moral of the story is twofold. First, always, always, always wear sunscreen and don't use tanning beds. And, if you see a mole that looks funny, get it checked out as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Apparently, I'm Not Really Cool Anymore

Well, maybe I shouldn't say that. But I'm just feeling so out of the loop since I've been back to work. It's like I completely forgot that there's this whole thing going on called 'the world' that I've ignored since having Tucker.

Last night my office had one of its 'famous' happy hours. I say famous in quotes because, let's face it, the events are only famous in the company owners' minds. It's really quite amusing how much effort they put into throwing this thing. I really had no stomach for it, but I had to attend for at least a little while in a show of solidarity. Blech.

Anyway, I left after about an hour to go pick up Tucker from wrestling practice. No, he's not quite old enough to wrestle, but Brian takes him to practice because he coaches a mat club in the summer for kids around the county. I pick the baby up at practice after I get out of work.

It was a nice night with Tucker. He slept pretty well - from 9 to 2 a.m. and then again from about 3:30 to 7:30. We've got to work on him going back to sleep after he eats in the middle of the night, but that's another story for another time.

Anyway, fast forward to this morning when I got to work and felt completely left out because everyone was talking about the great time they had last night, how drunk they were, how hungover they are, etc., etc., etc. I just don't feel like a part of that world anymore. I'm not interested in hanging out with my coworkers, getting drunk. I'm interested in getting home to see my son before he falls asleep for the night.

It's weird, because I always like to be in the middle of everything. And now I feel very much on the outskirts. I don't mind so much, because I'd much rather be with my family. But it's definitely an adjustment.

Eddie Eddie Bo Beddie

My little nephew Eddie is here! My sister had him on Saturday morning, July 5th. He's a little man, and weighed in at 7 lbs. 14 oz.

Cammy, Katie, Jude-y and Jack

I have a new favorite movie. It's called The Holiday. I watch it every single time it's on Starz, which we recently picked up in lieu of Skinamax. It stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. I think should have won awards for their performances. Not actually, but I do really love to watch it.

Amazing

Lots of things have become amazing to me since I've become Mommy to little Tucker.

I am amazed at how long I can stare at one person and not want to look away. Tucker makes the cutest faces, and even when he's actually NOT making any faces, I still have to stare.

I am amazed at how little sleep I can get by on now. Sure, I try to take naps here and there, but the sleep I'm getting is absolutely NOTHING compared to what I would get before. I am a champion sleeper.

I am amazed that I look forward to picking boogies out of my son's nose. They're so cool! Believe me, if it were anyone else, I would barf at the thought of having to dig in their nose. Blech.

I am amazed at how protective I am of him. I didn't think I would be this obsessive, but I am. Brian said he knew all along how obsessive I would be. I guess I should believe him.

I am amazed at the fact that I think I can tell what my little guy is thinking. And he's hilarious!

I am amazed at how much a little smile can bring tears to my eyes.

And finally, to end this post before I start rambling too much, I am amazed at how much I don't care about how I look when I go out in public. I should probably be ashamed of myself, but I'm not. I think I've worn makeup five times in the last almost six weeks.

Seriously?

Okay, let me break it down for you. I just put Tucker down for a nap. Finally I was able to take a moment to read a magazine on the toilet (hey, I'm learning to multitask these days...). It was great! I haven't read a magazine in weeks, and I have a ton of them to catch up on.

So I'm reading all about skin care products in May's Real Simple (keep in mind I have June's issue to get through, too) when the phone rings. Dammit! I always like to get the phone just in case...So I jump up off the toilet (I had already wiped) and pick up the phone. "Hello?... Hello?" You readers know that when you have to say hello more than once, you're usually in trouble. It usually means that it's some sort of telemarketer or pre-recorded message waiting for you on the other end of the line.

I was in trouble. A pre-recorded message finally began, and it was, of all people, The Miz!! You know, Mike from the Real World Back to New York who dated Trishelle, participated on all of those Real World/Road Rules challenges and decided to become a professional wrestler? He was calling to remind me to order the WWE fights that are happening this weekend.

Now, I am a starfucker of the highest order. I am obsessed with celebrities big and small. Hell, I had a small nervous breakdown when I thought I saw Samuel L. Jackson on the street in New York. It turns out that I DID actually see him. In front of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Ask Brian how much I freaked out before I realized he was made of wax.

But my point is, normally I would be tickled to hear The Miz on the other end of my phone. Just not when I have to jump off the toilet to do it.

Jury Doody

I don't know what I was thinking, but I didn't write in to get my jury duty excused being that I have a newborn and all. Anyway, it was yesterday. I unhappily got up after about three hours of sleep and made my way to the courthouse to do my civil duty or whatever it is you call it.
Did I mention that I've never been called to serve jury duty before? What are the chances that I would get called NOW?
So I got to the courthouse and took a seat, waiting to sign in. Of course they called the group I was sitting in dead last to sign in. I got to the courthouse at 8:30 and didn't get to sign in until 9:30. During that hour, I sat in a chair wondering how the hell I was going to make it through the day given the fact that I was so tired I considered curling up in a ball on the floor and crying. I mean, I didn't know what I was going to do. I brought magazines to read and thank you cards to write, and I couldn't muster up the energy to even open the bag where I stored them.
Finally we got called to sign in. When I got to the front of the line and stated my name, the woman looked at her records and said, "Oh Ms. Rudo, do you have an issue with daycare?"
See, when you send in your form for jury duty, they ask you whether you provide daycare for your children, to which I replied, "Yes."
So I told the woman that I have a three-week-old at home. And she said the words that were music to my ears - "Oh, they've excused you. Didn't you get the notice in the mail? Oh wait, they sent it out Friday."
Friday?!? Yesterday was only Tuesday. I didn't get that piece of mail. And I still haven't, as a matter of fact. It would have been nice to have gotten the notice before I schlepped all the way to the courthouse. But really, I'm just thankful I got to hightail it out of there when I did.

Mmmmmmmommy

I'm back. I feel like blogging. Finally!

I have a little guy sleeping next to me as I type this. He's in his REM sleep cycle, which means that he flails his little arms around and makes cute baby noises. Apparently that's how babies' REM sleep cycles are. I have a lot to learn.

So where do I begin? I'll start on April 15th, when I went to get checked by my midwife. I had progressed to about 2 cm and was 80 percent effaced. I knew that I wanted her to deliver my baby, as opposed to any of the other doctors in the practice I go to. Not because I don't love all the doctors there, because I do. It's just that I had developed a great relationship with my midwife. So...we set a date for induction for Saturday, the 19th because my midwife was scheduled to be on call at the hospital that day. Woot!

So I ended up starting my maternity leave that Thursday the 17th to give myself a couple of days to get ready, do some things for myself, that kind of stuff. I even got a manicure. When I went out in public and people would ask when I was due, they looked a little scared when I told them.

Brian and I went out for a fun dinner on April 18th and I started to get nervous. I hadn't really been nervous for labor prior to that. I guess it just hit me all at once. I had to get up at about 4:30 the next morning, so I'm glad I got nervous so close to my induction.

We got to the hospital at 5:45 on Saturday morning and I was admitted a little after 6. I started the Pitocin at 7 a.m., and started feeling contractions an hour or so later. No big deal. Well, at least at first. Once the contractions got a bit stronger, I asked very nicely for my epidural, which they were more than happy to give me.

Good stuff.

I slept for about three hours after I got that bad boy. In my head I was all, "Labor? No big deal! I could do this every day!" That is, until it came time to push. Not that it was bad, but it was so much more exhausting than I imagined it would be. I pushed for a little bit, and it was determined that the little man's head was face up instead of face down. So they had me lay on my side for about an hour to see if he would flip down. He did!

Then the real pushing began. I swear, I am really proud of myself for not cussing anyone out. I was surprisingly calm. I remember when little man started to crown, my midwife and Brian commented on the fact that they could see his hair. And I kept saying, "Are you sure it's not pubic hair? Are you sure it's not pubic hair?" (Because, let's face it, I hadn't really kept up with the grooming down there. Ahem.)

Just as he was crowing, my epidural started to wear off. Wowsers. That hurt. I said that I didn't think I could do it anymore. I felt like I was going to split apart. But the anesthesiologist came in and gave me more and I was able to finish what I had started. I was surprised that once his little head came out, his body followed so quickly! And I was not in the least bit surprised to hear that it was a boy! I just knew it. I knew it all along.

I can really describe what it was like when they put him on my chest, but I just felt like I had known this little guy all my life. Tucker Scott. We had picked out the name awhile before. It was literally the only boy name we could agree on. Here he is:

I am completely in love with him. The past couple of weeks have gone by so quickly that I can't actually believe it. I don't even know where the time has gone. I spend a lot of it staring at him because I can't believe he's here and that he's mine. Here's another couple of photos for your enjoyment.

I Figured It Out

The stupidest song in the world, that is.

Mr. Roboto by Styx. I listened to the whole thing this morning in the car, and I have to say, I am sad about those five minutes I'll never get back.

The funniest part is that when it came on, I was all, "All right! Yes! Woo hoo!! Mr. Roboto! I haven't heard this song in FOREVER!!" I was so pumped.

Then as I sat there listening to it, I became more and more upset by it. Because the lyrics are the worst ever. And then I looked it up on Wikipedia and it turns out that the song is part of Styx's concept album for a rock opera having something to do with some freak who gets locked up in some kind of jail for musicians or something and he escapes by killing the Roboto who was guarding him and hiding in his empty shell of a robot body. I seriously cannot believe that:
a. Styx made a rock opera/concept album
and
b. That this is what they chose as the plot

That's why the song says 'Domo arigato Mr. Roboto,' which translates to 'Thank you very much Mr. Roboto.' The guy is thanking this Roboto for letting him kill it and hide in his body.

This is all too much for me.

All I Need Are Some Tasty Waves...

Well, actually what I'd like are some Tastycakes. Or a Little Debbie snack cake. Or any cake really. The point is, I am really into baked goods.

This is so unlike me. Usually I'd go for savory over sweet. That's not to say I don't enjoy my desserts. I really do. But I usually really enjoy my savory meals more.

It started last weekend when I realized that all I wanted for breakfast was some pancakes. Preferably of the chocolate chip variety. It was a good thing I was meeting Amy and the gang for breakfast at Miss Shirley's. I got my pancakes, and they were damn good.

But here's the weird part. I don't normally order pancakes, or any other kind of sweet breakfast item, when I go out to breakfast. I almost always prefer a nice omelet or some such thing.

Fast forward to today. I went to Whole Foods before I went to work so that I could get some lunch (I had a doc appointment this morning and was going to be late to work anyway). I picked up a salad, which at the time, only semi-appealed to me. By the time I was at work and ready to eat said salad, I couldn't have been more sad to eat it. This is normally not the case.

So what did I do? Ate part of the salad, threw the rest away, braved the rain outside and hiked to Panera (less than a block away) for a chocolate chip cookie and a pumpkin muffie (the top half of the muffin). And I ate the hell out of them.

The ironic part? This morning I was complaining to the midwife about how tired I am, and she suggested cutting out simple sugars. Um...I'll start that tomorrow. For sure.

"I Can't Believe This is Really Happening"

This is not pregnancy related.

These were the words I just uttered at my office. Someone brought a trumpet to work today and has been playing it off and on all day.

How many people can say the same about their office? Jealous?

Oh wait, everyone just clapped. It was a good song I guess.

The Worst Commercials Ever

I cannot stand those new Comcast commercials where there is one person who speaks like a normal human being and another person who opens their mouth only to have random songs come out. And all the songs contain the lyrics 'more more more.'

I hate them I hate them I hate them.

Neti Pot Tales

Never heard of a neti pot? Actually, mine has changed my life. But seriously, it does the grossest thing I've ever experienced.

Confused? Here's a little background. I've been having some sinus problems lately. I had a couple of colds, and each time I got over them, the nasal stuffiness just lingered for days on end. It made sleeping impossible. No amount of nose blowing worked. It was just miserable.

Until I discovered the wonder that is the neti pot. I'd heard about them, and had even contemplated buying one for years. But...I don't know. I was chicken. Even watching Dr. Oz make some poor audience member demonstrate its use on the Oprah show didn't make me want to rush right out and buy one. But finally I did.

Apparently there is a practice of neti that has been around for centuries. I guess the most devoted people use oils and such in their neti pots, but really, that's just weird.

I bet you're all still confused. Let me explain what a neti pot is used for. In a nutshell, it's a little pot that irrigates your sinuses. And here's how you do it.

Fill the little pot (it looks like a teapot) with warm distilled water mixed with a little bit of regular old table salt. Stick the pot's spout up one of your nostrils. Tilt your head to the side and forward (just a little!) and watch as the water pours into one nostril and comes out the other. Repeat on the other side. Then exhale - hard. And watch what comes out of your nose. It's unreal. Oh wait. Don't forget to do this over a sink. (Just in case you're a little slow)

Holy shit. This practice of neti has made a world of difference in my life. I can breathe at night, which means I can sleep. I'm not embarrassed in restaurants as I mouth-breathe and eat at the same time (ew). I am 100% thrilled with my $17.95 purchase. You can pick one of these babies up at WholeFoods.

The only problem I've experience so far is that if I tilt my head a certain way, I feel like I'm drowning myself since the water gets sort of backed up in my head.

Close Call!

So I went in for my 1-hour glucose test this past Friday to check for gestational diabetes. After buying two cartons of Edy's ice cream this weekend (whatever, they were on sale and they are American Idol flavors, thank you very much), I found out on Monday that I failed! So I had to go back for a three-hour test, which is, in a word, NOT FUN. Okay, that was two words.

For those of you who aren't familiar with this test, you first get your blood drawn to get a base reading on your blood sugar levels. Then you drink the sweetest, most disgusting bug juice you've ever had in your life. Then you sit for an hour and have more blood drawn. Then wait another hour and have even more blood drawn. Then wait an hour after that and have blood drawn again! Suffice it to say that I now look like a pregnant addict.

The good news is that I got my results today and I passed! Woo hoo! Now I can eat all that American Idol ice cream. Not that it would have gone to waste...my husband would have made sure of that.

On a totally unrelated note, I was on my way to the subway this morning. I was almost there, and was stopped at a red light. I look over to my passenger seat to make sure I have everything...bag of food, check. Purse...no check. Where the hell was my purse?? Yeah...It was still sitting on my kitchen table where I left it before running out of the house. So back I go. I was so irritated. Pregnancy brain at its finest. But at least I had my food with me - I know where my priorities are.

Try To Figure This One Out

I had the weirdest dream last night.

I went to my doctor for a regular OB appointment and the midwife, played by Brooke Smith, who is currently the new heart surgeon on Grey's anatomy, did an ultrasound. Well, we didn't tell her that we don't want to find out the sex until the birth. That was a mistake. Because on the screen, we could see the baby's little penis. I said, "No, no, we didn't want to find out yet!!"

So Brooke Smith who was playing my midwife said she would just deliver the baby right then. She did, and the baby came out with Norm McDonald's head. It could talk and stuff. In that Norm McDonald voice. And I kept thinking, I know I'm supposed to love my baby, but how can I deal with that whiny voice??

Then to throw another wrench in the whole situation, my mom was at a bartenders' convention in Vegas. She planned it because I wasn't supposed to deliver until weeks later.

I woke up very confused and grateful that Norm McDonald is someone else's son. I mean, he's funny and all, but that voice...man...

I'm Slowly Going Crazy, Or How Elton John and Mary J. Blige Affected My Morning

I was driving along to the subway today, driving, driving, driving, when I decided to pop in the CD that my friend Shana made me. It's a really good one. Thanks, Shana!

I listened to some Coldplay, some Cure...good stuff. Then comes that Elton John classic, "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues." It's the live version duet with Mary J. Blige. It's really really good. If you've never heard it, get yourself to iTunes and download it. You won't be sorry.

I have always loved this song, Mary J. Blige or not. I'm a big Elton John fan. Don't get me started.

But anyway, the song is going on...and all the sudden I find myself crying. I really truly finally UNDERSTOOD why they call it the blues. I couldn't believe I was crying! You have to understand, I'm not that big of a cryer.

I almost turned my car around and went home to curl up in a ball and meditate on the meaning, the true meaning, of that song. Instead, I drove to the damn subway station and got on a train. And then I was REALLY depressed. At least I know my hormones are flying all over the place, as they should be.

An Anniversary of Sorts

Nineteen years ago today, I became a Bat Mitzvah. I mean, how old do I feel now?? Christ.

Oreos Will Make Me Nuts and Broccoli Will Make Me Cry

I have learned two things recently. If I eat five oreos in a row, my baby kicks me all over the place. I feel like it could have punched me in the face!

If I eat broccoli, I will get THE worst gas pains ever. The first time it happened was about three or four Saturdays ago, and I went to the hospital. Yep, it was just gas. But it took me a couple of times of eating broccoli to figure out that it was the culprit.

Which is too bad because I really do like broccoli.

But I'll continue to eat the Oreos, because I don't mind getting kicked by the baby.

Resolutions

I have two New Year's resolutions (well actually I have three, and one is a carry-over from last year).

1. The 2007 carry-over - I will not gossip as much. I have, aside from celebrity gossip (which doesn't count), really tried to get away from gossiping as much. It's hard, given how much I love to know everything.

2. I will bring my lunch to work at least 3 days per week. This is a toughie. I am so bad about making my lunch.

3. I will wear lip gloss every day.

I hope these have been inspiring.