tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-252451392024-03-07T16:23:50.365-05:00Tuesday's ChildTales of our family, which is rarely "full of grace" but always full of laughter.Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-71092671168351522232011-12-28T23:26:00.003-05:002011-12-28T23:30:16.080-05:00Moving on Up...or Over...or Around...Whatever. I'm moving. <div><br /></div><div>Feels like a new phase of my life, so trying out a new blog to accompany it. You can find me here now - <a href="http://tueslife.tumblr.com">tueslife.tumblr.com</a></div>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-5130860935709752262010-04-19T14:02:00.004-05:002010-04-19T14:07:54.317-05:00In Which She Returns in a Blaze of Brilliance<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After you don’t blog for a while - say, 7 months and 18 days - it’s kinda hard to come back. I mean, I’ve got plenty to say. And some of it could be mildly entertaining. Since I play hermit, my friends and family ask me to blog so that they can know the babies are still alive. And yet, I demur. </span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I wonder, What warrants a return to the blogging after such a prolonged absence?</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The answer: I got nothing. But here’s what passed through my mind today as bloggable.</span></span></span></p> <ul> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Awesome, right? I mean, they clean a stain BY DISAPPEARING THEMSELVES. I do wonder what kind of time-space continuum altering technology they have patented to make that happen, but that just increases my admiration. Not so fast with the love, though. I found out today that those duplicitous magic erasers - while still disappearing to the naked eye - actually create a dull, perhaps non-removable film on polished wood. I really wish I had known this before using it all over my new-ish dining room table. Turns out all work and no-reading instructions (which clearly say not to use on polished wood) make for a fugly dining room table. Ugh.</span></span></span></li></ul> <ul> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Still haven’t gotten a facebook account. I can feel myself losing relevance daily. </span></span></span></li></ul> <ul> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Last weekend, I single-handedly unloaded and dispersed upon my yard over 1,200 pounds of mulch. Wasn’t it me who was so sorely-injured 6 1/2 years ago that I could not walk 2 blocks without major back and hip pain? Remember when I had to plan my trips to the bathroom because I couldn’t feel anything below my waist resulting in several embarrassing puddles on my stairs as I waited too long? Ain’t I the woman who came home from the hospital with a new baby - and a walker? Indeed, yes that was me. I myself find this feat of mulching to be a triumph of one woman’s will to heal - and a ton of therapeutic massage and chiropractic adjustment. I’m back to fighting form, friends. (Well, perhaps not fighting form.) </span></span></span></li></ul> <ul> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Which brings me to my latest pet peeve. Since when did it become okay to insult folks by referencing mothers? In the past two weeks, I’ve heard folks disparagingly reference mom jeans, mom bodies, mom-flavored haggis. (Okay, maybe not the haggis, but it is coming I imagine.) And don’t even get me started on MILF...there could not be a more back asswards compliment. Wait, I think this could be my next post. Never mind.</span></span></span></li></ul> <ul> <li style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I’ve come to a decision. I am done looking at comments on the internets. It makes me doubt my strong pro-humanity stance. So...don’t comment. I won’t read it. Okay, that’s not true, we all know I’ll read it. And I'll probably respond. But make it a decent we’re-all-doing-the-best-we-can-in-this-world kind of comment or I’m blocking you. You know, when I get back to this blog next year. </span></span></span></li> </ul> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Awesome.</span></span></span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-8172260423525027252009-10-01T20:22:00.002-05:002009-10-01T20:57:58.036-05:0012 Things<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">About a month ago, SRH and I passed our 12th wedding anniversary. To honor the day, SRH did a “12 things” about our marriage post. He then went on to say how hard this post was for him to write. Being the hyper-competitive person I am - which is to say I’m not at all competitive, but it seems to fit here - I immediately said I’d also write a 12 things post. And mine would be better.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So here goes.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: center; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">12 Things About Our Marriage</span></span></b></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 1</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We travel well together. No pit stops on a road trip. (Because any decent person would have peed before we left.) No annoying pre-planning what we’re going to do and see. We decide when we get there, and we don’t have any regrets.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Of course this perfect perspective on traveling was all mucked up when little people entered the picture... </span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 2</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Opposites attract: He’s tall. I’m short. He has adequate depth perception. I 've hit the garage with the car more times than I can count. He’s laid back. I’m...not. He is enamored of the taste/effect of Mt. Dew. Caffeine makes me sick. He regularly loses things. I have a uterus.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">What a wacky pair.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 3</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We are eerily similar: We are mountains/hiking people vs. beaches/sunbathing people. We’re both homebodies. We both hate peppers and strawberry ice cream. We both think I’m right most of the time (right?), and we both know that we’ve bitten off more than we can chew with this second kid of ours.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 4</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Wherever he grows, I’m growing, too. And vice versa. Good to be on this journey together, then.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 5</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We read out loud to each other. People think this is weird. I don’t get that. We’re going on year 4 of rocking a baby to sleep, we gotta have something to do.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 6</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In 12 years of marriage, we have never lived further than 3 blocks from a Dairy Queen. I appreciate a partner that respects my priorities. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 7</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We’re cat people. Of course we don’t have any cats because Zane is deathly allergic, but cat people are cat people whether there are cats around or not. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We’re cat people.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 8</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We recently went to Zane’s Open House at school without him. Zane was feeling a bit poorly, but we didn’t want to miss the opportunity to see what’s happening in his classroom. I will admit it became a bit awkward when we had to start grabbing other kids to explain some of the stuff in the room, but it all worked out.</span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 9</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We will go on wild goose chases together. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The day I wanted 10 boxes of lime green dye? He went with me to 4 Jo-Ann Fabrics and 2 Michael’s craft stores.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Need Tomy trains for a four year old? You better believe we went to every train store in the city before buying them online from a Japanese company. (holy shipping and handling charges)</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He went with me to the other school. The lottery school. The school Zane didn’t get into even though it’s only 3 blocks away from our house. And brand new. And goes all the way to 8th grade. Even though we both knew the visit was pointless. He still went with me and advocated for a spot for our child. And not because he wanted to. Because I needed to.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 10</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">He keeps up better with my friends than I do. He facebooks. He occasionally emails my friends. He answers our phone and actually chats. </span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">If not for him, I might be friendless and woefully unhip to the whole social media phenomenon.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 11</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We have been together for 14 of the 17 years of our adult life. Most of my dearest friends never even knew me without him.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Crazy, that.</span></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="text-decoration: underline ; letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thing 12</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Of course. The babies. The amazing, wonderful, awe-inspiring children that make us better people.</span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6yF99K3_zGkD7_2eHw1pJyYd_281xdH9oOmJB7eXfkR4kByuvDOm3h4cJNrm_dHpONNkTe6gFkAUBDz-5MaqPlRjagWoI3yz1M3aVeDAf4Ot6dbvb8gRhZCHEmFg6PnUpXzdvw/s400/2_rt1_1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5387814689131499986" /> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Happy Anniversary, love. Can’t wait to see what’s next!</span></span></span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-14454553585462832412009-08-31T21:33:00.013-05:002009-08-31T22:05:44.303-05:00Three Little Words<div><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">I love school!</span></span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">- Zane, after his first day of kindergarten today</span></span></blockquote></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxgzfEYNsHREz3WioPC0Mx-xztZUpVPvv8mnwve235fxNCRQsxmyF50qaavTgXZrjnDOgZT3CZKW_0GiWhZiGzqbeeOA37dnS9hoQP1E1c4d356VFk3rwPqMGVqvlftTW47V3Zg/s1600-h/100_0729.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMxgzfEYNsHREz3WioPC0Mx-xztZUpVPvv8mnwve235fxNCRQsxmyF50qaavTgXZrjnDOgZT3CZKW_0GiWhZiGzqbeeOA37dnS9hoQP1E1c4d356VFk3rwPqMGVqvlftTW47V3Zg/s400/100_0729.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376324612864393602" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;">Leaving the house...</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwtLayBUfvN226hziitzpwvIYBckeO9fR2cWf22jjX7cPaBsUZ99J08H7SWnJrTD-sCurDMaJEXI89jrlvkLvsxWQqkhuoIKVaEvj0-ZzfyrJ5hTpToyO1lhMIbd0BnCls9WQ9Q/s1600-h/100_0730.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmwtLayBUfvN226hziitzpwvIYBckeO9fR2cWf22jjX7cPaBsUZ99J08H7SWnJrTD-sCurDMaJEXI89jrlvkLvsxWQqkhuoIKVaEvj0-ZzfyrJ5hTpToyO1lhMIbd0BnCls9WQ9Q/s400/100_0730.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376324454685982738" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;">Zane and Papa...</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eefFPrJ8fV8anrroIohi1pq-OTIeFRKjtWrgq3ySIjcGfRt0sHnQaZTU2lWeWLz1zywLh6jU7S2Ts3ZsPMKTPmxBl-AvEyuSP_r8bt8PnfwtrahhxwOcHF5QVsvica2_AjtPXg/s1600-h/100_0734.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_eefFPrJ8fV8anrroIohi1pq-OTIeFRKjtWrgq3ySIjcGfRt0sHnQaZTU2lWeWLz1zywLh6jU7S2Ts3ZsPMKTPmxBl-AvEyuSP_r8bt8PnfwtrahhxwOcHF5QVsvica2_AjtPXg/s400/100_0734.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376324124773823170" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#993399;">Zane, Mama, and Eily (that's her leg on my hip) going into the school building...</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">It could not have gone better today. Zane was thrilled. We - the family left behind - survived, and we're all ready to do it again tomorrow.</span></span></div>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-60434376125787120942009-08-15T23:12:00.005-05:002009-08-15T23:29:15.629-05:00Cats, Haircuts, Bad Husbands, and Vacations<span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Lots to blog about today: one of our “marriage cats” died this morning, Eily got her first haircut and I cry foul on the stylists, betrayal from the one I love, and Zane goes on his first vacation sans mama and papa tomorrow.<br /><br />So, let’s get to it, shall we?<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">RIP Marriage Cat<br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Scott and I got two kittens 5 days after we were married. The smaller one, Lenny, was very sick with an eye infection when we picked him out, but I couldn’t resist his Russian Blue fur and the sweet look in his eyes. Fast forward 6 years, Zane had visited the ER 3 times in 3 months for severe asthma attacks and the allergist said the cats had to go. So with much wailing and gnashing of teeth, we gave our beloved “marriage cats” to SRH’s parents.<br /><br />They said they would take good care of them. They said they were happy to help us out. They even said that our skittish Lenny (who was always that nervous kind of skinny cat that never let folks touch him) had become a fat lapcat. Whatever their story, here we are 6 years later, and our beloved Lenny is dead.<br /><br />I’m sure it was something my mother-in-law did.<br /><br />I jest. I jest.<br /><br />Maybe.<br /><br />So, we’re very sad here in CASA RH. Well, two of the four of us are sad. The little people have no recollection of cats in this house. But I do, and my heart is heavy today.<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Eily’s Haircut</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Crazy, curly-headed Eily got her hair cut for the first time yesterday. And it was fine - one of those kid-friendly places where they take a picture, make a certificate, and give a balloon for the first haircut.<br /><br />I say it was fine, but the stylists (there were two because now I have two kids and we made simultaneous appointments) actually kind of honked me off during the hair cut. In what I’m sure was supposed to be helpful advice-giving, they said that I needed to start “doing” her hair up in ponytails and such. To get her used to it.<br /><br />Oh, and I should leave on the conditioner after washing her hair. And I shouldn’t wash it more than 2 times per week so that it doesn’t get frizzy. And I should use some sort of moisturizing product to tame the frizzies as well. (And since we’re being ever so helpful, I should probably leave the conditioner on Zane’s hair, too.)<br /><br />Exhibit A is below. Eily’s hair is about 3 inches long when you straighten out the curls. It is very rarely frizzy and never dry. She looked like she was sucking on a lemon the entire time they were putting their little rubber bands in it, and she kept trying to pull the pig tails out after they had them in.<br /><br />She’s a baby for goodness sakes. Can we not - at 14 months - start with the “girls should look this way” bullshit?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2I-q5hqOWAzhuLS5uKmoiju05los8CVGecLYEI0_OYxnpQvz7ctg9f0PV7FucB-OYF3fP0nbmPzxsT8X_4EKLo0UN8IAkLl_-rgxy1X4jBwPK2npHF_0XQ3GR8B3OT9_GQlHTw/s1600-h/100_0663.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2I-q5hqOWAzhuLS5uKmoiju05los8CVGecLYEI0_OYxnpQvz7ctg9f0PV7FucB-OYF3fP0nbmPzxsT8X_4EKLo0UN8IAkLl_-rgxy1X4jBwPK2npHF_0XQ3GR8B3OT9_GQlHTw/s400/100_0663.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5370410232264948546" border="0" /></a><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" >Exhibit A - Eily in Pig Tails</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><br />That being said, those darn pigtails were so cute that Zane kept asking me to put her hair in the “tails” today. Oy vey.<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Betrayal<br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >In college, <a href="http://sryanhart.blogspot.com/">SRH</a> and I were in an honor’s fraternity. (Perhaps I should have saved that information for my “Chronicles of the Uncool - Episode 2” post?) Anyhoo...we were in this fraternity. It’s where we met. We made lifelong friends, blah, blah, blah...<br /><br />But I don’t really care about the fraternity anymore. I rarely think of it, truth be told.<br /><br />But through the magic of Facebook, it’s popped its head back into our lives. Now, I’m not on Facebook, being a person who doesn’t care about people in general - and specifically those from my past. But SRH is on - and he totally sold me out today.<br /><br />They wanted updated info, but since I have dropped off their email list, they only contacted SRH. Who promptly gave them my email and address! And not even my crappy, secondary gmail account, but my real-deal, work email.<br /><br />First one of the marriage cats dies. Now my partner has sold me out. This relationship can’t last that much longer, I think.<br /><br />(On the other hand, I don’t relish the idea of starting off my match.com ad with “must love kids”, so perhaps I’ll keep him around.)<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Zane Vacation<br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >As a last “hoorah” before school starts, Zane is leaving tomorrow with my mother for a three-day vacation. It will be his first time away from the two of us for that long of a time. I’ve been away that long. SRH has been away that long, but the kids have never been away from us that long.<br /><br />He’s completely looking forward to it. I feel a little sick - and yes a little giddy, too - every time I think of it.<br /><br />We’ll see how we all do...</span>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-73159540970425673332009-08-07T13:35:00.002-05:002009-08-07T14:04:40.420-05:00Chronicles of the Uncool - Episode 1In my lengthy absence from this here blog - but who are we kidding, I’ve been gone longer - I have spent time discovering new lows in my level of coolness. Hence I begin what promises to be an lengthy, episodic documentation of my lack of coolness.<br /><br />Episode 1<br />I’ve been on the lookout for new music. I’m getting tired of my 1,347 iPod tunes, but I’m too pressed for time to spend it wading through radio drivel. We listened to the radio while on vacation and heard the same 5 songs over and over. And while I didn’t hate the the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aluwpslpygQ">Nelly Furtado/James Morrison song</a> the first 67 times, it doesn’t bear up well under repetition, and I wouldn’t consider buying it. And I hear that Rob Thomas has a new song as well.<br /><br />I’ve become seasoned...mature..an npr listener...uncool...<br /><br />But I’m prattling on to avoid my latest descent into uncoolness. I’ve been desperate, friends. I’m wanting new music but have avoided the radio, ignored my iTunes genius recommendations, and scoffed at <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.pandora.com">Pandora’s</a> pairings. <br /><br />But I’ve done it. I’ve found a new set of tunes that keep my toes a-tappin’ and makes me look forward to being in the car. It’s...<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thetingtings.com">The Ting Tings</a>.<br /><br />And I know that they were kind of cool when they hit the scene on an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMB5fELD0iw">iPod commercial</a> well over a year ago. But I’m a bit slow to catch on. Truth be told, I never saw the commercial itself.<br /><br />Nope, you know where I discovered The Ting Tings? On <a href="http://yogabbagabba.com/">Yo Gabba Gabba</a>.<br /><br />Yep, that’s right. I heard my new, fun music on a preschooler’s show - looked up those fresh, hip, modern kids singing a catchy tune - and was hooked.<br /><br />I have since bought the majority of their stuff on iTunes - including their live stuff, but my song of the moment is below.<div><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iX-7u9OzH9o&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iX-7u9OzH9o&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /></div><div>But my real and true favorite, the one that started it all is <a href="http://yogabbagabba.com/?setEntryID=339#/music-ting-tings">Happy Birthday</a>.<br /><br />I’m such a dork.<br /></div>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-82130395636063394272009-05-28T13:48:00.002-05:002009-05-28T13:53:31.120-05:00The Strawberry that Broke the Camel’s Back<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsn-m-Flu86A6acyYmAKN68hw-cipKV7atRFc0alPPPXXKTCcsmZxxW8nH0GHu3c3L5YNu3YVtSy4odz5_Ksnu5M6ZcRpX8kX43xtmuwOgPfBhOZWgeg6TgkRid1uaHPM5FW75A/s1600-h/Strawberry2.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsn-m-Flu86A6acyYmAKN68hw-cipKV7atRFc0alPPPXXKTCcsmZxxW8nH0GHu3c3L5YNu3YVtSy4odz5_Ksnu5M6ZcRpX8kX43xtmuwOgPfBhOZWgeg6TgkRid1uaHPM5FW75A/s400/Strawberry2.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340949761154525122" border="0" /></a><br />That’s right. Eily is allergic to strawberries.<br /><br />Take away my soymilk, my pizza, my chinese food. Get rid of yogurt, bagels and tofutti cream cheese, and other delicious snacks! Begone fresh pasta and real butter! Get thee behind me Dairy Queen treats – or any other ice-cream for that matter. So long most crackers, breads, rolls, muffins, cakes, and pies.<br /><br />Gladly I have done this. Gotten rid of dairy, egg, soy, and rice.<br /><br />But what I had left was a nightly snack of strawberries and blueberries to satisfy a craving for the sweet and wholesome– and now it’s gone.<br /><br />To explain: Eily had strawberries for a snack the other evening and stopped eating them after about three bites. She soon had hives on her chest and was “splotchy” (that’s a fancy allergy term) in the bathtub later.<br /><br />Damn and double damn.<br /><br />That’s why I don’t blog anymore, friends. Because I’m hungry. I’m hungry and tired – and now I gots no strawberries for comfort.<br /><br />Feel free to send dairy-free, soy-free, egg-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free snacks in an effort to revive this blog.Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-88050589640127785242009-05-21T20:51:00.005-05:002009-05-21T21:15:17.267-05:00Odds and Ends<span style="font-size:100%;"><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: times new roman;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: times new roman;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: times new roman;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"></o:smarttagtype><o:smarttagtype style="font-family: times new roman;" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"></o:smarttagtype></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:applybreakingrules/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><object classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id="ieooui"></object> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I’m not even gonna apologize for the length of time between postings.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Nope.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Not going to give lengthy explanations about work, travel, or the incredible morass of navigating <st1:place><st1:placename>Two</st1:placename> <st1:placename>Kid</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>Land</st1:placetype></st1:place>.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Not going to make false promises of increased posting.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Just going to fill you in on a few odds and ends.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Odds</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Eily has developed a love for <a href="http://www.fritolay.com/our-snacks/lays-kettle-cooked-mesquite-bbq.html">these</a>.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">And while that fact might cause you to judge her two inept parents, I will say in our defense that the doctor suggested that we feed her Doritos.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(He quickly backpedaled when he remembered her dairy allergy – because fake Dorito cheese still has dairy.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">For explanation, Eily only weighed 14.5 pounds at her 9 month visit – dropping her below the growth charts. So the doctor suggested we get her onto table foods more quickly than typical and try to increase her fat intake as much as possible.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">So I’ve been feeding her avocadoes aplenty.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">And yes, I add <a href="http://surefoodsliving.com/2009/03/19/dairy-free-soy-free-butter-is-here/">dairy-free and soy-free margarine</a></span> to all cereals and vegetables, but the high-calorie snack she can’t deny is the chips above.<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Sad, but true.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It’s working, though.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">By her visit last week she was up to 16.5 pounds, barely putting her back on the weight chart, but it was enough to make the doctor get off our back, so we’re cool.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">And it’s all relative.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Today I saw an 8 month old that could bench press Eily and then eat her for breakfast.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Which I wouldn’t recommend. She’s not fatty enough to taste good.)</span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Another Odd</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">One of my favorite people in the world sent me an email last night that said:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"></p><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">Your boyfriend is on American Idol – right now.</span></blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Now, I don’t watch American Idol, but this piqued my interest.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">So I made Scott figure out what channel Idol was on and we quickly flipped to it, only to tune into…<a href="http://www.kissonline.com/">KISS</a>. Who are not “my boyfriends” in any sense of the word.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">So I called my delusional friend who then told me I’d just missed…LIONEL RICHIE!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Much gnashing of teeth ensued.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">You all know I love some Lionel Richie – see <a href="http://zanymothering.blogspot.com/2006/07/say-you-say-me.html">this p</a><a href="http://zanymothering.blogspot.com/2006/07/say-you-say-me.html">ost</a>, and <a href="http://zanymothering.blogspot.com/2006/07/bribery-and-other-failed-parenting.html">this one</a>, and he even got a brief mention in <a href="http://zanymothering.blogspot.com/2006/09/never-never-never.html">this one</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">But I did write her the following email in response:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"></p><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">Lionel Richie has never been my boyfriend.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">He's more like a well-loved uncle.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Except I never had one of those.</span></blockquote><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">So to clarify: KISS and any of its members are not my boyfriend.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Nor is Lionel Richie. He’s more like a mythical relative that I’ve never experienced.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">The Ends</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane’s last day of preschool was today. So preschool graduation was yesterday.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(Makes sense, right?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">One graduates before actually completing the coursework?)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Anyhoo, I know it’s hip to be cynical about preschool graduations, but friends, I TOTALLY dug Zane’s preschool graduation.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I’m not sure what I loved best, really.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Maybe it was the construction paper caps the little people were wearing.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Or the fact that they all got to say what they’d miss about preschool – Zane will miss playing with plane, btw.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Or the fact that I didn’t hear about preschool graduation until the morning it was happening, making it an almost a completely spontaneous celebration of my kid and his achievements.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">It was so cool that I didn’t even get teary-eyed about my baby boy growing up - not during the graduation anyway.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">When his teachers told me what a pleasure it was watching him grow and change this year, sure I got a little misty.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">But overall, it was just a great, joy-filled, spectacular, unexpected event that totally made my week.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdR7q_tAeuZ9VKK2U-pE39ujNpM_Pq4S74sjGSGL8ndPWTCBes6GvKXIrHaJMDSDZKh334bqGSuRO_Qz-GE7Uf_ZBZiqCtjI6l-TjE_ldqOiprRZPF3z_3yGZaY_6FF4sf2qIlZA/s1600-h/Zane+Cap.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdR7q_tAeuZ9VKK2U-pE39ujNpM_Pq4S74sjGSGL8ndPWTCBes6GvKXIrHaJMDSDZKh334bqGSuRO_Qz-GE7Uf_ZBZiqCtjI6l-TjE_ldqOiprRZPF3z_3yGZaY_6FF4sf2qIlZA/s400/Zane+Cap.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338462605912800850" border="0" /></a></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:100%;" > </span></p> <p style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Ha ha! That cap is amazing - Zane at preschool graduation!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">He’s a really amazing boy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city><st1:place><br /></st1:place></st1:city></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><st1:city><st1:place>Split</st1:place></st1:city> Ends</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Yesterday I got about 6 inches cut off of my hair.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">In an attempt to be a more informed hair-styling consumer – instead of giving my regular, “do whatever you want” directive to my stylist – I actually browsed the internet for hair cut ideas.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">About 20 minutes later, I was almost hyperventilating with anxiety – am I hair type 3B or 4A?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Should I consider a texturizer instead of a relaxer?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">What about texlaxing?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">How do all these people know all this stuff about hair?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Why don’t I?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Shoot, did I miss a this-is-you-hair-and-it-proper-care memo at some point?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I shut off my computer, went to my hair salon and said, “This is freaking me out.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I want a change. Do whatever you want.”</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Which - I think you’ll agree – is a considerable improvement over my past passivity.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="times new roman"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1w34K2zCkLhqYr40OJ0EGRBE28NBMmDCzYK73qFGQdbeW_KaURaryMalaexksfyogqtUB_ZNfiGWdg3dXJOo5F5tQrWbHV8yYqvC9lUkDqmBAHmbfLcGEXzDZQ0XcYAtH5Gk2Q/s1600-h/Tues+Hair.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN1w34K2zCkLhqYr40OJ0EGRBE28NBMmDCzYK73qFGQdbeW_KaURaryMalaexksfyogqtUB_ZNfiGWdg3dXJOo5F5tQrWbHV8yYqvC9lUkDqmBAHmbfLcGEXzDZQ0XcYAtH5Gk2Q/s400/Tues+Hair.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338461610440072338" border="0" /></a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Not the best pic, but self-portraits are hard, don't ya know? You get the idea. </span><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" face="times new roman"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">I’m pretty happy with the results. Except that apparently, this style takes a flat iron to maintain…anyone know much about those?</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I’m scared to go traipsing about on the internets to find out more…<o:p></o:p></span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-48570914079020642422009-02-28T21:58:00.004-05:002009-02-28T22:03:01.162-05:00My Questions Now<span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;">One of my favorite quotes: </span><p face="times new roman"></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: times new roman;"><p><span style="font-size:130%;">I beg you...to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer...</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:130%;">Rainer Maria Rilke, 1903</span></p></blockquote> <p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">So, in the spirit of Rilke (ha ha!), here are the questions I’ve been asking myself recently – some profound some silly:</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >1. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">What should I boldly say “yes” – and courageously say “no” – to right now?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >2. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">What do my children need from me <i>at this moment</i>?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >3. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">How come Zane never has enough socks? We’re forever doing laundry…</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >4. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">Why is hemp milk so expensive?<span style=""> </span>Why does oat milk suck when you heat it?<span style=""> </span>When will I be able return to the joy ‘o soymilk?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >5. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">How can I hold my family so that we move into this next chapter gracefully and with courage?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >6. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">How do I parent two children gracefully?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >7. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">What’s my preoccupation with being graceful?<span style=""> </span>Life is messy.</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >8. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">How do I let others help me?<span style=""> </span>What help do I need?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >9. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">How can two children of the same parents be so different?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >10. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">Has ZZ’s cancer returned?<span style=""> </span>(Thankfully - the answer is “no” to this one.)<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >11. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">What will <a href="http://sryanhart.blogspot.com/">SRH</a>’s next job be? What is his is Work?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >12. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">Will it be in </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:place><st1:city>Columbus</st1:city>, <st1:state>Ohio</st1:state></st1:place>?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >13. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">Am I pulling my weight?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >14. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">What can I have to eat?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >15. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">How will I tell the story of this part of my life in 5 years? 10 years? 20 years?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >16. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">Which is the right school for Zane?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >17. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">Okay, we’ve found it…the right school.<span style=""> </span>Will Zane get into this school?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >18. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">Who do Scott and/or I have to sleep with to get Zane into this school?</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >19. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">What’s next for us? (Besides sleeping with school administrators…)</span></p> <p style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;font-family:times new roman;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style=";font-size:130%;" >20. </span><!--[endif]--><span dir="ltr" style="font-size:130%;">How come having a water fight in the kitchen at the end of the night makes everything okay?</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Okay, so there are some of my questions.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’d ask for the answers, but if I’m to believe the quote above, I must live my way into the answers. So that’s what I’m doing.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" >..</span><span style="font-size:130%;">living into the answers, y’all.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 102); font-family: times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">What are some of your questions?</span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-55522142497400604872008-10-24T08:43:00.007-05:002008-10-24T08:53:54.617-05:00The Same River Twice...<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Zane’s (known) allergies at 4 months:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Dairy, Egg, Soy</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Eily’s (known) allergies at 4 months:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Dairy, Egg, Soy</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">My reaction to Zane’s allergies at 4 months:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Crying, gnashing of teeth, feelings of complete and abysmal failure as a mother </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:place><st1:placename></st1:placename></st1:place><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote></span></p><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:place><st1:placename> Physical</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>State</st1:placetype></st1:place>:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">skinny and hungry</span></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">My reaction to Eily’s allergies at 4 months:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">WTF?!!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’m a good mother, yo.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">This m%6$f%&in bites!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:place><st1:placename></st1:placename></st1:place></span></p><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:place><st1:placename> Physical</st1:placename> <st1:placetype>State</st1:placetype></st1:place>:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">not-so-skinny, oh-so-hungry<br /></span></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">So…I guess it’s not exactly the same river… </span> :)<br /></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-14111326297292240082008-10-04T21:21:00.005-05:002008-10-04T21:42:35.177-05:00Nursing Mother/Working Mother<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZZplG_WL7TfwXFBT-ddwGAKRmC4bgxUp0YBfKypSCNhCNShi16oAaow6hH6NHYy9fVCnPjl9U-qFSoCz2uv44gbTwWRcxWO6Wz7XnoAtVoIiAz-y4flDVGOqWCRBX0sMZWCBzw/s1600-h/DSC_0064edit.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZZplG_WL7TfwXFBT-ddwGAKRmC4bgxUp0YBfKypSCNhCNShi16oAaow6hH6NHYy9fVCnPjl9U-qFSoCz2uv44gbTwWRcxWO6Wz7XnoAtVoIiAz-y4flDVGOqWCRBX0sMZWCBzw/s400/DSC_0064edit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5253492460507733538" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153);font-size:85%;" ><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Hoover and Nursey McNursesALot</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >With Zane I had a child who LOVED to eat. The boy was a hoover vacuum cleaner.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >A gourmand of the life’s nectar that is breast milk.</span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" >He was a good, regular eater - predictable, even. </span><p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">With Eily, I have a child who LOVES to nurse.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">She likes the breast milk, but more importantly, she likes to be snuggled up next to me eating directly from the Mama Tap.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">What is predictable about Eily is that she’ll want to nurse at any and all times and she is not discouraged by…say…a room full of colleagues…or having just eaten 10 minutes before…or her mother’s self-consciousness.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">So I work with some pretty amazing people who are completely open to our nursing during meetings, phone calls, idle chit chat.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">But seriously, they must be thinking that I’m a bit of an exhibitionist – Eily nursed during two of my meetings last week.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">For the record, Eily attended exactly two of my meetings last week.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Now thankfully, I have someone coming in to provide childcare during the two days a week I work, - Memo to self:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">keep the working to two days a week!- but things happen.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I utter things like, “I can come to the meeting if I can bring the baby.” </span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">People, say “yes”, and the next thing you know, there’s a meeting, a baby, and a partially exposed booby.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">And don’t tell me that I can cover her up with a blanket.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">This is theoretically possible, but when you’re nursing for pleasure, your baby wants a view.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">And I suppose I could move her onto a schedule, but I feel like we’re already moving in that direction and I’m really comfortable (on the 5 days a week I’m not working) letting her lead the way on this.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Call me child-centered.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Or a fool.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">But I’m not actually looking for advice here.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I know what I’m going to do:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’m going to keep nursing my child on demand.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’m going to feel a bit squirrelly about it when it happens in professional situations.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’m going to be discreet, and I’m not going to apologize.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">AND…I’m going to blog about it to receive affirmation and support.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">(cue affirmations and support)</span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-26881114446698230972008-08-20T23:21:00.003-05:002008-08-20T23:34:13.246-05:00Zane is Five<span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETdumgo9-8NuR9g4d-eGv725ch78NTYyNpV9MixYiPOyLb-OH2M8y1i5q2ypjm3ET8W1sjPOCTseyH86V0E257bLH12s6VgvcaL8FOWQL_iSu1LvsOY9vP9uN9edlFuuiyar7xw/s1600-h/IFR_0015.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETdumgo9-8NuR9g4d-eGv725ch78NTYyNpV9MixYiPOyLb-OH2M8y1i5q2ypjm3ET8W1sjPOCTseyH86V0E257bLH12s6VgvcaL8FOWQL_iSu1LvsOY9vP9uN9edlFuuiyar7xw/s400/IFR_0015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236822241869326578" border="0" /></a><br /></span> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">In the ensuing madness of raising <i>two</i> – ee gads! - children and dipping my toes back into the work pool, I neglected to do a post for Zane’s 5<sup>th</sup> birthday.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">(Actually, I haven’t done a post for anything since getting a shiny new blog design…so much for that as a motivator.)</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Anyway, I knew exactly the blog post I wanted to do, and it wasn’t one of those beautifully written love letters to my child.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Please see his <a href="http://zanymothering.blogspot.com/2006/07/letter-to-zane-on-his-third-birthday.html">3<sup>rd</sup> birthday post</a> for my attempt at that.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">No, I’m still in the land of the chronically sleep-deprived and hormonal, so any attempt to write such a letter ended in my blubbering while I frantically thesaurus-ed synonyms for “overwhelming love”.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">It wasn’t pretty friends.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">So, how to coherently express my love for the boy, give him a snapshot of “who” he is at 5 years old, and entertain blog readers – all at the same time?</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Why, a meme of course!</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">So here it is, Zane…a “Zane is Five” meme inspired by and about you – our wonderful five year old boy.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>5 Things You Are Awesome At:<o:p></o:p></b><br />1.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Making Train Layouts </span>– Seriously.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I can’t keep up anymore.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I rarely even try to help with your mathematically precise layouts.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">2.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Unintentionally Mocking Others </span>– Why is that person walking so funny? (re:</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">someone strutting down the street)</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Did she smell something bad?</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">(re:</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">a person with a permanent sneer on their face)</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">“Ooooh…lots of colors…”</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">(re:</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">a hideously tasteless shirt)</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">3.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Playing for Stars</span> – Since we put the “good behavior” chart on the wall, you have eaten more broccoli, picked up more toys, and listened harder than any kid on the planet– all with the intent of getting enough stars to earn a root beer.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">You loves some root beer.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">4.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Helping with Eily</span> – You get diapers. You push the button on the butterfly to make it play music. You kiss her little feet in an effort to make her smile.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">You are totally awesome at this big brother thing.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">5.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Eating</span> – Never has a skinnier kid eaten so much food. It leaves other children envious (where did he put that 10<sup>th</sup> chicken finger?!) and adults in awe.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>5 Things You Are…Um…Not-So-Awesome At:<o:p></o:p></b><br />1.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Putting Your Pants on Straight</span> – Really, kid.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Your bottoms are consistently catawampus.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">2.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Listening</span> – Especially to things you don’t want to hear.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Sure, if I mention going to see trains, you’ll hear me 9 times out of 10.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Mention going upstairs to bed, not so much.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">3.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Sitting Still </span>– You are still the wiggliest worm in your preschool class.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">That’s okay. The other kids are apparently lazy.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">4.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Letting Others Play with Your Trains</span> – You have a plan. We’d all do best to stick with it. </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">5.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Eating Candy</span> – You have been overheard saying, “I’m not a candy person,” which is a bit ridiculous since you refuse to even try it. So you are <i>not</i> not a candy person, my love.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">You are a weirdo kid who won’t try candy.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>5 Songs You Love:<o:p></o:p></b><br />1<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">. </span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">SexyBack </span>– Justin Timberlake</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">2. <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Who Can it Be Now?</span></span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">- Men at Work</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">3.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Underdog </span>– Butthole Surfers</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">4.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Be Happy </span>– Wow, Wow, Wubbzy</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">5.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Fancy</span> – Reba McEntire</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">6.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Don’t judge us.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>5 Places You’ve Professed a Desire to Visit:<o:p></o:p></b><br />1.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:city style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><st1:place>Chicago</st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span>– lots of trains there</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">2.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:city style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><st1:place>Phoenix</st1:place></st1:city><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span>– You had such a good time when we were there in April.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">3. <st1:state style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><st1:place>Maine</st1:place></st1:state><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span>– mostly because your Mimma keeps harping on it</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">4.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:state style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"><st1:place>Nova Scotia</st1:place></st1:state> – I’ve been there.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">You want to go, too.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">5.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">The beach </span>– any beach on any coast.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><o:p> </o:p></b></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>5 Things You Like to Eat:<o:p></o:p></b><br />1.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Chicken Fingers </span>– “chickies” still rule your heart</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">2.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Cracklin Oat Bran</span> – looks like dog food, tastes like heaven</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">3.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Orange Rice</span> – nasty stuff that it is</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">4.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Cap’n Crunch with bananas </span>– aka stealer of the first tooth</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">5.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Pumpkin Muffins </span>– that’s it. No story there.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">And finally, child, one last thing you should know:</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">you make my heart sing.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Every day. With all you do.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Happy Birthday, Zane.</span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-61830452000471812472008-07-23T22:24:00.008-05:002008-07-23T22:40:46.685-05:00Check This Out...<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Warning:</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >The following post contains a great deal of hyperbole.</span> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Commercial #1</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Like my new blog design?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Yeah, me too.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I.love.it.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Seriously, the design itself could not be cooler, and the process could not have been easier.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I worked with <a href="http://mensic.blogspot.com/">this fabulous woman</a> from <a href="http://www.beblogdesign.com/">this fabulous company</a> and got a cool new blog in about 7 weeks for a ridiculously low price. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">And coolest of the cool, I will now be changing my blog title and tagline periodically.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Folks gave me such great ideas, and I think it would be completely fun to change it up at will.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">So while it’s still called Zany Mothering today, the next time you come it will probably be called something else. I'm feeling so inspired by the new design that I may actually update my profile.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">So if you are hankerin’ to change up your blog, you should give the ladies at <a href="http://www.beblogdesign.com/">ruby and roja </a>a holler.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">(…and there I just proved that I am indeed from <st1:place>Southern Ohio</st1:place>…)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Commercial #2</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Occasionally I know people.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Not big people, like say Michael Keaton – he of the Batman/Mr. Mom fame.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">But smaller fry.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Folks who work hard and are great at what they do.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">For example, I happen to know one fabulously talented photographer, and said photographer gifted us with a free infant photo session when Eily was born.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">He said he needed practice photographing infants. He said we’d be doing him a favor. What he didn’t say was that I’d cry when I saw the photos.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtwAoYc9ATAAU3wpWxa8dp1rXDlnsPaI8jXk5JcXfOFlKCV_WtSagpOW6-zXdtDeys8xVKKcqKzXhNDo7hwM_b7XhFuGxddXC7M4VmTWR1oV8FkRRWNpvp5XPyVUQ1jUjk2CM1g/s1600-h/bw.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtwAoYc9ATAAU3wpWxa8dp1rXDlnsPaI8jXk5JcXfOFlKCV_WtSagpOW6-zXdtDeys8xVKKcqKzXhNDo7hwM_b7XhFuGxddXC7M4VmTWR1oV8FkRRWNpvp5XPyVUQ1jUjk2CM1g/s400/bw.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226417740130407666" border="0" /></a></span></p><span style="font-size:130%;"><a style="font-family: times new roman;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhrEGn-0uxB7kjbJ5O3Yfx3m3LNB_Vj6sZsisiq3_djPdnAKGDZUtxbZ3mThjuGatqxuCcY51eLTXO_2-rXLMdJZ5ZeW946_w4jVlxn8unmtRJ3uzUMh4pUZI0kuqMiBCWndu0A/s1600-h/IFR_0022.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKhrEGn-0uxB7kjbJ5O3Yfx3m3LNB_Vj6sZsisiq3_djPdnAKGDZUtxbZ3mThjuGatqxuCcY51eLTXO_2-rXLMdJZ5ZeW946_w4jVlxn8unmtRJ3uzUMh4pUZI0kuqMiBCWndu0A/s400/IFR_0022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226418662779635074" border="0" /></a></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mqvG1DisBWEPnfOeDo4usUVvxKi6jZnWmhEDq3TzYF1-klxMAjGEJac__Y9bHaPKu1bdH9ULah7AMVctktRnT3sXIa-UFvdm9pEYWJCy8EzhG2cEJFFnuE_AFkHVhZbKBxWbrA/s1600-h/crop+sq+no+d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mqvG1DisBWEPnfOeDo4usUVvxKi6jZnWmhEDq3TzYF1-klxMAjGEJac__Y9bHaPKu1bdH9ULah7AMVctktRnT3sXIa-UFvdm9pEYWJCy8EzhG2cEJFFnuE_AFkHVhZbKBxWbrA/s400/crop+sq+no+d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226417994924185682" border="0" /></a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">So if you are in the <st1:city><st1:place>Columbus</st1:place></st1:city> area and you want amazing photographs of your children (or yourself), you should totally do a photo session at <a href="http://www.franzphotography.com/">Franz Photography</a>.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Again with the incredibly easy to work with and ridiculously low prices. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">How lucky am I these days? </span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-78754078206855792242008-07-15T22:10:00.004-05:002008-07-16T21:30:38.943-05:00Cool New Stuff<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mAj7rGFypk3vU_2h4z3fAKlv4qJtGRedGP9SN8cR3MDy1YNGowfAM9be8loYiKDWiUb5gt4A_1JI5J6ODJGy8XGdrcCUoTFV7-g0owg1EsShPSwdbdI9NiJPnnthI49q_jol1w/s1600-h/captaincrunch1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6mAj7rGFypk3vU_2h4z3fAKlv4qJtGRedGP9SN8cR3MDy1YNGowfAM9be8loYiKDWiUb5gt4A_1JI5J6ODJGy8XGdrcCUoTFV7-g0owg1EsShPSwdbdI9NiJPnnthI49q_jol1w/s400/captaincrunch1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5223446188411007234" border="0" /></a><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >Lots of cool new things happening here at Chez RH, and since I usually bellyache and share all my various and assorted worries here (see any posts labeled Keith Richards, asthma, food allergies, or other stuff that worries me), I thought I’d take a minute to tell you about some good stuff.</span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><u>Zane Good Stuff<o:p></o:p></u><br />My kid read his first word on Saturday.<span style=""> </span>Honest to goodness, read it.<span style=""> </span>Didn’t memorize it as the next word in the story.<span style=""> </span>Didn’t guess it from contextual clues.<span style=""> </span>He read it.<span style=""> </span>As you can imagine, I was seriously proud.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p></o:p>Proud enough that we carted the baby to the library yesterday to pick out some “readers” so that he can practice the glorious act of reading.<span style=""> </span>Because while I wasn’t going to push him into reading, now that’s he’s expressed interest, I can’t stop fantasizing about all the nerdy-fun we’re going to have reading together everyday for the rest of his childhood. (That’s how it works right?!)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p></o:p>The word was “off” by the way, so because I can’t contain my pride, here it is…Hot off the press!<span style=""> </span>My kid can read one word in the preceding sentence!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><u>More Zane Good Stuff<o:p></o:p></u><br />Zane is losing his first tooth.<span style=""> </span>This morning he yelled up the stairs that he had “hurt” his tooth, and all I could think was <i>G!@% D$#%@ Cap’N Crunch. Not only are you a sugary devil, now you go physically assaulting my boy’s choppers.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">In actuality, the Vile Cap’N merely further loosened a tooth already destined to leave his mouth in the near future. So this is totally cool because Zane feels like such a big boy, but also kind of breaks a mama’s heart.<span style=""> </span>You know, since Zane is getting to be such a big boy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><u><br /></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><u>Eily Good Stuff<o:p></o:p></u><br />It’s official. We have a girl who smiles.<span style=""> </span>Yep, she did it on her 4 week anniversary of life - looked at me big as anything with a wide-mouthed grin and sparkling eyes.<span style=""> </span>For a bit, I thought it might be gas, but she has repeated it often enough that I’m quite sure that it’s a real-deal smile.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><u><br /></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><u>My Good Stuff<o:p></o:p></u><br />Getting a new blog design, friends. Yep, I’m revamping the whole thing.<span style=""> </span>I may even change the title. It smacks of favoritism to have the title of your blog reflect only one of your children, doesn’t it?<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">As I read the sidebar last month, it barely seemed to be talking about my life anymore. For starters, Zane will be 5 next week – yikes! – and his food allergies and asthma don’t take up nearly the space in our lives as they once did. We rarely dash off to the ER or doctor these days.<span style=""> </span>I’m creating a fulfilling work/life, and I get through most days pretty well.<span style=""> </span>(I am, however, still married to the cynical, sarcastic man who makes me laugh every day, and Zane is still wildly adorable so not everything is different, I suppose.)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">So…it’s time for a change, but I can’t figure out a new name for the blog which embraces all this good new stuff – Zane’s improved health, new baby, new work, etc.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Any ideas?<span style=""> </span>ZanEily Mothering? Ryan-Hart the Lion Heart?<span style=""> </span>The Rare Blogger?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >What do you think?</span></p><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Edited to add: BTW, my first name is totally fair game in the whole blog re-naming. Bring on the days of the week madness!</span>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-10702516037441414012008-06-26T19:49:00.006-05:002008-06-26T19:56:45.473-05:00No More Words*<o:p></o:p>Although I have every intention of posting more during my “maternity leave” (what that even means when you work for yourself, I’m not sure), there are a few reasons that I’m not sure that’s realistic. The major reason being my rapidly dwindling vocabulary coupled with the increasing lack of the necessary faculties to string said words together.<span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal">For example, in my seriously sleep-deprived state I had the following conversation with SRH yesterday:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Me:</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span>I took Eily to the grocery store and got stuff for dinner tonight. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">(This said proudly as I’ve been unable to take a dinner from conceptualization through implementation for, say, about three weeks.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">SRH:</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span>Great!<span style=""> </span>What are we having?</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Me:</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">(</span>long pause as I struggle to remember the name of the dish)<span style=""> </span>Umm…chicken…in a pot…with ‘tatoes.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s right.<span style=""> </span>That was my articulation of dinner.<span style=""> </span>Chicken…in a pot…with ‘tatoes.<span style=""> </span>I couldn’t even get out <i>po</i>tatoes or even <i>taters</i>, for goodness sakes.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sleep feels like a long-lost friend.<span style=""> </span>Vocabulary is rapidly failing.<span style=""> </span>Sanity cannot be far behind.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8ZmBmxpj22i4P6jxig3kCDG467JlFiOVoHozLS0j4Ha2wmJXTaIo2rIhnEhKtu_52I_7urkUP3BLlknQJcifdYJtepbYhYjK2wHYaWCrMATncr6u4OESadFJjIoT4Jl5HjYEAw/s1600-h/DSC04688.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs8ZmBmxpj22i4P6jxig3kCDG467JlFiOVoHozLS0j4Ha2wmJXTaIo2rIhnEhKtu_52I_7urkUP3BLlknQJcifdYJtepbYhYjK2wHYaWCrMATncr6u4OESadFJjIoT4Jl5HjYEAw/s400/DSC04688.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216357647098958034" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-size:85%;" >The cause of all this in-articulation, 3 weeks</span><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102);">*</span><span style="font-style: italic;">You tell me that you love me while you’re looking away. No more words.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">No more words, and no more promises of love.</span><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">(In this semi-lucid state my crazy love for bad song lyrics is more and more pushed to the fore.<span style=""> </span>At some point, I will do a whole post of lyrics…just strung together…and then you will know my pain.)</p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-87906634023659342612008-06-17T21:43:00.003-05:002008-06-17T21:49:08.149-05:00So…Ummmm…Yeah…We Had a BabyI know it’s been an inexcusably long silence from me here. (I mean, when I left you I was about to be induced with a baby who was threatening to be small for gestational age…geez, how did that go?!?!).<span style=""> </span> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And I totally left you hanging there, but in my defense, I figured that every person who reads this blog could find out another way that the wonderful baby had been born, so I went totally off-line for a bit and let SRH handle the announcin’ and such.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">But, since you asked…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC2-mmY9t38pm8gLUkehQGUKc_6Lck7HJ1UrMzBjPFY7nvm88kJmEYA2duZNF6Eh083lyNSjjeKhnM8pJncz1w_M5c-aNU_NtazIgm0Pm_ZDHYGXOCljrRodMbh32iOeZ6p_77A/s1600-h/DSC04621.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRC2-mmY9t38pm8gLUkehQGUKc_6Lck7HJ1UrMzBjPFY7nvm88kJmEYA2duZNF6Eh083lyNSjjeKhnM8pJncz1w_M5c-aNU_NtazIgm0Pm_ZDHYGXOCljrRodMbh32iOeZ6p_77A/s400/DSC04621.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213047302568142242" border="0" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Eily (rhymes with “Riley”) was born <st1:date ls="trans" month="6" day="4" year="2008">June 4, 2008</st1:date> at <st1:time hour="7" minute="56">7:56am</st1:time>.<span style=""> </span>She weighed a respectable 5lbs. 12 oz and was 19.5 inches long. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Take that Small for Gestational Age Police – boo ya!<span style=""> </span>She may have been born officially qualifying as “small for gestational age” by being between the 5<sup>th</sup> and 10<sup>th</sup> percentiles, but by 5 days old, she was in the 15<sup>th</sup> percentile. And every doctor agreed that she’s just a small baby.<span style=""> </span>No issues. Perfectly healthy. Just small.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, as you can imagine we are very sleep deprived and deliriously happy. That being said, the sleep deprivation is currently edging out the ability to blog this evening, so I asked SRH to give me 10-12 words so that I could do a “word association” post since I’m not all that able to string thoughts together right now.<span style=""> </span>(SRH word in black…my response in purple. And yes, I know that I’m supposed to do the first word that comes to mind, but I find that sleep debt has taken actual words right out of my head and replaced them with roundabout phrases.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Movie…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">I’ll never see one of those again.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Baby…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Parasite.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Ummm, I mean very sweet-smelling, make my heart sing, parasite.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Salt…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Pepa.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">(Yo, yo, yo, yo baby pop.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">Yeah you!</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">Come and give me a kiss. Better make it fast or else I’m gonna get pissed.)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Rehab…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">No, no, no.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Laughter…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">funny stuff.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Nursing…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">sore, cracked, bleeding nips.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">That being said, it’s much easier this time around.</span><span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Food…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">yes, please.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Abs…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">I’m </span><i style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">so</i><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> never having those again.</span> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Groceries…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">could totally use some of those.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">How can two adults not make it to the grocery store for </span><i style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">over 3 days</i><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> after stating their intention to go there?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sandal…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">I’m always up for a smart pair of black sandals.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Fan…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Fantastic, fanfare, fanfic, fantasia, fan-demonium.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Okay, I’m stopping now.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sleep…<span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Ha!</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">I laugh at the thought of sleep.</span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">I also cry a little bit, too.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Talk at you soon – I think.<span style=""> </span>I can’t really tell what’s next for our family since I’ve never had two children before. Crap, I’m a mother of two.</p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-21052908862722483982008-05-30T21:10:00.000-05:002008-05-30T21:12:20.260-05:00She’s our wee, small peanut…but at least she’s still in my tummy<p class="MsoNormal">Just to give a quick update:<span style=""> </span>saw the perinatologist today, and I’m still pregnant so that is fabulous news indeed.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Obviously, there was no induction today.<span style=""> </span>My amniotic fluid levels are okay.<span style=""> </span>We saw a beautifully beating heart, “breathing” movements, two kidneys, and a wonderful little profile.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Less than fabulous is the fact that the baby appears to be on the small side - small enough to cause the doctor concern. Not small enough to order an immediate induction today, but enough to order non-stress tests/fluid checks and make the recommendation for induction next week.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Many, many, many details could be given here…call/email me if you’d like them…but basically they don’t know why she’s so small, and it’s not an emergency, but they’d like to get her out once she hits 38 weeks.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">(I’ll be officially 38 weeks <i>according to my doctor</i> next Wednesday, so she has scheduled my induction for next Tuesday at <st1:time hour="21" minute="0">9pm</st1:time>.<span style=""> </span>She’s apparently taking this “induce at 38 weeks” recommendation from the perinatologist quite seriously.<span style=""> </span>Which I kind of appreciate and also kind of freaks me out.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’m a bit overwhelmed, but all the testing today said she’s healthy and doing exactly what she should be doing in there so I’m generally feeling positive and confident.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And the docs seem to agree that it would be best if I just go into labor naturally beforehand so I’ll still be using all your tips – and anymore you want to provide – to avoid induction next week.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Wish us luck!</p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-88727361923640700312008-05-28T21:18:00.004-05:002008-05-29T10:23:57.938-05:0037 Weeks!!!!!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42A5xg6C_ElODHrlxBpeVaTROKlXgDN25s7GjtqtV8McI6UvA9poKE7YC96smlMhEo0kMse0ZlE8n2BCQZPRvoCUFQQ_49ixwqzEy_Gy2Tib4ROMVJyn3e2fiZGKk-2GgiGOWrA/s1600-h/DSC04517.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj42A5xg6C_ElODHrlxBpeVaTROKlXgDN25s7GjtqtV8McI6UvA9poKE7YC96smlMhEo0kMse0ZlE8n2BCQZPRvoCUFQQ_49ixwqzEy_Gy2Tib4ROMVJyn3e2fiZGKk-2GgiGOWrA/s400/DSC04517.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5205632472585341986" border="0" /></a><br />(Writers’ Disclaimer:<span style=""> </span>I am today, 37 weeks pregnant <i>according to my doctor</i>.<span style=""> </span>I happen to know, due to being ridiculously obsessed with exact date of conception – a common affliction for couples experiencing infertility - that I will not really be 37 weeks pregnant until Friday.<span style=""> </span>And also, this whole pregnancy counting thing has me completely confused.<span style=""> </span>I thought last week that the doctor said that if I made it <i>through</i> Wednesday, I’d be at 37 weeks.<span style=""> </span>But this week she said if I made it <i>to</i> Wednesday that would be good.<span style=""> </span>Ack! Note to doctor: the use use of the correct and exact preposition is very important to women on bed rest.)<br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Anyhoo…the doctor said yesterday that I am now free to resume normal activities.<span style=""> </span>In fact, she said that I can run a marathon if I’d like.<span style=""> </span>Because now THE BABY IS OFFICIALLY <st1:stockticker>FULL</st1:stockticker>-TERM!<span style=""> </span>Oh sure, I’m still 3 weeks away from my due date, but it’s been clear for several weeks now that I’m not going to make that date, and now the baby is medically considered full-term.<span style=""> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Can I get an “amen”?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s right, friends.<span style=""> </span>I am now full-term, and the baby can come out at any time.<span style=""> </span>Don’t think I am not grinning from ear to ear. Don’t think that SRH and I didn’t do a high-five at <st1:time hour="0" minute="0">midnight</st1:time> last night. Don’t think I didn’t have a celebratory margarita this morning.<span style=""> </span>(Okay, I didn’t, but I certainly wanted to.)</p> <p class="MsoNormal">And now, irony of ironies, I have to see the perinatal specialists this week and there is a possibility that I will have to be induced on Friday.<span style=""> </span>Why in the world would that occur, you ask?<span style=""> </span>Weren’t you just the lady who was trying to lay down the majority of the day so that the baby wouldn’t come out?</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Indeed. That was me.<span style=""> </span>But now, it seems that the baby may be a bit small and/or my amniotic fluid may be low.<span style=""> </span>So I have to have an extra special ultrasound to get the baby’s size and measure the amniotic fluid.<span style=""> </span>There are a lot more details, but the gist is that I was induced with Zane because of low amniotic fluid, and I am fairly determined not to have that happen again.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So today…I was up and around almost every second.<span style=""> </span>I took Zane shopping for new shoes.<span style=""> </span>We had a play date.<span style=""> </span>I carried a 2 year old down a flight of stairs.<span style=""> </span>I sat on an exercise ball and visualized my cervix opening like a flower, and SRH and I took a long walk after dinner.<span style=""> </span>SRH and I were going to do The Old Bone Dance, but he narrowly escaped that task because I just read an article that said that it’s really not an effective way to bring on labor, and my pelvis hurts enough.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">So, bloggy friends, any wisdom to share?<span style=""> </span>Any tips for going into labor before Friday at <st1:time hour="9" minute="0">9am</st1:time>?</p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-16472912079057039012008-05-14T20:52:00.003-05:002008-05-14T21:02:14.703-05:00Anatomically Incorrect<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsT5TU9bd1jRgp83uvhcODIoV90iPhLDY6rRMkw3IqEp8HV4TDCiSdIuIibUIFQoxnB20XmngG6-ymoqILLx1kqKadumOcj1BNm6_e7txwxShuDrKng39Z4rvOrpO77c6-IqsEg/s1600-h/volcano.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIsT5TU9bd1jRgp83uvhcODIoV90iPhLDY6rRMkw3IqEp8HV4TDCiSdIuIibUIFQoxnB20XmngG6-ymoqILLx1kqKadumOcj1BNm6_e7txwxShuDrKng39Z4rvOrpO77c6-IqsEg/s400/volcano.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200418566666188738" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">Perhaps the child has a point?</span><br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;">Tonight Zane was in champion “stalling for bedtime” form.<span style=""> </span>He yelled messages down the stairs to us, read a book on the potty for a good 10 minutes, complained about imaginary injuries, and asked for extra good night kisses.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">At one point, this is the conversation we had – yelled down the stairs because we wouldn’t let him come down to tell us.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane:<span style=""> </span>What are you guys watching?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Me/SRH:<span style=""> </span>Just a show on TV, buddy…</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane:<span style=""> </span>Are you guys watching one of my shows?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Me/SRH:<span style=""> </span>No.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane:<span style=""> </span>Are you watching Noggin?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Me/SRH:<span style=""> </span>NO!</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane:<span style=""> </span>Well, what are you watching?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">SRH:<span style=""> </span>Just a show about volcanoes, Zaney.<span style=""> </span>(This was brilliant because Zane is slightly fearful of volcanoes but they don’t throw him into paroxysms of terror like, say, sirens).</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane: Volcanoes?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Me/SRH:<span style=""> </span>Yep.<span style=""> </span>You wouldn’t like it.<o:p> </o:p></span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><o:p></o:p><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p><blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane:<span style=""> </span>Do you know what else volcanoes can be called?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Me/SRH:<span style=""> </span>What, buddy?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane:<span style=""> </span>Vulvas.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Me/SRH:<span style=""> </span>What?!</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane:<span style=""> </span>Volcanoes can also be called vulvas.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Me:<span style=""> </span>(laughing hysterically)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">SRH:<span style=""> </span>No, no they can’t buddy.<span style=""> </span>Volcanoes are not called vulvas.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Me:<span style=""> </span>(to Scott) Well, they are now. <br /></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Zane: Yes, they are. They explode just like vulvas.</span></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">Okay, so back to the drawing board on the whole “using the correct terms” for body parts.<span style=""> </span>Apparently, we’ve not been clear enough if our child believes that volcanoes and vulvas are interchangeable.</span><span style=""><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span> </span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-43576381168265563702008-05-12T21:10:00.007-05:002008-05-12T21:24:14.660-05:00Whoa there, Nelly!<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Dearest Fred,*<br /><br />There is so much to say to you, sweet baby girl. So much to describe: the awe and fierce happiness I feel about your growing inside me, my heart’s gratitude that we get to have you in our lives, the anticipation of meeting you. But if I get to only tell you one thing, the message is…</span></span> <p style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><st1:stockticker>DON</st1:stockticker>’T COME OUT <st1:stockticker>NOW</st1:stockticker>!</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">No really, don’t.<span style=""> </span>We’re not ready.<span style=""> </span>You’re not ready.<span style=""> </span><i>Nobody</i> is ready. </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p></o:p>Scoot back up in there and take a breather.<span style=""> </span>There’s no reason to be hanging down below my <a href="http://www.obgyn.ufl.edu/obgyn101/Text/Labor%20and%20Delivery/labor.htm">ischial spines</a>– you get another 6 weeks in Spa de la Mama, enjoy them. There is no rush.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Not that we don’t want you here.<span style=""> </span>No, siree.<span style=""> </span>Your papa and I are certainly looking forward to your arrival.<span style=""> </span>We’re simply also looking forward to completing the remodel, finishing up some work projects, and getting your nursery together<i> before</i> you join us.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">But mainly, we want you to stay in there because we want you to be completely healthy when you come out. </span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">You can imagine my surprise last week at the doctor’s visit when she said that you were about to make a run for the border and deliver at any second. (Or perhaps you cannot imagine my surprise because you are a mere 34 weeks gestational age and so have no experience with obstetrical visits and shocking news yet.<span style=""> </span>And actually, she didn’t say you were coming at any second. She just kept repeating how “low” you were.<span style=""> </span>I have taken a bit of neurotic license with this one).<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Anyway, I knew you had dropped, and so I mentioned to the doctor that I thought this tended to happen later in a pregnancy.<span style=""> </span>The doctor wasn’t overly concerned, but decided to do an internal exam after I told her that I’d been having some pelvic pressure since then.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">And then the following conversation occurred with my feet in the stirrups:</span></p><blockquote style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Doc:<span style=""> </span>Oh…you are very low.</span> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:<span style=""> </span>Yeah, I know.<span style=""> </span>I was amazed that I’d dropped.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Doc:<span style=""> </span>Yes, very, very low.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:<span style=""> </span>Uh- huh. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Doc:<span style=""> </span>You’re at a <a href="http://www.doereport.com/generateexhibit.php?ID=8741&ExhibitKeywordsRaw=&TL=4294967295&A=">+1 station</a> right now.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:<span style=""> </span>Hmmm… (that was me faking that I knew what that meant)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Doc:<span style=""> </span>No, I don’t think you understand.<span style=""> </span>If you were in labor right now, you would be pushing.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:<span style=""> </span>Oh.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Doc:<span style=""> </span>(shaking her head) That’s very impressive.</span></p></blockquote><p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">There followed a discussion where we determined that I needed to get monitored to see if I was having contractions (I was) and possibly go to the hospital.<span style=""> </span>Apparently since the contractions were very mild, I was allowed to go home to rest.<span style=""> </span>And rest, and rest some more.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">So that’s what I’ve been doing…resting.<span style=""> </span>I don’t do that very well, really.<span style=""> </span>But I’m determined to keep you in – because I totally have complete control here - so I’ve been pushing myself like crazy…to rest.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">This means, however, that I am left with a lot of time <i>resting</i> and thinking about what needs to be done.<span style=""> </span>So there has been some preparation for your arrival:<span style=""> </span></span></p> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >- We bought you some preemie clothes, just in case. Completely surreal, that.<span style=""> </span>They’re all “3-5 lbs” size.<span style=""> </span>Yikes!<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span>But we gave them to Mimma and told her not to wash them until we actually get a hospital admission.<span style=""> </span>Hey, it’s good to have them, but if you do end up being full-term, we’re taking those sweet little clothes back, mama.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><o:p><br /></o:p></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >- SRH through action/thought/deed/and strong non-verbals pressured the contractor into speeding things up in the remodel a bit.<span style=""> </span>By this, I mean that he started working beside the contractor and would cast dirty looks his direction all the while muttering, “The baby is coming, the baby is coming” over and over.<span style=""> </span>He’s subtle, your papa.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><o:p><br /></o:p></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >- I hired the painter to come next week to paint the kitchen, office, bathroom, and your nursery.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><o:p><br /></o:p></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >- Mimma came over and cleaned the entire downstairs, and Papa and I are pulling the upstairs together.<span style=""> </span>Just so you know, we are filthy, filthy people. <span style=""> </span>Perhaps this will change when you get here, but I wouldn’t count on it.<span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><o:p><br /></o:p></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >- We’ve completed the pre-registration forms for the hospital.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><o:p><br /></o:p></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >- I’ve scheduled the hospital tour and childbirth refresher class.<span style=""> </span>Those both happen by next Sunday, so hopefully that’s soon enough.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><o:p><br /></o:p></span> <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" >- I’ve sorted and washed the 0-3 months clothes that we’ll reuse from Zane, and washed the new stuff that we have for you.</span> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">I think that’s about it, chica.<span style=""> </span>The nurse said that we shouldn’t plan to make it to our due date, but there are always surprises, and I’ll know more when I see the doctor on Friday.<span style=""> </span>Or when I go into labor, I suppose.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p></o:p>So, try to hang tight in there, child. There’s a whole big world to see out here, but you have plenty of time.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p face="times new roman" style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Much love,</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Mama<br /><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold; font-family: times new roman;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;">*And of course, your name is not Fred, but we don’t know exactly what your name is yet.<span style=""> </span>We’re trying to wait to meet you before making any rash decisions…and Zane has decided that if you can’t be named Cabbage or Truck, then he shall call you Fred.<span style=""> </span>So it’s what we have to work with right now.</span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-66293421285548796442008-03-10T22:27:00.012-05:002008-03-10T22:57:50.254-05:00I'm Trying to Think Here!<span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><span>I may have mentioned this before, but <a href="http://sryanhart.blogspot.com/">SRH </a>has – on occasion – made the following comment to me, </span><i>It must be hell to be in your head</i><span>.</span></span> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">And though this might sound a bit harsh, he’s actually just commenting that I have so much going on in my head at any given moment, he’s not sure how I function through all the chatter. </span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">And truthfully, neither am I.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">And it’s been a particularly high-chatter time in the old noggin recently.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I attribute this to the pregnancy and the whole working-for-myself transition, but the origin of it really doesn’t matter.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Anyway, I thought I’d try to blog about it so that other people can share my hell.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Lucky blog reader.</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">At any given morning these days, here’s the conversation in my head:</span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><blockquote></blockquote></span></p><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Okay, so what needs to get done today?</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Baby in the Belly:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Uh…I don’t know what your plans are, but you better start off whatever you’re doing with some protein.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’m trying to grow some gray matter here.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Keith Richards (my errant, but benign, liver tumor):</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Not so fast there, you saucy wench.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’m still in effect down here on your right side.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I haven’t been getting much air time now that the princess is on the way, but I’m still here and you don’t want me to… (unidentifiable garbling)<br /><br /></span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Are you threatening me, Keith?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Because I’m pretty good to you.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I haven’t eaten 14 sausages in a row <i>for years</i> and I have drastically reduced my consumption of red meat - all to give you more room.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Baby in Belly:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Can I have some shrimp?</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Keith:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">She doesn’t even like seafood, bambino.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Now eat some <a href="http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c21LF.html">melba toast</a> and shut it.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Exhaustion (a ubiquitous new player on to the scene):</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Well, if we don’t get something to eat soon, I’m going to have to insist we go back to bed.<br /><br /></span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">What?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">No!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">We’ve only been up 15 minutes!</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Okay, let me think. What is protein-rich, low fat, won’t expand my stomach too much – see, I’m taking care of you Keith – and can be fixed in the next two minutes?</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Baby in Belly:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">What about taking care of me? I’m your long-awaited, much anticipated second child.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">You went through <a href="http://infertility.about.com/cs/clomi1/a/Clomid.htm">Clomid</a> to get me lady.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Don’t mess it up now.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">FEED ME.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Keith:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Baby, you weigh, what, a pound and a half?</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">You’ve only been bigger than me for the past month. I was here before you and I’ll be around after because – unlike the party planned for you on or near June 18 - there aren’t any plans to evacuate me from her body.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Shhhhhhh…both of you…I’m trying to think.<br /><br /></span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Looming Project A:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I don’t have much to say about breakfast, but I should remind you that you have some outstanding emails to attend to. And I don’t have to tell you that this is a big project, and you’re new to the team.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">And you did quit your job to do exactly this.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ><o:p></o:p></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Baby:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">HUNGRY!!!!</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Looming Project A:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">And you really should take on some of that “to do” list you wrote out last Friday.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">It was over page long – all stuff that you’re <i>paid to do</i>.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Keith:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Speaking of pay, I did mention that that’s what I’ll make you do should you decide to break your fast on oatmeal or somesuch, didn’t I?</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Me:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Oatmeal? Keith, oatmeal is low fat and fiber rich.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">It’s good for me – and you and the baby.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">We all win.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Keith:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Yes, but it takes up an uncomfortable amount of room in your stomach while it’s digesting.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">All in all, I’m not a big fan of the oatmeal these days.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Baby:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">And oatmeal doesn’t have much protein.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’m totally down with protein – and I mean the animal- meat kind of protein - these days.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I think it has something to do with the very important neural connections that I’m trying to develop this.very.second.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Heading to the kitchen as we speak guys, hang in there.<br /><br /></span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Exhaustion:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Ohhhh…I’m sorry.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Not quick enough, Zany Mama. I’m going to have to dock you two hours this morning.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Come on, let’s go lay down.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Okay…okay.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Let me just get some breakfast, get Zane to preschool, do a bit of work, talk to the contractor, and then….Crud. Then I’ll have to eat again. But I promise to meet you after lunch.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Exhaustion:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Don’t worry.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’ll be here.</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Keith:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">As will I!</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Baby:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Me, too!</span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></p><blockquote style="color: rgb(204, 153, 51);font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Looming Project A:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’ll just sit quietly over here, but you know you’ll have terrible guilt and recrimination later if you avoid me.<br /><br /></span></blockquote><span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><p style="font-family: times new roman;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <span style=";font-family:times new roman;font-size:130%;" ></span><blockquote style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Me:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I hear all of you.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Now leave me alone.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’m going to go eat a smoothie followed by a lean but nourishing slab of ham. There.</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Everybody happy?</span></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:100%;" ></span><p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sbYuP8QGGcfHtGjleXXqB_ulNtrrmlnF4lcq510rt6RrYLS3KntTbH-gcBWth05aDe3DMhiyTeihm6kmgVjhU9YunrEwuhZIwFIODIXmwXIwc-o4mfMUt1hEGXZDwNFY17eKCw/s1600-h/belly+24+weeks.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0sbYuP8QGGcfHtGjleXXqB_ulNtrrmlnF4lcq510rt6RrYLS3KntTbH-gcBWth05aDe3DMhiyTeihm6kmgVjhU9YunrEwuhZIwFIODIXmwXIwc-o4mfMUt1hEGXZDwNFY17eKCw/s400/belly+24+weeks.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5176320853212947042" border="0" /></a></span></p><div style="text-align: center;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;font-size:78%;" >Interesting. Several sources of this conversation reside in one small space - 24 weeks</span><br /></span></div> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Please note, the above exchange does not represent the views and voices of:</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p> <ul style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;"><li><span style="font-size:130%;">Possible Exciting Project X</span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">Sciatica</span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">Old Job</span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">Upcoming Work Trip</span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">Kitchen/Bathroom/Office Remodel</span></li><li><span style="font-size:130%;">CRankiness Associated with Pregnancy (CRAP)</span></li></ul> <p style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.5in; text-indent: 0.5in; font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I will, no doubt, share some of their input at a later date.</span></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-39740326654210793152008-02-27T21:53:00.005-05:002008-02-27T22:10:50.743-05:00To Infinitive and Beyond!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkRb4PWtaNVPlp75QuzX1ANt4Ku92Zeh7IKnYZXMAL7zy6I93-3Y1udsCyysDbF6EoiJ7VqeJMZUdOzc8lrXPUSJrV2vRCNpSbiQ-iQg4OEOkrCgtVVr1G2KaXWI5BUECrnenuw/s1600-h/bird+dancing.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbkRb4PWtaNVPlp75QuzX1ANt4Ku92Zeh7IKnYZXMAL7zy6I93-3Y1udsCyysDbF6EoiJ7VqeJMZUdOzc8lrXPUSJrV2vRCNpSbiQ-iQg4OEOkrCgtVVr1G2KaXWI5BUECrnenuw/s400/bird+dancing.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5171862625907472786" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">There are many quirks that come with Zane’s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_Integration_Dysfunction">sensory processing disorder</a> that are quite charming. For example, he gives me directions to wherever we’re going (he always has a preference), I never have to wonder what to get him for a gift (trains), and he has an urgent need to have a blanket covering his pillow at night so he doesn’t “stick”.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">You see the charm here, right? These idiosyncrasies are easy to accommodate, and they make him feel secure – we all win. So while I’ve appreciated all the help he’s gotten from occupational therapy, I’ve also secretly hoped that he doesn’t lose these loveable little foibles that make him uniquely him.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">But as his auditory processing improves with occupational therapy, he’s talking more and more – which is actually giving us a whole new set of things to feel delighted by. Recently, it’s like we’ve had a little person who doesn’t speak English as his first language living with us. More to the point, the child is in love with</span><a style="font-family: times new roman;" href="http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/infinitive.htm"> infinitives</a><span style="font-family:times new roman;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">My favorite so far:</span><br /><br /></span><blockquote style="font-weight: bold;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Mama, I like this music. It makes me feel like to dance.<br /></span></blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">So dance, my sweet boy, dance. Whenever you feel like to dance, you go right ahead.</span></span>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-56999043392162482732008-02-18T22:43:00.003-05:002008-02-18T22:49:40.838-05:00In Which I Attempt to Document this Gestation<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfA2G5ylnofl-N9HcimSY5zef5_SJCo1OJ8yY641te-bK2fO81xJTpkgQ0a6XGs0vYfM3S_Mq_AL1aU2tZZEEe2ZXVtRpiACAWZoSz1P7q60LAYdD9a4BekEB7wrdMTh9hmcLAw/s1600-h/pregnantwitch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfA2G5ylnofl-N9HcimSY5zef5_SJCo1OJ8yY641te-bK2fO81xJTpkgQ0a6XGs0vYfM3S_Mq_AL1aU2tZZEEe2ZXVtRpiACAWZoSz1P7q60LAYdD9a4BekEB7wrdMTh9hmcLAw/s400/pregnantwitch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5168532527309486450" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><br /></span> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">The other day SRH and I were at a bookstore – because we have the hottest date nights in town – and I happened to pick up a pregnancy journal.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">You know, a pregnancy journal.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">One of those books you write in daily/weekly/monthly to memorialize all those special moments of your coming child’s gestation.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">If you have only one child – or are pregnant with your first – you totally know to what I’m referring. You may even have smiled when I brought it up.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">If you have more than one child – or are on your second + pregnancy – I’ll give you a minute to remember.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Ah yes, there it is - the pregnancy journal.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">So, for about 2 seconds in the book store I contemplated getting the journal.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><i>This would be a nice way to commemorate this pregnancy,</i> I thought.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><i>You did one for Zane, </i>I continued. <i>This baby deserves to be documented in the same way.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">And then I realized that I’d have to actually start in the middle of the journal as I am now 22 weeks pregnant – over half way there - and I haven’t written a thing down.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">And that seemed a bit half-assed, even for me.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">So I thought, <i>Heeeeeeeey…you have a blog</i>.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><i>Why not write in that and call it square?</i></span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">So here it is.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">The first entry of perhaps the worst pregnancy journal ever. But I care about this baby that’s coming, dammit.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">And I’m going to write 3-4 entries before June to prove it.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="text-align: center; font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center; font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Entry #1 –What’s Different With This Pregnancy?</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" >When people tell me I’m cute/little/barely showing, I simply say “thank you”.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Last time I was pregnant, I vehemently tried to disabuse everyone of this notion. I was, dare I say, a wee bit offended by their inability to see that I was a great big sow of a woman who was carrying a ginormous child.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">This time, I don’t even mention that I have gained 20+ pounds and that I’m measuring large.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Nope, no siree.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I simply thank them and pretend that I <i>am</i> cute/little/ barely showing – even though I feel like my major task of every morning is stuffing five basketballs into maternity clothes. (Two up top, one in front, and two bouncing along behind me). </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" >I’m not reading any pregnancy books.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Last time I had a whole slew of them – with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Pregnancy-Week/dp/1555612601">this one</a> being my favorite.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I obsessed over what was happening for the baby during a particular week.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I looked forward to the week changing over so I could read about what was going to happen in the upcoming week.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I knew what symptoms I should be having, what foods I shouldn’t eat, and when I would get certain tests.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Yesterday, I went to the library and visited to the pregnancy/childbirth section – mostly because I felt like I should.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">And I could not for the life of me muster up the interest to even check one single book out.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I was all, <i>Meh…I probably won’t read this anyway. Baby Girl and I seem to be getting along just fine.<span style=""> </span>Why would I want to read about it?<o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">So, instead I walked out with some porn.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Um, excuse me, erotica.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Because second trimester sex is a really wonderful gift, friends.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Thank goodness <i>that</i> hasn’t changed.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" >Now…I have a hard time remembering where exactly I am in the pregnancy.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Is this week 22 or 23?</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Is my due date June 18 or 21<sup>st</sup>?</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">When does this second trimester end?</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Crap.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I’m totally unprepared here. </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" >Fear of miscarriage.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Having lost a pregnancy last summer and being plagued by bleeding and cramping during the first trimester of this pregnancy, I have been aware of the fragile-ness of gestation in a way that I never was with Zane. </span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">But that’s a downer, and I’ll post more about it another time. (That time being when I’m totally into killing your buzz.)</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">On the other hand…now that I finally believe that we’re going to have a baby at the end of all this…</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" ><br /></span></p><p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);font-size:130%;" >I am looking forward to meeting this little one in a way that I never did with Zane.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">It’s true.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I wondered what Zane would be like.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">I fantasized about having a child, but my anticipation was always clouded with the anxiety about how I would be as a mother.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><i>Can I do this? </i>I wondered.<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><i><o:p> </o:p></i></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">This time, though, I know I can do this.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">SRH and I are actually quite decent parents, and while I can’t imagine what adding another child into our household mix will do <i>exactly</i>, I feel quite certain that we will manage it. </span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Now, it’s just all about meeting her.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;">Seeing her for the first time, touching her little baby skin, smelling her soft breath, and getting to love who she will be.</span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;">Pretty awesome stuff, that.</span><span style=";font-size:130%;" > </span></p> <p style="font-family: times new roman; font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p style="font-weight: bold;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Slightly less awesome will be the sleepless nights, the dirty diapers, and the sore, cracked bleeding nipples.</span></span><span style="font-family: times new roman;font-size:130%;" > </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">But I’m up for it, and it’s definitely worth at least trying to keep a journal for.</span></span> </p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-11385500557906649522008-01-25T21:32:00.000-05:002008-01-25T21:33:10.049-05:00Drumroll Please<p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Let's go through the signs and symptoms, shall we?<br /><br />I'm craving sweets...<br /><br />Baby's heartrate was above 140...<br /><br />I have some pregnancy-related acne...<br /><br />I didn't have any morning sickness...<br /><br />I'm not excessively hairy with this pregnancy...<br /><br />I am "carrying high" - look like I swallowed a basketball...<br /><br /><a href="http://sryanhart.blogspot.com/">SRH </a>has gained weight right along with me...<br /><br />I took 8 cranberry supplements and chugged <a href="http://www.in-gender.com/Gender-Selection/Lydia-Pinkham/LydiaPinkham_Ingredients.aspx">Lydia Pinkham's tonic</a> the week before I ovulated...<br /><br />The needle/wedding ring swung in large circles over my tummy...<br /><br />And, of course, the drano didn't bubble when I mixed it with my urine...<br /><br />...It must be a girl!<br />(and here I thought I needed an ultrasound to confirm the news)</span></b></p>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25245139.post-33198940423275050942008-01-24T15:56:00.000-05:002008-01-24T16:00:36.062-05:00Place Your Bets*<span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Tomorrow is the day of days...the "tour of the baby" ultrasound.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">So what do we think, friends? Boy or girl?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;">*And I expect every person who still reads this blog (yes, both of you) to share your guesses.</span></span>Zany Mamahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307855546884147898noreply@blogger.com13