Life Lessons: Courtesy of Motherhood

Recently, I've been trying to slow down and enjoy life a little more. For those of you who know me (as the type-A, control freak), you realize how difficult this is for me! However, along the way, I've been reflecting on the things that, for good or for bad, motherhood teaches us.

* Patience, Patience, Patience -- I think this one is pretty self-explanatory.

* There is more than one way to do everything -- this took me a while to determine and come to terms with. Yes, there are instructions that come with baby and toddler toys explaining how they are to be properly used .... never anticipate that this will actually be how your baby uses the item. Do not be alarmed!

* I can write paragraph's worth of information and instructions regarding the simplest things I do for Connor throughout the day -- an example: I never thought that I would feel the need to explain how to fill a sippy cup with apple juice the correct way (not all the way to the top because it will spill, consisting of one-third water from the fridge dispenser, two-thirds actual juice, and a squirt of liquid baby vitamins - but only in the morning). Seriously, this is just juice... should you desire an explanation of, lets say, putting Connor to bed, that could take an entire spiral notebook. This is just one of TONS of examples of how I need to tone-down the type-Aness :)
Side note: Connor would be fine no matter how one put him to bed or filled his juice cup... really.

* There are more important things in life than a good tan, a flat stomach and a night out on the town (but all three would still be nice!)-- if you had told me this 5 years ago, I would have laughed at you. Enough said.

and finally,

* You may be considered a slacker if you are doing less than 2 or 3 things simultaneously -- this is true. Multitasking has become an art form in my life. Elliptical while on the phone while browsing a magazine while watching Connor ... sitting down on the couch to read a magazine?? Ha. CPS would be here in a second.... everyone knows moms don't get to sit down!!!

I end with pictures from Christmas Eve ... Christmas pics to come soon! I hope everyone had a good one!

"It's the Holiday Season ..."

A few of our recent family pre-Christmas events!!

This past Saturday, we had a celebration at my parent's house for my dad's birthday and for Hanukkah (for Jamie :)

And, the entire fam at Hubers for lunch and wine tastings!!

Lot's of Fun (and not so fun) Things!

Jamie's mom, Gail, flew in from Cali for a Holiday visit for about five days, starting last Thursday. If you read my last post, you know that there was some sort of fun stomach thingy going around our house ... only lasted like 12 hours, but still, fun. Anyway, it only took about 48 hours from the time Gail landed to also be afflicted with the "fun". She also went with Jamie to put Max, our oldest doggie, to sleep at the vet's office on Monday {tear}. (FYI, our vet, also a boarding kennel and a groomer, is AWESOME!!! So if you are looking for one in the Louisville area, I HIGHLY recommend Springhurst Animal Hospital! They even sent us a condolence flower arrangement... they really are awesome!) So all of that, mixed with the really cold, crappy weather, and she didn't have such a stellar time while she was here! However, those are just the bad things .... lots of fun, good things have happened in the last week ....

Friday afternoon (pre-tummy troubles) Gail and I dropped Connor off at my mom's and we went shopping at J. Crew for my Christmas present and so Gail could also shop for a few remaining people on her list. If you aren't aware of my J. Crew obsession by now, I'm genuinely shocked. So much fun! There were amazing sales and we basically bought one (or two) of everything in the store! It was a lot of fun, plus I got some great stuff from her for Christmas ... including a super-cute red wool coat, perfect for the Holidays!

Saturday, still pre-sick, we made the trek to Lexington for the UK Alumni Big Blue Lunch with Santa. We had a great time and I ALMOST got Connor to take his picture alone with Santa, but not quite! The event was really fun and they were giving out gifts from the Disney Store of all the little ones! Totally worth the trip to Lex!!

We also did a drive-by past the Alpha Delta Pi house {sigh} I totally miss it! Unfortunately, it appears they no longer put the moving reindeer on the roof at Christmas time ... which I think might have something to do with my pledge class placing them in compromising positions in the middle of the night after coming home from the bars ... but I'm not sure! ;)

Sunday night I made a four-layer (yes, four) pumpkin cake for Bunco on Monday night. It turned out awesome!! I'm so proud of myself. I can hear the oohs and ahhs from here ... thanks! :)

This is completely off-topic, but as some of you know, I love chicken salad ... like, a lot. My new favorite way to make it, as in the super-duper-lazy-person-who-loves-chicken-salad way of making it, is to take a can of Tyson chunk chicken, drain and rinse, add 1 tablespoon of light mayo, tsp. of celery salt, and a dash of cayenne pepper and voila! I just eat it with a fork, or put it on saltines .... yummy!

Ok, back to what I was talking about...

Monday, Connor got his first hair cut! I thought about doing Cookie Cutters for his first cut, but all the reviews I read online were bad, so I called up my girl (Jennifer at Vertu Salon) and she offered to cut his hair at our house! It only took a few Gerber Puffs and Fruit Strips to get through the process and he went from curly mop-head to a little man! (I know I said I didn't have anymore bad news .... but I lied!) I saved some curls to document Connor's first haircut, but now I cannot find them!!!! I put them in a Ziploc and now I've either misplaced them or threw them away in my frantic cooking spree for Bunco that night. Either way, I am SO bummed right now and I'm thinking of just cutting more hair off his head so I'll have it for his baby book!! Seriously! I'll keep you posted on what I decide to do!!!

Today, Sears came and cleaned our carpets and I'm feeling WAY happier with a cleaner house ... way worth what it costs to get done!!! Off to make dome Christmas cookies for an exchange on Sunday ... chow.

Sick sick sick

Being sick sucks ... having a sick baby who then proceeds to to you sick, sucks more.

This week hasn't exactly been stellar. Yesterday, my car just kept turning itself off in the parking lot of our local Kroger. Yep, that's right, I'm just driving along and all of a sudden a bunch of lights on the dash would "illuminate" as they say in the owner's manual, the power steering would go out, and the car would just shut off. I was able to make it home, and then had to wait over 2 hours for the stupid Land Rover Roadside Assistance people to get to our house. You would think that having a brand new car would actually be a good thing, but this is like the third time my car has been in the shop in the past few months. *Grrr* All is not lost, because I did get a SUV nicer than mine to roll around in for the next god-only-knows-how-long. It just sucks to have to keep switching the car seat in and out... and all the other crap we need in the car.... which is a lot ... I won't go into details.

So, that brings me to late last night ... more of the middle of the night I guess. Connor wakes up screaming, not just the escalating crying we are used to, but screaming. So, I go upstairs and upon opening his door I am hit with an awful stench. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know it's not poop. It only takes me about a second to figure out what it is. Puke. All over the crib ... and Connor. On a side note, this is actually one of the times that I can't imagine what it would be like to be a working, single mom. I truly have the uttermost respect for those women. Because, what did I do? Call for Jamie to come upstairs to help quarantine the sheets and Connor's clothes in a plastic bag, of course!!
I'll spare you the rest of the details, but about an hour, one more throw-up, 2 books, and a diaper change later, I am able to hit the sack, upstairs in the guest bedroom. Lucky me, the bedside clock had never been set since the last power flash at our house, so it was blinking red all night long (yes I could have fixed or unplugged it, but I'm lazy, don't judge me ;) All-in-all, not a great night.

And now, I am sitting here writing this to you (and Lysol spraying everything in the house) because I had to skip out on my long-anticipated Move Night with the girls because I now do not feel good. {tear}... I was seriously looking forward to this night out!

Now I'm just hoping for a barf-free night for everyone. That would be nice!

We Didn't Order Pizza!!!

I need to vent about the single most frustrating thing (maybe ever) that happened to me yesterday. I had just driven home from my parent's house with Connor and he fell asleep in the car. Yea! It was late afternoon (like 5:30 ish) so I was pumped at the possibility of Connor actually taking his second nap of the day (which rarely happens lately!) Anyway, I go to gently transfer Connor from the car to the crib, which I was only doing because it was SO cold in the car, even in the garage, otherwise I would obviously not have even attempted this scary feat! Of course he wakes up, but knowing how tired he must have been to fall asleep on the short car ride home, I let him fuss a bit in the crib and by the time I fetched all our crap out of the car and put it away ... silence from upstairs. Woo hoo!

Then, it happens. The worst thing that can happen in a home that has dogs and a sleeping baby. The dreaded doorbell.

Now, let me preface this with saying that I am no dummy. Yes, I am an online shopping addict (see previous posts ;) so I get TONS of packages per week and I am completely used to listening for the truck out on the street and intercepting any deliveries before the delivery guy's finger can even come close to our doorbell! In fact, me and the UPS guy are basically dating at this point ... he knows more about where I shop and what kind of sweats I wear during the day than anyone would want to know ... so I consider us pretty close. More importantly, I know his schedule!! And, yesterday, when we got home, I picked a couple of packages up from the front porch, so I KNEW for a fact UPS and FedEx had already been by. So the coast should have been clear... right?

DING DONG!

It's like my life flashed before my eyes ... but in my brain... "Who could that be? Surprise delivery? Flowers? (that would be nice) The neighbors? Jehovah's Witness? Seriously!! Who could that be?? BOTH of my delivery-truck-driving-boyfriends had already been here! Did they forget a box?? (ooh, did I forget something was coming today?)"

Meanwhile, Charlotte (my little black shih-tzu) is barking and tearing through the house like a freaking maniac... and it basically shakes the house ... anyone with an open-floor-plan 2-story house knows exactly what I'm talking about!!

DANG IT!!!!! (aka: #$F^%S^&^*&D)%^#@#M@%!F@#!^S^&*) - Honesty, worst things were said... you can fill in the blanks.

As I make my way to the front door, trying to grab Charlotte and turn the outside lights on at the same time, I hear Connor start wailing from upstairs.

Again: ^%S^&^*&D)%^#@#M@%!F@#!^S^!!!!!!

Upon turning the front lights on, I see it's a pizza dude holding 3 pizzas and looking kind of pissed that I didn't turn the front lights on for him to see his way up our sidewalk.

UN FREAKING BELIEVABLE!!!

"You have got to be kidding me!!!!!!" I thought ... not only was is not anything exciting, it wasn't even anything for ME!!! I opened the door and said simply: "Wrong house" and closed the door. I do not think I have ever been so mad at pizza in my life... seriously! Of course, it was also Charlotte's fault for being such a spaz... but I decided it didn't really matter at that point.

Added bonus: Jamie calls my cell phone in the middle of all of this ... and then the house phone!! Let's just say he didn't get such a great response when I finally was able to answer! He could tell how upset I was and offered to call and get the guy fired.... I think he was joking ... but anyone with a napping baby who has a million-and-one things to do will tell you, he deserved to be!! ;)

So, I go upstairs and get my cranky little stinker who was obviously not too happy with being woken up from a nap he never wanted to take in the first place.

And, I'm not sure we'll be ordering pizza for a while :)

Gymboree Time = Mommy Talk Time

We went to our weekly Gymboree class this morning (courtesy of Jamie's mom for a year as a gift for Connor's 1st Birthday) and I suddenly realized that infant play dates are SO much more about the mommies talking than the socializing of babies... and do babies even socialize?? or need to? Anyway...
When we get to Gymboree, Connor, as always, heads to the large plastic bin of primary colored balls and starts flinging them all into the floor. Meanwhile, I make mindless conversation with the other moms who are watching their respective tots climb on puffy ramps or crawl through nylon tunnels about Black Friday, how long they breast-fed, the best luxury SUV's and the in-laws coming in for Christmas. There's no doubt some of these convos quickly turn into one-up conversations ... but it's all friendly mommy-time fun, right!? ;)
For some of us, this might be the only outlet we have to talk about such things and we take full advantage of it. Who else can we discuss these topics with (obviously not your husband who has little insight as to what it's like to cook, clean, shower, shop, AND be a mom all in the same day ... ok, sometimes I don't get to shower) so this really is the perfect storm of women desperate to have a conversation with someone other than their one-year-old.... and with other women who are not completely discussed nor bored with the topics you wish to discuss.
I love it because you can always tell the mom or three or more because she actually will take he eye off her child for more than a nano-second and doesn't even flinch when another child (ok, normally Connor) throws a ball at her precious angel's head.

So, that was my day so far .... well, that, and cleaning up dog puke from the carpet for hours on end ... but that's for another post!

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

Love, Connor

Things I Am Thankful For:

In the spirit of the impending Holiday - Thanksgiving - I have compiled a list of things I am thankful for at this moment!

5.) A great experience today at Ann Taylor Loft in The Summit. I was making a bunch of returns from online shopping (if you've been reading this blog - this will NOT come as a surprise to you AT ALL!) which is usually a yucky trip to a store. But, the nice girl who helped me at the counter was soooo sweet ... and what do ya know ... she knew me from this blog! And, went to high school with a girl friend of mine. If you're reading this (you know who you are ;) thanks and I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon on a future shopping trip!

4.) The main Christmas tree is finished, the other 2 are well on their way, the outside lights are half-way finished, and I already have most of my Christmas shopping done, or well planned out. My goal is to have all the Christmas decor and lights out by the end of this weekend and all presents purchased and wrapped in 2 weeks from now ... I'll let you know how this goes!

3.) Connor is completely better from his cold / sinus infection .... FINALLY! We waited a week to decide to see his doc after he started showing symptoms, then waited another week for it to clear-up on it's own (per doc's recommendation... something about not wanting to give a lot of antibiotics during this time in his life as he is building his own immune system right now, etc...). After 2 weeks of continual nose wiping and disgustingness, I called and insisted they call him in a prescription to the local Walgreen's (which then did) and within 2 days we was totally better. Awesome! This is the first time in his life he's ever been sick to the point of needing any medicine (which is SO lucky BTW) and he loves the taste of it! I have to let him carry the medicine dispenser around the house for about a half-hour after getting his dose because he likes it so much! I was never able to take this yummy, pink bubblegum concoction as a child because I was allergic to penicillin, so the pink goo is an entirely new experience for me. You don't have to hide it in juice or anything, it actually tastes good .... a huge improvement over what I used to be forced to take as a penicillin-challenged child ... not to mention the extra cost!

Which brings me to my next point:

2.) Connor is NOT allergic to penicillin like his mommy .... thank God!

1.) We are getting to spend mucho family-time the next few days with everyone from aunts and uncles , to my parents and grandparents. It should be a blast!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

PS - OK, other important things: UK finally won a basketball game and gas is now $1.64. :)

Wedding Fever!!

WOW! It's been over a week since I've posted! Holy crap! Sorry for those people who are dedicated enough to even still be checking this blog!

N E WAY - Last Friday, I traveled to Henderson and Clay, Kentucky to be a bridesmaid in my friend Sarah's wedding. Super beautiful ceremony and reception, super beautiful bride! Plus, a double bonus, our dresses were really cute and we all looked great in them! So the weekend was a success. Jamie drove down to meet me on Saturday for the ceremony and reception! We had a great time!

On a clearly more depressing note for all my readers who proudly sport their Wildcat Blue ... what a crappy week for UK sports! I really don't even want to talk about it ... but it's pretty sad when the BEST thing we've done in the last week is only lose by 18 to North Carolina. SUCKS!

Also, I'd like to point out that Christmas is like tomorrow. I started looking at the calendar and Thanksgiving is SO LATE this year! What the crap? So, of course, I started dragging all the Christmas stuff upstairs today because if I'm going to go to all the trouble of putting all the crap up, I at least want to leave it up longer than 3 weeks! I think Jamie was a little shocked when he got home from work, but honestly, there are a lot of neighborhoods with their lights already up .... and not just up, but lit for everyone to see. I'm actually starting to feel like I didn't get my usual 2 week head-start on everyone this year .... and I'm a little upset about it!

One last thing ... online shopping is the devil and is more addictive than cocaine (ok, never actually tried it ... but I think it must be close to equivalent!). So, in order to get my fix, I am buying all Christmas gifts online this year ... even from stores I can just drive to! It's so much easier and I don't have to pack a baby bag or use gas ... plus I can do it in my jammies without freezing outside! I am IN LOVE with our UPS guy. I see his big brown truck rolling down the street toward our house and I get soooo excited! Gotta love the shopping season!

Blah!

Ok. I'm over the whole let-it-be-cold-so-I-can-wear-my-cute-new-coat phase. It's just plain cold and we're already battling the winter sick-season. I spent the better part of my day today wiping a constant flow of green gunk from Connor's nose .... gross. And, it's not as easy as it sounds. Each time I "tried" to wipe or rub or even tough his nose, it started World War III. I think the other customers at Michael'ss today seriously thought I was beating my child when I wiped his nose in the store. It's gotten so bad that he won't even let me get near him if he thinks I might have a tissue, napkin or otherwise in my hand. Basically, a really fun day, in case you couldn't tell!

And, while I'm somewhat happy to be transitioning into winter clothing (aka: long pants and not having to shave very morning) I am thinking this is going to be a long winter if Connor has many of these awesome colds! I think it's probably a mix of Gymboree, the daycare at the gym, and going to the mall (it just feels very germ-y) ... but short of just locking ourselves in the house all winter and putting a DO NOT ENTER sign on our door, I'm not sure there is much of a solution. Kids are little germ traps. Between the sneezing in my face and putting his slobbery (and worse!) fingers into my mouth throughout the day, I feel I have no chance in escaping miserableness this winter. Oh well.

On a more exciting note, I'm going to see Mamma Mia tomorrow night with ladies from the neighborhood and on Friday I head to Clay, KY for a weekend of wedding fun! (Sarah's wedding, not mine of course ;) But first thing's first, I'll start my sanitizing-wipe-spree tomorrow morning of everything with touching height of Connor ... that little drool monster is totally germifying my house!!! Good thing he's cute!

Busy Busy Busy!!

So, I thought that when Jamie and I decided I would stay home with Connor after he was born, I would have all this free time in my life. Ample amounts of time during my week to work on becoming the next Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray or Betty Crocker. (hahaha - life and thoughts before motherhood - I was so cute... and ignorant! )

As it turns out, I haven't been able to even think about the fact that I have a blog to write, the need for a shower, and to feed the dogs in almost a week! "What have I been doing?" you might ask. Well, seriously nothing that exciting, but just a LOT of little things. This little crunch we're going through now isn't even "Holiday time" related ... meaning things are only going to get more hectic! But I'm not complaining. Being able to stay at home with Connor is the best thing ever - I think I just need a little refresher in time management (but that will never happen!)

Most people agree that the more time you perceive yourself to have, the more time you kind-of waste not getting anything done! For instance, Connor has been sleeping in later in the morning! Alas! Sleeping until almost 10 am! He definitely is his mother's son! BUT, not getting up until then takes at least 2 hours of morning time away from our day - plus we can't make it to the gym in time for the play area to still be open for Connor. This is just one of the reasons we have been on what feels like a hamster wheel - running in place but not getting much done other than the occasional trip to the water bowl and lots of pooping (Connor that is!).

We've also started going to the Level 3 Gymboree class (compliments of Jamie's mom for Connor's birthday) which is at 10am on Monday morning. Jamie and I toured Chance School on Friday so we apply for 2-year-old preschool for Connor next year. My car was in the shop getting a bunch o' crap done so I had a rental (of my exact same Land Rover, which was nice) that I constantly realized things I needed were not in. ie: tissues, napkins, pens, garage door opener, cell phone car charger, radar detector ... etc... sucks. We also went to Indy with my mom to visit Lisa at Butler and go to the outlet malls on the way back. (side note: hit up J.Crew outlet - sucked, Ralph Lauren - ok, Gap - good, and Banana Republic -ok) Jamie was been wicked busy at work, which is a good thing in this economy, but not so good for his stress and helpfulness level at home ... but good.

Next week is another busy week, ending with being in a wedding on Saturday! Can't wait! I'll try to post more than once!! ;)

GET OUT AND VOTE!!

Happy Election Day!

Seriously, I was so pumped to vote you would have thought I turned 18 just yesterday! Connor and I popped on our "Vote" shirts this morning (ok, Connor's is a onsie, mine is a shirt - they didn't have onsies in my size ... so we didn't EXACTLY match ;) and headed on down to the local UAW to cast our vote for 'Change'. There was no huge line at 10am (bonus!) so we were in and out in a hurry ... which kind of made it anti-climatic, but meaningful just the same!

As important as it is for everyone to vote, my state, Kentucky, gets basically no attention from any candidate as we always vote the same way. Not Louisville necessarily, but Kentucky, Yes. I won't even go into the misunderstandings and misleadings of politics to unsuspecting folks who don't know any better than to just listen to what the newspapers and churches tell them to think .... really a moot point at this juncture. But I can imagine how exciting it must be to live in a state were something is really at stake - a "swing" state. How exciting!

And, I must also say how incredibly jealous I am of all my friends in Chicago getting to attend Obama's rally tonight! Lucky brats!! Back at home, we'll be watching the election coverage on an over-sized TV in the basement, eating pizza and drinking 'beverages' until what I have a feeling might be late into the night!

When we wake up tomorrow, no matter which side wins this election, this country will be on a new, exciting path! I can't wait! GET OUT AND VOTE!!!

Pictures!!

Jamie and I in Vegas - Ceasars

Connor's Second Big Birthday Party!!

On the beach in LA!

Recovery

Traveling cross-country is never an easy task (especially with me because I take basically my entire closet, try to think of everything possible little thing to bring, etc....) but doing it with a baby literally takes days and days to recover from. And I don't just mean the three hour time difference .... which does suck, but it's all the other stuff that goes along with it ... mental anguish (mine and Connor's), a destroyed / empty closet (again, mine and Connor's), a list of things to do a mile long (ok, this one is just me!) and a totally messed up schedule (sleep and otherwise) for the entire family!! The only positive thing right now is that we are dog-free at least until tomorrow, so that has been a nice break for Jamie and I (and the house!)

It's just now hitting me that Halloween is on Friday, which I guess means I should be buying candy. At least I've got Connor's Elmo costume all ready to go! I'm glad we went with a warm costume as it appears to have gone from summer to winter in the two weeks we were on vacation!!

Well, I'm off to call Chance school for a tour time and date (which I should have done forever ago!). That is hopefully where Connor will be going to pre-school when he's two .... which I cannot believe we are already planning for!!!

Once I get my life back in order I promise to post some of the best pics from our vaca!

VEGAS BABY!! (without the baby ;)

We just returned from Vegas to Jamie's parent's house in LA and I am so exhausted (and it's really hot, which we're trying to enjoy before heading back home to the cold!) A couple of things about our trip to Vegas:

1.) If Connor wasn't so cute (and also in the ever-improving and adorable stages of toddling) it might not be so hard to leave him for 3 days ... but it was hard! Jamie and I really had a hard time remembering what it was like to be with just each other. No strollers, no time constraints based on nap and bed times, no car seats or ba-bas or diaper changes, just Vegas fun. It was nice, but we were definitely on the fast-track home to our little booger when we woke up this morning! I just couldn't wait to pinch and kiss his chubby thighs. It was as good as I remembered! :)

2.) When we got to the hotel, they didn't have a king bed, non-smoking room available (even though we had reservations and Vegas is basically a dead-zone right now) so I asked for an upgrade and we got it! Sweet! Our room was a huge, bi-level suite with pink tile floor, huge mirrored closet doors, and a sitting area. In the middle of the room, we had a big jacuzzi (which of course we didn't even use - but it looked cool!). There were two separate "getting ready" areas, a toilet room, a stand-up shower and make-up / hair vanity. It was awesome and I think Jamie was kind-of impressed that I got them to give us the upgrade. We definitely didn't leave Vegas "in the money", but the suite kind-of made up for it!

3.) I like getting carded in Casinos. I guess that makes me old. But as a mommy, having someone think I look too young to loose my money on a penny slot makes me feel kind-of good! :)

So now we have a couple more days of relaxation with Jamie's parent's helping us out before a 12-hour day of flying on Saturday (boo).

PS- Pictures to come soon - I'm on Jamie's computer and I don't upload our pictures to his computer ... hopefully by the end of the weekend!

Why Am I Awake Right Now?

We are leaving for California tomorrow morning at 4:15 AM! Just an FYI, not sure how often I'll be able to post in the next week and a half, but I'll try! Have to go to sleep now! Ahh!

Why Women Shouldn't Watch Football --- and 1st Baby Steps!!

Here is something embarrassing about myself that I just noticed. As you know, it is football season, so I find myself, whether I want to or not, watching more football this time of year than I normally would watch any other sport (except when UK Basketball gets good again, then I'll be watching tons of B-ball again) anyway ...

You know when the quarterback "fakes" like he is going to pass the ball, but really already handed the ball off to some other dude who runs fast to try to run it down the field (I realize that if you are a UK football fan, you might be confused right about now. That is because what I am speaking of is what those in the business call an "offense", something UK football apparently doesn't feel is necessary this year. I digress.)

ANYWAY - maybe it's because I'm a girl, or maybe because I don't watch football that often, but I can NEVER figure out who has the ball!! No matter if it's a fake hand-off, faking a fake hand-off, or whatever options there might be that I don't even know about, I am always "faked-out". This makes watching football games that you care about more difficult, mostly because I'll be excited because I think our player is running down the field with the ball, but really, the QB still had the ball, and has subsequently been sacked.

And, I'm guess the person operating the TV camera is always male, because they are rarely fooled! Or maybe it's just practice. But something about being faked-out by something that rarely fools 10 or 11 football players worries me! Maybe there is some sort of class or training to figure this out, I'm not sure, but if so, I would like to take it! I bet there are more people than just me who get confused - I hope ;)

More importantly, Connor took about 4 little baby steps last night in the hallway! So cute! Jamie and I were basically freaking out screaming and cheering that it kind-of freaked Connor out and he sat down! Off to Grandma Sue's house after Connor gets up from his nap to see if he'll do it again for her!! We only have 3 more days until we leave for LA for a week and a half! Seriously, I don't even want to think about having to fly across the country again! Even worse, our flight it as 6 AM, meaning we have to get to the airport at 4:30!! (which, by the way, is when it OPENS!) This obviously cuts WAY into Connor's sleeping ---- seriously, my blood pressure rises just talking about it -- I can't anymore!

While in Cali, Jamie and I will be spending 4 days in Vegas (sans baby) which will hopefully help us get over the flight and all the stress that accompanies taking a baby cross-country!

I better get a shower in while Connor's still sleeping :)

1st Birthday Pictures!

These are the best of the best and the cutest of the cutest pictures from Connor's birthday party! It was super hard to pick, but I managed! All pictures were taken by our friend and photographer, Jonathan Palmer!

Today we had our first class at Gymboree - and Connor was basically in heaven because they had tub after tub filled with balls of all types... I mean absolute heaven! I think we will get a membership and start going every week so Connor can get more face-time with other kiddos - it'll be good for him! We did bubbles and parchute games, sang a bunch of songs I didn't know (uhh) and afterward basically bathed in antibacterial gel! haha!

Tommorow, we're off to the gym and then to get Connor's shots (that we weren't able to get last week due to Connor's fever :( ... and then off to see Nights in Rodanthe with Bunco ladies from the neighborhood!

Busy busy week! Until next time ...

Does One Year Mean All Grown Up?

On September 26th (last Friday) Connor turned one. We, in true first-time-parent-fashion, made a big deal of the whole thing and threw a big party. Since that time, Connor seems to be a completely different baby in a lot of ways. Mainly, napping, which I have discussed in future posts - only now it's much worse!!

Connor now considers nap-time optional ... which it is NOT! As the first birthday drew closer, he was becoming less and less thrilled about his second (afternoon) nap, which we sometimes skipped if the morning nap lasted longer than, say, 2.5 hours (there is a delicate equation to figuring these things out that only mothers understand - it's complicated;) But, most of the time, he'd get in a good 2 hours in the morning and an hour and a half in the afternoon. Alas! A schedule.

HA!

Now it seems, being the big boy that he is, one nap may be enough. After much thought about this new system, I came to the conclusion that a 2-3 hour nap in the middle of the day, albeit eliminating any possibility of normal-timed lunch dates) would be fine because I could get stuff done during the day and run errands (if needed) in the morning and late afternoon. Once again,

HA!

Today, Connor went down for a nap around noon. One o'clock rolls around and I hear him. Not just the normal "come and get me" cry, but full-on screaming. Great. So I head upstairs expecting to just need to pop the paci back in, but no, he has it in him mouth - and is still screaming (also a new development as of late... baby's got skills!).

Ah ha!

He is too hot! Yes, that is definitely the problem. I strip him down to his diaper expecting a comforting sigh of relief, droopy eye lids, and back to the crib!

Nope - still screaming. Joy.

I know, he must have a dirty diaper! Duh! Why didn't I think of that before?

Nope - clean diaper. Well, pee diaper, close enough.

Of course! He must be hungry! Obviously, that is it!

Nope - after about a half cup of goldfish crackers were fed to the dog via Connor throwing them on the floor from his high-chair, and picking his juice sippy up off the ground about a million times, I had to give up on this idea.

Wow! I am suddenly brought back to the first couple weeks of parenthood where you have no clue as to what in the hell you are doing, but everyone just smiles at you and says it gets better - exec pt now no one is smiling and I thought it was supposed to already be better!!

Ahhh! Dang it!

After another 10 minutes of cranky whining (which might as well be someone pulling their nails down a chalkboard at this point) we are off the his nursery again for a well-intentioned attempt at a nap.

Move ahead 30 minutes - I'm still listening to him 'talk' on the monitor, hoping that any minute silence will fall over the house and I can go clean the garage... fun huh? Wait, do I not hear anything?? Only for 5 seconds - definitely still awake!

So, all I'm asking is that Connor just stay 10 months forever! Sleeping 9am - 9pm, two 2-hour naps per day, and there is no problem a fist full of Gerber Puffs and a Dr. Brown's bottle won't fix. We worked so hard to get to that point, but he just keeps growing up! Sometimes I literally think he is smarter than me when he's playing with his stacking toys ... he almost always gets them in the correct, progressively smaller all the way to the top, order!

All I know is, mommy had better come up with some new tricks to keep little man busy and happy (aka: napping regularly!) or this is going to be a long winter!

Craft Day!

So, I was inspired by looking at J Crew catalogs and online to make my own vintage looking flower pins to wear on cardigans, belts and bags. After a quick trip with Connor to the local Dee's Crafts, here is what I came up with. I'm pretty proud of myself! Take that! over-priced J. Crew flower pins! haha! ;) After speaking with some neighbors and friends who make their own jewelry, I've been talked into signing up with etsy.com to see if there is any interest! Maybe I'll never have to work again (haha ;)

First B-Day Pics

This is just a drop in the bucket!

I'll add more later!