Heaven Underfoot

No More Dirty Looks

2011-07-08T22:02:00.002-04:00

Cameron turned me on to their blog, and let me know when NuboNau had it as a free gift with purchase. I started reading it in the tub, so when they started in on contaminants and byproducts, I grabbed the Johnson's moisture care baby wash I had been using on Evelyn before we switched to California Baby products. Here is their ingredient list and some concerns based on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Keep in mind that the closer the ingredient is to the top, the more of it is in the product.

Water

Cocamidopropyl Betaine

PEG-80 Sorbitan Laurate Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Not safe for use on injured or damaged skin

Sodium Trideceth Sulfate

Acrylates Copolymer

Glycol Distearate

Glycerin

Fragrance The word fragrance...represents an undisclosed mixture of various scent chemicals and ingredients used as fragrance dispersants such as diethyl phthalate. Fragrance mixes have been associated with allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress and potential effects on the reproductive system.

Lauryl Methyl Gluceth-10 Hydroxypropyldimonium Chloride

Laureth-4 Due to the presence of PEG, this ingredient may contain potentially toxic manufacturing impurities such as 1,4-dioxane.

Phenoxyethanol high concerns for eye, skin, and lung irritation; moderate concerns for organ system toxicity

Methylparaben Methylparaben is in the paraben family of preservatives used by the food, pharmaceutical, and personal care product industries. Parabens mimic estrogen and can act as potential hormone (endocrine) system disruptors.

Propylparaben ibid

Tetrasodium EDTA

Mineral Oil

Tocopheryl Acetate One or more animal studies show tumor formation at high doses. Suspected to be an environmental toxin and be persistent or bioaccumulative (uncertainty in environmental toxicity or persistence/bioaccumulation).

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice

Red 33

May Also Contain: Sodium Hydroxide

So the no-nos it contains include instances of PEG, fragrance, parabens. I am mortified that I have been putting this on my baby girl!

Winter Madness

2011-02-16T10:01:00.004-05:00

I'm one of those people who should hibernate--or perhaps move to a tropical location--during the winter. Around this time of year, I am desperate for a little warmth, a little sun, a little color, open-toed stilettos. I become lax in my already gentle self-discipline. I buy a few more coffees. Or bagels. New office tools. (The Sharpie liquid pencil? It sucks.) A new lipstick. (Maybelline's Super Stay 24 Color in All Day Cherry? So far, so good.) It becomes harder to concentrate, harder to work. I hate fighting endless colds, but I'm ready for Spring Fever.

Evelyn's Christmas List

2010-10-02T15:41:00.005-04:00

Starting some ideas for the little one...

Little Tykes EasyScore Basketball Set
LeapFrog My Pal Violet
A slide
Melissa & Doug Band in a Box
Imaginarium Shake It Up Music Set
Fisher-Price Sesame Street Silly Sounds Remote
Fisher-Price Stacking Vehicle Ice Cream Truck
Little Tikes Tap a Tune Drum
Fisher-Price Little People Stack 'n Sort Train (pink)

Spoon Fed

2010-09-05T17:36:00.012-04:00

I admire Severson's approach to food writing, a mix of social, political, cultural, and economic reporting, all of the things I'm interested in when it comes to food. I also like what she has to say about professional food tasting early in the book, how it is all about setting a baseline, eating things side by side so you can really tell the differences (yet respecting that sometimes, it's what you had at home that always tastes good. I'm that way about peanut butter. I've tried lots of fancy brands but always end up back at Skippy and Jif.).

The subtitle of the book is "How Eight Cooks Saved My Life" although I think it would have been more accurate if it referred to how they taught her or exemplified for her some life lessons, as Kim had already saved herself from substance abuse, and most the lessons she learned (patience, perserverance, being yourself) aren't exactly earth-shattering. But in her career as a food writer, she's been exposed to some of the biggest names in food, and she certainly has learned from them.

Marion Cunningham, James Beard's longtime assistant and the author of Fannie Farmer Cookbook, The Breakfast Cookbook, and Cooking with Children taught her that in food and in life, it's never too late to start over.

Alice Waters (who everyone knows I'm crazy about, despite being obsessive at best and perhaps self-rightous at worst) taught her perserverance and patience.

Ruth Reichl, the somewhat infamous editor of the now defunct Gourmet magazine inadvertantly taught her to compete only with herself.

Marcella Hazan, the author of several Italian cookbook taught her to accept what comes her way.

Rachael Ray (who I'd like if only I could get past the cutesiness) taught her to be true to herself.

Edna Lewis, the grand dame of southern cooking, taught her to cherish the family of her own making.

Leah Chase, the famous cook from Dookie Chase in NOLA taught her the power of prayer.

Finally, Kim's own mom taught her that what's done is done.

The only thing I disliked was that 240 pages of widely leaded lines didn't seem like enough to give much detail about the cooks Severson profiled (and you KNOW she has to have some more juicy tales to tell) as well as her own story, so both seemed a little thin.

The blessing and curse of reading this is that it makes me want to get back in the kitchen, spatulas a-blazing. But as the mother of a demanding one-year old and the wife of a semi-employed thirty-something, I have neither the time nor the money to cook the way I'd like. A new mother herself, Kim wrote about having a similar problem. But if I were to write about what Kim Severson taught me, it's food's power of connecting families and creating memories. And I know that's what, one day, Evelyn will say I taught her.

Foodiephobia!!

2010-06-30T10:59:00.002-04:00

Here's another good Iconowatch microtrend. I told C this reminds me of how I feel about her...and I imagine I'm not the only one!!

OBSERVATION
Scared cookless: Foodiephobia takes shape

WHAT'S HAPPENING

•In a recent blog post for TheAtlantic.com, Lesley Freeman Riva wrote about a phenomenon she calls Foodiephobia: When Friends Fear Feeding You (5.26.10).

•Freeman Riva describes how she happily entertains (and cooks for) friends at her house, but then she began to notice that people rarely reciprocate. Finally, some of them started to admit things like, "Oh, I'd be too nervous to cook for you."
•Because people think of her as a talented and breezy cook, they're hesitant to open themselves up to possible judgment.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS

•As foodies proliferate but some consumers stay behind in the skill and interest department, watch for heightened sensitivity in the home-entertaining space.

•Many consumers lack (but seek) the tools to keep up with the foodies, and they want any attempts to appear effortless.

Post from Iconowatch...So very true

2010-06-23T10:22:00.001-04:00

FROM OUR EDITORS
THE DAILY BEAST
By Charlotte Beal, Lead Editor

I love food, but I hate my lifestage when it comes to food. I have a job, a picky preschooler, a Bjorn-saddled infant and a husband who doesn’t get home from work until late evening. The dinner ritual pretty much consists of me doctoring something in a mad dash, only to find a kid who refuses to eat and a baby who refuses to let me eat. Delicious, freshly prepared, leisurely meals? Maybe in about 18 years.

We’ve been talking to bigger circles of moms recently, and they all echo similar challenges. Some choice quotes, often said with a sigh: “I love to cook, but at this point in my life I’m lucky to throw stuff together. If you can call that cooking.” “Dinnertime is my least favorite part of the day.” “My only hope is to make a few big pots of soup over the weekend to eat throughout the week.” The moms vent to each other, but they also share strategies and recipes — anything to make them feel less alone and stumped.

For many parents, especially foodies, planning the meals and doing the shopping feels a bit like torture. We want to be creative, but there’s no time. We want to cook wholesomely, but not everyone will eat it. We want to cook conveniently, but many time-saving products are unhealthy and expensive.

Food makers and retailers, we’ll strike a deal with you: Offer the holy grail of easy, tasty, nutritious and cheap meals. And we’ll hold out for adjectives like “transcendent” and “peaceful” until the kids go to college.

Cute Freecycle posting

2010-02-10T10:43:00.003-05:00

Someone in my Freecycle group just sent the following post:

Offer: Snow
Located in Rosedale. You haul. I have tons, so don't worry about someone beating you out. You'll be thanking me for this come summer! :)

Where I Want to Go For Valentine's Day...

2010-02-05T10:52:00.001-05:00

The Renaissance New York Hotel 57 is offering "The World's Sweetest Suite." They joined with Dylan's Candy Bar to create a suite that includes giant gummy bears, an edible candy wall, white-chocolate fountain, cotton candy machine and more than 300 pounds of edible candy, gum balls and chocolate treats in every corner.

Book me!!

I have to admit...

2009-12-30T11:25:00.004-05:00

...that work has been a bit better lately. I have several new clients, most are in interesting industries, and I've been able to challenge myself to get informed on those industries (in all of my "spare" time). I'm also carving out the time to be more proactive with my clients, rather than only reactive to their immediate wants and needs. It's been dizzying, but at least I don't feel as though my brain is atrophying!

I had an interesting exchange with a coworker about balance, and I think that's something I need to address. Not necessarily in the upcoming year--I don't think New Year's is the best or only time for resolutions--but immediately, continually, and earnestly. In the next few days, I'll be identifying the different areas of my life (family, friends, work, health, home, etc.) and devising measurable, acheivable objectives and goals. These clients may be my vocation, but my life is my real occupation!

Christmas Eve(lyn)

2009-12-26T09:03:00.011-05:00

We kept calling Evelyn our "Christmas Eve." So cute. Our day started with Evelyn and I paying a visit to Miss Tanya. We met her three kids and I helped her sneak in the presents Matt and I collected for her family at our jobs. Her parents paid her a quick visit, and we got to meet them. Her mother said, "So this is the Evelyn you are always talking about!" If there was any doubt in my mind that Evelyn holds a special place in Tanya's heart--and there wasn't--that would have resolved it!

We got home just before Matt, and opened a few last minute Christmas cards, including one from Viki and Julia with gift cards for Olive Garden and Toys R Us.

When Matt got home, we headed to Aunt Carol's for our annual Christmas Eve party. I walked in and my cousin Joey said it was about time I brought him his baby! She got passed around quite a bit and seemed to love all the attention. She was, as usual, amazingly good.

Aunt Janet (who didn't make it to the baby shower) gave us a Toys R Us giftcard, which will come in handy for her high chair.

After a long visit and plenty of food, we headed down the street to my mom's to open presents.

My grandma (now Evelyn's "Nanny") got her a set of three mini Cabbage Patch Snugglies dolls.

My mom got her a Crawl-Along Drum Roll; a copy of Twas the Night Before Christmas (love it!); a Very Hungry Caterpillar book, doll, and blanket set; and three footed sleepers (spring green floral, pink with snowflakes, and psychadelic pink and purple floral)

She got me a L'Occitane Shea Fantastique gift set; a customized calendar from Shutterfly, with pictures of my family on every month (which I just love) and a new, larger food processor. I can't wait to make bread in it!

She got Matt Modern Warfare 2 and Something Something Something Dark Side.

Uncle Bob gave me a Paris Sweets cookbook and a grater shaped like the Eiffel Tower.

Shannon got us a four-slot picture frame that reads, "TOGETHER WE ARE A FAMILY" and an outfit for Evelyn with red pants and a pink and red polka dot hoodie.

Uncle Glenn got her a Bat & Wobble Penguin, me a glass teapot (perfect for blooming tea), and a Giant gift card (perfect for buying blooming tea!), and Matt a Scrabble card game and a gift card to Best Buy.

Mom also got the family a Wii, and we spent a good part of the evening making our avatars and playing Wii Bowling. Matt and I are going to bring it home at some point; Mom got it for all of us to use. We got home around ten o'clock. According to NORAD, Santa was in Bolivia by then...we got right to bed!

Love it!

2009-12-23T17:31:00.002-05:00

Ray the Snowman, as created by Matt's friend Doug and Doug's little girl.

Go Ravens!

Zero to Three

2009-12-16T20:07:00.003-05:00

Evelyn turned four months old yesterday. Tomorrow she sees Dr. Kevin for a check up and her next set of vaccinations. I'm dreading those pin pricks and surprised looks and copious tears and sore thighs. I know it's something only Baby Tylenol and sleep and time will heal, but she's also getting Mommy, anyway. I'm going to spend the afternoon with her, even if it's just to hold her while she sleeps.

She's getting to be such a big girl. When I hold her, she pushes herself up and away, surveying the room, expressing her independence in the safety of my arms. She's rolled over for me, getting stuck on her side before rolling onto her back. Then she smiled. She has the easiest smile. And she loves her bath. She fusses while we wash her hair, fusses when we undress her, then calms when she hits that nice warm water. And for a few minutes, I get to admire her in the way I first did: bare and perfectly formed, engrossed in her own experience. Only now, she's gaining control of those delicious limbs. I've kissed nearly every inch of her perfect round body. My fully realized dream of a fat, happy baby.

I've already put away her 0-3 months clothing. Carefully picked out onsies from family and friends, sleepers, rompers, bodysuits culled over time from Baby Gap. All folded and put into matching plastic bins. A "maybe."

Evelyn's First Day at Daycare (I Didn't Cry)

2009-11-03T00:14:00.003-05:00

Today was Evelyn's first day at her daycare. I didn't cry when she woke up early (since we did just "fall back") and I nursed her. I didn't cry when my alarm went off an hour later. I didn't cry when I got ready for work, or when she slept through my changing her diaper, dressing her, and putting her in her carseat. I didn't cry on the drive to her daycare.

Matt and I got there and dropped Evelyn off in her room. I put her milk in the fridge and noted her last feeding, nap, and diaper change. I kissed her goodbye. Several times. I didn't cry. (Though Matt and I both were a little pink-cheeked.)

Matt and I went to Starbucks afterwards, to put something warm in our bellies and to fuel my for my first day back at work. I couldn't believe I didn't cry.

I got to work early and settled in and received well-wishes from my co-workers. I pumped in the bathroom at around 10:00. I thought of my baby, of every fat little roll, and it made me smile.

I went to lunch with two of my co-workers, and called the daycare afterwards. I could hear Evelyn crying in the background. She was hungry and the "teacher" felt it was too soon after her last bottle to feed her. I think Evelyn may have wanted to be held. I was sad to hear her crying, sad that she wasn't being soothed that very moment. I wanted to race to her. But I didn't cry.

Matt left work around 4:00 to get her, and got her some 90 minutes later, right about the time I started itching to go home. I left right around 6:00. Traffic was light, but I was frustrated by every car in my way.

When I got home, Evelyn was sleeping in her daddy's arms. It was the sweetest sight. He gave her to me, and I held her for the next two hours, while Matt made a frozen pizza, while we ate, while he washed the dishes. I kissed her sweet little shoulders and hands and face, over and over and over again.

Then I realized that Evelyn was sleeping when I dropped her off this morning, and was sleeping the entire evening after I got home, and that if this went on every day, she may very well not lay eyes on me until the weekends. It would be like her mommy suddenly disappeared from her life. And that thought finally made me cry.

Brave Little Bug

2009-11-02T17:53:00.004-05:00

This was taken on my cell phone in the evening, so it's a bit grainy... but it's Evelyn with her Daddy on Halloween. She actually seemed to like Matt's mask. Some of the Trick-or-Treaters on the other hand became Trick-or-Retreaters when they saw him. Several kids didn't make it up the walk. Matt loves Halloween!

Evelyn already had the ladybug romper, so we just threw that on her as a "costume." And no, I didn't take her trick-or-treating. I can't stand when adults take their babies out and actually try to collect candy. Does Evelyn look like she can eat candy??

Halloween Spirit

2009-10-31T00:10:00.002-04:00

Before Mom and Dad could fill the cauldron with Halloween candy, I figured I'd let them know I'm the real treat!

More Mail for Evie

2009-10-31T00:05:00.004-04:00

Evelyn is becoming very popular with the mailman.It's a Halloween card from Grandma!Okay, I'll lose the bink and read it...
Wait, I can't read yet. But I like the pictures!

Evie Gets Mail!

2009-10-30T23:53:00.005-04:00

Evelyn received a package in the mail earlier this week.

Ooh! It's from Grandma!

Look, a few packs of onsies to help keep me warm in the fall and winter!

Good thing, 'cuz I pooped in these.

Random Daddy Cuteness

2009-10-30T23:47:00.004-04:00

Some of the things Daddy and Evie do together:

Snuggle after getting her hair washed, before her bath.

(Note the faux-hawk!)

Snuggling after bath, before bedtime.

Snuggle while watching football.

Bathtime

2009-10-30T23:38:00.002-04:00

Evelyn loves bathtime. She used to get her bath in the bathroom, but we finally got some sense and put her little bathtub in the kitchen sink. And notice who is washing her hair! Her daddy takes wonderful care of her.

Hey, Baby...Let's Go to Vegas!

2009-10-30T23:05:00.003-04:00

Matt has always wanted to go to Vegas. I've never been that interested. I would've liked to have gone in the 40s, 50s or 60s, when casinos were beginning to rise in the desert, when they were new and not so much of a joke. I want the Casino version of Vegas. I used to love that movie! I watched it constantly in college. That, and Empire Records. But I digress.

What I really liked in high school was Garth Brooks. I always wanted to go to a Garth Brooks concert. I'd see footage of his concerts, and he was just so into it. There was so much energy and fun! When he did the big free concert in Central Park, I watched it from my mom's house and nearly cried when she said she wouldn't have minded if I had gone. I used to have a tape of that concert, and I'd watch that pretty often, too. I was super bummed when I heard he was retiring until his daughters got through high school. Matt promised if he ever toured again, he'd take me to see him.

Well, Garth Brooks isn't touring, but he IS going to be playing at the Wynn. In Las Vegas. That first round of sold-out tickets? Yup, we got 'em. They are supposed to be acoustic shows, so it probably won't have the same energy as his old shows, but I'll take it. For now.

Slow Down, Baby!

2009-10-28T23:43:00.004-04:00

Evelyn's daycare is closed the week between Christmas and New Year's, and neither Matt nor I can take that week off to take care of her. So, his Mom is going to babysit for us. And she is THRILLED! She was telling Matt how she wants to get her a crib and a carseat and a playpen and a bouncer or swing and toys and and and...

I told him she needs to slow down! We can supply her with our Pack n' Play and swing and rocker and get an extra base for Evie's carseat. And I told him to remind her that she is babysitting AFTER Christmas, so if she wants to get Evie toys she should make them Christmas presents, not an entire set of after-Christmas presents. Then I tried to think of where she's be developmentally by the time Christmas rolls around, and my heart broke a little.

By Christmas, my little baby should have better vision, and like things in color rather than just black and white. She'll like to explore textures. She should be able to grasp her toys. (And necklaces and hair and anything else that will fit in her hand.) She'll be able to bring things to her mouth, and will be exploring her world by tasting everything. She'll be able to sit up, and likely to roll over, and she'll be able to play independently for brief periods. It'll be a sorrow and a relief to not have to entertain her all the time. Or not to have to work so hard to elicit a few beautiful toothles smiles!

She's already grown out of her newborn clothes, is growing out of her 0-3 month clothes, and will be growing out of her 3-6 month clothes. My camera can hardly keep up. I'm afraid I'm going to miss something, especially now that she's headed to daycare. She's changing so fast! Slow down, baby!

Oh, What a Night

2009-10-20T22:33:00.003-04:00

We had a test run of what our evenings will be like when I go back to work, and it's not pretty. Right now, I get home at 7 pm. Granted, daycare closes at 6 pm so I'm going to have to either convince my employer to let me move my day back an hour, or figure out a secondary transportation/daycare option. If the former works out, I'll have an extra hour in my evenings, which would be FANTASTIC but still not ideal. Nonetheless, starting at 7 pm, my evening went something like this:

7 pm - Matt gets home. I have Evelyn while he gets the trash together, etc.
7:30 - Start dinner while Matt takes Evelyn
8:30 - Finish cooking, but put it aside so Matt can bathe Evelyn while I pump
9:30 - Matt feeds Evelyn while I pack his lunch, and wash dishes and bottles
10 pm - Evelyn is fed, changed, and put to bed. We finally eat a cold dinner.
10:30 - Wash dinner dishes. Whine about hands looking like a crone's. Matt gets in the shower while I blog.

It's our goal to be in bed by 10:30 so we can get at least seven hours of sleep, including waking to feed Evelyn around 3 or 4 am. It's doable, but it looks like we won't be seeing much of our baby when we get home from work, considering all that needs to be done in the three-and-a-half hours we'll have between walking in the door and falling in the bed. NOT a good feeling.

Things I've Learned in the Past Two Months

2009-10-18T23:04:00.004-04:00

I love lists, so here's one about things I've learned to make our lives smoother... and things I've learned to just let go!

The Velcro swaddler is a gift from God.
Keeping a wet washcloth on baby's tummy keeps her warm and happy during baths.
Have multiples of everything fabric: bed sheets, playpen sheets, Boppy covers. Otherwise, baby is bound to barf, pee, poop, or do a combo on your only clean one. Plus, you won't have to do unexpected loads of laundry. I only do Evelyn's laundry once a week.
Don't bother with clothes that are "newborn" size, because baby will grow out of them quickly. Start with 0-3 month clothes instead.
Keep the tags and receipts for clothing you receive as gifts, and return them if needed. Evelyn received so many outfits, there were a few she never got to wear. (See above.)
If you want to use a pacifier but your baby doesn't take to it, it's probably just the shape. Try a different brand. (Better yet, register for newborn sizes in a few different brands.)
Keep binkies on every floor of your house, and keep them in the same spot when not in use. The moment you REALLY need one, you don't want to be searching all over!
Get baby socks with longer cuffs. The cute bitty ones never stay on.
Footed sleepers with little bear feet or other cute patterned features means more seams on the inside, rubbing little feet. Putting socks on underneath help. (And see above.)
Evelyn is indifferent to mobiles, but loves to look at faces. The mirror strapped to the side of her crib keeps her well entertained.
Get your man a really cool diaper bag and you'll never have to lug one anound yourself.
A jumbo box of wipes will last months. A jumbo box of diapers will last a week. (So don't bother buying anything BUT the jumbo box of diapers.)
Diaper "blow-outs" happen. The first time, it's the most disgusting thing ever. Then, you find you don't even think anything of scraping poop out of onsies.
Buying darker clothes hides a multitude of stains. (See above.)
Clothes that are stained beyond salvage are fine for sleepwear, especially if the staining activity tends to happen around the same time every day... at least you know what you're in for.
Take all the time you want with your baby. Let her sleep on you the entire duration between feedings. Ignore the laundry in favor of admiring her tiny eyelashes and toenails. Spend an entire day barely moving from the spot where you feed her and hold her and feed her again. Soak it up. It goes by faster than you think. And you finally begin to understand--truly understand--all the people who told you that you don't get this time back.

Among the Reasons I Love Our Pediatrician

2009-10-18T23:01:00.002-04:00

At Evie's two-month checkup, her doctor asked whether she was smiling in response to our smiles. I told him not always, and he reassured us that it's really more of a three-month skill, and to keep in mind she was about three weeks early, and we should give her that extra time when thinking of her milestones.

Matt told him that she smiles at him most often, but because she usually poops when he's holding her.

Dr. K looked at Evie and said, "Don't worry, sweetie. I smile after I poop, too."

The Bee's Knees

2009-10-13T19:46:00.005-04:00

Matt was home from work today due to some confusion at work, so I had him watch Evelyn while I had lunch with D at the French Press Cafe. While I was there, Matt called to tell me that the house was being invaded by bees. Apparently, the underground nest that I'd been so blase about all summer had expanded to include my basement and kitchen. Lovely. We seem to have delt with it with some foam insulation and wasp spray. (We both feel terrible about killing bees while honey bee depopulation syndrome/colony collapse disorder is still an issue. But we killed two dozen bees inside the house, and that's a little much, don't you think?)

Meanwhile, Evelyn is still the bee's knees. Though this afternoon, her day went something like:

Walked around the neighborhood with Mommy in the Baby Bjorn. Was happy. Fell asleep.
Was put in the playpen for a nap. Fussed.
Was put on the play mat. Fussed.
Was put in the swing. Fussed.
Was picked up by Mommy. Happy again!

I have two and a half weeks before I go back to work. I wonder how many of those waking hours will be spent holding my little spoiled one. And I wonder how she is going to adjust to The Young School, where she's going to be "free to explore [her] environment" and "viewed as [an] initiator and self-learner" with teachers "trained to be sensitive observers." Meaning no one will be holding her all day. (I don't love this philosophy when applied to infants, so we'll be taking her to a more interactive daycare ASAP. Stay tuned.)

Off to get some Zs... hopefully, without any bees!

Cutest. Baby. EVER!

2009-10-09T22:21:00.004-04:00

I do a lot of singing to Evelyn, mostly made-up songs that describe what I'm doing. Like the Bath Song, where I sing about getting all her little bits and folds and creases washed and rinsed and dried. Or "Everybody Loves Evelyn Vianne" where I sing out all the names of the people who love her or have at least admired her.

Mommy loves you and Daddy loves you and everybody loves Evelyn Vianne! Grandma loves you and Uncle Bob loves you and everybody loves Evelyn Vianne!

Since we've been making an effort to get out of the house more often, I may have to add shopkeepers, random shoppers, and even paramedics. We stopped in Einstein Bagels (darn good coffee!) for my yearly pumpkin bagel a few days ago. One of the employees was having chest pains, and the paramedics were called. When they had the woman strapped to the gurney and was wheeling her out, one of the rescuers stopped to admire our baby. Matt and I got a kick out of that. She IS a beautiful little thing. Even if she does look just like her daddy. :p

Little Lion

2009-10-04T23:04:00.006-04:00

Evelyn doesn't do much crying (thank goodness) and before she does cry, she has the courtesy to give us a little warning noise. Matt thinks it sounds like the roar of a baby lion. I'm debating which is cuter: her sneezes or her roar.

Here's the roar, though this time, she wasn't cranky. Maybe she was just allowing mommy and daddy to get the footage she knows we wanted.

The Lost Symbol

2009-10-04T22:10:00.015-04:00

Believe it or not, I've had the chance to read in between feeding, diapering, rocking, and trying to get some sleep. Months ago, I put a hold for The Lost Symbol at my local library; I got it a few days after it was released.

I find all of Dan Brown's books hard to put down, so I was bound to like this one (though I still like Angels & Demons best). Admittedly, his writing is formulaic, but it's quite the complicated formula, with lots of interesting factoids and curious historic tidbits. So what if the "twist" was predictable, and the doctrine after the climax was superfluous.

I have to admit, some of the things Dan Brown writes about gets me wondering. This time, his provoking idea is that being created in God's image refers to the mind rather than the body; that all men are thus gods; and that if we all put our thoughts towards the same goal, the resulting mental force could create change in the physical world. (I imagine the Institute of Noetic Sciences is getting a lot more web traffic lately.) Think mind over matter really works? I'll meditate over the changing table and let you know!

More Cute Sneezing

2009-10-04T22:05:00.003-04:00

Seriously, if I didn't feel so bad for her having a bit of the sniffles, I could listen to her sneeze all day. So. Freaking. Cute.

Though her congestion only lasted one day, thank goodness.

Bless You!

2009-10-04T21:14:00.005-04:00

Evelyn was showing signs of her first cold on Friday. She sounded congested and had yucky sneezes. Matt had a cold all week, so it's no mystery where that came from. (He felt terrible about it!) And true to her personality, she remained a content, sweet baby. In fact, Friday was also the day she gave us her first real smiles. It broke my heart, that sniffly baby rewarding us for getting her sick with a big, beautiful smile.

And she has the CUTEST SNEEZE EVER. I haven't been able to capture a good one, but check out the video. She gasps a few times, sneezes, then gives a happy sigh. Love her so much!

I Swear, It Wasn't for the Presents

2009-09-24T22:13:00.008-04:00

At some obscene hour last Saturday morning, I was rocking the baby and singing "Happy Birthday" for the fifth time. She made a beautiful (if wide-awake) five-week-old. And I needed the sleep because we were having guests over to meet her that day.

Our little open house was from 2pm to 5pm, and we had quite the turnout. And quite the spread! I put out a spread of wine, beer, sodas, bread, crackers, pita chips, five gourmet cheeses (plus cheddar, Bob's favorite), pepperoni, salami, ham, smoked salmon, thinly sliced apples and pears, celery, green peppers, baby carrots, quartered radishes, chutney, hummus, mustard, deviled eggs, spinach balls, olives, M&Ms, cheesecake... I could barely fit it all on the table!

Visitors included Matt's mother and aunt; Bob; Viki and Julia; Court and VJ; Ed and Jen; Carlos; Mark; Doug, Tess, and Emma; Brian, Lucy, their three kids and a toddler Lucy babysits; Tom and Lin...I feel like I'm forgetting someone! While it was supposed to be an open house, most people stayed the entire time. I felt it was a success; very encouraging for hosting my first party. Plus, I got to see people I've missed for quite some time: Carlos and I were cheated out of one more pre-baby movie, Mark and I missed out on one more lunch, and I hadn't seen Ed and Jen or Viki and Julia in nearly a year!

And of course, there were presents. Viki and Julia gave us hangers, a first Christmas ornament, and a calender to record events in Evelyn's first year. Mark gave us a custom-made PBJT onsie. (I'll post a picture soon; let's see who "gets it"); the Rays gave us a stroller accessory kit; the Sporrers gave us a gift certificate to Target; Tom and Lin gave Evelyn a pink sweatsuit with bunny ears on the hoodie. And I still haven't gotten out the thank you cards for the hand-knit sweater Christie sent, the bunny and bookends from Mary Robin and Gary, the books from Cameron and Peter, or the outfit from Aunt Pat. And two of our guests mentioned having gifts that are in transit! I know it sounds hokey, but I really am touched by the outpouring of love and generosity we've experienced since Evelyn was born. She's a special baby, and I appreciate all of my very special friends.

On the Other Hand

2009-09-09T10:01:00.006-04:00

We took Evelyn to my office yesterday afternoon. She mostly slept through being passed around, loved, kissed, and admired. On the other hand, I wanted to know about workload, RFPs that we've received, proposals we've won or lost. It was reminiscent of how I'd had Matt bring me the laptop to the hospital, so I could check my email and send instructions to my coworkers. And I was more or less "recovered" from labor and birth by the time I'd left the hospital, so by day three I was ready to go back to work. I don't like hanging around the house, can't stand having the TV on all day, and hate feeling like I'm not accomplishing anything.

At the office, my direct boss asked when I was planning to return. With a long sigh, I told her our daycare coverage didn't start until November 1st. "Well, you can take up to twelve weeks with FMLA," she said. "And remember, you don't get this time back."

Back home, her words really hit me. On one hand, I want to get out of the house every day, be productive, accomplish things. But on the other hand, Evelyn will grow so fast during her first year. She'll soon be sitting up, pointing to things she wants, crawling...and walking away from me. So last night, Matt and I watched a movie and I soaked in the joy of having my baby daughter sleeping on my chest. I admired her little eyelashes, rosy lips, smooth round cheeks, tiny little fingernails. I stroked her wispy dark hair, rubbed her small back, and kissed her forehead over and over again.

What I realized is: the part of me I wanted to hold on to will always be there, but what I have in the other hand--the part of me experiencing brand-new motherhood--is fleeting. And I need to hold on to it while I can.

The Five (Sanity-Saving) S's

2009-09-07T21:03:00.003-04:00

Even though I read a ridiculous number of pregnancy, birth, and parenting magazines in the past nine months, there was a list of books I had intended to check out in the last few weeks of my pregnancy. But of course, I didn't HAVE a last few weeks of pregnancy. One of the books I missed out on was The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. Legions of moms swear by this guy's methods for soothing fussy babies. His whole thing is that babies need a "fourth trimester" of three or four months that recreates the sensations of the womb. His five S's are:

Sucking
Swinging
Shushing
Side positioning
Swaddling

The sucking thing is self-explanatory. Evelyn doesn't use a binky often, but if she's rooting around, I like to offer it to her before feeding her so I know whether she's actually hungry or just wants to suck on something.

Swinging seems to be something all babies love. Really, who doesn't like being swung, swayed, rocked, or whatever?

Sushing replicates the white noise of the womb. We have a Sleep Sheep attached to the outside of Evelyn's crib, and turn it on if she's still semi-awake when we put her down. Also, if she gets fussy when we are changing her diaper, we lean down and make a "shhhhhhhhhhhh" in her ear; this calms her down and sometimes even makes her stop crying altogether.

Side positioning is something to do while the baby is awake. Babies should always sleep on their backs! We don't really do this one too much.

Swaddling. This is my favorite. THANK HEAVEN FOR SWADDLING! Matt's cousin told me the one thing I needed was a velcro swaddler, and she was absolutely right! The first night home, Evelyn kept had a hard time going to sleep, and would wake herself up with her little flailing arms and legs. The second night, we used a swaddler and what a difference! We use it every night now. In fact, one of my coworkers gave us a Babies R Us gift certificate and we rushed right out and got a few more. This is going to be my go-to gift for all new moms. Love it!

Serious Stack of Magazines

2009-09-07T20:59:00.017-04:00

One of the things I've done in the past three weeks is go through the insane stack of parenting magazines I had acquired over the past year. I had multiple issues from seven titles:

American Baby

babytalk

Disney Family Fun

Mom & Baby

Parenting

Parents

After placing an ad for an old client, I found out that you can't buy American Baby at the newsstand. But after having Evelyn, I found out that you CAN get a free subscription to it. It has a good mix of fluff and content, and is short enough for me to read in an afternoon (or one long sitting).

babytalk is similar to American Baby, but a bit shorter. I seem to have picked up a free subscription to this one, too. I'd be perfectly happy with one or the other, but don't feel like I need both.

Cookie is the most upscale of the bunch. It has ads from Ralph Lauren and J. Crew's kids lines, celeb moms' styles, $114 rompers, and ideas for fancy themed birthday parties. Of course, this is the only one for which I was willing to pay for a subscription.

Disney Family Fun is what the title suggests: a magazine full of family activities, getaways, meals, etc. I've gotten a few in the mail from heaven knows where. I think you just end up on a lot of mailing lists. But this is better for those with kids at least in preschool, so I'll likely look into this one after a few years.

Mom & Baby is a fun fluffy one from the publisher of FitPregnancy. I enjoy getting this one on the newsstand to see all the cute baby clothes, accessories, and toys; and for the celeb articles.

Parenting is another one similar to American Baby and babytalk. Really, I haven't noticed any differentiators between these titles. I could get one or none and feel like I'm getting the same content. Though if I had to rank them, I might say babytalk is the best, followed by American Baby then Parenting.

Parents is owned by the same publisher as American Baby. It's the biggest of the ones I've been reading, and has the most real content. It's the only one I probably couldn't read cover to cover in a day. At least not with a baby latched to me every other hour! But it seems like mandatory reading, so I got the free subscription with (you guessed it) American Baby.

Anniversary Song/Bad Mommy

2009-09-06T21:04:00.004-04:00

I have the Anniversary Song stuck in my head; today is Matt's and my 6th.

My mom came up yesterday afternoon to watch Evelyn, and she sent Matt and me to dinner. It felt lovely to get dressed nice, put on some make up and heels, and spend as long as we want out of the house. Matt got us reservations at Woodberry Kitchen. We had a seat in the loft, which was great for people-watching. And the people-watching was worthwhile: Cal Ripken, Jr. and his family were having dinner downstairs. The meal was great. I had melon gazpacho, scallops, and carrot cake for dessert. Matt had corn on the cob, shortribs, and flourless chocolate cake. The corn on the cob was RIDICULOUS. I dubbed it "sex corn." It was roasted in the husk and covered in a quarter inch of butter and feta. Matt gave me a bite and I didn't want to give it back to him. We also split a bottle of Cava.

Therein lies the "bad mommy" part.

For one, I had no reservations about leaving my baby for the first time. She was in my mother's capable hands, so I didn't see the point of worrying. And, we didn't spend the entire time talking about her. We mainly flirted with one another and chatted about what we wanted to do when we grow up. We didn't call to check up, and we didn't rush back as quickly as we could. I didn't even snatch the baby out of my mom's arms the second I walked in the door. (Though I did admire her and give her kisses.)

After months of reading parenting magazines, some of which included articles about how to get over the guilt of going out without your baby, I wondered later whether I'm normal. In the end, I decided I'm not a bad mommy at all; apparently, I can be Mommy and a wife, too. So far.

Matt Discovers Poopy Diapers

2009-09-03T12:48:00.003-04:00

The picture says it all. And I love the casual look on Evelyn's face!

(To Matt's credit, he has yet to complain about changing diapers... regardless of what's in them.)

Spoiled by Day Two

2009-08-26T10:17:00.004-04:00

It was such a wonderful coincidence that I had Evelyn when my mom was visiting. Having her support added to Matt's was a big part of why things went so smoothly. And she is obviously in love with her new grandbaby. She stayed with us for a week after I had Evelyn, and I barely had to lift a finger to take care of her!

On the other hand, it was a bad coincidence that Bob was in Myrtle Beach when I was having Evelyn. Mom couldn't decide whether to call him or not, because we knew what he would do: pack his bags in the middle of the night and head to Baltimore. He's been anxiously awaiting the birth of his little niece. I've had to send him reports on her development every week, and he's been reminding me not to cross my legs (probably why my ankles didn't swell until the last week!). He and his girlfriend got to the hospital Saturday afternoon and (though he was nervous at first) he was all about holding "his" new baby.

Matt's mother also visited Saturday afternoon. Good thing Evelyn is a patient little baby; she was getting passed like a football in the playoffs!

I had Evelyn Saturday morning and was moved into a postpartum room Sunday afternoon. That was fortunate for me, since the postpartum rooms are half the size of the labor/delivery rooms. It made having visitors a bit cramped. Nonetheless, I had visitors, inluding Matt's mom and his Aunt Gloria.

By then, Mommy's little monster was so used to being held all the time, she started to get fussy when we put her in her bassinet. Thank goodness Daddy brought Evelyn's Boppy to the hospital. Besides getting us used to feedings, it became a comfy place to put her during naptimes. Now, we use a velcro swaddler when she's sleeping, to keep her in womb-like comfort. But she still prefers naps on Mom or Dad!

A Star Is Born

2009-08-24T21:03:00.009-04:00

Friday, August 14 was pretty much like any other summer Friday at work. I was supposed to get off at 3:30, but was still plugging away at 4pm, working on someone else's project. I had, however, had a bit of discomfort that day. But I was 37 weeks pregnant and that was the first day I felt big and uncomfortable, so I couldn't really complain. Except that I was late going to get my mom. I had invited her over for a girls' weekend before the baby was born. We were going to go see The Time Traveler's Wife, get pedicures, wash a final load of baby laundry, pack my hospital bag, and do other miscellaneous girl-stuff. It was late when I finally got to mom's, and I was having twinges in my stomach on the way back to my house. I figured it was my first bout of Braxton-Hicks and jokingly told her that I hope she knew how to drive a stick shift in case my water broke.

Matt had made kebabs for dinner. We were still at the table (and I was having some ice cream) when I got up to go to the bathroom. No sooner had I sat down when I felt a rush of liquid pour out. I let out a little laugh, finished, washed up, walked back into the dining room, and announced, "Okay, let's go pack my suitcase."

They both looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"Let's go pack my suitcase," I repeated, nice and calm. "I think my water just broke."

They still just sort of stared at me. I had to confirm that yes, my water had broke. And my pants were getting soaked. So we needed to pack. my. suitcase. And that started the madcap rushing about the house. (Fortunately, I had a list and Matt had gotten my suitcase out of the attic that afternoon.)

We got to the hospital around 10:30. I checked in up front and got settled in the triage room. We had the nicest nurse, Heather, and a great midwife. My exam showed that I was already 5 cm dilated but that the baby wasn't far enough down the birth canal, so I'd have to stay on my back until she was, to prevent cord prolapse. I was hooked up to two external monitors: one to monitor my contractions and the other to monitor the baby. Heather would ask how my contractions were. I'd tell her I wasn't having any. She'd point at the spike in the printout and tell me I was indeed having contractions.

Just before midnight, I was moved to a birthing suite. We hung out for about an hour, and since I was feeling little discomfort (and the nurses said I'd probably give birth between 7am and lunchtime), Matt went home to feed Angel, turn off the lights we left on, get his own bag, and to get some of the classical CDs I had requested. My doctor was on vacation, and the doctor on call had figured she could stay home for a few more hours.

By the time he got back, I was finally having "real" contractions. Continuous contractions, one on top of another. All I wanted to do was get up and move around, but since Evelyn wasn't low enough in the birth canal, I was stuck on my back which is pretty much the worst position a laboring mother can be in. Matt wanted to know how long I could go before an epidural was out of the question. My mom asked that I be examined again. My nurse, Darlene checked. Then she called in another nurse, to double-check. Then they called the doctor on call to tell her she needed to get there asap. Then they called the chief resident, because they figured the doctor may not make it.

And I decided about then that I had to push. Darlene and the chief resident tried to encourage me to breathe through it. I asked if it was because I wasn't ready, or because the doctor wasn't there yet. The look on their faces told me it was the latter. So I went ahead and bore down a little with the contractions. Within a few minutes the doctor arrived, scrubbed and ready, and told me I could push with the contractions.

Matt described what happened then (and much like my shockingly easy pregnancy, don't expect your labor to go this well):

At the next contraction, I started to push. Evelyn's head crowned. Mom tells me I became very religious at that point.

At the second contraction, I pushed again, delivering her head and shoulders. I vaguely remember screaming, "GET HER OUT!"

At the third contraction, they did indeed get her out, and flopped her on my stomach. Seriously, that was it. Three pushes. And Evelyn looked up at me as if to say, "PUT ME BACK IN!"

I remember feeling confused. Why is there a baby on my stomach? Why does she look like she knows me? Did I really just make that little person?? And before I could figure it all out, Matt had cut the cord and they took her away to take her vitals and put her in a warming tray.

It was odd to be in bed, delivering the placenta, getting my stomach pressed, getting stitched up, and all the while, watching people attend to my baby. My baby! She had lots of dark hair, dark eyes, and little rosebud lips. She was crying in her warmer, and they wheeled her over to me...I talked to her and she quieted right down. Just like magic.

Went to My Cousin's Baby Shower...GOT MORE PRESENTS

2009-08-09T19:05:00.003-04:00

Yup, that's right. My cousin brought me presents to her own baby shower. Evelyn got a polka-dot gown/hat/bootie set, a beautiful white floral footed sleeper, a pink-polka dot romper with a coordinating t-shirt, a whipe-clean bib, a super-soft teddy bear that plays a lullabye, a set of three spoons (young infant, infant, and toddler sized), a set of three feeding bowls with lids and a suction cup that will (hopefully!) prevent her from knocking it off of her tray, some baby hangers, and eco-friendly table toppers (so if we go to a restaurant, I don't have to worry whether the table is sanitary). Quite the haul!

Sabrina's shower went off well, and we were two of three pregnant ladies there. Matt thinks it must have been a very boring November. The drive down there wasn't too bad (two hours; I stopped about an hour in to walk and go to the bathroom), and I was surprised that I didn't have my usual mini panic attack upon entering St. Mary's County, and that it had been so long since I've been down there that I had no idea how to navigate. I passed my middle school almost without realizing it, and passed the intersection where my father and I were involved in a serious car crash without realizing it was now a four-way stop. (As a result of our accident? I wonder!)

The party was fun. There were a few games (damn it, I didn't win!) including guess the chocolate candy smashed in the diaper. Which was DISGUSTING! Sabrina looked great, and got a lot of very cute boy stuff. Hopefully, I'll get a copy of the picture of us standing together with our matching big bellies!!

Heading Home with Your Newborn

2009-08-08T14:37:00.005-04:00

I realize that I'm one of those incredibly Type-A structure-loving people. But when I read this I felt--especially given the title--that the content was good, but the order was off. I expected Chapter 1 to be about putting a tiny squirmy baby into a carseat, Chapter 2 to be about what the hell you do when you walk through the front door, Chapter 3 to be about changing that first tiny diaper all by yourself, Chapter 4 to be about laying her down to sleep for the very first time, etc. But it wasn't like that at all.

The first chapter was about breastfeeding, which is probably the most important chapter anyway (for those who are doing that, at least!). And there is some really good information to be had.

Having at this point read more baby books than I care to admit, I can say that the section on finding a pediatrician was most helpful. It gave you not only the questions to ask, but why it's important. And a reminder that physicians are people, so there's no such thing as the "perfect" one. Some of the questions included:

Do you have hospital privileges at the place where we plan to deliver?
Where do you admit infants and children in the event that they require hospitalization?
What are your office hours and location(s)?
How does your office handle scheduling appointments, answering patient phone calls, and after-hour emergencies?
How difficult is it to get an appointment for a sick visit? For a routine checkup?
Will other physicians in the practice see my baby?
What is your philosophy about (insert whatever is important to you: breastfeeding, vaccinations, antibiotics, sleep problems, colic, etc.)?

Then, the chapters on fever and jaundice were helpful.

Bottom line: if you aren't reading a dozen other books (not to mention all the magazines, but we won't get into that), this is a good one. If you are, read the parts or chapters that pertain to you or aren't included in other books.

Seriously, MORE presents??

2009-08-08T14:20:00.003-04:00

Yup, that spoiled baby got more presents! Courtney and I went to B&N on Thursday, and when I came back, Brenda said one of the bosses wanted to see me about a proposal. I wandered in his office and he suggested we meet in a conference room, so I followed him...right into a surprise baby shower!

My coworkers had taken up a collection and gotten cake, ice cream, and a basket full of presents. Evelyn got socks, scratch mitts, a bathrobe, a wipe-off bib, rattles that attach to a carseat, lavender baby lotion (lavender is one of my favorite scents), and her very first teddy bear. Mommy got some all-natural cleaner (someone knows Mommy!), a book on spoiling mommy and baby, a gift certificate to Babies R Us, and a gift certificate to Starbucks.

It was a great surprise! I really wasn't expecting work to throw me a baby shower. Lots of love and thanks to those of you who helped plan. (You know who you are!!!)

A warning...

2009-08-08T14:19:00.003-04:00

...a friend mentioned that you may not want to keep the crib down to as few layers as possible, even with the fitted mattress pads and sheets, because of the risk of SIDS. Just wanted to put that out there!

Yet More Presents...and the Nursery Is DONE!

2009-08-03T20:28:00.003-04:00

Matt's Aunt and cousins (one of which is due with her second baby shortly after I'm due) couldn't make the baby shower, but were nice enough to send gifts. LOTS of gifts! We got something from them almost every day last week. They sent a mattress pad and cloth diapers (much better than burb cloths), a rocker frame for the baby carrier, a Rainforest Gym, and a Rainforest Jumperoo. Spoiled baby!!

We are pretty much ready for her. This past weekend, I did all the baby laundry. FOUR LOADS. But everything has been de-tagged, washed, folded, assorted by size and color, and put away in her little drawers. We made her little crib twice: a mattress pad, a sheet, then another mattress pad and another sheet. I'm hoping the first time she wets herself right through to the mattress pad, we can just take off the top two layers and not have to worry about making the bed in the middle of the night.

We also hung the curtain rod, and a shelf above her dresser/changing table combo. Seriously, the only thing I have to do is install the carseats, have them inspected, pack the hospital bag, and make a decision on a pediatrician. Yet I have to wait another month!!

Sunday, we took back the few things we received doubles of (Babies R Us' registry kinda sucks) and got a few things for our pregnant cousins, and got my Maclaren stroller (we plan to keep the big Graco stroller in Matt's car), an extra carseat base, a turtle that measures the baby's bath temperature, and two swaddlers (Katie tells me that these are must-haves).

There a few things left on our registry, but nothing we need right away, and I'm hoping some new grandmas will use that for Christmas gift ideas...

We're ready for you, little baby girl!!!

The Uniform Project

2009-07-28T18:20:00.006-04:00

I just came across the coolest blog. The Uniform Project is the brainchild of Sheena Matheiken, who has pledged to wear one of seven identical dresses every day for a year, starting May 2009. Every day she reinvents the dress with vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down accessories. She calls it an exercise in sustainable fashion. I call it genius! I should totally do this after giving birth. To hell with fitting into my old clothes!

Matheiken is using this intiative as a fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots project working to fund uniforms and educational expenses for children living in Indian slums.

Check it out!

Well, we needed showers...

2009-07-26T20:05:00.003-04:00

...and we got both kinds on both Saturday AND Sunday.

Matt’s mother lured us to Enotria under the guise of going to dinner with her and Matt’s Grandma Ryan. Let me caveat this by saying it’s been about 28 years since there’s been a baby in their family, so this is quite the event for everyone.

Matt’s mom, Gloria, Courtney and Janene went all out with floral centerpieces, home-made chocolates in baby shapes, footprint cookies, three cakes in the shape of baby blocks, games, and prizes. We had dinner, then got down to some serious present opening.

Aunt Lorraine (Grandfather’s sister) got us a Boppy pillow, a white sleeper with pink polka-dots, a lady bug sleeper, a pack of five organic washcloths, extra nipples, extra bottle caps, and spoons ergonomically designed to help kids learn to feed themselves.

Charlene (Aunt Lorraine’s daughter) got us the Fisher Price newborn to toddler portable rocker, three burp cloths, and a baby farm animals book.

Marie (also Aunt Lorraine’s daughter) got us a beach-themed onsie, a bunny sleeper with matching bib, a four-piece Precious Moments sleeper, pants, onsie and bib set, a set of three headbands, a set of hangers, and a collapsible laundry bag. And, in case Evelyn isn’t going to be spoiled enough, she got her a set of silver flatware. Yup, my baby has a silver spoon (and fork and knife, by Sean O’Hara)!

Aunt Jeanette (Grandmother’s cousin) bought us a polka-dotted sleeper, a three pack of onsies, and a pair of khaki pants.

Aunt Sandy (another of Grandmother’s cousins) and her daughter Francie got us a Rainforest gym, a set of three burb cloths, and a set with two shirts (a duck and safari animals) and a matching pair of duck-footie pants. Aunt Sandy spent a good part of the time Matt and I were opening gifts repeating the refrain, “That’s going to be one well-dressed baby.”

Aunt Pat (my favorite friend-of-the-family) got us a Diaper Genie and some refills.

Mari (mom’s next-door neighbor) got us two pink floral onsies, a kimono top, a pair of pink pants, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, and a bear bank.

Ruth (mom’s old neighbor) got us two thermal receiving blankets and a plush pink blanket.

Aunt Phyllis (Grandma Ryan’s niece) got us two crib pads, two extra fitted sheets, two pink panda shirts and matching footie pants, and a set of five body suits,

Janene crocheted a blanket, a washcloth and a Ravens-purple hat, and gave us a purple Ravens onsie, a pink Ravens onsie with matching booties and bib.

Courtney and her mother-in-law got us extra crib sheets and the matching curtain.

Aunt Gloria bought us a flannel sleep sack, a polka-dotted bunny sleeper, a pink polka-dotted sleep sack, a striped lamb sleep sack, a lady bug sleeper with a matching bib (we’re hoping it fits around Halloween!) and our glider. She also got us a nursery cross. And, she had the foresight to have the guests write their addresses on thank you card envelopes, and gave us the envelopes and cards.

Matt’s mother and Grandma Ryan got us the stroller and car seat set.

Then it was time to open the gifts from Matt’s mother who, much like my own mother, went completely overboard. She got us a Baby Bjorn, a white sleeper with flowers, a rubber duckie sleep sack, a giraffe and elephant sleep sack, a two-pack of sleep gowns, two seashell onsies, two bubble rompers, a blue sweater.

She got us two watherproof pads, a pack of five flannel receiving blankets, a 12-pack of cloth diapers, two sets of fitted sheets for the Pack ‘n Play, and the organic Boppy slipcover,

She got a food mill, our Born Free bottle starter kit, and a Mommy Hook, which is a huge D-ring that you are supposed to use to hang your bags from shopping carts and strollers and such.

She also got Evelyn’s take-me-home set from Serena and Lily, with the gown, blanket, and hat in 100% organic cotton. I have been coveting that set for a while; we even based Evie’s room off of one of their designs.

At Least My Baby Won't Go Naked...

2009-07-26T09:49:00.030-04:00

Mom invited me to a pool party at Aunt Shirley's yesterday, so I lowered myself into the tub and conducted the aerobic activity that is manuvering around my stomach to shave my legs. Then I went through all of my tankinis to find something that looked like it might fit, whined to Matt about getting in the pool with me, grabbed our beach towels, and headed down the road.

When we finally got to Shirley's, it was a surprise baby shower! And how such few people managed to accumulate so much baby stuff (especially considering we are rarely at a loss for babies), I'll never know. But I'm very grateful!

Bob insisted his present should be first, and he got us a dual-sided picture frame where one side can be ingraved with the baby's name, date and time of birth, weight, and length. He also got her two Baby Gap onsies, cute little pants with trees all over them, and three pairs of socks.

Next was a crazy amount of goodies from my cousin Jamie. She got Evie three pairs of cotton newborn caps, two five-packs of onsies, two pairs of pants, six pairs of baby socks, a super-cute polka-dotted sleeper, a pack of three bottles, two extra nipples, two pacifiers, and a dishwasher basket that came with a soft-tip spoon. ("I don't get to buy for babies much; I guess I got a little excited," she said. I think so!)

Aunt Shirley (proud owner of a swing machine that hooks to a computer) made a bib that reads, "I Love My Uncle Bob" and gave us the Baby Bjorn that Matt deemed manly enough to be seen sporting his child in.

Megan got us the Munchkin Diaper Duty Organizer, complete with baby lotion, baby oil gel, diaper rash ointment, Q-tips, wipes, diapers, and a half-dozen washcloths.

Lisa made us a three-tier "diaper cake" with diapers, baby bottles, baby wash, baby lotion, onsies, bibs, socks, pacifiers, a bottle brush, a teether, a rattle, a stuffed bunny with teether hands and feet. The only bad thing about it is that we won't ever want to disassemble it! It was the talk of the shower.

Lisa had also made baby sock "corsages" for me and mom. Again, one of those things that seemed too cute to dismantle!

Anne got us a five pack of white onsies (I'm thinking about decorating them!); safety swabs, Johnson's baby wash, lotion and powder; Baby Orajel; Boudreaux's Butt Paste; a 50-pack of outlet protectors; and a first baby doll.

Aunt Carol got us the Germ Guardian Nursery Sanitizer, and two little rattles as part of the packaging. (Every time we hit a bump on the way home, they would rattle and Matt would break out into a face-splitting grin.)

Grandma got us the Pack 'n Play, and commented that we needed to just take it to Mom's and be done with it. (We're thinking of getting her one, anyway.)

Frighteningly enough, the pile of gifts that were left were all from my mother. She got us the Diaper Genie, the crib bedding, a carseat, a Mom + Dad = Me picture frame, and a pack of diapers. Four sleep gowns; two sleepers; a coverall, sock, bib, hat, and blanket set; another a coverall, sock, bib, and hat set; a onsie-pant-and hoodie set; an "Off to Grandma's" onsie and pant set; a onsie that read "I've Got Daddy Wrapped Around My Finger," and a t-shirt and overall set. She also knit a green sweater with little kitten buttons, and made a pink-and-white sweater, hat and bootie set. At least my baby won't go naked!

She also passed along Bob's My First Bible. Shirley asked Bob, "What if you want to pass that along to your own children one day?" but Bob was perfectly happy passing it along to THIS baby. (And we can always gift it to Uncle Bob if he becomes a daddy one day.)

After all the unwrapping, it was time for cake! They had gotten it from Shirley's favorite bakery, and it was chocolate with raspberry filling and read, "The big day is drawing near...Baby Evelyn is almost here!"

Another Good Reason to Move to Paris

2009-07-21T15:46:00.003-04:00

Paris' most famous department store has apparently opened the world's largest dedicated shoe space. We stayed about a mile from Galeries Lafayette but didn't go. However, now that they have turned their basement into a 34,500-square-foot shoe extravaganza, I don't think I'll be skipping it next time I'm in town.

WWD reports that French women buy an average of six pairs of shoes a year. I can rise to that challenge!

Things I Love in July

2009-07-19T12:14:00.009-04:00

Cherry tomatoes from my backyard
Cuties
Matt's peppermint-patty brownies (thank heaven they are gone!)
Sea of Shoes blogger Jane Aldridge and her mom in August's Vogue
Noisettes
Tiffany Notes pendant
Kung-fu baby kicks
Old friends
The pink apron Matt got me from William-Sonoma, with "Mommy" embroidered on it
The promo poster for The Time Traveler's Wife
Black-and-white toddler dresses at BabyGap
And two things I saw but didn't purchase at a recent trip to Anthropologie:

Windflower Necklace

The Fallen Ruffle Wrap

Ugly Americans?

2009-07-14T17:56:00.003-04:00

Heart disease. Diabetes. And the latest medical condition on the rise due to Americans' unhealthy eating habits? Gout. The Disease of Kings (called so back when only aristocrats could afford to get so bloated with fatty foods and alcohol) is hitting as many as six million members of America's overweight middle class. Obesity is holding steady or growing in each and every state of the union. Seriously people, it's becoming an epidemic. Put down the soft drinks!

Read more in the NY Times.

The Nursery

2009-07-13T20:12:00.010-04:00

Stine has been very patiently waiting for pictures... any pictures!... that have to do with the baby. So finally, here are some pictures of the nursery.

This is what you see when you first walk in:

dresser with changing top, and bookshelf on the left;

and the crib on the right.

I got the closet doorknob from Anthropologie,

the alphabet birds poster from Bold & Noble (in the UK!)

and the lightswitch plate from a crafter in Canada.

Since the room is such a bright, peachy pink,we are toning it down with white furniture and blue textiles. And while there are several sheep in the room (the one on the window was sent from Spain from Matt's brother, and the one in the crib makes womb noises), I'd like to bring in more of a bird theme. That's part of the reason why there isn't anything else on the walls...I haven't found the just-right bird things...yet.

Baby Cucumbers!

2009-07-13T10:14:00.004-04:00

Since Matt's been home, I've put him in charge of a few daily chores, like watering the garden and making dinner (which is at least planned out in advance). This morning, he sent me a text message reading: Great big cucumber... I love you. Uh, PICTURES!

So he sent me two:

This is the fruit of my one teeny-tiny sunny patch of backyard. I'm not doing much this year; only a puny basil plant, a ton of mint (which came back from last year), some oregano (which has come back several years in a row), some chives (which has been around as long as the oregano), a slightly struggling tomato plant, and a quite happy cherry tomato plant. Just wait: one of these days, I'm going to have a big sunny yard and lots of plants!

Matt's Father-to-Be Day

2009-07-12T18:56:00.009-04:00

I have to pat myself on the back for this one... For Father's Day, I went to Dadgear.com and got Matt a flaming skulls diaper bag. It has a refillable wipes case, big pockets for diapers, two pockets for bottles, a changing pad, and straps that can attach to a stroller. Nope, I'm not subjecting my man to a Winnie-the-Pooh diaper bag. This is one he'll be proud to carry, and willing to use long after the baby is out of diapers.

I started with the whole brown paper packages, tied up with strings...
yet Julie Andrews did NOT make an appearance.

Then put it in the crib, for Matt to find it:

(I had to tell him where to look.)

The string comes off the present...

...and becomes a present for Angel.

Yeah, Matt liked it.

Is it just me, or does he even look a little misty?

Inside the bag were two books: Daddy Hugs and Daddy Cuddles,
especially for him to read to his baby girl.

I think I did pretty well!

Menu Board

2009-07-12T17:42:00.006-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted my menu boards, and I've had a request for dinner ideas, so here you go:

A little dark; sorry about that!

I'm trying to eat low-mercury seafood twice a week; we usually end up with a fish and a shrimp every week:

Angel apparently enjoys tilapia. My excuse for having him on the table is that otherwise, he sits at my feet and whines the ENTIRE time we are eating, and my nerves can't take it.

That gnocchi was The Shit:

We ended up with a lot sliders. But the rolls were homemade!

This one was from the first full week Matt was home after back surgery. Bless his heart, he did a lot of the cooking (though his pictures of the board aren't as good as mine):

The spanish tortilla (basically, a frittata) was super yummy, and not bad to look at, either:

Finally, this week's menu. Posting these, I notice that I pair shrimp and cous cous a little too often...

Note: most of these recipes come from my Everyday Food subscription. I go through the latest issue on Friday or Saturday, make the menu, make the grocery list, then do our shopping on Sundays. It's nice, because we don't have a lot of repeats in any given month. (Except shrimp and cous cous, I suppose!)

You Are What You Eat

2009-07-06T14:07:00.010-04:00

Had a busy morning: first off to the farmer's market, then a stop at Sephora for Lancome's new mascara, then Trader Joe's to finish off our grocery shopping. I love-love-love buying fresh local produce, especially from those who practice organic, sustainable farming. I really need to get with a CSA program. I say that every year, and still haven't. Bad girl!

Frankly, the grocery stores are getting entirely out of control. Last week at Giant, there was a display of insanely, unnaturally large cantaloupes. I just stood in front of them, openmouthed. And no one else seemed to notice that they were 50% larger than last year's cantaloupes, or why they should mind. No one seems to notice the food is so much BIGGER than it's meant to be. It's all genetically engineered to be uniform-looking, survive long shipments, and grow to unusual proportions. As a result, it's less tasteful and less nutritious.

Right then, something hit me: produce is often sold by the pound, the size of the produce we are eating has gotten out of control... that has to be one of the reasons produce has gotten so expensive. By comparison, the stuff you get at the farmer's market is smaller, and occasionally dares to be misshapen, but has such a better concentration of flavor. So that's where I choose to put my money.

And just when you think it's safe to buy organic, The Washington Post published a disturbing article a few days ago, called Purity of Federal 'Organic' Label Is Questioned. It's about how higher consumer demand and lower federal standards turned the organics market into a $23 billion-a-year business.

There were a lot of disturbing facts, but here's one that hit this mother-to-be: synthetic additives in organic baby formula banned just three years ago can now be found in 90% of organic baby formula. 90%!! Why? Because a USDA program manager was lobbied by the formula makers and overruled her staff. I hope this breastfeeding thing works out!

Small, independent organic companies are being bought up by companies like Kraft (Boca) and Kellogg (Morningstar Farms). And they have the money to press the government to expand its definition of "organic," especially through their Organic Trade Association (which wants you to buy THEIR kind of organic products, those prepared, processed and packaged with synthetic food substances). Don't think things like the OTA have power? Check this quote:

Under the original organics law, 5%of a USDA-certified organic product can consist of non-organic substances, provided they are approved by the National Organic Standards Board. That list has grown from 77 to 245 substances since it was created in 2002. Companies must appeal to the board every five years to keep a substance on the list, explaining why an organic alternative has not been found. The goal was to shrink the list over time, but only one item has been removed so far.

And here's another gem from a man making decisions about whether the food you eat is truly organic:

"I say, 'Let's find a way to bend that one, because it's not important.' . . . What are we selling? Are we selling health food? No. Consumers, they expect organic food to be growing in a greenhouse on Pluto. Hello? We live in a polluted world. It isn't pure. We are doing the best we can."

I don't think he is. Do you?

I choose to pay more for certain organic products, and I expect them to be free of synthetics, pesticides and other chemicals; not to be genetically engineered; and to be grown in a way that is gentle to the environment. Farmers and food producers shouldn't be able to shop around and hire private certifiers to inspect products. There should be clear guidelines on what can be used in organic products, and that list shouldn't grow! Terms like "access to pasture" should have specific definitions; don't put true organic dairy farmers at unfair competition with those who run more or less confinement dairies. There has to be a strict interpretations of "organic." The organics industry shouldn't focus on growth at any cost; it should focus on preserving the integrity of the organic label.

Remember that old saying: you are what you eat? If you want to learn a little more, I recommend In Defense of Food; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; and will be sure to eventually blog about Food, Inc.

The Modern Girl's Guide to Motherhood

2009-07-05T20:17:00.005-04:00

With Matt laid up for the next few weeks, I HAD to get out of the house a few times. Friday, it was the library. After checking out the new releases section, I wandered over to the parenting/childcare section and got the Complete Baby Care video I wrote about earlier, Heading Home with Your Newborn, an updated Consumer Reports Best Baby Products, Cozy Knits for Cuddly Babies, and The Modern Girl's Guide to Motherhood.

TMGGM really could've been broken into two sections: one on prenatal/postnatal/newborn care, and the other on caring for toddlers. If you are having your first baby, you can get away with skipping around rather than reading the whole thing like I did. Most of the content is very worth the read.

It goes over:

What you need to prepare for a new baby (I've come across about a half-dozen of these lists, and they all have slightly different things. My only recommendation on that is NOT to get one from a place like Babies R Us...they are pretty incented to get you to buy!)
Labor, birth, legalities, postpartum recovery, and choosing daycare
The first few weeks home, including dealing with visitors
Feeding considerations
Sleep patterns
Baby care, emergencies, vaccinations, and milestones
Instilling good behavior, communicating, discipline (This is one of the chapters I think is most helpful. I like the idea of redirecting with"yes" behavior instead of saying "no" all the time. "You want to throw the ball? Let's go outside; we don't throw the ball inside the house." I think the RIE method is worth looking into as well.)
Breaking old or bad habits and potty training
Recommended toys and games, playdates, and picking a preschool

I'd definitely refer to this book again once my baby is a toddler. And bless my library card; after reading this, I have a list of other books I want to check out. Matt thinks that by the time I actually HAVE the baby, I should qualify for a degree in early childhood care and education.

Baby Videos

2009-07-04T14:55:00.004-04:00

So far, Matt and I have watched two parenting videos. The first one was called Understanding Birth; we both really enjoyed that one, and got a lot out of it. While I had an idea what to expect, Matt didn't, and it not only brought the idea to life for both of us, but it gave us some things to discuss about how we wanted our birth to go. As I'm getting closer to my due date, I may even borrow this one from the library again to practice the labor techniques.

The second one was called Complete Baby Care. Matt found some of the content helpful, mainly how to lift and hold the baby, care for the cord, and give a bath. Otherwise, the video seemed a little outdated and wasn't as informative. It's getting dumped right back off at the library in mere moments.

BabyCenter.com has also been a great resource for videos. They tend to be short, well-edited, and pretty darn fascinating!

Picking a Pediatrician

2009-07-03T18:34:00.003-04:00

I haven't chosen ours yet, but here are some of the things I'll consider or want to ask when choosing:

Is the doctor conveniently located?
Are office hours convenient, including weekends and evenings?
Does the doctor have partners, and is someone always on call?
How quickly will a doctor call you back?
Do they accept my insurance?
What are the doctor's hospital affiliations?
Will the doctor come to see the baby after she is born?
What are the doctor's child-rearing philosophies?

Rattled!

2009-07-03T09:07:00.004-04:00

Just finished reading a memoir by the author of the Storked! blog on Glamour.com. Not that I had heard of the blog before picking up the book, so for anyone else is isn't familiar with it, Christine Coppa was a 26-year-old Manhattanite with a dream job working on a start-up publication, and a sort of Sex and the City existence with her network of glamourous girlfriends, all-night party sessions, cocktail brunches, and model-like boyfriend. Until they had unprotected sex, she got pregnant, and he skipped town.

Christine writes about her pregnancy, how she pulled her life back together, the birth of her son, her desire to get her son's father into his life (he declines), and the first few life-changing months of motherhood.

One of her friends has a quote on the back cover, reading, "Christine Coppa is a potty-mouthed, modern-day Holly Golightly." Maybe she gets that from their personal relationship, but I don't see that in the book. She's not terribly potty-mouthed, the book was engaging and well-written, and I don't see her as fey or tragic. (Although she's gone through some rough experiences, including major back surgery and once dated someone who became paralyzed in a motocross accident.)

If I weren't having a baby of my own in nine weeks or so, I'd probably be jealous that she's able to support herself on her writing, that she works in New York City, that she has designer clothes and a large group of fashionable girlfriends. But then I see Matt looking into the waiting crib, hear him talk to my belly, or feel his hands seeking out the little movements going on inside of me, and I think I wouldn't trade this life for all the Gucci diaper bags in the world.

Burnin' Love

2009-06-30T23:48:00.003-04:00

Here's one thing that isn't fun about pregnancy: heartburn. Since I had to go into the office and worked a little late, Matt made a great dinner of spice-rubbed salmon, homemade sweet potato fries (also spiced) and edamame. Two bites in, Matt said I should take something for indigestion. I don't know WHY I didn't listen. Three hours later, I can't sleep, and I'm writhing in pain. God bless Zantac... I hope it kicks in soon. At least the baby has the good graces not to kick the bejesus out of me right now.

I'd Trade My Husband for a Housekeeper

2009-06-30T09:17:00.004-04:00

First of all, I want to point out that this book is subtitled "loving your marriage after the baby carriage" and is about getting to the point where you WOULDN'T want to trade your husband for the afore mentioned housekeeper. I think Matt freaked out a little when he saw the title of the book.

Although I liked that the book is based on interviews of married moms and dads, I didn't find the book terribly insightful. It didn't have much content, and what content there was VERY liberally sprinkled with interviewee quotes, "dirty little secrets" (some eyebrow-raising, others just sad), and quizzes.

The main messages can be boiled down to the subtitles of each chapter: Expectations versus Reality, Make the Choice to Be Happy, Communication Is Key, Prioritizing Your Relationship, and Make Sex a True Investment in Your Marriage.

Nonetheless, if you have or are having kids, I think it's worthwhile to make the effort to read books like this one even if it's just a reminder of what you already know: that you can't do it all, that you need to communicate with your significant other, that you need to make time to be a partner (trust me, your child will benefit from the good example!), and that sex begets sex (a lot of ladies aren't "in the mood" until they're already engaging in some sort of sexual behavior, so jump in... you'll probably enjoy it!).

Draft Birth Plan

2009-06-28T12:39:00.003-04:00

It's long and I haven't reviewed it with my doctor yet, but here is my draft birth plan:

Labor
I would prefer dim lights, and a quiet atmosphere.
I prefer only my husband and mother be allowed in my room during labor.
I would like to maintain mobility, having the option to labor in the shower, use a birth bar and/or change positions at will throughout labor.
I would like to be able to have fluids by mouth throughout the first stage of labor.
I would prefer to keep the number of vaginal exams to a minimum.
I would prefer not to have an IV, unless medically necessary.
I would prefer not to have to wear a hospital-issued gown; I will purchase and bring my own.

Monitoring
During labor, I do not wish to have continuous fetal monitoring unless it is required by the condition of my daughter.
In the pushing stage, I am fine with an external electronic monitor.

Labor Augmentation/Induction
I do not wish to have the amniotic membrane ruptured artificially unless signs of fetal distress require internal monitoring.
I would prefer to be allowed to try changing position and other natural methods.
I would like to avoid drugs such as Pitocin.

Anesthesia
I do not want any kind of anesthesia offered to me during labor, though I would like it available if I specifically request it.
If I ask for pain relief, please feel free to offer nonmedical choices forcoping and/or remind me how close I am to the birth.
Should I decide to get anesthesia, I would prefer a patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA).

Episiotomy
I would prefer not to have an episiotomy unless absolutely required for the baby's safety; I’d like to use perineal massage, warm compresses and positioning as much as possible.

Delivery
Even if I am fully dilated, and assuming my daughter is not in distress, I would like to try to wait until I feel the urge to push before beginning the pushing phase.
I would like to use foot pedals or a birth bar during the pushing stage.
I would prefer not to use vacuum extraction or forceps unless my daughter is in distress.
I would like a mirror available so I can see my daughter's head when it crowns.
I would like my husband to be able to help “catch” our daughter should he choose.

In Case of Cesarean
If my primary care provider determines that a Cesarean delivery is indicated, I would like to obtain a second opinion from another physician if time allows.
I would only like a Cesarean if all other options have been exhausted.
I would like my husband present at all times if my daughter requires a Cesarean delivery.
I wish to have an epidural for anesthesia.
I would like my hands left free so I may hold my husband’s hand and touch my daughter after birth.
If my daughter is not in distress, my daughter should be given to my husband immediately after birth.
I would like our plans outlined here for after the birth to be followed as closely as possible.

After Delivery
I would like to have my daughter placed on my stomach/chest immediately after delivery.
I would like to bond with my daughter before her medical exams and procedures.
I would like to have my daughter examined and bathed in my presence.
I would like my husband to cut the cord after it stops pulsating.
I would like to deliver the placenta spontaneously rather than having a routine shot of Pitocin.
If my daughter must be taken from me to receive medical treatment, my husband or some other person I designate will accompany my daughter at all times.
After the birth, I would prefer to be given a few moments of privacy to attempt to urinate on my own before being catheterized.
I would like to donate the umbilical cord blood.
Please remove my IV/Heparin lock/catheter as soon as possible after the birth.
Please note I am likely Rh incompatible with my daughter, and will need a Rhogam shot after the birth.

Breastfeeding
I would like to breastfeed as soon as possible after delivery.
Unless medically necessary, I do not wish to have any bottles given to my daughter (including formula, glucose water or plain water).
I do not want my daughter to be given a pacifier.

Tour of Franklin Square

2009-06-28T10:50:00.005-04:00

Matt and I took a tour of Franklin Square, the hospital where I will most likely be giving birth, on the 19th. There were plenty of no-shows, so it was just us, a girl of about 18 and her sister, and a girl in her mid-twenties with her boyfriend. The tour guide used to run these information sessions, but hadn't in a while, and was filling in for the usual guide. I think by the end of the tour, she was regretting that kindness!

The tour started in a small classroom with a slideshow obviously shot when the Women's Pavilion first opened, and an opportunity to ask some questions. I was the only one who had questions, and the poor guide didn't know the answers to most of them.

I asked were whether there is an anesthesiologist or nurse-anesthesiologist specific to the labor/delivery unit, and whether they are in the hospital 24/7 or just on-call 24/7. She wasn't sure whether there is an anesthesiologist or nurse-anesthesiologist specific to the labor/delivery unit, but there is at least one in the hospital at all times.

I asked what types of epidurals are available: regular, combined spinal/epidurals (CSEs), or patient-controlled epidural analgesias (PCEAs). She didn't know, but confirmed with an employee that at least PCEAs are available, which is what I would prefer if I choose medical pain relief.

I asked what the policy is on timing of epidurals, as some hospitals won't give you one if you are nearing or in the pushing stage. She gave up and suggested I take Franklin Square's course on anesthesia and pain relief. I was kind enough not to point out that I was probably already overinformed on what's out there.

At that point, we started our actual tour of the birthplace. We saw the exam room we'll go in first, where they would decide whether to admit you or send you back home to labor for a while. Then we saw a room where we'd do our active labor, birth and recovery. The rooms are nice, large rooms with a beds that breaks apart for the doctor to get to you, and has holes to install a birth bar in should the mother want to use one. The medical equipment is tucked away in cabinets behind the bed; cabinets on the other side of the room hold a TV, DVD player and CD player; there is a guest chair that converts into a bed (they provide sheets); and there is plenty of room for a bassinet.

I asked whether laboring in water was an option. She said they got rid of the labor tubs, but do allow you to labor in the shower if you'd like. The adjoining bathroom is large and they can put a chair in the shower.

I asked whether they provide birth balls. She said they don't, but welcome you to bring your own.

I asked whether IVs were mandatory. She didn't know, but found out that they were. I am NOT happy with that. I don't see the need for it.

I asked about their oral intake policy, and she said that they only allow ice chips. I'm not terribly happy with that policy, either. (But no wonder they insist you get an IV!)

Based on the responses from my last two questions, I asked what the rate of vaginal births to C-sections is. She didn't know... and didn't find out. I imagine it's higher than they would like to admit. (IVs make it easier to pump you full of meds, and if they don't let you eat, they worry less about you throwing up and choking in an operating room.) At that point, I was REALLY wishing we lived closer to Mercy.

We also saw the OR where C-sections are conducted. It's obviously more functional and less...pretty. I hope I don't have to see it again.

I asked what the typical hospital stay is, and she said two days. I asked whether lactation support was available, and she said that a specialist visits each mom at least once, then as often as the mom would like. I asked how many copies of our birth plan we should bring, and she said one is sufficient as they will add it to your chart.

I don't think the other two mothers-to-be had any idea what any of my questions meant.

At the end of the tour, we were brought back to the classroom to allow for any additional questions, and to fill out a survey. Frankly, the tour was only beneficial to us to become familiar with the actual space; there wasn't much education that went along with it, and I think that's a shame for people like the other two couples, who were as far along as me and farther, and didn't seem to have done much more to prepare than register for gifts. Birth used to be something so normal and natural, and now it's become a mystery to most women. Especially for you first-time moms: educate yourselves! We need to know what to expect, and what our options are!

All's Well That Eats Well

2009-06-11T22:47:00.006-04:00

I had a long, rough day that started with waiting 90 minutes to see my doctor and ended with me nearly plowing into an MTA bus two blocks from my office and at 8pm. I called Matt and he offered to help with dinner, which was supposed to be fish poached in citrus with an orange/celery/chickpea salad and cous cous. "Or," I sighed, "you could just throw in the frozen pizza."

To his defense, Matt was also just getting home and was getting a ton of stuff out of the basement to take to the Salvation Army. But I was still displeased to smell pizza when I walked through the front door. My mom would choose pizza as her last supper. She loves the stuff. I don't. I like pizza, but my favorite foods are all a little closer to their natural states. Like arugula, summer tomatoes, or most any kind of fruit. Or fish and oranges and chickpeas. Which is exactly what we had for dinner.

In all fairness, it took less than 20 minutes to zest and peel and slice the oranges, poach the fish, make cous cous, and throw the salad together. Matt helped with the zesting and chopping, and in the end chose the well-balanced dinner over pizza. But he can eat that for dinner tomorrow, while I'm at Ixia... I hope the baby ends up with Matt's nose, and my taste in food!

28 Weeks Later

2009-06-10T22:06:00.006-04:00

Stine has been on me about posting pictures of my pregnant belly, but Matt has apparently had little interest in playing with his $800 camera. But faced with the furor of his wife, child AND Danish friend, Matt finally broke out his toy and took some pictures. I like the dim, cloudy look of the few he took without a flash:

But he used a flash with most of them. Anyway, I'm 28 weeks in these pictures; 12 weeks to go before we meet our little girl!

Trials and Tribble-ations

2009-06-10T06:40:00.004-04:00

Angel's latest "thing" is to whine constantly while I make dinner, eat, and clean (on the rare occasion Matt doesn't do the dinner dishes). While I'm not trying to encourage this behavior, I also don't want to become Crazy Screaming Mommy, so I try to give him a little attention rather than loose my cool and shout at him. (This also may be early guilt for the baby; who knows?)

Anyway, I decided to do the dishes myself last night, and to keep him quiet, Matt brushed Angel. And brushed him. And brushed him. Until we had ourselves a Tribble:

Seriously? That's from ONE brushing. And I could probably brush him again this morning and make a third pet.

Really Well, But...

2009-06-07T21:55:00.004-04:00

I almost passed out at the Farmer's Market today. Mom and I had taken a lap around the market so she could see her breakfast options, and Matt had gotten in the queue for coffee and crepes (since we both nearly always get crepes there). I was hungry but no where near famished, it was crowded but I was used to that, and it was warm but certainly not hot. But shortly after Mom and I joined Matt in line for the crepes, I suddenly became lightheaded and everything started to sound very far away...

Before I made a scene, Mom ushered me off to some crates stacked next to the market entrance, and a family there gave me a bottle of water and much sympathy. Thank goodness for that family! I may have actually passed out without their assistance. After a few minutes of sipping on the water and holding the cool bottle to my pulse points (and explaining to my mom how that is the most effective place to put a cold item when you need to cool yourself off, as it's where the blood is closest to the surface of your skin, and the cooled blood is able to circulate from there... I'll bet she was starting to wish I'd pass out just to give her a break), I began to feel much better. And several minutes later, Matt arrived with crepe #18: mango, kiwi, banana, peach butter and cinnamon. Nom.

When we dropped Mom off this afternoon and visited Grandma then Aunt Carol, Uncle Jimmy and Anne, I felt the need to caveat when asked how I was doing. Really well, but... I almost passed out at the Farmer's Market today.

I still think I am doing really well; I've had a very easy pregnancy thus far. No morning sickness, no strange cravings, no major mood swings. No unexpected weight gain... knock on wood. The neighbor's son (himself a young father of two) is just waiting to hear that I've turned into the stereotypical crazed pregnant woman, weepy and demanding and tired and swollen and self-conscious. He said his wife is still mad at him for taking a profile picture of her when she was pregnant with their first child. Of course, this is where Matt reciprocates the consideration by allowing me veto rights regarding all pictures of me. No matter how much he likes a picture, if I deem it too unflattering, he will delete it. Not that I mind pregnant profile pictures. Not that he's TAKEN any. Ahem.

I told Matt today that he's going to have to extend photo veto rights to pictures of the baby as well. I have never been particularly photogenic, and a good many of my baby pictures show me making the most ridiculous faces. Ones I inadvertently make to this day when standing before a camera. And if our little one has the misfortune to take after me in that regard, I want to save her from future embarrassment. Who knows whether she will be the most beautiful baby ever? I'm sure to think so, but the least I can do is make it look like she is. Another benefit of modern technology.

My Last Supper

2009-05-31T12:21:00.003-04:00

One of the books I recently checked out from the library is My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals. I had gotten it as a Christmas gift for my brother-in-law the chef (one of the few times I had gotten him something he didn't already have! Last year, I picked out A Day at elBulli and The Big Fat Duck Cookbook and by the time we shipped them to Spain, Dan already had both). But unlike those two tomes of molecular gastronomy, this one is more personal, more engaging. It includes portraits of the chefs (my favorite was Jacques Pepin sitting by a still life of eggs, figs, olives, potatoes, peaches, etc.; my least favorite was Fergus Henderson sitting with a pig's head in his lap), and the anwers to six questions:

What would be your last meal on earth?
What would be the setting for the meal?
What would you drink with your meal?
Would there be music?
Who would be your dining companions?
Who would prepare the meal?

Most chefs chose rustic meals, fine wines, and to be surrounded by family and friends. Some would stuff themselves with too many courses to count, and others wanted just a few things. Some wanted to prepare the meals themselves, some wanted those who work in their restaurants to do it and some wanted it done by other great chefs. A few wanted their mothers and grandmothers to prepare special dishes.

Based on those included in the book, some of the chefs I hope to have cook for ME one day (preferably not because I'm about to die) are:

Dan Barber (Blue Hill sounds like my kind of place, and ti's a bit closer than Chez Panisse!)
April Bloomfield (I wish Dan would open a gastropub here in Baltimore!)
Helene Darroze (I'll eat there every year on my anniversary when we move to Paris. *sigh*)
Gabrielle Hamilton
Thomas Keller (At The French Laundry, Per Se, or Ad Hoc)
Guy Savoy (We'll eat there every year on our birthday when we move to Paris. *double sigh*)

And what would be MY last supper? I'd probably start with fresh-picked arugula with just a bit of the best sea salt and olive oil money could buy and maybe a few curls of parmesean cheese and a medium-boiled farm egg smashed and running on top, crusty fresh-baked bread, lightly sauteed scallops, either truffle oil fries or risotto, and some sort of fruit-based dessert, with a special glass of wine selected for each course. Easy, simple, delicious.

Baby Prezzies!

2009-05-26T17:20:00.003-04:00

If there is anything that might come close to the thrill of presents, it’s presents for the baby! And I got her first one in the mail last week. I have an insane registry going at Babies R Us, and someone scrolled through and got the Baby Einstein Lights & Melodies Discovery Center, one of those toys that allows you to put your baby on her back and prop the toy above her, and pray it entertains her long enough for you to go to the bathroom. Whoot! She had a dresser/changing table, a crib, countless bodysuits, and now an activity center!! I really hope she likes it.

Speaking of the countless bodysuits, my mom (who is knitting and crocheting bunches of adorable things) told me I have to STOP BUYING THAT BABY CLOTHES. On the way to her house Sunday, we stopped at Kohl’s and I got a long-sleeved bodysuit, a short sleeved one embroidered with a kitten, and a green velvet dress (which, I’ll have you know, Matt picked out). And they were on clearance! And I was really going to Kohl’s for maternity clothes! But I didn’t see anything I cared for, and I just happened to fall into the baby section! But she’s worried that people will get me clothes as baby gifts that the little monster will never get to wear. Says the woman who is knitting and crocheting sweaters. I’m just saying.

So people, I’m telling you now: get something off the registry! (And make sure you order FROM the registry if you order online… I need to take that activity center off the registry now!) Or buy clothes that are 3-6 months, or older. Or buy books... we also went to a used book store on the way to Mom's, and loaded up on some learn-to-count books, several Golden Books, Green Eggs and Ham (one of my favorite Dr. Seuss books!), a Winnie-the-Pooh book that has the original four stories, and one of the Madeline books. Funny how so much can be "on the way to Mom's."

And I must say: Yay for prezzies!

(P.S. Matt has to remind me that these are not presents for ME. But they do feel like it!)

It Sucked and then I Cried

2009-05-24T09:36:00.003-04:00

I had never heard of dooce.com before spotting this book at Barnes & Noble, but the book looked funny, so I checked it out from the library Friday afternoon, and dug in. It took a couple of chapters for me to get into it, partially because whenever the author wanted to make a point, SHE WOULD DO IT IN ALL CAPS and she wanted to make some point or another ON JUST ABOUT EVERY PAGE. So it was visually unappealing at best and distracting at worst, until I got more into the the author's story.

The author, Heather Armstrong, is a pretty famous blogger (so much so, that at this point, ads on her blog support her and her family), so the book's writing style is a natural extension of that. The book is about her experience with pregnancy, birth, post-partum depression, and recovery, with many chapters ending in personal letters to her baby, Leta. Really, there was less content about the actual depression and recovery than necessary to truly drive the point home; you got a lot more of that from Brooke Shield's book. But nonetheless, it was amusing and a very quick read.

But seriously, can we talk a moment about the fact that ADS ON HER BLOG SUPPORT HER AND HER FAMILY?? (Great, now I'm writing like her...) I mean, talk about the dream stay-at-home-mom job. How does one manage to build the most popular personal blog on the Internet? This is the second book I read where the author was already somewhat famous for blogging. (The first being Julie and Julia... I'm already looking forward to the movie.) Actually, the third, since Jane Brocket has books out. Now, HER, I can understand. Can someone tell me how to get that gig??

Easy Labor (Yeah, right!)

2009-05-23T19:37:00.005-04:00

On a recent trip to the library, I checked out a book called Easy Labor: Every Woman's Guide to Choosing Less Pain and More Joy During Childbirth. Like I do whenever leaving the library with Matt behind the wheel, I dove right into the book. And within the first ten pages, I could tell that it would be horrifying, dry, and obviously written by an anesthesiologist. (Flipping to the back of the book... Yup, Dr. Camann is an anesthesiologist. So of course, "easy labor" really means "get thee an epidural, STAT!"

I will say that, while it was pretty biased, it was at least informative.

The first section was about choosing the best place to give birth, be it a hospital or birth center, and the types of people who would be present, from an obstetrician, labor and delivery nurse, anesthesiologist, nurse-anesthetist, certified nurse-midwife, family physician, or doula.

There was a section on factors that may impact your labor pain (prior education, confidence, the environment, prior birth experience, support, use of Oxytocin or Pitocin, baby's size and position, mom's position), another on common fears (I won't be able to do it, something's going to go wrong, I'm going to lose all sense of dignity, etc.). Then it went right into "Full-Throttle Pain Relief."

It described in detail the difference between an epidural, a spinal, a "walking epidural" or combined spinal epidural (CSE), and a patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA). It also talked about general anesthesia, but that's typically only used in emergencies.

While I certainly haven't ruled out an epidural, I do have some concerns:

I would have to have an IV, especially since I have lower blood pressure
Some people get a drop in blood pressure, so changes are, I'd already need more meds
A drop in blood pressure means less blood flow to the baby
Some people get itchy (it DOES have narcotics) and need even more meds
Few people get nauseous...which means yet another med
I might need a urinary catheter... yuck
Many hospitals won't let you eat or drink after an epidural
I'd have to be strapped to a tocodynamometer and an electronic fetal monitor
Epidurals increases the need for foreceps or vacuum extraction
Labor would slow down, so you're laboring longer
Epidurals are suspected in the increase in cesareans over the years
Some women feel epidurals contribute to lower back pain months or even years after the birth

Other types of medications that can be used are sedatives (nah, I won't want to sedate my baby until later...), analgesics (narcotics like Demerol, Morphine, Fentanyl, Nubain, or Stadol, but I don't want my baby to have to have a narcotic-blocking shot upon birth), local anesthesia like Lidocaine and Nesacaine (more to numb you "down there"), nitrous oxide (more popular in the U.K.).

Then, there are the complementary and alternative approaches, like Lamaze (movement, concentration and coping strategies, as well as breathing), the Bradley Method (a 12-week program for partner-coached childbirth), laboring in water, using a Birth Ball, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, aromatherapy, professional labor support, etc.

Also, it was interesting to hear what the Apgar score actually is (appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, respiration).

I don't yet know what our birth plan is going to include, but I will say I feel a little more prepared with questions for when we tour the hospital, and a tiny bit more prepared for what is going to be happening to me in the next three months!

Chocolat

2009-05-23T19:18:00.003-04:00

Court loaned me Chocolat after I had checked out Joanne Harris' My French Kitchen, not realizing the cookbook author and the novelist were one and the same. It was a quick, good, somewhat dark read, which I wasn't expecting. My expectations were tainted a bit by the movie version; one of my top ten favorites, one that I put in when I want to watch something light-hearted, with little to no conflict, that makes me warm and happy (and hungry). There's a sequel to the book, The Girl with No Shadow, but I doubt I'll read it... I can't have the movie version messed with that much!

I should caveat that I'm typically one of those people who think that the book is always better than the movie, with few exceptions; and, had I read this book first, I might have thought that the movie version was sacrilege. But in this case, I prefer it this way. How many movies can you say are light and happy and sexy and have a great soundtrack and Johnny Depp? Yeah, I rest my case.

Things I Like in May

2009-05-21T22:04:00.004-04:00

Flowers

ClosetCouture.com
http://www.mtvmusic.com/artist/coldwarkids.jhtml
Pink nursery
Safety outlet covers

Gold gladiator sandals
Sweets

Iced coffee (decaf!)
Farmer's market under the JFX

Crepes at the farmer's market
Grocery lists in French

The weekly menu board

Just When You Thought It Was Safe...

2009-05-21T21:30:00.002-04:00

I read a pretty disturing article in the May issue of Vogue ("Mercury Rising" by Bronwyn Garrity). Since I'm pregnant, I've been trying to serve fish for dinner twice a week. We've had seared scallops, poached cod, baked flounder, fried catfish, and shrimp nearly every way you can serve it. (Who knew a bag of frozen shrimp could last for so many meals and end up being so economical?) Early in my pregnancy, my doctor gave us a list of high, medium and low mercury fish, and I've stuck pretty much exclusively to those on the "low" list. Mercury is a neurotoxin that attacks the brain and central nervous system, and I have three of sets to worry about: mine, Matt's, and our baby's.

But this article sheds some light onto things I didn't know, such as how some commonly eaten fish were last tested in the late 70s. And I imagine pollution has increased a bit since then. ("You think??" Matt just muttered.)

And this little tidbit: In a process known as biomagnification, fish accumulate mercury more rapidly than they excrete it, and every fish up the aquatic food chain contains more than the one it just ate.

And, there is the issue that mercury concentrations in fetal blood are, on average, 70% higher than the mother's.

Farmed fish is one option, but the sewage and pesticides used in the tanks spill over into surrounding waters, escapee farmed fish dilute genetics of wild populations, and there is the little issue of the antibiotics used, which is something I try to avoid in the meat I buy.

On the other hand, wild fish tend to be higher in mecury (and I don't know that I trust fishmongers to toss out the catch that exceeds the FDA's action level, anyway) and unless you see the Marine Stewardship Council's seal, chances are the seafood hasn't been harvested sustainably.

So, I'll continue eating my two servings of fish a week, try to spread it out so I'm not eating it two days in a row, and will keep to the low-mercury list.

In the meantime, I'll check out the DHHS/EPA list of mercury levels and, if I ever get an iPhone, download the app that gives you updates on sustainable choices. Bon appetite.

Where Oh Where Has My Little Cat Gone?

2009-05-09T21:33:00.011-04:00

Friday, I worked from home while we were having carpet installed in the three bedrooms. At this point, Empire has redone all the floors in the house except for the kitchen. The guys came right at 9am, and got to work. About halfway through the job, I noticed one of the guys had left the front door open. I shut it, and when he came back in, I reminded him that I have a cat and the doors need to be kept CLOSED. Then I looked for Angel. And looked. And looked. I scoured the house top to bottom twice, and when one of the guys said he had seen Angel run down the stairs, I figured he HAD to have gone out the door.

Yeah, I panicked.

I looked all around the front yard, under the cars, up the trees, in my back yard, in the neighbor's back yard. I called him nicely, I called him frantically, I demanded he bring his butt back home. I walked down the street and begged for help from neighbors I had never met. I called Matt and demanded he come home from work. I called my mother and cried. I called Angel some more.

Nothing.

When I walked back to the house, one of the Empire workers (of course, the one who spoke little English) was waving me down and pointing in the house, and when I walked in, the other guy said he had found Angel, and pointed to the recliner.

I looked, but didn't see anything.

Then I got on my hands and knees and looked again.

Then I pressed my face to the floor, and sure enough, I saw the bottom half of the four-legged love of my life. And I told him as soon as he got out of there, I was going to kill him.

Cats have a reputation for being independent. Angel may be like that with most people, but not with his Mommy. He is at the foot of the bed every morning when my alarm goes off, and when I start to stir, he walks up to me and purrs and combs my hair through his claws. When I swing my feet over the side of the bed, he tried to make the most of the swiftly fleeting lap. He circles my ankles when I go to the bathroom, follows me downstairs for a cup of cereal and back upstairs to eat it, usually demanding his share of milk with an insistent whine.

He sits on the toilet seat while I brush my teeth and wash my face, escorts me when I'm getting dressed, and "talks" to me as I do my hair and make-up. I think he's begging me not to leave.

I always tell him I love him and to have a good day when I head out the door, and just this morning wondered whether he watches me drive away. The thought breaks my heart a little.

In the evenings, he greets me at the door. Or, when the weather is nice and I have the upstairs window open, he yells his greeting from there while I come up the walk, and dashes to meet me when I'm putting my key in the door. Then he drives me insane as punishment for leaving him all day. He whines for his dinner, whines while I'm making mine, screeches the entire time Matt and I are at the dining room table, eating. Sometimes, we just put him up on the table to keep him quiet. On those occassions, he usually helps himself to Matt's glass of water, then lays down between our plates. Sometimes, when I'm done eating, I'll push my chair back and he'll jump in my lap and purr his approval.

At night, he sits on the toilet while I have my shower, then stands guard in the hallway, keeping his eye on me until I'm safely ensconced in bed. Depending on his mood, he may get in bed right away, or he may stay by the door for a while, watching over me.

No, Angel isn't independent when it comes to his mom. And I'm not very independent when it comes to him. I couldn't bear the thought of losing him, especially after Alex died. And I'm grateful he didn't stray far from his mom, even when the door was left open.

Feel That?

2009-05-07T10:39:00.001-04:00

Last evening, I was sitting in bed staring at my swollen stomach. “What’s wrong?” Matt asked, perhaps thinking I was in some sort of melancholy trance. “Nothing,” I said. “The baby is kicking and I’m just concentrating on feeling it.” Then a few moments later, I felt her again… and at the same time, I saw my stomach twitch. I got Matt’s hand on my stomach right away, and after a few moments…

“Feel that?”

And he did.

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

2009-05-06T12:31:00.001-04:00

Matt and I have quite opposing views on breakfast. I think it’s the most important meal of the day, that one must start the day with proper nutrition, that toaster pastries are snacks and not meals, etc., etc., etc. Matt has never been a big breakfast guy. He doesn’t drink milk, so that rules out cereal, and is usually too pressed for time (and disinterested) to make himself something. The only exception to this rule is the weekends, when we have brunch together. Matt usually cooks, and we rotate between vanilla-scented French toast, pancakes with fruit compote, veggie omelets, baked eggs, breakfast burritos, fruit smoothies… my tummy is rumbling just thinking about it! And now that the farmer’s market is open for the season, we’ll indulge in crepes the moment we get there, before we start shopping.

But the weekdays are a different story. I tend to have a mini Pyrex dish of granola cereal when I wake up to appease the growing girl in my tummy, then I often have a packet of whole-grain oatmeal when I am settled at work. Matt on the other hand, skips breakfast. Or had been doing so, until I realized something else about Matt’s dietary preferences.

Dessert.

Okay, who DOESN’T think dessert should have its own place as a separate daily meal? But anything dessert-like is bound to get a man’s attention. One of MY favorite desserts (besides cheesecake, or yogurt blended with frozen banana, which helps my pregnancy-induced indigestion) is cupcakes! I love baking them, I love decorating them (despite how frustrated I get when they don’t turn out perfectly) and I certainly love eating them. Put those things together… breakfast, dessert, cupcakes… muffins!

So I’ve started making muffins on the weekends, then wrapping them individually and freezing them. I can just pull one out in the evenings, and Matt packs it with his lunch in the morning. Since I use an equal amount of white and wheat flour, and focus on fruit muffins, I tell myself that they have some nutritional value. So far, I’ve made a batch of banana ones and a batch of strawberry ones, using frozen strawberries and vanilla yogurt. I have a several more muffin recipes, so I should be able to rotate them pretty often (even if he has to eat the same thing for breakfast all week). And to keep him engaged and interested, I’ve decided to let him pick out the next recipe. He choose the dried-cherry-and-chocolate ones.

Hey, it’s a start…

Busy Nesting

2009-05-04T14:08:00.004-04:00

I’ve had a busy few weekends! Last weekend, I planted some large impatiens and some tiny white border flowers (can’t recall the name right this moment but I think it begins with an “A”) in my yard, then went to Mark’s and planted some hostas and regular-sized impatiens. My arms felt like they could fall off after that.

(Mark, I read Digital Fortress that Sunday. I’m ready for his next book now!)

Matt and I also took a trip to the Annapolis Mall to visit Pottery Barn Kids, and picked out some just-right furniture for the baby’s room. It’s simple and white and well-built. The crib can turn into a toddler bed, and the dresser can accommodate a changing tray while she’s in diapers. It’s more than I had hoped to spend, but something that should last her until she’s a teenager. We also got her the cutest bird lamp I’ve ever seen, and a Sleep Sheep.

This weekend, we had Empire Today give us an estimate for new carpet in all three bedrooms, then started to make way for the baby! We cleared out all six bookshelves in the office and moved half to the guest room and half to the basement, then painted the room a vibrant, happy peachy-orangey-pink. The white furniture is really going to pop in there! And we plan to have baby blue accents, like bedding and drapes and decorations. I can’t wait to get furniture in the room and to sit in there and rock and daydream.

Next weekend, I want to put together furniture (if we get it that early), look into getting Bob’s old rocking chair restored, go to the Goodwill and get rid of some old furniture and clothes and miscellanea, and go to the used bookstore to try to trade three boxes of books we’ve agreed to let go of in exchange for some baby books. I’ve been gathering too many youth books from our shelves, like Peter Pan and The Secret Garden, and need some baby ones. I remember loving Dr. Suess and Golden Books when I was very young; I wonder what our little girl will like...

Things I Like in April

2009-04-17T22:09:00.003-04:00

Paris
Cadbury Cream Eggs
Tiffany Keys pendant
Pink and orange
Asparagus, arugula, eggs
Blooms and blossoms
Cake
My grown-out, grown-up haircut
http://www.snagfilms.com/

Even More Interesting Blog

2009-04-17T18:09:00.001-04:00

http://neverpayretailagain.blogspot.com/
A blog from a soccer mom who finds lotsa wonderful deals... thank Heather for sharing!!

Interesting Thought...

2009-03-31T16:50:00.001-04:00

Analysts and educators are wondering if the way MBA students are taught may have contributed to the economic crisis. Some say business schools are too detached from real-world issues; teach students to come up with hasty solutions to complicated problems; or focus on maximizing shareholder value rather than ethical business leadership.

New York Times 3.14.09

Spring Is Springing!

2009-03-30T09:12:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was SO NICE! At least the part where I spent a few hours sitting in the back yard, listening to the birds, watching a pair of finches build their nest under the back awning, knitting a beret, and soaking up the sun.

Matt and I are thinking of turning the back yard into a full-on veggie garden. I may actually do it this year... I don't know why I've cared about having a little patch of grass for so long! I'm debating different ways of doing it. Plant right in the grass? Build garden beds all over? Maybe just a bunch of containers, so if we ever sell the place, we can just pack them up and the new owners can replant grass seeds? What do you think??

This year, we've bought little peat pellets and seeds, and I've starting germinating five plants each of sweet peas (my and Matt's birth flower), cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, cucumbers, arugula (my favorite spring/summer green. I could eat it every day!), and pumpkins (for Matt, who looks forward to Halloween every year). I also have seeds waiting for tomatoes, basil, cilantro, chives, oregano... and I THINK that's it for now.

My little "greenhouse" holds about 25 peat pellets at a time and it takes about two weeks to get sprouts, so I'll likely do seedlings every other week or so. And, I'll probably have extra tomato, cherry tomato, pea, cucumber, basil and pumpkin plants (assuming I don't kill them shortly after they sprout) so let me know if you want any!

And no, I'm not the only one suddenly interested in a garden. Here's an article to prove it: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=103038

Okay, so it's a LITTLE early...

2009-03-30T08:59:00.003-04:00

…I’ve started collecting Box Tops for Education. For those of you who don't know about this program, General Mills and parterning brands have these little coupons on the top of some of their products, and each Box Top coupon is worth 10¢ for a school. And this can really add up! Of course, most brands I buy aren't part of this program and I am not going to change my shopping habits for them, but I am on the lookout for them and *ahem* would love donations from my friends. If you start saving them for me, Sam will really appreciate it! (In about six years…)

:)

Knit Four, Crochet Three

2009-03-29T22:03:00.005-04:00

Yay! I got seven knitting and crochet magazines from Freecycle. I had to go all the way to Edgemere to get them, but it was well worth it! I really liked the Knitscene... and of course the Interweave magazines. I'm working on a baby sweater and a beret... then maybe something from one of these. :)

Gone Baby Gone

2009-03-26T16:10:00.004-04:00

While I'm updating, I should mention that I finally cut my hair and donated a good 10 - 12 inches to Locks of Love. It was a bit of a shock for a day or two, to look in the mirror and see someone with chin-length hair staring back, but I'm used to it now and (begrudgingly) agree with my mother that I look more put-together and adult.

I'd definitely do this again... although it may take a few years to get an extra foot of hair again!

Earth Hour!

2009-03-26T16:05:00.002-04:00

Earth Hour 2009 is this Saturday at 8:30 PM. Turn off your lights for 60 minutes to show your concern for climate change! (I'm sure you can think of something fun to do in the dark for an hour...) It’s sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund: www.earthhourus.org

Hug a tree while you're at it!

Sam I Am... 17 Weeks Today

2009-03-26T15:31:00.002-04:00

I looked up a few stats on my little one (who we are calling "Sam" rather than "it"):

Sam's birthstone will be sapphire, which is supposed to bring physical and emotional balance. (Unless he or she sneaks into the world a few days early; then it will be peridot, like my mom.)
His or her astrological sign will be Virgo (like my mom!). It's an earth element and is associated with the planet Mercury. I expect Sam will like routine, be a bit shy, and require little attention (okay, maybe not at first).
The birth flower will be Aster. (Unless he or she sneaks in early, in August, then it will be Gladiolas.)
Sam will be born in the Chinese Year of the Ox. (Which is compatible with mommy's sign... I'm a Snake!)
Sam will start kindergarten in 2014, be old enough to drive a car in 2025, finish high school in 2027, and will graduate from college with the class of 2031, give or take a year.

How exciting!

Sniffle

2009-02-06T16:14:00.002-05:00

I finally got my winter cold. It started with yuckiness in my throat, which made Matt suggest I go to Patient First, which I ignored. Then a runny nose, which made Matt suggest I go to Patient First, which I ignored. Last night, I woke up several times with difficulty breathing, and terrible congestion, which made Matt suggest I go to Patient First, which I ignored because I had stuff I HAD to do at work, which I was SURE could all be done before 1pm, and I'd take a half-day then either go to Patient First or ignore Matt's suggestion to do so, and flop in bed with a good book and a rotten kitten. But here it is, 4:30, and I'm still trying to push work through the creative department. I wanna go home!

On the other hand, Matt, Doug and Bob are going to the motorcycle show tomorrow, and I plan on spending the afternoon slurping on popsicles and tea and reading and knitting and watching old musicals. Which isn't the same as being able to breathe okay, but it's still pretty nice. :)

My first nurse's appointment: 1/14

2009-01-19T17:22:00.006-05:00

Matt was so sweet to go with me to this. It was nothing, really. Their nurse is only in on Wednesdays, so they got us in as soon as they could to get my and Matt’s medical histories, go over some do’s and don’ts, tell me I REALLY ought to get a flu shot, and REALLY need to start exercising a little bit. (They asked whether I currently exercise and I said no. They said I need to exercise because at my height and weight, I should gain 30 pounds or fewer, and what I do gain will be hard to lose, so it helps if I do something mild to moderate three times a week, that won’t raise my core body temperature too much.)

Then they took urine and blood samples. The latter part took two nurses, one less sweater (thank goodness for the camisoles Mom got me!), a cold rag, some juice, a granola bar, and a good ten minutes. But one of the staff (I didn’t realize she’s not a nurse) remembered me from last time and made sure I had a place to lay down, and she did most of the work. They had a hard time finding a vein that works (they tied me up and tapped in three places before deciding where they MIGHT get blood), and then for whatever reason, it just doesn’t come OUT very well. So once they get in, they sit there for a long while waiting for it to trickle out. But my lady is the nicest thing ever, gentle and patient and sweet. I only have to do that part three or four more times. THANK GOD!

We see the doctor next Thursday. I can’t wait!! I really hope they do the Doppler so I can see a heartbeat. I just want PROOF that there is something living in there!

BTW, they loved Matt. Of course. When I was getting my blood drawn, they put him in the waiting room and when I started getting pale, they told me to think of that wonderful husband I had. How cute??

Trifecta of Disappointing News Stories

2009-01-13T19:09:00.001-05:00

Following is a disturbing post from Iconoculture, one of the email blasts I receive.

The close of 2008 and the opening of 2009 brought a trifecta of disturbing stories that have food-aware consumers reeling.

One: The FDA issued a proposal saying (to paraphrase) that despite reports to the contrary from our country's own environmental agency, consumers should eat more fish — mercury poisoning be damned (Chicago Tribune 12.14.08). Consumers, already confused about seafood, don't know which governmental advice to trust, the EPA's or the FDA's.

Two: Turns out that one "organic" fertilizer company, California Liquid Fertilizer, was secretly spiking its stuff with synthetics. Its Big Organic clients didn't know, but the California Department of Food and Agriculture did— and did nothing to stop it for three years (SacBee.com 12.28.08). Yes, this means that consumers now have good reason to doubt the Certified Organic label.

Three: A reporter from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer found that honey labels are none too sweet, either (1.2.09). From place-of-origin to certified organic status to grade levels, Big Honey has been found to (often) lie through its comb teeth. Consumers currently have no way of knowing whether the label accurately indicates what's inside.

With money so tight these days, shoppers need something to believe in, especially if they're being asked to cough up a couple extra bucks for the "good stuff." So really: If we can't believe what we read on the label, how do we know what the good stuff is?

Disturbing!!! How do they get away with this??

Week Eight, Already!

2009-01-09T09:29:00.004-05:00

I’m guessing that I’m rounding out my eighth week already. That would mean the baby is about half an inch right now; the size of a raspberry. It’s starting to look more baby-like and is even starting to develop a face, and webbed fingers and toes. Isn’t that nuts??

I still haven’t had any morning sickness, and very little heartburn. My mom tells me that she didn't get morning sickness with any of her three kids. What a relief! I get pains in my stomach (which are supposed to be growing pains), have been spotting a little each day (which freaks me out, but a friend with an eight month old tells me it happens) and my breasts are tender. But that’s it. We have a nurse’s appointment 1/14 and finally see the doctor 1/22. I’ll almost be through my first trimester by then! Matt said he’s going to try to go to all of our doctor appointments, even the quick check-ups. He kisses my belly when he gets home at night. It’s really sweet.

I told Matt I have a feeling it’s a girl. Apparently, pregnant moms guess correctly something like 75% of the time! Now we are debating whether we want to find out...

The Curious Case of Frying Panda...Zombies?

2009-01-08T17:02:00.003-05:00

Carlos and I saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" on Tuesday. It was very, very good. It reminded me in some ways of Forrest Gump, in that epic-tale-of-one-man sort of way. I'd definitely watch it again. The only surprise was that it didn't make me cry... two of my male coworkers saw it and said their wives bawled and that even they got misty-eyed.

Carlos and I also did our gift exchange. I got him a zombie book and I made him a pet zombie. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of him! Maybe I'll make another. Carlos made me a fist-full of CDs, got me a zombie book (!), an icanhascheezburger magnetic phrase kit (now I need to print out some pictures of Alex and Angel!) and a frying panda. I kid you not; it's a frying pan with a panda face on the outside. I used it just last night to make an egg. Yum!

What You Learn From Absence

2009-01-08T09:19:00.002-05:00

The area by the boys' food and water bowls used to be littered with strewn about kibbles. I've seen both of them get distracted when they eat and drop food out of their mouths, but it must have been Alex who did the majority of the get-distracted-turn-to-look-and-have-food-fly-out-of-his-mouth, because there aren't many kibbles on the floor anymore.

It makes me smile to think of him.

Alexander Sebastian

2009-01-04T18:59:00.017-05:00

We had Angel for about a year before deciding that he needed a friend. Matt had been to the adoption center in Petsmart and wanted me to see a kitten that resembled Angel. I did, but didn't click with him, or any of the other cats I saw.

But I noticed an empty, open cage, and the volunteer explained that each cat had time out of their cages, but Cedric was terribly timid, and spent his turn hiding under the stacks of cages. I got on my hands and knees and peered under there and saw two enormous green eyes peering out of a ginger and white head. I reached my hand to him, and he sniffed, nuzzled, then hit me with a forceful head-butt. And just like that, I found my baby.

To let him get used to us and his new home before introducing him to his new brother, we shut our baby in our bedroom with food, water and a litter box. But he had other plans in mind... as soon as we let him out of his cage, he dashed under the bed and there he stayed.

For three days.

I spend a lot of time on the floor those three days: laying where he could see me, talking to him, petting him, trying to encourage him to come out of his shell. On the third day, we left the bedroom door open. While in the living room watching TV, we heard Angel make the craziest, guttural growl ever heard. And when we looked up, we saw our green-eyed, pink-nosed, long-limbed, ginger and white baby cautiously round the corner. He was ready to join his new family.

We didn't like the name "Cedric" for our new baby. We wanted a name that suited him, that might give him some of the courage he seemed to lack. We flipped through baby name books, debated during meals, and finally agreed on something. Alexander Sebastian. Defender of the people. Venerable. Our baby.

Of course, Alex went by a dozen different names. The Baby. Booger Boy. Bunny. Dopey. Face. Fuzzy. Ginger-chin. Gingersnap. Oaf. Pathetic. Pest. Pigeon. Pink-Nosed Bunny Boy. Punam. Stupid. We called him Pigeon because when he purred, it sounded less like a motor and more like a pigeon's coo. It melted my heart every time. And his meow! I've never heard something so high pitched. Sometimes, he'd strain so hard to make himself heard that he'd shudder with the effort, open his mouth, and nothing would come out.

As he became more confident, he became more outgoing. He'd greet new people, demand their love, head-butt them affectionately. If you could read his thoughts, he was probably thinking, Hi! My name is Alex! I love you!

Quite the mischievous boy, he'd chew on pretty much anything left in the open. Shoes. Handbags. Pens. Ribbons. Boxes. Tissue paper was a favorite. He loved to lay on his back with his legs splayed open; we'd laugh and call him vulgar. He tore up at ate the carpet on his scratching post, screamed for tuna juice, ran off with my yarn, sat on my homework, picked fights with his brother, interrupted anyone who was getting attention. He didn't believe in idle hands; hands should be busy loving him.

He loved the laser pointer, and would jump to attention whenever he heard us pick it up. While Angel was a stalker, he's guilelessly chase it all over the place. We'd shine it on the ceiling and he'd get on his back legs and reeeeeeach for it, long fat tummy exposed to the world.

And yet, he was the laziest thing ever, napping constantly. In the kitty tree, on the sofa, on the recliners, on the dining room table, in a sunny spot on the floor, on the bed, in my closet, in the guest room, in boxes... wherever he had room, he had a napping spot.

While I always had a special connection with Angel, Alex was always more demanding of our attention. He was at the foot of the bed when I woke up, he was at the door when I got home, he was on my lap every time I sat down. The opposite of the elegant, graceful feline, Alex was a klutzy, dopey guy. He'd walk across you and it felt like each step carried his entire weight. And he was restless on laps, walking in circles, laying down, stomping around some more. Sometimes, I'd get frustrated and Matt would tell me to make him get down. But I never had the heart to.

The mornings was Angel's time with mom; the evenings was Alex's time. When I got in bed, he would lay across my chest and stomach, pink nose in my face, pushing away books and magazines to get petted and loved. Then he'd stomp around the pillows, putting his butt in Matt's face, head-butting our heads so much it would hurt. Loving us so much, it hurt.

The weekend after Christmas, Alex threw up a few times. Matt had given him leftover turkey and he always had a sensitive stomach, so we didn't think much of it. By the third day, he hadn't gotten better, had become lethargic, seemed to be limping, and was hiding. We made an appointment with his vet at Falls Road Animal Hospital. An x-ray showed one atrophied kidney and one enlarged one. They said it could be something as benign as an infection and as serious as cancer. They gave him some fluids and put him on an oral antibiotic.

Back home, he didn't have the energy to fight me when being forced his antibiotics, and didn't run off when we were done. So I sat with him, stroked him, told him he was a good boy, assured him he'd be okay. There were no head-butts, no nuzzles when I put my finger in front of his nose. He didn't get in bed with us that night; I put a pillow on the floor and laid with him until he went off to hide in my closet.

New Year's Day, he vomited blood and had bloody stool. We rushed him back to Falls Road. He didn't protest.

I expressed my concern about the care he had received the day before, how the vet gave oral meds when he couldn't keep anything down, and should've kept him there for better care and observation. They agreed he needed to stay overnight; he had an ultrasound scheduled for the next day, and in the meantime, they could keep an eye on him, and keep some fluids in him. I told him I wanted him to be good and get better, hugged him, kissed him, held him. I almost cried when I put my finger in front of him and got one more weak nuzzle.

Friday afternoon at work, I spend a good deal of time on the phone with his vet, raising my concerns about his treatment, then repeating them to Dr. Kim Hammond, the CEO. They assured me they'd get his ultrasound as soon as possible. A coworker told me I should go there and lean on them. But I didn't. They called at 4pm to let me know they were running late due to an emergency. Then they called around 5:30, saying he was fading.

I rushed to the vet, begging that he hold on until I get there. But he didn't. I didn't listen to the advice of my friend, and he died without me there to hold him. I have a hard time accepting that he's gone. And I can't forgive myself for not being there.

Alex must have been the feline version of my Granddad: he lived honestly, loved purely, died rapidly. He left a hole in the hearts who loved him. He was thoroughly good. Unique. Irreplaceable. Missed. And loved.

Telling Mom

2009-01-04T18:58:00.004-05:00

Matt and I went to my mom's house on New Year's Day, after taking Alex to the ER at Falls Road Animal Hospital. We were pretty stressed and worried about Alex, and I know I was ready to see my mom. We sat and knitted for a few minutes, and talked. I told her I wanted to get my knitting done so I could concentrate on the tome I was reading, then asked she get it out of my purse. She pulled What to Expect When You Are Expecting out, looked at it and asked with little hope, "What? Are you expecting?"

"Yes!"

And she got so excited, she cried, and threw her arms around me.

Bob came running out of his room, asking what was going on, and when we told him, he hugged me and sniffled, too. Then said, "I am so going to spoil that kid!" and retreated to his room.

I have a feeling he won't be the only one.

Christmas Morning

2009-01-04T18:57:00.003-05:00

Christmas morning, I woke up early to go to the bathroom, and crawled back in bed to try to wake Matt. "You're shaking, baby" he said. Small wonder.

I got up and, ironically, put some buns in the oven for breakfast. A sweet treat for Christmas morning has always been a tradition. We opened our gifts from one another, then plundered our stockings. When all was said and done, I told Matt there should've been something else in his stocking, and went upstairs to get it.

"I found it! It's not wrapped, though. You'll have to close your eyes and put out your hand." And I placed the pregnancy test in his palm. Matt opened his eyes, looked confused, looked startled, and then shouted, "REALLY??" I told him I had taken the test that morning -- no wonder I was shaking -- and he put his arms around me and squeezed me tight. And sniffled. And said it was the best Christmas present he could've asked for.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T12:21:00.004-05:00

Matt and I were very spoiled this Christmas.

Mom went overboard, giving me a cast-iron skillet, a quiche pan, a cupcake calendar, four long tank tops (I wear them nearly every day. Who wants to see my backside hanging out??), a subscription to a knitting magazine, the "Call Me Crazy" CD... but my absolute favorite is my Williams-Sonoma Paris cookbook. I've been reading through it every night since.

Bob got me a pink Ravens mug, a tear-off daily poetry calendar, and gold hoop earrings I've worn every day so far. Shannon gave us B&BW foaming hand wash and a vanilla cupcake candle... yum! GJ got me several boxes of organic tea. (Nighty-Night is my favorite.)

Matt got me a set of eight prep bowls, a microplane, two new sets of metal measuring spoons, truffle oil, French sea salt, a metal rub-away bar, pop-up sponges, Lollia bubble bath, Out of Africa (I LOVE that movie!!), Sex and the City and La Vie En Rose (which I ended up trading in for a happier movie).

Matt's cousin Courtney got us a framed Paris picture, his cousin Dave got us a gift certificate to a comedy show, his Aunt Gloria gave us movies, gift certificates to Barnes & Noble, money, and gave me a ticket to see Grease at the Hippodrome in February.

Matt's mom got me a pair of fuzzy socks and a pair of funny heart socks, a pretty tapestry shawl, Wall-E, Wanted, and a cashmere sweater. Oh, and she got us a Blu-Ray player and a 52" Sony Bravia HDTV. Superbowl party at our house!

Diana: Her True Story

2008-12-21T13:18:00.003-05:00

I read this one to pass some time and get it off of my bookshelf, so I could pass it along to my grandmother. The book was entertaining enough, but there is an immature, self-pitying tone that likely (I'm too lazy to do the math) is due in part to her being younger than me when the book was originally published. (She had cooperated with the author.)

On the last page of the book, the author had summarized Diana as "fearless yet frail, unloved but adored, needy but generous, self-obsessed yet selfless, inspirational yet dispairing, demanding of advice but disliking criticism, honest yet disingenuous, intuitive yet unworldly, supremely sophisticated yet constantly uncertain, and manipulative but naive."

This being a commemorative edition, I'll assume it does little justice to her as she was in her late thirties, when she died.

BusyBusyBusy Good Day.

2008-12-11T23:11:00.004-05:00

OMG today was just go Go GO GO GOGOGOGO! This meeting, that meeting, the next meeting, the Panera meeting, the creative meeting, the phone meeting, drive to Bel Air for a meeting. Phew! Then gogogo to the mall to get a wedding gift and stocking stuffer and gift cards and I'd really like to get myself the perfect red lipstick, but you know this economy... then in the car to gogogo to the next thing and home, but Matt drove down a few floors of the parking garage, then STOPPED! And we had dinner at P.F. Chang's. It was Matt's first time there, and it was surprisingly quiet (it was also 9:15) and we had an incredible intimate meal and a darling waiter who reminded me of Jamie Oliver and the most perfect imaginable fortunes. (On the first try! Though our waiter promised to bring me fortunes until I got the one I wanted.)

His:
Be on the alert for new opportunity.

Mine:
Good news of long-awaited event will arrive soon.

...

Psst! Happy Holidays!

2008-12-10T09:20:00.002-05:00

Every year, Planit puts out an online Christmas card. This year's started a little risque but I suppose someone reminded our Interactive team that they are not the target audience. (Yes, we are a more trendy agency, but we do still have a number of more conservative clients who we need to think of. As Stine puts it, Kill Your Darling.)

Anyway, it's still pretty amusing and I on target with the skewering the online gossip columns and such. It's called Northern Exposure -- the hot celeb news from the North Pole. It's still being finalized, so check back for updates. Enjoy! www.northernexposuregossip.com

Weekend Purls

2008-11-30T20:55:00.005-05:00

The boss let us out early Wednesday afternoon, so a coworker and I ran to Whole Foods for last minute supplies. And coffee. Nom. Then I went home and slaved over the hot ... knitting? Our Thanksgiving tradition has been to spend even years with my family and odd years with Matt's. (Coincidence?) So I don't have to do any cooking. In fact, I only had to bring cranberries. (I'm pretty grossed out by the canned cranberries. The gel that plops out of the can while maintaining the shape of the can is horrifying to me. It doesn't occur in nature and shouldn't happen during Thanksgiving.) So when I got home, I knitted.

(In case you think I'm completely lazy, I DID do most of the Thanksgiving dishes.)

Matt had to work on Friday, and I spent a good part of the day doing laundry and watching movies (Enchanted and Gone Baby Gone... the first was pretty cute, and the latter was just heart-wrenching. I loved it.)

Saturday, we met friends at The Visionary Arts Museum for Bizaart. I love the idea of the self-taught artists selling their wares. My favorites were the purses from hardback book covers, zombie art, cupcake necklaces, whimsical paintings, and enamel jewelry featuring birds. I love birds and was happy to see them represented in several of the vendors' stalls.

Afterwards, we went to the Towson Town Center and wrapped up the vast majority of our holiday shopping. There are a few things I need to order online, then I need to shop for Matt and I am DONE. I'm one of those people who stress from Thanksgiving to Christmas about holiday shopping, and getting the "just right" gifts. This year, I started early, tried hard to stick to a budget, and for the most part, purchased gifts I wouldn't mind receiving myself. The top of the entertainment center is laden with boxes; I don't have the tree up yet, but whenever we do get it up, the gifts have to be where Angel won't try to unwrap them!

The rest of the weekend was spent watching more movies (The Fountain and The Good Shepherd), watching football, baking cupcakes...

And more knitting. One of the three projects I finished this weekend was an autumn tea cozy. Tea cozies are terribly old-fashioned but wonderfully practical. Matt always serves me a pot of tea with breakfast on the weekends, and we often wrap the teapot with a napkin because I like my tea piping hot. The tea cozy will serve to keep my tea warmer with a close-fitting wrap that I can leave on when pouring another cup. Laugh if you will, but I love it! My first cozy is bright orange and was knit in a pumpkin-looking pattern. I had intended to have it done before Halloween, but put it away in early October and forgot about it. I may put it away with my Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations and make another in a neutral color for the rest of the year. (And I'll likely make one in a bigger size for my other teapots. Yes, I have more than one.)

The rest of my knitting projects are on Ravelry, but are Christmas surprises! Now, the only things I have on the needles are my first sock (still) and sweater. Too bad tomorrow's Monday; I wouldn't mind spending another few days practicing domestic arts.