The LB is still in the Christmas spirit. Ever since his school Christmas party we recognize that he has been singing Jingle Bells, a lot. It's mainly the "Dashing through the snow" part that he loves so much and it makes me jolly to hear him singing it at random times throughout the day.

I can't wait until all the holidays are over. I'm ready to start my new resolutions. One being that I plan to blog everyday. I sure do miss it. and I miss my blogging buddies. But I will be back, never fear!

So we went to a Christmas party Saturday night. We had a blast and Master P slept until 8am Sunday morning. We started off having a really early dinner at Lilette before we went to the party so I wouldn't eat a ton of meatballs (they had them the year before and if you don't like mini meatballs, you haven't tried the ones catered by Martin's). Anyway, I was feeling pretty sassy and skinny in my new skinny pants. It was one of those parties where you see so many people that you haven't caught up with in years. So you're excited and at the same time hoping you've aged pretty well. And also hoping that you don't look like you just had a baby 9 weeks ago. All of my hopes were realized-or so I thought until a guy walked up and out of the blue said something like, "oh, you're not drinking, right?" It was a wierd comment anyway, because it was the first thing he said and it wasn't relevant and didn't make ANY sense. But I responded by saying that yeah, I was. and that's when it hit me. He thought I was still pregnant. OUCH. But you know what? I think I look pretty darn good after just having a baby 2 months ago. I know I am a bit flabby but if you didn't know me you wouldn't think I were pregnant. Maybe it's the new style of shirts, a-line and flowy. Yeah, that was probably it.

All I Want for Christmas

is to be able to whoop it up on a Saturday night and have BP sleep until 7. I have always cringed when people ask me if my baby sleeps through the night. even with W. Because never fails, when I say yes, that same night he never would. So I stopped responding to the question. Now with BP when people ask, I don't respond either but it seems that just the simple question jinxes me. EVERY Saturday night that we go out, BP wakes up at 4am. Like clockwork. What's the deal?

It's a bit early to be thinking about this, but one of my New Year's Resolution is to not ask new mom's if their baby is sleeping through the night. They will all be thankful if you add it to your list.

Well maybe I should just change my wish for Christmas. All I want for Christmas is for no one to ask me if BP is sleeping through the night.

You better watch out, I'm going to pout

I'm feeling the stress of the holidays more than usual this year. It's like it all of sudden is bearing down on me. Usually I don't let it bother me so much. I love Christmas and always do everything last minute but this year I don't have the time to do anything in the 3 day crunch time before Christmas much less with 25 days left. It's hard to get around with 2 kids. and it makes me anxious trying to figure out how to host playdates, get to all the Christmas birthday parties, 2 visiting Santa parties, ordering Christmas cards, in addition to buying clothes for cocktail parties (because if I do have anything I can't fit into them or they are sooooo out of style), and let's not forget I still have to buy presents for people, teachers, family, friends, and babysitters. and I have to do it all in between nursing BP every 3 hours. So forget excercising. My pledge to be really skinny will have to wait.

I hate to be a Scrooge but I just want to hole up until it's all over with.

Oh, and my beautiful Christmas tree that we had delivered yesterday (yes, we had it delivered and it was well worth it) will probably never get decorated.

All babies are sleeping. Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

Bachelor: Brad Womack

This is obviously a hot button issue. We'll have to discuss it more after the show tonight.

To address some comments:
Yes, I believe that he is the hottest bachelor ever, in a normal sense. The rest have been total losers. I'll have to explain more later. I'll go back in history at another time. Right now I don't want to take away from the impact of this season.

Deanna was seen at Brad's bar. It wouldn't surprise me if they have been in touch since the show although I thought that was a no-no according to their contract. She was relatively normal as well which is why I could totally see them living happily ever after.

The Bachelor: Brad Womack

WHAAAAT?! Brad Womack, the hottest, most normal of all the Bachelors in history obviously has some committment issues. That was such a crappy ending. It was just-blah. I cannot believe he didn't pick one. Just pick one, dammit. Then you can break up with them an hour later but at least give us the satisfaction of thinking you are in love. I thought for sure he was going to pick Deanna. I was wrong.

My theory for the reason he didn't pick either one:
Jenny was too damn emotional and immature. and he didn't really jive with her family. I know he says he did but I think the thought of marrying into the family (as nice as I am sure they are) didn't appeal to him and being the committment-phobe that he is, all the crying and desperation scared him away.

and as for Deanna. He knew that he wanted to marry her, or someone exactly like her, that is if he really wanted to get married. But committment-phobes don't get married so he couldn't choose her.

That's it. I cannot wait for tomorrow's After the Final Rose.

Before I had kids, my friend told me that when another kid was mean to your kid you wanted to kick their ass. On Friday, I experienced that feeling. Not only did I want to kick the kid's ass, but I did kick her ass. This is what happened.

We all loaded up, BP, W and me and went to the park. It was CRAZY! Kids everywhere in addition to about 20 moms having a late afternoon picnic while their kids ran rampant. So W was having a grand time, going down the slide, climbing all over. and there was me. My first outing to the park with both of them. I was trying to watch W on the play equipment and watch BP in his stroller that was caught in the crossfire of a thousand older boys throwing chunks of dried mud at each other and before I knew it a little girl had shoved, and I mean SHOVED W down the slide, so hard that he was all askew, barely hanging on, almost falling off with a look of terror on his face. and he started crying, more from fear than anything but he could have really hurt himself. That's when I lost it. I let her have it. I tried to keep my cool and told her she was too old to be doing that, that she needed to apologize, that she shouldn't be on the little kids area. She was about 7-8 years old and really pretty. So pretty that people probably have been telling her that all of her life so she has that bitchy attitude. I know this because she sassed me back and got right back up on the slide and slid down. So I poked her in the chest with my finger and told her she wasn't allowed on the little kids equipment and if she was going to act like that she should go elsewhere (in so many words). and the little bitch looked at me as if she didn't give a flying f--- and went on her merry way. Side note: I don't remember being a bitch until I was 12 or so. When we were leaving the park she had the audacity to stare me down until we were out of eyesight. Kids these days. I am shocked. and if it was your kid, I won't apologize because if it had been my kid acting like that I would have been pleased that you reprimanded my child. It takes a village...

Her mom was obviously was one of the mom's whoopin' it up at the picnic so was totally unaware of the situation but by gaging her kid's attitude I am not sure she would have cared anyway.

I told W that he wasn't allowed to hit girls but he sure could push them back if the situation called for it.

Now I don't want to be one of those mom's that fights the battles for their kids. That's what make a nerd but I am not sure how to remove myself. If it happened again I would do the same thing.

Can't play a player

W has taken to whining a lot lately but only with me and especially if I am going to leave him and take the baby even if it's only out of the room. This whining, grates on my last frickin' nerve. I am finding myself raising my voice and pouring more wine than I thought I would. Like last night when J was still at work, W was whining at me and BP was screaming at the top of his lungs like he is want to do in the early evening. AAAAHHHHHHHH!

I need to catch him in a photo. He sticks his bottom lip out and and puts his bottom teeth to his top lip and goes at it. I started doing it back to him. Only because I knew he was whining to provoke a response. How do I know? Because YOU CAN'T PLAY A PLAYER. It is the exact same face I made when I was a kid to get what I wanted. I don't remember if it worked for me or not but I tell you one thing. It ain't gonna work for him. No sir. We are nipping this one in the bud-even if it drives me to drink.

Calgon take me away

I had a few after pregnancy firsts on Tuesday. I got the go ahead to excercise again which is kind of bittersweet, you know. I am ready but not looking forward to the pressure of excercising everyday. and I took a scalding hot bath!!! That was the best. As I was soaking in the hot water I thought to myself that a bath is truly the only time that I get that is stress free. Because...when I take a shower I have W standing there watching me with his hands on his knees(not sure how long that is going to be appropriate but..). We don't have locks on the doors-the people before us I guess thought they were being fancy by putting swinging french doors there and even fancier with their open shower that is not supposed to splash water out on the floor (it does splash water by the way if you are in the market for a bathroom reno.) So W is always there. Even when I'm sleeping I always have an ear open for one of the boys waking up. and when I am in my car, running errands alone, there is always that rush to get back nagging at me. I don't think that ever goes away. So the bath is going to be my only alone time. I am sooo glad to have it back.

Hi. I'm better. I've had more sleep and finally feel kind of functional. I'm just one of those people who need 9 hours of sleep. J, not so much. He never went to bed last night. He worked all night and is working all day, all with a stiff upper lip. I don't know how he does it. I would be screaming and crying.

We're getting into somewhat of a routine with BP. That's the other thing. It was the lack of sleep, raging hormones, having to nurse all the time, with no routine to govern my day. It drove me crazy. Literally. So we're on the upswing.

I cooked a real dinner for the first time since I had the baby. It was delicious. I still had to shovel it down so fast that I had reflux (seems to be a common theme lately) but it was good. Double cut pork chops with a carmelized onion gravy and shitake mushrooms. I wish I had a photo for you. BP started crying halfway through as did the LB. lately he's been having crying fits when we put him to bed-for hours. We can't figure it out. I am guessing it's some kind of separation anxiety. Last week he ended up sleeping with us. Well, he slept. We didn't so I was having none of that last night. I'm already sleep deprived as it is.

Anyway, look for more upbeat posts in the coming days. I promise there is a fun loving person somewhere behind all of this.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I can't believe it's already Halloween. But I can believe that the baby is 3 weeks old although it feels like he should be a year. A girl told me yesterday that it will all get better once he is 3 months. 3 months!!! I have 2 more months of this? I obviously have good and bad days. The bad days are when I am exhausted (I'm always tired) coupled with my stomach really hurting, like yesterday. It's almost like the numbness from the surgery is wearing off inside and now I'm really feeling the pain. The kicker is that I can't take my pain killers with 1 toddler roaming around the house. Today it hurts but it's still morning so it's hard to gage how the day will turn out. We will see.

I'm not sure the LB will enjoy Halloween this year. But he will be an awfully cute pumpkin, if I can get him to wear the costume. He's not much for dressing up. Like father, like son. I'm not either but once I am in costume (No, I'm not dressing up) I always enjoy myself more than I could ever imagine. It's the hassle of finding just the right costume, whether it be Mardi Gras, Halloween or just some random costume party.

I'm hoping that I will get back in gear, here on NolaMom on a regular basis, soon. There is just not much time. Not even to take a shower. Because what little free time I have is not worth wasting on blogging (no offense, I do respect my fans), showering or eating. Sleeping is my priority right now, even if it's only 2-4 hours a day.

The awfulness will end, right?

It's still awful. It really gets bad toward the afternoon when I am broken down from a total lack of sleep. Last night I had J do baby duty while I went to sleep from 7:30 until 9:30. I know it's totally depressing for him to come home to more work and a reheated burnt tuna noodle casserole. But BP slept like a champ last night. I know it was just a fluke but whatever.

It's the nursing that really gets to me. But atleast I am slowly fitting into nonmaternity clothes. I don't want to weigh myself quite yet because I know it will just depress me but I CANNOT wait to go shopping for cute clothes....in a year. Ha! The beauty of nursing. This time I am doing it more for me than the baby. So selfish, I know but it certainly didn't keep ear infections away from W. I nursed him for 7 months specifically for that reason and look where it got us....5 ear infections and a perforated ear drum later.

We got out yesterday. All 3 of us. I had to. We got out the door, W in his sunsuit, me in flipflops and baby in a skimpy day gown only to find it was freezing cold. So we had to pile back in the house which pissed W off and add sweaters to our ragamuffin wardrobes. We were a sight. Let me tell ya. So we made it to the coffee shop and LO AND BEHOLD there was a party going on! It was packed full of familiar faces and W was so happy to see his buddy and vice versa. Lauren said I looked like I was going to cry and she was right. It took everything I had to suck the tears back in. I don't know if it was because it was so hard just getting 3 minutes down the road or if I was overjoyed to be out and see people much less friendly faces. It was quite the welcoming. I didn't sugar coat this experience though and I must apologize to those who are pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant. It's not all horrible. There is a wonderful, sweet little baby in it for you. But anyway, it was the highlight of our day.

If I knew then what I know now.

I wish I would have known what a piece of cake it was having just the Little Buddy when he was a baby compared to now. I stressed out about every little thing and was anxious all of the time. Was he eating enough? Is he sleeping enough? Too much? Do you have a cold-don't touch him, etc. Now that the new baby is here-yes, finally, the new baby is here which is why I've been away-I long for the days of taking care of just one.

BP was born a big ole baby with a voracious appetite. While W is in the 25th percentile, BP is 95th in height, 75th in weight with humoungous feet-so the doctor says. and if I'm not model skinny by the time I'm done nursing him-I will be sorely dissapointed because I am a feeding machine.

Everyone was right, though. I love him so much. I was worried about it. I knew I would love him, but as much as W? I wasn't sure it was possible. It's different of course because I know W and love him for everything that he is. I intensely love BP but I don't quite know him yet.

The past few days have been rough. I had to have a transverse fly? Ceasarean. I'm not sure that's the correct term but I felt like I was in an episode of Grey's Anatomy and all the residents were excited to see the procedure done. I won't get into gory details but it wasn't fun and I don't think I want to do that again, at all. I finally made it home after going horribly stir crazy at Ochsner. Baptist was an overall better experience but of course I missed the LB too. Then W got sick and the help I have 2 days per week had a traumatic death in the family so J and I have been going it alone. and even though I cry daily I'm very happy. Just...so...tired. J told me more than 5 times yesterday how tired I look-that's when the reality came crashing down around us. I think the thing that really gets me emotional is W. I miss him like I've never thought possible. Yes, he is right here with us but I can't pick him up or play with him much or do all of things that I did for him or that we did together. I miss him. He seems to get it, that there is a new baby in town so he is J's constant shadow.

I'm waiting for this to become the new normal. But I'm becoming impatient. Thanks to everyone who's checked in, brought coffee, delicious casseroles and such. It's been a huge help.

Taco Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, Anyone?

The New Baby is almost here and I've just been too preoccupied to write. It's not that I'm not thinking about y'all. I am, along with a million other things.

I just got an article about Taco Tuesday's from a friend. We've been having those alot around here (maybe not necessarily on Tuesdays) and it's a well loved tradition complete with Taco Kits and the such. When my back is not hurting I spice it up with sauteed onion and peppers, freshly grated cheddar cheese and guacamole. Otherwise I just use the Kit and ground beef which is still just as delicious. The plan was to give it up once the New Baby arrived and revert back to our healthy eating habits. It's going to be hard and now that the time is almost upon us I can't promise it will happen. There is nothing like a good ole greasy ground beef hard corn El Paso taco. It's about American as Hamburger Helper and I'm proud to be an American.

Are you tired?

I know it's a little too late but for a split second today I thought, what are we doing? Are we ready for another baby? W was up all night last night, coughing, with hives. I held him as I was propped up uncomfortably on pillows. He coughed so hard at one point that he threw up. We all finally went to sleep around 4 and we woke up at 7:15. It's wierd how you don't mind while you are in the moment. It's the time before he wakes up that I am anxious. I just had a feeling it would be one of those nights. So I wasn't sleeping well anyway. But once we were up and I was rocking him the only thing I was worried about was the LB.

While I was up holding him last night I figured I would be about 42 years old before we could possible sleep in again, both J and I. It makes me tired thinking about it. I'm tired.

Then I watched John and Kate plus 8 tonight. They have twins and sextuplets. I can't watch it anymore. I get too depressed for them. I think I'm tired?

But really, I am very happy to be having another baby. I so excited but I can't help but think I will miss the family we have now. The three of us, hanging out, being us, because we're good together. I can only pray that the four of us will be good together, too.

What's going on

1. W didn't cry when J dropped him off at school. He said he certainly wasn't happy but he wasn't crying. Now that's progress. I can't explain the euphoria I felt. Every day that he goes to school I usually call J and ask the same question. Did he cry? and of course I always expect the same answer. Yes. So today when I asked the question and got a different response I was ecstatic!!!! Yay!!!! I want to call everyone I know and tell them.

2. My cousin, Will, is deploying to Iraq as an officer in the Airbourne Division of the Army in a few days. I know he is serving his country and I have a great admiration and respect for him but it still makes me sad. Please say a prayer for him.

3. Another storm in the Gulf?!? I don't watch enough news but I happened to see a glimpse of Margaret Orr talking about it in an for the news. I was fast forwarding while watching a show so I stopped. That's all I know. I checked out the weather online and couldn't find out much more. Please, I'm asking any storm that is tempted to come this way to find another route until I have this baby. or find another route until next season so I can have this baby AND stay at home when it's a newborn just so I can know what that is like.

4. I had coffee with a dear friend. The last time I had coffee with her was when she had a newborn baby. The baby is a year old. It's crazy and I realized how much I missed her.

WHO DAT?!?

It's Black and Gold Day today and the LB was lucky enough to have just the thing to wear thanks to Uncle RaRa and Aunt JoJo.

I complain about my weight. I always have. Before W I worked hard to be fit as I was always the fattest of my friends growing up. After W I never really got back into great shape knowing in the back of my mind that I would get pregnant again and what was the point. But I kept complaining even though I was pretty normal. and now that I'm pregnant I complain about my the cellulite and the fear of it never going away. The other morning the LB patted my big ole belly indicating that he knows something is in there but he didn't stop there. He walked around me to my butt and patted that too. He must think there is something in my butt also. and by the looks of it, if I didn't know better I would think that too. Anyway, I came across this website that shows scary sights of women's bodies during and after pregnancy. The above photo being one of them. It made me feel a bit better about myself and I realized that I can always look worse, be fatter, have more extra skin etc.

False Alarm

I thought I was having the baby yesterday. It was actually perfect timing because I had a doctor's appointment, too. So I was relatively calm, relieved almost, even though I had nothing organized. When I called J to tell him his was response was,

"It's really not a good time. The tv is being installed today and I have a pretty important hearing tomorrow. But is the camera charged up?....oh, and after you charge the camera could you run to the store and get me something for dinner?"

He was joking, of course, the crazy guy that he is.

W overheard me talking about how I might not come back from the doctor's office and he became hysterical. I felt horrible. It was so sad and it hit home how much I will miss the LB while I'm away.

But the doctor said I was wrong and that I will probably make it until the scheduled day. Damn!

The teacher said W had another good day at school! but that he knows when it's time to go home and waits at the door. I am thankful that he is where he is because they have been very patient and communicative, working through the little bumps in the road. and I can see progress in his development too. He's constructing more with his legos rather than just putting a few together (seems like he's using his imagination more) and chit chatting like nobody's business.

I pulled up as they were coming out and there was my baby walking down the steps all by himself with his bookbag slung over his shoulder. AND he had a smile before it turned into an expression of deep concentration as he went down one step at a time. I got such a wierd feeling. I can't describe it but I'm not ready for him to grow up.

Gossip Girl

I'm pissed right now. I'm pissed because my back hurts and I'm tired and all I want to do was watch the new show by the creators of the O.C., Gossip Girl and I can't. The sound on channel 13 isn't working. Are you having this problem? I pushed the big chair all the way up to the tv, still couldn't hear it. I sat in front of the tv, a fingers length away, nothing. I am mad. I am tired of being pregnant, tired of my back hurting, tired of not being able to take a really hot bath to make my back stop hurting and tired of not being able to drink a bottle of wine to make the fact that I'm really mad not so bad. So here I am at the computer.

I just read a post about babies on a blog. and then I started thinking about my baby, W and then the conversation I had with two friends in the past two days about wether I am going to have a girl or a boy. I am fine to have another boy. I would love to have another boy. I love my baby boy, my son, my life. To have another one....would be the best. But a part of me wonders if I would miss having a girl? Then I think about how mean girls can be to their moms which brings me back to the conversation I had with my friend this afternoon. Boys can be mean too. All kids can when they hit the teenage years and golly, how that is going to kill me. I live my life for my sweet baby and think about him all the time, worry about him everyday, laugh when he laughs and a lot of times cry when he is sad and to think that one day he may very well scream, "I hate you" or even worse just give me the silent treatment. It makes me want to cry. W and I had a 5 minute conversation this afternoon. Not about anything. Believe me when I say that. But it was the most enjoyable 5 minutes I had all day. I can't imagine that same sweet little boy being mean to his mommy.

P.S. If it turns out you are in fact having the sound problem with the CW network, Gossip Girl will be rerun again on Sunday night. My sweet husband came up to tell me that and also that he set it to record for me. I bet he was never mean to his mom.

More on Bad Plastic Bottles

In reference to my post about plastic bottles and the havoc they can wreak in infant's reproductive system and what not, my friend, Merr sent me this article. She lives in San Francisco where 'Green' information is more readily available than it is here in N.O. She actually switched from Dr. Brown's to Born Free Bottles just to be on the safe side. I think I am just going to give in and do the same.

In the News: Crocs caught in escalators

If your kids are Croc wearers you might want to read this article that Uncle Bob sent me. They are getting stuck in escalators and ripping toenails off. Eeeewwww!

Super Parent, Not.

It was Parents' Night at W's school last night and I must say that I was pretty impressed. The goals of the program are inspiring and well thought out-not just about throwing kids on a playground and letting them go. Even though free play is an important part of their philosophy, it seems that each and every activity is well thought out and there is a point however small to each one. We went through a scavenger hunt so that we could get a feel for our little buddy's day. J was thrilled. Let me tell you. We had to paint our hands and make handprints, build blocks with another couple to teach us about teamwork and making friends and it was a bit awkward but now atleast I know another set of parents in the class. J didn't care about the making friends part and followed me around while I did all the work. I'll have to talk to him about that.

On our way out we noticed an invitation in W's cubby hole. Another mom is having a coffee for all of the parent's in his class. She seems like a super mom-she's nice and sweet and outgoing and makes an effort to meet all of the parents of her kid's classmates. I sometimes wish I were that way but like someone told me, I have other strengths. Ha! It has inspired me to push myself to want to get to know the other parents and make a more concerted effort. I'm not promising anything except that I will do my best.

I had big plans to make Halloween cookies for the class but as the date gets closer those plans are slowly falling by the wayside. I have too many other things to accomplish before the baby gets here, like sitting...and sitting...and sitting. I am scared there won't be another time that I can just...well, sit. On that note, I had a dream last night that I had a baby girl. It was quite vivid. She was so tiny and had a mess of white blond ringlets on top of her head. Wierd. Especially when you consider I have board straight hair, my mom and brother have board straight hair. It wouldn't stay curled even if I slept with a curling iron on my head for days. If this dream comes true my mom will be ecstatic. When J and I got engaged one of her first comments was that he will bring curl to the gene pool. We will just have to wait and see.

The verdict is in. 2 ear infections. I feel so bad that I didn't take him to the doctor sooner. I guess I really couldn't have unless it was the Emergency room but I knew something was not right. We were up all night. When I went to check on him around 9pm before I went to bed he was sitting straight up, dead asleep. I guess it was too painful for him to lie down. Then he was in and out of sleep all night as were J and I. I knew he was really sick when he let me bring him into our bed. That's not an option on a regular night but on the few nights that he has been sick and crying, there has only been 2 times that he actually laid down and went to sleep. and one of them was last night. He woke up around1 am and realized he was terribly uncomfortable, as we all were, in our bed and didn't have his own space. So I took him back to his bed where he finally got a little shut eye.

I feel like Tuna Tonight

I never thought that I would say this.

I made a tuna casserole for dinner.

The recipe was in that Martha Stewart's Everyday Food and well, I must be pregnant, ha! because it sounded really appetizing. J didn't even sound disgusted when I told him we were having that for dinner. Frozen veggies cooked in the same pot as noodles with a can of tuna thrown in for good measure was a bachelor staple of his. Blah! He still makes it on occasion when I have a meeting or something. So this was like ambrosia to him.

Now this was a Mediterranean Tuna Casserole which includes artichoke hearts. It was delicious if I do say so myself. I would probably doctor it up a bit if I made it again. You know, add some garlic, maybe some cheese, oh and Aunt Liz said she has fond memories of tuna casserole with peas. I wasn't sure what to expect because I have never had a tuna casserole in my life. Something ole Mimo would NEVER allow. Aunt Liz thought about making it herself once I told her what we were having for dinner but Uncle Bob, like Mimo, wouldn't allow it. Something about a bad experience as a child. I thought about giving some to W for supper but I didn't want to force it on him, and end up with an "Uncle Bob Tuna Casserole Debacle".

I had to sit down to prep everything because of my increasing back pain. Not an easy thing to do, not even with my stellar knife skills (and my knife skills are just that, seriously). But in the end it all turned out well and the BONUS: It made two casseroles. One to freeze for when the new bambino is here.

I'm blogging but I'm really tired. It happens every weekend. J gets up with the LB on Sat. mornings and I get to sleep in and then we swap. and every weekend W sleeps in on Saturdays and gets up way to early on Sundays. You'd think I would learn. I was up at 1am last night to go to the bathroom for the 80th time and never got back to sleep, until about 4am. W woke up at 5:30. I tried to reason with him to no avail. So we got up, made it down the stairs in the dark (it's really dark now at that time) and ate breakfast in the dark. J got up around 8:45 and I went back to sleep until 11am. Crazy, I know. But I'm just so tired. Not all the time. I have my moments. But when those moments come, they are big ones. Anyway, they went swimming-the last day the pool was open-I woke up at 11 and met them for lunch but by that time the LB was exhausted and cranky. I just knew he would nap forever. J was doing handyman stuff outside and W woke up after 45 min. raging hot. So I held him and rocked him for another hour (As sad as I was for him that he didn't feel well, I loved holding him, my little baby) and then he was fine. It was strange. I am praying that he will be better tomorrow. He has been fighting this cold for atleast a week now. He got better, then he got worse.

So bless the LB with a good night's sleep and a fun day tomorrow.

When I look out the window it looks like fall. It doesn't feel like fall but the sky is blue and everything looks so crisp. I know it's just wishful thinking. With fall comes the germs and colds. Of course, the LB hasn't been in school a week and he already has a cold. Luckily, the doctor told me it was okay to send him to school (which is where he got it anyway) so I didn't have to interrupt his new routine, one that we are trying to so hard to make him enjoy. I know, I've become one of those parents that I hate. The kind that sends their kid to school with a runny nose only to infect everyone else but my intentions are truly very unselfish. It's not because I have something else to do since I pick him up almost as soon as I drop him off. It's all because I want him to adjust to school. It's the worst feeling in the world to get him out in the carpool line and have him hang on to me like there's no tomorrow. I guess that does make me selfish, but...

I showed him the slideshow that the program emailed to me last week of their first 2 weeks of school. He enjoyed seeing all his new friends and he didn't even reach for the keyboard once. He was so enthralled with the show. So hopefully that helped him ease into the day today.

I was so upset after dropping him off last week that I was hyperventilating. and J is right. He has to work through it. My baby is growing up and it's our jobs to help him do that in the most productive way. Only 16 more years to go.

In the News: It's always somethin'

"Doctor Links a Man's Illness to a Microwave Popcorn Habit"

This man supposedly likes buttered flavor microwave popcorn so much that he developed a serious lung condition usually only linked to workers in popcorn plants. I mean, what's next? First baby bottles are toxic, now buttered flavor microwave popcorn.

What's going on.

I've started painting again and it's been so much fun. I always have visions in my mind of things I want to paint, lately for the new baby's room and W's but I put if off because I think about the hassle involved-buying more acrylics, canvases, getting the water and brushes ready and the mess of it all-but it's like anything else I do. Once I jump into it and get rolling I have the best time. I had to take a lot of studio classes in college for my major and really do miss it. I will say that it is kind of difficult to paint anything larger than a small canvas if you don't have an easel and your belly is a month away from popping out a person.

The Hobby Shop on Magazine is having a sale on a certain brand of canvases (only smallish ones so I didn't get a deal on my 30x40). I wanted to paint a big ole giraffe for the nursery so I painted a 'dry run' which I will hang in W's room before I move on to the super big one. Today is the day. I've painted the background and am waiting for it to dry. I'm still not sure how I'm going to keep W away from it until I can paint my giraffe.

The LB and J are off swimming. I think this may be one of the last weekends before the pool closes. I feel bad for not taking him more often myself, but I haven't been brave enough to stuff myself into a bathing suit and it's too hot to sit out there without getting in. I want him to be ready for pool time next summer because I WILL be skinny and hot and ready to spend long days at the pool. So I'm encouraging father and son to take lessons this fall at Love Swimming.

Wish I would have invented Jibbitz

I watched a DVR of Oprah on Thursday evening and oh my gosh. It was a show on Big Ideas and it blew my mind away. This lady and her kids came up with the idea of Jibbitz, which are little doodads that you decorate your Crocs with. Amazing. Eventually the Croc company bought them out for $20 million.

I know I'm destined for something big. I feel it. It's going to happen after I have this baby and I have time to do something big, but it's coming. I promise. If it's anything as big as this Jibbitz idea-we've got it made. Now, the couple that started the Jibbitz, like I said, sold out to Crocs but they are still running the company. When something "big" comes my way and if I decide to sell out, I'm not hanging around to run the thing. I'm running with my money like there's no tomorrow.

If you need a little inspiration in your life, read their story.

I don't think you ever forget the misery of the last trimester of pregnancy but I think you forget what the misery feels like. I am now reminded. Nothing fits. I'm uncomfortable standing up. I'm uncomfortable sitting down. I'm uncomfortable sleeping. and now I have such apathy towards everything. I'm kind of depressed. I cried this morning. For no reason at all. Well, I cried because nothing fits, I'm uncomfortable standing up....you get the picture.

But then as I think about this afternoon when the Little Buddy and J were chasing each other around the house I realized that I didn't have the laughter the first time around. Today, I was sitting in the kitchen doing the crossword puzzle and my background music was a stream of deep belly laughing from W as J would catch him in a game of chase or startle him as he ran into the sunporch and the whole game would start over again. It's a nice, sweet, joyful break from the monotony of pregnancy.

In the News: Stress and Anxiety

I came across this article in the New York Times online about Anxiety Disorders. I shouldn't have read it. You think I'm anxious now....

It mentions how mother's who have just given birth are particularly at risk for OCD. Can I get any worse? I promised myself that I wouldn't do any of my OCD habits while I was pregnant. I broke that promise and now I'm super worried wondering can it get any worse?

It's an interesting article, though. Especially as it relates to children. I hope W doesn't have any of these issues but "One study reported a higher rate of crying and an impaired ability to adapt to new situations in infants of mothers who had been stressed and anxious during pregnancy." if my worry during this pregnancy is any indication like the article says, the new baby doesn't stand a chance.

In the News: Are Plastic Bottles Toxic?

One more thing to worry about. The use of plastic bottles and the toxic chemicals in them. I got an email through the email grapevine a few weeks ago but shrugged it off because I had already brought this issue to the attention of my pediatrician who said it was news to him.

and you never know about those forwarded emails. They're a dime a dozen, a friend of a friend story.

Then I read about the harmful effects of plastic bottles in Parenting Magazine. It's linked with Cancer, hyperactivity, impaired immune function to name a few problems. I'm not sure what to do. The LB still drinks a bottle of milk when he wakes up and after dinner. I know I'm not supposed to let him have a bottle but I do. Too many kids I know stopped drinking milk once the precious bottle was banned and since I'm dealing with a picky eater, I'm just glad he's getting his milk. So what do I do? Take away the bottles? Right before the new baby arrives who will eventually be drinking from a bottle, which will inevitably make him mad? or buy him new bottles for these last few months that he's drinking from them? Like I said, One more thing to worry about.

Oh hello. It's W. Yeah. Whas up? Not much is going on around here. Just riding my tricycle.






Hold on. Mom wants to tell me something.







Okay. Sorry about that. I'm back.

Okay. My countdown has started. Really, it started months ago. I remember when I had 100 days left of pregnancy so now there really is a light at the end of the tunnel. Until I went to the doctor yesterday and he told me he may have to reschedule my c-section date to a day later. To those who aren't pregnant, a day may seem like nothing. And if you are one of those people I dare you to tell me, "Oh, that's nothing" I can't promise that I won't hurt you. and I know it's something to do with fishing. I just know it. He didn't come out and say it but I heard it in his voice. But it's probably better that he kept that to himself because if he dared to tell me, "I'll still be fishing" I can't promise that I wouldn't have done something drastic. I'm in complete misery at night. I don't know if it's contractions or what but I have stomach cramps from about 2 on every night which doesn't make for a very good nights sleep.

The LB is still adjusting to school. It's funny how you get a grasp for a toddler's true personality once they start going to school. I always knew he was cautious and sensitive and very sweet. But I guess now that he's in a new environment these aspects of his personality are highlighted and I realize how they affect him in the real world. I know he will adjust sooner or later. and I know it's good for him and it makes me feel so much better to hear that other kids are going through the same thing but still in the back of my mind I am praying that I am not doing permanent psychological damage to my LB. I heard through the grapevine that they will be playing with play dough tomorrow. This should keep him in good spirits.

I don't know where the time is going. These past few weeks have flown by! and for that I am very thankful. I thought for sure the end of this pregnancy would be a slow, miserable one but it actually hasn't been as bad as I predicted. My back hurts, badly, very badly and sleeping really isn't much of an option but I know the latter is prep for the many weeks/months of not sleeping once the baby is here. The Little Buddy being in school a few mornings a week seems to help. It's such a little thing but I feel the difference in my back and my state of mind. I'm not quite as tired and I don't start to waddle around in pain too much until later in the day. I do miss him though. I am curious to see how he fairs after the long holiday weekend. I've learned that he doesn't eat snacks at school which explains his intense hunger for lunch. The teachers are great and said he did better the second day but he still had some rough spots. I wish his friend, C, who he has known since he was a bitty baby, was at the same school to help him laugh his way through his morning.

I can't blame the LB, though. It's in his genes. I hated spending the night out. always. Wanted to be close to home. and I still remember the feeling of angst I had when I didn't have a choice. Going to a friend's house during the day was okay after I got over the initial fear of going. But it was something that I had to push my way through. So, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I guess. I know it's a matter of opinion, but I turned out okay, and so will W.

So much to tell. So little time. I'll be back...soon.

Wierd Wednesday

Today I woke up and I knew it was going to be different. Mom was already in the shower when Dad came to get me out of my bed. He brought me in to say hi and then we went downstairs to eat breakfast. So there we were all eating breakfast together. Wierd. I barely had any time to play upstairs and when Mom came to change-it was awfully early to be getting dressed-I noticed that my outfit wasn't as wrinkly as usual. She must have ironed it-even more strange.

We all left the house together and they took a picture of me in front of our gate. Again, odd for so early in the morning. Dad got in one car. Mom and me in the other and Mom was trying to be all perky and happy although I knew it was an act. She kept talking about something called "school" as if I knew what she was talking about. But that all changed when we walked into that place. I've been there before. Before I could say "jackrabbit" (not that I really talk but) they were out the door while I played with the water table that the new lady showed me. I had a pretty good time. I played some basketball out on the playground and got to color with these pens they had when I was at READ class. They made Mom neurotic because they were messy but she wasn't around to stop me this time so I went to town and showed her for leaving me like that. Every so often I would wonder if she was coming back and got sad. They tried to make me eat fruit and crackers. I wasn't having any of it. Mom obviously forgot to send a snack. Then before I knew it I was being whisked outside with my new bookbag, and a picture of me. Not really sure what that morning was all about but I sure was happy when I saw my mom. I was so relieved she had come back for me that I got a little bit weepy. But I think I was probably happier to see the goldfish she brought for me than anything else. All I can say is, "Done that". I know Mom won't do it again because I heard her talking on the phone, saying how she sobbed all the way home and felt like throwing up. That's good for her. Teach her a lesson.

I am so tired. I really wanted to take a nap but who's to say that she wasn't just going to up and leave again. No way, Jose. No sleeping around here. I'll just stay awake as long as I can. Watch me.

Growing pains

I can breathe easier now. We haven't had internet or cable service since last Thursday and we finally were able to get the cable people to fix it today. I wasn't really aware how dependent I was on those services until they went out. It's been a frustrating few days. I'm lucky that the Little Buddy doesn't live and die for Sesame Street or any other show for that matter although he does enjoy a bit of Elmo's World every now and again.

A lot has been going on in our world in between now and then and the first day of W's school starts tomorrow. I have a low grade anxiousness that is living beneath my skin. I know it won't go away until after I pick him up tomorrow. I passed another kid in his class on our way into orientation. He was really old looking and was on the floor throwing a tantrum because he didn't want to leave. I am worried. My baby is not only my baby but he will be the baby of the class. I can't stand the thought of older or younger kids, for that matter, pushing him around. I can't stand the thought of him falling off the playground equipment or of him dying of thirst because they only offer juice at snack time, which he doesn't drink. I can't stand the thought of someone else comforting him if and when he cries or of me not being around when something tickles him so much that he belly laughs until he can't breathe.

I can't stand the thought of him growing up...my baby...because that's what he's doing.

Catastrophe avoided

I am still sweating. I haven't really been home much today and when we finally got back from the store and went in the den to hang out, play and catch glimpses of Sesame Street I came upon the this small devastation.

Cable was out. I couldn't get Sesame Street or the Food Channel or Oprah, which means I would't be able to get Big Brother. I started to sweat. I called Cox and tried to refresh and then waited to talk to a person. She wasn't any help. Said that I had to have a technician come out and they didn't have an opening until Monday!I scheduled the appointment and then unplugged the box which made it worse. I had channel 7 before and now I had nothing. I called J again in a panic. Like he has nothing better to do than to worry about the tv. The lady told me she understood my pain because "everyone wants to watch the game" The game!? What game? I told her I was worried about my reality tv. I refreshed again and called Cox again and got a guy. A young guy who seemed to be a bit more empathetic and lo and behold while I was explaining my dependence on nighttime television (I don't watch it much during the day) it came back on. Hallelujah!!!!!

Will he still be my Little Buddy?

I've only been away from W a few times since he was born. Mimo and Papa kept him overnight when he was little and when Aunt Liz and Uncle Bob got married in Chicago we took off for a long weekend and Partied All Night Long for 3 nights. That's it really. For some reason the thought of leaving him now that he's older makes me even sadder. I was thinking about my c-section the other day and found myself in tears. I wasn't crying because of the love for the new baby or the scary anticipation of the spinal tap or anything like that. What made me start crying was thinking about seeing the LB for the first time when J brings him to visit me in the hospital. I miss him so much just thinking about it. What if he's so pissed at me that he won't look at me? What if he doesn't recognize me because I'm swollen from all the drugs that will be pumped into me or because I won't have a big belly anymore? He's my Little Buddy and I'll always think of him that way but will he still want to be my Little Buddy? That is the real question.

We all woke up this morning at the same time, 6:15. It was unusual. J has been waking up with W since I've been pregnant and tired allowing me to sleep in another heavenly 45 minutes or so and it makes all the difference. Now that I'm nearing the finish line I'm not sleeping so well anyway so I figured I may as well get up and go. I've been feeling guilty about not excercising so I told the LB we could go for a stroll. With his typical, "ado ado ado" when he gets excited about something he quickly let me put on his shoes and took off for the stroller. I can't remember the last time we went for a real walk. It was a guilty reminder of how much he loved going for walks. He talked and pointed and laughted and took in the sights. Yelled above the drill of the streetcar line workers and urged me in his own way to detour at the playground.

We didn't take the detour. I had to go home. It wasn't the heat really, it was the back cramps. and turns out I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions and never knew it. But atleast I know now why my stomach feels rock hard and heavy every so often accompanied by excruciating back pain. My doctor wouldn't tell me what I wanted to hear. To stop excercising. He did tell me that I was fine with my weight gain so I headed off to Haydel's to get the Petit Fours I told you about. OMG! If you want to experience a good ole fashioned bakery smell, the kind like when Mackenzies was around or if you're pregnant and want to experience your ultimate dream, go to Haydel's. I bought 10 Petit Fours and 5 Turtles (real ones, the sandy cookies with pecans and a blob of chocolate on top). and I'm definitely going back for more.

The Hills August 20, 2007

O.M.G.! Heidi! Your fiance is a total loser who highlights his hair, buys your engagement ring from an accessory shop, and has your apartment painted with a "beautiful" mural of graffiti. (The centipede video game, on the other hand is awesome! What I wouldn't kill for a Miss Pacman at my house.) Good for Heidi for painting over it and giving him a "surprise". Spencer was pissed and mark my words, one day he is going to SNAP. He seems awfully unstable to me. It's ashame too, because I do like Heidi. She's got balls.

As for LC. Last week I was worried that she was just an insecure girl who doesn't like it when her friends have boyfriends when she's single but after meeting Justin-Bobby for drinks, I get it. He's a total loser too. Too cool for school. Take a bath, dude.

I think instead of worrying about her friends' boyfriends, LC just needs to get new friends who aren't attracted to freaks. She needs to stick with Whitney. Audrina is way too alternative for her, anyway.

Game Night

Jennifer and Frank had us over for Game Night complete with deliciously cheesy food like pigs in a blanket, potato chips, pizza, hashbrown casserole and "dice" petit fours (I can't remember the last time I had a petit four but these were the most scrumptiously moist that I have ever had. They came from Haydel's). The Game was Trivial Pursuit 1980's Edition. When I learned it was Trivial Pursuit, before I knew it was the 1980's edition I definitely knew J would be my partner. No ifs ands or buts. Not only is he smart but he knows a lot of "stuff". Then...I was told it was 1980's edition. Uh Oh. J is a bit older than me. I started to get a little panicky. I like to win. Then....Liz told me that Bob was her partner and I wasn't as worried. I'll tell you why. Not only because Bob is a bit older than Liz but when we went to pick our pieces for the board, I jumped at the Trapper Keeper. How long has it been since you thought about a Trapper Keeper? Brought back memories. and then Bob says, "What's a Trapper Keeper?"

Well, I was proud of my man. We were first to go and ran away with it. We were on the verge of winning. and then we had to leave because the babysitter's time was expiring. Liz and Bob took advantage of that unsettling time in the game and pulled ahead. They probably cheated. I mean, Charlotte was talking Jennifer through answers and they weren't even on the same team. But all that matters is that we know we would have won, fair and square.

But Game Night was a blast and we're hosting after the baby's born and I can fully whoop it up. We're thinking Beer Pong or Quarters.

Library Etiquette

W and I went to the library this afternoon to get a book for me. I have just finished reading the best book I've read in awhile, My Sister's Keeper and wanted to get a book by the same author. W was beside himself when I pulled out the stroller. It's been forever since we've gone for a stroll. I try not to go outside much as this 100 degree heat induces swelling in my hands and I can't get my rings off. Anyway, so we strolled on over and headed up the stairs. I found my book quickly and we started back down the stairs. I stopped on the landing to check out the free magazines when W put his head between the banister railings and started screaming at everyone on the first floor. I guess he had something to say. I'm not sure what the 2 year old etiquette is for the library. AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! I always try to get him to whisper but then I feel bad because he looks at me like he's done something wrong and I know all he's trying to do is to get a point across.

It's still dirty in there. I don't think they ever clean, the floor, the carpet the stacks. But is anything ever cleaned in this city?

It's Raining!

I'm not sure this rain is going to bring us any relief but we desperately needed it for yard and grass purposes. The Little buddy didn't know what to do because he hadn't seen any rain in so long. He was torn between watching Sesame Street and watching the rain but the rain won out.

Happy Birthday to my sweet W

My sweet baby is almost two. He's still our Little Buddy but he's not so little anymore. I look at his legs and think how long. I look at his hands and think how big and when he looks at me with those big ole eyes and smiles or leans in for a kiss on his forehead I feel an unbelievable kind of love and I think how overwhelming. I still check on him twice every night (I am OCD) and STILL my breath is taken away both times. Before we know it he'll be going off to college. When he comes home for holidays will I still feel that shortness of breath and that intense need to keep him safe? I have no doubt in my mind that I will.

Happy Birthday my sweet Little Buddy. I love you.
Mom

Hurricanes

I hate to pray about the weather because there are much bigger things that need God's full atttention than that. But is it okay to pray for a summer and fall without the awful stress associated with evacuating and uprooting our lives and damaging or destroying our homes? I think so and I'll just throw in a quick, please allow me to have this baby in New Orleans with my own doctor and let me love and care for this baby in my own house atleast for the first few months of its life.

We went to Galatoire's yesterday afternoon for my mom's birthday. I won't tell you how uncomfortable I was. I know it's getting old for everyone including me. But I will tell you that it was there that I decided that Galatoire's will be the site of the first big whoopin' it up time for me once I have this baby. I can't remember how you really Whoop it up while nursing. Maybe you don't but a girl can dream, can't she.

We walked in and it was cold. Freezing cold. It felt so good and while everyone else was wrapped in sweaters I basked in the icy coldness of it all. A few hours of relief where I didn't have to keep getting up to adjust the thermostat.

R and J had secured the table and were drinking wine. Ohhhhhh-I know this is getting old too but-to drink a bottle of cold white wine. I slurped a big ole gulp from RaRa's glass and savored it. and then I sat and watched as they drank bottle after bottle of the most delicious wine. He's a sommelier and a wine importer so we really indulge when he's ordering and all I could do was watch in slo mo as each bottle was emptied.

They ordered all the usual-the Grand Goutee with oyster en brochette, shrimp remoulade, another shrimp something, crabmeat maison. Fried eggplant, souffle potatoes (which have disappointed the past few times). I ate some fried eggplant and a taste of crabmeat. ordered a green salad with hearts of palm and a baked potatoe. I knew I couldn't eat much more. I feel like I'm going to pop all the time. Did you know that G's doesn't serve baked potatoes? Nope. So I ended up with crabmeat Clemenceau instead mainly for the potatoes. For those of you who don't know Clemenceau is a saute of peas, potatoes, mushrooms with lemon and butter, traditionally Chicken Clemenceau but I always do the Seafood Clemenceau when at Galatoire's. It was good. I had a few bites but Uncle RaRa ate most of it.

Everyone else went to The Bourbon House for a Frozen bourbon milk punch afterwards and I went home with J (who had already had his fair share of drinks).

So now I know, my first big night out will be at Galatoire's. Really it's going to start in the late afternoon with liesurely cocktails and I can't wait!

The Hills Season Premier

Don't forget. Tonight. 9pm. MTV

Time to take a breath

Whew. W's birthday party is over. It really stressed me out and although I'm sad my little baby is older I'm glad that the celebration day has come and gone. It was a casual party but no matter what, whenever I have that many people over to my house I get overwhelmed and anxious. The LB had a fabulous time and he LOVES all of his presents. He was definitely over the old ones. and I have to brag about my party favors-the alligator cookies-because a lot of love went into them and I am proud. I also just discovered the lamination machine at Kinko's. J told me I was a total geek since I've been laminating everything in sight including the tags for the party favors. I swear a little lamination makes everything look that much more professional. I need to tweakthe cookie recipe. It was from Martha Stewart but the icing seemed to overpower the cookie. Once I get that down I think I may just become the new Cookie Lady around town. The old one is booked until October. Ridiculous.

Our babysitter told me yesterday that she didn't know that W had finally started talking. I told her I didn't know that either. She said that he said "Thank you" to her twice, very clearly and that he repeats everything she says. News to me. I am so relieved. I was ready to go into his next check up and get hysterical over his lack of talking. But she was right. He told me thank you this morning. They were the sweetest words I've heard in awhile.

M-I-S-E-R-Y

I saw my doctor today and I told him about my back pain.
"I know", he said. "Well, I don't actually know, but I know. You're in your third trimester." He told me that I would forget it all like I did last time.

I will never forget. I haven't forgotten the misery of last time either. I've had several first timers tell me as they were going through their third trimester that people have told them to just be happy that the baby is still inside them because once it's out that's when the misery starts, the sleepless nights etc. I disagree. I truly don't think that you can ever feel more miserable than you do in your last trimester. Once W was here I may have been tired, and emotional and having night sweats. I may have had to evacuate and learned to nurse all on my own. I may have been fat and yes, still tired. But my love for W kept me going. I can't explain it but I stand by my opinion. Nothing says misery like sciatica, back pain, baby kicking your bladder in 95 degree heat while carrying your toddler.

Excuse me, I'm in labor.

I went to the grocery store yesterday in the late afternoon. I hadn't planned on it but had to go at the last minute. My back had been bothering me a little bit as I had been on my feet making cookies in the morning and then I took the LB for a stroll. Lately, the minute I start doing any cardio excercise I get a cramp in my stomach and it only got worse on the way home. So we got home and I took off for store. and then it was excruciating, the pain. My mind started racing. I've heard of stories of back labor and I started to panic. I can't have this baby in Sav A Center! Yuk! Then I remembered seeing a lady I knew, just an acquaintance, on the way in and was wondering if she would think I were crazy if I asked her for help. I left my cell phone in the jog stroller and I didn't know what else to do. I leaned on the cart and kept going. All in the name of Meringue Powder which I never found. I should have known. Everyone on the internet said you could find it in the bakery section of any market. Hello! Of course, not in New Orleans. That's always the way. Anyway, I made it home and collapsed in a kitchen chair and started crying with J standing over me as if I had lost my mind. and I still have 2 more months of this.

Night out at Clancy's with L and B

Just got back from Clancy's. I had a craving after a friend said how delicious her meal was last week. Mine was just as good. I mean, I couldn't eat half of what I wanted. For some reason I've been more of a stickler about what I'm eating this time around. Where last time I would eat brie, no hesitation, this time I won't etc. So I couldn't have my oysters with brie. I couldn't have the veal with crabmeat and bearnaise because of the raw egg or the Filet with Stilton or the fried green tomatoes with Hollandaise so I ended up getting what I didn't 100% want. It was perfect.

I opted for the Clancy's crabmeat salad. It was bigger than I remember and the crabmeat was the biggest lump I have ever seen. The tomatoes were perfectly red and firm. The dressing (I don't remember what it was) was light and tangy). The stuffed egg as always was to die for with the right amount of bacon and pepper. The hearts of palm slices were huge. I couldn't have asked for a better salad. I had to leave some of it because I was so full.

For my entree I had the Veal Annunciation. I was underexcited about it since I don't really like panneed veal but for some reason the Fettucine Alfredo that came with it caught my attention. When was the last time you've eaten that? I think from Stouffers when my parents would go out and needed something easy for us. The veal was crispy, not chewy at all. Seasoned just right and the fettucine!!!! This isn't your dad's or Stouffers for that matter Alfredo. It too was light, erring more on the cheesy side than creamy side with garlic and diced red peppers. My mouth is watering all over again thinking about it AND I'm still full. Now, that's saying something.

Of course Clancy's was Clancy's sans the smoke. A beautiful thing. It's the first time I've been back since the no smoking ban has been in effect and it was really nice. Every single time I went to Clancy's, I would arrive and ask to sit downstairs. And every single time the host would say, "Fine, if you want to sit in the smoking section" as a way to discourage you from sitting in the highest demanded spot. The new speil (sp?) is "Fine, if you want to sit in the noisy section". Bring it on!

Bachelor and Tessa still together!

I have been getting a lot of search inquiries about the Bachelor and Tessa, even after all of these months. I had forgotten about them. But, what with all the interest I decided to do a little research of my own and here's what I found according to Give me my remote.com

In this fabulous photo, they had just completed a triathalon. She seems embarrassed to be with him. Wouldn't you?

Polly, Put the * * * * * * * Kettle On

I have 2 questions.
1. How many times do we to have to tell Polly to put the kettle on?
2. What kind of nursery rhyme is this?

The worst part is, is that this seems to be a semi-favorite of W's. Hopefully, just because there are more pictures on this page of his book than others. I can write a better rhyme than this. Seriously.

and I want to cry each and every time I have to read it. I try to jazz it up a bit but there are only so many ways you can change the expression in your voice as your reading. You try it.

Polly, put the kettle on
Polly, put the kettle on
Polly, put the kettle on
We'll all have tea.

There's always tomorrow

W has such a great time at the end of the day, now. He used to eagerly go to bed. He'd giggle and wave night night and off he and J would go up the stairs for their bedtime ritual. But now he cries in frustration as if he can't believe we would take him away right when he is having such a fabulous time. and it's bitter sweet for me too. Last night when he and J were running around the house chasing after each other I had a rush of memories from when I was little. It was pure joy when my dad came home and we'd laugh and play hide and go seek or sing songs from the Family Songbook or just run around the house like J and W were doing. I remember it like it was yesterday. and now all of a sudden I feel bad for W that the fun has to end.

What's the deal?

W is crying right now because he didn't want to take a nap. My mom said he may be dropping his nap but once he is asleep he sleeps for awhile. I know he's tired, I just can't figure out why he gets so upset when he never had a problem before.

What a day

Had my marathon of appointments at the hospital for today. All pointless, maybe except for the gestational diabetes test. Did that first, then had to go to an appt to discuss my anesthesia options and watch a 12 minute video on vaginal birth and anesthesia-again pointless because I am scheduled for a c-section and even if they did address the c-section stuff, still pointless since I 've already been through it. Went back to the lab to have the blood drawn. The girl was a bitch and it hurt so frickin' bad. I cried. Really. I'm not sure what she did. I don't like needles but usually it's the anticipation that is much worse than the prick. Then I had to go to pre-registration where she informed me that my baby had to stay in my room once I delivered. I wanted to cry all over again. I don't want to sound cold and heartless but it will be the only time that I can relax and recover. Oh! and she told me to bring a lot of Vaseline in case I had a boy and circumcised him because he would need that for his tallywag. WHAT!?! Don't the nurses take care of all that? They did for the Little Buddy. I don't think I even got a good look at it until he was like 3 weeks. I am truly concerned about the state of our healthcare in this city.

So, I leave and it's storming. I decide to take a different route than usual and I get stuck at a standstill because the roads are flooding. No, nothing has changed since the storm. I finally make my way close to home and all I want to do is go drink a big, fat, glass of wine in a really dark bar, okay, if I'm being honest, all I want to do is drink a bottle of wine. That's obviously out of the question so I opted for Wendy's instead. I really wanted Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun but it had already taken me so long to get down the avenue going 5 miles an hour and knew that it would take much longer to get to McD's all the while risking flooding my own car so I did the smart thing and headed towards the river (high ground, there's a natural ridge there) to the Wendy's. I didn't dine in, but I ate it in my car. I enjoyed it, thoroughly and it took my mind off of the bottle of wine.

The Hills Season 3-Save the Date

Yeah you right!!! The Hills is set to premiere season 3 on August 13.

LC has a new roomate and "wingman" in Audrina.
Heidi has an engagement ring around her finger.
Whitney has a new job at Teen Vogue.
and Audrina has a new boyfriend! LC may not like this. Seems like he may be "the one" and she'll have another roomie leaving her high and dry.

I cannot wait!

Picture this..

a fat pregnant lady on her knees, leaning onto an ottoman with her butt on the edge of the chair and her belly hanging watching tv. That's me in my most comfortable position. Probably too much information. It's getting to that uncomfortable point where it doesn't feel good to stand, sit or lay down. There just is not a good option but I think I feel sorriest for the Little Buddy. He has got to be soooo bored. I don't have any motivation for anything. Cooking is getting to be miserable because after 15 minutes on my feet, my back feels like breaking. I think Hamburger Helper is even too long of a process. Tonight I cooked meat stuffed pasta shells (I think I am going to stick to A's famous lasagna) and a Panzanella salad which actually was delicious. I may even make it again tomorrow night. I used leftover garlic bread from Whole Foods and a bit of La Boulangerie's ciabatta bread. I kind of winged the recipe-read up on Emeril, Ina (Barefoot Contessa) and Giada's recipes and kind of put them all together.

This is what I did. Made the salad dressing with garlic, let the grape tomatoes marinate a bit in the dressing with salt and pepper. Tossed in the bread cubes then decided they needed to be harder so I fished them out and toasted them. Right before we were ready to eat I shaved in the parmesan, tore up the fresh basil, added back the bread and tossed it with the remaining dressing. Dee-licious. Really. If you want a more accurate recipe, just let me know.

Motivated Haircut

W's hair was getting long. It was starting to grow over his ears and J said it was looking kind of 'girly' the way that it fell in the back and he insisted it was time to take him to the barbershop. I've trimmed a bit here and there over the past few months but only on one side when he is distracted in the bathtub.

Today was the big day. J took him to the barber. Now, J is a marine so he tends towards a motivated haircut, himself. Although lately he's gotten a wild hair (no pun intended) and has let the time in between cuts get longer and longer as does his hair and you can even see a few curls here and there. But this is about the Little Buddy. A motivated do is okay for a Marine so I told him he could take him only if they didn't touch his bangs. I was scared they would cut them straight across. So off they went.

J said he was the good Little Buddy that he always is and the barber was even bragging to his co-barber about how well behaved W was for a first timer. I asked if he cried. J said, "Not so much." He looks kind of distressed to me. Judge for yourself.


The finished product...well, I'll just say that he looks like a little marine and you can easily see the resemblance between me, my dad and W with the ears now sticking out. but atleast they didn't touch his bangs.

I guess this is just another milestone to remind me yet again that my baby is growing up. It makes me teary-eyed.

I do!

The Little Buddy babbles alot and says something that sounds like "I loo, I loo, I loo" and the faster he says it and he says it pretty fast, it starts to sound like "I doI doI doI do". So when he starts saying it I pipe in, "Who loves Mommy?!" and he stops, listens and responds with his
"IdoIdoIdodo I do!!!". It's too cute.

Daneel Park has finally been mowed. I have reason to believe that it was a neighbor who had it mowed since I know that she sends her handyman over to empty out the trashcans and also because these days that doesn't seem like a top priority for the city (well, alot of things don't seem like a priority but that's a subject for someone more well spoken/well written). Whatever the case we are very appreciative because Audubon playground is just too sunny in the heat of the summer and the LB was getting frustrated wading through the belly high grass.

73 days left! of pregnancy. I'm takin' it day by day. Tonight I realized, as we were watching tv, that my belly button has disappeared. It totally grosses me out and I'm ready for my bb to resurface.

Just when I think that I would be okay if for some reason we had to move out of New Orleans (I don't know what that reason would be but my dad emailed today about the state of New Orleans and how depressed hew was about it, especially after reading an article on the front page of the New York Times about the state of our healthcare, blah, blah and how we should consider moving) I read something like this and it makes me think and remember the good things about N.O.

The tantrums...

are getting better. I feel bad labeling him as a terrible two-er a few weeks back. I think it was because he was getting sick.

Aching, tired, horrible mom

I don't know what to do. The Little Buddy is having sleep troubles. I am so not used to having to deal with sleep issues because he is such a good sleeper. But now I am, just when I am slowly becoming down for the count and really tired with this pregnancy. My back is aching and I'm just plain tired. ACHING AND TIRED, I TELL YOU! Twice now it's been hard putting him to bed. Well, he goes to bed pretty easily but about 20 minutes later he starts crying. We would have no problem letting him cry it out but it's out of the ordinary and he seems scared. I am thinking it's separation anxiety. So we check on him a few times and then he goes to sleep after about an hour. Today was the first day it happened at naptime. I put him down at 1pm and immediately he started crying. I went in there and reassured him and then let him cry for a few minutes and he went to sleep. So did too, for about 45 minutes. The minute I got downstairs to eat my snack in peace and watch Bringing Home Baby he started wailing and nothing worked. I went up, kissed him and left. I went up 20 minutes later patted him, wiped his nose, told him it was time for naptime and left. and STILL he was crying. I went up, sat in his rocking chair, told him I was there, pretended to sleep myself and he just stared at me like I was an idiot. I finally bregrudgingly took him out of his crib. I feel cheated of my own rest time and I feel like a horrible, horrible mom for feeling that way. I told him he had to play by himself while I sit here getting out my frustrations on the computer. It's going to be a long afternoon. I can't wait until the fall when it's not too hot to go outside for extended periods and I'm not pregnant anymore. And I can't wait until he grows out of this (what I claim to be) separation anxiety stage.

Our anniversary at Restaurant August

J and I went to August for our anniversary tonight. We got there and of course they sat us at a table which I hated. I swear I get anxious every time I walk into a restaurant because I always expect the worst. I can't stand to have a spot light shining on the table when I got out to eat and it seems as if every single restaurant thinks this is a necessary component of dining. Our table was in one of the back rooms. It was 6:30 and full light outside and they sat us in the darkest room possible at a table with spot light shining on the seat where I would prefer to sit, looking out towards the dining room. So I had to take the seat facing the wall which makes me totally claustrophobic. Luckily the food was enough to distract me from this. But if you do go to August ask to sit in the front room. I felt like my dad who has to bring a flashlight with him when he dines out so he can see the menu. Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared so I moved the candle to my menu so I could read it.

We decided to do the 5 course tasting menu. I was so excited! This was our menu. My menu descriptions are probably not totally accurate but here goes:

1. Grilled watermelon with grilled baby heirloom tomatoes drizzled with a balsamic reduction sauce.
I thought I would really enjoy this course. It sucked. The flavors were totally off, the tomatoes were bitter and the balsamic reduction tasted , this will sound crazy, fishy. When the waiter came to clear the course he got flustered and made a comment about me leaving so much on my plate. He said the chef would be upset. From working in the industry, I understood his worry, and told him to tell the chef that I was pregnant and that I can't eat that much. This would backfire on me later.

2. Olive crusted sheepshead on a bed of basil risotto and garnished with fried baby heirloom tomatoes stuffed with an aioli.
This was my hands down favorite course. Unbelievable. I basically licked the plate clean. Which is why I then had to explain to the waiter that that was going to put me over the edge of fullness so the chef wouldn't catch on that I didn't really like the first course and he wouldn't take it out on the waiter.

3. Rabbit sausage with white beans and tomatoes
Really, really delicious.

4. Kobe beef short ribs resting on an artichoke puree, garnished with steamed asparagus.
I'm not sure I have ever had Kobe beef before. It was tender and good. I enjoyed it. But there was something missing. The lack of this something didn't make this dish bad though. It was really good.

5. Creole Tomatoe pie and tomatoe sorbet
This was the only reason I hesitated in suggesting to J that we get the Tasting Menu. I'm pregnant for goodness sakes and I want something rich and delicious for dessert. The only time in my life that I crave sweets instead of another glass of wine. Not just because I can't have the wine, I have a big sweet tooth also. Anyway, talk about expecting the worst.....AND GETTING THE BEST! It was so unexpectedly decadent. It was like a tiny Hubig's Pie (and I love me a Hubig's Pie) with tomatoes instead of apples. I could have done without the sorbet.

My only other complaint was that they rushed us in and out of there. I think we had the whole 5 course menu in 65 minutes. Poor J had atleast 2 glasses of wine in front of him at all times. So the experience per se wasn't the best but it was a fun, delicious night and a very good substitute for our upcoming anniversary.

Our Little Golf Pro

I don't want to be one of those pushy parents who put pressure on their kid to "be" something specific. You know, like, a doctor, lawyer, banker, football player etc. W can do what he wants. What he loves. If he loves what he does, he will be successful. Isn't that what they say?

Have I told you how much he loves golf? Really. He has a set of plastic golf clubs that Mimo and Papa got him. He probably plays with it 75% of the day. I mean, he's not always hitting balls. Sometimes he's putting the balls in the golf bag. Sometimes he's throwing them. Sometimes he's just swinging the clubs around. But he does have a knack for hitting the balls like a pro. And he's got the personality to be a professional. Really, I'm not making it up. He's patient and easy going like his dad. He likes to get things just right and he is definitely showing an interest in the game. He could be the next Tiger, without the attitude. But, really, W, no pressure from Mom. Just do what you love.

Attack of the Ducks

I knew the ducks at Audubon Park were not scared of people. It's apparent as you walk by. They kind of leer at you, but I don't think I've fed them since I was a kid. The LB and I needed something to do to pass the time yesterday so we brought a bag of old buns and headed over there. We parked on Prytania and walked into the park. Before we could get to the main track I noticed a few of the ducks walking toward us, which was odd, because like I said, they don't really give people the time of day. And all OF A SUDDEN THEY WERE INCHES FROM US. I picked up the LB while realizing they saw the bag of buns and they started to go ballistic. Quacking like you've never heard them quack before. I started tossing out pieces of the bread. The smaller ducks took off running but the Mama ducks kept at us, closer and closer. I was absolutely panicked. W was hysterically laughing while clutching onto me. and I ran. Moral of the story: Don't feed the ducks.

I'm going to cry

W STILL has a snotty green runny nose. His cough isn't near as bad. But it's all still enough that we have to miss playgroup. Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! I'm seriously thinking about bringing him to the Parenting Center just so he can infect all those mom's kids who bring their kids there sick on a daily basis. But I'm not that selfish. So here we sit another day. Alone and Bored. Atleast today it's not pouring down rain and we can take a trip to the playground.

Maybe we'll run some errands. Get some of the supplies we need to buy for school in the fall. It's rather unbelievable. We have to buy Kleenex, wipes, paper plates just to name a few things. I find it to be quite a racket. I won't complain much more because it's a good program and we're excited he's going and I know he'll have a great time.

We are going stir crazy! what with all of this rain on top of being quarantined with the croup. It came on so quickly. By looking at this picture you would never know that he got the croup the very next day.
He is much, much better. All he had today was a runny nose and a little cough but by the end of the day he was even better than this morning. Hopefully, there will be no trace of anything tomorrow because we are running out of fun things to do around here. Puddling playing was the highlight of our day today.

Here's a closer look.

Still Coughing

The LB still has a bad cough (although not crouping) and a horrible runny nose. We gave him Robitussin last night in addition to the humidifier but he still coughed his way through the night. A friend mentioned that Benadryl would dry him up but will that stop the coughing? I forgot to ask her. I'm kind of nervous giving him both before he goes to bed.

and I also want to apologize to all of those people whom I know I brushed aside when they acted neurotic about their toddlers being around other sick kids. This, of course, was before I had one of my own. You can never know how truly miserable it is to have a sick baby until you have one. It's not only miserable for the parents but it's miserable for the baby. It's the saddest thing to watch. and now I am one of those neurotic mothers who gets so angry when someone knowingly brings their sick kid around us. I'm just living and learning, I guess.

Flank Steak

and of course I didn't mean to overlook the fact that the flank steak that J grilled was absolutely delicious. The marinade was tangy and he grilled them to the perfect temperature.

Was yesterday just so gross? It rained ALL day and when I mean all day, I mean ALL DAY! I think it let up just a tiny bit in time for J to grill the meat medley. I'm working on my meat management skills. We bought chicken breasts and flank steak. J grilled it all and I will manage my meals with that so hopefully I won't have to go to the store 18 times in a week. We had the flank steak last night with a warm potato salad that I heard about from Kate F.

She has a great photo on her website of it. I mixed it up a little bit due to pregnancy restrictions. I'm so over these limitations, I don't know why I bother. But anyway, basically you saute onions, garlic and shallots and then mix it in with the warm potatoes, add some salt, olive oil and cider vinegar at the last minute with a sprinkling of parsley. I sauteed the ham in with the garlic and onion mixture so that my deli meat was hot (pregnancy rule-hot deli meat). It actually was really good. But don't forget the vinegar! that's what makes it. Uncle RaRa even had second helpings which he rarely does with carbs. We're having the leftovers tonight with our chicken breasts.

Tomorrow we are having a fajita combo platter of grilled chicken and flank steak. So I have at least Monday and Tuesday's dinner planned. It's all very exciting.

I also whipped up the Barefoot Contessa's avocado and red grapefruit salad. It was alright. I think that the grapefruit overpowered the avocado although it was a beautiful plating. I really wish I would have taken a picture of that. Maybe you'll like it better. I could tell everyone else wasn't that thrilled either. We had a lot of grapefruit leftover-no avocado.