Changing the Universe

Whoops

2010-07-05T17:27:00.000-07:00

I haven't been updating this site. Wanna know why? Our new site is just so much cooler, I completely forgot about this one!!

So from here on out, I'm no longer posting here. Please change your bookmarks and favorites to http://changingtheuniverseblog.com.

See ya over there!

Dad fail

2010-06-23T05:15:00.001-07:00

Read about Timmy's Dad Fail at the new blog: http://changingtheuniverseblog.com/2010/06/dad-fail/

What a Wonderful Feeling

2010-06-22T05:52:00.000-07:00

This weekend we were visiting my mom and step-dad for Father’s Day, and my grandma was playing with Aric while I was gushing about all the cool things that he was learning how to do. Then she asked the question that I’ve been asked a million times: “Isn’t this so much fun?”

...Read the rest at the new blog: http://changingtheuniverseblog.com/2010/06/what-a-wonderful-feeling/

We've moved!!

2010-06-21T17:27:00.000-07:00

Hey there! We are officially live over at http://changingtheuniverseblog.com! We made the switch to WordPress and bought a domain name. I'll be posting over there from now on, but for a week or so, I'll throw the first paragraph on this site with a link to the post at the new site so help you remember.

So update your feed settings to http://changingtheuniverseblog.com/feed and change your book marks! And THANK YOU for being such loyal fans to make it worthwhile enough to purchase a domain :)

And here's the first post over at the new blog: http://changingtheuniverseblog.com/2010/06/were-live/

To the man whom I adore

2010-06-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

My dearest Timmy-

Usually these letters are written to Aric, or perhaps to inanimate objects, but just for today, this letter is for you.

You are simply amazing. And I'm not just saying that because it's Father's Day! :) You truly are. Not a day that goes by do I not thank God for your existence.

You have shown me what being a true parent is all about. You have taught me how to be calm with Aric and how to accept things as they are. You have shown me the true meaning of the word "father."

The day you became a father, oh, that was an amazing day. I don't remember much about the day Aric was born, but I do remember this: I have never seen you happier. They only things I could hear as I was being put back together was Aric's cries and your comforting words. I am honored that you were the first one of us to hold him, look at him, love him.

When things got hard for me, you didn't falter a bit. You picked up my broken pieces, put them back together, and went about your day like it was no big deal. You have constantly been my partner throughout all of this. You have taken care of me in a way that no one else has.

Every day you do something else to amaze me, whether it's doing the dishes all by yourself, or picking up the toys, or starting the laundry, or sweeping me off my feet with a kiss ... or a smack on the ass :)

And your love for Aric, oh God is that love deep. I see the look you get in your eyes just looking at a picture of him or talking about him! You are so proud of our little man! You are happy when he's happy, and you hurt when he's hurt.

I could go on a on describing my adoration of you, instead I'll share some of my favorite pictures of our favorite boy and his favorite Daddy:

Click the image to view larger

There is no one else on this earth that I want to be the father of my child more than you. I love you, Timmy! Happy Father's Day!

The Greatest Day EVAH!

2010-06-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Hello and welcome! Sit down, grab a cup of coffee, and join me as I relive our wedding day, one of the best days of my life! Click on any of the images you see for a larger view :)

Our wedding was amazing. Simply wonderful.

March 29, 2008 started off with my mom making me scrambled eggs with cheese, my good luck breakfast.

My girls and I headed to the salon to get our hair and my make-up done. Thank goodness my friend Gabe was along to take photos!

From top left going clockwise, my good friend Heidi, my hair with borrowed hair clippies, sister Emmi, sister Lindsay, Mom, sister/Maid of Honor Molly, and me getting the massive bump in place.

It was seriously so much fun getting dolled up and fawned over. Even a couple of the girls at the salon had tears in their eyes. They were all so excited to be a part of the Big Day! We piled into the van and headed off to the church.

Our waiting room would be the church's nursery, so there was no shortage of toys ... or mini toilets

Sorry, Gabe, this picture is too funny NOT to include!!

We spent the morning chatting, snacking, and just generally having a great time. All the while I kept thinking about Timmy and how he must have been feeling.

Photo credits: Photography by McCartney

Apparently, the room that was promised for Tim and his men to hang out in was locked. Our uncoordinated coordinator supplied by the church? She didn't have the key. So the men folk hung out in the hallway. Tim had to hide in the bathroom every time I had to walk by.

From left to right: Tim's friend Dave, brother/Best Man Jesse, Tim, his friend Aaron
(Photo credit: Photography by McCartney)

There were tons of pictures. Tons of waiting. And then ... it was time.

Pachelbel's Canon in D began to play. My good friend from high school, Ann and Rachel, were my musicians. It was time for the wedding party to walk down the aisle. But wait! Why weren't they going? What was going on?

Ah, the uncoordinated coordinator struck again, telling the wedding party that that wasn't the song they were supposed to walk down to, despite protests from my sister who helped me pick the dang music out! But finally, they were on their way.

It was my turn. I stood at the top of the aisle and looked down and saw Tim. The man I was about to marry. I couldn't get down there fast enough! And then, oh, and then .... the string quartet began. My one single piece of my dream wedding that I so badly wanted but didn't think we could afford. It was a surprise wedding gift from my parents. My dream wedding had come true.

Photo credits: Photography by McCartney

For the record, that was the best kiss of my life. It has yet to be topped :)

Since this was a Catholic ceremony, and Catholics have a reputation for long wedding ceremonies, our guests had settled in for the long haul. Only, Tim is Lutheran and so his his family. So we didn't have the full mass, just the wedding ceremony! So when, after about 15-20 minutes, Tim and I and the rest of the wedding party started walking down the aisle, the crowd looked confused. They didn't know what was going on! After all, this was a Catholic service, we still had at LEAST an hour to go! But my grandpa figured out what was going on soon enough and he stood up and started clapping, which everyone else did soon after.

And when Tim and I reached the end of the aisle ..... the uncoordinated coordinator struck again. The doors to the Sanctuary were shut. Not just shut. Locked. Thankfully she managed to find her way back to us to let us out :)

After the ceremony, there were more pictures. More laughter. More fun. We headed down to a place Tim and I had scoped out earlier as a great place for some fun, outdoors pictures. Too bad it was 40 degrees and WINDY!!

Photo credits: Photography by McCartney

Bonus points if you can tell us WTF Molly is doing in the pic in the upper left.

Then it was off to the Hilton Hotel for the grandest wedding reception I have ever attended in my life. There was a social hour in the hallway outside the ballroom where we had our receiving line and took shots of Anisette, an Italian wedding tradition.

Photo credits: Photography by McCartney

Then, after a grand march that included surprise plastic baseball bats, it was off to a scrumptious dinner. My father, step-dad and Tim's dad all gave wonderful speeches. Molly's speech moved me to tears, as did Jesse's, only his was from laughter. It was beautiful.

Photo credits: Photography by McCartney

And then there was dancing. And drinking. And overall merriment. Our first dance was to "Hard to Concentrate" by The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Photo credits: Photography by McCartney

At the end, we were exhausted, but so, so happy. I truly did marry my best friend, and I'm so excited to be able to spend the rest of my life with him!

Photo credits: Photography by McCartney

I've had thoughts running through my head...

2010-06-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Not bad thoughts, mind you, sewing thoughts.

Lots, and LOTS of sewing thoughts.

Tim took me to the library a couple days ago (remind me to post why I hate going to the library alone and why I hate library cards. That's a hilarious story!) and I picked up FIVE sewing books. Including The Idiot's Guide to Sewing.

I have a sewing machine. I've had it for 3.5 years. I've made a total of 2 things on it. One of which is Aric's lovey, which he cannot sleep at night without. (At least that's what I'm telling myself, and it makes me feel cool that something I made helps Aric sleep, but I digress)

I don't know what I want to make. I've always wanted to try my hand at window treatments (seeing as how there are still three windows that remain unaltered since we moved in 1.5 years ago). I loved making Aric's lovey, so maybe I could make more as gifts. My mom wants me to take quilting classes with her. I fear that quilting is FAR too much work for one project, granted the final product is gorgeous. I could even make small purses or grocery bags or something.

I've even been thinking about ::GASP:: starting an Etsy shop!!!

Ok, ok, I admit, an Etsy shop is a looooooong way off. And knowing my habit of picking up a craft, then dropping it like a hot potato two weeks later, this is likey something that won't actually come to fruition.

But I will admit I've been starting to look at fabrics and styles of things I want to try. And maybe some patterns. Even though they don't make a lick of sense to me right now. I guess that's where the Idiot's Guide comes in handy, eh?

At least I'm getting excited about a hobby again. I like this feeling :)

Since I never heard from the first winner of the Thymes body lotion set, I was forced to draw again. Before I share with you the winner, I HAVE to tell you this hilarious story!

My mother is terribly allergic to any scented thing EVER! I wasn't ever really allowed to have Bath and Body Works stuff when I was living at home. Not to say that I didn't have any, but I couldn't wear much if I was going to be anywhere near her.

So, she entered my giveaway, joking that she'd end up winning the body lotion. On Friday before the giveaway was closed, I did a "practice" draw, just to see who would win if I did the drawing right then and there. Well, my mother won the smelly shit (as she likes to call any scented lotions, etc.). We laughed it off, joking that Random.org got it out of their system before the REAL drawing.

The morning of the real drawing came. I drew. She won. I re-drew (at her wish). SHE WON AGAIN!! I'm seriously close to forcing her to enter every Modern Bird giveaway EVER! Her odds are clearly awesome! I told her if she won again, I was forcing her to keep it.

Well, she didn't win. But unfortunately, the winner did not step forward, so I had to draw again. And guess what?

SHE FREAKING WON AGAIN!!!!!

Seriously, Mother. That's just plain ridiculous.

But I did pick again (she really is THAT allergic) and the actual second chance winner is Shazia!

Congrats and I'm running to email you now :)

And please email me back. I cannot fathom drawing again and having my mom with AGAIN!

A bit of business

2010-06-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

I still haven't heard from commenter #13 from my giveaway - Ryan, Christy, Landen, and Jackson.

You have until the end of the day today to contact me (since you didn't leave me an email address!), otherwise I have to pick another winner for the Lavender scented body lotion set!

That is all. I'll post another real post soon.

Oh, and BTW, another business item: We are now the proud owners of www.changingtheuniverseblog.com!!We are in the process of making the switch from Blogger to WordPress with the help of Twenty70 Hosting! So be prepared to change bookmarks in the near future (but not yet!!).

Thank you, and good night.

Seven months (and two days)

2010-06-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

My Dearest Aric-

Holy crap.

That's pretty much all I can say about you and what happened with your development in the last month. You have become so ridiculously mobile, it's not even funny. As your seven month birthday present to us, you decided to stop doing the butterfly stroke to get around and have started actually crawling. You can also go from a laying to a sitting position with ease, and just yesterday YOU PULLED YOUR SELF UP ONTO YOUR TOY BOX TO GET YOUR FAVORITE TOY!!

Yes, I did yell at you when you did that. You are being a naughty little boy and you are growing far, far too fast. I'm starting to absolutely LOVE motherhood and your baby times, and now you are taking that away from me! Before I know it, I'll be putting you on the bus for Kindergarten, sobbing the entire time. Don't even get me started on sending you off to college.

I am having an amazing time watching you grow and develop. As much as I hated it, watching you figure out how to climb up into the toy box was so fascinating! Then, of course, while I was talking to Nana about your latest achievement, to climbed all over me like I was a jungle gym in an attempt to get the phone. Silly little Monkey Baby!

You have such an unique personality and you are still in love with everyone you meet. At the restaurant the other day, you grinned at everyone that passed, causing all of them to stop and comment on your cuteness.

I love you so much, little boy. I love hearing your squeals of delight and seeing your big, toothy smile in the morning. I love the smile you get on your face when I pick you up from daycare. I love when you reach out for me to pick you up. I love the shrieking giggles you get when I playfully toss you into the air. I love your laugh in general, and I love that you save it for really, REALLY funny occasions.

I love our weekend mornings when the three of us (and the puppy and kitty) snuggle in bed and watch cartoons. I love evening bathtime when I get as wet as you do with all your splashing!

I love every. single. thing about you.

Happy seven month birthday, my love!

A little sunshine on this cloudy, rainy day

2010-06-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

Look who came to visit me at work today! Never fails to make my day better :)

Momma's Munchies!

2010-06-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

LCW, over at Waking up Williams, has started a new project called Momma's Munchies!! Each Monday she'll be giving a theme and whoever would like to participate posts a recipe that goes along with the theme!

Since this is the first week of her new project, the theme is For Starters ... appetizers!!! My favorite meal of the day!

This recipe is a STAPLE in my family. Wars have been fought over the leftovers. Pounds have been gained. More Fritos than you can shake a stick at have been consumed.

With that, I present: CHEESY BEAN DIP (or, as it's referred to in our family, Pig Poop)

Ingredients:
- 8oz sour cream (full fat, people! This ain't no diet recipe!)
- 8oz cream cheese, softened
- 8-12oz Fritos bean dip (I use the hot flavored on for a bit of a kick)
- 1/2 package taco seasoning
- 1 cup chopped onion (i use a few shakes of minced, dried onion)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

Cream the cream cheese with the mixer. Add sour cream, bean dip, and onions. Mix well! Add taco seasoning and mix. Stir in half the cheese with a spoon. Pour the mixture into a 9in pie plate. Top with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until hot and bubbly!. Serve hot with torilla chips or fritos!

If you want, you can add a bit of hot sauce to the mixture to give it more of a kick, if you're into spicy things!

And I'm not saying I've done this or anything, but the left overs make for a fantastic breakfast!

Hope you enjoy, and head on over to Waking Up Williams (click on the button at the top of this post) for some more yummy recipes!

WINNERS!!!!!!!

2010-06-13T06:24:00.000-07:00

Good morning!!

Before I announce the winners, I just want to say again how much we appreciate every single one of you guys. Without this blog and without your comments and connections we've made, I wouldn't have met some great people. I've have found some fantastic PPD supports and made new, awesome friends :) I wish I could give all of you a present!

Now that I got that sappiness out, here are the WINNERS!!

Gussy Credit - #30 - jess albert!

Crayon Roll-up - #41 - Erika from MommyBurgh!

Fabric Knot Necklace - #77 - Emmi!

ThirteenWinks Print - #17 - Julie!

Buggie Clips - #1 - Krista from Not Mommy of the Year!

Lavender body set - #13 - Ryan, Christy, Landen, and Jackson! (I don't have an email address for you, so hopefully you read this and respond in 48 hours!!)

Beaded Necklace - #97 - Grace!

Soonly I'll be emailing all of you and you'll have 48 hours to email me back.

Congrats to the winners and I hope you all keep coming back!

My kid is adorable. Thank you and good night.

2010-06-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

Despite feeling sorry for myself yesterday, Aric and I had and AWESOME day together!! Sure, he thought he could take a lesson from the Minnesota Nurses Union and have Nap Strike 2010 yesterday, but we had fun nonetheless.

We opened up Aric's air mattress/sleeping tent for our upcoming camping trip. I wanted to see how big it was and if Aric even liked being in it. He liked it so much he pulled it down off the couch just so he could be in it:

Because he liked being in the tent so much, I think he decided that he likes small spaces.

This is how he now prefers to play with his exersaucer. Only he gets really upset when he wants to get out and can figure out how he got in. And no, I did not entice him under there with the keys. He brought those in on his own.

All in all, it was a fantastic day to hang out with my little Squiggle Butt!

Today's bonus giveaway entry:

What is your child's favorite toy? Or, if you do not have a child, what was your favorite toy when you were little?

Head back to the giveaway post to give your answer.

Remember, today is the last day to enter the giveaway!! Here are your chances for bonus entries:

Original Post
A Rant About Groceries
Karing for Keegan
I guest blogged for Timmy
My Brain is a Swirly Whorlly Mess
I feel like I cheated myself
I'll be picking and posting the seven winners tomorrow morning!

I feel like I cheated myself

2010-06-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

Last night I decided to torture myself and go back through old posts and look at my baby belly. By the way, why the HELL didn't anyone tell me I was carrying my child in my chin? GOOD LORD!!

As I was skimming through, I found a letter I wrote to Aric hours before our 39 week appointment when we decided to induce two days later. Here's an excerpt from it:

I can guarantee that no matter what you look like or how you act, you will never cease to amaze me. Even now, as you are still in my womb, you amaze me. Watching you move your little baby foot back and forth against my belly last night was so neat! Sure I've been watching you move for the last several months, but it never gets boring! I love every minute, and I know I will miss it.

I will miss you being with me every moment of every day. How hard will it be for us when we are sleeping in separate rooms after having slept literally on top of one another for the last 9 months? How happy will we be when we are reunited for feedings and play time?

I was so excited, the future was so full of promise for me. I mean think about it, I was about to meet this wonderful child that I had cooked for the last 9 months. MY child, no one else's. My baby to watch grow up and learn and develop into an amazing person.

I feel like I cheated that Nicci out of the amazing experience she so badly wanted. That Nicci never expected to be thrusted into a deep, dark, scary hole of depression and still be struggling to claw herself back out seven months later. That Nicci understood that it wouldn't always be puppies and rainbows, but she didn't think it would always be dark, foggy rain clouds.

I feel horrible for that Nicci. I feel like I'm not the same Nicci that I was on November 11th. In many ways, I'm not that Nicci. I'm a mother now. My universe was truly changed when Aric came to my world, PPD or not. But I'm talking about the excited, optimistic, ready to take life by the horns Nicci. I look back on entries like that and remember how I felt then, and it's COMPLETELY different to what I'm feeling right now.

If I could go back to 39 weeks pregnant Nicci, I'd tell her what was going to happen. I'd tell her that she would start feeling helpless, constantly sad, and feel like she'll never want to leave her bed again, and maybe, sometimes when she's just tired enough, she'll wonder why she had a baby to begin with.

But then I'll tell her that there would be something she could do about it. She could begin taking anti-depressants right away. I would tell her that breastfeeding is hard, yeah, but don't quit. Get support from professionals (not to say that Tim wouldn't be helpful, but sometimes you need the help of a professional). Buy an expensive breast pump. Throw away formula samples. I'd tell her to start going to therapy right away. I'd tell her to lay off Tim. He'll be trying so hard to please her, and she'll just yell at him for cutting chicken the wrong way.

And I'll tell her to treasure every. single. second with her baby boy. When he's seven months old, she'll regret having "missed" his first few months because of depression. She'll look at the little boy he's becoming and miss the tiny, monkey baby he used to be. So she should snuggle him at every second. Treasure the midnight feedings and snuggle time. They'll be over before she even knows it.

39 weeks pregnant Nicci, I'm trying hard to get back to where you are with your overall positive attitude. You have helped me see where I can be, and where I want to be.

Today's bonus entry: I realized that not everyone has facebook or twitter (today's question was going to be twitter related), so instead, I'll make it an easy question.

What are you thankful for today? (Yes I know Thankful Thursday was yesterday, but go with me here)

Now head over to the giveaway post and submit your answer for a bonus entry!

My brain is a swirly, whorlly, mess

2010-06-10T06:07:00.000-07:00

I apologize in advance for this post.

- Today is Day Four of my new four day work week. I now work 10 hours a day from Monday to Thursday and have Fridays off. Considering how this week went, I'm gonna need that 3 day weekend. But overall, it's going well so far. We still need to nail down our new morning routine, but at least Aric is being a champ about it.

- Speaking of Aric, he did the most amazingly cute thing yesterday that made my heart melt, explode, then melt all over again. My mom picked him up from daycare yesterday. They have a walker at their house and apparently Aric has finally figured out forward motion. So I asked him to show me his new trick. Nana sat on one chair on the other side of the room, I sat across from her, and Aric was kind of in the middle. Nana started playing his music block (which is apparently CRACK to this child!) to entice him to walk over to her. I made a comment about how I really wanted to see him to it and he shot up, almost like he forgot I was in the room. He turned his walker towards me, took a couple steps forward, and reached his arms out for me to pick him up. That was the happiest I've been in a long, long time!

- Then i tickled behind his knee and he giggled. I love his giggle. He doesn't do it often, but when he does, it's totally worth it!

- I almost drank an old cup of coffee sitting on my desk instead of the fresh cup right next to it. I need to clean my office.

- I had a very strange dream last night that involved one of those ginormous centipedes you find in the deep jungles of South America. Wanna know where I found that centipede? Inside my glass pipe. Apparently I'm a pot head in my dreams. Although I did throw out that pot after finding more worms, ants, and various other creepy crawlies inside it. Actually, I think it was more dirt than pot. I'm becoming more and more confused as I write this and think about the dream more. Because it involved having a Skype conversation with my family up north. What the hell? I need to stop writing about this and move on to the next random topic.

- We busted out Aric's tent for camping over the 4th of July weekend. It's freaking AWESOME! It's a Kidco PeaPod and it is awesome. I wanted to crawl inside and play. In fact, this morning while I was packing my lunch, Aric DID crawl inside to play. It was super cute.

- Ok, I think that's enough. My brain hurts, but at least it's a bit more clear now that I got all THAT off my chest. Thank you, and good night.

Today's bonus entry:

Did you "like" Changing the Universe on FaceBook prior to June 10th?

If yes, head on back to the giveaway post and leave two comments! If no, head on over to our FaceBook page, "like" us, then come back and comment that you did!

I'm a guest blogger!!

2010-06-09T06:32:00.000-07:00

Did I tell you guys that Tim has a sports blog? I'm sure I have.

Oh well, either way, I'm guest blogging over there today! That's right, I know sports ... or at least enough to rant about them. Check it out at The Sambard's Lair.

Today's extra giveaway entry question:

What's my beef with perfect games?

Head on over to the giveaway post and answer the question correctly for an extra entry! (Hint: read my guest blogging piece for the answer!)

Karing for Keegan

2010-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Joanna, from Raising Madison, is starting a donation fund for little Keegan Chupp, an 8 month old with Medullablastoma. We've gotten to know his mom, Beth, through The Bump and have been following Keegan's story since he was born 6 weeks pre-maturely.

Head on over to her blog, check out Keegan's story, and donate, please! They could use all of our help right now.

If you donate on Joanna's blog, come back here and comment that you did, and I'll give you an extra entry to my giveaway.

A rant about groceries

2010-06-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

I went to the grocery store for the first time in about a month or so (apparently I have a grocery store phobia). I thought I'd check out the organic section, seeing as how I've been looking at starting to eat more organic foods. I was completely disappointed. Seriously, utterly disappointed.

I would venture to say that MAYBE 1/3 of the food in that already small section was actually "organic" (my definition of organic is that it is labeled with the USDA Certified Organic stamp). The rest used fancy buzz words like "All natural" and "homegrown" and "filled with anti-oxidants!" and "made with real sea salt!" and other words and fancy packaging that makes you think that you are buying something that is truly "better" for you.

That's when the lightbulb clicked on in my mind. No wonder so many people think organic food is bull shit. Because, yeah, 2/3 of the food in that section really was using fancy labels and clever marketing to charge more for essentially the same "non-natural" products.

Even Annie's Mac and Cheese, which I've had many "crunchy" friends swear by, wasn't even organic. Well, two varieties were labeled USDA Organic. The rest was "natural and homegrown," whatever that means. And there wasn't a single solitary organic meat. Sure there was tofu and soy and MorningStar products (which, btw, are NOT USDA Certified Organic), but again, clever marketing to make you think that eating MorningStar products are better than non-MorningStar (unless you are a vegetarian, in which case GO MORNINGSTAR!).

So when people like myself, the type of person who wants to make better choices for their family but doesn't really quite know where to start, start to head on over to that section, instead of being offered those products that really are organic, we are bombarded by these buzz words. We are made to think that by simply stating some "fact" on a box really means it's a better choice, therefore we are made to think that it's OK to pay twice as much for this box of Mac and Cheese instead of Kraft.

It's not fair. It's not fair to take advantage of those of us just starting down the organic path. It's not fair for these companies to see people wanting to make better choices and instead of offering those choices, they see a way to make more money. It's not fair that those of us that really want to make this change have to do so much research and weed through the bull shit to find what is real.

I know, I know, I could have gone to Whole Foods or Mississippi Market or Trader Joe's or wherever organic food is sold in more quantity. But I didn't. I went to my standard grocery store, where the big companies essentially run the joint. Maybe next time I'll head to one of those stores and see if there really is a difference, or if there really is just a lot of bull shit buzz words.

So here is my plea: Organic mommies, how do you do it? Where do you shop (besides farmer's markets/buying animals wholesale from a farmer)? How do you know you are really getting organic food and not bull shit buzz words? Furthermore, why do we have to work so hard to actually eat what we want!!

Thank you for listening to my rant :)

What's that? You want another entry to my super awesome reader appreciation giveaway?? Ok, go back to the original post. Answer the original question if you haven't already, then answer today's question:

Did you follow/subscribe to this blog before June 8th?

If the answer is "NO," follow the blog publicly or subscribe to it in a reader, then comment that you did! If the answer is "YES," then comment TWICE!! See, reader appreciation! (Don't put your answer to today's question here, otherwise it won't count!)

These are a few of my favorite things

2010-06-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

We're so humbled by the number of people who have read and continue to read our little blog. And to our commenters, holy crap do we love you! We love that you not only take the time to read about us, but you let us know you've stopped by!

So because I love you all so much, I wanted to share with you some of my favorite things!

Favorite thing #1:

Chatty Gus from Gussy. I first learned about Maggie's FABULOUS work through Blair's blog. As I started following her blog and getting to know her a little more, I discovered she was a local gal! THEN she organized a get together, and of course I couldn't turn that down :) So I ordered my first Gussy piece and she was kind enough to bring it to our coffee date. This is seriously the cutest thing I own! I use it to keep my cell phones (yes, multiple) in. Every time I take it out of my purse, I get so many compliments on it, I wish I could claim it as my own! She has other fantastic products. Personally, I'm saving up for a Gus for Work notebook bag. Or maybe a Lovely Gus make-up bag to keep my hundreds of pens in. Or maybe .....

Favorite thing #2:

Crayon Roll-ups from Two Little Tots. I met Melissa, the talent behind Two Little Tots, at the meet-up that Maggie set up. She showed us what these were and I was amazed! She took the roll-up out of her purse and displayed all the crayons, in perfect {albeit used :)} condition. I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda jealous I didn't think of this idea before she did! You know what they say about mom's inventing the best things, well, it's totally true for her. Imagine trying to entertain two ADORABLE little girls (TWINS!!) while you're out and about. I mean, how perfect are these roll-ups? Just carry this around in your purse/diaper bag all the time and BOOM! Constant entertainment whether at the doctors office or waiting for your meal at Applebee's and the host forgot to give your table crayons. Mom's are so smart, especially Melissa :)

Favorite thing #3:

Fabric Knot necklaces from Josiah's Nest on Etsy. Moriah was another fabulous lady I met at the meet up (yay for local talent!!) who, by the way, has the most adorable baby, Josiah (well, most adorable behind Aric, of course!). Again, I fell in love with these necklaces instantly. They are so neat and so unique. Seriously, have you ever seen anything like them? Yet again, another woman I'm jealous of for her amazing talent!

Favorite thing #4:

Prints from ThirteenWinks on Etsy. I first discovered Carla through a giveaway that Lauren from Texas was doing on her blog. I instantly fell in LOVE with Carla's work and purchased a print without even waiting to see if I won the giveaway. I ended up getting the two prints you see above and I couldn't be happier! Unfortch I don't have pics of them actually on my walls, but I swear, they look that awesome in real life. And Carla does custom work too! Just email her and she'll work with you :)

Favortie thing #5:

Buggie clips from Sweet Adeline on Etsy. I posted on Twitter that I was looking for people with Etsy shops that might be interested in working with me for my Favorite Things post. Katie contacted me right away and let me know she was just starting up her new shop and wanted to get some exposure. She sent me some pictures of her homemade, no-slip clips and I was hooked. I was seriously thisclose to calling Tim and making him get me knocked up so I could have a chance at having a girl who I could put these clips on. How cute are those bugs?!?! And they are made of ribbons! Adorable, ribbon-y buggies!!

Favorite thing #6:

Pretty much anything from Thymes. Yet another local find :) I was first introduced to Thymes products by a woman that I work with. For Christmas and birthdays each year, women in the company get gifts from Thymes, and boy do they smell GOOD!! I checked out the Thymes website and learned that the company is essentially for women, by women. They develop their own fragrances and products in their own labs by female chemists. They only make products that they themselves use and would recommend. Oh, and they never test on animals :)

And last but not least, favorite thing #7:

Anything made by my little sister, Emmi. She's been playing around with beading and has discovered that not only does she like it, she's really, really good at it! And people want to buy her custom designs, too. She's still in college, so she doesn't really have time to do this a lot, but she loves making designs for people and literally everything she makes is a custom piece.

What do you think? Would you like to have one of these things? Why did I even ask, OF COURSE you do!! Here is what you could win:
1. $20 credit to Gussy
2. A Crayon Roll-up of your choice
3. A fabric knot necklace of your choice
4. A print of your choice
5. A set of Buggie Clips (a lady bug, a bumblebee, and a butterfly)
6. A set of lavender scented products from (lotion, body wash, bubble bath, and scented candle)
7. That gorgeous Jade necklace in the photo.

That's right, SEVEN prizes for SEVEN awesome readers!!

And because we love you all so much, we're making it super easy to enter. Just comment to this post, include your email, and answer the following question:

How did you find this blog?

Come back tomorrow for another way to win! Contest will be open until Saturday, June 12 at 11:59pm. I will pick 7 winners from Random.org sometime on Sunday.

Disclaimer: I wasn't compensated in any way for this. I just wanted to tell you about things that I love and share them with you!

I've talked about these shops, now go visit them!! Here's how:
1. Gussy - Website: http://www.maggiewhitley.bigcartel.com/ Blog: http://www.maggiewhitley.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gussy-Sews/317384161860 Twitter: http://twitter.com/gussysews

2. Two Little Tots - Website: http://twolittletots.bigcartel.com/ Blog: http://www.mkgrubergirls.blogspot.com/

3. Josiah's Nest - Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MoriahAnn04 Blog: http://josiahsnest.blogspot.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/josiahsnest

4. Thirteen Winks - Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/thirteenwinks Blog: http://carlalamae.blogspot.com/

5. Sweet Adeline - Website: http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetadelineshop Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Adeline-Shop/125530110797738?ref=ts Blog: http://www.sweetadelineshop.blogspot.com/

6. Thymes - Website: www.thymes.com

7. Emmi - She doesn't have a store, and doesn't have an email address that doesn't include her last name (I don't want to be spreading that all over teh interwebz!) so contact me at changingtheuniverse@gmail.com and I'll put you in touch with her. She does necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and bookmarks.

A Grand Ole Day Indeed!

2010-06-06T13:03:00.000-07:00

We took Aric to his first Grand Old Day today! Even though we parked about eight blocks away, we were still early enough to watch the parade, Aric's first EVER!

Oo, look, an old firetruck!!

But Aric didn't care.

So we stopped for a bottle and Aric showed off his crazy hair!

Then we walked through the huge mass of people where we ate Gyros and cheese curds.

And that was enough to tucker a little baby out!

I haz a sad.

2010-06-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

The swing, she is retired. I'm on the verge of tears.

It's like a part of Aric's life is now missing. He spend most of his newborn months in that swing. It was our fallback whenever he was cranky and we couldn't calm him down. When I started back to work, it was part of our after work routine; come home, play for 30 minutes, have an hour of Quiet Alone Swing Time, playtime with Daddy, then bed.

He's almost too big for it now and if he doesn't want to be in it, he can ALMOST push himself out, even when he's strapped in. That, plus I wanted my living room back.

But as I was thinking about retiring it, a sad came over me. It's like I'm admitting Aric isn't a baby any more. He's becoming an independent boy now. He doesn't need a swing to calm down, he can self-soothe with his Lovey and his thumb now, thankyouverymuch.

When I was talking to my mom about how sad I felt, she told me that it was actually a good thing that I'm feeling sad. It proves that I have an emotional tie to his newborn months. And for that, I am happy.

So for now, the swing has been moved to the storage room to await it's triumphant return (in at LEAST three years, people!). The spot where it used to be is now empty, but within hours I'm sure big boy toys will fill that space. And I try and find whoever controls time and beg them to slow it down.

With that, I give you vintage Aric enjoying his swing time:

About 5 or 6 weeks old, right after he discovered the owls :)

I hate feet

2010-06-03T17:41:00.000-07:00

Seriously. I hate them with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. Hate. Hate. HATE!

It could be because my sister's toes are so long and spindly and ishy and slimy. I may have made the slimy part up.

Or maybe not. I've never really looked that close at her ugly toes.

Maybe I hate feet because mine are so gawd awful! Seriously. I know everyone "hates" their feet and think they are ugly, by mine seriously are. I'm so embarrassed by my ugly feet that I have had a total of ONE pedicure in my life.

To give you a brief description: My big toe is the width of about three toes put together. And short. My middle two toes are OK, I guess. My 4th toe? Well, it never really developed. It's like a half toe. It's not even with the bottom of my foot. To make up for that, my pinky toe is narrowish at the top and super wide at the bottom, to cover the space where the 4th toe should be. And short.

When I was in the hospital having Aric, I was so pumped full of fluids that my toes swelled so bad they hurt. And the nurse called them fat little sausage toes.

I clicked my morphine button a couple times after that comment.

I told you that story to tell you this story: My husband comes from a family of "monkey toes." Long, spindly toes that can be used as extra appendages if need be. In fact, Tim tries to gross me out once in a while by picking up change with his toes and trying to give it to me.

Yeah, right. Like I'm gonna take something from your slimy, toe jammed toes. Ish.

Aric has inherited Tim's monkey toes. And I thank God for that every day, despite the fact that in 2 short years, I will hate his now adorable, chunky baby toes.

The bad part? He's already learning to use his toes as extra fingers.

You can't really see it, but there's a foot inside that ball o'fun

Can we take a moment to enjoy those chunky baybee thighs? Moment over. Look at how he's using his toes as extra fingers! Silly monkey baby!

Am I happy that he has discovered the uses for his monkey toes? No. No I am not. I have visions in my head of a 6 year old Aric running over to me to show me that he can pick up a worm with his toes. Then he'll demand that his feet be washed lest he have a speck of dirt on him (a trait I imagine he'll inherit from his father).

::sigh::

Gone are the days of blissful, feetless freedom. I now have two monkey-toed men in my house who are too proud of their nasty, disgusting feet.

And now for Girls Weekend!!

2010-06-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

While Timmy and Aric were home all weekend having boys time, I was off in Chicago with my sisters having girls time!

We headed out Friday afternoon and stayed in Madison for the night. I booked a hotel online for the cheapest rate possible: $38 for one night. The hotel was, well, um, yeah. It wasn't great. In fact, it wasn't good. It was, um, fine? Not bug infested (that I know of). But there was mold. Lots of mold. Mold on the lampshade, mold in the shower, and oh, by the way, I'M ALLERGIC TO MOLD!!

Apparently I snored all night due to my stuffy nose from the mold.

Good thing we met up with a college friend of mine, Eric, and went out for beers and karaoke :) The Spotted Cow made the hotel seem decent at best.

We left super early Saturday morning so we could get to our hotel in Chicago to shower there. The drive from Madison, WI to Chicago was nice a short, so we checked into our hotel in no time and had tons of time to shower and unwind in our nice hotel. Again, on a budget ($200 for 2 nights) but it was a two room suite and had the most comfortable hotel bed I have EVER slept on! Much better than the mattresses at the Madison hotel in which I could feel every spring! Thank you, Holiday Inn in Rosemont, IL!

After we showered and changed, we headed into town to meet our sister, Lindsay, who goes to school at DePaul University. Holy BALLS is that a beautiful campus/neighborhood! I instantly regretted going to school in po-dunk Eau Claire, WI (although I wouldn't have met Timmy. But maybe I could have married someone RICH!! Ahhh, dreams :) )

ANYWAY, it was fantastic. We met up with Lindsay and she took us on a little tour of downtown Chicago. Molly and I had been there within the last five years, but it had been 10 years for Emmi, so she hardly remembered what Chicago was like. Her last impression of a "big city" was when she was in Manhattan and was disgusted by the filth and stinky-ness of the city (which I completely agree with. NY in the hot summer is so nasty and garbage smelling! No offense to you NYers, I'm just used to my Twin Cities air!)

We were all pleasantly surprised with Chicago. Granted, we stayed in "nice" Chicago and "tourist" Chicago and didn't venture to the South Side, but what we saw was sooooo different from NY in a very wonderful way. (Side note: a co-worker of mine was in Chicago about the same time, but she was in the south side. He experience was far different than mine!)

Our first stop (besides checking out DePaul's downtown campus) was Millennium Park. We wandered around and checked out all the cool sculptures and the "Silver Bean."

After that, we headed down to Wacker Drive (my favorite street name EVER!) and got my favorite Chicago treat: Deep dish stuffed pizza!! Our favorite place to get it is from Bella Bacino's on the corner of Wacker and Michigan. We ordered a ton so we'd have plenty leftover for dinner and lunch for the rest of the weekend.

Once we were sufficiently full, we walked down to the huge Victoria's Secret on Michigan Ave, where Lindsay works! They were having a huge sale, so I stocked up on Secret Garden fragrances (at 8 for $35, who can pass that up??) while the girls bought their own stuff.

Lindsay came back to the hotel with us Saturday night for some fun sister bonding. I'd tell you what we did, but we swore each other to secrecy ;)

Sunday we shopped all. day. long. I bought Aric his first stuffed Mickey Mouse and I bought myself my first Coach wristlet! I'm considering returning it since I was $50 over my spending limit for my trip (the purse cost $48) but who knows, maybe I'll hang on to it just a bit longer!

What was really nice about the trip though, was realizing just how much I love my baby. I was away from him for 4 days so I could have some of my "freedom" that I've so sorely missed. But once Monday came, I couldn't get home to him fast enough. I swear he grew two inches over the weekend and it killed me to know that I missed that much of his life. And it was a relief to me, realizing that I do in fact love and care for him deeply. I actually felt like a real mom :)

So now it's back to reality. I've been slapped in the face with a ton of work lately, but it's OK, I actually like the change. And starting next week, I'll start working 4-day weeks and having Fridays off to be with my baby! I'm so freakin excited, I can't even stand it!!

Burgers and beer on Boys Weekend

2010-06-01T05:51:00.001-07:00

Aric was quite the little entertainer on our second day of Boys Weekend. We met up with an old friend of mine for coffee in the afternoon, then met up with two more old friends of mine for some burgers and beer. Aric seemed pretty happy in his host role, and he even wanted to help with the burgers, but I told him he couldn't. He cried, then got over it.

We kept things pretty quiet on Monday. I had been thinking about taking him either to the zoo or to the track, but with all the activity the previous two days, I figured it might be best to have a quiet day at home. The most exciting thing we did was take the puppy for a walk. At the end of the walk, Aric was holding his head slightly to the side as if to say "Dad, our neighborhood's really boring. Why didn't we go to the zoo?"

Also, since his mom was in Chicago, we made sure to send her a lot of pictures of Aric. He apparently really likes having his picture taken, or he really likes my phone, because whenever I took it out, he had a huge, open-mouthed grin on his face and he'd start jumping up and down - or, jumping as well as he can while he's sitting in something or laying down. It was pretty cute.

Adventures at Grammas

2010-05-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

So it's Boys' Weekend here. Nicci and her sisters are partying up in Chicago, so it's just me and Aric to chill out in our jammies, eat pizza, and drink beer. Well, Aric's only doing the first one of those things, but whatever.

Yesterday, I asked him what he wanted to do on his boys' weekend, and me made a high-pitched squeal. I interpreted that to mean "Go visit Gramma and Grandpa!" So off we went. It was a pretty fun day for Aric, as he got to eat lunch outside, and he got to go for a walk with Gramma, and he got to watch the Twins with Grandpa, and he got to visit his aunt and uncle and cousins, too!

But my favorite part of yesterday was when we were sitting downstairs watching the Twins. Grandpa had just gotten done feeding Aric his bottle, and they were sitting up watching TV. Just then Aric let out a long series of little poops, probably lasting 30 seconds in all. Then his eyes got wide and he looked up at Grandpa. It's like he was saying "Woah! Did you hear that?" After that, he kept looking at him as if to say "Well, you're holding me. That means you get to change me!"

The fact that he's so proud of his poops gives me far more pride than it really should.

Of course, he almost topped that this morning. While he was in his high chair eating peaches, he grabbed both his feet, lifted them up, and started grunting and straining. About 10 seconds later, I smelled what he was trying to do. So not only is he proud of his poops like his dad is, but he also strains to push them out like his dad does. I'm so proud.

So... two more days of Boys' Weekend. I wonder what we're gonna do next?

My Little Rascal

2010-05-27T19:25:00.000-07:00

We're teaching Aric to wave right now. If we are standing in front of him waving, he'll kind of wiggle his fingers to mimic us. But when he's really happy and when we lease suspect it, he treats us to a Little Rascals-style wave:

And really, if you don't melt when you see a baby do that, you have no soul! (Nope, no video of HIM actually doing it, he does it when I least expect it, which makes it that much more special!)

I'll be MIA from teh interwebz for the weekend. I'm headed off to Chicago with my sisters for a weekend away. And this weekend couldn't come soon enough. I've been stressed at work, not the mention the whole "depression" thing, so this weekend is gonna be awesome!!

Not to say that I won't miss my little boy

It'll be the longest I've ever been away from him. But I'll love him even more when I come home :)

I promise to return with many fun pics of our girls weekend! Don't burn down the internetz while I'm away!!

How are you feeling today?

2010-05-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Most days, my answer to that question is "Not bad." Last week, my answer was "Great!" The last few days have been more like, "meh."

I will say this. I'm out of my deep, dark depression hole. My mind isn't as foggy as it was even just a month ago. Going to therapy and putting to words all the things that have been bugging me has been a release. I always leave therapy with a light bounce in my step, ready to take on the world!

But for whatever reason, my mind has been fogging up again, and I don't know why. Maybe it was because I was surrounded by smart, talented, and creative women this weekend who are using their gifts to do great things while I sit here and feel like I'm just spinning my wheels. Maybe it's because I'm still depressed. Maybe it's something else that I still don't even know yet.

And none of this has anything to do with Aric, which has been fantastic!! On Friday, my day off with him, when he was screaming for 2 hours straight, at no point did I lose my patience. I stayed calm with him and did everything I knew how to do to calm him down. I was never mad or angry at him, just upset at the situation. So I'm pretty proud of myself.

And I've been thinking a lot lately about all the things I'm NOT doing. I'm NOT using my creative side to do any of my arts and crafts (I have done pretty much everything you can think of, but I have to follow a pattern otherwise I think it's crap and I lack the confidence to show anyone anything I've made), I'm not pushing to get an advanced college degree or move up in my company. I'm really just sitting here.

When I told my therapist about that, she helped me to explore the things that I DO do (hehehehehehe, doodoo!). And if you don't mind, I'm going to use this platform for listing my doodoos.

- I planned a trip to Chicago with my sisters for this weekend (which I am WICKED excited for!!!!)
- I'm doing some really cool things at work (which I'm not gonna talk about for hopefully obvious reasons)
- I'm teaching Aric cool new things like how to wave!
- I make Aric happy just by being in the room. He lights up the minute he sees me that that's just enough to melt my little heart!
- I write. Not the best, sure, but I do it. And it makes me feel better. And it serves as a record of the trying and REWARDING times I had/am currently having as a new mother.
- I went out for coffee with some local gals that I met online. I'm usually a shy person, so internet friends are nice since I don't actually have to "meet" them, but I forced myself to go and I'm SO HAPPY I did!
- I got my finances in order. It wasn't pretty, but it had to be done. And even though the result SUCKED, I felt good for having done it!

That took me a while to write, but there. My doodoos. I'm NOT just sitting around spinning my wheels. I'm doing things. They aren't major, earth shattering, universe changing things, but who knows. Maybe one of them could start some kind of chain reaction, ya know?

I guess it's not ALL bad :) Plus, a weekend of shopping and chilling in Chicago can cure anything, right?!

Gratuitous pool pictures

2010-05-24T18:10:00.000-07:00

Click on the image to enlarge

Why yes that IS a pink pool! Thank you for noticing! My boy is man enough to swim in a pink pool! The water was pretty cold, but he had a good time splashing around. I think he was trying to grab the fishy that was at the bottom of the pool. But clearly he had more fun wrapped up in his big fuzzy towel than anything else!

For my upcoming reader appreciation giveaway, I will have SIX prizes to give away. SIX!!!! And they are AWESOME! Get excited!

Fabulous weekend!

2010-05-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

We had quite the awesome weekend, Squiggle and I. It started off not so hot, however. I think he has some more teeth coming in, as is evidenced in his CONSTANT hand nomming and shoving everything, including his crib bumper, into his mouth.

I had Friday off, so I was sooooo excited to have a day with just the two of us. We were going to go visit Nana at work and possibly meet my favorite local weatherman, Sven. But Aric had other plans. He was up at 6am SCREAMING his little head off. I mean screaming. It was bad. And he didn't calm down for about 2 and a half hours. It took me oragel-ing his entire mouth (since I don't know what teeth are coming) to get him to calm down. Not even Yo Gabba Gabba could quiet him for long.

Plus, on top of that, he had a fever :( We had to cancel all plans and just hang out at home all day. So Friday was a bust.

Saturday was a TON of fun though. I went out for coffee with some amazing and talented women! I met with Maggie from Gussy, Tracy from Sweet Harper, Allison from O My Family, Melissa from Two Little Tots, Moriah from Josiah's Nest, Mela from Mela Kamin, Alyssa from Adventures of the Stay at Home Mom, and several other gals who's names and shops/blogs I have since forgotten (thank you, Mommy Brain!). It was so nice to meet the faces behind the blogs/shops I have been in love with, and it was nice to make a new connection with some local moms.

We hung out, chatted, drank coffee, chatted some more, and then Aric got cranky so I took him home. Maybe next time I'll leave him with Tim so I can stay longer :) Remind me to chat later about how meeting with these gals makes me want to do something creative with my time.

Sunday was a nice, quiet day. We hung out at home and my sister came over and we watched MythBusters all afternoon. And we bought Aric a pool, which I'll have to post pictures of tonight. The water was freezing cold, but Aric liked it and splashed EVERYWHERE!

Today he's taking his first trip out to the middle of no where to meet Tim's Grandma and Grandpa. I just checked in on them and Aric is sound asleep! What a good boy :)

How was your weekend?

What teething looks like in the morning...

2010-05-23T08:16:00.000-07:00

Organic Food debate

2010-05-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

The other day, my sister, Emmi, and I were talking about organic food when my other sister, Molly, chimed in that organic food is bullshit.

I have to admit, before Aric was born, I totally agreed. In fact, Penn and Teller based one of their Bullshit episodes on it and, for the most part, I agreed with it.

So I started wondering, why do people eat organic food verses "regular" food? Is it really just a ploy for companies to charge us extra money for the same crap? What ARE the benefits of eating organic verses regular?

I consulted Google, the source of all knowledge, to answer some of these questions. At the end of this rambling post, I'll get into the reasons why I have chosen to feed Aric mostly organic food and why I would like to switch to all organic food for all of us.

Go to Google and type in "organic food is" and see what the predictive text says. Chances are the first several choices will be negative towards organic food. Why?

What is organic food? If we look at the word "organic" it means any organism with carbon containing molecules. Ok, that doesn't help. In that case, DUH organic food is good for you! Would you rather eat INorganic food? I think not.

What about assumptions of organic food. According to wikipedia for a food to be considered organic, it needs to meet certain qualification, which vary country to country. Some say that to be organic it needs to be grown without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. If those ARE used, they need to be made up of at leasst 95% organic ingredients (again, what does organic mean?). Some countries even go as far as to say that organic food cannot be made from genetically modified seeds.

How is this monitored? In the US, there is a USDA certification that farmers can apply for which gives them the ability to label their food as organic. The question is, however, are these farmers actually monitored? Or are they just paying money to stamp their products with a seal which means that they can charge more for the same thing?

Why do people chose to eat organic? I've heard tons of reasons. It's better for the environment, it's healthier, it's pesticide free, etc.

So what about me and my family. Why do I want to eat organic and why don't I think organic food is bullshit? It's simple. Here's my opinion which is loosely based in fact:

Is organic food better for the environment? Maybe, since pesticides aren't being sprayed into the air, but honestly, there are still trucks hauling the food to grocery stores. And even at Whole Foods or Trader Joes, these stores are air conditioned, and doesn't that spew CFCs into the air? I don't know, I could be making that up, but think of all the resources these stores eat up. So no, organic food is not better for the environment.

Is organic food more nutritious? Um, no. There have been many studies recently which prove this.

At this point, it probably sounds like I think organic food is bullshit. But here is why I want to switch: It's a statement. By purchasing organic food, I'm telling stores and farmers that I want less processed foods for my family. If I could grow my own fruits and veggies, I would. Now, I'm all for some processed food. Let's face it, I'm addicted to Velveeta cheese. But I'd much rather eat an an apple that hasn't been covered in wax to make it look shiny. Genetically modified food, fine. All food is naturally genetically modified anyway. It's not "frankenfood."

But I'd rather eat chicken that wasn't fed anti-biotics and was free range (although technically that just means they weren't in those dark, long buildings. They could be housed in long buildings with semi-open walls) and by purchasing organic, free range chicken, I'm saying that I DON'T support the conditions that many chickens are forced to live in to produce the "best" meat. I ALWAYS buy milk from cows that were not fed growth hormones. Grass or grain fed beef, also free range.

Yeah, it's more expensive. And it will be unless more people start buying organic food. I don't buy it for it's nutritional value. I buy it because less chemicals went into making it. I know it isn't completely devoid of processing and chemicals, but there is certainly less! I buy it because I like the idea behind it. And maybe someday there will be better regulation of it. Oh, and the Dirty Dozen is definitely NOT bullshit.

So I'll continue to buy organic food for my child and more organic food for us. I'll purchase more fruits and veggies from Farmer's Markets. Maybe I'll even buy half an organic cow and some organic chickens.

In conclusion, is organic food bullshit? Maybe, maybe not. Do your own research and decide for yourself. I've done enough of my own research to know it's something I'd like to eat more of. Oh, and watch the movie Food Inc. before eating Tyson chicken products again.

Also, if you DO buy organic, be sure to know your labels. Truly organic food will have the USDA Organic stamp on it (although remember that this is not really regulated). The following labels basically mean nothing: All Natural, 100% Natural, State Certified Organic, 100% Organic (unless it's with the USDA stamp).

On relationships

2010-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

The other questions we were asked needed more space and more time than our silly vlogging :)

The first question comes from Cindy: We all know mother's have "Mommy Guilt" but the do the Daddy's have "Daddy Guilt" and how do they deal with that??

Tim, would you like to answer this?

Short answer, not really. I don't ever have the feeling that I'm not doing enough or that I'm ruining my baby. Unless I'm not understanding the true concept of Mommy Guilt, I don't really have it.

I wonder if men don't have Daddy Guilt because they tend to look at things more logically and not as emotionally as us women do. We beat ourselves up over not breastfeeding our child or for having to put them in daycare. Men see it as simply, the baby is getting fed. Doesn't matter how it happens, as long as it happens. And, yeah, the baby has to go to daycare. We need the two incomes until I win the World Series of Poker.

Or maybe it's simply because I didn't carry him inside me for nine months, so I'm missing a little bit of that connection. Who knows? But I do think that way a lot. Makes me sound a bit like a caveman, though ... food, good! Woman, feed kid!

... which is what he shouts at me continuously throughout the day. In fact, he yelling at me right now to go make him a sammich!

Moving on....

The last question is a bit of a doozy. "I would like to know how you guys deal with your depression?"

Stay tuned for another post addressing this one! This requires a nice, looooong response!

Oh my little Squiggle Butt!

2010-05-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Say "no" to that face. I dare you!

We call this his GQ pose. He likes to try and crawl, then gives up and shows us his manly side :)

Rocking Blue Steel. (Please tell me someone has seen Zoolander!)

"O hai mom! Nom nom fingers!"

He was so intrigued by the fire. He kept staring at it all night! Oh, and he loves his Uncle Mikey!

And now, for your viewing pleasure, the first laugh we FINALLY caught on video!

Six Month Stats

2010-05-18T06:52:00.000-07:00

We had Aric's 6 month appointment yesterday. He's all kinds of healthy :) The doctor was very impressed at how good he was doing and that we haven't had any feeding issues.

He's weighing in at 17 pounds 8 ounces (49%tile) and is 27 inches tall (70%tile). He's dropped a bit in weight, he was at the 65%tile at his 4 month appointment, but the doctor is totally fine with that. It's common for babies' weight to average off after a while. He's still a tall little guy though, which is good for him! Bad for Momma though! He already comes up above my knees! He'll be taller than me by the time he's 5!!

This evening I'll post all kinds of adorable pictures that I've taken over the last couple weeks. This kid seriously just keeps getting CUTER! And SOOOOOOO well behaved! We had several family events this weekend and he was terribly well behaved for all of them. Aric is just such a laid back kid, he doesn't care that he's in a room full of people! As long as there is someone giving him attention, he's happy as a clam!

Now, on an unrelated note, why don't you go ahead and scroll to the very bottom of this page and check out the number of page hits we've gotten. Go ahead! I'll wait.
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Ok. Did you see that? Over 10,000 PAGE HITS!!! HOLY CRAP BALLS!! Sure it's no where near Blair's 10,000 hits A DAY, but still! This is incredible!

Tim and I are so humbled that we have such loyal readers who keep coming back to read more about our little Squiggle Man. We've decided that we want to give back to our readers with a FANTASTIC giveaway! There will be at least three prizes, so three winners! If there is anyone who has an Etsy shop that might want to be included in this, shoot me an email (changingtheuniverse@gmail.com) and I'll be happy to include you!

Oh, and it won't necessarily be baby things. We wanted to give something away that EVERYONE can enjoy! So stay tuned for that, and THANK YOU for being with us and making us feel loved :)

D-Listed Blog hop!

2010-05-16T19:56:00.000-07:00

Well hi! I'm Nicci and I write this blog with my loving husband (and full time Ginger) Timmy.

We were married in March of 2008 and in November 2009, we welcomed our son, Aric Joseph to the world. We started writing this blog the day we learned we were pregnant. Here's Tim's account.

Aric and I had a fairly normal pregnancy that ended in an induction on November 13th. That's right, Aric is a Friday the 13th baby :)

Since then, Tim and I have been blogging about our ups and downs of raising a baby boy. From the poo-splosions, to the never ending feeding issues, to my battle with depression, we've shared it all.

My favorite posts? Hmmm, I'd have to say one of my favorite pregnancy posts was my Seven Deadly Sins post.

My favorite Tim post was actually one he posted just the other day about how his life has changed.

And my favorite post since Aric has been born? Probably sharing about the day we saw goats. That post got me a Goat Bot on Twitter :) But really, those pictures are so dang adorable, I love going back and remembering that day!

But really, the best part about blogging is the amazing women (and men!) I have met while doing this. You all are so helpful and supportive, I just don't even know what to do with myself!

So, thanks for stopping by, and please come back! I have way more pictures to share, because, let's face it, no one can get enough of this little booger!

EcoMom WINNER!

2010-05-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

Congrats!! I'll be emailing you shortly and you have 48 hours to respond before I draw again!

Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! I am (although I'm a bit sick). Full update to come later!

Changes

2010-05-14T05:38:00.000-07:00

Is your life, like, completely different now?

I've gotten that question, in one form or another, a lot in the last six months. Usually it's friends of mine who haven't crossed over into the parenthood world yet who are wondering what they'll be getting themselves into. Many of them can't imagine having a child, because they think their world would be completely changed, their life becoming something unrecognizable.

You know what? My life has changed. I now have two people waiting for me when I get home from work, including a little boy whose eyes light up the first time he sees me. And it's harder for me to go to work now, especially when that same little boy wakes up before I leave.

I now know how to change a diaper, and how to give a squirmy little boy a bath, and how to comfort somebody who's having a bad teething day. I'm still learning how to feed somebody peaches or squash or bananas without making a mess, but I'm getting better.

I also have more pride. I'm more likely to talk to strangers now, especially ones who make silly faces or noises at my son, because there's nothing I like more than showing him off. And I have more pride now when I see my family light up whenever I take him into a room with me. I see those faces, and I feel proud of myself, wondering how I got so lucky.

I worried a little bit about how well I'd make the transition from husband to father. I had no idea what to expect. I was never scared, mind you, just a little worried. After all, I was going to be responsible for someone else's life now, not just my own, and if I screwed that up, well...

But then I saw him.

And I knew I'd be able to handle it. And I knew that if my life did change, it would be for the better. And I knew that even if I made some small mistakes along the way, in the long run, I was meant to do this.

Six months used to seem like a long time. I remember being in school and wondering if summer would ever come. When I left school, six months started to fly by, making me wonder where all the time went. The entirety of Nicci's pregnancy seemed to me to last four months - I'm sure she disagrees. But now that Aric's here, time seems to be moving appropriately. Six months actually seems like six months. I've had time to enjoy his different growth and development stages. It hasn't moved too slowly, though. I can always measure time based on one or another of his milestones.

So yah, my life has changed. I'm a happier, more patient, more optimistic, more self-confident person than I was six months ago. And I have one person to thank for that.

It's been 6 months since we've met

2010-05-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

...and yet I feel like I've known you all my life.

In six months, you have changed me more than I could have ever known. You have made me want to be a better person. You have made me want to be the best mother I can possibly be.

I look at your smiley face, the fact that you hardly EVER cry, your laid back personality, and I know I'm a good mom. When you look at me first thing in the morning and your eyes light up, I want to bottle up the way that makes me feel and carry it around with me all day long.

I often wonder how something so perfect could have come from me, someone so flawed in so many ways. But I know you have all of my best qualities. You are outgoing, talkative, LOUD (in a good way!). You love everyone. You love your quiet, alone time just as much as you love your Mom and Dad Snuggle Time.

When I wake you up on the nights you fall asleep before your jammies are on, I never want to put you back. I want you to stay next to me all night and all day, so we can snuggle and love on each other all the time. When I whisper secrets into your ear as I'm rocking you to sleep, you grab my face and pull me close, letting me know you can understand what I'm telling you.

When you are grown, I want you to do the following things: Always hold the door for a woman. Always. Whether she says thank you or not, deep down she truly appreciates it. Always open the car door for your date, and pull the chair out for her. It might seem archaic, but you are a gentleman. You will act like a gentleman. At your first date, pick her up at her house. Meet her parents. Call her father "Sir" and her mother "Ma'am." And send her flowers after your date.

Always say please and thank you. Even if you are given something you didn't want or don't like, you still need to be grateful. Never start fights. There may be people who want to fight with you, and that's OK. But I never want you to start the fight. And be sure you are fighting for something noble. Pick your battles. You don't want to fight about something that you will later regret. Fight for what you truly believe in. And never, under any circumstances, EVER hit a girl. Ever.

My dearest Aric, words continue to fail me when trying to describe my love for you. But know that I will always and forever love you to the moon and back I will always be here for you to kiss your owies, comfort you after your heartbreaks, and buy you pizza.

I'm so excited to watch you change and grow as we get closer to your first birthday. I love you, my baby.

I have an idea for a blog post

2010-05-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I gave a real, honest to goodness blog post. This will not be that post (hehe!). Tomorrow will be, however, so stay tuned for that.

What I have been thinking about lately is my relationship with Tim. How we get along, our co-parenting styles, how he copes with my depression and all consuming "Mommy Guilt." I just don't know how to write it. So I thought about doing a vlog with the two of us, but I have no idea how we would start.

So here's what I'd like to do. Comment here (or on the Formspring account on the right) with something you'd like Tim and I to discuss about our relationship. You can ask anything you want and we will attempt to answer your questions truthfully. Then we'll make a combo vlog/blog post with the answers.

So, ask away! And thanks for your help!

EcoMom Baby Food - GIVEAWAY!!

2010-05-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

You all know I've been making Aric's food. And one of my reasons for that (aside from cost) is that I can be sure that his food is organic (by buying from the organic section) and made without additives. Besides, after watching Food, Inc. the other day, feeding Aric organic baby food is the LEAST I can do! But there are times when it's just easier to take pre-made (not by me) foods along so I'm always on the look out for quality, organic baby food.

Enter Eco-Friendly Baby Products - EcoMom foods.

I've seen a couple other blogs post about EcoMom's baby foods in the past and I've wanted to try them out. Their baby foods are 100 % pure, fruit and veggie blends - perfect for introducing baby to a mix of flavors. They are certified organic, too, which is always a plus in my book! Plus, they come in an innovative shelf-stable pouch which is baby friendly and 100% BPA-free packaging with a recyclable cap - an eco-friendly alternative to the glass jar.

So about a week ago, Jody from EcoMom posted on Twitter that he was looking for reviewers for their organic foods. I jumped at the chance, and four days later, my package arrived. I was sent the Plum Organics Just Sampler which included Just Pears, Just Peaches, Just Bananas, and Just Mangoes.

Holy crap, guys, this stuff is GOOD! Seriously! I've said before that I've tried everything that I've made for Aric, and this is no exception. It tasted so good and so FRESH! The mangoes were to DIE for! I even made Tim try some. I held the baby spoon up to his mouth for a taste, and first he gave me the "yuk" face (I guess he thought all baby food tasted ishy), but once I forced the mangoes in, he agreed that it was super yummy! And yes, Aric LOVED it! He wolfed down each one of his servings!

The packaging is great too. It hardly takes up any space in my cabinet and it's great for tossing the the diaper bag and taking anywhere.

I was sent their stage one baby food, but they have foods that can take your baby from high chair to lunchbox (like honey graham strawberry bars for older kids or Fruity Fingerfuls for the tots)!

What's really cool is they have a great new program called EcoPass. With this membership ($99 per year) you are entitled to 15% off every order with free shipping and no minimum! Awesome, right?

Well, it gets better. From right now until May 31st, 2010 you can get 15% off your entire first order! Just enter in the discount code: SBBL316

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So the REAL reason you came to this post was for the giveaway, right? It's OK, I do the same thing on other blogs :)

Here's the deal: EcoMom is offering one lucky reader $20 worth of Plum and/or Revolution Foods! And that gets you PLENTY of food to get your EcoMom stash started.

Rules: You MUST do the mandatory entry. If you do not to that entry, I cannot count your other entries. It wouldn't be fair. Leave one comment for each thing you do. This giveaway will be open until May 15 at 11:59pm. Some time on Sunday the 16th, I will consult Random.org for the winner and post the result shortly thereafter. Also, please leave an email address so I can contact you if you win. The winner with have 48 hours to return their email or I will have to pick someone else.

A helpful tip: leave your email address in this format: {changingtheuniverse AT gmail DOT com}. Spelling out at and dot will prevent spammers from collecting your addresses. Not that this has been a problem, I'm just trying to look out for you all!

MANDATORY ENTRY/IES: (You may do one or both of these, but you MUST do at least one. If you do both, leave two separate entries)
- Follow EcoMomCEO on Twitter
- Become a fan of EcoMom on Facebook

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:
- Head over to the EcoMom website and join their email newsletter for THREE additional entries! (Leave 3 comments)
- Tweet the following and be sure to include the link to your tweet in your comment:

Win $20 worth of organic baby food from @EcoMomCEO at @Sticky41284's blog! http://tinyurl.com/25bu9pu #giveaway Open til 5/15. Plz RT!

- If you like my other blog posts, go ahead and follow my blog. Totally not necessary, but I'll reward you with an extra entry if you do!

Disclosure: While I did receive the sample pack, I received no other compensation for this review/giveaway. I was under no obligation to give a positive review. All opinions are completely mine and your opinions may differ.

The mother I aspire to be

2010-05-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

I could spend this post talking about the fun day I had today for my first Mother's Day with an outside baby, but instead, I'll dedicate this post to the reason I'm here celebrating. My Momma.

Wedding day

My mom has always been there for me no matter what. When times were tough, us kids never saw just HOW tough things were. Mom went without a lot just so that we could have everything we could ever need.

Momma and us girls hanging out! That was the first and last time she wore those Rollerblades!

I've put Mom through some crap, that's for sure. Nothing too serious (I left that for Molly!) but as the first child, ANYTHING seemed serious. Like when I lied about where I was going to hang out with my friends. Once I told Mom that my friends and I were going to play frisbee at the park when really we were going to Best Buy. I got grounded from the phone a lot. But I would still talk on it. Then she'd find out, ground me for another week, but I'd still use it. I think if you add everything up, I should STILL be grounded :)

New Years Eve 1999-2000!

I was her first baby to head off to kindergarten, then to college. I was the one paving the way through her experience as a mother. She experienced all of her "Mommy Firsts" with me. She went to every. single. band concert, piano recital, ball game, whatever! And when I ran cross country, I'm pretty sure she ran more than I did, meeting me at various points throughout the course to cheer me on and me running (are you ready for my run this fall, Mom? Get training!!).

The day of my high school graduation. What was up with my hair?

My mom has had several roles throughout my life: Protector, Banker, Evil Woman, Doctor, Supporter, Number 1 Fan, and of course, Mother. But this year, she takes on the role that I think she is most proud of: Nana.

Mom becomes Nana

I love you Mom. Thank you for teaching me how to be a fantastic mother. If I'm half the mother that you are, I can consider myself a success :)

My mother, great-grandmother, Nana, sisters and me

Oh, and I'm sorry I stressed you out over the years. And especially for the time that I ... oh wait, I haven't told you about that yet. Never mind. We'll talk later.

Performing Bohemian Rhapsody and her wedding, and then at mine!

Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

It's a Mother's Day Miracle!

2010-05-09T07:11:00.000-07:00

I feel awesome. No, I feel FANTASTIC!

Yesterday was fun. We got Aric's 6 month pictures taken and spent some time with Tim's family meeting babies and watching how cute they are when they play together. Of course, our baby was the best behaved :)

Last night, after we watched a movie, I had a feeling come over me. I felt good. Really good. I was content. My brain wasn't racing. I wasn't kicking myself in the pants for allowing Tim to buy me an expensive Mother's Day gift. It was like a weight was lifted off my chest.

I don't know what happened yesterday that made me feel like that. But damnit, I don't care. I have waited so long to feel like this. It's felt like since I've gotten the diagnosis of "depression" I've let it label me and control me. But as I lay in bed this morning with my baby while Timmy cooked breakfast, I thought NO.

Six months of this shit is enough. I have missed out on SIX MONTHS of my baby's life feeling like I'm swimming through Jell-o and not doing anything to get out. Yes I have some things that need to be dealt with. I'm not ignoring that. But damnit, I WILL NOT allow it to control me!! I'm a control freak, and I'll be damned if I will let this "depression" control me!

So today I will spend the day with my beautiful baby and my ever so caring and wonderful husband and I WILL FEEL GOOD!

(and sorry for saying "damn" every other word :) )

Why do I blog?

2010-05-05T17:55:00.000-07:00

I've been asking this question a lot lately.

You've no doubt noticed my lack of posting recently. It's not that I don't have anything to write about. It's that I have SO MUCH I want to talk about and I don't know what's appropriate to share and what I need to be keeping to myself.

When I started this blog with Tim, it was on Live Journal and it was just between the two of us. It started off as a series of letters we wrote to Aric each week. As time went on, I realized how cool it was being pregnant and how much I wanted to document my experiences. So it changed from letters to Aric to a pregnancy blog. Now I'm trying to operate this as a mommy and daddy blog to share our experiences with parenting and to update distant family and friends as to how Aric is doing.

But right now I feel like all I talk about is my depression. How depressing! Who wants to read about that?! People come here to read my funny posts about eating peas and not about how sad I feel.

So why do I do it? Well, writing/journaling is theraputic. For anyone, really. Good writers, average writers, crap-tastic writers, it's good for the soul to get everything out. But on public domain? With my 57 followers and who knows how many subscribers/people who have this bookmarked, do I really want to be throwing myself out there and admitting that sometimes I just want to be away from it all? (oops, just did)

So I ask myself, should I be writing about my depression somewhere else, somewhere more private, anonymous? Then I could just keep this blog as PARENTING, not DEPRESSION AND OH YEAH I HAVE A BABY TOO.

But if I did that, where would my support go? I've said this before, but I'll say it again: I've met some AWESOME people through my blogging and incessant tweeting. Many of whom are going through some of the same things I am. And I value that support!

Then again, what about real life support? Are there any groups I could get involved in so I can have REAL LIFE friends, not e-friends.

(See that back and forth I have going on here? This is what happens in my brain on a day to day basis. I have two minds inside of me and they are always going back and forth with each other and I have no idea who to listen to)

To answer the question Why do I blog, I have no choice but to answer, "I have no freakin clue." Some days I just want to say "screw it" and hit the delete button and forget I ever started this. Some days I LOVE doing this and seek out advice on how to improve my blog and chat with new people and envy their cute clothes and accessories for their baby and try and figure out just how I can get some talented Etsy seller to sponsor a giveaway on my blog.

::sigh::

For now, I'll just keep plugging away. But I ask you this: what do you think of my blog? Be honest. I believe that if my blog was complete drivel, I wouldn't have 57 followers (I love every single one of you, by the way!), so I'm not looking for "you're blog is awesome!" comments. I'm wondering what direction you think I should take this. Should I just make this a strictly ARIC focused blog, with Tim and I writing stories of the cute and funny things he does (which reminds me, I have a HILARIOUS video I have to post later this week!) and completely leave out my depression and the hard parts I go through as a new mommy? Or should I keep that all in there (but not make it the main focus, obviously) as a way to reach out to others that may be feeling the same way?

I will say that I will be monitoring what I talk about in regards to my depression. I'm more than happy to share details if you want to email me (changingtheuniverse@gmail.com) but on here, I will be vague. I don't think people need to know what's REALLY going on up in my head :)

(Ok, I'm making that sound worse than it is. There really isn't anything THAT bad going on in my head. But there are just some things that need to be kept to myself.)

So there. That's why I blog. Or not.

Wait, did I even answer the question?

The story of a tooth

2010-05-04T07:39:00.001-07:00

Aric has a tooth. You can see it, just barely starting to poke up through the bottom gum, but its there. It's through. He officially has a tooth, and another one is going to join it within a matter of days.

This business with the tooth doesn't seem right to me. It seems like it doesn't follow the natural progression. Like, he has a natural progression of independent movement - rolling front-to-back, then back-to-front, then getting up on his hands and knees, then scootching backwards, then forwards, before finally crawling. Crawling looks like it'll be happening soon, and that seems perfectly normal to me. I've seen him go through all the phases leading up to it, so I'm mentally ready for it.

I'm not ready for his tooth. It feels like it just sort of appeared. I understand there's the whole teething process that he was going through, but that doesn't have stages. It's more like 1) Baby in pain, 2) Baby has tooth. And now he has a tooth.

Now that he has a tooth, all I can picture in his mind is the first time he walks into the living room showing me the tooth he lost, and then me taking him into his room to put the tooth under his pillow, then sneaking back in at night when he's asleep and putting $1.91 under his pillow (growing up, I always got one of every kind of coin), then having him show me the surprise that the Tooth Fairy left him, smiling a big, partially toothless grin.

I know it's just a tooth. He's got plenty more to go before they're all in there, and I have plenty of time before I'm trying to avoid the squeeky parts in his bedroom floor. But I'm still not ready for it.

My little boy has a tooth, and he suddenly seems so much older.

Oh Vlogging - my excuse to be lazy!

2010-05-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while. I've been feeling down in the dumps the last few days. Maybe I'll explain that, or maybe not. But for now, please enjoy this vlog.

And I'm sorry for the crappy light. It's nighttime, after all.

Since I'm awake at midnight: Allbarstools.com WINNER!!

2010-05-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Lucky Number 7 is the lucky winner! And that would be:

Congrats Valerie! I've sent you an email, you have 48 hours to get back to me or else I have to pick someone else.

Thanks for everyone that entered! And remember, if you have an Etsy shop or have some cool product you want me to review/giveaway, shoot me an email at changingtheuniverse at gmail dot com!

Quick thought for the night:

2010-05-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

Whenever I make Aric's food, I taste it for myself. I just stick my finger in the puree and test it for smoothness, thin/thickness, etc.

I also hate peas. This is important to know.

Today, while making peas, I stuck my finger in the puree to test it. I forgot that I was making peas and took a big scoopful. I'd had a bite of ice cream in my mouth moments before.

It tasted like I was in the 5th circle of Hell. I wanted to die.

Then I spit it out.

I will set a good example for my son when I make peas for dinner and spit out my mouthful like a child. God save me.

I got jealous at daycare

2010-04-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

When I went to pick Aric up from daycare on Tuesday, there was a mom taking her baby out to her car. I've never seen this baby before, so I assume she's new there. She's probably a couple months younger than Aric.

And I hate her.

My baby isn't the only baby there any more.

I have no idea why I hate this otherwise cute baby (well, I guess she's cute. Aric is cuter, obvi.). Maybe it's the thought that Aric isn't the only spoiled baby at this daycare. Sure she has other toddlers and preschoolers to look out for, but Aric was the only baby. She could just carry him around with her wherever she went. Whenever he fusses she could pick him up and snuggle him all while still playing with the other children.

But with another baby, how will she have time for him? What if this other baby is really needy? What if this other baby is hungry and being fed, then Aric needs a diaper change? Or vice versa? How will my baby's needs be met when there's another equally needy (if not more so) baby around the house?

::sigh::

Yet another reason I want Aric to be an only child and for me to be a stay at home mom :)

Making up for stuff :)

2010-04-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

There has been a serious lack of photos of Aric. He's just been too sick to risk taking a picture and capturing puke/poop. So we had a photoshoot outside.

Oh, and he sat independently!!!!!

Well, kinda. I mean, he sat totally independently, but it was because he was sitting on a slight incline. He leans forward when he tries to sit, so while sitting on the slight incline, it was actually balancing him perfectly!

I edited most of the pics and put them on my photo blog (see the linky up top called Sticky's Photography), but here's an adorable preview:

Allbarstools.com Giveaway!!!

2010-04-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

***CLOSED***

Remember when I did the Twitter Home Tour? And remember when I said that we had a large storage room (but I wouldn’t let you in cause it was really messy)? What I failed to mention was our plans for that room. Plans that have been 6+ years in the making. We’re planning on building a bar in that space!

Why has it been 6+ years in the making? Because that’s when I started collecting bottle caps. Six years ago I had an “I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter” tub of beer bottle caps. Right now we have HUGE Ziplock bags full of caps. I think we are up to about 10 bags, plus an old vase filled with caps, a coffee can, and a huge collector mug which we keep on our counter to throw caps into. These caps will eventually be turned into the tile on the top of our bar.

As far as the rest of the room, there is a great website (www.csnstores.com) with over 250 different online stores. One of which sells awesome Bar Furniture in their online store www.allbarstools.com.

We haven’t decided on the theme for the bar yet (sports bar, Irish pub, etc.) but I’ve already been scoping out furniture for it!

How gorgeous would that look behind ANY bar?? I can already see my bottles of Grey Goose sitting nicely in there

Isn’t that chair magnificent? So simple and modern!

Although I think Timmy would prefer this stool. He’s a red-head who likes red beer. Strange, right?

Speaking of beer, we’d need a kegorator, too, right?

A bar wouldn’t be complete without a neon beer sign!

Ok, I seriously need to go take out a loan and get cracking on this bar!

______________________________________________________________________________
The awesome people at www.csnstores.com are offering one person a $40 coupon code to any of their online stores. The code will be able to be applied as a discount to any item that offers free shipping (if a product has shipping charges you would be responsible) in that amount on anything you order. They sell millions of different products and you can find just about anything you can imagine on one of their 250 sites. Check out the link above and look at all of what they have to offer.

Giveaway information:

Mandatory – Go and check out all the different Bar Furniture in the store and come back and post the link to your favorite product (you won’t be required to purchase that item). That’s it! Easy, peasy! Oh, and don't forget to include an email address so I can contact you if you win!

This giveaway will be open from now until Saturday, May 1st. I will be picking and posting the winner sometime on Sunday the 2nd. The winner will be chosen by Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will re-draw. This contest is open to US and Canadian residents.

I did not receive any form of compensation for hosting this giveaway. I just really like you guys :)

I heart Giveaways!

2010-04-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

Do you? Don't lie, you know you do! Well, here's something cool: I have a giveaway coming up tomorrow! WOOHOO! And it's not just for mommies, either! It's for anyone and everyone! YAY! Even better, right?!

**Now back to your regularly scheduled programming ... when I have the time**

McStartingAllOver Monday

2010-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

They past couple Mondays I have skipped McFatty Monday updates. Right now, dieting just isn't what I want to be working on. But what I'm about to tell you will likely shock you: My goal is to run a half marathon next spring.

GASP! SHOCK! Me? The fatty, McFatFat who loves her Taco Bell so much she's quitting dieting??

Yes. Me.

Guess what? I used to run cross country. I was slow. Painfully slow. I'm not doing this to be fast. I'm doing it because when I was running, I felt free. I hated bring on the cross country team, however. Because I was so slow, I could never keep up with the team during practices. And they always resented me because they'd have to wait for me after practice and during meets.

But I can say this: I finished every single race I started, and I NEVER finished last. Which is why I think I can handle the training required to be ready to run 12 miles next spring. I've committed to running a 5K with my sister and grandma (yes, Grandma. She's pretty awesome!) this fall. So I have a long time to prepare for that.

Through my blog reading and message board involvement, I've meet Anne from A JD + Three. She's been writing about her Couch to 5K training. So I did some googling and found the program. Basically it takes someone like me, you know, the definition of couch potato, and trains them to be a 5K runner in 9 weeks. Here's the schedule:

Week	Workout 1	Workout 2	Workout 3
1	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
2	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.	Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.
3	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following: Jog 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Walk 200 yards (or 90 seconds) Jog 400 yards (or 3 minutes) Walk 400 yards (or three minutes)
4	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 2-1/2 minutes) Jog 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Walk 1/8 mile (or 90 seconds) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)
5	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog two miles (or 20 minutes) with no walking.
6	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 3/4 mile (or 8 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1/2 mile (or 5 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then: Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes) Walk 1/4 mile (or 3 minutes) Jog 1 mile (or 10 minutes)	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2-1/4 miles (or 25 minutes) with no walking.
7	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.5 miles (or 25 minutes).
8	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 2.75 miles (or 28 minutes).
9	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).	The final workout! Congratulations! Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then jog 3 miles (or 30 minutes).

Graph taken from HERE

See, I can do that! Three days a week? There should be no problem coming up with the time to do that. And it has me finishing a 5K, or 3 miles, in 30 minutes. That's a 10 minute mile. I can totally handle a 10 minute mile. Like I said, I'm not doing this to compete. I'm doing it to say I CAN! I'm doing it because running is a great way to be with just me and my thoughts, to get away from the craziness that can build up at home. And I'm doing it because then I can get some cool new running shoes :)

So, who thinks this Fatty McFatFat can do this? I can. I've done it before. And I'd be more likely to keep going because I won't be competing against anyone (you know, until I actually get to the race).

Homemade food = YUK!

2010-04-25T18:47:00.000-07:00

Aric is now refusing to eat the food that I made him. Not that I blame him. It's wicked freezer burnt.

So I'm writing this entry as a plea: HELP ME!!!!! What should I do to prevent this?? Ideally I'd love to put them in individual jars, but a) I don't know where to buy baby food jars and b) I don't know if that would actually work.

What I have been doing - Make the food, cool it, freeze it in ice cube trays, break them out of the trays and put into a large freezer bag and take one cube out at a time. The first week or so, everything is fine, but the squash is now all covered in tiny ice crystals, not to mention the snow that has accumulated in the bottom of the bag. And the sweet potatoes, which we haven't even touched yet, are starting to go that same direction.

Any suggestions on what to do?

In exchange, I'll give you a suggestion on handling teething. In fact, I'll shout it: HYLANDS TEETHING TABLETS!! Oh em gee I love these. They are all natural and just two dissolvable tabs under Aric's tongue and the whining and crying stop and he becomes that cute, adorable baby we've come to know and love :)

::Knocking on wood::

2010-04-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

I hate to say it, but I think Aric is better.

Now, this comes a day after Aric forcibly vomited all over the dog and I, causing me to dissolve in a sobbing fit. I called my mother and BEGGED her to give me the instruction manual that they forgot to give me when we left the hospital. And Aric? Grinned. After crying and puking, I plopped him in the tub and he grinned.

And this all happened moments after I got excited about seedy poop instead of runny poop, thinking all was better.

But I think things really are better. He was up a couple times last night wanting to eat (this was a good thing, actually. He's been eating significantly less than usual the past week) and had his regular 8oz morning bottle and kept it all down. And his poos have been seedy, not runny.

He HAS to be getting better, right? I don't think I can take another vomiting incident or explosive diarrhea diaper. At least not right now. I need a break.

Odd things I have said:

2010-04-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

... in the past 18 hours:

- I want my pets to be delicious when I devour them.

- Just grab his crotch and tell me if it's squishy!

Edited to add my latest tweet:

- WE HAVE SEEDY POOP! SEE YA LATER, RUNNY POOP!

Have you de-friended me yet?

The leaking continues

2010-04-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

Aric is still sick. We are on day 6 of diarrhea and have had three days of puking.

It all started Sunday with what we thought was a stomach bug. This proved true when Tim and I both came down with similar symptoms. After throwing up his entire bottle + squash, he looked better on Monday. Then Tuesday came and the pooping continued. Which meant no daycare (per the providers rules, you can't come if you're pooping like that).

Wednesday came and we THOUGHT he was better. But guess what? Nope. He threw up his entire afternoon bottle at daycare. (As I'm writing this, I'm remember that I wasn't called about this situation. I wonder if I should be concerned about this ...).

ANYWAY, I called his doctor on the way home from daycare. Apparently the vomiting should have stopped within 48 hours, but as long as he didn't do it again, we were OK.

Cue Thursday morning. I'm feeding Aric earlier than usual so he can leave with Tim and get dropped off with Tim's mom. Not two seconds after the bottle finished, it was all over my lap. The entire bottle. Good thing was it wasn't in his tummy that long so it didn't even smell like vomit!

I sent Aric off with Tim and planned on calling the clinic at 8am when they opened. Called and was told to watch for him to pee, and if he didn't or if he vomited again, we'd need to be on the fast track to the ER. Thankfully, he was able to keep a couple ounces down in that time, so we headed to the doctor early in the afternoon.

Enter idiot doctor. He wasn't our normal doc, they got us in to the first available doctor. Fine, whatever. But this guy? Was an idiot. He checked Aric out, determined that he was fine, and said it was just a stomach virus and things should clear up soon. And then he gave the following advice: "When babies have diarrhea this long, they sometimes develop the inability to process milk sugars. The best thing I can tell you to do is switch him to soy formula."

Um, ex-squeeze me? Uh, baking powder? Soy formula? For a STOMACH VIRUS?!?! What happened to pedialyte? Or just monitoring his symptoms? OR READING HIS FREAKING HISTORY!?!?!

So I had to explain that Aric cannot tolerate soy formula and he asked how I knew this and what his symptoms are. I went into the long story and how our regular pediatrician said that it was a soy intolerance. His response: "Well this happened several months ago. In baby time, that's a long time. He'll probably be just fine."

At that point the only thing I could do was just smile and nod and move on. Of course I stopped at Walgreens and picked up pedialyte like the triage phone nurse told me to do. That seemed to make more sense than switching his formula to something that has been proven to make him sick!

So we went home. I was pissed because I had to take the afternoon off to be with my otherwise healthy child after a wasted trip to the doctor. But at least we didn't have to go to the ER. He napped for 4 hours and kept several small bottles down, as well as a few ounces of pedialyte flavored with pear juice (no WAY was he drinking that plain!).

We'll have to see how the weekend goes. Hopefully he'll do alright and start having some solid, not explosive, poos.

Oh, and as a side note: G Diaper Covers work GREAT at keeping exploded poo from a disposable diaper contained. We had significantly less wardrobe changes today than we have all week!!

A little too much like Dad?

2010-04-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

We've decided that Aric's personality is a lot like mine. He's pretty laid back and doesn't let a lot of things bother him. I like that, mostly because I think it's pretty cool that I can already identify my personality in him even though he's only five months old.

There can be benefits to Aric being so much like me. Take Sunday, when he had his exorcist-style vomiting incident. Now, I don't make a habit of throwing up a lot, but as Nicci can attest, when I do, it's loud and violent. But, I never get too upset about doing it; I'm mostly just annoyed and trying to figure out why I'm kneeling next to a toilet. So when Aric did his Linda Blair impression, naturally his mom and I were pretty upset - you never want to see your baby doing that. But one thing that helped diffuse the stressful situation was Aric's reaction. He stared at the pile of liquid he created as if to say, "Wow. Did that come out of me?" Then, when Nicci took him straight to the tub to clean him up, he was smiling and happy, almost like he was proud of himself. It's hard to stay stressed out about stuff like that when the victim isn't stressed out himself.

At other times, though, it's not so good that he's like me. One example is that he generally doesn't let us know when he's got a poopy diaper. It just doesn't bother him, and I was apparently just like that as a baby. That just means that we have to be a little more diligent checking up on him. That doesn't really help us overnight, though, so nights like last night get to be a bit annoying. I went to get him up this morning and was greeted with a poo explosion. Normally, no big deal. It happens. Upon examination, though, it was obvious that his diaper was filled with at least two poops and one pee, making the explosion that much worse. And did he bother making a sound to wake us up? No, of course not. I understand he doesn't mind, but seriously, and I asked him this when I was getting him ready for his emergency bath this morning, would he mind throwing us a bone and waking us up at night when stuff like that happens? I'd rather spend the 15 minutes tending to him at night then dealing with what I saw this morning.

So Aric - just a word of advice. Go ahead and tell us when something doesn't feel right in your butt. We don't mind.

Giveaway Winner!

2010-04-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

(Out of 38 comments, one was a deleted comment and one was a double entry. There were 36 total entries in this drawing)

Congrats #35 - SQUEE!! One of my longest blog followers and friend from the message boards at thebump.com is today's winner!! Congrats Nicole! See, it pays to follow blogs for a long time!

If there's anyone else out there with an etsy shop or anything like that that wants me to do a review/giveaway, I'd be more than happy to! I LOVE doing these, especially with cool products :) I always feel bad when there are lots of cool people that enter my giveaways but I can't give them anything, so send me things to give away to make me feel better!!

Today's Topic: Being sick

2010-04-20T06:40:00.000-07:00

Today's Tuesday's Top Ten Topic is the top 10 reasons why having a sick baby sucks.

1. The puke. It comes when you least expect it. And it comes out fast. And shoots far. Reagan from the Exorcist has NOTHING on Aric's puking ability.

2. The poop. Just when we think it's all better, he dirties another diaper. When it's runny, so diaper in the world can stop it from leaking out.

3. Quickly traveling illnesses. When a baby is sick, you want nothing more than to snuggle that baby and cover him with kisses until he's better. Then he drools on you, sticks your hand in his mouth, and gives you baby kisses. Then you have the stomach bug too.

4. PTO is no longer for when you are sick. We now have to save up our PTO hours for when Aric is sick or when we don't have daycare for him. When we are sick, we now have to just suck it up and go, lest we use up our time and have nothing left for when Aric needs it.

5. Still having to pay daycare. I called him in sick today. I'll still have to pay for today.

6. The helplessness. My baby is sick and I have no idea what to do or how to make him better. I want nothing more than for him to feel good, even if it means I take on his sickness so he can be better. Not included: both of us having the same sickness at the same time.

7. The laundry. Related to the puke and the poop. There's a lot of it, and it smells. And just when we've caught up with washing all the stinky clothes, he dirties more.

8. The sleep. When he's sick he either sleeps all day, or doesn't sleep at all and just stares into oblivion. Or he'll wake up from his sleep and scream bloody murder.

9. Can't do anything fun. Just because we've stayed home an extra day with him doesn't mean it's for fun times. We can't even take him out for a walk for fear that he'll poop out of his diaper at the point when we're furthest away from home.

10. He just isn't the same. He just isn't the happy, smiley baby that we love. Although, after a massive poop or puke he's all smiles and talkative, but otherwise, he's just there. Not smiling. Not talking. Heartbreaking, really.

I hate when my baby is sick! Hopefully he'll be better tomorrow!! (And hopefully his dad will be too!!)

Awards?!?!

2010-04-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

So, three awesome readers have decided to give me awards! I honestly didn't think anyone read this blog with any regularity, but it's nice to know that some do :)

Kim at Who Needs Sleep? and Kelly at All About Jayden Paige awarded me with the Honest Scrap Award.

You know, for writing about Honest Crap :) So I have to share 10 things about me. Well, since Tim and I both write this, it will be 10 things about the two of us.

1. Tim's goal is to see a game in every Major League Baseball Stadium. Since marrying him, I've made that my goal too. Together, we have seen Petco Park (San Diego Padres), Angels Stadium of Anaheim (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim), Yankee Stadium (NY Yankees - old one), Shea Stadium (old NY Mets' Stadium), Coors Field (Colorado Rockies), Metrodome (old Twins), and Target Field (new Twins).

He's also seen both Milwaukee Brewers stadiums (County and Miller), Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs), Comiskey Park (US Cellular Field, Chicago White Sox), and Kaufman Stadium (Kansas City Royals).

2. Also, our goal is to go to every state in the US.

3. We met at a party, while drunk, talking about how much we hate Todd Bertuzzi. So we have Bertuzzi to thank for bringing us together :)

4. We are HUGE nerds. Our favorite thing to do everyday? Read our daily Jeopardy question and try to out smart each other.

5. Related to the above, Mythbusters is our favorite TV show.

6. Also related to the above, we like maps.

7. Sometimes we plug far away destinations into our GPS to see how long it would take us to get there and what route we would take based on our current location.

8. I have a feeling that we will be fighting over who will cut the grass at our house this summer. I always cut the grass when I lived at home, and Tim always did at his home. This is our first place in which we have to cut our own grass. Last summer I was pregnant, so I didn't. This summer, it's game on.

9. I use Tim as my cooking guinea pig. I make new creations and test them out on him. Which isn't really an accurate predictor of the tastiness of my food cause he eats everything.

10. This is totally sappy, but whatever: We both love each other so freakin much. I can't imagine being with anyone else and I'm excited to be creating a life with him :)

And finally, Cindy at This Adventure: Our Life nominated me for the Sunshine Award. The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspire others in the blogging world.

To be honest with you, both nominations are amazing and nice. Over the past month our blog has exploded with new readers and I have more Twitter followers than I know what to do with! We really just wanted this blog to be a collection of Aric's doings and of our struggling through parenthood. Something we can look back at in 30 years an laugh at how naive we were. I'm so humbled that we have such great, loyal readers who actually enjoy reading our rantings.

Now, technically I have to nominate blogs that I love for these awards. And honestly, I can't pick just a few. I follow/subscribe to TONS of blogs right now, and there isn't a single one that I don't love. Instead, I'll just direct you to my blog roll (it's on the left). Go ahead a click one of those badges. There are amazing people behind them with amazing stories and I love them all.

I'll also use this platform to pimp Timmy's new blog: The Sambard's Lair. It's a daily sports blog which outlines something incredible that happened on that day in sports history.

So, thank you for being awesome people, thank you for reading our blog, and thank you for supporting us :)

Getting caught up ... with goats.

2010-04-18T19:19:00.000-07:00

Our trip to the zoo was so freakin fun!! Instead of telling you about it, here are some cute pics:

Aric: You have a booger, let me get that for you.

Goat: Sure, only if can eat it afterwards.

Mom, the goat is looking at me weird!

Baby goat, meet baby Aric. Did your head just explode?

COOL! Otters do flips! Can I swim with the otter?

Also, I was crafty today.

Yep, I made a lovey. It's huge too! It totally covers him up. But don't look too closely. In fact, forget you even saw it. Just remember that I made it. Let's not focus on the how or the where did you get the pattern.

Well, that's it for now. I'm feeling a lack of creativity. It was sucked out of me and put into my sewing machine today. Maybe I'll be more creative tomorrow.

It's been a while, I guess

2010-04-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

I've been spending most of my time lately with my babe (as any good mother should!) and not a lot of time posting. So I'm not going to apologize :)

But here's a quick update: We went to the zoo yesterday and got ourselves a year-long membership. We've already "paid" for half of it, too. Two more visits and it's paid for itself, yay!! So if there's any one in the MN area that wants to head out to the MN Zoo some time, lemme know! We'll come with!

On that note, be prepared for some ADORABLE pictures of Aric and some baby goats coming later. A preview: Aric liked the soft goat fur so much he wanted to take a handful back for himself! Oh, and a different goat wanted to eat his hat. And he likes watching otters swim. I'm really really excited to take him to the zoo often this summer!

That's it for now. Off to a day of crafting (gotta love when the PPD has subsided enough to where I want to resume my hobbies), yard work, and baby snuggling.

Twitter house party! Whoop whoop!

2010-04-15T20:48:00.001-07:00

I'm actually really excited to show off our house. I LOVE our house. It's small, 3 bed (could be 4 with an egress in the basement bedroom) 2 bath rambler, but the basement is finished which gives us a lot of living space.

Another reason I'm excited to show off my house is to get decorating ideas. Especially in our bedroom. I'm in love with the color we chose in there and I know there are tons of options for decor, but I'm creatively challenged! I need help! Please, creative people, give me ideas!!

Once upon a time, @MomNom, @jennandtonica, @emmie_bee, @heirtoblair, and @ColeEmmett were talking about home decor on Twitter. We thought it would be so great to be able to see each other's homes! A *bunch* of other tweeps joined in, @Alena29 put together a terrific button, and #twitterhometour (or #twitterhouseparty) was born! Feel free to join us - add a link to your home tour post (pictures, video, or both!) below.

SQUEE!!!!!

2010-04-15T16:56:00.000-07:00

Bailey, from http://bsblogboutique.blogspot.com/ held a blog makeover contest recently and I was the lucky winner!

She just finished the makeover and installed it today!! Check it out! Love it! I know I do!! Ooo, and grab my new blog badge while you're at it :)

__

And while you're at it, check out my giveaway (the entry before this) and enter to win! There are only 12 entries, so your chances are awesome!

My Baby Rocks Review and Giveaway

2010-04-13T19:01:00.000-07:00

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A while back, My Baby Rocks posted on Twitter that they were looking for some bloggers to host a review/giveaway of their baby clothes. I checked out their website: www.punkbabyclothes.net and instantly fell in love.

I've posted before that Tim and I love our rock and roll. This website feeds into that addiction :) There are some freakin adorable outfits for babies, toddlers, and boys and girls.

Beatles fan? Bob Marley? Jimi Hendrix? Johnny Cash? My Baby Rocks has the shirts for you! Into zombies? Check out the "My daddy loves me more than zombies love brains" shirt. Do you fall to pieces when you see baby canvas shoes? Then check these out! I desperately want The Who clothes for Aric, and maybe some pirate related gear as well.

I was STOKED to be able to review these adorable outfits! So the nice people at My Baby Rocks sent us this cute onesie for Aric:

Yep, it says "I'm with the band." So awesome!

My Baby Rocks has onesies, tee shirts, long sleeve shirts, hats, shoes, hoodies, dresses, PJs, Tutus, and even maternity wear (my personal favorite is this one). And it's all reasonably priced too!

So now on to the good part. Do you want to win a onesie from My Baby Rocks? Specifically, do you want to win THIS onesie:

This is a size 12m (click here for description)

Also, every time I see this shirt, I start singing "Magic Bus" by The Who

Here are the rules: For each thing you to, write a separate comment. For each comment, put your email address. If you do NOT put an email address, your entries will NOT be counted. This contest will be open from now to Tuesday, April 20th at 11:59pm. I will pick a winner sometime Wednesday the 21st. The winner will have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Here's how to enter:

MANDATORY - Visit www.punkbabyclothes.net and tell me what your favorite item is (other than what I have posted above).

Want more chances to win? Do any or all of the following:
- Follow my blog publicly or tell me you already are (one entry)
- Subscribe to my blog or tell me you already do (one entry)

- Click to vote for me on Top Mommy Blogs (one entry per day - leave a separate comment for each time you vote)

- Click to vote for me on Top Baby Blogs (one entry per day - same as above)

- Follow me and My Baby Rocks on Twitter (one entry - leave your Twitter name so I can verify)

- Tweet about this giveaway (one entry per day - leave a separate comment for each time you tweet. Leave your Twitter name so I can verify) You can use the following tweet if you'd like:

Win a Hippie Van One Piece by @My_Baby_Rocks from @Sticky41284 at http://tinyurl.com/y59gep9 #giveaway Plz RT

- Put my blog badge on your blog (two entries - leave a link to your blog)

Ok, that's at least 9 entries, that's enough, right? Good luck!

**I was sent two onesies, one for review and one to giveaway. I was not offered any other compensation. I was under no obligation to write a positive review**

Tuesday's Top Ten: Baseball!!

2010-04-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

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I bet you all didn't know we were baseball freaks, did you? Also, if you didn't know we were baseball freaks, you clearly have never read our blog. In honor of the new Target Field, today's Top Ten topic will be the Top Ten Things We Liked Best About the New Stadium.

1. It's outdoors. Those who have always had outdoor stadiums, don't take that for granted. You have never been subjected to the horror that was the Metrodome (AKA The Big Inflatable Toilet).

2. On that note, we love never having to see a baseball game in the Metrodome ever again. For those that don't know, the Metrodome housed both the Twins and the Vikings. The stadium was built as a football field with collapsible sections to transform it into a baseball field. Every seat faced the 50-yard line, NOT home plate. We all have permanent neck aches from craning our heads to see games. Rumor has it that mice lived in the locker rooms, which made Denard Span scream. Aric will be spoiled having never had to experience a game there.

Goodbye, Humpty Dump.

3. The smells. We were sitting right by a consession stand, and as they were cooking up the brats and burgers, the grill smoke wafted into the crowds. BBQ and outdoor baseball. Is there anything more American?

4. The wide concourse. At the Metrodome, even at low attended games, you still felt like you were in a herd of cows walking through. At Target Field, despite having a sellout crowd, at no point did my claustrophobia kick in, even at the end of the game when everyone was leaving.

5. The gourgeous view of downtown Minneapolis.

6. There are some really cool nuances they added. Like the strike-out counter. The fans in the row directly behind the strikeout counter are responsible for that! For each strike-out, a fan pulls out one of the green squares and flips it over, revealing the "K." They slide it back in, and there ya have it! We were lucky enough to sit right behind the fans that did it yesterday. We cheered them every time!

7. The huge plaza out front. People were sitting around chatting, drinking beers, and just having a good time. It was like a huge tailgating party. Plus there are neat statues and fun photo ops. Our Christmas card this year will be the three of us sitting in the huge gold glove.

Hello, Gorgeous!

8. The Big Ass Scoreboard. I'm pretty sure it's in HD too. I have a strange love affair with scoreboards, but this one is the best I've ever seen.

9. All the new foods. So far we've had the chicken tenders, walleye fingers, beer soaked brats, polish sausage, italian sausage and fries. And all were sooooooo good.

10. How they have connected the past with the present. Yes the Twins are in an all new venue, but the past Twins organizations are still a huge part of what the Twins are today. Each pennant flag was raised by a member of that team that year, those whose numbers were retired were honored on the field, and Kirby Puckett got himself an awesome statue which greets everyone enter the Plaza.

No, we aren't obsessed with baseball. What would make you think that?

Some quick Tuesday updates

2010-04-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

- My birthday was AWESOME! The new Twins Stadium (Target Field) is everything we (being MN baseball fans) have wanted - nay DESERVED - in a park. And despite a huge sellout crowd, the lines weren't even that bad!

- On a related note, my mom had a cake for me when we came to pick Aric up after the game. It was a small gesture, but it really meant a lot! I think I'm at that age when I assume no one cares that it's my birthday, but my mommy still cares! I love my mom!

- Aric is freaking MOBILE now! He's not crawling, but in a week or two I'm sure he will be! He purposely rolls over now to get certain toys, to grab the dog, or to find where Momma went. And he can get up on his hands and knees, too! It's only for a second or two, then he falls backwards, so really, it's like he's crawling backwards. It's getting to the point where I actually have to watch him, I can't just put him on a blanket with a toy and expect him to stay there!

- And he's cute. We wore matching Twins shirts yesterday.

- I'm freaking out about my first counseling appointment today. I'm sure it'll be fine, but I'm still scared! I hate the unknown.

- I have a giveaway coming up tomorrow. Clicky here for a preview!

- Don't forget to ask us anything! We've gotten some awesome questions so far, keep 'em coming!

- And finally, stay tuned for today's Tuesday's Top Ten coming later today.

God, I love my son

2010-04-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

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I know I said I wasn't gonna post this weekend, but I needed to write down this special moment so I can always remember it.

Aric had taken a long afternoon snooze and didn't get up until about 8pm this evening. He wasn't cranky, so we thought we'd use the time to get some playing and snuggling in. After about 15 minutes, he was done with all that, so as Tim went to make his bottle, I took him in his room to calm down and get ready for bed.

I shut off all the lights but his nightlight and turned on the CD that we made him. Champagne Supernova by Oasis came on and we swayed back and forth to the song while I sang. He found his thumb, calmed down, and buried his head underneath my neck. It was completely uncomfortable, since I had to crane my head upward. But I never wanted that song to end. Ever.

We swayed back and forth and Aric snuggled in deeper and I sang to him. And visions of him growing up flooded my mind, thinking about Teen-aged Aric and how the idea of snuggling his Momma would be so far from his hormonal brain he'd be embarrassed to even talk about it. But then he'd hear that song, and he'd snuggle into his blankets and all his worries would melt away. He wouldn't understand quite why that song did that to him, but he liked it nonetheless.

As the song ended, and I handed him off to his dad for his bottle, a tear welled up behind my eye. And I thought, "God, I love this child."

I'm a copycat, so what

2010-04-10T18:39:00.000-07:00

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This weekend has/will be a busy one (you know, being my birthday weekend and all!), so I won't have time to be writing blog entries. Therefore, I'm doing an Ask Anything post. Feel free to ask Tim and I anything (seriously, anything) and we will respond via vlog.

Hopefully this won't be a giant fail, but even if it is, so what :)

I'll resume my regularly scheduled posting on Tuesday.

Oh, and we'll post the Ask Anything Vlog next weekend.

Have a super weekend!

The Boob Wars

2010-04-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

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The interwebz have been blowing up lately over the breastfeeding vs. formula feeding debate. I thought I'd share my experiences with it.

My goal from the get-go was to breastfeed. I didn't even want to think about formula feeding. In fact, I only had three bottles in the house. Two were unused hand-me-downs and one was from a gift bag I got from Motherhood Maternity. I had some formula samples that I was tempted to throw away so I wouldn't have the temptation to switch if we were having a bad night.

I read a TON about breastfeeding. kellymom.com was a website I visited a least once a week. I read several books which had tips and tricks and made me think that all hospitals were anti-breastfeeding and that I'd have to go in guns a-blazin to get them to let me breastfeed. I became convinced that breastfeeding was the only thing I would do.

At this point I would like to say this: I was formula fed. My sisters were formula fed. We are all happy, healthy, INTELLIGENT individuals. I knew that formula was not poison, as some will lead you to believe. I just knew that Breast is Best, and that's what I wanted to do. Even my mom did some researching for me by talking to her best friend who had breastfed her children and who my mom considered to be a pro in the field.

We all remember that I had a crappy birth experience. I'm not even going to link to that post. It's too depressing. But the one thing that helped me move on from that was breast feeding. Aric latched immediately. He had no issues. It took me a couple tries to get him situated correctly, but once I did that, we were like seasoned pros. And the hospital was very helpful. They were definitely not anti-breast, and I doubt they were anti-formula either. I'm pretty sure they were pro-babyfeeding.

ANYWAY. I had no issues with breastfeeding in the hospital, save for a crap-tastic night nurse who attempted to teach me parenting skills at 3am and told me that a healthy 25 year old like myself has no reason to ever pump, despite me telling her that at some point I'd have to return to work. She responded with a nasty look that make me feel like a piece of crap for needing to work. But she's the reason I was unable to get a pump from the hospital and the reason a home health agency came to check on us our second day home. Apparently she thought I was going to be a shitty mom.

I digress.

Ok, where was I? Ah yes. When we got home, Tim and I worked out a night routine in which whenever Aric woke up (about every three hours at that point, God how I do NOT miss that), Tim would get up and change him, then I would get up after and feed him for 15-20 minutes. Repeat ad nauseum. During the day I had no issues feeding him every three hours. We had ourselves a nice little routine. I had an AWESOME supply and Aric was gaining weight really well.

Within a week, we'd bought ourselves a pump. Why we didn't get this prior to his birth, I still don't know, but still. That night I pumped for the first time, and Tim gave Aric his first bottle. It took a while, but they were both successful. I relished the fact that I wasn't a slave to the baby's every eating need. The pump offered me the freedom to take a feeding off and let Tim handle it. With that, we bought several more bottles.

Little did I know that "skipping" a feeding and letting Tim do it still meant that I had to keep my boobs on a schedule, thus pumping while Tim fed was still a necessity. But that was OK. At least I didn't have to be the only one responsible for feeding him!

Then (and this is when I think my PPD started to flare up) and started feeling tied down. I felt like I needed to be available for Aric 24/7. I couldn't be gone from the house for more than an hour without him in case he needed to eat again. I made the decision to exclusively pump. That way anyone could feed him and I didn't have to worry about it.

I was still on maternity leave at this point, so I have no idea why I thought this would be a good idea, but, again, I digress.

You see, I didn't realize that even though I was no longer a slave to Aric's hunger cries, I was still a slave to the pump. Every three hours and I needed to squeeze the ladies dry again. Again, I had a great supply, so I was able to pump enough for his daily needs, then freeze a couple bottle's worth. I built up a stash of over 100oz of milk!! But I started to feel like I was tied down again. I had to schedule my days around my pumping times and if I was late, I was in massive pain from engorgement.

Then, on December 12th, one day shy of Aric's one month birthday, I made the decision to switch him to formula. (I have to add that at this point, I have tears welling up behind my eyes. I had no idea this happened so quickly until I went back and read old blog posts)

Things went well enough. I mixed formula and breastmilk for about a week. That's when Aric's spitting up and tummy pain began. Which is also when I switched to soy formula and got him on reflux meds. After about a month on the soy, Aric wasn't tolerating that either, so we switched to Nutramigen. After a month of that, we are now on lactose free formula.

At the time, sure I felt some guilt, but I also felt free. I could leave Aric anywhere I wanted with a can of formula and not have to worry about getting back to feed him or to pump. Now, when I look back, I can see the PPD. I can see me wanting to be away from him so badly that I was cutting off his "perfect" food supply so I could run far away, even if it was just to Target.

And that kills me. I can't believe I was so selfish. So many women struggle to breastfeed their children, but not me. I had perfect boobs. I had a child that knew instantly how to eat. And I threw it all away because I wanted to get away.

At night, when I'm giving Aric his bedtime bottle, I can't help but envision me breastfeeding him, wondering what it would be like if I were still doing it. Wondering if he'd even still know how to do it, if I were to offer it to him (if they still worked, that is). Wondering why I didn't see the signs of PPD sooner so I could have gotten help and stuck with it. Wondering if me quitting is why we've had so many issues finding a formula that would work for him.

I'm not feeling guilty for feeding my child formula. Please don't think I am. I know that formula is perfectly healthy for my child to have. Heck, he's a super healthy, chunky baby. I am feeding my child, and that's what's important, right?

I'm feeling guilty that I failed myself. I know that had I stuck with it, we wouldn't be struggling. Plus, I have my own office, so pumping at work wouldn't even be an issue. Maybe he'd have the same issues that he does now with dairy/soy, but maybe not. It kills me that I set myself up so high for breastfeeding, and I let myself down. Not broken boobs, not a child that wouldn't latch, just me hating every second of it and quitting just because.

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I've taken some time away from this post to calm down. Rereading it, I'm surprised. This was NOT how I intended this post to be! I intended it to be just an explanation of how I went from breastfeeding to formula feeding, and all these emotions came flooding over me. It also got me to finally bite the bullet and call a therapist. The triage nurse I just talked to reminded me that the combination of anti-depressants and therapy helps the healing process go faster. It was a bit DUH moment for me. I'm still waiting on a call back from the therapist she matched me with, so I can determine if she is a match for me.

I'm not meaning to be so hard on myself. And Tim just reminded me that if I focus on my past decisions too much I'll be too afraid to act in the present. He knows I have the answers to my parenting questions, and he knows I don't trust myself enough to act on those answers. And I know I need help sorting through all this.

So, in closing, I have done both breast and formula feeding, both exclusively boob feeding and exclusively pumping. And in the end, my child has been sick a total of once (and that was after his first week of daycare) and is in the 65%tile for weight and 78%tile for height. And is gifted, if you ask me :) Oh, and is the cutest, happiest baby I have ever seen in my life.

Thankful Thursday

2010-04-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

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I don't usually participate in these day of the week things (except Tuesday's Top Ten) but I've had a crappy last 12 hours, and I need something to make me feel better. And listing the things I am thankful for will do just that :)

- First and foremost, I am so ridiculously thankful for my husband. He is always there to wipe my tears and knows just exactly what to say when I'm down. And hey, he gave me my adorable baby :)

- Donuts. Every Thursday is donut day here at the office. And every Thursday I skip breakfast so I can enjoy them. Today they were even tastier!

- My sister. She gives me 2 days a week in daycare, which is fantastic knowing that Aric is with family while I'm stuck at work.

- On that note, I am thankful for my job. I love my job. I love what I do. I love the people that I work with. It would be a heck of a lot harder to go to work each day if I hated it.

- My birthday. I know that's a weird thing to be thankful for, but it's an extra day off, and this year we are seeing opening day at the new Twins stadium!

- My friends, both online and real life. I've met a lot of really awesome ladies (and some guys!) through my blogging and my involvement on the message boards at The Bump. They are always there to give a hug and kind words. Sure there are some e-crazies, but for every e-crazy, there are 10 e-friends to make up for it.

- A roof over my head and food to eat. And the means to keep that roof over my head and the food in my tummy.

I liked doing that. It really did make me feel better thinking about how fortunate I am.

What are you thankful for?

Opening Day

2010-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

It was just a little inconsequential moment, one that wasn't even planned.

Monday, Aric woke up from a nap just in time for his noon bottle. I had been watching the pre-game coverage for the opening day game between the Cardinals and the Reds when he started making some noise, so I got him and started his bottle. While I was waiting for his bottle to warm up, I thought, absently, how it was too bad the Twins are playing a night game out west so Aric won't be awake for the first pitch of the season.

As his bottle warmer clicked off, I carried him into the office, figuring I might as well watch, or at least listen to, some baseball while I fed him. He started eating, then shifted his eyes over to the computer. I followed his gaze, just in time to see Aaron Harang throw a pitch to Skip Schumaker. As he took it for a strike, I had a little catch in my throat.

But why? I don't give a crap about the Cardinals or the Reds. The Twins are, and always will be, my team.

And it hit me. I was watching Opening Day with my son. My dream of passing on my greatest passion had started. I have always had an infinite number of hopes and dreams for Aric, but among them all, I've always hoped he'd be a baseball fan.

He wanted to keep watching while eating, so I turned him to a more comfortable position. When he was finished, I sat him on my lap so we could watch the rest of the first inning. All the while, I was having dreams of opening days in front of the TV, and of summer evenings on the back step with the radio turned to the game, and of sunny Sunday afternoons at the ballpark. And my heart was filled with happiness.

Tuesday's Top Ten

2010-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

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In the blogosphere, I've noticed things like Mommy and Me Monday, Wordless Wednesday, Flashback Friday, etc, etc. I've decided to start my own and see if other bloggers want to do it too! Oh, and I'm sure this has already been done before, let's face it, I'm not really original, but still, I haven't seen one, so I'm doing it.

That would be Tuesday's Top Ten. Each Tuesday I will post a topic and list our top ten in that topic. This week's topic will be The Top Ten Toys We Are Excited to Buy Aric.

1. Marble Works. Tim had this growing up. I did not. But I played with it during free time in kindergarten. Really, I just want it so I can play with it.

2. Slip 'n Slide. We have *just* enough slope in the backyard to get some good speed down the slide, but not too steep that we'd overshoot the "pool" at the end.

3. Tinker Toys. I used to make cars and merry-go-rounds. It was awesome.

4. Plastic Red Baseball Bat. That was Tim's favorite toy when he was little. Plus we have a perfect yard for baseball, complete with the fence in back to hit homeruns over.

5. Cozy Coupe. Otherwise known as a Beep Beep in my family. Heck, maybe we'd even thrown in the gas pump!

6. Wooden Train Tracks. With the magnetic trains. Why? Um, cause they are awesome.

7. Legos. I can make a wicked house and garage. Still can't figure out how to get a roof on those houses, though.

8. Sandbox. Tim had one in a tire. I had one with a cover. The one at the resort that I spent many summers at was made out of 2x4s. I could spend hours in the sandbox making "cakes." The brown (wet) sand was the cake, and the white (dry) sand was the sugar. And I LOVED sifting the bigger stones out of the sand with a sieve.

9. Basketball Hoop. We actually already have one of these. It's sitting in the garage. We have to figure out how to mount it to the roof of the garage, or else get a pole to stick it in the ground. I can see even me shooting hoops outside after dinner every night. I can come up with some creative HORSE moves. I can't make those shots, of course, but I can think of them!!

10. Big Wheel. Who doesn't like rollin down the street on those pimp mobiles?

What are the top ten toys you are most excited to buy for your children?

PS: We were as high as #16 yesterday. Help get us back there! Clicky!!

The obligatory Easter post

2010-04-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

(Click on the pic to enlarge it)

Starting in the top left corner going clockwise:

-Aric checkin out his Easter basket from Grandma and Grandpa A filled with tasty treats!

-Showin Auntie Molls how nummy fingers are.

-Chattin with Grandpa A

-Snuggling Grandma A

-Checkin out Auntie Em's purple hair

-Not really interested in his egg hunt

-Cool Man Jenkins.

It was a busy, busy day!!

Apparently there was a reset

2010-04-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

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So I shall be pimping myself out there for a vote:

Go ahead and click. That's all ya gotta do. Make me popular :)

McDessert Monday

2010-04-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

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Today's post is a simple, tasty, eDiets dessert recipe. I love dessert, and tasty, healthy desserts are even better!

Apple Pie Squares
Serves: 12
Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients 1 lemon, medium, fresh 4 apples, medium 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice 2 apple cinnamon cereal bars 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs, plain Preparation Preheat oven to 375°F. Zest lemon. Squeeze out the juice from lemon and set aside. Peel, core and dice apples. Combine apples, sugar, spice, lemon zest and juice into a microwaveable dish and microwave on high for 12 minutes. Stir well, apples should be soft. Grind cereal bars and graham cracker crumbs in a food processor or blender; press 3/4 cup crust into 8x8-inch nonstick baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Spread apple filling over the top and sprinkle the remainder of the cereal/graham crumbs over top of the apples. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool to room temperature and cut into 12 bars. Serve warm or chilled.

Diet Exchange
Bread/Starch:	0.0
Fruit:	0.5
Fat Free Milk:	0.0
Reduced Fat Milk:	0.0
Whole Milk:	0.0
Other Carbohydrates:	0.5
Vegetable:	0.0
Lean Meat:	0.0
Medium Fat Meat:	0.0
High Fat Meat:	0.0
Plant Protein:	0.0
Fat:	0.0
Alcohol:	0.0

Nutrition Information
Amount Per Serving
Calories	70

Calories from Fat	10
Total Fat	1 g
Saturated Fat	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg
Sodium	40 mg
Total Carbohydrate	16 g
Dietary Fiber	2 g
Sugars	10 g
Protein	less than 1 g
Vitamin A	4%
Vitamin C	8%
Calcium	4%
Iron	2%

Inheriting a love of music

2010-04-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

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When my mom was pregnant with me, whenever I was getting antsy, she'd play me some classical music and it would calm me down. To this day, I can still listen to classical music when I'm feeling angry or upset and it's like an instant fix.

I knew I wanted to do the same for Aric when I was pregnant with him. I still have the "Baby" playlist on my iPod. But the very first song Aric had any reaction to was "Imagine" by John Lennon. I played it for him for the first time as an outside baby last week. Instantly he had this look of calm come over his face as he fixated on my computer (we were listening to it through my iTunes) and listened to the music.

After that, and having sang several Alice in Chains songs for him, Tim and I decided to make him a CD that we now play every night as he takes his bedtime bottle. They are all songs that we like to sing and that are soothing. And I'm hoping that when he's older, he'll hear these songs and feel a sense of "home." Oh, and hopefully it will help him have a good taste in music :)

Here's the playlist -
Rooster- Alice in Chains
The Fool on the Hill - Beatles
Let It Be - Beatles
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley
My Hometown - Springsteen
Prince of Spades - Dispatch
Seven Bridges Road - Eagles
Imagine - John Lennon
Champagne Supernova - Oasis
Just Breathe - Pearl Jam
Hard to Imagine - Pearl Jam
Wish list - Pearl Jam
Hallelujah - Rufus Wainwright
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel
Big Empty - Stone Temple Pilots
Hunger Strike - Temple of the Dog
With Or Without You - U2

Yes, there are three Pearl Jam songs and a Temple of the Dogs song featuring Eddie Vedder. Tim has a thing for Pearl Jam. It happens. And we both like The Beatles and 90's alternative rock, but I bet you couldn't guess that by that playlist ;) There were so many more we wanted to add (because there's no Pink Floyd on this mix!!!), so we're making another one soon!

I love singing to Aric, but when I do it alone, I can never remember the words and it bugs me when I can't sing a song properly. This CD helps me sing all the songs I want to sing to him with the added bonus of helping me remember the words. And he seems to really like when I sing him to sleep.

I'm just hoping that when he's a teenager he doesn't get sucked into whatever the crappy current "pop" music happens to be. I fell into that trap. And once in a while I slip back .... like I did this afternoon with Imma Be. Twice.

Baseball

2010-04-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

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In 1955, when my dad was born, the city of Minneapolis was putting the finishing touches on a major-league quality baseball stadium in the middle of a cornfield in Bloomington, Metropolitan Stadium was finished in time for the minor-league Minneapolis Millers to move in for the 1956 season, and in 1961, the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota to become the Twins, making the Met a major league stadium.

In 1981, when I was born, the city of Minneapolis was putting the finishing touches on the Metrodome, built on the southeast edge of downtown. The Twins moved from the dilapidated Met in time for the 1982 baseball season, and played baseball indoors for the next 28 years.

In 2009, when my son was born, the city of Minneapolis was putting the finishing touches on Target Field, a baseball-only stadium built on the northwest edge of downtown. That stadium will open April 12, putting the Twins back outside and allowing them, for the first time, to have a stadium all their own.

It's no more than a coincidence that three generations of my family were each born the year before a stadium opened for the Twins (plus, it's a bit of a stretch, as my brother was born in '76, and the Twins certainly didn't have a new stadium then). However, it seems fitting. More so than any other American sport, baseball has linked the generations together, giving young and old fans alike some common ground. My dad passed his love of the game on to me, if not his skill (he was a pretty good town ball player up until having a kid made it hard for him to have time to play; I stopped being able to hit in about 8th grade). And I am so excited to pass my love on to Aric.

We got to visit Target Field earlier this year, and let me tell you, the Twins did well with this one. Huge concources, numerous bars and restaurants, nice scoreboards - it's a true gem of a ballpark. I'm so excited to be able to go, and especially, once the weater warms up, to be able to take Aric to his first game. He'll never have to go to a baseball game inside. He won't have any idea how lucky he has it. And I'm glad for that.

No, the field isn't covered in snow! It's a giant tarp covering the grass. It's not THAT snowy in Minnesota in March... usually

Was I a chef in a past life?

2010-04-01T06:03:00.000-07:00

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I love to cook. I usually find it very therapeutic. And I love the compliments I get when I cook for someone for the first time. The best thing you can do to show me that you like my cooking is to take a second helping. Or act as though you are in a food coma.

Our anniversary was no exception. We'd gone out for appetizers and drinks over the weekend, but I wanted to do something extra special for our actual anniversary date. Thanks to a suggestion from a fellow Bumpie, I went with a Surf and Turf theme. We grilled up two strip steaks and some cajun seasoned shrimp skewers. Side dishes included loaded mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. Dessert was a tasty store bought chocolate cake (I cook, I don't bake!)

Dead yet? I am just remembering how tasty it was!

We'd already downed our pieces before I remembered I wanted to take a picture. We're really bad with desserts :)

Now, this is where most people would put the recipes for these tasty treats. But honestly, if I told you what went into the mashed potatoes, you'd get a clogged artery just from reading it. Let's just say there was butter, milk, sour cream, cheese, and bacon. The amounts of each are up to you. And I beat them with my hand mixer cause Tim HATES lumpy mashed potatoes. Actually, he hates all potatoes, but he thought these tasted not-potato enough for him, which should tell you just how UN-healthy they were.

The green beans were steamed with butter, salt, and pepper, and the steaks were cooked with a little bit of steak sauce for a bite (spare me your lectures, steak lovers, I had no time to marinate them so steak sauce was a must). Oh, and the shrimp were just sprinkled with some chili powder.

Oh so yummy.

I've taken my love of cooking and directed it towards Aric's food as well. I spent an hour or so this weekend cooking and pureeing foods for Aric. Why not buy? A couple reasons:

1. Cost. I bought a 2-pack of pre-made squash for 94 cents which lasted 4 feedings. I also bought a whole squash for $1.87 which will last for 18 feedings.

2. I'm going to make Aric's food eventually, why start now?

3. I know exactly how his food was prepared. Sure the ingredients on the Gerber squash was squash and water, but how was the squash cooked? Was it baked to hell so that all hope of nutrients were out the window? What kind of water was used to thin it? Tap water, bottled, purified?

4. Again with the therapeutic. It made me feel good being able to make food for my son that didn't come from a powder from a can. I did it myself. I cooked it. I pureed it in the Magic Bullet. I poured it into ice cube trays for perfect portioning. And I will do the thinning/thickening the way Aric specifically wants it. It's like my little way of making up for the fact that I quit breastfeeding.

So, there ya have it. I love to cook.

And seriously, the next time I have a dinner party, come over. I've made BBQ ribs with garlic mashed potatoes for a picnic that was a HIT. We had an Italian themed dinner party for all my co-workers that is still talked about today (it helps being Italian and knowing the family recipes!). I love cooking for lots of people, so come and enjoy my cooking! And I promise, we always have lots of alcoholic beverages to go along with :)

Boo for the doctor!

2010-03-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

We had Aric's 4-month appointment this week. He's checking in at 16 pounds 5 ounces (66%) and 26 inches (78%). And is very healthy!

His shots were rough, though. Last time he did perfectly well, just a lot of sleeping. This time, he slept for about two days straight as well as having a fever the first night, poor bug. But he's all better now and back to screeching and hollering about the puppy he's trying to stuff in his mouth.

We also started solids this week! We tried going with some rice cereal, but that was a big fat fail. He hated it and screamed and cried. Then we tried oatmeal. Same thing. Then I tried squash.

mmmm ... what is this treat?

Whatever it is, I like it!!

Needless to say it was an overwhelming success! In fact, today while I was feeding him, all I had to do was hold the spoon inches from his mouth and he'd grab my hand and pull the spoon towards him to get to the tasty food :)

We'll do squash for a week, then try avocado. If that goes well, we'll do that for a week before trying apples. I'm spacing out the introduction of new foods just to be sure he doesn't have bad allergic reactions. So if he likes avocado, I'll switch off between that and squash. If that goes well, I'll add apples (which I know he likes, since he tried a fingerful when I was making it).

Speaking of which, I am making my own food for him, but I'll talk about that at a later date. You'll just have to stay in suspense :)

McTuesday Monday

2010-03-30T18:39:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I'm a day late. Almost two days late. Sorry. There was an anniversary thrown in there, ya know?

So, I've decided, after another week of hovering around pre-preg weight, to start taking this seriously. How serious? I've taken a picture of myself.

Remember when I posted pics of my stretchmarks? (Oh Wilson, we had some great times!) That was hard on my self-esteem. But you know what's harder?

This:

Run, children! Mega arms are coming to attack you with every wave!

I thought about doing a side shot, but no one needs to see the ba-donk-a-donk I got goin on. It's not pleasant. I'm no Beyonce.

So, there ya have it. And here are the official deets:
Age - 25
Height - 5' 1" (yep, shorty!)
Weight - 180.2 (::dead::)
Goal - 140

Time to get serious, stop eating everything in site, and get more active.

This week's goals: stick to the eDiets meal plans, drink more water, and walk on my lunch break now that it's nice out.

Exactly 2 years ago today...

2010-03-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

...I married my best friend.

And the reception has gone down as the Greatest Party Ever Held.

(Click on the pics for a bigger view)

(Photos were taken by our good friend and the guy in the bottom right corner, Butch from Photography by McCartney)

If a picture is worth a thousand words, these don't even come close to describing the elation I felt that day and continue to feel every morning I wake up next to the love of my life, my everything.

It's been two years, but in two short years, he has already provided me with more than I ever could have asked for.

Awesome giveaway!

2010-03-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

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http://www.themomreviews.com/2010/03/modern-bird-studios-creates-works-of.html

Check out that site above for a wicked awesome artwork giveaway!! Actually, don't. I want it.

Further proof that babies are cannibals

2010-03-28T13:16:00.001-07:00

It's been a while

2010-03-28T06:37:00.000-07:00

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Sorry about that!

Tim and I went out for our anniversary last night. Nothing fancy, just drinks, appetizers, and a piece of cake from Cafe Latte that was devoured in less than 3.2 seconds.

Since we don't have cable at our house and thus don't have TV (we don't have an HD converter box on our main TV and our HD TV is in our bedroom and only picks up CBS, PBS, and FOX) my mom was hesitant to watch Aric at our house. I wanted her to since it would be easier on his normal bedtime routine.

But I thought eventually we'll need to do a "sleep transfer" so why not try tonight. So we brought Aric to my mom's house with his jammies and she did his normal bedtime routine. We picked him up around 11:30. He woke up when I put him in his carrier, than again when we got home. But the second I laid him in his crib and turned on the seahorse, he was out like a light.

And because he's a smart baby, he slept all the way to 7am. But because he knew we weren't ready to get up yet, he just talked quietly to himself for a half hour before Tim go up to tend to him. It's good to know I have a kid that will respect hangovers :)

Some things to look forward to: Tomorrow is our actual anniversary. Watch for an awesome picture post. It was so much fun going through our wedding pictures and reliving that day!

Also, watch for an awesome giveaway/review. A SPONSORED giveaway/review! Seriously! There's a company that is sending me something! Holy crap!!

And since I'm feeling a lack of creativity, go ahead and comment about what you want me to talk about. Maybe we can have an "ask anything" day. Hmmm ... that might be fun, asking me and Tim whatever you want to know.

And finally, my baby is cute.

Milk-a-what?!

Thank you, that is all.

Missing my little boy

2010-03-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to see my little boy at all yesterday. He was still sleeping when I left for work. While at work, my dad called and offered to take me to the Wild game, and I'm not going to turn that down. So he picked me up at my office and we went straight there. I didn't get home until about 10:00, and Aric was already in bed for the day. So I didn't get to see him.

Except that as soon as I came in, I heard him fussing. Nicci said he hadn't said anything all night until right then. I went in to check on him, and he was on his back, wide awake. I didn't turn on the light, so I couldn't tell if he was smiling, but he was awake. So I grabbed him, gave him a quick little hug, then put him back down. He fell asleep instantly.

So the question needs to be asked: Did Aric miss his Dad enough that he waited for me to come home, then started making noises so I'd be sure to go in and say good night? I know he's only four months old, and his brain surely doesn't think work like that, but I'm going to live my little fantasy and pretend that's exactly what he was doing. Because it makes me really happy to think that he might have done that on purpose.

Up, up, and away!!

2010-03-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

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Since Aric turned 4 months old, it's like the lightbulb has switched on. He's a totally different baby. He interacts, he grabs, he talks and talks! And grins. And laughs. And gets manipulative when he doesn't want to nap any more (that is screaming bloody murder until he sees my face, then grinning ear to ear).

And he's learned how to properly use his Circle of Neglect - I'm sorry, I mean Jumperoo:
(WARNING! Video contains gratuitous baby thighs. Please refrain from attempting to eat the screen)

I swear to God one of these days he's gonna jump out of there!

Um, I made a blog badge. You should grab it. Also, vote for me :) Thank you, that is all.

Some new changes

2010-03-22T11:47:00.000-07:00

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Two posts in one day! Neat-o!

By now I'm sure you've noticed the changes I've made to the site. I spent a long time playing with PhotoShop over the weekend and created the new background and header that you see. I'm also working on a blog button and some cute headers for the items in my side-bars.

I'm not all that creative, I made these with free digital kits that I downloaded from Carrie Stevens and Emily Powers.

However, this could all change again if I win Jocelyn's Blog Re-Design Giveaway!! See, she's actually good at that kind of thing, and should I win, it would actually look good :)

I would tell you to check out her giveaway and enter to win it, but I want to win it. So stay away.

Thank you, that is all.

McImpulseControl Monday

2010-03-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

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Still hovering right around pre-pregnancy weight.

You know what my problem is? Really, really crappy impulse control. I mean REALLY crappy. Pregnancy did a number on my impulsive eating. Two breakfasts, two lunches, a large snack, dinner, bedtime snack? Sure! Bags of Cheetos and Butterfinger bars sprinkled within? Yes, please! Donut day? I'll have 2 now, some cookies for later, and maybe another donut after lunch if there is any left.

I never denied any of my cravings (perhaps that's why I had pregnancy-induced hypertension?).

Now that I'm no longer pregnant, it's been hard to break that cycle. I'll have a dinner roll at dinner. Then another at dinner. Then another right after dinner while I'm playing with Aric and Tim does the dishes. Don't get me started on Cadbury Cream Eggs or Girl Scout cookies. And as I'm polishing off the entire sleeve of Thin Mints, I'll think "My impulse control sucks" and shove that last cookie down the hatch.

It's not that I'm hungry. Those eDiets meals are quite filling and I always feel happily full afterwards, not food coma full. But then I see Zebra Cakes at Walmart when I'm picking up formula and somehow they make it into the cart and down the hatch before I can even say "God I hate the customers at Walmart."

Goals this week: work on my impulse eating. It's not hard to stick to the diet, really, it's not. It's just hard to avoid eating everything in sight just because I want to. So I'll try eating an orange when I want to eat more Thin Mints. Possibly have those Thin Mints permanently removed from the house.

That, and more water. Just cause water is good to drink.

Be sure to check out http://theheirtoblair.com/ for more McFatties :)

Guest Post: Auntie Daycare

2010-03-21T10:18:00.001-07:00

I'm starting something today that I hope will be a neat addition to the blog. It'll be a running series of guest entries from my favorite three-years-younger-than-me sister (not to be confused with my favorite six-years-ounger-than-me sister) who also happens to be my part time daycare provider! She agreed to be my daycare provider before Aric was even born, back when I thought I could work 4-day weeks and would only need three days a week of daycare and didn't want to pay a "real" daycare provider.

Unfortunately, as these things happen, I had to work 5-day weeks so we needed 4 days of daycare. Molly was still willing to do two days a week, which I'm sooooo grateful for! It's made going back to work a lot easier on me knowing that Aric is still with family half the week.

So, without further ado: Molly!

Hi readers, I’m Auntie Molls! I’m Nicci’s sister and have the fantastic opportunity to hang out with Aric two days a week. Wednesdays and Fridays are the high lights of my time because I get to pick up my favorite nephew and spend an entire day with him. We usually go out for walks, dance around, and play airplane.

Last Wednesday was a different day though. I had to share baby time, and I like to hog Aric when he’s around. Auntie Em was in town on spring break and enjoyed taking charge with him, unless he filled up his diaper (I got the best part…no wait). On Wednesday the weather was absolutely gorgeous, so Auntie Em and I took Aric and the dog, Pepper, up to a playground. Aric had a blast on the swings until Pepper barked at him. Pepper and Aric don’t get along. Pepper has attention problems. When Aric gets all the love and attention Pepper steals a bottle of diaper rash cream and eats the entire thing. Plastic tube and all. That made for a fun clean up a couple days later, once it was digested. Pepper continued having issues with Aric the entire walk, but Aric has gotten to the point where he just entirely ignores the dog if he can. I try that too, unsuccessfully.

Nicci has asked that I write a few guest entries about our adventures with at Auntie Daycare. So next time Pepper eats diaper cream out of frustration, or Aric has a monumental occasion, or we just have a great day together, you’ll know about it!

Aric and his Auntie Molls!

Lets talk about cannibalism

2010-03-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

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Baby cannibalism to be exact. Well, not baby on baby cannibalism. The fact that babies are so freakin tasty.

Don't believe me? Let me show you Exhibit A:

Look at those fat rolls!! It's all I can do to resist slobbering all over my computer screen when I look at that image. I'm seriously dying here.

Still not buying it? Exhibit B:

Chubby cheeks. I can't tell you how many times a day I kiss those cheekies. And no one can resist them either! Everyone how holds him has to kiss them, and I know for a fact they are all thinking about eating them.

What? You still don't think babies are tasty? Let me present Exhibit C:

That's right, the nekkid belly. Please, step back from the monitor. This is not an actual baby belly. This is a photo of a baby belly. And if you aren't dying to nom it, you are going to blow raspberries on it, right?

I knew it.

It's a good thing babies aren't cannibalistic!

Uh-oh. I might be wrong about that.

This doesn't look good.

I stand corrected. Babies are cannibals too.

My heart was sad today

2010-03-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

My job can be emotionally taxing. I work with difficult clients and now that I'm in a management position, I also have to worry about my staff.

But I have a thick skin, and usually things don't bother me. When they do, it's nothing a glass of wine can't shake off. Shoot, I used to work with at-risk teen boys. I was called bitch and whore, and was bit, spit on, and punched. Sure it sucked (I drank A LOT the year I did that), but it was nothing compared to what I felt today.

I'm going to try and do this using as little detail as possible, to protect both my client's and my privacy, so bear with me.

Anyway, this particular client, we'll call her A, has a mental disability. On the outside, she looks like a totally, completely normal 16 year old. But she needs reminders for simple things like remembering to eat, to clean up after herself, to shower, and to go to bed. She's extremely reactionary and impulsive. She's become more and more aggressive and violent lately and has students at her school frightened of her.

And she's pregnant.

It's hard enough having a client like her, then to tack on a pregnancy doesn't make it any easier. Plus, A has been through a lot of trauma in her short life that even an able-bodied person would struggle surviving from.

The poor thing has no idea what she is in for. Because of her disabilitiy, she's unable to think rationally and doesn't think having a baby is so hard. When we bring scenarios up to her and ask how she will respond, she screams "Don't judge me! I can do it!" Typical 16 year old, really, thinking they can handle anything.

We were trying to teach her that with her aggressive impulsivity, 2am feedings will be exceedingly hard for her and she WILL end up hurting her child. "No, no!" she says. "It will be my blood. I can't hurt my own blood." I thought about myself and my PPD. Here I am with my shit together (supportive partner, steady income, etc.) and it's been hard for me. So I tried to get her to understand how truly difficult even the easiest babies can be. Of course, it was met with "Whatever. I can handle it. You don't even know."

But here is where my heart broke into pieces. "When I have the baby, I won't be lonely any more."

I almost started crying right then and there. It was time to use my PPD Powers for good.

I tried explaining to her that for the first six weeks, there's almost nothing fun about having a baby. When they aren't crying, being fed, or sleeping, they aren't capable of doing anything. They cannot laugh. They rarely smile. There are no cooing sounds, nothing. I told her that they are basically lumps.

I told her that even though I got to stay home all day everyday for three months, I was still very, very much alone. My baby did not provide me company and I was still lonely and very very sad.

But of course, she didn't understand. She's not able to understand. Poor dear can't even understand to take care of her own basic needs! She looks at this baby as her chance to have her own something to love. Something that will love her back no matter what. And come hell or high water, she was going to have this baby to have her companionship.

I drove home with a heavy feeling in my heart. Yes, I feel bad for the baby that will be born and will eventually be taken away from it's mother. But holy crap do I feel terrible for A. She will have this baby for the companionship, and just imagine how crushed she will be when they take that baby and she won't fully grasp why!

I don't know what is going to happen in the next six months. I'm scared to know what will happen. This will keep me up at night think about it. Like I said, I have my shit together (so to speak) and I am barely mucking my way through it; it's gonna be ten times worse for her, whether she keeps the baby or not.

It humbles me and worries me all at the same time.

Now that I have a child and have had PPD and some of the struggles that go along with it, these types of situations at work (while not common) are going to be harder for me. I'm not saying that if I didn't have a baby I wouldn't be sad about the situation. I've always been able to connect to my clients and feel some of their pain to a certain extent. But I've never had a feeling like this, ever. It's hard! I liked it better when I had the distance of not truly knowing exactly what my clients were going through. But in this situation, I know just how hard it is going to be for her, and I know how it will affect her, and it makes my heart sad.

The Clothing Challenge has come to an end.

2010-03-16T19:37:00.000-07:00

I'm calling an end to the clothing challenge. We still have one sleeper (not jammies), two pairs of pants, 3-4 onesies, and several shirts still hanging the the closet. All of these clothes were worn before the clothing challenge began, so it's not like I'm skipping out on those. I just want to get on with life and start repeating pants and shirts. He has so many cute things I want him to wear before he grows out of them!

And I learned a valuable lesson: when purchasing clothes for a new baby (for a gift) I will purchase size 6-9 months or 9-12. Everyone buys 3-6 because they think "Oh, everyone will buy newborn or 0-3." I guess no one stops to think that everyone will also think that same thought.

So, here we go to the final days of the challenge:

Day 21

Apparently Aric is not a fan of Day 22's outfit.

He hated Day 23 even more, he did not heed his shirt's advice to "Mallow out dude!"

We didn't take an official photo for Day 24, but here's a brief look at the blue sweat suit. And apparently Tim's shirt Photobombed this adorable shot.

Can you tell color-blind Tim chose Day 25's outfit?

And finally, day 26.

That's right, folks, 26 days without a single repeat. And we could have gone at least three more days!!

Be sure to click here to reminisce about the other 20 days of the challenge.

Monday Musings

2010-03-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

Notice a lack of anything? Like, say, a McFatty post?

Thanks to these:

I'm skipping McFatty this week. I don't want to get on the scale and see that big, fat fail.

That WubbaNub giveaway was actually fun! I have no idea why, but it was! I like being able to reward my readers, few though they may be.

I'd do more, but honestly, it would add up, since I'd have to pay for them out of pocket. If there is anyone out there that would like to sponsor a giveaway, I'd love to do it! But until that mystery sponsor arrives, no more giveaways here at CTU.

Tim is watching some baseball documentary. I keep hearing about whore houses and not shaving. Not quite sure how that's about baseball. And he keeps making comments about what he sees, as though I'm watching/paying attention with him.

Aric is adorable.

Thank you, that is all.

WubbaNub winner!

2010-03-15T06:08:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Jess!

Jess said...: I love the puppy wubanub! Adorable!jessalicious01 at yahoo dot com; March 12, 2010 7:21 PM; I've sent you an email. Please contact me within 48 hours, or another winner will be picked!!

Tummy time please!

2010-03-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

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Aric loves his tummy time so much he decided to roll from back to belly today. I left him on his activity mat in the living room while I checked on dinner. I returned to find him on his belly! I flipped him back over (which angered him) and sure enough, he did it again!

And I caught it on tape!!

I was telling him today that he is really turning into a grown-up baby now! He grabs his toys, shakes them, and puts them in his mouth. He talks all.the.time. One of these days he'll discover a screech, I'm sure, but for now, I love that he's constantly making noises!

At dinner today, he was on his Bumbo chair watching us eat and contributing to our conversation. It was pretty much adorable.

Has anyone developed a way to freeze time so I can keep my baby just the way he is? plzkthx.

The joys of March, continued

2010-03-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

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Yesterday, Tim told the story of the day we met (March 13th, 2004) from his point of view. Today, I shall share mine:

March 13th was a cold day. Freezing rain and ridiculous winds were taking over the day. I had driven home from school to see my little sister's play. When her play was done, I started making the motions of getting my stuff ready to head back to school.

My mom mentioned that she didn't want me driving in these conditions, as they had progresively gotten worse throughout the afternoon. I assured her I would be OK, and that I NEEDED to get back to school becuase my friend and I had our first "grown-up" party to attend.

You see, in the great school of Eau Claire, freshman and sophomores not lucky enough to live off campus had to rely on those who did live off campus for partying. And when those people let you into their homes, it was only to be in their basement and you would get nasty comments should you DARE venture up the stairs. Some places were fortunate enough to have a bathroom in the basement. Some were not. Even still, no one was allowed upstairs. And when the keg was gone, the party was over. This usually happened around 9pm. At that point, those of age would head to the bars, while the rest up us stumbled our way back to the dorms to pass out at 10pm.

So you can understand my excitement, as a sophomore, to be invited to a party at a senior's house. It would be held in the living room and it didn't even START until 9pm! Oh the excitement!!

So I headed back to Eau Claire just in time to gussy myself up and show up fashionably late to my friend's friend's party (got that?). We arrived at 9:30pm and were the first ones there. Oh well.

As the night went on, I enjoyed more beverages. More people showed up. At one point, two red-headed men walked in and for a minute I wondered if I was seeing double.

I sat next to one of these red-headed men and struck up a conversation. The other red-head shouted over "you know he's married, right?" I then continued to make fun of him for taking off his wedding ring while drinking with college girls. Somehow I ended up sitting next to the other red-head and we began talking about what a hack Todd Bertuzzi is. I had just read a column in our school newspaper about it, so I thought I was all smart spewing back everything I had just read (come to find out, that column was written by that very red-head I was talking to. This I did not learn until months later and then felt stupid).

We chatted about sports for a good chunk of the night, when he made some comment about being right back. To someone who had been turned down by more men than make up a rugby team, I knew that meant he was leaving and I'd likely never see him again. Which was fine, cause I was drunk and not caring about a thing!

To my shock, he actually returned! And we talked and talked and talked, and eventually he left with his sober cab.

Honestly, I never thought I'd see or hear from him again.

Until I woke up that Monday morning to the email.

March 13th has another special meaning for us. It was on that day, in 2007, that Tim asked for my hand in marriage.

The day started out rather normally. We'd both worked all day, but were looking forward to celebrating our 3rd anniversary that day. I knew that in the next month or so, I'd be getting something sparkly to put in my hand, but I truely didn't think tonight would be the night.

When Tim came home from work, I made a silly joke asking if I should expect anything special today. He said no, and I made a pretend sad face.

Tim went to our bedroom and came back with a card. While I was reading it (remember, Tim's a fantastic writer and everything he's every written for me makes me cry) I started tearing up, not even noticing he was on his knee next to me. When I finished reading, I turned to thank him, when he said, "Will you marry me?"

I grabbed him in the biggest hug of my life and started bawling! I kept repeating, "nu-uh, nu-uh!" Eventually, I managed to get out the word "yes" so he wouldn't think I was actually saying no. It was so exciting, romantic, and unexpected, but so totally "us" in the simple way that he proposed. And I've never thought twice about saying "yes."

This year, March 13th has a bit different of a meaning to us. This year, our baby boy turned 4 months old on our special day. But March will always hold a special meaning in my heart. It's the month we met (in 2004), got engaged (2007), married (2008), and found out about Aric (2009).

I wonder what March can possibly bring us in the future?

Six years ago

2010-03-13T07:28:00.000-08:00

It started like most Saturday mornings started my senior year of college - with me sleeping off a hangover. I think I woke up around noon.

I was showered and dressed by 1, and I opened my first beer of the day and settled in to watch Wisconsin and Michigan State play in the Big Ten tournament (Wisconsin won 68-66, and Tom Izzo still bothers me). My brother showed up at about 1:15. Early as always. It's OK, though, 'cause I was hungry. So we went to get some pizza. And we went to drink.

And drink. And drink.

I have never had any intention of trying to figure out how many beers I had that day or how many different bars we went to, mostly because I'm afraid my liver would break if I ever knew the answer. I just know we never really stopped. At one point, Jesse had an in-depth conversation with a bartender about pistachios; at another, he sat next to one of my co-workers at a bar and told him he (the co-worker) he should take some Prozac. (He was right).

We had a newspaper party that night that I wanted to go to, but I didn't think Jesse would want to stay too long, since what fun is a college party to a 28-year-old? (In retrospect, now that I am a 28-year-old I realize how foolish this thought was.). So we went, not planning to stay long.

When we got there, I focused my efforts on making fun of my roommate, who had already gotten there, while Jesse focused his efforts on finding more beer. I started flirting with a staff member while Jesse sat down and started talking to some other woman who was sitting on the floor. At some point, in a drunken stupor, I shouted out "You know he's married, right?" For whatever reason, that caused her to come over and talk to me.

I didn't know who she was or why she was at our newspaper party, but that wasn't important. Random people showed up to our parties all the time. What was important was that she wanted to talk about hockey. Well, "wanted" might be too strong of a word. I was drunk, after all. But the conversation at some point turned to hockey, specifically about why Todd Bertuzzi was a hack. Now, this was the subject of my column that I had written earlier in the week, so I thought that this girl recognized me from my headshot. Happy that I found someone that actually wanted to discuss my column with me, I continued on the subject.

The conversation changed. I found out where she went to high school and we proceeded to have a minor pissing match about whose sports teams were better. I think I might have brought her a beer at some point, but I can't be too sure.

At some point, Jesse decided to leave. I went outside to give him directions out of the neighborhood we were in - directions I ascertained by looking up at the stars for some reason - and I helped push his car out of the mud. As he was leaving, he rolled down his window and shouted "Stop talking about high-school sports!" And he was gone.

I took his advice. Conversation turned to family, and other things of that nature. I didn't even know who else was around at that point. This girl was just really cute, and I wanted to keep things going.

Eventually, I looked around and realized the only one from our paper who was still around was the one I was flirting with earlier. I figured out that she had stayed behind on "Tim duty," i.e., she had the responsibility of getting me home safe that night. Not wanting to keep her waiting, I big my new friend adieu and left.

.....

For most nights in college, the story would end there. Nothing would happen the next morning except for me nursing a hangover, and life would continue. But this was different. For some reason, I had a crystal-clear memory of almost everything I had talked about with that mystery woman. Plus, I seemed to remember that she was pretty cute. So I decided to look her up. But what did I remember about her?

Well, I knew her name was Nicci (she hadn't told me how to spell it, but that was the spelling I pictured in my head), so I knew to look her up under Nicole. Her last name started with a "C" and was the type of name that everybody mispronounced once it was spelled for them. So I looked up all the Nicole C's in the student directory. Only one seemed to fit that bill. Was the rest of the information correct? She went to Cretin, so the "651" area code on her home phone number had to be right. I remembered that she lived in Sutherland, so that address was right. And her grade was right. I left her contact information up on my computer and went down to work at the paper for the day. I got back that evening, saw her contact information still there, and wrote out an email:

"Hi Nicole-

This is Tim. You may remember meeting me and my brother at the party on Saturday. We're the two redheads who were sitting on the couch.

Anyway, I feel a little bad that our conversation got cut off so abruptly at the end of the night. I was hoping to be able to continue it sometime, if you're interested. I'd enjoyed talking to you, and I'd like to try it when I'm not ... um ... under the influence.

In short, I'd like to see you again. I hope I'm not being too forward about this. If you'd like to hang out some evening, either email me or call my room at xx-xxxx.

Have a good night,
Tim"

I looked over the email probably a dozen times. I paced. I got a beer and paced some more, then, finally, at 11:30 that night, I sent it.

....

That party was six years ago today. That woman at the party is now my wife and the mother of my child. My life is infinitely better because I went to that party, further proving that everybody should always drink.

It's been a great ride, sweetie. I love you.

An evening in the life

2010-03-12T07:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a cranky day for little Aric, which it usually is when he's had daycare. He's always so tired when he gets back, but he never sleeps at home (I like to pretend it's because he misses us and wants to hang out. Makes the fussiness easier to deal with). To make things trickier, Nicci had to leave as soon as I got home to have dinner with her sister and dad (well, she didn't have to leave, I guess, but why would anybody skip a free dinner? I sure wouldn't.). So it was left to me to be with Aric for the night.

First of all, boy is that kid getting big. Because of his mood, he was pretty much only happy when he was being held, which I was fine with because I hadn't seen him all day. But I had to keep switching arms because of how big he's gotten in the last couple weeks (it doesn't help that I have the upper body strength of a 7th grader). His fussiness continued, so I tried a paci while cradling him football style.

That worked almost instantly. He was alseep within minutes. But that left me with a problem, namely a sleeping infant cradled in my arm that I wasn't too interested in disturbing. Plus I was hungry. So I got out some leftover pizza, microwaved it, and ate three pieces before he woke up. It doesn't sound impressive, except that little boy didn't wake up or even stir that entire time. I was impressed with my skills, especially since I was holding him with my weak arm.

After I ate, we played airplane and referee for a little bit (he seems to like when I show him different hand gestures that football officials make; his favorite is pass interference). He did finally take a short nap in his swing before bedtime. When it was finally bedtime and he was finished with his bottle, I was a little worried because he appeared to be wide awake - his eyes were open wide, he was cooing a little bit, and he was in general looking around. But I put him down in his crib, and he was out cold. Instant. Before I could even get the blanket over him. I don't know if anybody has ever fallen alseep that fast.

So I realize that this was a bit of a boring night, and that this story might, in fact, rival my Green Day Story (inside joke with Nicci). But whatever. Not every night with an infant is world-changing or stressful. Sometimes they're just normal, run-of-the-mill nights, and there's nothing wrong with that.

God, I love March.

2010-03-11T13:10:00.000-08:00

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Today, exactly one year ago, I peed on a stick.

I'd peed on a stick several times before that, so I was no stranger. But each time before that, we hadn't actually been trying so I wasn't expecting anything and nothing was ever there.

This time was different. This time, before I could even wipe and flush, there was the magical line. The HolyCrapOMGSrslyOMFG line.

I sat back down on the toilet and grinned. I grinned so hard my cheeks hurt. I shook from excitement. I was amazed at our ability to make that magical line appear the moment we started trying.

I ran to my car, pee stick in hand (wrapped in TP, of course!), and sped to Tim's work. I called him and told him he needed to meet me in the parking lot ASAP. He got in my car. I said nothing and handed him the pee stick.

He grinned. I'm pretty sure his cheeks hurt too! There was the tiniest hint of a tear in his eye. He hugged and kissed me and we just grinned at each other.

And that's how it all started.

Here's my very first blog entry:

Hi baby! This is your mommy! Today is the day that we first found out you were on your way. Mommy was curious this morning about why none of her bras fit any more. She wasn't "late" but thought, what the heck!

Sure enough there was a faint blue line on the test! Mommy was so excited she didn't know what to do! So she hopped in the car and drove to visit Daddy at work. When Daddy came down to meet Mommy in the car, she showed Daddy the test. he was so excited all he could do was kiss Mommy! And yes, there was a tiny amount of water forming in his eyes :)

For right now, we are approaching this lightly, since the test was so faint. Mommy will try another test tomorrow morning and see what that one says. We will know for sure when we go to the doctor's office later this month!

Oh, and also, since Mommy is in her 4th week of pregnancy (the week of Mommy's last menstrual cycle is considered week 1), she knows just how big you are! Right now, you are the size of a poppy seed! Check out this cool website that tells you what you were up to in the last two weeks!

Over the next 9 months, Daddy and I will be updating this journal to tell you how we are feeling and what we are doing to prepare for your triumphant entry into this world.

I'm excited to meet you, and I wish you luck while you grow and change into the wonderful person you will become!

And Tim's response that same day:

Hello baby!

This is your dad this time. I've gotten over the original shock of seeing the pregnancy test results this morning enough to be able write down some (hopefully) coherent thoughts. Right now, I'm feeling a bit of disbelief, like this isn't really happening to us. My guess is that feeling will go away the first time I hear Mom's doctor say "you're pregnant," but it's still there. It doesn't take away from my excitement too much, but I admit it does a little bit.

I think it's appropriate that we found out about you in early March. In all honesty, I'm a bit disappointed we didn't find out two days later. You see, March 13 was the day your mother and I met, way back in 2004, and it was also the day - in 2007 - when I proposed to her. March is also our wedding month, so on the 29th, we'll have a third person with us as we celebrate our first anniversary.

If my math is correct, you should be joining us right around Thanksgiving this year. Wouldn't that be fitting? On that day, we'll know what it means to truly give thanks.

You're only the size of a poppy seed, yet you've already made me incredibly happy. I can't imagine what I'll be feeling as the months go on.

Oh, and if you're curious about the amount of sticks Tim and I peed on, check this out. Oh, and I carried that initial pee stick, wrapped in TP, in my purse all day long.

Gross, right?

<--Clicky!

<-- There too!

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