To the Perseverance of Friendship

Good friends are hard to find. I thought they were also harder to keep. My BFF and I have kind of drifted apart since college. She lives in the desert of Arizona and I in the hills of Tennessee. We are married with children and careers. Before either of us realized it, four years had passed since we had last seen each other.

But, for the grace of God, she called me out of the blue and said she was coming to visit. Out of nowhere a girls weekend to Atlanta was planned. It couldn’t have been better timing for me. I desperately needed to remember who I was before I was a mommy.

The three and a half hour road trip from Nashville to Atlanta was the perfect amount of time for us to catch up. By the time we checked into the W Downtown, the four years that had separated us had faded away and I felt a bit like my old self from college. I have to admit, it was nice to connect with a friend who knew me as just “me” and not as “wife of J” or “mommy to JT”. It was just ME and that felt good. The best part of the trip was remembering how a good friend can inspire you to follow a dream, give you perspective on a current issue and make you feel more comfortable in your own skin.

As we left Atlanta, I couldn't help but wonder if we would talk more this year than last? Even as I considered the odds, I wasn’t worried. I realized that it’s not the number of phone calls we make or letters we send that keep our friendship alive. We simply need to make time for each so that we can remember who we used to be and who we would like to become. Preferably, over drinks, dinner and laughter.

Travel Details:

W Downtown - Modern, chic hotel. Cool rooms and lounges. Found a great deal on hotel website. Convenient shuttle to nearby restaurants.

Woodfire Grill - Top Chef restaurant. Enjoyed the five course tasting menu at the bar. Recommend the "Bitter End" cocktail if you are looking for a "bartender's drink".

Staring at the Baby Monitor

I find that I have been staring at the baby monitor a LOT lately, trying to will my 8 month old to sleep.  You see, his top two front teeth are coming in and he's quite cranky about it.  Plus, he's just learned how to sit up on his own.  Might I add that he hasn't quite mastered the art of going from a sitting position back to a laying position.  So, he'll sway back and forth on his tooshie so tired, crying and trying to take a huge bite out of his toy basketball.  He looks like a tree that's about to fall that's only waiting for someone to yell "Timber!".  You just want to say "Bless his heart!" as we do in the South.  Well, speak of the devil, he has finally crashed.  I'm going to tiptoe downstairs and have some lunch.

Trick or Treat?

When I bake, I don't know if I'll end up with a treat or a dirty little trick the kitchen plays on me.  Nevertheless, I shall don an apron and make a galiant effort to produce these goodies for our Halloween get together tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Halloween Cake Balls - I promise they are delicious & cute despite the name.

Imagine white chocolate covered spice cake with Halloween sprinkles!

Halloween Sugar Cookies - This sounds foolproof, but I have a knack for ruining baked goods...at least they will be in the shape of ghosts and goblins.

Happy Halloween!

JT's favorite new song

JT smiles every time I sing him this song.  It got stuck in my head after listening to Chris Rock sing it in "Death at a Funeral".  This and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" work every time.

Where am I? JT's current "ins" and "outs"

Here is JT's current list of Obsessions, updated for your reading pleasure:


"In"
Window blinds (who knew?)
Whatever mom is eating
My "private" area...(what is that, a toy?)
Whoever is not holding me
Crowds
Top front two teeth! (that will make four!)
Sippy cups
Note: Remote controls, cell phones and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" continue to be "in".

"Out"
Toes, Fingers (see post on obsessions)
Riding in the jogging stroller (there goes mommy's weight loss!)
Green beans, squash (see post on Finger Foods)
9 month clothes & 12 month pajamas
Hyland's teeting tablets (did you hear about the recall?)
Target diapers (after 5 consecutive spills, you'd think mom would learn)
Laying back in my bathtub
 
It's funny how quickly things change!

Get in my belly! Finger foods for baby?

JT has recently been giving me the stink eye when I feed him yet another container of green beans or squash (poor guy)!  So, I decided to consult the "internets" for new foods that would be safe for him to eat.  I have already done the "save my baby, he's choking" maneuver on him with Gerber Teething biscuits.  So, I want to minimize the potential for heartburn on my behalf. 

Baby Center has a good list of beginning finger foods and a baby feeding guide by age.  Any other suggestions from moms out there?

Drama in the life of a Stay at Home Mom

Some would call being a Stay at home mom (SAHM) the good life. Others would call it a relic of the 1950's Stepford wife era with chocolate bon bons and soap operas. Despite all of my preconceived notions of what life would be like on the other side of gainful employment, being a SAHM is tougher than I ever thought (but just as rewarding).

First, someone should just tell you that months 0-3 are a wash. Forget about accomplishing anything above and beyond survival and sleep, especially if you are a first-timer. I don't remember anything that happened during those months - seriously, NOTHING. You focus on sleeping and keeping this tiny baby alive and well. Sometimes you get to take a shower and brush your teeth. Forget about shaving and having intelligent conversations. Plan on watching marathon episodes of Bones or whatever comes on between midnight and four in the morning. Women who go back to "gainful employment" should be showered daily with spa treatments and chocolate for they are maternal goddesses.

At 3-6 months, you begin to see light at the other end of the tunnel, small rays of hope that one day you will sleep again. Looking back, I wish someone had just told me to survive to 3 months. Knowing there was an end in sight would have made the first three months less painful. Some type of sleeping clock adjusts in most babies resulting in more zzzz's for all. This is also when babies stop having colic (thank heaven above my baby did not!). You can shower daily now, breathe normally and perform many normal daily functions such as cooking, light cleaning and slightly intelligent conversations. If I had to go back to "work", 6 months would be the earliest I could psychologically do it.

Months 6-9 (my current stage in life) are SOOO sweet. Baby is cooing and smiling at every little thing you do. You are a maternal goddess in his eyes. I would say that you have "adjusted" to the pressures of being a mom - you have figured out what makes your little guy tick and how to fix problems. As a bonus, my pregnancy weight finally came off! On the flip side, this is also the point where you start to realize the accumulated loss of self. You've basically ignored your own needs for the last six to nine months. Being a constant caregiver begins to take its toll. And, you start to think about adjustments you can make to your freshly designed routine. What can I do for "me"? How can I build in some "me" time?

Don't ask me what comes next. I have NO idea! This is where I'm at now. One thing I've learned as a SAHM - take it one day at a time, or better yet, one diaper at a time!